After the opening, Real Madrid almost pinned Barcelona in their own half.
Even at Camp Nou, it is rare to see such a frantic and one-sided scene.
But it showed up tonight.
The most typical example came in the third minute, when Barcelona won a throw-in in their own half.
This was after Carvajal played a straight pass. Di Maria was harried by Alba and failed to bring the ball under control in time. His follow-up action was not handled properly, and the ball went out of bounds.
Alba quickly threw the ball to Puyol, who had pulled wide to the sideline.
Benzema pressed Puyol immediately, trying to pin the Barcelona captain on the wing.
Di Maria, Modrić and Ronaldo also boxed in Barcelona's players at the same time, leaving Puyol with no passing option, so he had to play it back to the goalkeeper.
Piqué quickly drifted away and, together with Puyol, stood at the edges of the penalty area to receive the ball. But Ronaldo stuck tight to Piqué, and Benzema closed down Valdés from Puyol's side.
Real Madrid's midfielders like Modrić and Toni Kroos also put pressure on Busquets and the others, making it difficult for Valdés to find an effective passing route.
At the critical moment, Fàbregas dropped from the front line to receive the ball just outside the D, but Xabi Alonso chased him all the way, making it hard for Fàbregas to turn. He had to knock it back again.
This back pass put Valdés in a passive position.
On the one hand, there was no passing lane available. On the other, Fàbregas's return was hurried, and Benzema was not far away, so Valdés had no time to adjust. He could only follow the return and try to play it to Puyol in space.
But the pass went slightly off target.
And it drifted toward Real Madrid.
Puyol rushed to it, but Di Maria, who was closer, reacted quicker.
The Argentine winger got there first, took the ball on the half turn in front of Puyol, then suddenly accelerated.
Puyol tried to pull him back, but Di Maria broke free.
After Di Maria carried it inside, he quickly shook off the hastily reacting Busquets and slid a straight pass with his left foot.
The ball cut diagonally from the right side of the arc toward the left of the penalty spot. Ronaldo, who had been tracking Piqué, suddenly made a diagonal dart. Unmarked, he took Di Maria's pass with his left foot and shot at once with his right.
Valdés sensed the danger as soon as he made the pass. He reacted quickly to Ronaldo's strike, but it was still out of reach.
The ball flew into Barcelona's goal at great speed.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"
"Cristiano Ronaldo!!!!!"
"Just four minutes in, Real Madrid score the opener!"
"1-0!"
Ronaldo spun and looked for Di Maria, waving. He sprinted to the touchline, leapt and twisted gracefully, then swung his arms down in his iconic Eiffel Tower celebration.
Di Maria and the Real Madrid players chased over and mobbed him.
"Real Madrid's pressing right from the start has been overwhelming."
"Barcelona are completely unsuited to this tempo and cannot keep up with Real Madrid's pace."
"It was the second shot on target of the game, both from Real Madrid, and it results in a goal."
"From the replay, you can see Barcelona's handling here was very problematic."
"Especially Fàbregas's back pass, which practically roasted Valdés over the fire."
"In the end, Valdés's pass turned into an assist for Di Maria's assist."
Camp Nou was filled with boos, the crowd furious at conceding so early.
But there was nothing to be done.
…
Bang!
After seeing Ronaldo score, Gao Shen applauded the players for their brilliant play, but at the same time signaled them to stay focused, stay calm, and avoid rushing.
"Luka, Xabi, Toni."
Gao Shen shouted to Real Madrid's three midfielders, signaling them to push up and keep the pressure on Barcelona.
How long has it been since kick-off?
According to Real Madrid's pre-match plan, they had to press for at least ten minutes to disrupt Barcelona's rhythm.
Now, even though they lead by a goal, it is still not enough. If there is a chance, they need a second.
When Barcelona start to find a foothold and control the tempo, Real Madrid will switch to steady defending and counterattacking.
The three midfielders heard the coach's shout and raised their hands to show they understood.
Gao Shen then turned and walked toward the away bench.
As he walked back, he glanced at the home bench and saw Martino nervously calling for his players to push up and prevent Real Madrid from sustaining this pressure near the penalty area.
This is extremely dangerous.
Once forced into the box, a mistake can be punished in minutes.
However, under Real Madrid's high-intensity press, Barcelona found it hard to find a way out and could only move it with constant short passes.
Occasionally there was a long ball, but Neymar and Messi up front had no advantage in the air. Even if they brought it down, it was hard to threaten. Carvajal and Marcelo focused on defending Barcelona's two superstars.
As the game went on, though, Barcelona gradually increased their pressing on Real Madrid's midfield and back line.
In the 12th minute, Messi's persistent pressure caused Ramos to miscue a long pass intended for Di Maria on the right. Alba seized the moment and headed it to Piqué.
Piqué headed it beyond halfway under Benzema's pressure, and it dropped on the right side of Real Madrid's half.
Carvajal outjumped Neymar and headed it back.
Neymar raised his hand for a foul by Carvajal, but the referee did not blow.
Di Maria dropped and fed Modrić on the right side of the center circle.
Just as Modrić was about to take it inside, Xabi Alonso warned him from behind.
It was Xavi who came rushing in to press.
Modrić reacted quickly, used his body to shield, returned it to Di Maria, and sprinted forward.
He had planned to carry it across to draw defenders, let Di Maria drive up, then suddenly thread a diagonal ball in behind for Di Maria to create danger.
But now, that pattern was not on, so he had to change.
After giving it to Di Maria, Modrić decisively burst forward.
Di Maria knocked the ball inside with the outside of his left foot, carried it across the center circle, shrugged off Alba, drew Xavi's attention, and quickly clipped a half-height pass with his left to hit Modrić's run.
"A beautiful midfield pattern from Real Madrid."
"Di Maria finds Modrić."
"There is a chance!"
Modrić is not lightning quick, but he went early, broke Barcelona's line in one go, and only Puyol could recover in time.
Almost simultaneously, Benzema and Ronaldo were primed.
Real Madrid now had two arrows on the string, just waiting for Modrić's pass.
As the Croatian got to the ball, he saw Puyol and also scanned across Real Madrid's attacking line.
After more than a year together, he knows Ronaldo and Benzema's tendencies, especially their speed and habits.
If he played it to Benzema, he would have to pass closer, but to avoid Puyol's slide and still put it into the area, Benzema's receiving angle would be tight.
By contrast, Ronaldo's position was better.
Modrić made the decision almost instantly and, after cushioning the ball, bent a cross.
It arced and dropped toward the outside-left corner of the six-yard box, exactly the spot that puts a keeper in two minds. He wants to come, but he does not dare.
Almost at the same moment, Ronaldo was like a flash of lightning, shaking off his marker and hitting the spot. As it bounced, he guided it with his right foot toward the far corner.
Valdés was shifting left along the ball's flight when Ronaldo suddenly redirected it the other way. He had no chance and could only watch it nestle in.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"
"2-0!!!"
"It is Ronaldo again!"
"A brace!"
"Only 12 minutes in, Real Madrid have two!"
Ronaldo tore toward the sideline again, and Real Madrid's players chased after him to celebrate.
Gao Shen was drinking water beside the home bench. Seeing Ronaldo score, he clenched the bottle so hard water splashed everywhere.
"Yes! Great job, Ronnie!"
Gao Shen pumped his fists and tossed the bottle aside.
Other Real Madrid coaches and subs rushed out, hugging and celebrating.
2-0.
This goal came at the perfect time and was crucial.
"This is Ronaldo's value," Gao Shen laughed.
Everyone nodded.
It has to be admitted that Ronaldo is truly strong.
Many think his output is due to tactical resources being funneled to him, but it is an interaction.
On the one hand, because he is that good, the team is willing to tilt tactical resources his way. On the other, because resources tilt his way, his threat is amplified.
Just like that chance, he could seize it.
As for criticism about speculative shooting, it exists. But often those shots come from suboptimal situations, some of which are opportunities Ronaldo creates by himself.
What more can you say?
"At 2-0, Martino will cry," Zidane joked.
Gao Shen nodded repeatedly.
Conceding twice in the first 12 minutes, Martino had already suffered a heavy blow to start the night.
More importantly, this was at Camp Nou.
"It is harsh to say for Martino, but we really should drop off now and stop taking risks."
Gao Shen laughed.
With a two-goal lead, Real Madrid had to defend solidly and counter, forcing Barcelona to push up.
You know, Real Madrid's quick counter is second to none in Europe.
If the game falls into that rhythm, Barcelona will suffer most.
(To be continued.)