Atletico Madrid wasn't particularly satisfied with this ruling, but the Referee had no intention of changing it.
The commentator González looked at the screen and said.
The match has progressed to this point, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid exchanging attacks and defenses.
However, both sides have defended very well, not giving the opponent any opportunities to score.
In the current situation, both teams focused on defense at the start, so any threatening attack would become an opportunity.
And a goal would completely change the tide of the match!
Bang!
Tiago took the free kick, choosing to shoot directly, but the quality of this set piece wasn't high, flying over the crossbar and failing to stay down.
Not everyone can be called a set-piece master; the rapid dipping curve over the wall is not that easy to achieve.
After the free kick, Atletico Madrid immediately retreated.
They didn't have much to say about this attempted set-piece.
Suker kept turning his head to look at Atletico Madrid's half, his mind pondering ways to break free.
Ancelotti's arrangement was tactical!
But on-the-spot performance still depended on the players, and Suker was given a very important task in this match.
Ancelotti hoped Suker could use his individual ability to break through the opponent's zonal defense, which meant Suker would help Real Madrid find opportunities amidst waves of continuous marking.
Suker savored his first attempt at dribbling past a player.
Atletico Madrid's closing speed was very fast; their goal wasn't to press for the ball, but rather to interfere.
A little interference from each player would cause Suker to gradually lose control of the ball until it was completely disrupted by the opponent.
There were two options to solve this problem!
First: actively slow down the tempo, keep the ball in a sufficiently safe area, and use passes to pull apart the opponent's defense.
Second: increase the frequency, speed up the breakthrough rate, and break through with a faster and stronger method.
The first option went against Real Madrid's original tactics.
Therefore, Suker could only choose the second option.
Whoosh~~~~~~
Suker slowly exhaled, he slightly trembled the muscles in his calves, then turned to Kaka and made a gesture.
Kaka saw Suker's gesture and nodded solemnly.
This gesture told Kaka that he would no longer retreat.
And the meaning of not retreating was that Suker would go all out in attack and break through.
"Pass the ball centrally to Suker!"
Kaka looked at Kroos and said.
Kroos blinked: "That's not a good idea, Suker was already stopped before."
"Just trust him!"
Kaka didn't waste words and said directly.
Upon hearing this, Kroos immediately nodded.
Real Madrid kicked off again, this time their forward passes were faster and simpler.
After continuous one-touch passes and five passes, the ball reached Suker's feet.
As soon as Suker received the ball, he felt intense footsteps from both sides.
Without thinking, Atletico Madrid's pressing had begun.
If it were any other team, Suker would have passed the ball by now and wouldn't have confronted them head-on.
But this time, Suker suddenly dribbled the ball diagonally forward.
"Suker is on the move!"
The moment Suker started, his previously relaxed calf muscles suddenly bulged, and as he ran, through the gaps in his shorts, one could see the clear muscle lines.
And whenever Suker changed direction, the muscles in his thighs were like a car's shock absorbers, suddenly compressing and then rebounding with powerful kinetic energy.
Relying on this kinetic energy, Suker pushed the ball sideways to change direction.
"I'll take him!"
Gabi immediately shouted.
But just as he was about to get close to Suker, the latter suddenly stopped short.
Gabi immediately braked.
Suker's right foot crossed over the ball, making a feint to move to the right.
But Gabi did not fall for it.
However, the next second, Suker's right foot landed, his body slightly bounced up, moving sideways to the left, and his left foot pushed the ball towards his right foot.
This was a stop-and-go La Croqueta, executed very smoothly by utilizing body inertia and good rhythm.
Gabi judged Suker's first move as a feint, so he was still wary of the next move.
But Suker actually moved sideways to the right twice in a row, which caused Gabi to fail to shift his center of gravity in advance.
When he wanted to catch up with Suker, the latter had already pushed the ball forward and suddenly charged ahead!
"Damn it!"
Gabi reached out and immediately pulled Suker's jersey, while the central defender Miranda in front had also arrived, and the two still formed a pincer movement.
At this moment, Suker took a step forward with his left foot, gently tapped the ball behind him with his right foot, and changed direction in the opposite way.
This was Cristiano Ronaldo's specialty: the Ronaldo Chop move.
Taken alone, it might not be that spectacular, but combined with Suker's previous stop-and-go La Croqueta, and then this tap-and-change-direction, it became extremely spectacular.
But most crucially, Suker's sudden change of direction caused the ball to go through Gabi's legs, and at the same time, Suker moved sideways to the left again.
And Gabi and Miranda couldn't keep up with Suker's change of direction at all; they crashed into each other in a daze, falling head over heels.
"Oh~~~~~~~!!!"
González exclaimed, this brilliant dribble was so incredible he didn't even know how to describe it.
Most importantly, Suker had already swung his left foot.
"Suker! Shot!"
Bang!
Suker violently struck the ball with his left foot; although his body posture wasn't perfectly extended, relying on his powerful core strength, he still pulled his thigh, drove his calf, and fiercely struck the ball.
The ball took a diagonal trajectory, and the angle was quite good.
But the tall Belgium Goalkeeper Courtois suddenly dived to the side, barely grazing the ball, which slightly changed direction due to the force, hit the goalpost, and rebounded out.
Benzema was just about to follow up with a shot, but Atletico Madrid's central defender Godin reacted faster, clearing the ball away beforehand.
"Oh~~~ Courtois, a brilliant save, he saved Atletico Madrid's goal."
"If he hadn't touched the ball with his fingertips, this shot would have been a goal!"
"This attack served as a reminder to Atletico Madrid that standing opposite them is the greatest number 9 among active players in football!"
"Any slight relaxation can be turned into a goal by him!"
"Look at this breakthrough! Atletico Madrid wasn't out of position, they didn't even make a mistake, but they just couldn't stop Suker!"
"Once Suker continues to pose a threat on the left wing, Atletico Madrid will be in danger!"
On the sideline, Atletico Madrid coach Simeone's brows were furrowed, and he kept pacing back and forth, appearing particularly uneasy.
Suker's breakthrough indeed gave him a fright.
The previously invincible zonal defense was suddenly directly broken through by Suker.
Was Miranda slow in tracking?
No!
Was Gabi's defense not strong enough?
No!
The problem lay in Suker's individual ability.
That flexible change of direction and the exaggerated ankle-twisting movements, would he really not get injured from that?
Watching Suker twist his ankle, Simeone couldn't help but wince.
Such movements put too much strain on the body.
Ronaldo, the alien, was ruined by such high-pressure movements!
However, Suker's body seemed to be exceptionally gifted; this guy was truly an iron man, he could really handle these movements.
Simeone shook his head; now was not the time to think about such things.
Simeone constantly urged his players to attack, absolutely not allowing Real Madrid to score first.
On the other side, Ancelotti's expression was extremely calm.
Once Suker completed a breakthrough, he felt relieved.
If Suker could break through on his own, it meant that Real Madrid always had a trump card and gained a slight advantage.
For Atletico Madrid, it was either to continue being broken through by Suker like this.
Or change their defensive stance.
But once they did that, Real Madrid would also adjust accordingly.
So, whether Suker could make an impact was crucial.
Suker successfully broke through, and Real Madrid could use this to continuously harass Atletico Madrid.
Suddenly, cheers erupted from the stands.
Ancelotti's body also stiffened abruptly, then he slowly exhaled in relief.
The commentator González exclaimed loudly: "Costa! A beast-like turn and shot, it almost pierced Real Madrid's goal, the angle was slightly off, but it still posed a threat."
"Right after Suker just finished his shot, Costa retaliated in kind!"
Intense cheers erupted from the stands, and Atletico Madrid fans shouted vigorously towards the field, as if greatly encouraged.
Pepe got up from the ground, his face full of anger.
He had tried his best to limit Costa's turn, but the latter's massive physique still pushed him back, and with his butt-out power, Pepe simply couldn't stop him.
In this kind of close-quarters combat, trying to stop Costa was simply too difficult.
If Suker's shooting process was filled with agility and elegance.
Then, Costa's shooting process was pure brute force: a brutal turn and a decisive shot.
These were two different types of strikers, but both brought a threat to the opponent's goal.
"Don't let him turn, that's no different from letting him shoot!"
Marcelo reminded him.
Pepe said unhappily, "I know!"
His tone was stiff, clearly still angry.
In the previous confrontation, he almost elbowed the opponent.
"Mark him! Foul him if necessary!"
Ramos looked at Pepe and said, "As long as it's not a foul in the penalty area, now is the time to stand firm. I believe Suker can help us score first!"
Upon hearing this, Pepe's mood stabilized considerably.
Although Costa was annoying, his playing style made one want to beat him up.
But Atletico Madrid was equally uncomfortable; they also couldn't withstand Suker's impact.
Now it was a matter of who could score faster, and they had confidence in Suker's ability to seize opportunities.
In the front field, Suker also saw this scene, and he frowned slightly.
"It's necessary to increase the intensity of the attack!"
Today's Costa was already approaching his peak in all aspects, especially in physical confrontation.
Turning and shooting inside the penalty area was his specialty, or 'back-to-the-goal isolation' for short.
It was a shooting method where he would forcefully hold off the opposing defender, turn, and shoot.
Once Pepe couldn't hold him, Ramos or Marcelo would have to run over to support, but if that happened, other positions would inevitably have gaps.
Villa and Koke were not easy to deal with.
If Costa attracted too much defensive attention, it would inevitably open up space elsewhere.
"Still, we need to score first!"
Suker said in a deep voice.
The match restarted, and Real Madrid, on the attack, once again focused the ball on Suker.
Suker didn't always break forward but instead looked for suitable breakthroughs.
At the very least, before he broke through, there couldn't be more than two defenders around him.
Even Suker couldn't get through a triple-team.
Not only was Suker trying to find a way to attack, but Kaka, Benzema, and Bale were also doing the same.
Even Kroos frequently ran, helping his teammates reduce pressure and increase receiving space.
Suker received the ball again, and he immediately passed it out.
As soon as he passed, the three Atletico Madrid players who had surrounded Suker immediately retreated.
Suker pulled towards the wing again.
At the same time, Benzema also saw this scene.
"Suker is being marked!"
Atletico Madrid had indeed allocated some defensive strength, intending to stop Suker's breakthrough.
If it were before, Suker's confrontation was strong enough that he could force his way through.
But as Suker reduced his strength training, his confrontation ability had weakened a lot.
He wouldn't fall at a touch, but he definitely didn't have the same confrontation ability as before.
Now, Suker's breakthroughs relied more on frequency and rhythm, supplemented by skill.
And Atletico Madrid had clearly observed this, so they compressed the space on the left wing to the extreme.
This prevented Suker from gaining speed, as movement in narrow spaces would inevitably involve confrontation.
If Suker didn't have the speed advantage, he would definitely be continuously brought down by the opponent.
Benzema watched the opposing formation move, and the moment Suker received the ball, he suddenly ran forward.
His run directly restricted Godin and Miranda.
Their attention was on Benzema, preventing them from simultaneously covering Suker at first glance.
The moment they turned their heads again, Benzema had surprisingly made a reverse run, directly breaking free from between the two of them.
Godin and Miranda were a bit bewildered!
What was this guy doing?
But at this moment, only Suker saw which area Benzema's back-and-forth sprint had opened up.
Suker pushed the ball horizontally, a slight grin on his lips.
"Well done, Karim!"
Suker's body was in a tilted state, but he could still deliver a chipped pass.
He sharply brushed the lower-left side of the ball with his right foot.
The ball immediately arced towards the center.
"Cover! I'll push out!"
Miranda had just shouted when Godin, next to him, urgently yelled, "Look out!!"
Miranda hadn't fully recovered when he saw a figure rapidly flash past him.
Bale chested the ball in the air, directly taking it into the penalty area and shaking off the two center-backs.
"Bale!!!! Chance!!!!—"
González suddenly exclaimed.
He thought Suker would continue to break through on the left wing, but he didn't expect the best chance to come from the right wing! No! It should be the center.
Benzema's distraction had worked!
Bale's diagonal run was incredibly decisive!
And Suker was one of the few who noticed this link.
Whoosh!!
In the Real Madrid dugout, Ancelotti, Zidane, and others also suddenly stood up.
They hurried out of the dugout, craning their necks to look at the field.
After Bale entered the penalty area, he didn't even fully control the ball but instead met the dropping ball and directly swung his right foot to push it.
The shot was very clever!
But the moment it bounced off the ground, it just cleared Goalkeeper Courtois's outstretched arm.
Swish!
The ball went into the net!
In the 23rd minute of the match, Real Madrid scored first.
Suker assisted Bale.
A brilliant combination from Real Madrid's front line!
"Goal!! Goal!! Goal!!!"
"Gareth Bale! A sudden diagonal run caught Atletico Madrid off guard!"
"Of course, Benzema's run was also brilliant; he pinned down two center-backs and attracted their attention, which meant Godin and Miranda couldn't see Bale's diagonal run. Suker's perfectly timed cross further helped Bale score!"
"All of us thought Suker would score first, that he would continuously disrupt Atletico Madrid on the left wing, but we didn't expect Real Madrid's finish to come from the right wing!"
"This is truly both wings flying!"
"Real Madrid's two main wide players played a crucial role!"
In the corner area, Suker, Benzema, and Bale embraced, all three laughing unrestrainedly.
Although the surrounding Atletico Madrid fans were 'greeting' them, it still couldn't suppress the joy in their hearts.
This combination was truly a flash of inspiration!
They hadn't deliberately practiced this kind of combination.
But the moment Benzema started running, both Suker and Bale seemed to grasp something.
Benzema's pull-back!
Bale's decisive diagonal run!
Suker's cross!
These factors combined to create Real Madrid's sharp attack on the front line.
23 minutes!
Real Madrid broke through Atletico Madrid's famous defense.
Simeone irritably scratched his hair; Real Madrid had scored first again.
This was truly terrible news.
Simeone just felt very frustrated.
Clearly, they were the team that had studied Real Madrid the most. To deal with Real Madrid, they even had an intelligence team specifically dedicated to collecting Real Madrid's information, then analyzing and summarizing it.
In a way, Simeone felt that Atletico Madrid understood Real Madrid better than Real Madrid understood themselves.
But understanding is one thing; what if they couldn't win?
They had studied Real Madrid's tactics!
They had studied Real Madrid's lineup!
They even had countermeasures for different lineup choices.
But once the match started, the data Real Madrid put out in the game was completely different from what they had collected!
It was way off!
He didn't even know if there was a problem with their information collection department.
Or if Atletico Madrid simply couldn't play at their usual level when facing Real Madrid.
Or, did Real Madrid just get particularly fired up when playing against them?
But no matter what, every match, every time they faced Real Madrid, it was like this.
No matter the situation.
No matter how much advantage they gained, they just couldn't win!
This attack was the same.
Everyone thought Suker was the focal point.
They thought so too.
Then Bale suddenly burst out!
Are you guys doing this on purpose, you motherf*****s?
Simeone was about to curse, "Are you deliberately giving us false information, you motherf*****s?"
When did Bale ever run into the center, you motherf*****?
No!
He had run there!
But… the effect was terrible!
But why did it work this time?
Simeone's internal rant was extremely profanity-laden.