"Real Madrid is launching a frontcourt counterattack on the spot."
"Gago from Valencia failed to control the ball and lost possession."
"Xabi Alonso quickly passed the ball forward to Modric."
"The Croatian midfielder got rid of Gago, pushed forward, and played a through ball."
"Benzema received it, turned, and he's onside..."
"Real Madrid has a chance!"
"The ball's in!"
"Goalllllllllllllll!"
"In the 76th minute, Real Madrid scores again. It's 4-0!"
"This goal came from Modric's assist to Benzema."
"A lightning-fast counterattack. From interception to goal, only three players were involved. It was quick and precise. Valencia's defense didn't even have time to react."
"I have to say, Real Madrid's attack has looked very sharp since the substitutions."
"4-0! Real Madrid claims a huge victory at home in the opening round of the new season!"
"This was Gao Shen's debut match after returning to both La Liga and Real Madrid."
"It wasn't perfect, and some problems were exposed, but it was already exciting enough."
"A 4-0 result, especially against a strong opponent like Valencia, is enough to prove that Real Madrid under Gao Shen is definitely one of the top contenders for the La Liga title this season."
"It's also worth noting that several Real Madrid players made their debut in tonight's match."
"Toni Kroos and Modric both provided assists in their first game. Di Maria contributed two assists. Ronaldo scored twice, while Benzema and Higuaín each netted one."
"Judging from the outcome, Real Madrid's overall performance was quite satisfactory."
…
After taking a 4-0 lead, Gao Shen made the final two substitutions.
Whether he was satisfied or not was hard to say.
Because to say otherwise would seem hypocritical.
Looking at the result, he was certainly satisfied. Scoring four goals in the league opener—if that doesn't please you, how many managers would be ready to come at you with knives? Especially Valencia's head coach, Pellegrino.
But in terms of the match process, Gao Shen could only say the win reflected the players' individual qualities and the benefit of playing them in suitable roles.
His tactical ideas had yet to be fully implemented, especially in terms of organization and offensive structure.
Throughout the match, Valencia only had five shots, with just one on target. Not much of a threat.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, had 28 shots, 11 on target. Good numbers, but still not enough.
More importantly, Real Madrid exposed several issues during the game.
"This level of intensity will be very dangerous in the Champions League," Gao Shen said with a frown.
His three assistant coaches—Carlo, Hierro, and Zidane—all nodded in agreement.
Real Madrid would be playing in the group of death in the Champions League this season.
So it wasn't so much that Real Madrid played exceptionally well, but that Valencia underperformed.
In the first round of the season, many teams still hadn't found their rhythm.
Looking at how Real Madrid played, they would surely struggle in the Champions League if nothing changed.
Even away games in La Liga could pose problems.
Over the past month of training, Gao Shen had been working on team cohesion and adjustments, but with limited time, he could only continue integrating the team during matches.
"We need to carefully review the issues from this match. The next training sessions will continue to focus on building chemistry and understanding among the players," Gao Shen instructed Carlo.
The Champions League group stage kicks off in mid-September. With two weeks of international break before that, there isn't much time left for preparation.
"Also, start Higuaín in the next match," Gao Shen reminded.
Carlo, Hierro, and Zidane were all a bit surprised.
Everyone could see that the team's offense improved after Benzema came on. He looked more effective than Higuaín. So why start Higuaín again?
But they quickly understood his reasoning.
In the Real Madrid dressing room, maintaining balance was crucial.
It wouldn't be appropriate to sideline Higuaín after just one match.
Besides, Benzema only played well as a substitute, while Higuaín also scored. His efforts and performances during the preseason shouldn't be dismissed so easily. Otherwise, what would the other players think?
It would demoralize Higuaín, which would not be beneficial for the team.
Competition means competing, and the desire to compete comes from believing you still have a chance.
If a coach clearly picks players based on personal preference, how can the squad remain motivated?
…
With the conclusion of the first round of La Liga, football fever erupted across Spain.
Contrary to expectations, this season's opening round was unusually exciting, not the dull affair it often is.
Real Betis beat Athletic Bilbao 5-3 away, thanks to Molina's brace.
Real Madrid dismantled Valencia 4-0 at home, with Ronaldo bagging two goals.
Barcelona hosted Real Sociedad and won 5-1, led by Messi's double.
After the first round, Barcelona topped the table with a goal difference advantage, followed closely by Real Madrid.
This start greatly excited the fans and media.
From the very first matchweek, La Liga's two giants were already displaying strong momentum in the title race.
Top European bookmakers released updated odds for the La Liga title.
Real Madrid under Gao Shen led the pack at 1.8, followed by Barcelona at 2.0. Third place? Malaga, at 51.
In other words, most believe La Liga this season is once again a two-horse race between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The rest have little to no chance.
Valencia, who finished third last season, were crushed 4-0 by Real Madrid in the opener, and their title odds dropped, falling to fourth.
Malaga, Valencia, and Atlético Madrid all had double-digit odds, while the rest were in the hundreds or even thousands.
This reflects the current state of La Liga—it's still the era of the two giants.
…
One week later, in the second round of La Liga, Real Madrid traveled to the Pérez Alfonso Stadium to face Getafe away.
The match opened with Toni Kroos hitting the crossbar with a long-range strike in the sixth minute.
After that, Real Madrid took control of the game. But it wasn't until the 27th minute that Di Maria provided an assist, and Higuaín successfully beat the offside trap and scored again.
Interestingly, the goal was almost identical to the one against Valencia in the first round.
Real Madrid attacked down the left. Toni Kroos switched the ball with a cross-field pass to the right.
This time, it was Arbeloa who controlled the ball on the flank with his chest and passed to Di Maria. Di Maria then delivered a looping ball behind the defense. Higuaín broke the offside trap and finished calmly.
But in the 33rd minute, Getafe won a corner kick.
Their striker Miku blocked Casillas' view in front of goal. When the cross came in, Casillas rushed out but failed to make contact.
Fortunately, the opposing header missed wide, but the defensive issue was evident.
Casillas had noticed that Courtois received praise for aggressively coming out on a set piece in the last match. Feeling the pressure, Casillas tried to replicate that but failed.
The most surprising development was that Real Madrid conceded two goals in the second half—both from set pieces.
First, a free kick from the right was crossed into the box. The defense lost their marker, and defender Barrera headed the ball into the bottom left corner. Casillas was helpless.
Twenty minutes later, another free kick situation. This time, the situation was different. Getafe's player Krenga clearly handled the ball, but the referee didn't call it. Amid the chaos, he assisted teammate Barrada, who scored.
Casillas and Pepe were furious and protested to the referee. Both received yellow cards.
The match remained tense from there.
Even after Gao Shen brought on Benzema in the 70th minute, the offense didn't improve significantly.
It wasn't until stoppage time that Modric made a central run and played a sudden pass to Benzema.
The French striker drifted to the left side of the box to receive the pass, then cut to the flank, creating space for Ronaldo. He then squared the ball back into the area.
Ronaldo burst into the box at full speed and slotted it into the far corner to level the score for Real Madrid.
2-2. Real Madrid drew away to Getafe.
On the same matchday, Barcelona came from behind to beat Osasuna 2-1, thanks to two goals from Messi.
…
After two rounds, Real Madrid dropped to fourth in the standings.
Barcelona, Valladolid, and Rayo Vallecano all won back-to-back matches and had six points.
Barcelona remained top of La Liga.
At the very start of the league, Real Madrid was already two points behind. But Gao Shen wasn't concerned.
"We're different from Barcelona. We just went through a major reorganization this summer, and the team is still in the running-in and adjustment phase. The opponent, on the other hand, is already mature and stable."
Gao Shen believed Real Madrid had not yet fully gelled and needed time.
"We've only played two matches. It's far too early to make any conclusions."
Barcelona's coach Vilanova didn't see it the same way.
The former assistant to Guardiola was pleased that his team had taken a two-point lead early on. He believed that gaining control of the league from the very beginning was especially important.
Gao Shen didn't deny this but maintained his view.
"A long season is like a marathon. Taking the early lead doesn't mean much. What matters is who's still standing at the finish line."
"We're going to be a team with endurance, so I hope the ones in front can hold on a bit longer."
Gao Shen wasn't very optimistic about the upcoming Champions League draw.
Platini had invited him to Monaco, but he declined because of his busy schedule.
La Liga's third round was scheduled for September 1, and flying back and forth would be a hassle.
Still, Gao Shen said that Real Madrid was mentally prepared.
"I know everyone is expecting us to be drawn into the group of death. That's a high-probability scenario. We're ready to face a brutal schedule!" Gao Shen said with a smile.
When asked which opponent he least wanted to be drawn against, Gao Shen replied without hesitation.
"I don't really have one. I think it's the other teams who don't want to be drawn with us." He grinned confidently.
(To be continued.)