Chapter 153: So I Heard Atlético Wants to Rise Up?
In the end, Manchester City fans never got the result they were hoping for—a draw between Borussia Dortmund and Ajax.
With a dominant 4–0 away victory, Klopp proved he wasn't just talking big. Dortmund, having thoroughly analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of their Group D opponents, went full throttle and completely dismantled Ajax. In doing so, they also crushed City's theoretical chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.
Now, the situation in Group D was crystal clear: Dortmund, with 7 points from five matches, had seized the advantage for second place in the group. Ajax, sitting on 4 points after five games, would now have to hope Real Madrid gave them some "face" in the final round. And City? With only 2 points, their fate was entirely in Real Madrid's hands.
If Real Madrid beat Ajax, and City managed to overcome Dortmund, they could still snag third place and drop into the Europa League.
But if Madrid, like in the current round, rotated heavily again and Ajax took advantage, then City would finish bottom of the group.
At this point, only Ajax and City were still nitpicking about qualification scenarios—Dortmund had no such concerns.
Even though a draw in the final round would be enough for them to advance, Klopp and his yellow-clad warriors had only one goal now: win!
As for Real Madrid, they had no psychological pressure at all.
And don't say Madrid didn't give anyone a chance—they already showed great generosity by playing a heavily rotated squad against City in this round.
Counting the starters, Madrid only fielded three first-team regulars: Casillas, Li Ang, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Even Ronaldo was subbed off not long after the start of the second half. And yet City still managed to lose 1–2. Really, they were handed an opportunity and couldn't grasp it.
Mourinho had already stopped caring much about the last two matches in the group.
They were nothing more than opportunities to give youngsters some experience—and to keep Ronaldo in rhythm.
Naturally, the rotating squad from Madrid played their hearts out.
But if City and Ajax fielded their full-strength lineups and still couldn't beat a bunch of kids, well, that was their own problem.
Madrid's current crop of academy graduates was drawing increasing attention from fans across other leagues.
If last season's brief cameos of Castilla's "New Five Eagles" were just entertaining curiosities for viewers, this year, their consistently impressive performances had turned those curious onlookers into full-blown admirers.
There was no need to even mention Li Ang anymore.
That young lion who once wore the red and black jersey and helped AC Milan win the domestic double—he was still fondly remembered and sorely missed by Milan fans.
Then there was Nacho, whose solid defensive performances had earned him the trust of many. His versatility across the backline added even more value.
Lucas Vázquez, capable of playing on either wing up front, didn't boast standout stats, but he was reliable enough to rotate in whenever needed.
The two who had impressed the most—Carvajal and Morata—had already attracted serious interest from clubs across Europe.
Quality full-backs and tall strikers were always rare and valuable commodities in football.
If Madrid ever decided to loan out some of these youngsters again (excluding Li Ang, of course), Carvajal and Morata would undoubtedly be at the top of every suitor's wish list.
Five promising talents all in their early twenties, plus Jesé, who had recently been promoted to the first team and was showing immense potential—Madrid's youth development system was making clubs and fans alike green with envy.
The media had long accused Mourinho of being incapable of using young players—but now, they had gone quiet.
With internal squad stability and no pressure on results, Mourinho was more than happy to give his youth players ample playing time and room to make mistakes.
You couldn't expect a manager to deliver short-term results and also invest heavily in youth development. It just didn't work that way.
Wenger had managed to keep Arsenal in the Champions League every year using youth, and that was already an incredible feat.
In the years that followed, when Wenger eventually yielded to pressure from public opinion and fans, stepping back from his youth-first philosophy, many who once criticized him came to understand just how masterful he had been.
No one else in football could replicate that level of consistency on a tight budget.
Mourinho couldn't match Wenger in that regard. But when it came to using young talent effectively, he was still among the elite.
Of course, this assumed that the youngsters were willing to accept Mourinho's strict and demanding style.
Fortunately, this group of Real Madrid youth players didn't have a single troublemaker. And with Li Ang and Nacho leading by example, Mourinho's developmental project was running smoothly.
Pleased on all fronts, Mourinho decided to give them a surprise reward after the Champions League game.
On the evening of November 24th, in Matchday 13 of La Liga, Real Madrid's "B team" was once again named in the starting lineup for the away match against Real Betis!
Even Casillas was rested today, giving Adán a rare chance to start.
Cristiano Ronaldo remained in the lineup, having played only sixty minutes against City and still being in great form. Li Ang also stayed in to provide backbone to the team.
Betis, the team Li Ang had once been loaned to, was no pushover now.
Through the first twelve rounds of the league, Betis had won six and lost four, sitting in sixth place—above both Sevilla and Valencia.
Before kickoff, Li Ang shared a few laughs with some old teammates, jokingly asking them to go easy on his little brothers today so they wouldn't get overwhelmed.
Though they had only played together for half a season back then, Betis' current No. 10, Beñat, still kept in touch with Li Ang.
"If you hadn't been recalled by Madrid in the summer of 2010, we might've been playing in Europe this season. What a shame."
"Excuse me—Europe? Be confident, old Barry. If you and I were still playing together, we'd be in the Champions League this year!"
"Hahaha! Okay, okay, Little Lion, whatever you say. If you had stayed, I'd have given you the No. 10 shirt."
"No worries. You can still hand it over now."
"Forget it, haha. I was just kidding."
"Screw off. Good luck out there, Barry. Make it to the Europa League next year, and don't forget to swap shirts with me after the match."
"You got it!"
Their pre-match exchange was full of warmth and respect.
But the moment the whistle blew, both men transformed into fierce competitors, each anchoring their team's midfield with relentless energy.
Same deep-lying position. Same control over both attack and defense.
Both had grown significantly over the two years apart.
Beñat, aside from being physically inferior and weaker defensively than Li Ang, was just as good—if not better—at distributing the ball and playing killer passes.
Their head-to-head midfield battle was evenly matched and compelling.
Still, Li Ang stole the show with his commanding interceptions and strong defensive presence.
Betis' top scorer, Castro—who had netted sixteen goals the previous season—was a nimble and opportunistic striker.
Deadly with his finishing and lethal in the box, he thrived on service from teammates.
The better Li Ang was at disrupting Betis' supply lines, the more uncomfortable Castro became.
After all, fewer attacking chances meant less ammunition—and no striker likes starving up front.
In key moments, Betis leaned heavily on their midfield general, Beñat.
In the 32nd minute of the first half, Beñat delivered a sublime long ball from deep in his own half.
Castro, timing his horizontal run perfectly, beat the offside trap with expert movement.
Carvajal's more advanced positioning left a gap in Madrid's defensive line.
Nacho, caught slightly behind, was momentarily shaken by Castro's burst—but with superior acceleration, he quickly regained his pace.
What he didn't expect was for Castro to unleash a shot just as he crossed into the edge of the box.
That was the instinct and experience of a 31-year-old striker.
Adán had initially planned to rush out and assist Nacho in cutting off the break, not anticipating that Castro would shoot so early and with such confidence.
It was a clever push shot—not particularly powerful, but low, slightly bouncing off the grass, and aimed precisely at the far corner.
Adán sprang forward, arms stretching, but his previous two steps out of goal had sealed his fate.
The angle was too sharp. Even with all his effort, he couldn't get a fingertip on the ball.
The ball rolled slowly but determinedly toward the far corner.
Just as Castro was about to erupt in celebration, a flash of white came tearing back toward the goal.
"LI ANG IS STILL CHASING BACK!!!"
The Movistar La Liga commentator practically screamed, his voice cracking with excitement.
In the split second before the ball could cross the line, Li Ang launched himself forward, knowing he was still just a hair's breadth away.
He made a bold decision—to jab at the ball with his toe!
Don't misunderstand—he wasn't trying to poke it into the goal. He didn't want to be on the front page tomorrow for scoring an own goal.
Instead, he used a deft horizontal poke, angling the ball sideways!
It was a desperate gamble. There was no time to hook the ball out entirely, so he could only hope to alter its trajectory—just enough to buy an extra second or two.
He was also betting on his teammates not giving up—on someone getting there before any Betis player could pounce on the rebound...
If either of those two steps had gone wrong, Real Madrid wouldn't have been able to stop Real Betis from scoring first.
The moment Li Ang stabbed the ball away, his whole body slammed sideways into the goalpost.
It hurt. A lot.
The massive impact sent a jolt of pain through his thigh and abdominal muscles. Luckily, the very next second, he saw Nacho appear in his line of sight!
The ball, just about to completely cross the line after its change in direction, was booted out of the box by Nacho at the last moment.
But the Real Madrid fans couldn't cheer—they were too busy looking anxiously and nervously at Li Ang, who was lying on the turf inside their own penalty area.
"Medic!!!"
Sweat instantly beaded on Mourinho's forehead as he shouted for the medical staff to rush in and check on Li Ang.
In the chaos of Real Madrid's penalty area, even Castro—who had just missed the chance to score—didn't care about his frustration. He ran over alongside the Real Madrid players to form a protective circle around Li Ang.
"Don't move him! Don't touch him! Little Lion, how do you feel?!"
Nacho shouted as he pushed people back to clear some space, his face full of anxiety as he looked down at Li Ang's painful expression.
"It hurts," Li Ang gasped through clenched teeth—a sharp, short sound that made every player around him freeze in alarm.
Castro even covered his mouth, glancing at Li Ang's lower back with panic and concern in his eyes.
But after a few testing breaths, Li Ang suddenly pushed himself up with both arms and sat up on his own!
Castro's eyes went wide, and Nacho and Adán immediately rushed over to help him.
"Weren't you just saying it hurt?!"
"Huff… It does hurt! Slamming into a metal post that thick—how could it not?!"
"A bruise?"
"Yeah, my muscles are still throbbing! But my joints and bones feel fine."
"Then what's with that dramatic expression when you were on the ground?!"
"You idiot, how am I supposed to assess whether I've dislocated a joint without taking a few seconds?"
Seeing Li Ang now standing up under his own power, and even bickering with Nacho like nothing happened, Castro's mouth twitched.
So all that panic had been for nothing.
Still, to take a hit like that and walk away with just a muscle bruise… Castro couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"This kid's built like a damn tank!"
On the sidelines, Mourinho was clutching his forehead—torn between relief and frustration.
He remembered a similar instance in the past, when Li Ang had executed a risky defensive move to stop an opponent's attack. Mourinho had chewed him out back then.
Clearly, the boy hadn't taken that warning to heart.
From a tactical standpoint, what Li Ang did was professional and his effort commendable.
But Mourinho would honestly rather see Real Madrid concede a goal than watch Li Ang repeatedly make these dangerous plays.
You get lucky once or twice—doesn't mean you'll always get away with it.
"This little bastard…" Mourinho muttered. But seeing Li Ang now hopping in place under the medics' inspection, his heart finally settled down.
Soon the game resumed. Li Ang didn't even go to the sideline for further treatment—his seemingly indestructible physique left a strong impression on today's refereeing crew.
With that dramatic interruption behind them, Li Ang's brilliant (and risky) tracking back had saved Real Madrid from disaster.
But the connection between Beñat and Castro had caught the attention of Madrid's defenders.
Still, Carvajal didn't retreat. He maintained his aggressive, attacking position, as Mourinho had emphasized the need to keep pressure on Betis' back line.
Betis' defense was average at best by La Liga standards, but their scoring stats ranked them among the top four in the league.
If Madrid gave up midfield control and the initiative, that would be exactly what Betis wanted.
They preferred to attack, and they were confident they could break through Madrid's rotated backline.
No matter how well Li Ang played, without Alonso and Essien alongside him today, he couldn't possibly plug every hole on his own.
Eventually, Betis would look to exploit defensive gaps from Matuidi or Modrić.
But Mourinho had no intention of giving Betis the full green light to press forward.
In a direct offensive battle, Betis was always at a disadvantage.
Their defense just wasn't strong enough.
And when Beñat had to split his focus between defense and organizing attacks, his effectiveness dropped significantly.
The first half ended in a draw, but Real Madrid's belief in Ronaldo soon paid off.
Despite being tightly marked in the first half and getting very few shooting opportunities, Ronaldo made his mark in the 57th minute.
In a lightning-quick passing sequence that saw him receive the ball after a forward run, he trapped and shot in one seamless motion!
He gave Betis' goalkeeper Adrián no time to react—the shot was clean, sharp, and absolutely beautiful.
Just one chance, but Ronaldo seized it. Even Modrić, who delivered the assist, was left in disbelief.
His lobbed pass wasn't even particularly precise—just a hopeful chip—but Ronaldo's finish was pure class.
The Betis defenders hadn't even made a mistake. Sometimes, when a superstar shines, all you can do is accept your bad luck.
Li Ang was subbed off in the 68th minute. He didn't think it was necessary, but under Mourinho's intense glare, he obediently jogged off.
Alonso and Essien came on shortly after to warm up the midfield, and Ronaldo was also subbed off not long after.
In the final 20 minutes, Madrid played a bit more conservatively.
But with three defensive midfielders locking down the center, even without Li Ang, the defense held firm.
The 1–0 scoreline held to the final whistle. With that narrow win, Real Madrid racked up their 12th league victory of the season.
However, Barcelona also won big the next day—crushing Levante 4–0 away from home—and kept pace at the top of the table with identical points.
The way both clubs were charging ahead had fans exclaiming: "This is insane!"
In other leagues, the table-toppers had usually opened up four or five points over the second-placed team. And even those records weren't this crazy.
Even Bayern had dropped a game by now. But Madrid and Barça? Still unbeaten.
This kind of dominance left fans of other La Liga teams in total despair.
In the past ten years, only Valencia had broken the "Spanish duopoly" to win a league title. The rest of the time? It was a two-horse race between Madrid and Barça.
And judging by the current trajectory, these two giants were poised to dominate for the next decade.
No wonder the rest of La Liga's fans were just suffering in silence.
Immediately after the 13th round of La Liga, the Copa del Rey resumed.
Mourinho fielded a mixed squad of starters and backups for the cup clash.
Li Ang and Ronaldo finally got to rest.
Morata, Nacho, and other rotational players had been getting consistent minutes recently—game after game without a break.
But their energy levels were still high.
For them, Mourinho's decision to start them consecutively felt more like a reward than a burden.
Of course, the reward would only last through this round of the Copa.
Real Madrid beat Alcoyano 3–0 and advanced to the next round.
Now, the first teamers began their preparations for the Madrid derby against Atlético.
Lately, Atlético had been gaining serious momentum—like they were trying to snatch the title of "Madrid's top team."
With 11 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss from their first 13 matches, Atlético had amassed 34 points—just three behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.
In theory, they had every right to challenge Real Madrid.
But Madrid's stars were feeling something else.
They felt it was time to hand Atlético a reality check.
To show them that while 34 points was their ceiling, for Real Madrid, 36 points from everyone except Barcelona was just routine.
The sky over Madrid?
Still firmly under Real Madrid's rule.
No flipping the script.
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