Huuu~~Kaká slowly let out a breath, a serious expression appearing on his handsome face.
This was his favorite position—open vision, free movement—he could control the flow of attack from here.
He didn't have that same intense desire to score as Suker.
It's not that he disliked scoring goals, but he preferred attacking through team coordination.
If the attack stemmed from his own foot, if he orchestrated it himself, that was even better.
When he first joined AC Milan, Kaká was just a dribbling rookie who knew how to charge forward.
Back then, under the care of his older teammates, he only needed to handle attacking transitions.
Ancelotti didn't give him any defensive responsibilities either.
Then, a "pressure monster" arrived!Of course, that guy is now his best friend.
With Suker's help, Kaká successfully transformed.
From someone who only knew how to sprint and dribble, his style became more refined.
His vision became broader, his spatial awareness more three-dimensional, his instincts sharper, and he developed outstanding passing skills.
Kaká was very familiar with this position.
Last season, he had already served as the core at Milan.
It had to be said—this season truly shaped Kaká, refining his abilities.
Had he remained next to Suker the whole time, he might not have had such an opportunity.
But now, he felt he had returned to his friend's side in his best form yet!
Beep!The match resumed.
Kaká watched the opponent's movement. He didn't rush to press but instead marked Messi next to him.
Barcelona's offense had to flow through Messi. As long as Messi was locked down, they'd either be forced to pass backward or—
Kaká suddenly surged forward.
He charged down the wing and linked up successfully with Srna.
"Blocked!" Srna shouted.
"I'll take it!"
Kaká launched himself forward.
Iniesta hurried to pull the ball back, but Srna immediately closed in.
Under their pincer attack, Kaká stopped the ball and dragged it in front of him.
Seeing the ball lost, Iniesta quickly tried to press again.
But Kaká didn't rush his pass—he faked with his shoulder and swerved left. As Iniesta shifted his weight, Kaká performed a quick La Croqueta and escaped cleanly.
"OHHHH~~ KAKÁ!! La Croqueta! It's an La Croqueta!" González clapped and laughed. "He just beat Iniesta using Iniesta's own favorite move!"
Kaká completed the steal and breakout, moving the ball out of danger.
He passed the ball to Alonso and pointed to the right.
Alonso understood instantly and passed it on.
Di María received the ball.
At this moment, three Barcelona players quickly closed in.
"Pass it here!"
Suker suddenly appeared diagonally ahead.
Di María passed it immediately. Suker didn't stop the ball, just returned it right away.
The ball rolled toward Kaká.
The Barça players turned and rushed back at once.
"Watch out—uh—"
Di María had barely said a word—
Kaká casually stepped over the ball, not touching it, letting it roll past him toward Khedira.
"This guy reacts so fast!"
Di María couldn't help but admire him.
Suker grinned.
But he didn't think it was just quick reflexes.
Kaká's awareness had already told him exactly what to do—this guy had an almost freakish ability.
Before even receiving the ball, he had already surveyed the field, planned multiple passing lanes, and selected the safest one.
Actually, this trait had shown up early in Kaká's career.
For example, in how he chose dribbling routes or predicted through-ball opportunities.
It all showed his freakish vision and tactical mind.
It's just that… this smart brain didn't know how to bend.
And his personality was impossibly stubborn!He insisted on playing in the World Cup through injury, ultimately ruining himself!When he returned to the club, he was immediately sidelined by Alonso. Gattuso was so mad, he said if Kaká wanted, he'd ride a bike himself to bring him back to Milan.
Such a top-level midfield talent, wasted by his own bullheadedness!
The more Suker thought about it, the more frustrated he became!
Boom!The ball flew out of bounds—Real Madrid's possession.
Kaká was about to run and retrieve it.
Pa!A sudden slap landed on his head.
Kaká turned his head sharply.
He saw Suker jogging back to position.
Kaká touched his head, aggrieved: "Why'd you hit me?"
"Suker slapped Kaká's head in praise. No doubt, his performance has been excellent—flawless so far. In a high-intensity match, he always finds the right pass and brings stability to Real Madrid's midfield!"
"Now that the situation is steady, I'm excited to see how Kaká will start the next attack!"
On the sideline, assistant coach Faria was grinning: "He's coming!"
Even Mourinho cracked a smile.
Could Kaká play in midfield?
Mourinho and Faria were more than qualified to answer.
Last season, their Inter Milan had been tormented repeatedly by Kaká-led AC Milan.
Kaká + Pirlo!That duo had shredded Inter's defense more than once. If it hadn't been for Pato underperforming—if it had been Suker—Inter would've been doomed.
Back then, Kaká led a bunch of aging stars and still repeatedly threatened Inter's goal. Now, at Real Madrid, he had younger, better teammates—and Suker up front.
That's why Mourinho dared to go head-to-head with Guardiola in midfield.
You have Messi?
I have Kaká!
Of course, Barcelona still had more possession.
Kaká could manage those possessions and make smart passes, but matching up against Xavi and Iniesta was still tough.
Unless Suker dropped back.
But that was nearly impossible.
So Kaká had to find a direct path to the penalty area with limited chances.
Or—create a comfortable through-ball for Suker on the counterattack.
Kaká kept running, kept observing.
Finding holes in Barcelona was difficult, especially with the likes of Xavi and Iniesta orchestrating.
Overly complicated passes would only waste time.
Kaká licked his lips, pushed slightly forward, and turned sideways, signaling for the pass.
"Send it!"
He was positioned between Xavi and Iniesta.
Both closed in on him.
Khedira didn't hesitate and passed him the ball.
Kaká turned and glanced at Iniesta to confirm his position, then dropped back to receive.
The two pounced immediately.
At that moment, Kaká spun—he used the back foot to block the ball's roll, then flicked it up.
A flick over the top—then accelerated to the landing point and controlled it perfectly.
The ball skipped past Xavi's block as Kaká narrowly dodged the tackle and exploded forward.
"Watch out, Su—"
Xavi turned to yell—but found Suker just standing there, motionless.
Kaká shoved the ball to Suker.
Suker controlled it.
Puyol immediately went on high alert.
But Suker stood like a power pole, not moving at all.
The next second, Kaká charged past, picked up the ball, and stormed into the penalty area.
"Don't mention it."
Suker smiled as he watched Kaká's back.
Kaká entered the box and, before Puyol could react, smashed a left-footed shot.
The ball curved toward the far post.
Swish—straight into the net.
The Nou Camp fell silent in shock.
Everyone had been focused on Suker the moment Kaká passed the ball—they thought he was going to attack.
But no one expected Suker to stand still like a statue.
A shock absorber wall?And he somehow earned an assist out of it?!
"Is… is that even allowed?"
Benzema was in awe.
Why did playing center forward look so different when he did it versus when Suker did?
He had to bust his brain figuring out how to distribute the ball to the wings just to get one assist in a warm-up match.
But Suker just stood there like a lamppost and still got credited for an assist!
What kind of sorcery was this?!
"Oh—my god! What an attack! Kaká used Suker like a wall? Or maybe a shock absorber wall? Suker literally stopped the ball for a second and drew all the defense toward him! This is just…"
González didn't know how to describe it.
Suker's threat level was too high.
Everyone assumed that when he received the ball, he would act.
But he didn't move.
And because he didn't move, Barcelona's backline froze.
Puyol stayed close, but didn't dare challenge him. If Suker slipped free, it would be a disaster.
All of this created that bizarre goal.
Kaká made the move—but all eyes were on Suker.
What a strange sequence.
Kaká celebrated with joy.
It was his first goal for Real Madrid—a great start.
Suker came over to celebrate with him.
Kaká grinned: "Hey! I thought you were going to lay it off to me!"
Suker nodded: "I was going to. But they didn't move. Since they didn't move, I didn't pass. Then you came running, and… they still didn't move!"
Suker shrugged.
"Isn't that weird?"
The Nou Camp was dead silent.
After tactical adjustments and substitutions, Barcelona still looked lifeless.
Guardiola shook his head helplessly.
"We've lost."
On the other side, Mourinho wore the smile of a victor.
Barcelona's only chance was to equalize quickly after their changes. Only then could they force Mourinho's hand into using his subs.
But Kaká's brilliance spoiled that plan.
Or perhaps—it was because everyone focused on Suker. Even when Kaká stormed toward the box, no one relaxed their marking on Suker.
The result: a bizarre goal.
Real Madrid now led by two.
On Barcelona's bench, the only remaining attacking option was Pedro. But even then, he couldn't change the outcome.
Meanwhile, Mourinho still had many cards to play.
And with the advantage of second-half substitutions, he had room to adjust strategically.
So when the second goal came, Barcelona was already beaten!
Under Mourinho's gaze, Barcelona made changes.
Adriano and Abidal came on.
They replaced Maxwell and Iniesta.
That signaled Guardiola was trying to concede fewer goals—effectively giving up the home leg and preparing for the return match.
Mourinho responded immediately.
Pepe and Marcelo were subbed out.
Carvalho and Arbeloa came in.
Real Madrid strengthened their defense further.
Of course, Barcelona hadn't given up entirely.
To them, even one goal back could make the second leg easier.
But by now, the Nou Camp was silent.
Barcelona fans looked on in frustration.
This was a home match!
They had already been beaten twice last season!
Watching this game, Real Madrid looked even stronger than they did last year.
With new reinforcements like Kaká and Srna, Barcelona had even fewer chances.
Time ticked by.
The match neared its end.
"We're now into stoppage time. Barcelona trails 0–2 at home and has almost no hope of a comeback. Real Madrid is set to claim the first-leg victory of the 2010/2011 Spanish Super Cup!"
Three minutes later, the whistle blew.
Full-time!
Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2–0 away.
Thanks to goals from Suker and Kaká, Madrid showed excellent form in this match.
Barcelona, on the other hand, looked awkward.
Not just Messi—the whole team was unstable.
Compared to Real Madrid's fire, they looked like a different team altogether.
At the post-match press conference, Mourinho said:
"I'm very pleased to lead the team to a first-leg win. Our players worked incredibly hard and got the best reward."
"This win, taken here, is the best gift for Real Madrid fans."
"Of course, there's still the second leg to play. But at home, Real Madrid will only be stronger!"
Having won, Mourinho spoke confidently.
Meanwhile, Guardiola didn't look happy.
He said just a few words and left quickly.
If not for professionalism, he wouldn't have shown up at all.
Mourinho and Guardiola didn't shake hands.
In derbies and rival clashes, Mourinho was always ruthlessly targeted.
If the opponent was suffering, that meant he was doing things right.
Seeing Guardiola upset made him happy.
Back in the dressing room, Real Madrid's players were already celebrating.
A win was a win—even if it was just the Super Cup.
"Alright. After today, we'll do our summary. For now, everyone pack up," Mourinho smiled. "We're going home!"
Real Madrid 2–0 away at Barcelona.
The victory at Camp Nou was, unsurprisingly, a headline event in Marca.
"Real Madrid 2–0 Barcelona: Suker and Kaká Connect!""Milan Duo Reunited at Madrid!""Suker + Kaká: One Goal, One Assist – Down Goes Barça!""Kaká Named Man of the Match!""Stunning Debut! Brazil's Super Midfielder Shines!"
Not just Marca, even Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on the goal.
AC Milan fans nearly wept watching the match.
These were once the darlings of the San Siro!
They still performed brilliantly at Real Madrid.
Even though they no longer wore red and black, their brilliance made Milan fans emotional and supportive.
Of course, not everyone was happy.
Catalunya Press:"A Super Cup doesn't prove anything. It's just a preseason warm-up!"
Marca:"Last season, Madrid beat Barça twice!"
Catalunya Press:"Statistics show Barcelona had more possession and better numbers."
"Madrid won! Two goals!"
"Goals don't mean everything. Stats reflect the real quality!"
"Madrid won! Two goals!"
"Focusing only on results won't take you far. Growth comes from learning through failure!"
"Madrid won! Two goals!"
"…Are you a damn parrot?!"
Catalunya Press lost it, lashing out on their paper—commonplace in Spain.
After all, the two major papers have hated each other for ages.
If they ever stopped arguing—that'd be the real news!
With the first leg done, Real Madrid returned to Madrid to prepare for the second.
That return leg five days later would decide the Super Cup champion.
But on the third day—a bombshell dropped.
"Messi's Old Injury Flared Up! May Miss Second Leg of Spanish Super Cup!"
This news came from Catalunya Press.
Reporters quickly confirmed the story from Barcelona.
Reportedly, Messi re-aggravated an old injury in training and needed rest.
Barcelona gave no further details.
"Injured?" Suker said in surprise.
Right now, of all times?
Casillas nodded. "I talked to Puyol. It's confirmed. Should make the next match a bit easier."
Suker nodded. For them, an easier game was great.
Besides, beyond these early-season matches, they also had to prepare for the Euro 2012 qualifiers on September 7th.
With the new season came both club and national team matches.
If they could rest more during the early season, all the better.