Real Madrid has stabilized.
But the match was already lost.
Sitting in the stands, Zidane and Valdano both wore bitter smiles and solemn expressions.
As professional footballers, they understood better than anyone the issues this match had exposed.
After Mourinho substituted Pepe, and after withstanding Manchester City's fierce early assault, Real Madrid gradually gained a foothold. But by then, the score was already five-nil.
Afterward, Manchester City settled down, played with more patience, and waited for Real Madrid to take the initiative.
However, Mourinho's side had lost their sharp edge after switching to a three-defensive-midfielder setup. While they did create some threats, they mostly came from individual efforts, and it was difficult to convert them into shots or goals.
Barring any surprises, the game was essentially set to end at 5-0.
"The gap in strength between us and Manchester City isn't as big as the score suggests," Zidane said with a helpless shake of his head.
Valdano nodded but then replied, "But the gap between our midfield and theirs is far wider than the score shows."
Zidane was stunned for a moment, then gave a wry smile and nodded in agreement.
In terms of overall strength, Manchester City shouldn't have a five-goal lead over Real Madrid, especially in attack.
But as Valdano pointed out, Real Madrid was thoroughly dominated in midfield. In that area alone, they were trailing by more than five goals—especially in the first half. Had Manchester City been more clinical, Real Madrid might have suffered a humiliating defeat.
Just like what happened to Manchester United last season.
Real Madrid's midfield problems are multifaceted. Apart from Xabi Alonso, neither Özil nor Khedira could compare to Manchester City's midfielders.
That's just in terms of individual ability.
As a unit, Manchester City's midfield trio produced a synergy where one plus one plus one equaled more than four, even more than five. Meanwhile, Real Madrid's trio failed to even equal three, perhaps not even two.
The gap was clear.
Now, both Zidane and Valdano fully understood that Gao Shen had been right all along. Mourinho knew it too, which is why he replaced Özil with a trio of defensive midfielders at halftime.
That substitution said more than anything else.
"Now, the most important thing is stability," Zidane said with a sigh.
What he feared most was Florentino making a rash decision to change coaches out of frustration. That would be the worst possible mistake.
Given Real Madrid's current situation, stability was crucial. Otherwise, this season would be a total write-off.
Valdano also sighed. "Don't worry. I'll explain the pros and cons to Florentino when I get back. You should also speak up for Mourinho. We were outplayed, plain and simple."
Zidane smiled bitterly. But being "outplayed" was exactly what Real Madrid found hardest to admit.
They spent so much money and brought in so many stars, yet they were still technically inferior. If people heard that, wouldn't they just laugh?
But sometimes, that's exactly how it is.
"Gao Shen said before the game that we're a team best at counterattacking. Turns out, he was right again." Valdano sighed and gave a bitter smile.
If Real Madrid had pushed forward, their weaknesses would've been exposed completely.
Especially their lack of control in midfield.
"Sometimes I really think—no one in the world understands Real Madrid better than Gao Shen."
"Exactly," Zidane nodded. He was one of the people who knew Gao Shen best. "But it's too late now."
Valdano looked helpless. He had no idea what Florentino would do after this loss, or whether he would change his stance.
Right now, if there's anyone in world football who could go head-to-head with Guardiola's Barcelona, it had to be Gao Shen.
But everything Gao Shen had at Manchester City—his authority, trust from the board, his contract terms—none of it could be matched by Real Madrid. So how could they bring him back?
"We suffered a crushing defeat in this match," Zidane said through clenched teeth. "But we did learn something. At the very least, it showed us clearly that there's still a big gap between us and the top teams. We can't afford to be careless in our next match against Barcelona."
"What worries me most is the Champions League," Valdano said with concern.
Zidane was momentarily stunned, but then he understood and his expression turned grim.
Inter Milan wouldn't be easy to deal with, especially with a star like Ibrahimović in their squad.
Given the issues Real Madrid had shown against Manchester City, their prospects in the group stage were deeply concerning.
…
Mourinho sat quietly in the away dugout, watching the game unfold.
He reached up to stroke his chin and suddenly realized that his beard was getting prickly.
What a cursed night.
Nothing had gone right.
The team had lost—and lost badly.
As head coach, he had to take responsibility for both tactics and execution.
He had no intention of avoiding that. That's why he subbed off Özil at halftime.
This German attacking midfielder was someone he had mixed feelings about.
On the one hand, his passing was superb. On the other, the way he played in the first half—despite Mourinho's repeated warnings—was infuriating.
As a world-class manager, Mourinho was well aware of his strengths.
When his team lost the ball, his system could ensure defensive stability. When they regained it, they could launch an attack in the shortest possible time.
In more professional terms, it was about defensive structure and rapid transitions.
Put simply: defend solidly, and hit quickly on the counter.
So when Gao Shen said before the match that Real Madrid excelled at counterattacking, he was right.
Mourinho knew this. Although he came up through Barcelona and studied under Van Gaal, one thing he never mastered was ball control.
But that had never mattered to him.
He preferred to use space to stifle the opponent's possession.
Tonight, however, Real Madrid's midfield completely failed to control space—especially Özil. In contrast, Manchester City used the space to its fullest, all while dominating possession and dictating tempo.
Mourinho knew he had messed up.
"Losing to a 30-year-old kid... it's so damn pathetic!" Mourinho let out a heavy sigh, raised his head, closed his eyes, and muttered in frustration.
The stadium was loud, and no one outside the coaching area could hear what he said.
Faria, Karanka, and the others were stunned.
They never expected Mourinho—the always defiant one—to admit defeat.
…
The referee finally blew the final whistle.
Gao Shen raised his fists high on the touchline.
Behind him, Manchester City's substitutes flooded the pitch.
The entire Etihad Stadium erupted. Over 50,000 fans rose to their feet, showering the team with cheers and applause, showing their appreciation for the performance.
Gao Shen pumped his fists repeatedly until his assistants ran up to hug him. Then he turned around, embraced his staff, and one by one high-fived and hugged the players coming off the field.
They had only beaten Real Madrid, but the celebrations felt like they had won the league.
Everyone knew—Real Madrid was no ordinary opponent in European football.
Once the celebrations had quieted down, Gao Shen stood on the sideline with his hands on his hips, standing tall and proud.
In truth, he felt a huge sense of relief.
Before the match, he had been confident of winning—but he hadn't expected such a big margin.
By halftime, though, he was sure.
Up 5-0, he could have kept pressing and possibly scored another. But that would also open the door for a Real Madrid counter.
So he played it safe.
In his view, 5-0 was perfect, better than 6-1 or 7-2.
He never cared about racking up goals.
As a typical Virgo, he preferred a clean, perfect scoreline like 5-0.
"Congratulations!"
Mourinho's voice came from nearby.
Gao Shen turned and saw Mourinho walking toward him. He smiled immediately, reached out, and shook his hand.
"Thanks, José."
"You played at a very high level tonight. We played terribly, especially in the first half."
"Yeah, but you did better in the second."
By that, he meant the team focused more on defending.
In fact, if Mourinho had gone with three defensive midfielders from the start, the match would have looked ugly, but the score wouldn't have been this bad. The margin would have been just one goal. Maybe two if things had gone well.
But he conceded three in the first half.
"Actually, we were caught between attack and defense the whole match, and we lacked control," Mourinho observed accurately.
Gao Shen nodded. "You're good at using space—especially with Ronaldo and Di María. If you give them space, they can kill you. That's why we focused on shutting that down."
Tonight, Manchester City's full-backs were more conservative in attack.
As Mourinho said, Manchester City's strength was in midfield control, and from there, they repeatedly broke through Real Madrid's defense.
"A heavy loss, but not humiliating," Gao Shen said with a smile.
Mourinho nodded. "It's a lesson. It showed us how badly we did in certain areas. We still have a lot of work to do—five more group games in the Champions League, and Barcelona in the league."
In terms of control, Barcelona were even stronger than Manchester City. Their attack was just as sharp.
Visiting the Camp Nou would be a massive challenge.
After this game, Mourinho had seen things clearly. He could abandon any illusions and focus entirely on defensive counterattacks.
He believed that neither the board nor the fans would object anymore. In a way, this loss might be a blessing in disguise.
But if he had a choice, Mourinho would rather skip the blessing than suffer such a heavy defeat.
"The group stage is just getting started. We're not out of it yet—and you still have to come to the Bernabéu," Mourinho said, regaining some fighting spirit.
Gao Shen held back a smile and just laughed.
(To be continued.)