Real Madrid defeated Dortmund 3-0 at home, claiming the most important victory of the group stage.
As soon as the match ended, the result became the focus of media coverage in Spain and across the world. Countless fans celebrated Real Madrid's performance.
Ronaldo scored twice, once again showcasing his ability to deliver in big moments.
But every fan or journalist who watched the game could clearly see one thing: Real Madrid's attack wasn't overly dependent on Ronaldo or his goals.
In fact, based on how the match played out, Real Madrid's offensive approach was extremely concise. It could even be described as pure counterattacking football, and Dortmund had no effective response to it.
German outlet Kicker magazine analyzed the match and pointed out that Klopp's biggest mistake was letting Real Madrid control the rhythm.
"Throughout the match, Dortmund played at a tempo that didn't suit them."
Kicker noted that this was due in part to Real Madrid's control, but it also came down to Dortmund conceding that control.
"If the Yellow and Blacks had played with the same intense pressing and aggression in the first half that they showed at the start of the second, the beginning of the game would have been very different—and so might the outcome."
Still, Kicker believed that the root of Dortmund's issues boiled down to one word: strength.
Real Madrid's overall quality was higher. Gao Shen's steady and cautious tactics made it hard for Dortmund to play their own brand of football, forcing them to engage Real Madrid in a head-to-head battle of strength.
And in that scenario, Dortmund's deficiencies were exposed.
"Klopp's tactics are somewhat one-dimensional. Gao Shen is more familiar with and understands this style of football better than most managers, so he knows exactly how to counter it."
"Once Real Madrid adapted to Dortmund's tempo and rhythm, they had little trouble taking control of the match."
Kicker specifically criticized Dortmund's defensive midfielder Sven Bender, pointing out that it was his header that gifted Real Madrid the initiative.
"As a world-class coach, Gao Shen's in-game adjustments remain a signature strength."
"This was once again proven at the Bernabéu."
"After Real Madrid scored the first goal due to a fortunate opportunity, he capitalized on it and shifted the momentum. From then on, Dortmund played passively and lost control of the tempo."
Kicker also gave high praise to Di Maria, calling him the most important player in Real Madrid's squad. However, he was not a traditional inverted winger.
The magazine even ran a feature article analyzing Di Maria.
In Real Madrid's current tactical system, Di Maria was no longer just a winger. Often, Modric or Carvajal positioned themselves higher than him.
But the Argentine's unpredictability became his biggest weapon.
Especially when he made sudden late runs from deep, catching defenders off guard.
Crucially, Di Maria had outstanding all-around ability—passing, dribbling, and ball control. His only weakness was his finishing.
"In fact, Di Maria could have scored Ronaldo's second goal himself, but he chose to pass."
"That's not what a proper winger should do."
"He lacks the selfishness of a true top-level star!"
That was Kicker's evaluation of Di Maria—both praise and criticism.
For a player of Di Maria's caliber, selfishness is a virtue.
Because only through selfishness can a player push themselves further and truly stand out.
If you're not selfish enough, you'll always be stuck in the shadow of stars like Ronaldo, playing the role of a supporting cast member.
Many people criticize Ronaldo for being selfish, but it is that very selfishness that made Ronaldo who he is. It created a global superstar and countless legendary moments in football history.
Just imagine—if Ronaldo weren't selfish, would he still be Ronaldo?
Although Gao Shen had intentionally or unintentionally restrained Ronaldo's individual heroics, he never tried to suppress his selfishness or his desire to score goals. Because he knew clearly—without those traits, Ronaldo wouldn't be Ronaldo.
…
German media were broadly disappointed by Dortmund's defeat.
When the Yellow and Blacks topped the group of death, the German press celebrated, claiming that the Bundesliga was on the rise. But after losing 0-3 to Real Madrid, they suddenly felt they had been put back in their place.
It wasn't just in Germany. Other media outlets that had mocked Real Madrid earlier were now swallowing their words.
The more doubt and ridicule there had been about Real Madrid, the more embarrassment and frustration there was now.
However, many outlets still focused on Real Madrid's situation—because the Galácticos had yet to secure qualification and still depended on the outcome of the match between Manchester City and Dortmund.
According to several media sources, even if Real Madrid beat Porto away, as long as Dortmund defeated Manchester City at home, the outcome would be the same—Real Madrid would be eliminated and sent to the Europa League.
Some journalists even asked Gao Shen about this scenario after the win over Dortmund.
Gao Shen responded, "I'm not going to think about something so far off. All we can do is play our own game well."
If they did end up in the Europa League, Gao Shen said, "My players and I will still give our all in every match. Whether it's the Champions League or the Europa League, we will fight and perform to our best."
Most Spanish media were optimistic about Real Madrid's chances of advancing, because Manchester City's strength was obvious to everyone.
Aside from an upset loss to Porto in the opening round, City had gone unbeaten in their other four group matches, performing at a consistently high level.
As arguably the strongest club in world football today, Manchester City still had a good chance of beating Dortmund away.
AS editor-in-chief Alfredo wrote in his column that Real Madrid had already prepared a contingency plan.
"Gao Shen and his coaching team are confident that Manchester City will win away, because City will not give up the chance to finish first in the group."
This, in fact, is due to Champions League group-stage rules.
If City failed to top the group and finished second, they could face Bayern, Barcelona, or Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16—each of them a title contender.
Including PSG.
After a series of massive investments, the French club had assembled a formidable squad of star players.
No team wants to face that kind of opponent in the round of 16.
But Alfredo also revealed that Gao Shen had strictly instructed the Real Madrid players after the match not to talk too much about qualification and to focus only on the matches themselves.
"For Real Madrid, talking about qualifying too soon or focusing too much on advancement probabilities is a distraction. The best mindset is to stay pragmatic, focus on the task, and play every match well."
Alfredo also reported that Florentino had convened a high-level club meeting and informed the board that even if Real Madrid failed to progress from the Champions League group stage, Gao Shen would continue as head coach.
"Florentino told the board that under Gao Shen, Real Madrid are playing the most exciting football in Europe. It's the kind of attacking style countless Madrid fans have dreamed of. He's one of the few top managers in the world with the Real Madrid gene."
"The club president believes Gao Shen is the ideal coach who embodies Real Madrid's values, image, and style."
"Even if the team fails to reach the knockout stage this season, they believe Gao Shen will lead Real Madrid to rise again next year."
Alfredo's column made one thing very clear: Gao Shen's job was safe.
All the outside speculation and conspiracy theories could be put to rest.
Coincidentally, Real Madrid's technical director Valdano also revealed in a media interview that the club had no plans to sign players during the winter transfer window.
Previously, some reports claimed that Marcelo's injury had prompted Real Madrid to re-evaluate the summer transfer window—especially dissatisfaction over Gao Shen's decision to sell Coentrão. There were suggestions that a new left-back might be brought in during the winter.
Some outlets even claimed that Gao Shen and club management disagreed on transfer targets.
Gao Shen reportedly wanted Bayern's young full-back David Alaba, while the board preferred Granada's Brazilian left-back Siqueira.
Siqueira had performed well in La Liga this season and would be eligible to play in European competition. He was valued around €10 million, making him a logical signing to cover the gap at left-back.
"But Gao Shen prefers Bayern's youngster Alaba and hopes the club will sign him. However, Bayern have refused to negotiate with Real Madrid and insist the left-back is not for sale."
"More importantly, club executives believe that signing Alaba wouldn't help Real Madrid in the second half of the season, since he's already played in the Champions League and wouldn't be eligible for European matches."
This gave rise to media speculation about tension between Gao Shen and the club hierarchy.
Until now, Valdano hadn't responded to those rumors. But this time, he publicly stated that Real Madrid would not make any signings in January.
"I've spoken with Gao Shen. He's very satisfied with the current squad."
"Yes, Marcelo's injury is a big blow, but we still have Marcos Alonso, Nacho, and several other talented young players. We all believe they can help the team."
Valdano also emphasized that there was no internal discord at the club, and most rumors were baseless.
"I want to make it clear—whether it's myself, the management, or the board, we're all very satisfied with the team's progress this season."
"For any club, being placed in a group with Manchester City, Porto, and Dortmund is an enormous challenge."
"So far, we've performed well in the group stage, and we're still in contention. That's a huge achievement for a team in the midst of restructuring."
"I can tell you with 300% certainty: next season and the one after that, Gao Shen will still be Real Madrid's head coach."
"We're all confident that he'll lead Real Madrid to success!"
(To be continued.)
***
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