Ahead of the match, one expert offered the following assessment of the clash between the two sides.
[This is a matchup between Real Madrid, the most successful club in Champions League history, and Liverpool, the most successful English club. It can be seen as a battle of pride between Spain and England.
With Real Madrid emphasizing passing and individual skill, and Liverpool relying heavily on space-based counter-attacks, a fierce contest is expected. Most experts believe Real Madrid hold the advantage.
However, there are plenty of opposing views. With Cannavaro absent, Real Madrid's defense may struggle to contain Liverpool's attacks. On the other hand, Liverpool's defense is considered one of the best in Europe.
If Real Madrid want an uplifting win at home, they will have to break through Liverpool's solid defensive wall.]
As the pundits said, Liverpool's defensive strength was outstanding.
Defensive organization was Rafael Benítez's greatest strength.
In particular, his trademark was denying space to the opponent and keeping the lines extremely compact. That was why watching Liverpool often felt suffocating.
If it felt that way to spectators, it was even worse for those actually playing against it.
After conceding the equalizer, Benítez instructed his players to focus their marking on Ho-young.
And standing on the front line, Ho-young genuinely admired Liverpool's defense.
'From the back line to the forwards, everyone is packed in tightly. The defensive line is pushed almost up to the midfield line.'
Even trying to exploit the space behind the defense recklessly was difficult, as Reina's sweeping and cover play were excellent.
Unless there was a perfectly measured through ball and perfectly timed run, scoring chances would be hard to come by.
Yet Ho-young felt calmer than ever.
At the same time, excitement surged up from deep within his chest.
'It's our turn.'
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.
If the opponent brought out a 4-1-4-1 with two defensive lines, then all they had to do was respond with what they had prepared.
That response was the 4-4-2 formation.
[Once again, Real Madrid seem to have prepared something new. Could this also be part of Ho-young's idea?]
[It's hard to say yet, but on the surface there doesn't seem to be much change. Ho-young has moved up front to form a two-man strike partnership with Raúl González. That's all.]
On paper, that was true.
The only changes were player positions and spacing.
However, as their style of play gradually shifted, by around the 30th minute of the first half, it had completely transformed.
[Real Madrid's momentum has changed entirely. The ball, which was previously concentrated on Zidane in midfield, is now being spread out to both flanks.]
[That's right. The ball is being delivered frequently to Marcelo and Robben on the wings.]
Both players, known for their dribbling ability, hugged the touchline and played extremely wide.
They were using the full width of the pitch, and Liverpool could not help but be unsettled by the sudden shift.
[By stretching the pitch, it looks like they're trying to force Liverpool's defensive lines wider and create gaps. But the problem is that it might be too obvious. At this point, it would be strange not to notice. The question is whether they can really deceive Benítez.]
[We're into the 32nd minute of the first half, and this match is becoming fascinating. In this invisible battle of wits, it's intriguing to see who will come out on top.]
'Are they trying to stretch the defense with a 4-4-2, then attack the central space behind once the back line collapses?'
Benítez was a tactician who lived by organization.
He was not someone who would simply fall for such a straightforward strategy.
He curled the corner of his mouth slightly.
He was about to issue further tactical instructions.
But then.
'Wait.'
What if this was meant to be bait?
What if Real Madrid threw out this setup as a lure, only to strike back with a counter of their own?
It was not something to take lightly.
Bernd Schuster might be a fickle old bear, but beside him stood a sharp-minded young fox.
'Ho-young. If Schuster's interview was true, then Ho-young is a natural-born tactician.'
In that case, the mind he needed to read was not Schuster's, but Ho-young's.
'Interesting.'
Benítez decided to observe a little longer.
No matter how gifted Ho-young was tactically, Benítez was a veteran strategist with years of experience, composure, and a sharp mind.
Liverpool's Champions League triumph four years ago had not been a matter of luck.
He had been a manager for 24 years.
A proven master who had led major clubs like Valencia and Liverpool back to prominence.
Compared to that, Ho-young was still a child just learning how to walk.
'Let's see what you can really do.'
Benítez widened his view and began to observe the match from a broader perspective.
He quickly called over Carragher and Gerrard, giving them general instructions on what they should and should not do.
35th minute of the first half.
The match took on an intriguing shape.
Liverpool adjusted their tactics in response to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid responded by unveiling another tailored approach.
Liverpool watched closely and waited.
Under these conditions, the match began to spiral in an unpredictable direction.
Real Madrid, who had previously built up play from the flanks into the center, now focused almost entirely on wing-based buildup.
They committed at least three players, sometimes four or five, to overload the flanks.
[Marcelo on the left. He forms a triangle with Carlos and Ho-young. They're turning the left side into their playground.]
[But Liverpool are responding conservatively. Their spacing and shape remain consistent and solid. They're not shaken.]
[Benítez seems to have read Schuster's intentions. He knows what's coming. If this continues, Madrid's tactical plan may fail. Or are they aiming for crosses?]
As the commentary suggested, Real Madrid's attacking patterns followed that path.
After circulating the ball wide and building possession, they began to pour forward aggressively.
"Over there."
"Watch the space behind first."
"If nothing else, whip it to the near post."
Using combination play on the flanks, Real Madrid launched crossing attacks.
One decent chance emerged.
Boom.
Marcelo's cross arced in from the left toward the center.
Its destination was the inside of the penalty area, near the goalpost where Ho-young was positioned.
Beside him was the fighter-type centre-back Martin Škrtel.
He jumped slightly later and challenged for the aerial ball.
"Not a chance."
Thud.
At 191 centimeters, his aerial ability was impressive.
'He's strong for his size, with good physicality and jumping ability, but in terms of sheer build, I have the edge.'
As long as he did not lose the psychological battle, it would be fine.
That was why he jumped slightly later.
Thanks to that, he did not get drawn into Ho-young's mind games and was able to contest the ball properly.
But then.
Thud.
'…Why is he this solid?'
With this kind of size difference, he should have been able to overpower him.
Yet Ho-young did not seem to be losing ground at all.
He could have even lost the aerial duel.
"Gah."
Still, in that moment, goalkeeper José Manuel Reina rushed out to help, and they managed to deal with it.
"Whew."
[Škrtel buys time, and Reina rushes out to punch the ball clear beyond the penalty area.]
[It's as if Liverpool anticipated exactly what Real Madrid were trying to do. They're thoroughly prepared for every situation. It may look boring to some viewers, but the quality of their performance is undeniable.]
[And in fact, matches like this have their own appeal. If you watch from the manager's perspective, you can really feel the psychological warfare between them.]
Benítez's tactics were consuming Real Madrid.
They were not falling into Madrid's traps and continued to maintain their own defensive organization.
So far, that was clearly the case.
[There's just no space opening up. With nine players maintaining such tight spacing, it's impossible to find gaps. This really reflects Benítez's football philosophy.]
The one who controlled space and lines.
Benítez's football was coming alive.
[Meanwhile, Real Madrid seem unable to build up as planned and are recycling the ball backward.]
[It's not working. They boldly switched to a 4-4-2, but that might have been a misstep. Breaking down Liverpool's suffocating defense does not look easy at all.]
38th minute of the first half.
Real Madrid tried to apply pressure late in the half, but every attack failed.
The frustration was visible, and some fans began to boo toward Liverpool's end.
But Liverpool remained unmoved.
They repelled Real Madrid from the outside, unfazed by any pressure.
For them, even a draw would be a massive gain.
[This is a dilemma for Real Madrid. They can't rush in recklessly, but they can't afford to walk away empty-handed either. It would be great if the genius dribbler Ho-young could break through with individual brilliance, but that would mean beating nine players.]
[And among them is Mascherano. If we think back to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it's clear that solo dribbles have their limits. Maybe it would take a combination of Messi, Robinho, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo to pull it off.]
In the battle of wits, Benítez appeared to have the upper hand.
His magic was gradually suppressing the so-called magic of the Bernabéu.
And Benítez took it a step further, identifying a weakness in the opponent.
'I see it.'
It was laid bare before his eyes.
For now, Real Madrid looked fine because they had possession, but later, this would cause serious problems.
'They're so obsessed with the flanks that they've completely neglected the midfield. If we win the ball suddenly, we can create a comeback goal through a space-based counter-attack.'
A solid foundation was in place.
If they struck suddenly in this situation, Madrid would be left in ruins.
Benítez instructed Mascherano, known for his tackling ability, to attempt surprise interceptions in the defensive midfield.
But the incident happened before that.
[Real Madrid switch the direction of their attack.]
[This time, Ramos carries the ball forward from the opposite side. Robben and Zidane support him.]
The three of them circulated the ball and tore open the right flank.
The left flank did the same.
Real Madrid took a risk and launched attacks from all directions.
If one side was blocked, another would open up. If two were blocked, another opening would inevitably appear.
[If Liverpool refuse to widen their defensive spacing, it looks like Real Madrid are intent on ripping them apart altogether. With the first half nearing its end, Real Madrid reveal a trump card. The previously calm stadium now feels like it's being hit by a storm.]
[But what about the center? If they fail to score and lose the ball like this, the risk of a counter-attack is extremely high.]
They abandoned the center.
Only Zidane remained centrally to draw attention, while everyone else drifted wide.
It looked extremely dangerous.
Yet ironically, this was becoming a problem for Liverpool.
'Damn it. One man, Zidane, is pinning down our entire third line.'
Benítez frowned deeply.
With the third line of Riera, Alonso, Gerrard, and Kuyt forced to deal with Zidane alone, they were thrown into confusion.
Keeping the entire line intact just to contain one man was terribly inefficient.
But disbanding it risked collapsing the entire defensive structure.
In fact, it would inevitably do just that.
And that would lead to the collapse of their philosophy.
In other words, the core of their tactics would be destroyed.
The biggest issue was that Alonso and Gerrard, the heart of Liverpool's flat line, were becoming ineffective.
It was nothing short of a death sentence.
'This is bad.'
Benítez clenched his fist.
His palm was already soaked with sweat.
His lips felt parched.
'Where did it go wrong?'
Ho-young.
This was not a cheap trick.
And Real Madrid's attack was only just beginning.
(To be continued.)