"Real Madrid is currently two goals down. In the second half's adjustments, the coaching staff brought on Kaka, who has recovered from injury, hoping to use his experience to escape the current predicament!"
"But the players also need to be calm enough; they can't become anxious just because they are behind. The more this happens, the calmer they need to be!"
González said with a tense expression.
This match was the most difficult situation Real Madrid had faced in these past seasons.
Even when they had encountered difficulties in the past, it was never as uncomfortable as it was now.
Losing the first leg and then falling two goals behind at home made them extremely passive overall.
The most crucial thing was that Real Madrid currently couldn't make specific tactical arrangements.
The fact that Kaka was made to play this game right after recovering from injury showed that Real Madrid was somewhat stretched thin.
But no matter what, Real Madrid still had to persevere.
At the same time, as the only remaining La Liga team, they could only put their faith in Real Madrid.
On the field, both sets of players had already taken up positions in their respective halves.
In the second half, both sides switched ends!
Bayern Munich kicked off first.
With a two-goal advantage, Bayern Munich was now confident and fearless. With these leading goals and reasonable tactical arrangements, they truly saw a chance for victory this time.
However, Bayern Munich couldn't relax either.
The reason was simple: once the second half began, Suker's explosive burst would start.
Many had analyzed Suker's burst mode!
It was a style of play that relied on super strong physical reserves, suddenly exerting force in the latter half of the game.
When the opponent fell into physical trouble, Suker would then explode, and this effect would be greatly amplified.
For this reason, many teams, when facing Suker's burst, would often use substitutions to increase their defensive strength.
But even so, they couldn't win the game.
Because in the first half, they couldn't push Real Madrid to the brink.
And now, Bayern Munich had achieved this.
In this match, they led by 2 goals!
The aggregate score was 6:3, leading Real Madrid!
If Real Madrid wanted to reverse the situation, they would need to score at least three goals to defeat them on away goals.
As for Bayern Munich, in the second half, besides attacking, they only needed to stabilize the overall situation.
On the field, every player was deep in thought.
They were all pondering how to organize the game in the second half.
But the Referee didn't give them time to react and blew the whistle directly.
Beep!
The whistle sounded, and Bayern Munich immediately kicked off.
"This is the second leg of the 2012/2013 Champions League Semi-Final, the second half of the match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. After the first half, Bayern Munich currently leads 2:0 away, and Real Madrid is facing an extremely awkward situation at home!"
"After the halftime adjustments, can Kaka's return help Real Madrid create counter-attacking opportunities?"
As the commentator spoke, both sets of players clashed fiercely, engaging in sudden combat.
Intense close-quarters combat began.
You push me, I shove you!
Almost every touch of the ball involved an intense confrontation.
Di Maria used his body to push Schweinsteiger, preventing him from passing forward. The latter helplessly passed the ball horizontally to Alonso.
After receiving the ball, Alonso didn't immediately pass forward but instead passed it back directly.
But after the pass, he collided with Suker, who hadn't braked.
"Bayern Munich is starting to control the tempo!"
The German commentator looked excited.
The rhythm of this match felt just right; it wasn't a chaotic, aimless kick, but rather a steady, step-by-step advance towards victory.
For commentators and Bayern fans, this stability was the most important thing to maintain.
Besides that, they had to be careful of Suker.
They needed to constantly monitor Suker's position.
Even if they didn't say it, the Bayern players wouldn't let Suker play freely.
Currently, a lot of defensive power had gathered around Suker. They maintained a subtle distance from Suker, and when Suker received the ball, they could immediately close in.
Kaka was positioned behind Suker, constantly observing Suker's movements, while also watching for attacking opportunities.
Kaka wasn't in a hurry. He knew that the team's overall atmosphere was extremely anxious at the moment, which was evident from their passes.
Everyone was frantically sending the ball forward, into dangerous positions.
But in such reckless attacks, goals might not appear; instead, they might be hit by counter-attacks from the opponent.
Kaka had played in adverse situations before, and he understood one thing.
In a tough spot, you couldn't overthink; overthinking would only lead to more chaos.
Come back one goal at a time!
First, stabilize the rhythm and look for the possibility of the first goal.
Thwack!
Kaka made a horizontal pass, his overall movement simple and unadorned. Before the opposing defender could even close in, he had already passed the ball.
Kaka's main focus right now was not making mistakes!
He hadn't played in too long, and he wasn't particularly adapted to the overall rhythm and the game.
Therefore, he needed to take it slow!
Casemiro received the ball and immediately faced intense pressure from the opponent.
He tried his best to hold off the opponent, shield the ball, and look for a forward passing channel.
Just then, Kaka's voice came from nearby.
"Pass back!"
Casemiro, without hesitation, pushed forward forcefully. After pushing Cristiano Ronaldo away, he passed the ball back directly.
"Fall back!"
Kaka retreated while signaling the defensive line to fall back!
"You're too far forward, fall back, keep falling back! Create space!"
Kaka retreated, and the defensive line also retreated with the passes.
They gradually retreated very deeply.
Ramos and Pepe stood on either side of the Goalkeeper.
Srna and Coentrão stood diagonally forward on both sides.
Kaka then called Casemiro to retreat and receive the ball.
Instantly, Real Madrid formed a deep numerical advantage in their own half.
In contrast, Bayern Munich seemed hesitant to press, with only Mandžukić pushing forward, trying to make runs.
The reason they didn't dare to press was simple.
If the frontline raised its position, the midfield would inevitably have to follow, and if the midfield followed, the defensive line would also have to push forward.
But the problem was, did Bayern's defensive line dare to push forward?
They had suffered quite a bit from Suker's counter-attacks!
"The tempo has stabilized!"
González couldn't help but exclaim, then praised, "This is the experience of a veteran! Kroos's style of play is very aggressive, but Kaka plays with more seasoned skill!"
"He knows very well that in the midfield, Bayern Munich won't let them slow down the tempo, but once they go deep into their own half, Bayern Munich won't dare to press!"
Real Madrid's defensive pressure immediately eased.
Kaka turned his head to confirm the opponent's positioning again, and seeing that they really weren't pushing forward, he patiently passed the ball, first to let his teammates catch their breath and calm down their anxious emotions.
Kaka had been pondering what to do on the bench, and now he had indeed found some methods.
Facing his style of play, Bayern had two choices.
First, high press, using the pressure of the press to continue exerting pressure on Real Madrid's defensive line, but they would also have to risk being hit by counter-attacks.
Second, this method was safer, as Bayern was currently in the lead. Therefore, they would just wear them down; they wouldn't push forward, just mark Real Madrid, not letting them find gaps in their own half. To put it plainly, it was to not give Suker the opportunity for the 'Dog Frisbee' tactics. But in this case, Kaka could let the defensive line relax, stabilize the tempo, and reorganize the attack forward.
No matter which choice, Kaka had a targeted approach.
"Me?"
Suker blinked.
He thought Kaka's form was gone, but he didn't expect him to pull off this move.
However, this was different from his previous style.
The Kaka of the past played relying on his physicality and technique.
And now, this guy was starting to use his brain.
But no matter what...
"Awesome!!"
Suker gave a big thumbs up.
Kaka also smiled knowingly.
He received a pass from Ramos again and turned smoothly in the open space.
His current position somewhat overlapped with Pirlo's.
That's right!
Suker could imitate his teammates from his Milan days.
Kaka could too!
"Using the depth of the field to lower the tempo…" Guardiola narrowed his eyes slightly. Kaka's choice was very good, and it indeed produced results.
However, they had already built up their defense in their own half. Real Madrid wanting to break through was also a problem.
Kaka continued to patiently control the ball.
He passed the ball and turned to beckon Suker with his finger, signaling Suker to retreat a bit.
Suker retreated, with Lahm following closely.
Kaka received the ball again, then immediately passed it out, turning his head and motioning to Suker.
Suker continued to retreat, and Lahm continued to follow.
Kaka received the ball once more, this time he turned his head to confirm Suker's position, then immediately passed back, motioning again.
"What are you doing?"
Suker was getting a bit impatient.
He was already retreating to the midfield line.
"Listen to me!"
Kaka shouted, Suker pouted, and continued to retreat.
Lahm frowned slightly; he wasn't following anymore.
Kaka saw this clearly and nodded to himself.
He wasn't asking Suker to receive the ball, but rather using passes to apply pressure, slowly testing Lahm's bottom line to see how far he would follow.
Now it seemed, five meters from the midfield line was Lahm's bottom line; he wouldn't follow any further.
But at this point, Alonso would automatically move closer to take over the defense.
So the problem also became simple!
Lure Alonso out, and then Lahm would have to keep following Suker.
These two were the main force constituting Bayern's wing defense.
And by luring them out, a gap would appear behind Suker on the left wing.
Bang!
The ball flew out of bounds, and taking this opportunity, Kaka immediately found Suker, Kroos, Benzema, and Casemiro.
He covered his mouth and gave them a few instructions, and they nodded repeatedly.
When Real Madrid threw the ball in again, Kaka continued to control it.
He still maintained a simple passing pattern.
"Real Madrid has been probing, but 15 minutes have already passed, ah~"
González couldn't help but frown.
The rhythm was stable, but was it a bit lacking in attacking impetus?
Just then, Kaka received the ball.
This time, he didn't pass, but steadily stopped the ball.
And at this moment, Suker suddenly began to retreat.
He retreated all the way, rushing directly to the vicinity of the midfield line.
Lahm followed him all the way, and seeing Suker approach the midfield line, he immediately shouted:
"Alonso!"
After shouting, Lahm was ready to retreat and continue controlling his defensive area.
But at this moment, Alonso did not rush towards Suker, but instead went straight forward to mark.
The reason was simple: Kaka hadn't passed the ball, but instead made a feint of a breakthrough.
Alonso could only mark Kaka; if Kaka were allowed to break through, the defensive numerical disadvantage would be broken.
Alonso was lured out.
Kaka was the bait!
Lahm also had no choice but to continue closing in on Suker, to prevent Kaka from passing the ball to Suker.
At this point, behind Lahm and Alonso, a huge gap had unknowingly been created.
"Oh~~ Oh~~ My God!!!"
González suddenly realized.
He looked at that huge gap, his eyes sparkling.
"An opportunity!!!"
González roared.
Guardiola on the sidelines also suddenly changed his expression.
But it was already too late.
Kaka passed the ball, still not to Suker, but horizontally to Casemiro.
Casemiro, unmarked, threaded a diagonal pass into the open space on the left wing.
And there, Kroos, sprinting at high speed from right to left, successfully received the ball.
"They're in disarray!!!—"
Zidane suddenly waved his fist.
Now the running pattern became clear.
Bayern Munich was in chaos!
The moment Kroos received the ball, their defense was in disarray.
Suker suddenly turned, sprinted diagonally forward, charging straight towards the center.
Benzema pushed Boateng towards the sideline.
The right side was tied up by Di Maria.
Bayern Munich's central area was once again pulled into a huge open space.
And at this moment, Kroos very easily threaded the ball into that open space.
Suker suddenly surged forward, taking a touch, and directly bypassed Bayern Munich's backline.
"Suker!!! One-on-one!!!!"
González felt his throat was going to become hoarse from shouting.
Suker broke through the backline and entered the penalty area.
There was no defensive presence beside him.
Bayern Goalkeeper Neuer did not sit idly by, but instead came out to challenge.
He rushed towards Suker, lying sideways to block.
Just then, Suker, at the opportune moment, flicked the ball with his foot.
The ball went over Neuer and accurately dropped into the goal.
Suker, meanwhile, lightly jumped, leaping over Neuer.
He stood in front of the goal, his eyes full of joy, turning to look at Kaka, opening his arms.
"Come! You crazy guy!"
Kaka also laughed and rushed over, the two embracing tightly.
The Bernabéu erupted in thunderous cheers.
This goal came very suddenly, a sudden change of rhythm; after a long period of passing, they suddenly started to push forward and scored.
And in this attack, anyone could see Kaka's role!
"This is simply amazing! Suker's goal, Kaka's orchestration! So he can play like this too!"
"After Kaka came on in the second half, Real Madrid's rhythm suddenly became stable; they were no longer impatient, but played steadily, and through continuous orchestration, they tore open Bayern Munich's goal in one fell swoop!"
"This time, it wasn't relying on Suker's individual ability, but the overall movement and running, slowly tearing apart the defense!"
"This is simply amazing! In the 62nd minute, Real Madrid pulled one back! Come on, lads, keep it up!"
On the field, Real Madrid's players also finished their celebration.
Suker hooked his arm around Kaka's neck and said happily, "You can play like this too? You've been secretly hiding your tricks, haven't you?"
Kaka gave a wry smile: "What am I hiding! If it weren't for my body not keeping up, I wouldn't want to play like this."
"During that recovery period, do you really think I didn't think about anything? My physical condition is indeed not as good as before; asking me to play like I used to is definitely impossible. At the very least, my footwork frequency, speed, and explosiveness have all changed significantly, so I can only think about changing my style!"
"So I tried to imitate and learn from Andre, just like he used to open up attacking paths for you and me, I'm playing like that now too!"
Suker said in surprise, "Your style changes are too frequent! Is your adaptability that strong?"
Kaka said with a slight hint of humility, "Maybe... I really am a genius!"
Suker grinned, he was amused!
However, Kaka's style of play was indeed very pleasing.
It wasn't the desperate, hard-charging style, but a comprehensive blend of orchestration, organization, and tempo setting.
This kind of performance truly deserved to be called a 'commander'.
"Let's get the next goal!"
Suker was beaming with excitement.
Kaka, however, shook his head: "We can't play like that for the next goal."
"Bayern Munich will definitely take some precautions, and may even make substitutions to strengthen their defense, so for the next goal, it's up to you!"
Suker blinked: "What should we do?"
"Disrupt the left wing!" Kaka said gravely; "You just mess up the left wing, preferably mess up their entire backline, and leave the rest to me."
"You want me to break through?"
"Break them to death!"
Suker immediately nodded.
He could do that, and even if Kaka hadn't said it, Suker was planning to do it.
Having pulled back a goal, Real Madrid's morale was greatly boosted.
They were still two goals away from the final!
"One step at a time! Don't rush!"
Kaka shouted loudly.
After the first goal orchestrated by Kaka, they were even more willing to trust him.
Kroos also took a deep breath.
He had indeed learned a lot from Kaka, including how to stabilize the rhythm by utilizing the depth of the field in this instance.
No matter what choice Bayern Munich made, they could counterattack!
Kroos admitted that in the dire situation of the first half, he had lost some calm judgment.
And now, he had to pull himself together.
Before the kickoff, Bayern Munich indeed made a substitution.
Alonso came off, and Javi Martínez came on.
This was a further measure to strengthen the left wing's defense.
At the same time, they saw Gómez and Franck Ribéry also warming up.
This was not good news.
Once Bayern Munich stabilized their rhythm.
Then Bayern would enter the next round of attack.
At that time, the front line would become Franck Ribéry, Gómez, and Robben!
Suker took a deep breath.
He understood why Kaka wanted him to make strong breakthroughs.
They absolutely had to make Bayern Munich feel the pressure; once Bayern made attacking substitutions.
It would be another offensive battle!
And in this situation, it would be very painful for Real Madrid to play.
Therefore, Suker had to force Bayern Munich to use their remaining substitutions on defense.