Real Madrid scored two consecutive goals in the first half, which caused Atletico Madrid's morale to plummet.
Their hearts were already somewhat timid, and now they were even more so.
Facing their cross-city rivals, an opponent they dreamed of defeating, yet repeatedly losing in matches, the pressure was immense.
It wasn't just physical; psychological pressure was an even greater hurdle they needed to overcome.
Simeone sighed slightly as he looked at the pitch; he had poured a lot of effort into Atletico Madrid.
He believed that if the current Atletico Madrid could overcome their psychological issues, they would have a chance to defeat Real Madrid.
However, psychological pressure is the most difficult to overcome.
It is invisible and intangible, yet it truly exists.
It affects players' performance, technical movements, and even interferes with thought patterns, among other things.
And now, after the first goal, Atletico Madrid as a whole seemed a bit flustered.
If it were other teams, they wouldn't be like this.
But the opponent is Real Madrid!
It is the cross-city rival that has suppressed them since its founding!
How much they wanted to defeat Real Madrid.
That's how much they feared Real Madrid!
And now, Real Madrid, led by Suker, has rapidly amplified this problem.
"Atletico Madrid still hasn't made adjustments; their counterattacks are threatening, but they lack some ability to seize opportunities.
In contrast, Real Madrid has done better in this regard, with Bale and Suker's successive goals putting Atletico Madrid in a difficult position," commentator González said, glancing at the time.
"The first half is about to end.
Hopefully, Atletico Madrid can make some adjustments during halftime."
As González spoke, the match entered halftime.
In the first half, after 45 minutes, Real Madrid led Atletico Madrid 2-0 away.
Bale and Suker both scored goals!
Now, the only path before Atletico Madrid is to burn their bridges.
In Atletico Madrid's locker room, the players were extremely agitated and annoyed.
Match problems, psychological problems—some things they feared, they wanted to avoid even more.
But Real Madrid would not give them a chance to hide; it would only put more and more pressure on them.
When Simeone walked into the locker room, the place suddenly fell silent.
From this, one could see Simeone's control over the team.
Simeone walked to the center, and everyone thought he was about to lose his temper.
The bandit coach Simeone had a 'rugged' face but was a bold and meticulous person.
Of course, this doesn't mean Simeone had no temper; any professional athlete's desire to win and temper would not be good.
But this time, Simeone uncharacteristically did not get angry.
He clapped his hands to get everyone's attention and said, "Gentlemen, I hope you forget the first half.
Let those unpleasant memories pass.
We need to look to the future."
"In fact, our counterattacks are effective, but the problem is whether we can seize opportunities!"
At this point, Simeone turned to look at Costa.
The latter frowned slightly, his expression carrying a hint of annoyance.
Of course, this was not annoyance directed at Simeone, but a sense of shame at not being able to score a goal.
"Diego!" Simeone said slowly, "If you feel a lot of pressure turning and shooting inside the penalty area, then you can choose to pass the ball and let Villa shoot!"
Upon hearing this, Costa immediately said, "No! I can do it!"
Simeone continued, "I don't intend to put pressure on you, but we really need goals, you understand what I mean, right?"
Costa said gravely, "I can score! I will definitely score!"
Looking at Costa's gradually reddening face, Simeone knew his taunt had worked.
"Alright then!" Simeone nodded, "In the second half, we will still play around you.
I hope you don't disappoint us!"
After speaking, he turned to look at the others and said, "Gentlemen, do you know where the problem in the match lies?"
"We have played against teams with different styles and opponents with different characteristics, but we have never played so poorly."
"Even if there were some flaws in defense, we could quickly adjust."
Simeone placed his right hand on his left chest: "The problem is here.
Your hearts are beating too fast.
Once Real Madrid attacks, you react as if stressed, experiencing accelerated heartbeats, blank minds, and confused thoughts."
"And these are all psychological problems!"
"Overcome it!" Simeone said sternly, "If you still want to defeat Real Madrid, then you must overcome this hurdle!"
"In Atletico Madrid's history, in matches against Real Madrid, we have lost more than we have won, but that doesn't mean we will always be losers!"
"The turning point will come!"
"The dawn of victory will also appear!"
"Don't hope for the future; focus on the present.
Believe in yourselves.
Why can't it be us who defeat Real Madrid?"
"Ending Real Madrid's victories, ending the Madrid derby curse, should be us!"
"Believe in yourselves, believe in your teammates, let us become a whole.
We will make Real Madrid understand what Atletico Madrid's football style is!"
During Simeone's words, the players, whose morale had been low, began to show signs of rapid breathing.
They were indeed infected by Simeone.
That's right!
Why can't it be us who defeat Real Madrid?
They clenched their fists, intending to put on a better performance in the second half.
On the other side, in Real Madrid's locker room, Ancelotti was also setting up tactics.
Compared to Simeone's speech, Ancelotti's tactical setup was unadorned.
There was no rhetorical flourish, no passionate tone.
He spoke calmly, explaining the tactics in an easy-to-understand way, while also outlining the path to victory for Real Madrid's players.
Real Madrid players liked this mode.
Compared to a hyped-up speech, it was better to tell them practically how to win!
"In the second half, Atletico Madrid will exert themselves!"
Srna took a sip of water and said.
Pepe, beside him, was rubbing his waist; he had had too many confrontations with Costa.
That guy was as strong as an ox, and Pepe found every confrontation a bit strenuous.
"What's there to be afraid of!"
"It's even more impossible for them to reverse it in the second half!" Pepe said casually.
What Real Madrid feared least was confronting opponents in the second half.
As the match stretched on, with Pintus's physical training support, Real Madrid's extreme athletic performance was excellent, and their adjustment ability was also very strong.
Not only that, in the second half, Suker would unleash his ultimate state.
At that time, what would Atletico Madrid use to stop him?
Therefore, Pepe was not worried at all that Real Madrid would have problems in the second half.
Perhaps they would be somewhat disrupted in the first half, misled by the opponent's sudden tactics and strategies.
But in the second half, Real Madrid was not afraid of such confrontations.
On the contrary, if Atletico Madrid wanted to cause trouble in the second half, they had to be prepared to face Real Madrid's even more intense counterattacks.
Suker walked out of the bathroom, wearing only a tight pair of boxer briefs.
Zidane handed Suker a brand new jersey, and the latter quickly put it on.
His original jersey was already soaked, and although it wasn't skin-tight, it was uncomfortable to wear.
Returning to his bench, after Suker put on his socks and boots again, Ancelotti walked over.
"Control the tempo in the second half."
Ancelotti knelt in front of Suker, who nodded while tying his shoelaces.
"Kaka and Kroos will link up with you in midfield.
You can always run into the center.
If the tempo feels out of control, you can intervene at any time."
Ancelotti trusted Suker immensely.
Moreover, Suker was very good at driving the tempo of such matches.
He wouldn't do it through passing like other players, but through dribbling, always managing to extract the ball from dangerous areas.
This ability alone was enough to give Atletico Madrid a hard time.
Suker finished tying his shoelaces, looked up, and asked, "Should we slow down the tempo?"
"It depends!"
Ancelotti didn't respond directly, but said, "We'll see how Atletico Madrid plays, and then we'll adjust our strategy based on their changes."
Suker nodded.
This was the advantage of having the lead.
They were not in a hurry to change formation; their opponents were.
And even after the opponents completed their formation change, Real Madrid still had time to observe and then make appropriate adjustments.
Ancelotti took the time to speak to everyone else, and at this moment, a staff member knocked on the changing room door, signaling that the second half was about to begin.
Ramos suddenly stood up, clapping his hands and shouting, "Cheer up! There are still 45 minutes left, we cannot relax in the slightest."
After speaking, he sternly said again, "Win the match! Victory belongs to Real Madrid!"
"Victory belongs to Real Madrid!!!"
The players all roared, standing up one by one and following Ramos out of the changing room.
"After the first half, Real Madrid is currently leading 2-0 away from home. Atletico Madrid's proud defense has been breached by Real Madrid multiple times, especially when facing Real Madrid's fluctuating attacks from both wings. Atletico Madrid's defensive Center of Gravity transfer speed isn't that quick! Perhaps this match has also given other teams a heads-up, letting them know how to play against Atletico Madrid!"
The commentator spoke eloquently, but his analysis was not entirely correct.
The reason Real Madrid made Atletico Madrid's defense dizzy.
In addition to the high-intensity individual abilities on both wings, there was also that inherent bloodline suppression.
These two reasons are indispensable!
If other teams want to play this trick like Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid's counterattack is not to be trifled with.
To achieve this effect, at the very least, you need a wing combination like Suker + Bale.
Atletico Madrid fans were still passionate, still cheering and encouraging the players.
As both teams entered the field, the second half was about to begin.
The camera focused on Costa. As Atletico Madrid's new generation divine striker, he had not scored in this match, and his performance was somewhat unsatisfactory.
"Diego Costa! Atletico Madrid's most offensive player, he has adjusted and carries Atletico Madrid's hopes to score a goal and equalize the score for the team in the second half!"
In the camera, Costa's gaze was firm, accompanied by a hint of killing intent.
But similarly, Pepe's eyes towards Costa were also full of malice.
These two were at odds!
Pepe's play was not clean, belonging to the dirty type.
But Costa was also not clean.
Any good-tempered defender would suffer when encountering Costa. Fortunately, Real Madrid's center-backs were two notorious figures, which allowed them to constantly suppress Costa.
Soon, the whistle blew, and the second half began.
After the kickoff, Real Madrid immediately pushed forward.
Srna directly sent a precise diagonal long pass to Suker.
Suker had seen people closing in on him beforehand, so he immediately headed the ball, transferring it away.
As soon as the ball was transferred, Atletico Madrid quickly fell back into position, forming two defensive lines.
"So fast!" Suker blinked, feeling that Atletico Madrid was indeed gradually getting into their rhythm.
Soon, the match entered the midfield 'meat grinder' phase.
Every pass, every dribble was accompanied by extremely intense confrontation, and even Real Madrid encountered several pulls and trips during their transfers.
But they were still maintaining possession, and Atletico Madrid's pressing was still relentless.
Just then, Atletico Madrid suddenly completed a steal near the center circle.
Gabi appeared next to Kroos, and while the latter wasn't paying attention, he suddenly moved forward to interfere and stuck out his foot to poke the ball away.
The ball was poked to Villa, and Srna and Ramos immediately closed in.
Atletico Madrid's left midfielder Arda Turan pushed forward from the flank, Tiago was also in the middle to receive, and Koke on the right was also rapidly moving forward.
Atletico Madrid's formation opened up.
While attracting attention, Villa laid the ball off to Tiago, then he himself pushed forward into the half-space, preventing Ramos from tucking in.
And Tiago then seized the opportunity to pass the ball forward to Costa.
Costa received the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the box, and Pepe immediately stuck to him.
Pepe held Costa's jersey, but the latter also spread his legs, lowered his center of gravity, and held off Pepe.
While feeling the pressure, Costa's mind suddenly recalled Simeone's expression when he was speaking.
It was as if he was saying, 'You can't do it'!
Costa's eyes suddenly widened, his body squatted further, he stuck out his backside, and suddenly bumped Pepe.
Pepe was pushed away, but he still held onto Costa's jersey.
But at this moment, Costa had already turned.
Pepe increased his pulling force again, while adjusting his center of gravity, and lunged forward again, pressing down with his right hand, trying to directly push Costa down.
But Costa's strong body played its part. Under Pepe's interference, his jersey was lifted, revealing the outline of his powerful abs and chest muscles. He glared with wide eyes, directly lifted his left leg, and unleashed a fierce shot.
"Get out of the way!"
Bang!
The ball was struck cleanly, flying towards the bottom left corner of the goal.
Even though Casillas was positioned towards the left, facing such a quick shot, he had no time to react.
His leg barely moved, he did nothing, and the ball was already in the net.
Swish!
In the 52nd minute, just 7 minutes into the second half, Costa used his strong body to fight for a goal inside the box!
Roar!!!!!!!!!—
After scoring, Costa excitedly pulled at his jersey and roared, releasing the pressure and excitement within him.
And the entire Calderón Stadium instantly erupted into a frenzy.
Every Atletico Madrid fan burst into fierce cheers, excited by the goal.
On the sidelines, Simeone celebrated passionately.
He ran back and forth, finally facing the stands, legs spread, arms outstretched, body lowered, celebrating with an exaggerated motion and a roar.
A goal 7 minutes into the second half gave Atletico Madrid a glimmer of hope to turn the game around.
Even their morale was further boosted.
Atletico Madrid's players were all celebrating. Pepe got up from the ground, angrily kicking the turf, he was on the verge of exploding.
"Calm down!"
Ramos went over to comfort him.
He clearly understood how Pepe was feeling at that moment.
As a center-back, as the last line of the team's defense, he failed to hold off Costa, which was the fundamental reason for the goal.
"Calm down! I'll kill him!"
Pepe said emotionally, his eyes turning red as he looked at Costa.
Ramos had a headache.
Just then, Suker suddenly rushed out and pushed Pepe away.
"Calm down!"
"Calm down, you—" Pepe was about to curse, but Suker pushed Pepe away again, staring directly at Pepe, pointing his index finger at Pepe and saying, "How many games have you screwed up? Don't make me really deal with you! Don't let this game lose hope again, calm down, only then can we win!"
After speaking, Suker hooked Pepe's shoulder, while using his left hand to press down on Pepe's hands, patting Pepe's chest, and whispered, "So what if we conceded one goal? Why are you so anxious? Are you doubting my scoring efficiency? If you get a red card, I might not win even if I score three! Because the opponent will score more. But if you calm down, as long as I score one, they'll be completely broken!"
Seeing that Pepe's hands showed no signs of resisting, he then let go of Pepe and said, "Think about it, calm down. You, a top center-back, exploding just because the opponent provoked you a bit, they'd be secretly laughing."
"Top center-back?" Pepe turned his head.
Suker retorted, "Aren't you? Are you saying you'll concede again?"
"How could that be!" Pepe gritted his teeth, "Next time, he won't even think about getting into the box!"
"Good man!" Suker finally patted Pepe's shoulder, then turned and left.
As Suker left, Ramos secretly gave Suker a thumbs-up.
Suker was the only one on the team who could suppress Pepe like that.
Of course, Suker couldn't completely suppress him; after all, Pepe's bad temper might genuinely lead to a fight with him.
Therefore, Suker's tone softened considerably in the latter part of the conversation.
On the other hand, Kaka couldn't help but grin.
Suker's action of poking Pepe with his finger was exactly like Maldini poking Gattuso.
That expression was a direct copy of Maldini's.
Whoosh~~~
Kaka exhaled. Although conceding a goal was not good news, for Real Madrid, they still had the strength to widen the score again.