2011/2012 UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Matchday 3: Real Madrid vs. Lyon.
In the second round, Real Madrid defeated Ajax at home.
Ajax is considered a traditional powerhouse, though currently it has become more of a star-making factory. Of course, in terms of reputation alone, it's still stronger than Dinamo Zagreb.
However, this generation of Ajax youngsters hasn't shown particularly outstanding performances.
Still, Suker greatly admired Ajax.
Selling players every year, yet playing in the Champions League every year!
Poor performance? Then sell fewer players!
Outstanding performance? Then sell more!
It could be said that Ajax is absolutely a focal point for Europe's top clubs.
Whenever the "Ajax supermarket" opens, numerous European giants wave their checks and go on a shopping spree'.
Just like in the 2003/2004 season when Ajax sold players like Ibrahimović.
As a famous European youth academy, their performances fluctuate, but one cannot doubt Ajax's ability and attitude in nurturing young players.
However, compared to Ajax, Lyon has recently begun to decline.
As the former Ligue 1 powerhouse, they achieved the glorious feat of seven consecutive titles.
But after being dethroned by Marseille in the 2009/2010 season, and then overtaken by Lille last season, missing out on the title.
This season, so far, Lyon is again being suppressed by Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier.
The former Ligue 1 giant is seeing its league dominance severely eroded.
For Lyon, they want to maintain their league dominance but also don't want to give up on the Champions League.
Caught in this dilemma, they chose to compete on both fronts. Their combat strength is dispersed, and naturally, they can't produce very good performances.
October 10th, Lyon, France, Stade de Gerland.
"This is the 2011/2012 UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Matchday 3: Lyon hosting Real Madrid!"
"Les Gones (The Kids) of Lyon have achieved one win and one draw in the past two rounds, currently sitting in second place in the group. In this match, they will face the group leaders, Real Madrid, who also have two wins from two!"
"This is undoubtedly the strongest opponent Lyon has faced so far. As the defending Champions League champions and last season's treble winners, Mourinho's Real Madrid continues to show their performance this season!"
"And as the team's top star, Suker has already scored a terrifying 14 goals in 7 league games and 4 goals in 2 Champions League group stage matches!"
"Facing such an efficient striker, how will Lyon respond?"
Amid the commentary from the French announcer, players from both teams began to walk out of the tunnel.
The starting lineups are as follows:
Lyon (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: Lloris.
Defenders: Réveillère, Dabo, Lovren, Cissokho.
Midfield: Gonalons, Gourcuff, Ederson, Källström.
Forwards: Briand, Gomis.
Real Madrid (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Casillas.
Defenders: Šrna, Ramos, Pepe, Coentrão.
Midfield: Khedira, Alonso, Kaká.
Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Suker.
"Watch Suker! Must watch Suker! Can't let him receive the ball comfortably!"
From the Lyon bench, coach Rémi Garde kept shouting.
Mourinho tilted his head and picked his ear.
He hated this kind of vague tactical instruction the most!
Watch so-and-so!
Limit so-and-so!
Speaking so generally, anyone can say that.
Imprecise tactical instructions only lead to more chaos on the pitch.
However, Mourinho could somewhat understand the other coach.
After all, he needed to deal with Suker.
Having coached Suker, Mourinho felt he looked down on other forwards now.
Without a doubt, Suker was currently the most powerful forward he had ever coached.
Whether at Porto, Chelsea, or Inter Milan, he had never encountered a forward like Suker.
Sure, Drogba was also very powerful, but he and Suker weren't the same type. Looking at data and other performances, Suker's were more impressive.
Previously, many contrarians said Suker couldn't play in the Premier League.
But Mourinho didn't think so. Was Suker's physical confrontation ability poor?
The Premier League's pace and physicality are strong, and scoring stats might be slightly lower than in La Liga.
But that didn't mean Suker couldn't play in the Premier League.
Just look at which league Suker landed in when he first came to the top five leagues; of course he could play in the Premier League.
Mourinho's mind wandered mainly because the pressure in this match wasn't high.
Lyon and Real Madrid were no longer the teams they once were.
The era of Lyon suppressing Real Madrid had faded into time.
Now, Real Madrid could truly repeatedly knead Lyon.
On the field, Suker stood on the ball, waiting for kick-off.
In Lyon's half, the players looked as if facing a formidable enemy.
With the whistle, Suker immediately kicked off.
"The match begins. After Suker's kick-off, Real Madrid immediately went forward."
"Real Madrid's attack still progresses along the flanks. The left wing is their sharpest attacking side, but Lyon's youngsters also need to be wary of the right wing's Bale, this Welsh superstar!"
Suker waited upfront for the ball.
When he pulled wide, Kaká passed the ball to Suker.
Suker controlled the ball, tentatively feigned a start, but the opponent didn't bite.
Suker didn't immediately surge forward but passed back to Kaká.
Kaká circulated the ball, making horizontal runs in midfield, acting as a link-up point while smoothly transferring the ball to the right flank.
Bale wouldn't probe like Suker.
This guy's footwork wasn't as refined, so he often chose simpler, more direct attacking methods.
Bale drove the ball directly down the wing, wanting to simply outpace his opponent with speed.
Just as the two sprinted, Bale suddenly stopped, then accelerated again.
One stop, one go, created half a yard of space.
Bale swept the ball across the goalmouth.
Boom!
Benzema immediately followed up with a sliding shot. The ball hit the goalkeeper's chest and flew into the air. The keeper scrambled up and grabbed the ball before the lurking Suker could pounce.
"Good ball!"
Benzema immediately gave Bale a thumbs-up.
Bale also nodded and quickly retreated.
Since joining Real Madrid, Bale had undergone many changes.
Perhaps stimulated by championships and teammates, he began working harder and became more decisive in his play.
Bale had already realized this wasn't Tottenham.
Real Madrid wasn't a team that couldn't win if he didn't have a say.
It could be said that here, except for Suker, everyone else had a role to play.
And during this period of feeling out, Bale also understood the role he needed to play.
A winger, a flank raider!
Of course, he still secretly harbored the wish to drift centrally.
But firstly, the central area belonged to Suker.
Secondly, with his current ability, even if he moved centrally, he couldn't positively contribute to the team.
Therefore, for now, he could only operate on the wing.
Perhaps someday, if Suker's form declined or his performance was poor, he might still have a chance to move up.
Suker also looked at Bale.
He saw the changes in Bale lately.
He even knew what was going on in Bale's head.
After all, Benzema had gone through a similar process.
But in the end, they would all willingly play for him.
In the original timeline, Bale's ability to move up was largely based on Florentino Pérez.
After all, Florentino Pérez didn't consider Ronaldo 'his own man'.
If possible, why not promote Bale, whom he signed, rather than have a player signed by Calderón be the core?
Therefore, when Bale performed well, he gained more support, which absolutely had Florentino Pérez's backing.
However, in the current Real Madrid, Suker transferred during Florentino Pérez's tenure, so there were fewer complications, and he also gained Florentino Pérez's staunch support.
It could be said that as long as Suker didn't suffer a sudden decline in form or curse at Florentino Pérez to his face—as long as that didn't happen, his status was guaranteed!
This was also why Mourinho was willing to take on the Spanish captain Casillas but unwilling to touch Suker.
Firstly, Suker's performance was a bonus.
Secondly, if he moved against Suker, Florentino Pérez would truly erupt!
"Bale is playing really well!"
Faria praised.
Since the start of the match, with Suker not exerting himself yet, the right wing had become the main attacking side.
Bale, using his speed, constantly harassed Lyon's defense. Every counter-attack made Lyon break out in a cold sweat.
However, Benzema's chance conversion was somewhat lacking.
Without being able to find Suker directly, they couldn't immediately break the deadlock.
Mourinho also nodded slightly; "After he found his position, his overall performance has improved, but this isn't his limit yet!"
Mourinho really liked speedsters like Bale.
These players could play excellent roles in counter-attacks, functioning very effectively.
If it were before, Mourinho would have been overjoyed.
But after seeing Suker's performances, Mourinho's taste had been spoiled.
He really looked down on ordinary forwards now.
Not that Bale's performance was bad, but it absolutely couldn't compare to Suker's.
"He should start exerting himself now, right?"
Mourinho turned to look toward the left flank.
He saw Suker had quietly started to push higher up.
Previously, on the left wing, Suker was marked by three players and wasn't comfortable.
Therefore, Suker slightly slowed the attack, and Real Madrid switched to the right wing.
This way, Lyon's defense was stretched.
They had to ensure Suker was marked while also defending against Bale.
But under the一repeated assaults from the right wing, they had to commit more defensive resources there.
Kaká also noticed this.
Kaká could always find Suker's position on the pitch.
He judged Suker's runs faster than anyone else, which was also a factor in Suker's excellent performances.
"Pass back!"
Kaká, seeing Suker already appearing in a dangerous area, immediately called for the ball.
Bale immediately passed back.
Kaká, in the right half-space, met the return pass and immediately launched a switching ball.
This diagonal cross landed perfectly behind Lyon's full-back.
Lyon's right-back Réveillère immediately turned and rushed toward the landing point.
But the moment he started, Suker was a step faster.
In just the time it took to accelerate, Suker had gained a yard of advantage.
"Damn it!"
Réveillère immediately reached out.
At that moment, Suker stretched his foot to control the ball, simultaneously stopping sharply and changing direction. While turning, Suker forcefully swung his arm to fight off the defender's challenge.
Réveillère hurriedly twisted his body and charged at Suker again.
But seeing the opponent's movement, Suker brought his feet together. He used the instep of his right foot to knock the ball to his left foot, gaining a yard. As Réveillère's weight was forward, space for a breakthrough appeared.
Suker forcefully pressed against Réveillère's back, simultaneously pushed off powerfully with his feet, and quickly shook him off.
"Suker!!! Breaks into the penalty area!"
Spanish commentator Gonzalez roared.
All Real Madrid fans in the stadium cheered excitedly.
Suker breaking into the penalty area meant his threat level increased exponentially.
Lyon defender Dabo rushed toward Suker, trying to block.
But Suker decisively shaped to shoot.
"Damn it!" Dabo panicked internally.
Teammates also shouted; "Don't let him shoot!"
Dabo fiercely slid toward the space in front of Suker, wanting to block.
But Suker's left foot gently came down, trapped the ball, and pulled it sideways.
The ball was pulled perfectly to his right foot.
Dabo slid past in front of Suker.
Suker adjusted with small, quick steps, swung his right foot, and struck the ball, his body naturally leaning forward.
This was a textbook curler!
The ball curved toward the absolute dead corner on the right side of the goal.
Swish!
An absolute dead corner. The ball flew into the net.
"Goal!!!! Suker!!!!"
"His fifth Champions League goal!! In the 17th minute of the match, Suker's continuous dribbling on the wing earned this goal!"
"Lyon's defense held for only 17 minutes. Under the left and right pulling of Real Madrid, it was finally breached!"
"This curler showed Suker's exquisite shooting technique to the fullest! Even if the Lyon goalkeeper was well-prepared, positioned near the left post, he couldn't stop this goal!"
"Real Madrid leads 1-0 away at Lyon! They are stepping towards a third consecutive win in the Champions League group stage!"
On the bench, Mourinho clenched his fist tightly and waved his arm vigorously!
As long as they created one attacking chance for Suker, he would repay it with a goal.
This was Suker's value!
"Wake up! What are you all thinking! Limit Suker! Limit Suker! Don't worry about the right wing, open your eyes wide, watch Suker!"
From the adjacent bench came an irate voice.
Mourinho slightly shook his head; he disliked Lyon's coach intensely.
Don't worry about the right wing?
Bale would run riot down your right flank.
Moreover, there were still Kaká, Khedira, and others watching like tigers.
Šrna would also look for opportunities to overlap and help Bale.
Real Madrid's left wing was indeed the main attacking route, but if you ignored the right wing's attacking ability, you would die even worse!
Lyon's defense quickly became chaotic.
Right!
It was shouted into chaos by their own coach.
Real Madrid was playing a tactic of using the right wing to pull and stretch, while the left wing attacked to score the decisive goal.
But if Lyon's defense stayed focused on the left wing, Real Madrid wouldn't mind launching attacks directly from the right wing until they finished the game.
"Suker! Move toward the half-space!"
Mourinho immediately directed.
Since Lyon wasn't releasing the left wing, then just break their defense directly on the right wing.
The next pattern would become left wing pulling, right wing attacking.
Of course, Suker also had the ability to launch attacks from the left wing; this pressure couldn't crush Suker.
But the question was, why play so complicated?
If there was a simpler method, an easier way to win, naturally it was better to play more easily.
Furthermore,... Bale was playing well, and his interference on the defense would be significant.
Forget the group stage; after entering the knockout rounds, strong enemies are likely to meet them.
Letting Suker break through alone would put too much pressure on him.
Bale sharing some appropriately could make the opponent's defense even more disoriented.
In the following time, Suker began frequently making one-touch passes.
He attracted the defense to the left half-space, then simply switched play or gave the ball to Kaká for a transfer.
While Suker acted as bait, Bale also went all out.
His pressure decreased, he had a better environment to perform, and Bale naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip.
Bale began launching attack after attack on the right wing.
He and Benzema also linked u) repeatedly.
31st minute, Benzema received a pass from Bale, controlled it with his right foot, and pulled it behind him.
Noticing Bale's run, he then slipped the ball back to the right side.
A simple wall pass allowed Bale's speed to take effect. With just half a yard of lead, it was enough for him to get a shot off.
Boom!
The ball rolled tight along the ground toward the far left corner.
Lyon goalkeeper Lloris's dive was a step slow, causing the ball to slip under his arm and into the net.
Real Madrid scored its second goal.
"Gareth Bale! This is his second goal in the Champions League. Since joining Real Madrid, the Welsh flyer's performances have become increasingly outstanding. He has now smoothly integrated into the team, taking on the role of an excellent dribbler!"
"In this match, with Lyon dead set on the left wing, Bale became Real Madrid's main attacking player. With Benzema's cooperation, he scored Real Madrid's second goal!"
"Real Madrid leads by two goals at halftime. The situation is already tilting toward Real Madrid. If Lyon doesn't make adjustments, they will lose this match."
Gonzalez shook his head.
If they lost the home match, wanting to defeat Real Madrid in the next round at the Bernabéu would be even more impossible.