On the evening of April 16, at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium.
In the 2013/14 Spanish Copa del Rey final, Barcelona faced Real Madrid.
Gao Shen stood in front of the visitors' technical area, watching the game in silence.
Within two or three minutes of the start, he clearly saw Martino's starting tactics for the night.
Before every match, especially important ones, both head coaches will make targeted adjustments and changes. Some changes are big, such as position switches, and are obvious.
But some are so subtle you might not notice them throughout the game.
As a professional head coach, you must pay attention to the opponent's changes, even try your best to dig them out, and then restrain and respond to them, so as to avoid being targeted by the opponent's tactics.
For example, tonight's Copa del Rey final.
Martino's setup was still a 4-3-3, and the lineup had not changed much.
Goalkeeper: Pinto.
Defense: Alba, Bartra, Piqué, and Alves.
Midfield: Busquets dropping deeper, with Fàbregas and Xavi in the middle.
Forwards: Iniesta, Messi, and Neymar.
At first glance, everyone must have thought, is this not the same tactic used in the previous Clásico?
Neymar plays on the right, and Iniesta drops to support the midfield, ensuring stability in the middle. At the same time, it can also strengthen ball progression and running in midfield, maximizing compensation for Barcelona's lack of running in the middle and consolidating their ball control.
But this style of play had already been beaten by Real Madrid. It had no effect.
Is Martino foolish?
Why bring out the same plan?
This would be the first impression in the minds of ordinary fans, and even TV commentators, when seeing the starting lineup and players' positions after the game began.
Martino had given up.
But what was the reality?
Barcelona showed signs of adjustment in their first attack, and in their second attack the players' positions completely exposed the series of tweaks Martino made for this game.
When Barcelona won the ball in their back line and when Piqué received it, their entire shape became a 4-2-4.
In other words, only Xavi and Busquets were left in midfield.
Immediately afterward, both full-backs pushed high and the shape became 2-4-4.
Where was the change?
In addition to Iniesta, Messi, and Neymar as the front three, Fàbregas also pushed up straight away.
Messi stayed close to Neymar, Fàbregas occupied the central zone in front, and the pass went to Fàbregas.
In other words, Martino was using Fàbregas as the attacking fulcrum.
But what about when defending?
Right after the kickoff, Real Madrid implemented their refined tactical idea, seeking an early goal, and launched an attack. When Barcelona defended, not to mention the back four, both Neymar and Iniesta tracked back, forming a 4-1-4-1 defensive shape with only Messi left up top.
This was the biggest difference between this Barcelona and the previous one.
If you did not look carefully, it would be easy to think it was just player movement. In fact, this must have been a deliberate arrangement by Martino, intended to create more threat in attack.
Messi, Neymar, and Alves basically operated on the right, which is Real Madrid's left.
To some extent, Martino's approach was aggressive, even carrying the momentum of going all in against Real Madrid.
This was a counterattack borne of desperation, with no way back.
But the cost was also obvious, namely issues on the defensive end.
After the start, Real Madrid created several chances in succession. First, Ronaldo's quick counter shot went wide, then Benzema went to the left channel to receive and fed Ronaldo. The Portuguese controlled at the top of the box, turned, and shot, but missed.
But Barcelona persisted.
…
"This is the last trophy Martino can fight for."
Carlo said with a sigh in the visitors' coaching booth.
The cruelty of professional football lies in winning and losing. It is a world where success or failure defines everything.
Only if you win will you be honored. If you lose, you are nothing.
This was true for Martino today, and it would be true for Gao Shen tomorrow.
Therefore, Martino would fight for this trophy, and Barcelona's players would also give it a try.
They could not accept Real Madrid winning the treble.
However, Barcelona's overall strength was now inferior to Real Madrid's.
This was obvious to all.
Only with strength do you have choices. Without strength, you have none.
So for someone like Martino to defeat Real Madrid, he had to go all out, take risks, and seek a surprise blow.
When Gao Shen saw Barcelona's attack gradually improving, he immediately adjusted, signaling the team to drop off, stabilize, take control of the situation first, then decide.
This is the difference brought about by the different player profiles of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Can Real Madrid play like Barcelona, pressing them into their half and battering them?
The answer is yes.
Real Madrid's midfield has the capacity for that passing and control.
But the consequence would be a significant reduction in threat from the front attackers.
Especially Ronaldo. He is a scorer who needs space, and the same is true for Benzema and Di María.
On the other hand, Barcelona's Messi, Iniesta, and others are best at tight combination play in small areas.
Since the players have different characteristics, the team's tactics cannot be exactly the same.
What Real Madrid are best at is maintaining their shape, concentrating numbers around the halfway line, and seizing the opportunity to deliver a fatal strike.
This is also the style that best suits Real Madrid's current lineup.
It can be said that since signing Ronaldo and Kaká, this route was essentially set.
Thinking of this, Gao Shen walked to the touchline and signaled the team to steady themselves and move more.
…
If we say the biggest change in the team during Gao Shen's two seasons at Real Madrid is not the tactical reforms, but the spirit, especially the on-pitch mentality.
Like at this moment, when Real Madrid were in a relatively balanced situation, they dealt with Barcelona in an orderly way. Everyone did their job and there was no panic.
Barcelona had possession, but could not launch threatening attacks. Occasionally, they created danger through individual ability, but it was still difficult to break Real Madrid's goal.
The right side with Messi and Neymar, plus Alves, was the focal point of Barcelona's attack, and they consistently overloaded that side.
But Real Madrid defended steadily.
The match was quite stalemated.
Learning from previous experiences, Martino made very targeted adjustments, especially with an all-or-nothing mindset, which did have a certain restraining effect on Real Madrid, and the effect was obvious.
But Gao Shen was waiting.
As long as Real Madrid could defend and wait for the chance, Barcelona would be in trouble.
Therefore, even though Barcelona broke into Real Madrid's box several times, created threats, and made everyone nervous, Gao Shen still did not adjust. He kept signaling the team to stabilize defensively, remain patient, and wait for opportunities.
It was not until the 39th minute that Marcelo won the ball on the left side of Real Madrid's defensive third in a scramble. Ramos then played it into midfield. Xabi Alonso hit a long diagonal to the front.
Ronaldo brought it down, but with a Barcelona defender on his back, he had to check back and lay it to Toni Kroos.
Facing forward, the German took it on the half-turn toward the right side of the center circle and saw Carvajal raising his hand near the right touchline at halfway.
So he played the ball out.
Carvajal crossed the halfway line, accelerated forward, controlled with no pressure, then carried it himself.
Iniesta came across to intercept, but Carvajal quickly slipped it into the right half-space.
Modrić stepped up and drove forward with the ball.
At the same time, Di María, initially stationed in the right half-space, decisively changed course and sprinted to the right touchline, which not only stretched the defense for Modrić but also created an open lane for a pass.
When Modrić reached the 30-meter zone, he saw Barcelona's defense still collapsing centrally, so he clipped a diagonal pass to the right flank.
Di María raced onto it. Before Alba could get tight, he suddenly pushed the ball down the line behind him, then burst forward, instantly passing through Alba's zone and heading straight for the byline.
That is Di María's threat.
He is excellent at delivering, so he is not just an inverted winger. He can also go outside.
Alba chased desperately, and Bartra sprinted out of the box to try to block Di María.
The Argentine caught up with his own touch near the corner of the box and byline, then cut the ball back with his right foot toward the right side of the penalty spot.
Ronaldo attacked the six-yard area and was surrounded by several Barcelona players including Piqué. Benzema, who had been lurking outside the box, suddenly made a forward run. Although Busquets chased all the way, the Barcelona midfielder was screened on Benzema's left and the Frenchman claimed the advantageous position.
Di María's left foot is indeed delicate, but his right is not weak. It is less flexible and deft than his left, but it can still deliver passes like this.
The Argentine picked out the target with his right foot, and Benzema surged forward. Having leaned into Busquets, he did not take a touch, but met Di María's cross first time with his right.
Over the past two years, Benzema has received a lot of specialist work from Zidane, such as attacking crosses from wide and finishing centrally.
Benzema, Morata, Jesé, and Di María are all players Zidane often drills in finishing, and Benzema has practiced this type of chance countless times.
The shot controlled the pace of the ball and found a good angle.
Everyone's attention had been drawn by the proximity of Ronaldo, which created the window for Benzema's strike. Although Pinto reacted and flew across, the ball still brushed his glove and nestled inside the right side of Barcelona's goal.
"Goalllllllllllllll!!!!!"
"Benzema has scored!!!"
(To be continued.)
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