Chapter 208 Offensive Clash
In the 69th minute, unable to penetrate Real Madrid's goal directly with the ball, Barcelona once again opted for a long pass from midfield, lobbing the ball into Real Madrid's penalty area. Pedro lost the header to Marcelo, and the falling Pedro was stepped on by the descending Marcelo, who stepped on his shin. The referee ignored the incident.
A few minutes later, Pique fouled Fino, and Real Madrid's long-range free kick went unanswered.
Subsequently, Adebayor pushed Busquets in midfield and was shown a yellow card by the referee.
...
With more than 20 minutes left in the game, Barcelona, playing with an extra man, was clearly much more relaxed than Real Madrid. However, even though Barcelona adjusted their attacking strategies several times under Guardiola's command, they were unable to break through Real Madrid's impenetrable defense.
The score remained 0-0 until the end of the match, with ten-man Real Madrid drawing with Barcelona at home. As Mourinho had hoped, the final match was moved to Camp Nou.
The second leg presents both advantages and disadvantages for Real Madrid.
The advantage lies in the fact that, according to Champions League rules, in the event of a tie in the number of goals scored, the team with more away goals wins. Barcelona did not score an away goal at the Bernabéu, which means that in the second leg at Camp Nou, unless the two sides continue to draw 0-0 and go to penalties, Barcelona will need to score one more goal than Real Madrid to advance if Real Madrid scores.
The disadvantage lies in the absence of Ramos and Pepe in the second leg, directly crippling two key Real Madrid defenders. Mourinho, also carrying a red card, will be unable to be present to coach. Furthermore, Adebayor, Albiol, Ronaldo, and Di Maria are all just one yellow card away from automatic suspension. If they receive another yellow card at Camp Nou, even if Real Madrid advances to the Champions League final, they will inevitably miss the match, which will undoubtedly affect their performance.
The somewhat dull and uneventful match has finally come to an end, but the excitement off the field is just beginning.
Before the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, Mourinho and Guardiola exchanged barbs.
The incident stemmed from the appointment of the referee for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. Guardiola publicly stated that "if Portuguese referee Pe Prouncha is the referee, Mourinho, who is also Portuguese, will be very happy," implying that Portuguese referees would favor Mourinho, who is also Portuguese.
UEFA later appointed Wolfgang Stark, a German referee, as the referee for this match. This German referee had previously expressed his preference for Messi and the Argentine national team when officiating at the South Africa World Cup.
Mourinho retorted: "There are two kinds of coaches in the world: one who never criticizes referees, and another who only criticizes referees when they make mistakes. Pep is the third kind of coach. He not only teaches referees how to do things, but he also interferes with who gets to be the referee."
Mourinho always seems to benefit from refereeing decisions when he alludes to Barcelona.
Guardiola, unfazed by this, retorted: "Jose has always been good at talking big. Off the field, he is always the winner. But please don't ask me to judge the referee. My team will never always have ten players on the field. My team will always have eleven players left when the game ends."
But soon after, Guardiola said something that the media interpreted as an attempt to salvage the relationship: "I want to remind José that we fought together for four years, four years! He knows me, and I know him. This psychological warfare has been enough!"
Because of this trash talk, the two barely spoke to each other during the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, acting like complete strangers. And after the match, their trash talk proved to be true.
Pepe's action did have a tendency to stomp, but his purpose was to contest for the ball. Moreover, judging from the slow-motion replay, the contact between him and Alves was probably very slight, and it's even hard to say whether there was any actual contact. However, the referee resolutely issued a red card.
In this respect, Barcelona did indeed benefit from the referee's decisions, and Real Madrid did indeed end up with only 10 players. Mourinho and Guardiola were both right.
The two head coaches' words came true in such a dramatic way that the media were all eagerly awaiting the start of the post-match press conference.
Mourinho headed to the post-match press conference full of fighting spirit, ready to continue his verbal sparring.
Meanwhile, Fino was also surrounded by the media as he left the venue.
"Finnie, what do you think of Pepe's red card?" The reporter asked the most controversial question right away.
"My view was blocked by Alves at the time, and I didn't see Pepe's actions clearly, so I can't answer your question. Everything depends on the club's subsequent appeal," Fino said truthfully, without blindly favoring his teammate.
But he then began to speak well of Pepe: "I believe Pepe didn't intend to hurt anyone. He just looks fierce, but he's actually very friendly and simple-minded. However, his brain is prone to short-circuiting when processing multiple things at the same time, which can lead to some inexplicable behavior. He'll regret it afterward..."
The reporter twitched his lips. What profound language skills! Doesn't this just mean that Peipei is a simpleton, a bit dim-witted, and can't control her body with her brain?
"So what's your opinion on Alves' performance? You know, his behavior after the conflict greatly influenced the referee's judgment."
Fino has something to say about this.
"First of all, I'm very curious about the high-tech aspects of Barcelona's stretchers that allow someone who looks like they're about to break their leg to recover in just a few minutes and even immediately engage in high-intensity exercise. This is definitely an achievement that could benefit all of humanity and could even be a contender for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine."
He then thought of the identical face-covering rolls of the Barcelona players and couldn't help but make a few unkind remarks: "Secondly, Barcelona's diving lessons really need to be updated. The players' performances are too rigid and formulaic. Even if you can't update the curriculum, you should at least design different moves for different players. Alves, Pedro, Busquets... everyone's move is exactly the same face-covering roll. It really gets boring after watching it so many times."
Alonso and Kaká were waiting for Fino when they heard this and couldn't help but laugh. Kaká immediately repented for his bad behavior. Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo, who happened to be passing by with their arms around each other, also heard these words and burst into laughter.
"That's right, it's time for a redesign, I'm tired of seeing the same old thing," Ronaldo grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
Fino looked at Ronaldo with surprise. "I could say that, but how could you say it like that? You yourself are just making a scene all the time!"
Cristiano Ronaldo understood Fino's eyes and expression, immediately shut his mouth, and the smile disappeared from his face.
"Hahahahaha..." Marcelo understood Fino's eyes and expression, and he began to mock Ronaldo recklessly, only to be chased and beaten by Ronaldo as he ran away.
The reporter then turned to Alonso and asked, "Xavi, will the frequent confrontations affect the dressing room dynamics in the Spanish national team? Mr. Del Bosque has been looking worried in the stands."
Alonso shook his head: "No, we're all professional players. We resolve conflicts on the field on the field. We won't bring the emotions from club matches into the national team locker room. People who act impulsively don't deserve to play for the national team."
The reporter then handed the microphone to Kaka, asking for his opinion.
Kaka answered politely: "Xavi is right. We are both professional players. When we are at the club, we prioritize the club, and when we are in the national team, we prioritize the national team. We are used to it. Dani (Alves) and I clashed a lot in this game, but when we return to the Brazilian national team, we will still be very close."
"Finnie, do you think so too?" the reporter asked Finnie again.
“Well, next year is the European Championship, and Spain is a strong opponent. Infighting in Spain isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Italy.” Fino glanced at Alonso and made a joke with a smile.
Alonso indulgently ruffled his hair.
A reporter from Mundo Deportivo was already annoyed when Fino started criticizing Barcelona's diving. Seeing that Fino was still in the mood to joke, the reporter couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark: "Mr. Cabrini, aren't you worried about the second leg? Ramos and Pepe are both suspended. Does Real Madrid have enough defenders? Without the players who can do the dirty work, can your proud defense withstand Barcelona's attacks?"
Alonso frowned, and was about to answer Fino's unfriendly question when Fino patted his forearm to stop him.
"Whether Real Madrid can withstand Barcelona's attack will be clear after the second leg. As for whether we have enough defenders," Fino paused, then casually added with a mischievous grin, "Don't worry about that, my Catalan media friend. I can play defense too. You might not know, but Maldini and Nesta personally coached me!"
After saying that, Fino pulled Alonso and Kaká away, leaving the reporters looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Did he just say he was going to play defense? Is that true?"
The dispute between Real Madrid and Barcelona has been making headlines for a long time, with both clubs appealing to UEFA.
Real Madrid demanded the rescission of Pepe's red card and severe punishment for the diving and unsportsmanlike conduct of seven Barcelona players. Other demands included an investigation into Guardiola's alleged instigation of Barcelona players to dive and Busquets' alleged racial discrimination against Marcelo.
Barcelona's demands are mainly directed at Mourinho. They believe that Mourinho's inappropriate remarks have damaged the club's reputation and are demanding that UEFA increase the severity of punishment for him. In addition, they also accused Real Madrid of not watering the pitch as agreed.
While the two clubs, head coaches, and fans were battling it out, the entertainment community was also busy.
Even though they were now bitter enemies, he still called him Jose, he still called him Pep. They really... I'm so moved...
[Just out of curiosity, what kind of high-tech equipment is on Barcelona's stretchers? It must be so advanced that selling the patents would be more profitable than running the club, right?]
Real competition doesn't overlook any details; they even appeal if their opponent didn't water the turf. So meticulous, so incredibly meticulous!
[Rational discussion: Has Barcelona's diving technique reached the point where it needs updated textbooks? Besides rolling around with their faces covered, what other lesser-known diving techniques does Barcelona employ?]
[Shocking! Cabrini is going to play defense! Good news, he might actually be able to play!]
...
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Author's note: Fino won't be playing defense, just kidding.
In reality, Real Madrid lost 0-2 in this match. In the post-match press conference, Mourinho felt that Real Madrid's fate was sealed, so he went all out, making some very strong comments questioning the referee and UEFA, even implying that UEFA had connections with UNICEF (Barcelona's shirt sponsor). As a result, he was banned for 5 matches by UEFA. The article mentioned a draw, so Mourinho would be more restrained and would naturally be suspended for one match in the second leg.
In addition, the relationship between Real Madrid and Barcelona wasn't that bad in the past because the Spanish national team had such a good record in those years (three consecutive major championships), so the relationship between the Real Madrid and Barcelona players was still acceptable.
It was Mourinho who pushed the animosity of El Clásico to an unprecedented level of hatred. Mourinho wanted to completely crush Barcelona. In order to win, he took the initiative to wage psychological warfare, intensify the conflict between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and enhance the fighting spirit of the players, fans, and clubs.
The article states that Real Madrid's tactics have effectively countered Barcelona's tactics, and with Fino, a player capable of attacking, defending, and organizing, Real Madrid has won two and drawn one of the last three El Clásico matches. Mourinho has already achieved 80% of his goals, so he is not as frantic as he appears in reality. The frequent matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona may have intensified their rivalry, but it hasn't reached the point of being irreconcilable.
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