The first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals has concluded.
Inter Milan 1:0 Real Madrid.Barcelona 1:2 Manchester United.
Following an intense internal clash, both Real Madrid and Barcelona suffered defeats in the Champions League.
But it couldn't be helped—after such a fiercely contested El Clásico and given the severe muscle fatigue late in the season, they both had to endure two intense matches within just four days.
Real Madrid fared a bit better. Though they lost the first leg of the Champions League away match, at least they managed to pull ahead in the league.
Barcelona, however, was in a rough spot!Back-to-back home losses raised doubts about their form this season.
Some even claimed Guardiola was too ambitious—trying to fight on two fronts could lead to collapse on both.
Last season, Barcelona achieved the treble. Combined with this season's Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Spanish Super Cup, they completed the historic sextuple.
This elevated Guardiola to stardom right at the beginning of his coaching career, becoming the center of attention across Europe.
But their downfall came too swiftly!This season, Barcelona was ambitiously attempting to replicate AC Milan's back-to-back Champions League wins, but now their situation looks dire.
Back then, AC Milan had gone all-in on the Champions League, giving up on the league and Coppa Italia.
Barcelona, however, was too greedy—wanting both the Champions League and the league title. Naturally, Real Madrid wouldn't let them off easy.
Even though Real Madrid was in chaos themselves—
"If I'm having a bad time, you're not getting off easy either!"
In the end, the overexertion led both teams to fail in their international matches.
After the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, Redknapp gave the Real Madrid players a day off.
There was no choice—players needed rest. The successive battles had taken a huge toll.
Under the bright sun, Suker lay lazily on a lounge chair in the courtyard, soaking up the sun.
The warmth of the sunlight spread across his body. Not far away in the shade, Luna lay with her tongue out, occasionally glancing at Suker with confusion—why would anyone enjoy sunbathing in such heat?
Yaaaawn...Suker stretched and was just about to shift into a more comfortable position when he heard the sound of vehicles arriving near the gate.
Several trucks pulled up near the neighboring villa, and people began unloading luggage and moving it inside.
"New neighbors?"
Zorančic also came out from inside the house, looking toward the neighboring villa.
Suker turned to look as well.
This area was a residential zone developed by Real Madrid, mostly inhabited by club executives and players.
"Let's check it out!"
Suker got up and headed out with Zorančic.
As soon as they reached the gate, they saw Di María and his girlfriend standing outside.
"Good morning, Suker!"
Di María greeted Suker warmly.
Suker looked at him in surprise, then glanced toward the neighboring villa.
"You're moving in?"
Zorančic, surprised, asked. He was Di María's agent but hadn't heard anything about it!
Di María scratched his head and smiled. "The club informed me this morning and asked if I wanted to move in, so…"
Suker blinked and looked at the time—it was 10 a.m.
"They told you this morning and you're already moving in? That's some efficiency."
Di María laughed, "Well, it's a bigger house, so of course I wanted to move. And there's a big pool here—Jorgelina really likes it."
He then introduced his girlfriend. "This is my girlfriend, Jorgelina."
"Hello."
Suker gave a polite greeting.
Di María smiled. "We're neighbors now. By the way, I wanted to ask—how did you renovate your mini football pitch?"
Suker looked over at Zorančic.
Zorančic turned to Di María, "If you want one, I can get in touch with the contractor."
Di María hesitated. "Is it expensive?"
He wasn't as wealthy as Suker. While he earned a decent wage, he couldn't spend extravagantly.
"Not expensive at all," Zorančic replied. "It's well within your budget."
Di María brightened. "That's great!"
"Oh, and come over for dinner tonight!" he invited.
Suker nodded. "Sure, sounds good."
That evening, Suker brought a bottle of red wine to Di María's new villa.
After ringing the doorbell, Di María quickly answered.
"Welcome!"
He took the wine with a smile and led Suker inside.
Suker gave the house a quick once-over.
Though the villas were similar, they varied in size and quality.
Suker's was the largest, with a massive yard—more like a small estate than a villa.
Di María's, while smaller, was still quite nice. The backyard had enough space to be converted into a mini football pitch—though that would leave little room for anything else. It already had a pool for casual swims.
Despite just moving in, the house was fully furnished—sofas, TV, beds, fridge, etc.
Suker had taken a week after moving in to slowly furnish his place, but Di María had gotten it all done quickly.
"Dinner will be ready in half an hour—you guys chat for now!"Jorgelina came out of the kitchen with a smile.
Suker nodded. "No rush, take your time."
Di María led Suker to the backyard.
"I've got something good for you."
He went back inside and came out holding a pouch, a metal cup, and a straw.
Suker glanced at it. "Yerba mate?"
"You know it?" Di María was surprised.
Yerba mate is a popular herbal drink in South America, particularly in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.
Suker took a sip.
At first, it was bitter, but then it had a strong sweet aftertaste.
"Not bad!"
He nodded and took another sip.
Seeing Suker enjoy it, Di María looked delighted.
They chatted in the yard.
"You're renegotiating your contract, right? I saw Zorančic at the club today," Suker asked.
"Yeah, the club wants to offer me a new contract."
Di María's previous deal was one of the lowest in the first team—low salary and just a three-year term.
But his great performance against Barcelona had impressed the club enough to offer a new contract.
"Congrats!"
Suker raised his cup in a toast.
Di María grinned. "That's not wine!"
"Tea will do," Suker said, tapping cups. "Cheers!"
Slurp!Suker finished his drink in one go.
Just then, Jorgelina announced dinner was ready.
The meal was impressive:
Seafood risotto, tomato-baked fish, Italian pizza, and grilled alpaca meat.
It was Suker's first time eating alpaca.
The meat was similar to lamb, but without the strong smell. Combined with spicy sauce, it was quite good.
"What are your plans moving forward?" Suker asked.
"Plans?"
"Don't you want to fight for a starting spot?"
"Of course! I want to play Champions League next season. But I'm not sure what my role is on the team."
He added, "Our play style is kind of a mess—no fixed positions or responsibilities. Sometimes I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
Suker sighed internally.
This was the mess left behind by Pellegrini.
Without a solid system, everything revolved around Suker's role.
Suker had fun—but other players were left confused.
Even Benzema took a while to adapt and finally started complementing Suker tactically.
Di María had a different style, so it was no surprise he felt lost.
Suker thought for a moment and said, "Here's a suggestion—focus on driving the ball forward and making the final pass. Use your mobility. No matter how the game plays out, just keep playing like that."
Di María was surprised, then quickly understood—Suker was trying to help him.
Compared to others, Suker had access to more inside information at the club.
For example, about next season's coaching staff.
Ledep was just an interim. Knowing Real Madrid, they'd definitely go for a high-profile, trophy-laden coach.
Suker likely already had some clue about it.
Di María didn't ask further. He simply nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Suker!"
Suker waved it off. "I'm helping myself too. If the team isn't strong, it's harder for me to win titles—just like this season."
Then he added, "I noticed you don't interact much with the Spanish players."
"I'm not good at socializing."
"Try chatting a bit. Or stick with me—I'll introduce you to the circle. Don't stress about it. You've already earned your teammates' respect."
After another bite of alpaca meat, Suker praised it again.
"Really good! Ángel, lock her down. A wife who can cook this well is rare."
Di María chuckled.
Jorgelina smiled shyly.
"Why are you giggling like that?" Suker teased. "Be a man—decisive! I think Jorgelina's great."
Jorgelina was beaming.
"I still have a lot to work on. And Ángel's career is still rising. Marriage..."
Suker shot Di María a look.
You're really not going to say anything?
Reading the room, Di María said, "Actually, I am planning to get married—but after the World Cup."
Clap!Suker clapped his hands. "I'll be there at the wedding, then!"
The three of them continued their cheerful dinner.
Suker was lively and engaging, making the evening enjoyable.
Through their conversation, Di María saw another side of Suker—optimistic, insightful, and always ready with practical advice even in tough situations.
He knew Suker had a rough early career.
Reaching his current status must've taken a ton of effort.
And his positive mindset played a huge role in that.
"Totally stuffed!" Suker patted his belly. "Next time, I'll host—you can try my cooking."
Di María perked up. "Chicken soup?"
Suker scoffed. "I'll make something even better!"
Around 8 p.m., Suker returned to his villa.
The night passed peacefully.
The next morning, Di María showed up at Suker's house again.
Grinning from ear to ear, he waited near the road.
Suker saw him as he drove out.
"Get in!"
Suker rolled down the window. "Didn't think I'd ever have someone hitch a ride with me."
They drove to the training base, parked, and entered the locker room.
Many teammates had already arrived. After a day off, they looked refreshed.
Still, Ledep didn't push physical training—he focused on tactics.
They were preparing for the second leg of the Champions League semifinals against Inter Milan.
"We saw how strong Inter's defense was in the first match," Redknapp said.
Suker and Casillas nodded.
That match was a grind—both due to fatigue and Inter's ironclad defense.
Mourinho's side was a defensive fortress—even Suker struggled to find space.
"We need to fix our build-up play," Suker said.
"But they'll compress space and fight for every second ball," Casillas added. "If we play like we did against Barça, we'll have no chance!"
Mourinho targeted Suker in several ways:
Cutting off the supply
Man-marking
Compressing space
Even Suker's elite skills were neutralized by Inter's defensive setup.
"Let's go for counterattacks," Zidane suggested.
"Inter is different from Barça. Our best chance is hitting them on the break."
"But someone needs to open up a channel for Suker to sprint through," said Casillas.
Everyone started thinking hard again.
"I'm useless on the wings—Inter blocks those areas too well. Their zonal defense works," Suker said. "Let me play as the center-forward."
Everyone agreed.
It was the best option—to keep Suker close to the goal and utilize long balls to unleash his finishing.
Real Madrid had few choices.
Without a cohesive system, things were okay early in the season, but now exhaustion was catching up.
At Inter Milan's tactical meeting:
"We played well last match, but Real Madrid won't give up easily," Mourinho said. "That match showed us Suker can't get enough support on the wing—he'll likely play center-forward next time!"
He tapped the tactical board for emphasis. "We must compress Suker's space again."
"Real Madrid's counters mostly start with Xabi Alonso. Once the ball reaches him, he can launch a perfect long pass behind our defense."
"So—positioning is everything!"
"Players must maintain tight spacing. Always fight for the first ball and snuff out danger early."
"Suker is strong, but if he can't control the ball comfortably, he's neutralized."
"First: Compress his space.""Second: Pressure him the moment he controls the ball.""Third: Immediately swarm him when he stops the ball."
"All while maintaining positional discipline!"
"Gentlemen, I always stress positioning! Defense is about structure. If every player is where they should be—even Maradona can't break through!"
The players nodded.
Then Mourinho addressed Maicon and Srna.
"You're the full-backs. I don't want you engaging Suker directly—that's the midfield's job. Your task is to track back!"
"Suker is fast. Under pressure, he often uses brute-speed runs to break through."
"He'll suddenly burst down the flanks. You must hold the inside line, use your pace to track him, push him toward the corner, while the midfield covers the half-spaces and the center-backs hold their positions."
"This is a synchronized system—every piece must function. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Dismissed!"
Outside the meeting room, Maicon threw an arm over Srna's shoulder and sighed, "The whole meeting was about Suker."
Srna smirked. "What can you do? That guy's a monster."
Maicon chuckled bitterly—he'd suffered at Suker's hands before.
"But this time, we'll beat him—mmph!"
Srna quickly covered Maicon's mouth.
"Don't jinx it! Let's just focus on the match!"
He let go and took a deep breath, full of anticipation.
This season, Inter Milan was in top form—spirit, momentum, and performance all at their peak.
Everyone was united. Under Mourinho's leadership, they were charging toward the Champions League.
And not just that—Serie A and the Coppa Italia too!
Srna truly believed they could create a miracle this season.
But first, they had to shut down Suker.
Only by neutralizing him could they defeat Real Madrid and move forward.
Srna clenched his fist.
He would stop Suker—no matter what.