"Wow!"

  From the adjat box, Martin shouted with excitement.

  Even amidst the euphoric cheers of the Bernabeu faithful, Martin's jubition resonated clearly.

  Florentino's expression became somewhat flicted. As a devoted Real Madrid supporter, he delighted in seeing his team score, yet witnessing Real Madrid ing goals in Martin's inaugural match after assuming office left him feeling uneasy, almost resistant.

  This used to be his Real Madrid!

  Meanwhile, the Carlos sat quietly in the ed er of the box. They nearly leaped up iement when Raul scored, but wisely reined in their inner impulses. Celebrating in front of Florentino—what were they thinking?

  Carlo's emotions were particurly intricate. Watg Raul score, kiss his ring, and rush to the sidelio i with fans, with teammates swarming around him, stirred deep emotions within Carlo.

  Raul hadn't scored in a long while! Carlo had oated upon his appoi as Real Madrid's head coach his desire to help Raul rediscover his sg touch, sidering Raul the club's spiritual leader and emblematic figure.

  Ironically, all of Raul's goals this season came under Carlo's predecessor, Lusenberg. During Carlo's tenure, Raul hadn't found the once.

  Why?

  Carlo k was because he often promised when devising tactics.

  It was usually Raul who made cessions for the greater good.

  Now, on this night, Raul scored again.

  But in Carlo's first match post-dismissal, Raul scored again.

  Carlo's emotions were beyond plexity; they verged on colpse.

  What's more, after Raul's goal, Zidane, Beckham, Graveson, Woodgate... Every starter, even those on the bench, rushed over to celebrate with Raul. The spectacle stunned not only Carlo but also Florentino and the entire cadre of Real Madrid executives in the box.

  Why was Carlo sacked?

  Ultimately, it was due to poor performances and the superstar strategy's failure. But the final straw for Florentino had been the locker room strife and pressure from the Brazilian clique led by Ronaldo. Florentino perceived them as spoiled.

  Why was there locker room strife? Why did Ronaldo and pany feel pelled to pressure the chairman?

  Long-standing tensioween Brazilians and locals had erupted retly. Ronaldo had criticized Real Madrid fans, and Raul had defehem, chastising Ronaldo's selfish py and goal-sg obsession. Baptista and others quickly sided with Ronaldo, opening a deep rift.

  And then, Ramos exacerbated the flict by publicly critig teammates after his goal against Real Mallorca, feeling his teammates hadn't supported him adequately. Ramos's outburst had ignited infighting in the locker room.

  The grudges between Brazilians and locals were old and deep. Now, the old grievances had spiraled out of trol.

  Carlo, Florentino, Butragueno, Valdano—all watched silently as Raul's long-absent smile lit up the pitch. Their emotions were profoundly mixed.

  In their hearts, they all must have wondered: why?

  ---

  Pepe Murcia felt a twinge of panic.

  He had been promoted from the reserves to douse fires temporarily and was eager to restore normalcy.

  But fag Real Madrid was always Atletiadrid's most crucial match. If they wao turn things around positively, they had to win this game.

  Everyo Atletiadrid uood this.

  Real Madrid's internal discord, the sudden ge in coaches—especially the spectacle of repg Carlo with a 25-year-old rookie—seemed like a godsend. Atletiadrid rallied together, determio shame Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

  However, the game's trajectory had veered pletely off expectations.

  What to do?

  Murcia hesitated.

  He yearo seize the opportunity, to press on foal and possibly overturn the game in the sed half. But he sensed something different about Real Madrid's defeonight, and their attack was gaining momentum.

  It wasn't just Coach Murcia on the sidelines who hesitated; the Atletico pyers on the field were also torn.

  This discord among the Atletico pyers maed as fusion och, with flig ideas pulling them in different dires.

  ---

  Woodgate was astute.

  All top tral defenders possess this instinct.

  Tonight, the Englishma particurly sharp. He uood perfectly what the manager wanted and how the team inteo py. This crity fueled his exceptional performan the pitch; he was in his element. Even in his excitement, he keenly seletiadrid's pyers torween their choices, particurly evident in their less cohesive terattacks after winning possession.

  Some were no longer willing to charge forward blindly.

  Was this a good thing?

  No, quite the opposite!

  It disrupted their formation.

  For instance, when Torres dropped back to receive Ke?man's pass, the Atletico captain surged forward like a Ferrari, accelerating into space.

  However, Atletiadrid's midfielders, Ke?man included, seemed ined to slow down aain possession.

  Woodgate detected this shift instantly. He swiftly closed in on Torres and, with a decisive foul, brought dowletico captain just outside the 30-meter area.

  He avoided a card but effectively halted Atletico's attack.

  The Bernabeu erupted in appuse for Woodgate's astuteness.

  ---

  "Woodgate's performaonight has been stelr. Perhaps having two midfielders, Graveson and De La Red, in front of him has eased his burden."

  "Torres is remonstrating with the referee, insisting it was a foul that warra least a yellow card."

  "He seems a bit impatient. Woodgate's choice of foul location was quite clever; it's difficult to create a direct threat from free kicks there."

  ---

  Gao Shen also noticed this.

  As Atletiadrid prepared to take the ensuing free kick, Gao Shen strode to the sideline and beed Felipe Luis over.

  "You're not under much defensive pressure on your side. Push forward a involved iack more. Be bold—you do it," Gao Shen enced.

  Simultaneously, he sigo Graveson to keep a watchful eye on proteg Felipe Luis's left fnk.

  The bald-headed Dane gave a thumbs-up, indig his uanding.

  On the opposite fnk, Gao Shen instructed Arbeloa to curtail his forward runs.

  Arbeloa faced Atletiadrid's primary attag thrust. The pairing of Antonio Lopez arov posed a potent threat, especially Antonio Lopez, a seasoned Spain iional whose prowess was beyond doubt.

  Gao Shen's strategy for this match tered on sh up their defense, especially now, with a one-goal lead. Priority one: avoid g.

  This wasn't servatism; it rudent choice.

  Whether in the workpce or och, going all out and desperate measures ofterettable outes.

  Benitez's double midfield tactics were more about high pressing and aggressive py. Real Madrid might have capitalized on Atletico's disarray and pressed aggressively to harvest results.

  But Gao Shen refrained from that approach. Real Madrid hadn't yet mastered this tactic profitly, and the pyers' synergy wasn't seamless enough. Blindly pressing now could backfire, allowing Atletiadrid to exploit the opportunity, terattack, and equalize, nullifying their hard-earned lead.

  This wasn't servatism; it was astute judgment.

  ---

  The game resumed.

  Just three mier, Real Madrid found themselves in another promising position after a midfield interception.

  This time, there was a difference. Upon advang into the attag third, Gravesohe ball to Felipe Luis, whed forward from the left. The Brazilia-back was swift and resolute.

  As Felipe Luis dribbled towards the edge of the penalty area, he attempted to cut i was fouled by Atletiadrid's right-back Vesco, earning Real Madrid a left-sided free kick. Vesco received a yellow card for the foul.

  Beckham stepped up to take the free kick, aiming for the box. Negredo cleverly found spad leapt to head toal, but it sailed just over.

  The entire Bernabeu gasped collectively; hearts raced, followed by sighs of disappoi and appuse.

  It had been a promising attadeed.

  Real Madrid's foundation y in midfield, particurly the double pivot, whiow asserted greater trol. Atletiadrid struggled to bypass this pact midfield.

  The main hindran the Sword Legion's offensive was their ck of creativity and forassing ability.

  Ih minute, after a successful interception by Graveson, he id it off to Elgra, who then found De La Red.

  De La Red trolled the ball in space, turned, surveyed his options, and advanced with purpose. He pyed the ball forward to Beckham on the right, just ahead of Lu.

  Beckham collected the ball he toue on the right, gnced up towards the penalty area, and spotted his three teammates—Raul, Zidane, and Negredo—making decisive runs forward, anticipating his delivery.

  Atletiadrid's defenders were retreating hurriedly, but their efforts seemed rushed, their shape fragmented.

  With a quick assessment of the situation in the penalty area, Beckham wasted no time. Almost instinctively, he whipped in a cross from the right, adopting his trademark delivery stah a precise right-footed strike.

  Negredo and Raul led the charge, drawing the most defeention.

  However, Beckham's cross pinpoihe viity of the penalty spot.

  Zidarailing behind, adjusted his position subtly upon trag the ball's trajectory. He cushiohe ball expertly on his chest and swiveled, releasing a right-footed shot.

  The French superstar's forte y in orchestrating the most graceful moves to execute the most lethal finishes!