The starting lineups for both teams are as follows:
Real Madrid (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Casillas.
Defenders: Srna, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo.
Midfielders: Kaka, Casemiro, Kroos.
Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Suker.
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Neuer.
Defenders: Rafinha, Boateng, Dante, Alaba.
Midfielders: Muller, Lahm, Tiago, Alonso, Götze.
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Bayern Munich has made a bold change in this match, especially in the attacking end, which is unexpected!"
"Guardiola has opted to forgo attacking players like Mandžukić, Robben, and Robert Lewandowski, choosing a partnership of Muller, Götze, and Ronaldo!"
"Although this attacking lineup has appeared a few times in the League, it hasn't left a deep impression on us. However, Guardiola daring to use it in this match clearly indicates he has his own ideas."
"As for Real Madrid's lineup, it's quite conventional. They've reverted to their previous tactical setup and haven't introduced any novel formations!"
"However, for Bayern Munich, they certainly need to seek change. They are the trailing side and cannot let the match proceed routinely. They need to disrupt this situation, while Real Madrid naturally prioritizes stability!"
During the commentator's analysis, Ancelotti on the sidelines also saw Bayern Munich's lineup.
To be honest, he had expected Guardiola to make changes, but more in terms of utilizing Mandžukić's withdrawn position for tactical shifts. He had never anticipated such a bold personnel adjustment.
Suker was equally surprised!
Cristiano Ronaldo playing as a center forward!
This is a position he would only reluctantly compromise to play much later in his career.
Otherwise, Cristiano Ronaldo would not give up his attacking position on the wing.
And for Guardiola to convince Cristiano Ronaldo to play as a center forward, that speaks volumes about his ability.
"With this lineup, how do we attack?"
Benzema looked a bit confused.
In the past, Bayern Munich always allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to be a free agent making diagonal runs forward, with others looking for opportunities to set up Cristiano Ronaldo, and occasionally Cristiano Ronaldo would also play the role of a decoy.
But this lineup directly pushes Cristiano Ronaldo to the very front, attracting the maximum firepower.
If it works well, he's a top decoy!
If it doesn't, he's essentially neutralizing their strongest attacking threat.
Therefore, Benzema didn't quite understand it; he felt this lineup was very risky.
Suker also didn't understand it and could only play more cautiously during the match, trying to figure out what these guys wanted to do.
At this moment, the match was about to begin.
Players from both teams had already arrived at their respective halves.
The captains completed the coin toss, and Bayern Munich would kick off the first half.
Real Madrid, wearing white jerseys and shorts, occupied the left half of the field.
Bayern Munich, wearing red jerseys, occupied the right half of the field.
Cristiano Ronaldo stood over the ball, waiting for the whistle.
It was evident from the camera that the Bayern Munich players' expressions were extremely serious.
Although the aggregate score was only a one-goal difference, for these top teams, every goal is extremely valuable.
Furthermore, since this match was an away game, the pressure on Bayern Munich was naturally greater.
Cristiano Ronaldo took deep breaths repeatedly, adjusting his emotions and state.
His eyes revealed a resolute determination. Throughout his professional career, he had encountered countless setbacks and failures, but none of them had defeated him.
He epitomized what it means to be forged in steel, reaching the pinnacle through adversity and winning the Ballon d'Or, his highest individual honor.
Last year was undoubtedly Cristiano Ronaldo's most glorious year.
But he wanted to continue to retain these achievements, which required him to constantly strive for victory.
And for him, his biggest opponent was undoubtedly Suker, wearing the Real Madrid No. 9 jersey on the opposite side.
"Guys! Let's win this match!"
The moment the whistle blew, Cristiano Ronaldo roared and immediately kicked off.
The entire match had begun.
The Bernabéu Stadium erupted in cheers, with Real Madrid fans creating immense noise, making the match atmosphere even more intense.
At the same time, Real Madrid players also surged forward abruptly the moment the match began.
"The match has started! The match has started! As soon as Bayern Munich kicked off, Real Madrid immediately went into high pressing mode!"
"In today's football, high pressing is already a very common tactic, constantly disrupting the opponent's build-up play from the back, allowing the defending side to also gain initiative."
"However, in this match, Bayern Munich's midfield has become more stable. With the inclusion of players like Alonso, Tiago, and Götze, their ball control is clearly better."
"At the same time, Ronaldo playing at the very front forces Real Madrid to make some adjustments; they cannot relax their defense on Ronaldo!"
In the early stages of the match, Real Madrid rushed forward for a period.
But the effect was not very obvious. Bayern Munich, or rather Guardiola's team, still had a knack for passing and moving the ball forward under such high pressing.
Simple, efficient one-touch passing prevented Bayern Munich from getting caught in any encirclement. At the slightest hint of trouble, they could immediately shift the ball away.
During the transfer, they were also trying to push forward.
What's more, Alonso frequently looked up towards the distant Cristiano Ronaldo, which kept Real Madrid's defenders and defensive midfielder Casemiro very alert.
It was a very difficult task to both avoid a disconnected midfield and ensure the stability of the backline.
Real Madrid also reacted, and their entire front line did not dare to push too far forward.
Their playing style also became relatively cautious, as they still couldn't figure out what Bayern Munich ultimately wanted to do.
"Real Madrid has voluntarily dropped back some distance. This is understandable, as they are leading on aggregate and need to play more cautiously."
"The longer the match drags on, the more unfavorable it becomes for Bayern Munich!"
González also nodded in agreement.
But just then, Tiago, with the ball in midfield, used a step-over and flick to distribute the ball to the left side.
And there, Alonso suddenly surged forward, meeting the rolling ball and pushing it with the instep of his foot.
The ball, like an arrow, precisely threaded through the gap between Srna and Ramos.
"Damn it!"
"Chase back!"
Srna and Ramos shouted, immediately turning and sprinting.
However, someone was faster than them. Cristiano Ronaldo's sudden diagonal run allowed him to control the ball a step quicker.
Fortunately, he was in a diagonal position and was quickly blocked again by Ramos, while Srna was also on his way.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo did not sit idly by. With a small, quick rotation of his lower leg, he lightly chipped the ball.
The ball immediately formed a parabola, accurately flying towards the open space on the right side.
And there, Götze surged forward at high speed, meeting the descending ball, and shot directly with his right foot.
Ding!
A crisp sound, but it made the Real Madrid players' hearts tremble.
The ball hit the post and went out of bounds.
But that shot had already unsettled them.
"Götze shoots!! Oh~~~ That's such a shame, the ball hit the post and went out of bounds. That shot was a bit unlucky, but it's just the beginning, we're not in a hurry!"
"And this attack showed the intense attacking desire of the Bayern Munich lads, and this attacking attempt was really good."
"Ronaldo actively surged forward, attracting a lot of defensive attention at the same time. At this point, choosing to transfer the ball for a shot from the other side, the angle of the pass and Götze's run were all excellent."
"These are all good signs, it means that from the moment the match started, our players' form was excellent!"
Guardiola held his head, grimacing.
Then he vigorously punched the air beside him, muttering to himself, as if arguing with himself.
This was also Guardiola's way of relieving stress. As a Head Coach, the risk of deploying this tactical system was significant.
If it didn't succeed, he could easily face criticism from all sides.
But compared to criticism, he hated being boiled like a frog in warm water even more.
Sticking to the routine, the winning probability was low, even very slim.
But if he gambled with a change in formation, as long as it produced results, the winning probability would significantly increase.
Therefore, Guardiola decided to change the formation.
He believed in himself!
He also believed in the players on the field.
And this match, in its opening stages, had already shown results.
"Next up is the defense!" Guardiola nervously licked his lips, exhaling as he said, "You must hold on!"
This tactic was divided into two parts: offense and defense.
Now the offensive part had shown results, the defensive part still remained to be tested.
Real Madrid took a goal kick, and after a smooth transition to midfield, their attack began to tilt towards the left.
Every team facing Real Madrid knows that the left wing is Real Madrid's most vigilant flank, because Suker is there.
Sure enough, Bayern Munich deployed a large amount of defensive power on the left wing, and the overall retreat made Suker about to be encircled.
After Suker tried to break through several times with the ball, he voluntarily slowed down.
Guardiola's fist clenched involuntarily; the critical moment had arrived.
As expected, the next second, Suker dribbled the ball horizontally, followed up with his feet, and directly launched a long pass to switch play.
"Here it comes!"
Guardiola immediately shifted his gaze to the other end.
Bayern Munich's defense was rapidly shifting, while Alaba on the flank quickly closed in to interfere with Bale, and Alonso also immediately provided assistance in defense.
Most critically, Muller even ran back from the front field to defend, regardless of his stamina.
Instantly, Bayern Munich completed a rapid encirclement.
The moment the ball landed, Bale was surrounded by Bayern Munich.
"Pass it out!"
Kaka shouted anxiously.
But shouting was useless, because Bale was already surrounded, and at the same time, he was fiercely pressed, encircled, and tackled by three players.
Bale's technique was not top-notch either, unlike Suker who could break free from a crowd.
Therefore, he was quickly submerged by this fierce wave.
"Beautiful!! Muller's retreat this time was very timely, successfully intercepting Real Madrid's attacking transfer, and possession once again fell into Bayern Munich's hands; they are gradually controlling the pace of the game!"
The German commentator shouted excitedly.
One attack, one defense—from this, it could be seen that Bayern Munich had really adjusted well.
At the very least, they held more initiative in this match.
At the same time, they clearly predicted Real Madrid's attacking intentions, giving the opponent no chance to launch any effective attacks.
After completing the steal, Bayern Munich immediately counterattacked.
Muller passed the ball to Tiago upfront, and Tiago distributed it to Götze.
Götze sprinted along the flank, and as he approached the byline, he suddenly performed an La Croqueta, shaking off his marker, and crossed with his right foot.
Cristiano Ronaldo leaped high and headed the ball towards the goal.
But Casillas was highly focused and tipped the ball over the crossbar with one hand.
Bayern Munich's corner kick.
This time, Bayern Munich again executed a tactical corner kick combination, but unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to win the header, and the ball grazed Pepe's head and flew out of bounds again.
Bayern Munich had consecutive corner kicks.
Attack after attack was putting immense pressure on Real Madrid.
"Push up! That's right! Keep pushing up!"
Bayern Munich's offense was like a tide, with wave after wave of attacks, making Real Madrid's defense somewhat shaky.
The Bayern players were playing smoothly, and the fans were enjoying it immensely.
Even the German commentator was shouting encouragement repeatedly.
Bang!
The ball was cleared by Ramos, and Kroos and Tiago contested the header, neither gaining an advantage, and the ball struck both their shoulders, flying towards the space behind them.
"Mine!"
Rafinha spread his hands, indicating that he would handle the ball.
But just as he was waiting for the ball to land, intense footsteps suddenly came from beside him.
Perhaps associating it with something, this made him suddenly flustered, and he subconsciously stepped forward.
But it was this step that made him miss a reasonable position.
When he wanted to head the ball out again, he found that the landing spot of the ball was slightly behind him; he jumped as high as possible and grazed it, but the ball was grazed to the position behind him.
At the same time, a figure swiftly swept past him.
Suker seized Rafinha's mistake this time, directly overtaking him from the side.
"Suker!!!—"
González roared.
The Bernabéu also erupted in cheers.
Suker sprinted furiously, chasing the ball all the way, and the moment he controlled it, he immediately cut inside.
However, his teammates had not yet arrived, and Benzema was also surrounded, with no space for a pass.
Waiting for a moment would only allow Bayern Munich to retreat in time.
Therefore, Suker could only choose to go it alone; even without a good shooting angle, Suker still attempted a low shot.
Bang!
The ball slammed towards the goal like a cannonball.
"Dangerous!"
The German commentator exclaimed.
But at this moment, Boateng, as if by magic, stuck out his foot and grazed the ball, slightly changing its trajectory, and the ball flew past the goalpost and out of bounds.
Seeing that this shot didn't go in, Suker couldn't help but shake his head.
As for the Bayern Munich players, they were still shaken.
They had been playing too excitedly, causing them to forget about Suker, that dangerous point upfront.
If Boateng hadn't grazed the ball, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Although Real Madrid failed to score, they did get a corner kick opportunity, which was considered a slight check on the pace.
"What's the rush? Slow down, don't play at their pace!"
After taking the shot, Suker turned his head and roared.
Real Madrid was somewhat confused by Bayern's rhythm.
The faster the pace, the more chaotic they became.
At this point, they needed to steady themselves; at the very least, they couldn't let Bayern Munich continue to attack in such a smooth rhythm.
"Toni! Calm down, if you get chaotic, everyone will get chaotic!" Suker shouted at Kroos again, and the latter immediately nodded in understanding.
Kroos's mind was somewhat muddled.
Mainly, Bayern Munich hadn't given him any time to breathe or think in their attack.
This meant he had to constantly pass and switch play, and in this process, the pace was quickened by the opponent.
But he didn't dare to slow down!
Once he failed to hold the ball and was dispossessed, leading to a counterattack from his position, it would truly be fatal.
"The two wings should retreat appropriately, the midfield is under great pressure!"
Bayern Munich had committed five players to the midfield.
Real Madrid only had three!
With Suker and Bale not retreating, they were truly struggling to contend.
Suker immediately nodded; "We will retreat to help you with ball retention and distribution, but you must slow down the pace."
Kroos nodded forcefully; "I understand!"
After Real Madrid's corner kick was taken, Bayern Munich still adopted an aggressive retreating approach, which caused Real Madrid players' positioning to be almost completely squeezed, greatly reducing the probability of winning headers.
Suker was even completely surrounded, almost unable to move.
Moreover, due to their eagerness, the ball was too close to the goal, resulting in Neuer directly catching it.
"Damn it!"
Suker watched Neuer rush out of the crowd, while the rest of the Bayern players rushed forward in a frenzy, and he also chased back with all his might.
Not only Suker, but Bale also made the same choice.
Their speed was very fast, allowing them to retreat most effectively to provide defensive cover.
This could greatly alleviate the pressure on the backline.
With Suker and others actively retreating, Bayern Munich's counterattack was intercepted; seeing no channels to pass forward, they passed back again, preparing to reorganize their attack.
Suker returned to his position, but he could feel that the rhythm still couldn't be controlled.
When Bayern Munich was actively holding the ball, they would not let the rhythm slow down.
And if Real Madrid wanted to slow down the rhythm, they had to win the ball first.
But in doing so, they would have to engage in high pressing, which could easily give Bayern Munich attacking opportunities.
It could be said that Real Madrid was very conflicted!
They were playing uncomfortably, and their Ideas was extremely chaotic.
"Casemiro! Run horizontally left and right!"
At this moment, Zidane on the sideline suddenly roared out instructions.
Ancelotti was constantly gesticulating beside him, clearly Zidane was relaying Ancelotti's intentions.
"The two wings fall back and narrow! Start pressing from midfield! Don't forget! We are currently leading, don't be fooled by them; the longer it drags on, the more advantageous it is for us; we don't need to rush, just focus on defending step by step!"
Under Zidane's loud command, Real Madrid quickly completed their formation change.
At the same time, they opened up the two wings but tightened their defense along the central axis.
Bayern Munich's attacking strategy was to play the ball from the wings and cross, so Real Madrid would cut off their heading targets!
It could be said that this adjustment managed to grasp Bayern Munich's key weakness.