Allianz Arena was boiling, and all the fans were cheering wildly.
Suker stood on the field with his hands on his hips, shaking his head regretfully.
There was really nothing that could be done in this match.
They had already done well enough!
If they had lost the match due to mistakes or blunders, Suker might have been angry.
But it could only be said that this match was truly a case of being outmatched!
Bayern Munich's overall form was far better than theirs!
"Want some tissues? Crying?" Mandžukić sidled over, acting like a jerk.
Suker turned and directly kicked him in the butt.
"You? Didn't score a single goal!" Suker retorted.
"I was the one setting up plays, didn't you see I made several good passes?" Mandžukić shot back, checking Suker's expression. Seeing that he seemed fine, he relaxed and said, "This match was really f*cking hard to play. That 86th-minute goal, I almost thought we were going to lose again!"
Suker: "Lahm held his nerve!"
Mandžukić grinned: "The captain is short but sturdy. His ability to handle pressure, if it were anyone else getting dribbled past like that by you, their mentality would have collapsed long ago. Not only did he hold on, but he also scored the f*cking winning goal, amazing!"
Suker also nodded in agreement; "Truly amazing!"
Suker was not stingy with praise for other players' excellent performances.
Speaking of Lahm, Lahm arrived.
"This was a wonderful match!" Lahm actively extended his hand, his mood suddenly brightened.
For a long time, he had been the one passively high-fiving.
No choice, always losing!
Now finally actively high-fiving Suker, he indeed felt a bit refreshed.
"You played very well." Suker also extended his hand to shake, then paused and said, "But be careful at our home. We won't let you easily take the victory."
Lahm smiled and nodded; "We will fight with all our might!"
Suker took off his jersey and handed it over, but Lahm gently shook his head and smiled, "Although I also want to exchange jerseys with you, someone has already reserved it."
As Suker was puzzled, he saw Cristiano Ronaldo walking towards him.
Cristiano Ronaldo said nothing, silently took off his jersey, and handed it to Suker.
Suker raised an eyebrow slightly. He took the jersey and, at the same time, gave his own jersey to Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Next match, I will score more goals!" Cristiano Ronaldo said in English, knowing that Suker understood English.
Suker smiled; "Then it depends on our abilities!"
With that, the two high-fived heavily, then passed each other.
Just as Suker was about to leave Allianz Arena, a burst of intense applause suddenly erupted from the stands.
The applause resonated, and all the Bayern Munich fans stood up to applaud Suker.
Suker turned his head left and right to look, but did not show much reaction.
"They are applauding you, this is their recognition of your performance." Srna said, standing beside Suker.
In the home of these giants, as an opponent, how difficult it was to earn the applause of the home fans.
But Suker seemed not happy at all.
"This is their applause to me as victors!" Suker turned his head: "I'd rather them applaud me when we are victorious."
Srna grinned, that's f*cking hard!
"Let's go." Suker turned and walked into the player tunnel: "We should head back!"
Under the cover of night, Real Madrid flew back to Spain.
The coaching staff's summary was very brief, in fact, there wasn't much they could say.
Did Real Madrid play poorly?
No!
They had already played well enough!
But Bayern Munich played even better!
Of course, there was also the reason for the absence of some key players, but it was not the main reason.
It could only be said that Real Madrid had been mentally prepared for this defeat before the match.
Furthermore, their current combat power had indeed suffered some losses.
The turmoil of this season ultimately had a significant impact, and their overall cohesion was not as good as Bayern Munich's.
Therefore, for Real Madrid, the key was to try their best to regain their best form.
However, this was not something that could be accomplished in a short period of time.
Moreover, Leidup was only an interim coach, and Ancelotti had not yet arrived.
Currently, Real Madrid could only play well within the scope of their own system.
The next day, news of Bayern Munich's 4:3 victory over Real Madrid was everywhere.
"90-Minute Battle! Real Madrid Narrowly Defeated!"
"Suker's Hat-Trick Fails to Save the Day! Bayern Munich Shows Early Signs of Champions League Quality!"
"Winning Goal After Winning Goal! Reversal After Reversal! A Wonderful Match Full of Surprises!"
"An Early Champions League Final! A High-Quality Match from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich!"
The media's discussion of this match was incredibly intense.
Especially when it involved Suker, the popularity was even greater.
Nowadays, Suker might not trend when he wins, but a loss will definitely cause a hot topic.
Just like now, many people were discussing this match.
In this match, Real Madrid exposed many problems.
First: An insufficiently specific tactical system.
Ever since Mourinho left, Real Madrid had become somewhat chaotic, especially on the tactical front, trying this and trying that, but when it came to their most skilled method, it was still defensive counter-attacking, yet they couldn't play with the same dominance as last season.
Second: Key players injured, and the squad lacked stamina in the later stages.
Kaka, Marcelo, and Bale's injuries had some impact on Real Madrid, especially the former who missed almost half the season.
Kroos's performance was very good, but he was not yet able to fully bear such a heavy responsibility!
Third: Over-reliance on Suker, rigid attacking patterns.
Suker's strength was undeniable, but Real Madrid was overly reliant on Suker, wanting to play through Suker on the wing, but other routes could not provide enough support, which led to opponents performing better when marking Suker.
They might not be able to completely stop him, but at least they could limit him somewhat.
Just like Bayern Munich, they provided many teams with ideas on how to play against Real Madrid.
Although the limitations of this idea were significant, it was still a solution.
Defense could indeed hinder Suker's performance, but it could not completely stop Suker from scoring.
Therefore, defense alone without offense was not enough.
In this match, Bayern Munich boldly engaged Real Madrid in a thrilling offensive battle.
Seven goals in total, ultimately defeating Real Madrid with offense!
However, this approach had significant limitations.
First, you need an excellent defensive line that can withstand pressure, at least for a period of time, to limit Suker.
Secondly, and this is the most crucial factor, you need a super striker to score first while your own defensive line is containing Suker.
In this match, even after conceding the first goal, Bayern Munich's tactics proved effective.
Bayern Munich scored three consecutive goals, overturning the deficit and extending their lead.
Although Real Madrid, powered by Suker's explosion in the second half, mounted a fierce comeback.
But facing the relentless firepower of the Cristiano Ronaldo + Robbery combination.
Even Suker couldn't withstand such a war of attrition, and Real Madrid's defensive line could withstand it even less.
This was also the ultimate reason for Real Madrid's loss.
It could only be said that Bayern Munich was in better form and had prepared more before the match.
Therefore, even with the loss, Real Madrid could not come up with any other reason and could only accept defeat.
Of course, in this chaotic situation, Real Madrid also faced a dilemma.
Should they return to the defensive counter-attacking system and re-solidify this style of play?
Or should they break and rebuild, preparing for other tactics?
However, Leidup had no ideas; he was just an interim coach. Perhaps when Ancelotti arrives, these things will be settled.
At the very least, Real Madrid at this stage was indeed somewhat chaotic in terms of its system.
This feeling was somewhat similar to the 2009/2010 season.
At that time, Real Madrid faced the same problem.
Of course, compared to that time, Real Madrid had accumulated a lot more tactical depth, so they were not as passive.
At the very least, they knew what they should be doing!
Three days after the Champions League Semi-Final ended, Real Madrid was about to welcome a League match.
After playing Barcelona, both teams had the same points.
Under the pressure of winning the League Championship, Real Madrid needed stability even more.
The Champions League was set aside for now, and attention was focused on the League.
On April 27th, La Liga Matchday 33, Real Madrid played away against Real Betis.
The pressure for this match was not great.
First, Real Betis was in seventh place in the League standings, with no relegation pressure.
Secondly, several key players were injured, and their combat power was severely depleted.
Therefore, even though Real Madrid was playing away, they used a mixed lineup of starters and substitutes.
Srna, Pepe, and Benzema all got a chance to rest.
Suker was still playing every game.
With his excellent form, Suker scored a goal in just 12 minutes.
In the 32nd minute, Kroos assisted Di Maria for another goal.
After leading by two goals, Suker was substituted in the 50th minute of the second half.
This was also to prepare for the next leg of the Champions League Semi-Final, to get as much rest as possible.
Anyway, Real Betis could not pose a threat at the moment.
And so it was, Real Madrid ultimately secured a 2-0 victory away from home.
Real Madrid won, securing their points.
But Barcelona ran into problems.
Just 4 minutes into the game, Athletic Bilbao launched a surprise attack, with their forward Susaeta scoring the first goal.
After that, Athletic Bilbao began to defend their lead tightly.
The deadlock continued until the 60th minute when Barcelona brought on Messi, who had not fully recovered from his injury, and it had an immediate effect.
In the 67th and 69th minutes, Barcelona scored two consecutive goals, taking the lead.
Just when they thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, who would have thought that in the 90th minute, Ander Herrera capitalized on a Busquets error, broke into the penalty area, and scored.
Ultimately, Athletic Bilbao drew with Barcelona at home.
This match almost shattered Barcelona's morale.
It was a League Championship battle!
They were held to a draw by Athletic Bilbao.
In what was originally a tie in the League standings, Real Madrid surprisingly emerged at the top with a two-point lead.
Moreover, there were only 4 rounds left in the League!
Looking at Real Madrid's upcoming opponents, which one could defeat Real Madrid?
In this situation, how could Barcelona not collapse mentally!
Barcelona fans were even more infuriated!
What kind of nonsense was this at such a crucial moment!
If they lost the League Championship this time, they would have gone four consecutive seasons without a League Championship.
It would be a problem for anyone.
Facing increasingly angry fans, Barcelona could only divert their attention from other angles.
They created various topics and also revealed a big piece of news.
The Brazilian prodigy Neymar would join Barcelona in July, a piece of news that brought some solace to Barcelona fans.
After all, when Neymar became popular, Real Madrid and Barcelona competed fiercely over his transfer.
Ultimately, Barcelona's increased offer showed more sincerity, and Neymar chose Barcelona!
After signing the letter of intent, many Barcelona fans had already begun to look forward to this Brazilian prodigy arriving at Camp Nou.
Now that they finally had confirmed news, they were naturally delighted.
However, the anger over losing the League Championship still lingered, and they didn't give the club a good look, but the commotion wasn't as intense.
"They're not making a fuss anymore?" Suker wondered, looking at the newspaper.
"Are they that easy to appease?" Srna also grinned.
They had hoped that some internal problems would arise within Barcelona so that their Copa del Rey Final would be easier.
Messi's injury recovery is unclear, but his substitute appearance in this match suggests he's recovering very well.
Because of this, Real Madrid will face even greater difficulty!
Of course, the Copa del Rey Final is in mid-May!
The second leg of the Champions League Semi-Final is on May 4th!
If they win, they can continue to prepare for the Champions League while also preparing for the Copa del Rey!
But with dual competitions, the pressure will also be greater.
If they are eliminated from the Champions League, they can focus all their efforts on the League and Copa del Rey titles.
"How's your recovery?" Suker asked Srna.
Srna: "It's alright. For now, I just need to make sure I don't get injured, especially next season. I might have to rotate more often."
"I can play every Champions League match, but in the League and Copa del Rey, I'll rotate with Arbeloa and Carvajal, which will also give them more opportunities."
Suker was speechless.
He had never seen someone actively reduce their own playing time.
But Srna also had his own ideas.
For him, the most important thing right now is the 2014 World Cup!
With a year remaining until the World Cup, he must ensure he remains healthy.
Pranjic is the best example.
One injury, and that guy took almost a year to recover, even leaving the Premier League to get back into the National Team.
However, the current Pranjic is still far from his peak.
His playing style has also changed, and he's certainly not a starter.
Srna also needs to pay attention to these issues; his physical condition is continuously declining.
If he gets injured, it could be a cliff-like decline.
Therefore, he must be careful.
Suker turned to look at Kaka.
"How's your recovery?"
Kaka smiled: "It's alright, but the specifics still need to be verified by playing matches."
Kaka's injury has basically recovered, and he has met the requirements to play.
Kaka will be able to play in the next Champions League match.
However, Suker was still a little worried.
Giving Kaka high intensity right after recovering from an injury, if something goes wrong, things could get worse.
Moreover, Suker had also seen Kaka's performance, and there was indeed a certain gap compared to his form before the injury.
"Most likely, I'll come on as a substitute, don't worry, I'll know my limits and try not to affect you guys." Kaka also understood in his heart that his current condition indeed made him unable to be a starting player.
He still needed to adapt through matches!
But unfortunately, his first match back from injury was against Bayern Munich.
"Anyway, take it easy. If it's really not working out, find an opportunity to return in the League."
Suker still believed Kaka needed to be steady.
This was a major injury that required surgery, and his age was also a factor, so the impact would definitely be significant.
Although Suker still trusted Kaka, if a problem arose in this crucial match, it would definitely invite criticism.
The most stable approach was to recover step by step in the League.
Suker was still very confident about leading his teammates to victory in the League!
Time entered May.
The sun in Madrid became bright and radiant, and the weather gradually became hot and dry.
Especially at noon and in the afternoon, temperatures sometimes reached 30+ degrees Celsius.
Of course, as professional players in Spain, they had long adapted to this weather.
Moreover, this could not even be called high temperature!
Matches in high-temperature regions were even more grueling; after just a few minutes of playing, sweat would pour down incessantly.
There would even be additional hydration breaks to prevent athletes from suffering heatstroke or other issues.
On May 3rd, Real Madrid would face Bayern Munich at home.
This was also the second leg of the Champions League Semi-Final, determining the spot in the Champions League.
The entire Bayern Munich team arrived in Madrid a day early to prepare for training.
Before the match, reporters from all sides tried to gather information, but both teams conducted closed-door training, leaving no avenues for interviews.
At Real Madrid's training base, two reporters who had climbed over the wall to secretly take photos were caught; since it was illegal photography, the camera content was deleted, and they were handed over to the police.
The fervor of the match was sweeping in, and a major battle was on the verge of breaking out.
After the previous leg of the match.
Currently, Bayern Munich led Real Madrid 4-3 on aggregate.
Real Madrid lost the first leg, so they needed to be even more serious in this match.
Of course, for Bayern Munich, this match was even more important.
A small victory was nothing; only by eliminating Real Madrid could they officially step onto the Champions League stage and avenge themselves.
Moreover, Bayern Munich's form this season was exceptionally good.
From top to bottom, the club's management, Head Coach, players, and fans, everyone was looking forward to this Champions League!
They had invested a lot of effort and money; they were unwilling to fall in the Semi-Finals or even the Final.
They wanted to defeat Real Madrid, enter the Final stage, and then officially ascend to the top of Europe.
And this year was the best opportunity!
The hype from all sides of the media!
The passionate fans!
Combined with the trend of cross-League giants clashing, the attention on this match continued to increase.
Compared to the previous leg, the attention this time was even more intense.
Would Real Madrid remain the king, or would Bayern Munich's long-standing efforts finally pay off?
Everything would be decided on May 3rd, in the second leg of the Champions League Semi-Final.
The result would appear at the famous Bernabéu!