"Here in Lisbon, the Capital of Portugal, we are at Estádio da Luz. The 2013/2014 Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid is about to kick off! This is the first-ever Champions League city derby final!"
"From the information gathered before the match, both teams have been preparing intensely, and there haven't been many changes to their lineups; both are fielding their main squads!"
"As teams from the same league and even the same city, they are undoubtedly very familiar with each other. Historically, Atlético Madrid has struggled to win against Real Madrid, with Real Madrid having an overwhelming number of victories!"
"However, this is the Champions League Final, and anything can happen. Real Madrid still needs to be wary of Atlético Madrid's performance in this match!"
González commentated with an excited tone.
For such an important event, he naturally came in person to commentate.
Throughout Estádio da Luz, the Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid fans each occupied half, with some local fans joining in, making the entire atmosphere incredibly high-spirited.
Before the match even began, fans from both sides had already started various chants and made all sorts of noise.
Real Madrid fans were singing loudly!
Atlético Madrid fans' slogans were also thunderous!
Thanks to the influence of the 2010 World Cup, vuvuzelas reappeared in the stadium.
Previously, vuvuzelas were once banned due to the excessive noise they created, which overly affected the players.
But with the approaching World Cup, vuvuzelas were unbanned, and their piercing, sharp sound once again filled the stadium.
"Alright, guys, we also have a heavyweight guest commentator today, and that is Ronaldo!"
Beside González, the corpulent Ronaldo showed his signature buck-toothed smile.
Although he was so fat that he no longer looked like his former self, no one questioned Ronaldo's presence here to commentate on the Champions League Final.
In previous years, the Champions League Final each season would invite some heavyweight guests, and this time, Spanish television invited Ronaldo to serve as a commentator.
Of course, Ronaldo also had the task of promoting the Brazil World Cup.
"Long time no see! Roni!"
González looked at Ronaldo with a look of emotion.
The former Real Madrid's number 9 'Alien', Ronaldo was also a significant part of González's professional career.
In that era of blooming talents, the Alien Ronaldo was an idol for many aspiring young players, just as Suker once said that his idol was Ronaldo.
"As a top athlete, how do you view the Champions League Final?" In the warm-up segment, González posed the first question.
However, Ronaldo awkwardly replied, "It's a pity, I can comment on other competitions, but I don't have a Champions League!"
"You don't?" González was stunned for a moment: "Didn't you win one when you were at Milan?"
"It's a pity!" Ronaldo sighed; "I transferred during the winter window. Although Milan won that Champions League, I wasn't eligible for the Champions League!"
"What about the next year?" González continued to ask.
Ronaldo: "The next year, Suker got injured and rested for most of the season. You know, Milan at that time was very dependent on Suker. Then Suker left Milan and joined Real Madrid, so I don't have any Champions League honors."
Many fans showed a hint of regret at this.
It was hard to imagine that this hugely famous superstar, who represented an era, did not have a Champions League.
But despite not having a Champions League, he had many World Cup honors.
So far, he still holds the record for the most goals in the World Cup.
However, currently, Suker of Croatia and Klose of Germany are challenging this record.
"Alright, but this won't affect your status in football." González glossed over the topic and asked again; "How do you predict this match?"
Ronaldo pondered for a moment and said: "First, Atlético Madrid is a very cohesive team. They are very united. If you've watched their games, it's not hard to see that their overall play is really good, just like an army, perfectly coordinated!"
"Real Madrid, on the other hand, excels in individual ability. Of course, their overall play is also good, but it cannot reach the level of Atlético Madrid."
Some things didn't need to be said; they all understood.
Real Madrid couldn't play like Atlético Madrid.
With a team full of stars, it was impossible to make them cooperate fully, erase their individuality, and become a single entity.
For Real Madrid, winning was naturally the primary task, but beyond that, preserving opportunities for individual performance was also a crucial part.
"Then there's the issue of Suker." Ronaldo slowly said: "This is a mountain Atlético Madrid must overcome. Suker has repeatedly stood in front of Atlético Madrid. When they are just a step away from victory, Suker will completely overturn everything!"
"I think for Atlético Madrid players, they are inwardly afraid of Suker, whether they admit it or not, but that's the truth!"
"These things will affect their mentality during the match. Therefore, Atlético Madrid, even before the match has started, is already somewhat passive, at least mentally."
"And how to overcome these things, how to effectively limit Suker, that's what Atlético Madrid's players and Simeone need to consider."
"As for Real Madrid, truthfully, I don't have many good suggestions. They've done an amazing job. Ancelotti has managed this team very well, fully preserving individuality while also allowing them to cooperate fully."
"The match against Bayern Munich is the best proof. Bayern was already strong enough. Bayern's performance in that match was championship-level. In any previous year, they would have been a team capable of reaching the Champions League Final, but they met this Real Madrid."
"So, I think Real Madrid has a greater chance of winning!"
Ronaldo's voice was strong and clear.
There was some personal bias here, but it was more of an objective analysis.
After all, in matches between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, one would be crazy to overly favor Atlético Madrid.
In fact, even before the match began, in the media and public opinion, Real Madrid was in an overwhelmingly favored position.
"Yes! Real Madrid's dominance over La Liga teams in recent years has indeed been somewhat terrifying. This will undoubtedly be a very important aspect of the match."
"However, we need to know that matches are not static, especially in football, anything can happen."
González's voice picked up, and the camera immediately turned to the field, where both sets of players began to emerge from the tunnel and start their warm-up.
The camera immediately captured a close-up shot of Suker.
In the shot, Suker's expression was calm, without the slightest hint of nervousness. Even his shoelaces were loosely untied.
He just jogged onto the field to warm up.
The entire process exuded a sense of relaxation, which also served to slightly cool down the tense atmosphere.
"He's played in so many Champions League Finals." Ronaldo shook his head and sighed; "And he's never lost one!"
González nodded; "That's right, it's just as Suker said, he really has never lost in a final!"
This was true for the Italian Cup, Copa del Rey, Champions League, and even the Europa League.
"And the European Cup!" Ronaldo added.
"Exactly! So these are all sources of pressure for Atlético Madrid. Normally, Suker is already terrifying enough, but when they enter the final stage, they might face an opponent who is far, far more experienced than them!"
The camera quickly shifted, and Costa's voice appeared.
As Atlético Madrid's beastly striker, Costa was the player within the team who was compared to Suker.
However, few people agreed with this comparison. Compared to Suker, Costa lagged far behind in terms of performance, statistics, and honors in every aspect.
Although some people raised some ideas about this, almost no one believed it.
Simply put, Costa was still too far from being a formidable rival to Suker.
Ronaldo also gave his own evaluation on this.
"Costa is a battering ram type of player at the center forward position, possessing excellent physical qualities and formidable individual ability in the box. However, if this type of player moves away from the box, his threat will be greatly reduced. This is also the limitation of such players, and there will be many issues that require adjustment in tactical application."
"Actually, Suker and I are similar; we are both center forward players. Of course, this isn't a unified term, or perhaps 'scorer' would be more fitting!"
"However, in the era when I played, the center forward bore more of the goal-scoring responsibility, while the rise of the pivot center forward in modern football has led to the goal-scoring task shifting more towards the wings."
"This is also why Suker, Messi, and Cristiano all play as wingers, because in this era, this position can give them the most rewards."
Ronaldo analyzed everything clearly and logically, and many tactical and conceptual points captivated the fans.
The entire warm-up session was not boring, transitioning smoothly.
When they finished speaking, the warm-up had just ended, and both teams' players returned to the player tunnel, preparing for the final adjustments.
After about ten more minutes, when the camera turned again, the scene of the player tunnel appeared.
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, both teams' players were neatly arrayed.
Atlético Madrid, in their red and white striped home jerseys, and Real Madrid, in their black away jerseys.
They stood in formation, signaling that the match was about to begin.
And when the Referee led both teams onto the field, González also loudly announced the starting lineups.
The starting lineups are as follows:
Real Madrid (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Casillas.
Defenders: Srna, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo.
Midfielders: Kaka, Casemiro, Kroos.
Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Suker.
Atlético Madrid (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: Courtois.
Defenders: Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe.
Midfielders: Garcia, Tiago, Gabi, Koke.
Forwards: Costa, Villa.
The camera focused on the two head coaches.
Ancelotti, chewing gum, and Simeone, in a black suit, looking like a thug.
Ancelotti was very calm, looking confident.
Simeone, on the other hand, was somewhat less composed, unable to hide his inner nervousness, occasionally frowning, clenching his fists, and taking deep breaths.
Of course, this was also their first time reaching the Champions League final, so this was understandable, as they had no prior experience.
On the field, Atlético Madrid's players all had serious expressions.
Almost all of them were playing in a Champions League final for the first time, and they were aware that in all aspects, they still had some gap compared to Real Madrid.
But a match cannot be judged solely by paper statistics; individual performance is also key.
They still had hope of defeating Real Madrid!
However, they needed to overcome the fear in their hearts.
At the same time, they also needed to understand one truth: they had to give their all in this match, for they could not deny that this might be their last chance to be so close to the Champions League?
"Atlético Madrid playing Real Madrid!" In a Villa in Croatia, Mandžukić clicked his tongue and shook his head; "Isn't this the same as Borussia Dortmund playing us?"
"Bullshit!" Perisic, beside him, turned his head and retorted, "You guys have been beaten by us too!"
Mandžukić didn't care; "So, Atlético Madrid is different from Borussia Dortmund. They are really getting crushed by Real Madrid."
"Atlético Madrid's midfield line is very strong!" Modrić spoke up.
They had played against Atlético Madrid this season and were well aware of Atlético Madrid's midfield linkage pattern, and had felt the strength of the opponent's midfield.
"What's the use of that? Can they stop Suker?" Dujmović shrugged: "If they can't stop Suker, that guy will always find a way to score!"
Listening to his teammates' sarcastic remarks, Kovacic asked, puzzled; "Don't you want Suker to win?"
Mandžukić tilted his head and thought: "Not really. If he wins, we'll be happy for him. If he loses..."
Dujmović showed an excited expression; "We'll mercilessly mock him!"
Kovacic's expression was strange: "What kind of mentality is this?"
He didn't understand, but Brozović whispered beside him: "They've all been made to cry by Suker!"
Just as he finished speaking, Modrić kicked Brozović to the ground.
Who are you talking about?
When Modrić turned his attention to the television, he found that the match had already begun.
The commentator was shouting loudly.
"The match has started! The match has started! This is the 2013/2014 Champions League final, between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid!"
"Atlético Madrid kicks off the first half, and Real Madrid immediately launches an intense press after the kickoff, clearly not wanting to give possession to Atlético Madrid!"
As the commentator described, Real Madrid immediately began to charge forward at the start of the match.
But Atlético Madrid itself didn't rely much on possession, directly having defender Godin clear the ball with a long kick, hoping to find Costa to launch an attacking play.
However, Real Madrid knew Atlético Madrid too well. These guys, as soon as they stuck out their butts, Real Madrid knew what kind of fart Atlético Madrid was going to let out.
At the moment of the back pass, Real Madrid's marking on Costa was impeccable.
Even with excellent physical qualities, Costa couldn't win the ball in the multi-player press.
Finally, the ball was powerfully headed forward by Ramos.
However, the landing spot of the ball was not good, and Real Madrid players couldn't control the ball immediately. Instead, Atlético Madrid's midfielder Tiago controlled the ball first.
"No rush! Take your time!"
Kroos immediately shouted.
He saw Real Madrid players closing in. If this position was breached, it could really be dangerous.
Therefore, Kroos actively slowed down the tempo a bit, instructing his teammates to tuck in, first blocking the central axis, forcing Atlético Madrid to distribute the ball to the sides.
"Real Madrid's decision-making is so fast! Although they didn't get possession, they immediately made corresponding decisions and reactions, which directly stifled Atlético Madrid's intended quick attack!"
"Kroos and Kaka's tucking in further blocked the passing channels, forcing Atlético Madrid to distribute the ball to the sides!"
"Of course, attacks can also come from the sides, but that might lead to the overall formation being too far forward, making it easy for Real Madrid to exploit with counterattacks, especially since Suker is still holding the line upfront!"
Suker stood on the wing, neither too far back nor too far forward!
But it was precisely this position that kept the defensive line from daring to push too far forward.
This was also the reason for Tiago's apprehension. Attacking was satisfying, but he also had to consider the issues with the defensive line. Blindly attacking would make them happy, but the defensive line might be broken by Real Madrid.
Moreover, this was Suker!
Any opportunity could be converted into a goal, so he naturally had to be more careful.
Seeing that Atlético Madrid didn't press forward, Suker also shook his head slightly, regretting it inwardly.
If it were before, Atlético Madrid would definitely have charged forward already.
Through this Champions League, Atlético Madrid's biggest growth was in their mental change.
They were more patient than before and better at assessing the situation.
Calm judgment is extremely crucial in a match.
The old Atlético Madrid was purely a brute!
Now, they were still brutes, but they had started to use their brains.
Suker looked at the situation and began to drift towards the center.
He had his defensive tasks, but the workload wasn't too heavy.
Therefore, when in the attacking third, he mostly confused the opponent's defensive line, using constant left and right movement to create a sliver of space.
Based on his own threat, Suker knew that his pulling attribute was almost maxed out.
If he ran over, Atlético Madrid wouldn't dare not follow.
Once they followed, the area they previously occupied would inevitably have some gaps.
And Real Madrid needed to exploit these gaps.
After Suker started moving left and right, Atlético Madrid's defensive line indeed began to move with him.
They also knew what Suker was going to do, but just like the previous text, they dared not not follow!
When defending against Suker, even being a beat slow was enough to be fatal, let alone letting Suker wander around aimlessly.