One minute into stoppage time, Barcelona managed to pull one goal back through a set piece taken by Xavi.
But that goal didn't salvage much.
After all, there was little time left, and moreover, despite so many attacking attempts, Barcelona still only managed to get this single goal.
"With that, the match is over. Barcelona suffers another defeat at home. This marks their fifth consecutive loss to Real Madrid. Whenever they face Real Madrid, Barcelona always seems to play in a state of confusion. We can't say Guardiola's tactical setup was wrong, but we have to admit that Mourinho did a better job in this match."
"This also gives Real Madrid a considerable advantage!"
When the final whistle blew, Barcelona's players sat on the ground with expressions of confusion and pain.
Since last season, they had found it increasingly hard to break through against Real Madrid.
For a long stretch, they had been the ones pressing Real Madrid, but ever since Suker's arrival, everything seemed to change.
Last season, Real Madrid played in a messy fashion.
Although it was sometimes a case of "wild punches killing the veteran," it still allowed Barcelona to see a glimmer of hope.
But this season, Real Madrid advanced step by step. They now had a stable tactical system and reinforcements that further strengthened the squad.
Barcelona's squad was already near perfection!
But a match is not decided solely by the lineup on paper — the players' performance and form are crucial.
At the start, they indeed maintained better form, but as the match went on and stamina declined, Real Madrid performed better and better.
Tactical adjustments also played a part. Combined, these factors led to their loss.
Of course, Benzema's "lucky goal" was also a factor.
You could say that second goal was the final straw that broke the camel's back!
"Let's get out of here!"
When the match ended, Real Madrid's players didn't celebrate. They immediately headed for the dressing room.
After a quick wash, they boarded the team bus to the airport to leave Barcelona right away.
They had no choice — after the match, they saw Barcelona fans clashing with security and were on the verge of storming the pitch.
For safety, it was best to leave as fast as possible.
Almost as soon as the final whistle blew, they rushed away.
"Were you aiming that shot at me?"
On the plane, Benzema questioned Alonso.
Alonso shrugged. "No shooting angle. Besides, you dodged, didn't you?"
"What if I hadn't? That shot would've smashed right into my face."
Benzema shuddered at the thought — that kind of powerful strike hitting his head was no joke.
Alonso grinned. "Then you'd have scored too."
Benzema thought about it. True enough — even if the goal was somewhat unglamorous, a goal is still a goal.
With another one added to his tally, Benzema was in a great mood.
Clearly, his choice had been the right one!
If, during that conversation with Mourinho, he had said he wanted to be the main striker, he'd probably be in Higuaín's position now.
Higuaín sat alone at the very back of the plane.
He had become a fringe figure at Real Madrid.
Lately, his confidence had been worn down. Sometimes, he even wondered if he had made the wrong choice.
But he didn't want to compromise. Even now, with a touch of self-doubt, he still wanted to be a striker and compete with Suker.
The problem was, he didn't seem to have the chance anymore.
Mourinho wouldn't give him opportunities. Watching the team improve day by day and integrate better as a whole made Higuaín start to consider leaving.
Real Madrid… perhaps no longer had a place for him.
Mourinho sat at the very front, still writing in his notebook even after the match had ended.
Faria glanced over — the notebook looked like it was full of strange scribbles, dense handwriting, running patterns, and some hasty notes that were almost unreadable.
Probably only Mourinho himself could make sense of it.
"What are you thinking about?"
Faria asked.
Mourinho: "About Karim."
"Benzema?" Faria blinked, immediately remembering Benzema's key runs in the match and their earlier speculation about him.
"The problem now is, if Benzema has a sharp nose for goal, then for the sake of the team, Suker can't play as center forward."
Mourinho pressed his lips together.
Sometimes, having players who are too good is also a problem.
He didn't know how to decide — give up one, and it's a pity; give up the other, and it hurts.
But he also knew there was no such thing as a perfect tactic.
Players' traits would always clash, which is why integration is needed, and why as coach, he had to make the hard calls.
For Mourinho, before the winter break, this was all Real Madrid's preparation period.
The first half of the season wasn't that important — the schedule wasn't too tight, so there was room for trial and error.
But once the second half began —The Champions League knockouts! The league points race! The Copa del Rey!All these would consume their energy.
When fighting on three fronts, Real Madrid would inevitably hit fatigue.
Right now, they were not yet at the future ideal level —Two separate top-class lineups, both capable of starting.
"We still need to buy players," Mourinho sighed.
"More? We've only just gotten the team to get in sync," said Faria.
Mourinho closed his notebook.
"I want two lineups, both top tier. The winter window won't have many options, but we can watch closely, then make bigger moves in the summer."
Faria nodded. "The cost-effectiveness in the winter window isn't great."
"Cost-effectiveness?" Mourinho turned and smiled. "Mate, think bigger. We're Real Madrid — we don't need to think about cost-effectiveness. If a player is strong enough to help us, we'll pay."
Faria grinned awkwardly.
He was still thinking a bit small.
True, at Chelsea and Inter, they had been willing to spend —But the pulling power was different!
At Chelsea, despite dominating the Premier League, they lacked Champions League glory.
Top players cared about wages, yes, but also about Champions League results.
Without that, Chelsea found it hard to lure the truly elite — even Ballack and Shevchenko had taken huge effort to convince.
Inter Milan's situation had been worse!Before Mourinho, Inter had been called the "black hole for stars."
Whoever came, failed!
But Real Madrid was different!
They had the most Champions League titles in history and were willing to spend with excellent salaries.
Most importantly, top players believed Real Madrid was in revival, not rise.
A rise means a long, grueling struggle.A revival means cruising along a path already paved by predecessors.
With that appeal, Mourinho was confident he could build that second lineup.
That night, the team arrived back at their training base.
Even though it was late, Mourinho still took the players to the tactics room to review the match footage and analyze the process.
Real Madrid had performed very well in this game.
But for the perfectionist Mourinho, they shouldn't have conceded at all.
It was exactly this almost obsessive attention to detail that earned him the title of defensive master.
The review session lasted a full hour. When they came out, it was nearly 11 p.m.
Mourinho generously gave them half a day off!
Morning training was canceled so the players could rest and sleep in.
They would gather at the base at 1 p.m. for training.
"Up ahead is the first-team gym. Besides ball training, we also do strength work here."
Casillas looked at the group of little "turnip heads" before him, blinking and trying to be charming, adding a joke: "If you're interested, you can try it — especially squats!"
The group of youngsters looked puzzled.
Seeing it didn't land, Casillas awkwardly pointed at the gym: "Let's go in."
These kids were from Real Madrid B — not the whole squad, just some talented ones.
Real Madrid's youth system was among Europe's best, though not quite Ajax-level.
Still, it had produced many famous players.
The youth system included not only the academy itself but also the B team.
Everything that fed talent to the first team was considered "youth training."
And Real Madrid was famous for its "cast-offs."Mata, Eto'o, Cañizares, Negredo…Compared to other clubs, very few academy players went straight into the first team and stayed.
The elimination rate was terrifying — 90%!
Even getting a trial with the first team was rare, and 90% of those still ended up on the transfer market.
Mata was one.Eto'o never got his chance with Real Madrid B and left.
Of course, this also showed just how strict Real Madrid's first-team standards were.
Even world-class talents often couldn't wear that shirt for long.
Some departures were regrets — Eto'o was the biggest.
Among the group of B-team kids was an 18-year-old white boy, looking around curiously.
With a cropped haircut and sunny features, he still had a youthful air.
Slightly shorter than his peers, at about 170 cm.
But his bright, lively eyes darted everywhere.
His name was Dani Carvajal — a homegrown Real Madrid academy player.
"Daniel, over here!"
Casillas beckoned him over.
Though short, Carvajal was one of the most exciting recent finds from the academy. His standout B-team performances had earned them this visit.
Casillas felt a natural closeness — both were academy products.
"Since the morning's off, you probably won't see the first team today."
"Aww~~~!!"The group groaned in disappointment.
Casillas shrugged. "Am I not enough?"
Silence again.
Clearly, humor wasn't his strong suit.
"Ahem! Let's go in!"
Pushing through a glass door, they felt a warm, slightly stuffy air.
The gym was huge, filled with all kinds of equipment, stretching out of sight.
Thump! Thump! Thump!As they entered, they heard heavy footsteps and the whir of a treadmill.
Casillas was surprised.
It was supposed to be a rest day!
When they got closer, they saw a shirtless figure in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Muscles knotted but not stiff — flexible and full of spring with every stride.
His bronze skin, earned from sun and wind, gleamed with sweat that dripped down his spine and cheeks onto the treadmill.
The most striking feature was the mask over his mouth — making him look like a futuristic warrior.
"Iron Warrior!"
One youth blurted it out — he'd been watching a show by that name lately.
Beep!The treadmill slowed to a stop.
The man turned —
"Suker?"
Casillas couldn't help blurting it out in surprise.
Suker glanced at Casillas and the kids but didn't greet them immediately — instead, he focused on steadying his breathing.
As his breath calmed, the veins in his neck and forehead receded.
Creak!
Suker removed the mask and finally took deep breaths.
"Ahhh, that's good!"
Casillas grinned.
If he wasn't mistaken, that was Pintus's ultimate fitness tool — the oxygen-restricting mask.
Since preseason, they hadn't seen it much.
But clearly, Suker was still using it.
Just looking at it made Casillas queasy.
Even as a goalkeeper, Pintus demanded he keep fit — as captain, he had to lead by example.
"What are you doing here? Morning's off."
Casillas handed him a towel.
"Thanks!" Suker wiped down. "I woke up with nothing to do, so I came to train."
A lie, actually —
His agility stat had dropped by two points!
He hadn't noticed until he checked his system panel.
With all the recent matches and events, he'd neglected the mask training.
Now he was paying for it.
One morning wouldn't fix it — maybe a week or more to get even one point back.
Sitting on the treadmill, Suker nodded toward the kids. "Who are they?"
"B-team. Today's a reward day — tour the first team, join training in the afternoon, then play a friendly. You in?"
The kids' eyes lit up like stars.
Carvajal stared at Suker in excitement.
But Suker shook his head. "Pass. I've got training to do."
The kids instantly looked crestfallen.
"Alright," Casillas said — he couldn't force it.
"Still training?"
Suker nodded. "Don't mind me. You guys go on."
He strapped the mask back on, grabbed heavy dumbbells, and knelt on a yoga ball, balancing while working his arms.
The kids gasped — that core strength!
Even with some wobble, Suker's waist and abs kept him steady.
Carvajal studied him closely, planning to try it later — and maybe that mask too.
"What's that mask do?" he asked.
"Oxygen restriction mask," Casillas said seriously. "Cuts oxygen intake, pushes your body to its limit faster."
Then he added, sternly: "Don't mess with it. You could wreck yourself. And don't copy Suker's training — you'll get hurt."
They nodded, curiosity still there but tempered.
Even if they tried, they'd likely quit fast.
With Suker's high training intensity and the mask, Casillas figured these kids wouldn't last five minutes before passing out.
Even first-team players, back when they tried the mask, lasted barely ten minutes before vomiting.
It was powerful but dangerous.
So far, only Suker was allowed to use it unsupervised — even Pintus didn't know his limit.
That afternoon, training resumed.
The kids joined in.
Mourinho didn't care what training style they were used to — he worked them hard.
Pintus even let them try the mask for five minutes — sure enough, they all vomited.
Carvajal's first day with the first team left him with psychological trauma.