Real Madrid's two consecutive goals directly stunned Barcelona.
Within 20 minutes, the situation had already begun to shift in Real Madrid's favor, which was not good news for Barcelona.
Ancelotti, standing on the sidelines, looked at the field and slowly said, "Barcelona still hasn't made much tactical change this season."
Ancelotti had also studied Barcelona's tactical system.
It was about using Messi's vertical dribbling ability to push forward.
But with Neymar's arrival, Messi could be much more liberated, allowing him to do more other work.
Yet, none of these changes appeared.
Ancelotti was unsure if the opposing Head Coach had no ideas or was facing some kind of obstruction.
But from any perspective, the current Barcelona, despite some combat power, would find it very difficult to achieve their goals.
Neymar was already a bit lost.
He had just joined Barcelona and wasn't particularly adapted to the tactical system, and now with Real Madrid scoring two goals against them, he naturally felt bad.
He also wanted to perform, and he also wanted to help the team.
But he really didn't know how to turn the current situation around.
Another problem was that Real Madrid's playing style had changed, and their overall intensity had also changed.
When Neymar played in Brazil, they had faced Real Madrid once in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Playing against Real Madrid back then wasn't this difficult.
Although there was also the factor of Real Madrid not giving their full effort, such a decisive and swift attacking rhythm was also somewhat difficult for him to handle.
The pace in Europe is already fast!
And La Liga's playing style is among the best in that regard.
During transitions between offense and defense, Neymar had just turned around when Real Madrid had already sent the ball into their own half.
"Don't be anxious!"
Messi walked over to comfort Neymar.
He could see the disappointment and confusion on Neymar's face, which was something that would inevitably be experienced when facing Real Madrid.
Messi was also very helpless about this.
There was no other way; the fact was that they had been suppressed by Real Madrid all these years.
No matter how one argued, this was the truth!
And in the new season, after Ancelotti's arrival, Real Madrid quickly formed their combat effectiveness.
Moreover, unlike during Mourinho's era, this Real Madrid was more oppressive on the offensive end.
Of course, problems also existed.
Messi turned to look at Casemiro.
Real Madrid started using a single defensive midfielder this season.
Although Casemiro was a defensive midfielder, how long could he hold up against his breakthrough?
And it wasn't just him.
Messi patted Neymar's shoulder: "You move more towards the middle, and I'll pass to you if there's a chance."
Neymar nodded.
He was a bit unsure how to play now and indeed needed someone to help him adapt to the game's rhythm.
On the other end of the field, Real Madrid players had already retreated.
After two goals, they all felt relatively more relaxed, and their hearts were also more joyful.
Of course, there was no talk of being overly excited.
After all, the Spanish Super Cup was just a warm-up match under the name of the Spanish Football Association.
And starting next season, it will become a commercial exhibition match.
From any perspective, the value of this trophy is not high; its psychological significance outweighs its practical significance.
But when the opponent is Barcelona, defeating them and lifting the trophy will give them a better psychological expectation for the new season.
"Hold on! The next test is for you."
Kaka patted Casemiro's shoulder.
Real Madrid's single defensive midfielder formation was being used for the first time in nearly a decade.
From this, one could also feel the expectations placed on Casemiro.
However, expectations inevitably come with pressure.
For Casemiro, he had to get through this hurdle.
Mourinho had already helped him lay the foundation, and Ancelotti also highly valued him.
It could be said that Casemiro's adaptation process at Real Madrid had been smooth sailing.
However, he also needed to deliver corresponding performances so as not to disappoint those who had expectations of him.
"I know!" Casemiro nodded forcefully.
Kaka: "I will help you appropriately, but in many situations, you still need to make your own judgments."
Casemiro nodded again.
Kaka smiled and patted Casemiro's shoulder.
Kaka was very much looking forward to Casemiro's growth.
This expectation was not limited to the club but also at the National Team level.
In this Spanish National Derby, a total of 5 Brazil Team players started.
Alves and Neymar from Barcelona.
Kaka, Casemiro, and Marcelo from Real Madrid.
These were all Brazil Team players.
Among them, Casemiro and Neymar were also highly anticipated, especially the latter.
As the captain of the Brazil Team, Kaka was delighted to see this change.
The 2014 World Cup, held in Brazil, was a home game. It might also be Kaka's last World Cup.
Therefore, both Kaka and the Brazil Team needed to show enough combat power, preferably by winning the championship at home, adding another star to Brazil's jersey.
Of course, they also had many strong opponents.
Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Croatia, and so on...
These were all strong opponents, and to defeat them, they needed more excellent players and more tempering.
Beep!
The whistle blew, and the match resumed.
After the restart, Barcelona indeed began to advance towards the central axis.
Suker and other Real Madrid players also saw this.
But they did not leave their positions to provide defensive support.
If it were a League or Champions League match, they might have helped.
But this was, after all, a 'warm-up match,' so its training significance outweighed victory.
Casemiro stared intently ahead, with Kroos and Kaka also supporting him on his flanks.
But this support was limited.
He was a defensive midfielder, and also a single defensive midfielder.
He would inevitably have to perform to be worthy of this position.
"Are you intentionally exposing this gap to Barcelona?" Zidane asked Ancelotti, looking at Barcelona's attacking changes.
Ancelotti also nodded, openly saying: "That's right! I'm showing it to them. Casemiro needs training, he needs some pressure."
"You can have Kaka and Kroos on the sides tuck in, that could help more."
Zidane said.
But Ancelotti shook his head and said, "No need. You have to understand, this season we are playing with a single defensive midfielder. Both Kroos and Kaka, in terms of their duties, are attacking players. They will even frequently leave their positions to cooperate with the changes in the frontline."
"I have given Casemiro the corresponding tactical resources, so he must deliver the corresponding performance. I won't say defense is his job alone, but at the very least, he needs to know how to mobilize his teammates to successfully defend."
"But his game reading ability isn't particularly good!"
"It's okay." Ancelotti smiled; "Srna is in charge of directing the defense!"
Zidane paused for a moment, then suddenly understood.
On the field, Casemiro was gradually closing in on Messi, and the closer he got, the greater the pressure.
This pressure was almost identical to the pressure Suker brought him.
In terms of dribbling, Messi and Suker were almost players of the same level; they were feared by many defensive players.
Casemiro also couldn't completely silence Messi.
At least, he hadn't grown to that stage yet.
But at the very least, he should provide him with enough interference.
"Someone on the left, hold your position, don't get too close!"
Srna's voice came from behind Casemiro, telling him that Srna was not far from him, which made Casemiro feel a bit at ease.
Messi's body was angled open, his left foot back, shielding the ball.
Messi's footwork was very agile and quick, which required Casemiro to concentrate, making a judgment with every movement.
His footwork frequency was not on the same level as Messi's.
He knew that once he lost a step, it would be impossible to catch up again.
Messi was also constantly probing Casemiro.
But no matter how he probed, Casemiro was always able to block his breakthrough direction.
"So annoying!"
Messi was a bit frustrated, but he still decided to try to get past him.
Suddenly, Messi twisted his waist and turned, stepping sideways.
Casemiro followed him in one step, and Messi immediately pulled his body back.
Casemiro pushed off with his foot.
He actually kept up!
Messi stopped abruptly again, his brows now tightly furrowed.
He didn't shake off Casemiro.
Just then, not far to the side, Messi's peripheral vision caught sight of someone making a forward run.
Messi immediately passed the ball.
"Messi passed the ball, Neymar made a forward run."
After a pause, González suddenly shouted, "Pepe!"
Just as Neymar was about to touch the ball, Pepe came in with a fierce slide tackle.
Neymar was so startled he immediately jumped up, while Pepe cleanly tackled the ball away.
After tackling the ball, Pepe suddenly stood up, clenched his fist, and roared.
Neymar, standing nearby, grimaced.
Pepe suddenly turned his head and glared fiercely at Neymar.
"What are you looking at?"
Neymar quietly turned his head, not daring to look at Pepe again.
He wouldn't dare provoke this butcher, famous in La Liga.
"Well done!"
Pepe patted Casemiro's shoulder forcefully.
Casemiro had stuck to Messi, and with his continuous follow-up, Messi almost missed the timing for his forward run and had no choice but to pass the ball.
And Pepe accurately seized this opportunity, making a complete interception.
For Casemiro, his task was simply to stick to Messi.
They didn't expect Casemiro to defend Messi one-on-one, as that difficulty was too great.
Therefore, at present, Casemiro's performance was quite good.
"Very calm!"
Ancelotti also nodded in satisfaction.
Despite Messi's several feints, Casemiro didn't fall for them, and continuous changes in direction also failed to shake off Casemiro.
Finally, Messi was forced to pass the ball.
By this point, Casemiro had excellently completed his task.
Of course, this was just the beginning; next, it remained to be seen if he could continue to withstand the pressure.
Time passed little by little, and Barcelona's offense still didn't have much effect.
They even changed their approach, having Neymar make breakthroughs on the left wing.
Neymar indeed performed well, but the final pass connections weren't as harmonious, always being disrupted by Real Madrid in advance.
From this, it could be seen that Barcelona's cohesion wasn't too good.
"The first half is almost over, and Real Madrid is still leading by two goals. Although Barcelona has launched several attacks, they have had little effect!"
"In this match, besides Real Madrid's cooperation in the frontline, their midfield also performed very well, extremely stable."
"And compared to last season's disorganized attacks, today's Real Madrid is faster and more organized in attack."
González nodded in admiration.
And Real Madrid fans in the stands also sent waves of cheers.
They really liked the current Real Madrid.
It wasn't Mourinho's passive counter-attack, but an active push forward to find opportunities.
In this situation, the entertainment value of the match would also increase.
At the same time, Real Madrid could play effective indirect counter-attacks and also execute complex, small-area continuous passing.
Soon, the first half ended.
The score remained unchanged, Real Madrid 2:0 Barcelona.
"Very good, in the first half, you excellently completed the tactical tasks."
In the locker room, Ancelotti praised the players' performance, which brought happy smiles to everyone's faces.
But he quickly moved on to the tactical arrangements for the second half, and the players listened attentively.
Compared to Real Madrid's slightly relaxed atmosphere, Barcelona's side was very heavy.
They were behind again!
According to past experience, once they fell behind, they almost had no chance of winning.
Against other teams, Barcelona was always the one dominating the game.
Only when facing Real Madrid would they become extremely passive.
And for four long years, spanning three seasons of being dominated, a hint of fear towards Real Madrid had emerged deep within them.
Too many losses naturally led to fear!
And now, even Messi didn't know how to turn the situation around, let alone newcomers like Rakitić and Neymar.
"Xavi! The second half is up to you!"
At the Head Coach's instruction, Xavi adjusted his jersey and ran out to start warming up.
Vilanova really had no other choice.
Ancelotti's tactical versatility was a characteristic at the Head Coach level, and although he also wanted to make some changes, he truly felt willing but powerless.
He did see Real Madrid's changes, but he couldn't find a direction to counter them.
Now, he could only rely on the individual abilities of strong players like Messi, Xavi, and Neymar, hoping to break the deadlock through them.
Halftime ended.
Both teams' players returned to the field.
"Barcelona has made some substitutions; Xavi has come on as a substitute, replacing Rakitić in the midfield organizing role!"
At this point, González couldn't help but sigh.
He believed Vilanova wasn't resolute enough; this should be a time to trust younger players more.
Of course, Xavi's ability was commendable, but he was getting old after all. Always relying on these old guys to hold the fort was not conducive to the normal development of a team.
As for Real Madrid, with the lead, there were no changes.
However, Ancelotti had players like Carvajal and Di Maria start warming up.
But the warm-ups were one after another, making it impossible to specifically determine which player Ancelotti would bring on, and thus impossible to judge Real Madrid's specific lineup changes.
On the field, with the whistle blowing, the second half began.
As soon as Barcelona kicked off, they immediately launched an attack along the wing.
Real Madrid also reacted quickly; they allowed the forward runs on the wings and concentrated players to narrow their defensive line.
Barcelona's crosses posed little threat.
Messi, Neymar, or Perroti were not tall, strong center-forwards.
Therefore, even if Barcelona launched the ball, Real Madrid's center-backs could complete the interception and clearance.
The most important thing to watch out for was Barcelona's cutting inside.
But with the cooperation between the full-backs and center-backs on both wings, Barcelona didn't have very good cutting channels.
They also intended to break through with strong individual ability.
But Real Madrid wouldn't tolerate that; Neymar had already been tackled by Pepe many times.
"Hiss~~~~"
Watching Neymar being tackled directly by Pepe, ball and all, González couldn't help but gasp.
Since the start of the second half, this was already countless times Pepe had tackled Neymar.
And after his multiple fouls, he finally received a yellow card.
Pepe, however, paid no mind; his objective had been achieved.
Now, Neymar's gaze towards Pepe, besides wariness, was more of fear.
Making the forward afraid of him!
This was also something a defender must achieve.
Barcelona was very unhappy with Pepe's actions, but no matter how much they protested, the Referee insisted that the previous tackles were not fouls, and they were helpless in this regard.
Kaka, however, felt a bit of heartache.
From any angle, Neymar was the future hope of Brazil.
He naturally didn't want Neymar to get injured.
But now, each serving their own side, in different camps, he couldn't bring himself to tell Pepe to ease up.
However, based on this aggressive foul, Barcelona seized the opportunity.
Messi, near the edge of the penalty area, scored a direct free-kick into the top corner.
In the 77th minute, Barcelona finally pulled a goal back.
But just five minutes after that goal, in the 82nd minute, from a Real Madrid corner kick, Suker suddenly leaped up, winning the header in the crowd, and scoring with a powerful header.
Real Madrid scored again, extending their lead.
The appearance of this goal completely killed the suspense of the match.
Especially for Barcelona, with this goal, they lost their momentum, and their morale was largely deflated.
For the rest of the match, Real Madrid and Barcelona used all their substitutions.
The match also transitioned from being quite intense to a warm-up mode.
Beep beep beep!
The final whistle blew.
The match ended!
In the Spanish Super Cup final, Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 3:1, lifting their first trophy of the season.
And this trophy also gave them a good start.
At the same time, this was Ancelotti's first trophy since taking over as Head Coach of Real Madrid.