The tide of the match began to shift in favor of Real Madrid, which is the advantage of scoring first.
Real Madrid utilized some pre-match arrangements and tactics to gain an advantage in the game and pushed the match forward with it.
For these top teams, any tiny advantage, any optimization of an attacking line, can be continuously exploited by them to snowball.
Not to mention such a significant lead!
Of course, this doesn't mean Bayern Munich has no chance at all.
Bayern Munich's coaching staff is currently discussing countermeasures urgently; they are well aware that they cannot let Real Madrid continue to play like this.
At the very least, this tactic cannot continue.
They must make some changes.
"The problem now is that Suker is hiding behind the frontline, causing us to expend more energy focusing on him, but his role is a mix of real and feigned threats; he can act as a decoy, and at the same time, he can make late runs from deep to create genuine threatening attacks!"
Guardiola briefly outlined the problem, and then other members of the coaching staff also expressed their opinions.
Some suggested giving up the first half, adopting a conservative defensive approach, making adjustments at halftime, and then counterattacking for a comeback.
Others suggested that their attacking power was insufficient, and since Real Madrid was focusing more on offense, their defense would inevitably be relatively weaker.
Still others said they should make more use of counterattacks, capitalizing on the opportunity when Real Madrid's fullbacks pushed forward to quickly press and then launch a counterattack.
Everyone had their own suggestions, but none of them hit the mark.
Guardiola looked down at the small tactical board in his hand, listening to everyone's suggestions, his mind working at high speed.
Real Madrid's style of play was not a traditional 4-3-1-2 system, and Suker was not a classic attacking midfielder.
This was a product of combining old and new.
The tactics couldn't be described as mature, but they were simply unseen, which led to their very passive performance in the match.
However, there were also some problems!
That is, this set of tactics still adhered to the current fast-paced style of play.
Real Madrid also did not dare to slow down the pace of the game too much; once they did, Bayern Munich could punish Real Madrid with even more intense pressing.
"Let's increase the pressing intensity!"
A young coach suddenly said.
Guardiola looked up and slowly said, "What exactly do you mean?"
The young coach continued, "Do you remember the last round's match? Borussia Dortmund's second match against Real Madrid, facing Borussia Dortmund's almost frantic pressing, Real Madrid ultimately failed to withstand the opponent's pressing pressure and conceded a goal, which shows that high pressing is still very effective against Real Madrid!"
"Their midfield is not as strong as it seems; facing excessive high pressure, they will also encounter some problems."
"I admit Borussia Dortmund is a team very good at high pressing, and they are full of energy, but in terms of counterattacking, our setup is much superior to Borussia Dortmund's, and we can play more threatening balls and seize opportunities."
He paused, then looked at Guardiola and said, "Actually, I think we can learn some of Borussia Dortmund's playing style. When we were at a loss, Borussia Dortmund already provided an answer."
Guardiola fell into deep thought.
He was not a rigid person, nor did he have any so-called pride that would prevent him from using Borussia Dortmund's or Klopp's playing style.
But he needed to weigh the pros and cons.
This young coach had just joined the coaching staff and was brought over by Guardiola from Netherlands.
Guardiola did not particularly like to use German local coaches. It wasn't that they were incapable, but most coaches' ideas were too rigid, preventing his tactics from being fully implemented.
Just like this time, the young man's suggestion was indeed good.
In fact, Borussia Dortmund had already provided some answers in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Facing fierce and intense pressing and swift counterattacks, even a strong team like Real Madrid couldn't hold up.
"Lewandowski!"
Guardiola suddenly turned his head and shouted.
Robert Lewandowski was watching the game from the bench when he was suddenly called out, and he instinctively responded.
Guardiola: "Go warm up, prepare to come on."
Robert Lewandowski was surprised, not expecting to get a chance so soon, but he was very happy and immediately ran out to warm up.
"Let Robert Lewandowski come on now?"
Another Assistant Coach asked in confusion.
Guardiola: "Cristiano Ronaldo needs someone to provide cover for him!"
"Mario Mandžukić can also!"
Compared to Robert Lewandowski, who was new, the German Assistant Coach still trusted the veteran more, and Mario Mandžukić's integration with Bayern Munich was clearly better.
Guardiola shook his head: "Mario cannot provide Cristiano Ronaldo with effective cover."
"Both we and Real Madrid are very clear that Mario Mandžukić is a pivot striker. Even when playing in an attacking position, his offensive performance won't be that intense."
"When Mario receives the ball, his first thought is to observe Cristiano Ronaldo's positioning to see if the latter has an opportunity, and this action will be exploited by Real Madrid, causing Cristiano Ronaldo to fall into a trap."
"Robert Lewandowski is different; he genuinely wants to attack. Although he is not as good as Mario in terms of link-up play and acting as a pivot, he can draw fire for Cristiano Ronaldo."
Hoo~~~
Guardiola exhaled: "Real Madrid can use decoy tactics, and so can we."
"They can mix real and feigned threats, and so can we!"
On the field, the match continued.
But at the 21-minute mark, taking advantage of a throw-in, Bayern Munich called a halt to the game and made a substitution.
This action surprised everyone.
They made a substitution after only one goal conceded?
And at the 21-minute mark, wasn't it a bit too early?
It should be noted that after entering the second half, every substitution slot is extremely precious.
However, considering Guardiola's imaginative tactical thinking and unconventional substitution decisions, they accepted it.
"Guardiola is going to make adjustments, but I'm not sure what he's thinking. He's taking Mario Mandžukić off and bringing Robert Lewandowski on. I admit that in terms of attack, Robert Lewandowski is more threatening, but in terms of overall contribution, Mario Mandžukić is more outstanding."
The German commentator expressed confusion.
Mario Mandžukić also expressed his incomprehension. He had only played for 21 minutes before being substituted, and he hadn't made any obvious mistakes.
He was full of anger, but when Mario Mandžukić came off, Guardiola affectionately took Mario Mandžukić's arm, asking about his well-being while explaining his thoughts.
Mario Mandžukić, who was usually a hothead, was disarmed by Guardiola's sweet talk.
The more he listened, the more he felt that Guardiola's idea was not wrong.
But at the same time, he still felt a little frustrated.
He used to be a renowned true number 9 striker, but now he had not only become a pivot but was also said to lack attacking prowess.
Mario Mandžukić was angry about this, but also helpless.
However, anyone who wanted to survive in his position had to make such a choice.
At the club, Cristiano Ronaldo was his teammate!
In the National Team, Suker was his teammate!
How could he compete for goal-scoring opportunities in front of these two guys?
If he didn't make some changes and adjust his style, he wouldn't even be able to secure a starting spot.
"Mario has been substituted."
From a spot in the Allianz Arena stands, Van Stoyak slightly shook his head.
He and Bešić had just arrived to watch this match, partly to observe the players' form and partly to learn about playing styles in a major competition like the Champions League.
After all, during the World Cup, the more tactical reserves they had, the more advantageous it would be for them.
Just like Real Madrid now, a few tactical ploys could force Bayern Munich to use a substitution slot in the first half.
Bešić's gaze fell on Mario Mandžukić, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Mario Mandžukić was definitely an excellent striker; if it weren't for Suker, he would be Croatia's true attacking spearhead.
However, Suker was too dazzling and too powerful.
Any player who wanted to compete with Suker for attacking dominance had to consider their own ability and performance.
They truly couldn't compete!
Bešić himself was a former player; he was from the golden generation of players, but he was not as dazzling as Davor Suker and others, and was eliminated early.
Therefore, he understood this kind of trade-off and the sorrow of being forgotten among the masses even more.
Some people are born to stand in the spotlight, naturally receiving applause and cheers.
But more people constantly make adjustments and changes based on their own circumstances, striving to be more 'adaptable'.
Undoubtedly, both Bešić during his playing career and Mario Mandžukić now belong to the latter!
Before them, there was a dazzling 'Suker'.
"What a pity!" Bešić slowly sighed.
He still remembered Mario Mandžukić when he first arrived at Dinamo Zagreb, with his eyes full of light, training harder than anyone, and exceptionally persistent in attacking and scoring goals.
Time had left deep marks on the young man's face, making him more sophisticated and teaching him to make choices. Van Stoyak didn't have as much emotional attachment to Mandžukić, so he calmly analyzed, "This is to make Robert Lewandowski a decoy. Real Madrid can play a feint and real decoy tactic, and Bayern Munich is also using this method."
Bešić turned his head to look, "If it were you, what would you do?"
Van Stoyak stroked his chin, "First, I wouldn't defend. It's useless. With Suker in the opponent's team, scoring is a matter of time. Defending is slow death, so it's still about taking the initiative!"
"I think Borussia Dortmund did very well in this regard. Bayern Munich can lower their stance a bit and learn from them, after all, they have a better squad and counter-attacking ability than Borussia Dortmund."
As soon as he finished speaking, on the field, Bayern Munich's high pressing rhythm suddenly became more intense.
"Look!"
Van Stoyak pointed to the field happily, "What did I tell you!"
Bešić also smiled and nodded. Although Van Stoyak had some shortcomings in management, his tactical sensitivity and imagination were excellent.
This was also the reason Van Stoyak became his most capable Assistant Coach.
At the same time, on the field, Real Madrid seemed very unaccustomed to Bayern Munich's suddenly intensified high pressing rhythm.
"Continuous sliding tackles? How are these guys acting just like Borussia Dortmund!"
Bale got up from the ground. When they played Borussia Dortmund, he was the most injured one, as if they were just targeting him with tackles.
And now playing Bayern Munich, it's the same old story.
As long as he received the ball and released it a little slowly, he would be met with continuous sliding tackles.
"Release the ball quickly, don't think about holding it!" Kroos reminded.
From this change, it's not hard to see that Bayern Munich is going to further speed up the rhythm, both in high pressing and counter-attacking.
After the match against Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid also understood that they couldn't withstand too much high pressing pressure.
What's more, Bayern Munich's counter-attacking ability is stronger compared to Borussia Dortmund.
Another issue was the defensive line.
After Robert Lewandowski came on, Ramos and Pepe were divided.
Before, they were mainly marking Cristiano Ronaldo.
But now, they had to spare one person to mark Robert Lewandowski.
No way!
After all, Robert Lewandowski is different from Mandžukić. The latter is always thinking about how to set up Cristiano Ronaldo, while the former is full of thoughts about scoring himself.
It was precisely this mindset and subconscious action that made Real Madrid's defense even more chaotic.
It could be said that what Borussia Dortmund failed to achieve at that time, Bayern Munich achieved.
Ancelotti slowly exhaled.
Before the match, he had prepared some things, but Bayern Munich's adjustments were also very swift.
He hadn't thought of winning the match with these tactics, but Bayern Munich's adjustment speed still surprised him.
Or rather, Guardiola's coaching team made the most correct choice.
If they had adopted a conservative defensive stance, Real Madrid could have slowly worn them down like a frog in warm water.
But Bayern chose a more aggressive counter-attacking state, and the entry point was just right, which forced Real Madrid to consider the problem of being counter-attacked when attacking.
Even their full-backs couldn't attack at will. Once they failed to defend in time, Bayern Munich would exploit their weaknesses.
Bayern truly managed to use offense to offset defensive problems.
And this change in Bayern Munich also indicated that the match truly began at this moment.
After one successful experience, Bayern Munich played with even more vigor.
Especially the frequent runs on both wings and Robert Lewandowski's role as a decoy, all put immense pressure on Real Madrid's defensive line.
Ding!
Just as they were gradually getting excited, a crisp sound rang out.
The sound gave them a fright.
Suker's long-range shot attempt from outside the box hit the crossbar and went out of bounds.
Neuer made a save, but couldn't touch the ball.
This long-range shot made the Bayern Munich players feel uneasy and also made them more urgent.
Once Real Madrid widened the score gap, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Suker stomped his foot in regret, he couldn't keep the ball down.
In fact, when he took the long-range shot, Lahm on the side decisively slid tackled to interfere, causing Suker to shoot hastily and unable to adjust his posture.
There was no contact between the two, but it still created interference.
After all, in football, the concept of 'someone nearby' is enough to create a lot of pressure.
Suker could withstand the pressure, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be affected by these things.
In this situation, this high-quality long-range shot was still very valuable.
"Don't be affected! We're playing very well, do your own thing, guys, run!" Lahm got up from the ground and shouted loudly.
Although he himself felt a lingering fear, as the captain, he still had to encourage his teammates.
Bayern Munich quickly took the goal kick.
When attacking proactively, Bayern Munich was also very aggressive.
Guardiola's teams are all very good at utilizing the width of the field.
What's more, this Bayern Munich team cleverly combined German hard-nosed football with Spain's midfield pivot role.
This was not the German team that would blindly play tiki-taka in the future.
Instead, they enriched their playing style based on their own tactical foundation.
This also allowed Bayern Munich's offense to have both some hard-nosed violent progression and delicate midfield passing.
The combination of the two, plus the swift and frantic rhythm, and the constant pressure from confrontations, surprisingly suppressed the rhythm that had been leaning towards Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich also took advantage of this time to launch several threatening attacks in a row.
Although they failed to score goals, they could clearly feel that they were getting closer and closer to scoring, and the feeling was getting better and better.
"The lads are playing better and better, they are playing more confidently, yes, this is how they should play. Guardiola's substitutions and adjustments have had an effect, not only freeing up Ronaldo but also allowing our midfield to operate smoothly. With the help of the midfield as the hub, our forwards will receive a constant supply of ammunition!"
The German commentator believed that Bayern Munich's frontline was also top-notch.
As long as they were given opportunities, they would repay with goals.
The time came to the 38th minute, and the first half was about to end.
Suddenly, the situation changed dramatically!
Bayern Munich executed a brilliant one-two on Robben's flank, coupled with Marcelo's misjudgment, allowing Robben to surge forward.
"Robben! He's running!"
Robben charged all the way towards Real Madrid's penalty area, and the entire Allianz Arena was in an uproar.
Approaching the edge of the penalty box, Robben suddenly paused, then began to dribble horizontally.
"Here it comes! Robben's signature cut inside!"
Pepe quickly followed, his eyes fixed on Robben's feet, ready to stick out a leg to block at any moment.
Just then, Robben suddenly lifted his left foot.
Pepe suddenly stretched out his right leg, sliding forward to block.
Robben, however, flicked the ball with his foot and stopped abruptly.
Pepe knew he had been fooled and struggled to get up.
At this moment, Robben suddenly threaded the ball forward.
A figure suddenly darted through the space between the fallen Pepe and Ramos, who was watching Robert Lewandowski.
Cristiano Ronaldo made a diagonal run from deep, from left to right, and successfully got to the ball.
He adjusted with small steps, without stopping the ball, twisted his waist, and shot.
It was another high-quality diagonal shot, directly aiming for the far corner.
Casillas was on one knee blocking the near post, but watching this shot heading for the far corner, he was beyond reach.
Swish!
In the 40th minute, Bayern Munich successfully equalized through Cristiano Ronaldo's goal.
After the adjustments, Bayern Munich overcame their disadvantage and gradually adjusted their state until they scored.
At 40 minutes into the first half, Bayern Munich 1:1 Real Madrid.