The match hadn't even started, but the tense atmosphere had already spread.
This was especially true for Borussia Dortmund fans.
Due to their loss at home, this match was a do-or-die situation for them; only victory was an option, everything else was a cliff.
If they didn't want to be eliminated from the Champions League, then they could only choose to fight Real Madrid to the death.
Of course, Borussia Dortmund had already prepared themselves mentally before the match; they knew Real Madrid had a certain home advantage, and they would face great resistance in this match, but they couldn't admit defeat.
Beep!!!
A sharp whistle echoed throughout the stadium, and the Referee decisively blew the whistle, signaling the start of the match.
The moment the whistle blew, Borussia Dortmund kicked off first.
Real Madrid also immediately began to press high into Borussia Dortmund's half.
"The match has begun! The match has begun! This is the second leg of the 2013/2014 Champions League quarter-finals, Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund at home."
"From the very beginning of the match, Real Madrid has shown an aggressive pressing style, which is also their usual way of playing at home. Borussia Dortmund must be careful in dealing with this high pressing."
Borussia Dortmund passed the ball back, and it came to Hummels' feet.
But this time, Hummels didn't blindly clear the ball forward; instead, he paid attention to Suker and Bale's positioning, and when he saw they were positioned high, he confidently cleared the ball forward.
Borussia Dortmund wouldn't have that delicate passing and advancing mode; they mostly cleared the ball forward, placing both danger and opportunity in the opponent's half.
Moreover, they weren't a team good at controlling possession; counter-attacks after winning the ball were their primary offensive method.
In Real Madrid's half, Casemiro had sprinted a hundred meters, getting ahead of Aubameyang and heading the ball away.
In terms of aerial dueling momentum, Casemiro showed extremely strong fighting spirit.
Aubameyang was indeed somewhat suppressed in this regard.
However, due to the interference, the direction of this header wasn't particularly accurate.
The ball flew into the central area where Kaka and Reus were, and both of them started to compete for it simultaneously.
However, Kaka's speed and explosiveness had indeed declined significantly, and he couldn't get to the ball before Reus, but he still managed to barely tip it with his toe, causing the ball to hit Reus's calf and fly out of bounds.
"That was close!"
Kaka got up from the ground, slowly exhaled, and thought to himself.
If he had been easily bypassed, Reus could have directly threatened their defense.
However, the result was good; they regained possession and got this throw-in.
Arbeloa ran forward to take the throw-in.
He didn't rush to throw it forward but constantly directed teammates to receive it until Bale dropped back, then he threw the ball to him.
Bale retreated slightly and received the ball with the inside of his foot.
With his back to goal, Bale didn't turn towards the attacking direction; instead, he turned his head to look to the left. Once he confirmed Kroos's position, he directly struck a pass with his left foot.
The ball flew low and quickly transferred to Kroos's feet.
Kroos also didn't dwell on possession; he pushed the ball forward with the momentum, directly passing it to Suker.
Suker stopped the ball steadily.
At this moment, the entire Borussia Dortmund defense immediately became tense.
Piszczek shouted, telling Hummels to support him, and also calling Jojic to come over.
Borussia Dortmund's reaction was still very fast; the three-man encirclement was about to form.
Suker also saw this scene, and he highly approved of Borussia Dortmund's defensive transition.
Suker also didn't take it lightly; forcing his way through at this moment wasn't worth it.
He passed the ball back to Kroos again, letting Kroos continue to organize and direct.
Meanwhile, he continued to advance until he stood next to Piszczek.
Piszczek was a bit confused!
He looked at Suker beside him, unsure whether to move or stay.
If he moved too far, Suker would be completely undefendable.
If he stayed, a defensive loophole would appear.
Just as he was extremely anxious, Jojic, as the defensive midfielder, actively dropped back.
"I'll cover for you!"
Seeing this, Piszczek slowly exhaled and confidently marked Suker.
"Tsk tsk!"
Srna at the sideline suddenly shook his head, then smacked his lips and sighed, "I think all full-backs hate guys like Suker!"
"Is there a problem with that?" Carvajal next to him couldn't help but ask.
Srna was considered half a mentor to Carvajal; after he moved from Real Madrid Castilla to the first team, he had been playing with Srna and learned a lot of experience.
However, he didn't understand this scene.
"The entire defense is a single line of defensive area, requiring four people to move simultaneously."
"Theoretically, when the opponent attacks towards the right, the right-back's positioning is the furthest back, followed by the right center-back, left center-back, and left-back, forming an increasing positioning overall. This positioning can complement each other and fill other areas."
"If you pay attention to Suker's positioning, you'll understand that he aligns with the right center-back, meaning he is on the same level as Friedrich, he is one step deeper than Piszczek, and half a step ahead of Hummels, and theoretically, the player he aligns with is far enough from him, so he himself can create a threat."
"But besides that, once Suker starts to move wide, Piszczek has no choice but to follow, and a loophole will appear in the rib area. It can be said that even if he stands there doing nothing, it's enough to make Borussia Dortmund sick to their stomachs."
"However, Borussia Dortmund's choice was also very decisive; Jojic, in the defensive midfield position, dropped back to cover, which barely plugged the hole."
Carvajal understood; he himself played as a full-back, and with a brief explanation from Srna, he realized how uncomfortable it was.
"Is there no way to actively alleviate it?"
Listening to Carvajal, Srna rested his hand on his chin and said, "That depends on who the opponent is."
"If you can suppress the opponent, you can play however you want."
"If individual ability is decent, then don't let the defensive midfielder get too far, ensuring you're always aware of the opponent."
"But once it's a player like Suker with super individual ability..."
Srna pointed to the field; "Borussia Dortmund made a very correct choice!"
At this point, Srna's tone changed, with a hint of harshness, "Forwards, by nature, are in opposition to our position. When you encounter them playing tricks, don't be polite, tackle first, let them know you're not to be trifled with. If they push you too far, just tackle them out of the game! You have to make them feel this burden, otherwise, these guys naturally have a weakness-sensing ability; they know very well where the weak side is and where the strong side is. Then they'll play desperately on the weak wing, and if you're not tough, that's where they'll strike!"
Carvajal nodded in agreement, then asked again, "Is Suker like that too?"
Srna suddenly sighed; "That guy doesn't care about any of that; whether you're strong or not, you're not as strong as him!"
Carvajal grinned; what he said... but it did seem to be true.
Meanwhile, on the field, both sides attacked and defended.
Borussia Dortmund constantly advanced using the wing where Reus was, and even Aubameyang would occasionally drop back to receive the ball; there was no clear concept of a traditional center-forward.
To be honest, in this era, a traditional center-forward was indeed hard to find.
If they couldn't pass, couldn't create chances, or even couldn't act as a pivot, it would be difficult to survive in a complex tactical system with these functional requirements.
However, Real Madrid's defense was still very solid, not giving Borussia Dortmund too many good opportunities.
And on the offensive end, Borussia Dortmund's defense was gradually being stretched thin by Real Madrid's two-wing passing.
Constant left-to-right movement, plus Suker, Kroos, Kaka, and Bale all had the ability to switch play, quickly moving from one wing to another.
Furthermore, with Benzema dropping back, the central axis could also be utilized.
Real Madrid's offense was more vibrant and more disorienting.
Bang!
Suddenly, Kaka struck a low pass, and the ball accurately crossed the field to Suker's feet.
At this moment, Jojic and most of the Borussia Dortmund players had not yet shifted from the right side. The moment Suker stopped the ball, he knew this was an opportunity.
"Suker! Stop the ball directly forward!"
Suker didn't stop the ball in place but stopped it about a meter in front of him, just right to connect with the next starting movement.
The distance between Piszczek and Suker wasn't too far, but he didn't dare to act rashly at this moment.
"Limit him! Make him slow down!"
Hummels desperately rushed over, while calling Piszczek to block Suker, even if only for a moment.
Hearing this, Piszczek could only brace himself and go forward.
At the same time, Suker stepped forward with his right foot, feinted over the ball with his left foot, and a shoulder drop fake completely shifted Piszczek's center of gravity.
Piszczek felt bitter.
He knew this might be a fake, but he didn't dare not to follow.
If he didn't follow now, and Suker's fake was a real change of direction, he would be directly beaten.
But the current result was still not good.
Suker saw the opponent's center of gravity shift, pushed the ball with the outside of his right foot, and smoothly dribbled past from the other side.
The good news was that Suker broke through from the ribs area, not the outside.
In this position, Hummels could impose further restrictions.
Hummels immediately rushed towards Suker, becoming incredibly cautious.
Suker also caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye, and his left foot naturally stepped forward.
Hummels' eyelids twitched; he made no move, not daring to act rashly.
At this moment, Suker's left foot actually stepped forward again, feigning an acceleration.
Hummels gritted his teeth, controlling his restless legs.
He guessed correctly; Suker still hadn't accelerated to break through.
But the next second, Suker's left foot actually stepped out again.
Boom!!!—
Hummels' head felt a little dizzy.
Three consecutive single-foot steps, not to mention the deceptive nature of the movement, just the psychological test was enough to make one uncomfortable.
And it was during the third probe that Hummels finally couldn't hold back.
Perhaps it was his body's instinctive reaction to danger, his right foot stepped out, following suit.
Dong!
At this moment, Suker's left foot landed firmly.
Left foot on the ground, knee bent, center of gravity forward, again exerting force with his foot, moving to the right.
A nimble and swift La Croqueta directly left Hummels behind.
"Oh~~~~!!!!"
González suddenly stood up; "Suker!!! He's past him!!"
Having beaten Hummels, Suker looked up at the goal, and although the shooting angle wasn't very favorable, he still swung his right foot and took a fierce shot.
"I'm coming!"
Friedrich stepped forward to block, but the ball went through his legs, and this action also interfered with Borussia Dortmund's Goalkeeper Weidenfeller.
The opposing Goalkeeper barely reacted before the ball had already gone into the goal, slightly to the right of the center.
Swish!!
The net shook, Real Madrid scored!
18 minutes into the match, Real Madrid scored first.
Suker's brilliant breakthrough performance on the left wing.
Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—
Bernabéu Stadium erupted!
The fans cheered loudly throughout the stadium, arms raised like a forest in the stands, flags waving wildly.
The passionate atmosphere reached its peak at this moment.
"Brilliant breakthrough! Calm shot!"
"Suker's performance on the left wing is still outstanding; Borussia Dortmund is completely unable to restrict Suker's play on the wing. Once the encirclement fails to close in time, Suker can break through this restraint and directly threaten the goal!"
"This goal is the most representative moment."
"Entering the second half of the League season, Suker has gradually begun to display his dominant performance. The media once said that Hummels could restrict Suker, but from this encounter, Hummels cannot completely restrict Suker either. He is indeed an excellent defensive player, but facing Suker, this century-long problem, he is still difficult to contend with!"
"Real Madrid once again scored a brilliant goal in the Champions League. Compared to other teams that perform poorly in major Champions League matches due to psychological pressure, Real Madrid, on the contrary, can deliver even more outstanding performances than usual."
"I feel that Real Madrid can indeed be called the King of Champions League; they have a state bonus in the Champions League that other teams do not have!"
The camera rotated, focusing on Suker celebrating in the corner kick area.
At this moment, Suker was surrounded by his teammates, and in the camera, his face was also full of smiles.
Suker even turned around and displayed his back number, wanting everyone to remember this 'great' number.
"Well done!"
Kaka ran over, and the two high-fived forcefully, then embraced tightly.
Kaka was arguably the player who understood Suker the most.
He knew what kind of environment to provide for Suker.
Suker was not the kind of player who needed to be pampered to have goals fed into his mouth; he only needed a certain environment to be created for him.
Just like this time, all that was needed was for the defense to shift slightly slower, so that Suker wouldn't immediately enter the opponent's encirclement, and that would be considered a success.
And Suker indeed broke through this defensive line.
When Suker continuously broke through, Borussia Dortmund found it difficult to maintain their defense.
"Alas~~~~~"
Klopp sighed deeply.
His expression clearly showed disappointment.
Suker still found an opportunity; he knew he couldn't create this one-on-one situation for Suker, even if it was continuous one-on-one, Suker would still successfully break through.
When their defensive line failed to follow up immediately, he knew something bad was going to happen.
Players like Suker, their grasp of opportunities is not on the same level as other players.
Other players might still make mistakes or have shooting problems.
But they won't, with continuous breakthroughs and stable shooting.
Even when Suker shot, the angle wasn't very good, but he still scored using his exquisite shooting skills.
Now, with Borussia Dortmund trailing again, Klopp could clearly feel that the scales of victory had gradually tilted towards Real Madrid.
Borussia Dortmund was not playing against Real Madrid for the first time!
But every time he played against these guys, Klopp felt a sense of powerlessness.
This sense of powerlessness was even greater than against Bayern Munich.
Or perhaps it was psychological pressure, after all, other League matches were one thing, but Real Madrid at the Champions League level, they truly felt like a great demon king.
Currently, the aggregate score was Real Madrid 4:1 Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid still had three away goals, which meant Borussia Dortmund needed to score four goals to overturn the aggregate score and win.
Although there was still plenty of time, thinking about scoring four goals made Klopp somewhat anxious.
"One step at a time! One step at a time!"
Klopp constantly urged himself to calm down.
"First, stabilize the situation!"
At this point, Klopp turned and shouted, "Kehl, go warm up!"
Borussia Dortmund's Captain Kehl stood up; he was surprised that the boss wanted him to warm up at this time, but he still did as told.
And when the match restarted, after only 5 minutes, Borussia Dortmund immediately made a substitution.
"Borussia Dortmund has made a substitution; Captain Kehl comes on as a substitute, and Jojić is replaced."
"Jojić is a young Serbian player; his performance in the League has been very good, which is why he gained Klopp's favor, but perhaps the Champions League and Real Madrid's reputation indeed put a great burden on him; his performance was not as stable as in the League!"
"To be honest, so far, he hasn't made too many mistakes, but he also hasn't been able to provide enough help to the team."
"He's a bit afraid to hold the ball, but as a defensive midfielder, his job is to relieve pressure on the backline and provide assurance. If he's afraid to hold the ball, should the defenders hold it?"
"And now, Klopp chooses to trust their old Captain Kehl, Sebastian Kehl. Since transferring to Borussia Dortmund in 2002, he has played for this club for a full 12 years. During this time, Kehl's form has fluctuated, and he was even relegated to a substitute at one point, but he did not give in. Now, at 34 years old, Kehl is still battling on the field, and perhaps for Borussia Dortmund, this moment truly needs the old Captain to boost their confidence!"
Sparse applause came from the stadium.
This was due to a small number of Borussia Dortmund fans applauding vigorously. After Kehl came on, he immediately put on the Captain's armband and shouted loudly across the field:
"Cheer up!!"
"Are we going to lose the match like this? Look up, look forward, attack! Attack! Attack! Only attack can save us now!"
Kehl raised his arm and shouted, "Go! Forwards, leave the defense to us, your only task is to score goals!!"