On the evening of September 17, at Van den Stock Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.
In the first round of the Champions League group stage, Real Madrid faced Anderlecht away from home.
When referee Mark Clattenburg from England blew the whistle to start the game, Real Madrid, who took the kick-off, played the ball back. But instead of passing to the central defender, it went to Casemiro, who quickly passed it forward to Modric.
Di Maria dropped back from the forward line to receive the ball, but the defenders pressed him closely. The Argentine returned it to Casemiro, who then played it to Toni Kroos.
The German midfielder made a long pass into the empty space on the left side of the attacking third.
Marcelo controlled the ball and was about to push forward when Clattenburg blew the whistle.
The linesman raised his flag, offside!
The stadium erupted with applause and cheers from the Anderlecht fans.
As Marcelo walked back, he gave Kroos a thumbs up.
The pass had been excellent and comfortable to receive. He could have surged forward on his own, but his timing was slightly off. He pushed too early and ended up offside.
Anderlecht quickly restarted play, but soon lost the ball again to Real Madrid.
The visitors reorganized and prepared for another attack.
In the 3rd minute, Modric suddenly chipped a ball from outside the 30-meter area into Anderlecht's penalty box. Benzema darted in and reached it, about to shoot, when the whistle sounded again.
The linesman's flag was up, offside!
Two consecutive attacks had ended the same way.
Benzema shook his head helplessly.
Just as he had started his run, Anderlecht's defenders had collectively stepped up, executing an offside trap.
It was clear Anderlecht had no intention of defending deep tonight.
At home, they were playing bravely against mighty Real Madrid.
This has always been the style of many European clubs.
If a team plays too conservatively at home, the fans are unhappy, and it hurts the atmosphere and the football market.
On the other hand, even when facing a powerhouse, if they press high and play boldly, even if they lose badly, fans will still talk about it with excitement. Because for many supporters, football is a show.
And since it is a show, entertainment matters more than the result.
…
Gao Shen stood on the touchline, observing Anderlecht's defense.
Their line was always pushed up, sometimes even around the 30-meter mark.
It was a brave choice.
But bravery often comes with a price.
Gao Shen signaled his players to drop a little deeper, leaving space to exploit.
What Real Madrid lacked the least was speed.
…
Soon, the two sides were trading attacks.
Real Madrid tried several times to send balls in behind, but it didn't work.
After two successful offsides, Anderlecht also adjusted their backline.
Clearly, the Belgians were wary of being broken through repeatedly.
But sooner or later, the breakthrough would come.
In the 12th minute, Real Madrid intercepted in their own half and calmly built up.
Modric carried the ball forward, but before he crossed halfway, Di Maria dropped deep, pulling a defender with him. Modric didn't pass to him though. Instead, he gave it to Kroos.
The German looked up, then decisively sent a long pass behind Anderlecht's defense, aiming at the right side of the penalty area.
After Di Maria dropped, Benzema shifted sideways, as if moving wide.
Modric noticed but from his angle it was hard to deliver the ball directly. Even if Benzema received it, the next move would be difficult.
So he chose Kroos, and the German's long pass landed perfectly on the right side of the box.
Benzema accelerated forward, timing his run to perfection.
While Anderlecht's defenders were raising their arms for offside, Benzema had already latched onto Kroos's ball inside the penalty area. Before the keeper could react, he slotted it into the net.
"Goalllllllllll!!!"
"Real Madrid score!!!"
"Benzema opens the scoring in the 12th minute."
"After a series of offsides, Anderlecht's defenders finally paid the price."
"We've always said that using the offside trap is a double-edged sword. When it works, it disrupts the opponent's attack. But when it fails, it often leaves the striker clean through."
"From the replay, we can clearly see Benzema's clever lateral movement before surging forward. It threw Anderlecht's defense off."
"He was onside when Kroos delivered the pass."
"1-0, Real Madrid lead."
…
Barely three minutes later, Real Madrid created another big chance.
Marcelo advanced on the left, threatening but unable to break through, and laid it off to Benzema.
With his back to goal, Benzema laid it to Kroos, who quickly shifted it to Modric.
In a flash, Real Madrid switched play from left to right.
Modric played a straight ball to Di Maria.
The Argentine feinted, drawing defenders, pretending to cut inside, but suddenly slipped it down the line.
Carvajal burst forward on the right flank at blistering pace, catching Di Maria's pass near the box, and whipped in a low cross.
The ball flashed across the penalty area at high speed.
Anderlecht's defenders chased desperately, but none arrived in time. Only Ronaldo, sprinting at full speed from the left, met it in front of goal and tapped it in unmarked.
2-0.
…
In the 22nd minute, Real Madrid struck again. Kroos switched play with a long pass from the left to the right, where Carvajal received it.
The Spaniard advanced down the flank and combined quickly with Di Maria, who again released him to the byline. Carvajal surged forward and crossed low.
Almost identical to before, Ronaldo connected in the middle.
The Portuguese broke free of his markers, surged ahead of Anderlecht's center-back, and struck the ball into the net.
3-0.
A brace for Ronaldo.
He sprinted off to celebrate wildly, his form clearly peaking tonight.
With the Ballon d'Or voting approaching, his performances were becoming more explosive.
In the 33rd minute, after a series of passes, Ronaldo dropped deep to collect and suddenly back-heeled it left. Marcelo overlapped, received it, and fired a shot-cross into the box.
Anderlecht's defender headed clear.
But the ball dropped to the left edge of the penalty area, completely unguarded.
"Anderlecht's midfield defense has collapsed…"
"Cristiano Ronaldo's arriving, he strikes!!!"
"Goal!!!"
"A stunning strike!!!"
"Ronaldo completes his hat trick!!!"
"He scores a world-class goal, making it 4-0!"
"Real Madrid's first-half attack is relentless, Anderlecht's goal being ripped open again and again."
"This proves once again, never play offensively against Real Madrid!"
"When you try to attack them, you pay the price!"
"Anderlecht's bravery is admirable, but they are paying dearly for it tonight."
"Ronaldo, fighting for his second Ballon d'Or, is in sublime form. His finishing is sharp, and this strike had perfect power, speed, and placement."
"A truly world-class goal!"
…
The first half ended 4-0.
During the break, Gao Shen praised Ronaldo's outstanding performance. He also highlighted Carvajal, who had been excellent on the right.
In fact, the midfield's control was key in pinning Anderlecht back and creating chances, even if it wasn't obvious. They were the unsung heroes.
Gao Shen urged his players to keep the intensity in the second half. Even with a 4-0 lead, there could be no complacency.
Real Madrid executed the instructions strictly.
From Gao Shen's perspective, Anderlecht should have become more cautious and tightened their defense.
But when the second half began, Gao Shen was surprised to see no change.
Yes, Anderlecht still pushed high and attacked bravely.
Truly stubborn.
But skilled teams know how to deal with stubborn opponents.
So in the 52nd minute, Casemiro passed, Carvajal combined with Di Maria on the right, the Argentine cut inside, went one-on-one, and finished low with his left foot. 5-0!
Gao Shen made substitutions, and just two minutes after coming on, Jesé assisted Benzema for another goal.
The French striker also had a brace.
6-0.
In the 87th minute, Verratti played a through ball, Jesé broke the offside trap, and blasted it into the net.
7-0!
Anderlecht were brutally dismantled on their home ground.
(To be continued.)