As the Champions League enters the Semi-Finals, the Big Five Leagues are also heading towards their conclusions.
The entire European football scene is ablaze with intense competition, especially in the Big Five Leagues, where the situation remains incredibly tight.
In the Premier League, the Manchester United rivals are locked in a fierce battle, constantly chasing each other, yet unable to create a significant points gap.
Manchester United has largely confirmed that Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of this season, which has saddened Manchester United fans.
This Head Coach, who has been with Manchester United for many years and has long become an iconic figure for the club, is finally set to retire from Carrington No. 9 with great success.
Before he leaves, he still wants to secure another League title for Manchester United.
The title race in La Liga is equally intense, with Real Madrid and Barcelona tied on points, neck and neck.
However, in the upcoming matches, Barcelona will be relatively relaxed without the Champions League pressure, while Real Madrid needs to be more cautious.
In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich once again demonstrated their League dominance; not only in the League, but in the Champions League this season, Bayern has also displayed astonishing combat power.
Their sensational transfer in last season's summer window has paid off, with Cristiano Ronaldo providing Bayern with formidable finishing ability after joining.
And Bayern Munich has built around him as the core, striving for Champions League glory.
Serie A and Ligue 1 still show signs of decline, though a subtle, unusual storm is brewing within this calm.
Besides that, the World Cup European qualifiers are also in full swing.
In addition to several top European powerhouses, some dark horse teams have also emerged, with Iceland being a typical super dark horse.
An island nation near the Arctic Circle, a small country with a population of only over 400,000, they have shown astonishing combat power in this World Cup qualifier.
The fervor of European football continues to spread.
Who will claim the League titles?
Who will earn the ultimate Champions League honor?
All these questions will be answered within a mere two months.
As a participant in this major competition, Real Madrid must also maintain their composure and prepare for the upcoming matches.
With the Champions League Semi-Finals approaching, Real Madrid faced Athletic Bilbao in League Round 31.
This season, Athletic Bilbao has performed well, sitting in the middle-to-lower half of the standings, without much relegation pressure.
But their match against Real Madrid was extremely intense!
Real Madrid, naturally, went all out to challenge for the title.
However, Athletic Bilbao's resistance was extremely tough, with continuous tackles and fouls, each move delivered with fierce intent.
In the first half, Athletic Bilbao already accumulated four yellow cards.
They also injured Marcelo and.
But that wasn't all; in the second half, after Real Madrid scored their second goal, less than five minutes later, Athletic Bilbao made another sliding tackle, this time directly taking out Bale and.
Injuring two Real Madrid players consecutively naturally infuriated Real Madrid.
The rest of the match even showed signs of getting out of control.
Zidane substituted Suker in the 70th minute.
There was no other way; Suker was also getting heated, fiercely clashing with the opponents, and Athletic Bilbao was continuously fouling Suker; if he continued, the probability of Suker getting injured was too high.
Therefore, Zidane, while leading, maintained Suker and the overall lineup's composure.
Injured players couldn't be helped, but Suker had to be protected.
The intensity of this match lasted until the end of the game.
Although Real Madrid ultimately defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0, they paid the price with injuries to Bale and Marcelo.
After the match, Real Madrid protested to the League organizers.
Real Madrid has significant influence in La Liga and extensive connections, and moreover, the opponent indeed committed many malicious fouls, so the Football Association decided to impose suspensions on the players who made those dirty tackles.
However, this could hardly quell the anger in the hearts of the Real Madrid players.
But now that the match is over and they won't meet again this season, even if they want revenge, they'll have to wait until next season.
Coincidentally, while Real Madrid suffered injuries, Fabregas also got injured at Barcelona.
However, Fabregas wasn't fouled by an opponent; instead, he collided with Piqué while clearing the ball, and his calf was severely struck by Piqué's instep during the clearance.
Both title-contending teams suffered personnel losses to varying degrees, which, in turn, gave Atletico Madrid hope.
Although there is currently a five-point gap, if they play well, they might just be able to turn the tide in the standings.
Moreover, with Messi and Fabregas currently injured for Barcelona, they still have one direct encounter opportunity.
As for Real Madrid, they face a formidable opponent in Bayern Munich in the Champions League and might not be able to fully focus on the League.
This is also a good opportunity for them to catch up on points.
Inside Real Madrid's training base, Suker sat by the sidelines, watching Kaka actively undergoing rehabilitation training.
"You're back, but in turn, we've lost Bale and Marcelo!" Suker sighed.
Kaka turned his head, "So I should leave?"
Suker grinned, "No! Let's all be well; we can't afford any more trouble."
They were set to play Bayern Munich in another week, and the personnel losses at this time were very difficult for them to bear, but there was nothing they could do.
Now, they could only tough it out.
Suker felt that they had been experiencing bad luck this season, which was evident from the Champions League draw.
And not only that, but every major battle would bring some unexpected occurrences, catching them off guard.
Last season, everything went smoothly.
The group stage draw was also very favorable, and other aspects were even better.
But this season, things have truly been unsatisfactory, and the entire season has been very difficult.
Whew~~~~
Kaka walked over and sat beside Suker, tilting his head back to drink some water, and said, "Bayern Munich is tough to play against; are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Suker sighed, "Do you think Zidane can outsmart Guardiola?"
Even Mourinho and Guardiola only managed a draw in the past; Zidane is still a junior in front of those two masters.
"Just play according to the previous tactics; try not to use tricks." Suker shook his head.
If tricks aren't used well, they might backfire.
And in their match against Bayern Munich, one step behind could mean being behind every step of the way.
Especially Bayern Munich; the current Southern King plays incredibly steadily.
They rarely make mistakes throughout the match, and forcing them to make errors would be incredibly difficult.
"If my condition recovers a bit, I might still be able to help." Kaka sighed.
He was also very troubled.
In fact, Kaka didn't say some things.
From the current progress of his rehabilitation training, his problem was very serious.
Firstly, there was the weight loss issue, and secondly, the physical condition issue.
Finally, there was the psychological issue.
It could be said that there were problems everywhere, and Pintus had also said that overcoming these and returning to peak form was almost impossible unless a miracle happened.
As for Kaka, he now had to maintain his composure, not be too distracted, and slowly improve his competitive state.
Kaka didn't even hope to return to his peak; he no longer wanted tactical resources, as long as he could keep playing until before the 2014 World Cup, allowing him to stay in the top League and ensure his competitive state.
And after this World Cup, Kaka himself would have to consider his future.
Whether to seek riches or play in a lower European League.
As for staying in the top League, that would truly be extremely difficult.
However, for Kaka, he had no regrets.
Whether it was during his time at Milan or Real Madrid, he had won all the awards he could.
He didn't care too much about individual awards; team honors were enough.
Having experienced these magnificent sceneries in his career was already enough.
Therefore, Kaka's Mindset was still very good.
The only thing he still wanted to strive for was the World Cup, and the 2014 World Cup might be Kaka's farewell to his best form.
Munich, Germany.
Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of his luxurious villa.
"Good morning, Mike!"
Cristiano Ronaldo greeted his neighbor, a German swimmer; the two had discussed training issues and quickly became friends.
"Good morning!" Mike also smiled and greeted him, "I wish you victory!"
He also knew that Cristiano Ronaldo was about to face Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo smiled in response, then got into his car, preparing to head to the training base.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Cristiano Ronaldo took a deep breath.
He tried his best to calm his restless heart.
Facing Real Madrid in the Semi-Final was not a good draw.
But for Cristiano Ronaldo himself, he thought it was a good thing.
The reason was simple: he wanted to compete against Suker and defeat him head-on.
Not just a team victory, but also a victory in terms of individual goals and performance.
For honor, he left Manchester United and went to Germany to join Bayern Munich.
He sought not only the Ballon d'Or but also to prove himself to the world.
In the previous round, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich together defeated Barcelona!
In that match, Cristiano Ronaldo's individual performance and team contribution were both excellent, outperforming Messi.
And now it was Suker's turn!
As soon as Suker came to mind, Cristiano Ronaldo's heart couldn't help but pound wildly.
For a long time, this guy had been suppressing him.
No matter how outstanding his performance, Suker would only produce even more brilliant statistics.
And this season, he finally had an excellent opportunity to defeat Suker, so he had to defeat Suker in every aspect.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Again!!"
Bang, bang, bang!!
"One more round!"
Inside Bayern Munich's training ground, Cristiano Ronaldo was doing shooting practice.
Since the start of training, he had been in an extremely excited state.
Although he forcibly suppressed this excitement, others could still clearly feel it.
"Shouldn't we stop him? If he keeps training like this, what if he's not in form during the match?" Muller couldn't help but say.
Schweinsteiger, who was beside him, shook his head; "Let him continue training. In fact, he wants to win this match more than any of us."
The match between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid was simply about what happened when they were defeated before.
But for Cristiano Ronaldo, it was not only about team victory but also about individual honor.
If he couldn't defeat Suker head-on, he would never be able to take that step and break free from this nightmare-like guy.
In fact, Schweinsteiger also hoped that Cristiano Ronaldo could defeat Suker. The reason was simple: that monster-like guy had already become everyone's nightmare.
If Suker's form wasn't brought down, all opponents playing against Real Madrid would suffer.
Moreover, this season, Real Madrid's internal situation was chaotic, and their match form was continuously declining.
This was also a good opportunity for them to seek revenge and prove themselves.
If it were last season, even if they won against Real Madrid, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, and they would be severely weakened going into the Champions League.
Therefore, this was a good opportunity to defeat Real Madrid and win the Champions League.
On the other side, Guardiola was also observing Cristiano Ronaldo's condition.
He was very satisfied with Cristiano Ronaldo's performance.
Among the players he coached, the best technical player was Messi, who possessed unparalleled talent.
But Cristiano Ronaldo had an even stronger mental state, which was why they repeatedly succeeded when in trouble.
Guardiola would deploy different tactics for different players.
And Cristiano Ronaldo had also become a pure striker under Guardiola.
Guardiola's team never lacked offensive support.
The concern was not whether you could get enough, but whether you could handle it!
Therefore, with Bayern Munich's powerful offensive output from the midfield and defense, Cristiano Ronaldo was at the top of the Champions League and League scoring charts.
Even Suker was now three goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
"His condition seems even better."
Watching Cristiano Ronaldo score several spectacular goals, Guardiola couldn't help but applaud.
The Assistant Coach next to him nodded; "He is a player who performs better under pressure."
Upon hearing this, Guardiola smiled.
It wasn't that Messi couldn't handle pressure, but he was definitely not as good as Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of pressure resistance.
Not to mention Suker, who was superior to both of them!
Guardiola felt that Suker was a combination of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, possessing both strong technical ability and enough mental attributes to turn the tide.
Sometimes, Guardiola also wondered what changes he would make if he were coaching Suker.
However, these were all just fantasies!
Suker would not leave Real Madrid at the moment.
And he would not coach Real Madrid; it was a dead end!
"Alright, training for today is over. After the League match this weekend, we will prepare for the Champions League Semi-Finals." Guardiola clapped his hands forcefully: "Everyone, cheer up!"
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both faced their opponents this weekend.
Real Madrid, facing the challenge at home, despite losing Bale and Marcelo, still secured victory with Suker's excellent performance.
It is worth mentioning that Di Maria, who came on as a substitute in this match, also performed excellently.
When no one was marking him intensely, Di Maria, like an angel flapping his wings, showed strong attacking power.
Especially with Suker on the left wing, opponents would focus on Suker and tend to overlook Di Maria.
In such a situation, Di Maria's breakthroughs were like entering an unguarded territory.
Di Maria's excellent performance somewhat offset the problem of Bale's injury.
As for Marcelo's position, it was filled by Coentrão.
If there were no surprises, Real Madrid would most likely face the Champions League with this lineup!
On Bayern Munich's side, they swept Hoffenheim 5-0 away in the League.
Hoffenheim had just climbed out of the relegation zone, and Bayern Munich kicked them back into the relegation zone again, which made them quite depressed.
However, this match also showed Bayern Munich's excellent match form.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals and provided one assist in this match, continuing his excellent competitive form.
In fact, from the perspective of the match content, Cristiano Ronaldo performed more actively and was more difficult to defend than usual.
Especially the aerial bombardment from Cristiano Ronaldo, which had become one of Bayern Munich's main scoring methods.
One Cristiano Ronaldo, one Mandžukić!
The cooperation between these two was enough to disrupt the opponent's defensive line's aerial combat.
Real Madrid also had to take some precautions against this.
The weekend passed, and both teams conducted closed training sessions on Monday.
Apparently, this was the final preparation before the match.
On Tuesday, April 22nd, all of Real Madrid traveled to Munich, Germany, to prepare for the Champions League Semi-Final.
Real Madrid's arrival caused the entire city of Munich to boil over.
Bayern Munich fans even displayed banners.
"Bring it on! Allianz Arena is your nightmare!"
Suker saw the banner and couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Last season, who lost the Champions League final ticket at home?
However, Suker also had to admit that Bayern Munich was indeed very strong this season, so strong that even he wasn't too confident.
After all, even now, they still couldn't solve Bayern Munich's two-pronged attack.
Robben's unstoppable cut-ins!
Combined with Cristiano Ronaldo's shooting skills!
Whether Robben cut in to shoot or pass, this either-or problem was enough to give Real Madrid a headache.
Now, the only hope was that Srna could limit Cristiano Ronaldo, although it was very difficult, it was the only way.
The midfield would be a grudge match.
Alonso and Kroos!
Last season, they both belonged to the opposing teams, but this season, the two midfielders swapped sides and joined each other's teams.
Alonso's departure from Real Madrid was partly forced by Mourinho.
Kroos's departure from Bayern Munich was also forced by Bayern Munich.
It could be said that these two midfielders had a certain grudge against each other's former teams.
Therefore, they would definitely be giving their all.
However, the biggest highlight of this match was still the direct confrontation between Suker and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Since his time at Milan, Cristiano Ronaldo had not won a single match against Suker.
This was true for clubs and also for the National Team.
Therefore, whether Cristiano Ronaldo could defeat Suker at Bayern Munich this time was also an interesting topic.
However, Suker's skill had already deeply impressed people.
So many people, so many eyes were on Suker, but currently, only a handful of people had successfully defeated Suker.