"It worked! It really worked!"
Suker shouted excitedly.
Other Real Madrid players rushed over as well, celebrating together in a big group hug.
At Camp Nou, Barcelona fans held their heads in disbelief.
Barcelona had made a mistake!And it happened just 17 minutes into the match under the intense pressure from Real Madrid—a low-level mistake that was unimaginable before.
You can concede a goal.You can get tackled.But you cannot make mistakes!
A mistake means there's a real problem.
"Five minutes of intense pressure—Real Madrid forced a Barcelona error, and Kaka assisted Suker for the goal!"
"It was a fierce midfield battle. Neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid wanted to back down, and finally, the duel produced a winner!"
On the sideline, Mourinho clenched his fist tightly.
It worked!
This was exactly the scenario he wanted: forcing Barcelona to make mistakes!
"The so-called 'unbreakable' tiki-taka actually broke down?" Faria said in shock.
Mourinho sneered, "There's no such thing as an invincible tactic—it's just that the pressure applied isn't enough."
"Even Barcelona—if you push them past a certain threshold, they'll make mistakes too."
"Tiki-taka is indeed the most energy-efficient tactic to win games. But if you want to break it, like we just did, the defending side has to expend two to three times the stamina—pressing, applying pressure, dragging the opponent into the same extreme state. Thanks to Pintus' training, we perform better in such a state. That's why we seized this opportunity!"
Mourinho clenched his fist again.
"We've worked so hard for this opportunity, and this is the best reward!"
Whew…Mourinho let out a long breath, smiling:
"Barcelona is too confident. They think no one can push them to their limit within their tiki-taka system. They never expected someone would be willing to use two to three times the stamina to suppress them and force errors."
Faria: "But if you force a mistake and still don't score…"
Mourinho: "That's why you need a true striker. And luckily, we've got the best one!"
Guardiola frowned.
He turned to look at Mourinho.
When did Real Madrid get this much stamina?And how were they performing so well under extreme physical demands?
Barcelona conceding first was already bad news.But looking at Real Madrid's performance, not only were they great under pressure, they also had incredible recovery ability.
"Feels like every breath recharges my muscles," Benzema shook out his legs.
It sounded like an exaggeration, but it felt true.
Training with oxygen-restricting masks had not only greatly improved their stamina and peak performance, but also accelerated their recovery speed.
They weren't quite iron men, but it was more than enough.
"Do we keep pressing?" Benzema asked, full of energy.
Alonso replied gruffly, "Try that a few more times and see if your legs survive."
Benzema: "I still feel good."
Kaka waved his hand: "Let's hold back a bit. The season hasn't even started yet—this isn't the time to go all out. Let's focus on defense now. We've got the lead away from home, so Barcelona are the ones who need to panic. We'll defend well and look for counters during their attacks."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Both sides returned to their halves.
Barcelona were about to restart.
Their players wore serious expressions now.
They had clearly felt the pressure and intensity of Real Madrid's pressing.
And honestly, even if Real Madrid did it again, they still wouldn't be able to stop it.Fitness is absolute—if you don't have it, you don't.
But they were trailing and had no choice but to attack.
They had already been defeated by Real Madrid last season—twice.
They didn't want to lose again!
"17 minutes in, Real Madrid lead thanks to Suker's goal. Suker remains as brilliant as ever, scoring early in the season to put Real Madrid ahead!"
Commentator Gonzalez praised.
Last season, Suker had won the Golden Boot in La Liga, Champions League, and the World Cup.His finishing ability was becoming terrifying.
Whistle!The match resumed.
After conceding, Barcelona played more aggressively.
They wanted to equalize—or even turn the match around.
Real Madrid dropped back into their own half to defend—but their defense wasn't purely passive.
They included pressing elements within their defensive block.
Not high pressing, but crowding Barcelona's midfield passes using numerical superiority in their own half.
In Mourinho's team, everyone defends.
Even the striker—even Suker—must press!
Though Suker wouldn't retreat too deep.
He and Kaka weren't main defensive pieces, more like supporters in the pressing system.
Benzema was pushing against the back line.
If possible, he could become a dagger.If not, he could open space for Suker and Kaka to counter.
Barcelona were attacking, and the pressure was on Real Madrid's backline.
This was the real test.
Real had amazing offensive firepower—But their defense couldn't be a weak link.
Though newly assembled, and still developing chemistry, they communicated constantly.
"Don't rush in—leave it to Alonso!"
"Srna, don't lunge—I've got the baseline covered!"
"Marcelo! First touch!"
"Nice one, Pepe!"
Real's backline—the four golden warriors—kept sharing info, trying to build tighter connections.
Only when they became one solid unit could the defense truly rise.
Mourinho, watching this ongoing exchange, nodded subtly.
Sergio Ramos had spent a season transitioning, but was still uncertain of his role.
Mourinho had multiple in-depth talks with him, offering advice.
Pepe was a hothead—Mourinho encouraged and supported him but left the suppression part to Suker.
Marcelo had strong attacking abilities—And decent defensive skills.
Srna was Mourinho's pick—trusted and dependable.
Not outstanding in any single area, but a perfect glue guy.Able to stabilize and bind the defensive unit.
That's why Mourinho dropped Arbeloa and picked Srna.
This backline wasn't elite yet,But the potential was clear.
With polish, they could become a world-class backline.
And once that happens—With Real Madrid's counterattacking strength, they could become legendary.
"42 minutes in, Real Madrid have survived wave after wave of Barcelona attacks. Halftime is near…"
Three minutes later, the first half ended.
Barcelona trailed 0–1 at home.
As soon as the whistle blew, both teams quickly returned to their locker rooms.
"Barcelona trail by a goal at home—a very bad sign. Mourinho's Real Madrid has caused serious problems for Guardiola and his team. Barcelona need to change things up, and Guardiola must activate Messi!"
"As for Real Madrid, I'm very eager to see how the 'Madman from Portugal' responds in the second half!"
In Barcelona's locker room, Guardiola said seriously:
"This isn't how we're supposed to play. I know you're under psychological pressure, but don't give up here!"
"This Real Madrid feels unfamiliar. Compared to last season, they have a stronger sense of cohesion. But when it comes to teamwork—we're not inferior to them!"
"Guys!" Guardiola clapped his hands."Focus up—let's turn this game around!"
Seeing the spark reignite in their eyes, he continued:
"This Real Madrid is dangerous on the wings—Suker and Kaka swinging left and right has left us dizzy. But there's no need to fight fire with fire. If we can't control their wings short term, let's switch tactics."
"If they want to play the flanks, we'll attack through the middle. Messi will drop deeper to play central midfield."
He turned to Messi:
"I'm pulling you back from the forward line. You'll have more time on the ball, fewer restrictions, and you'll drive the attack forward."
"Leo, you need to step up and revitalize our offense."
In Real Madrid's locker room, Mourinho spoke:
"Barcelona feel unfamiliar with us, and their options are limited. Most likely, they'll rely even more on Messi."
"But that's still not stable—if Messi underperforms, their whole plan falls apart!"
He patted the tactics board:
"So Guardiola may pull Messi deeper, changing the shape, and forming a midfield core with Xavi and Iniesta."
"In that case, we'll tighten our defense to block central penetration, and pull our attack from the wings into the middle."
"If they want a central battle—we'll give them one!"
Real Madrid players grew serious.
Mourinho looked at Kaka:
"Kaka, if they switch shape, you play central attacking mid. The double pivots are Khedira and Alonso. Suker stays as striker. Diarra comes off. Di Maria plays right wing. As for left wing…"
He paused and looked at Higuaín.
Real needed a left-wing threat when Suker was playing centrally.
Higuaín looked hopeful.
Mourinho spoke:
"Karim, you play left wing!"
Benzema perked up, nodding instantly.
He and Suker could rotate as needed.
Higuaín froze, clenched his fist in frustration.
You'd rather move Benzema wide than give me a chance?
What is this Portuguese man thinking?
After giving instructions, Mourinho let the players rest.He walked aside, and Faria approached.
Looking at the downcast Higuaín, Faria asked:
"You're really not going to use him?"
Mourinho drank water:
"Not until he figures things out."
Faria sighed.
Higuaín was a good player—But didn't understand his role.
Benzema was smart—he knew there could only be one core, so he volunteered to play a supporting role.
Higuaín?He wanted to be the main striker!That meant competing with Suker.
Most managers encourage this.
But Suker is too important.
Higuaín couldn't match him.
"Then why not talk to him?" Faria said."Maybe if he understands, he'll accept the role."
Mourinho laughed:
"Why should I explain it to him? What value does he offer to invest my time in?"
He patted Faria's shoulder:
"You're from youth coaching, so you bring that mindset—but this is a first team. And a top club!"
"No one's going to hold Higuaín's hand. He's got to take responsibility for himself."
"You pout because you can't be the striker? Then get lost. This isn't kindergarten."
"Opportunities are earned. And how to create opportunities? That's his job. No one's helping him."
"To me…" Mourinho said coldly,"He's just a commodity. If he doesn't work, I'll spend money and buy another. Simple as that."
His words exposed the brutal rules of top-tier football.
Faria sighed again.He hated to see Higuaín's potential wasted,But couldn't argue with Mourinho's logic.
Halftime ended.
Both teams returned.
Barcelona made changes:
Keita off, Bojan on.
Their formation became 4-2-3-1:
Midfield: Iniesta, Busquets, Messi, Xavi, BojanStriker: Villa
Seeing this, Mourinho's frown eased slightly.
As expected—without understanding Real Madrid's current system, this was their best move.
But now he'd caught them!
"Di Maria! Warm up!"
Mourinho called out calmly.
Di Maria immediately got up to warm up.
Higuaín pursed his lips, glaring at Mourinho with a trace of resentment.
Second half began, sides switched ends.
With Messi dropping deeper, Barcelona gained more midfield controland their attacks became increasingly dangerous.
But Mourinho remained calm.
Unlike Guardiola, his mindset was more stable.
This game was about training—finding problems.
Winning was great, but learning mattered more.
In the first half, he already saw defensive issues:
Diarra lacked positional awareness.
Marcelo was slow to track back after attacking.
Pepe rushed in too often.
Pepe and Ramos even collided when pressing!
Casillas spoke too little—he should be guiding from the back.
Srna was too conservative—possibly just playing safe as the new guy.
All things he needed to gradually adjust.
50 minutes in, during a dead-ball moment, Real made a substitution.
"Real Madrid are making a change—but surprisingly, Mourinho isn't reinforcing defense. Instead, he pulls off Diarra and brings on Di Maria?!"
New formation:
Midfield: Di Maria, Khedira, Kaka, Alonso, BenzemaStriker: Suker
Mourinho remained calm despite the commentator's surprise.
People misunderstood him.
He didn't love defending—he loved winning.
His goal was never just to defend.
It was always to win.
Just like attacking exists to score goals.
Everything is in service of victory!
Kaka took the central attacking midfield spot.His vision opened up, his passing options multiplied.
He preferred this role to the wings.
And right in front of him—Suker.
Mourinho smiled.
You've got Messi and Villa in the middle?
We've got Kaka + Suker!
Let's see whose center is stronger!
Guardiola rubbed his bald head, lips muttering curses at Mourinho.
He'd walked into a trap!
Real Madrid's formation could transform like this?
From an attacking and countering perspective—this shape was even deadlier!
Most importantly, Mourinho was now fighting for control of the midfield core.
Messi vs. Kaka?
Guardiola was nervous.
He believed in Messi's talent,But Kaka wasn't weak either.
Since his successful transition, Kaka had been phenomenal in midfield.
And with Suker linking up front—if they found rhythm together, their impact could be terrifying.
Add Di Maria and Benzema on the wings?
And fullbacks ready to overlap?
Headache.
When did Real Madrid get this deadly?
It used to be just Suker.Now, a full-blown offensive storm!