Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid.
The second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Leeds United.
In the 76th minute, Leeds United's midfield finally exposed a weakness.
After intercepting the ball from Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro quickly passed it to Modric.
The Croatian midfielder advanced under pressure from Declan Rice but still managed to thread a pass to Di Maria.
The Argentine controlled the ball and completed a sharp one-two with Benzema, breaking into the right side of the penalty area. He then played a diagonal ball with his left foot to the far post. Mbappe arrived just in time and, ahead of Hakimi and Militao, met the ball with his right foot.
The ball passed Alisson and flew into the Leeds United net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"Mbappe scores for Real Madrid!"
"1-1!"
"Both teams are level again, and the aggregate score is now 2-2."
"Real Madrid's counterattack was extremely precise. From Casemiro's interception to the one-two between Benzema and Di Maria, the transition from defense to attack was executed with exceptional teamwork."
"This is Real Madrid!"
"They've shown impressive resilience in tonight's crucial clash."
"Although Real Madrid had less possession and fewer dangerous attacks than Leeds United, their solid defensive system allowed them to come back strong in the second half after conceding early."
"The game is level now, but the momentum has clearly shifted in Real Madrid's favor."
...
"Since equalizing, Real Madrid have played even more aggressively."
"Look at this—another counterattack from Real Madrid."
"Benzema drops deep to receive the ball, still operating on the right side, which remains a weak point in Alphonso Davies' defense."
"Di Maria is making a forward run. He's onside."
"Let's see how Leeds handle this."
"He drives into the box, stops suddenly, cuts inside, and lays it off."
"Toni Kroos, long-range shot!"
Goal!
"2-1!"
"Toni Kroos scores from the edge of the area with a thunderous strike!"
"That's another goal for Real Madrid. The aggregate score is now 3-2, which puts Leeds United in a tough spot."
"Leeds United have conceded two goals in less than five minutes."
"This is dangerous. Pochettino should focus on stabilizing the team."
"Leeds United were nearly flawless for the first 75 minutes."
"But after the 75th minute, mental focus and physical fitness began to drop, which affected the team's overall rhythm. Real Madrid's experience and composure allowed them to punish those lapses."
"This reminds us of the Champions League final when Gao Shen was in charge. Leeds United had the upper hand, but Real Madrid won and took the title."
"You have to admire Real Madrid's resilience. It's truly remarkable."
"Of course, credit must also go to Leeds United. They've played with great energy and commitment."
"But sometimes, that's just how football is. The team that dominates doesn't always win. It's a 90-minute game, and anything can happen at any moment."
...
When Toni Kroos smashed in that crucial goal, Florentino and the others in the stands couldn't contain their excitement. They jumped to their feet and applauded enthusiastically.
But after a few moments, they awkwardly sat back down.
After all, Gao Shen, Lucas, and the others were seated right next to them. It felt a bit too over-the-top.
Gao Shen didn't mind. Real Madrid's players had been holding back their emotions for a long time.
In the first leg, Real Madrid had been under tremendous pressure at Elland Road, where they were held to a 1-1 draw thanks mainly to Mbappe's speed on the counterattack.
Benzema's contribution to that goal had been vital as well.
At home in the second leg, Real Madrid were again dominated by Leeds United for the first seventy minutes. Haaland had scored in the first half. But after taking the lead, especially after the 70th minute, Leeds made critical mistakes.
The first goal they conceded came from a lapse in midfield. The second came from rushing things.
That's how football is. It doesn't give you time to breathe or regroup.
"After tonight's match, no one should question me anymore," Gao Shen said casually.
Reaching the semi-finals was already an overachievement for Leeds United.
Especially considering how they pushed Real Madrid to the limit, what more could be expected?
This squad was made up of young players. And don't forget, they sold ten key players last summer.
To pick on them now would be too harsh.
"Even without this game, no one would question you," Florentino laughed.
He was more than satisfied with Real Madrid's performance this season.
They had already won the Copa del Rey, secured the La Liga title, and now stood on the brink of a Champions League final.
What more could he want?
"Exactly," Butragueño added. "It's the media who have a problem with you."
In reality, neither Real Madrid nor Paris Saint-Germain had any doubts about Gao Shen's professionalism.
Take tonight's game, for example. Even if Real Madrid had lost, the board wouldn't have blamed him. Zidane was in charge of the team selection and tactics.
Gao Shen's Real Madrid and Leeds United squads were two entirely different entities.
They also knew how hard it would be to manipulate a match like this.
To coordinate everyone for such an outcome would be practically impossible.
"We're still too young," Gao Shen said, shaking his head.
Everyone around him nodded.
It was true.
The attackers were young. The defenders were young.
Alphonso Davies had been brilliant this season, but he had also shown flaws.
That wasn't a concern.
He was only 19. Making mistakes was normal. They could be fixed with time.
No one is perfect at the beginning.
Even legends like Messi and Ronaldo had their issues when they started.
"You've done more than enough. Honestly, give it more time and you'll have another chance," said Butragueño. Like Florentino, he had a genuine admiration for this Leeds United team.
Young, energetic, aggressive.
They were easy to like.
...
On the pitch, after conceding twice, Leeds United launched wave after wave of attacks.
Pochettino kept urging the midfield and defense to stay organized, while making quick adjustments.
If Leeds United could score just once more, the tie would swing back in their favor.
At 2-2, Leeds United would go through on away goals.
So they pushed forward recklessly, throwing everything at Real Madrid's backline.
Zidane responded by bringing on De Ligt and switching to a five-man defense.
That, in itself, was a sign of respect.
Haaland's threat had grown. His ability to play with his back to goal and his aerial presence were improving quickly.
Even more dangerous was that he wasn't a traditional center forward. He drifted wide and dropped deep often.
Rashford on the left wing frequently interchanged with Haaland, sometimes swapping positions mid-play.
Rashford could play both centrally and wide. He complemented Haaland perfectly.
Earlier in his career, Rashford's growth spurt had affected his development. But after this season of refinement and his own hard work, he had taken a leap forward.
Now, Rashford was mainly playing either as a left winger or center forward.
In the second half of the season, he appeared more regularly on the left, partnering with Haaland.
This was something Gao Shen had specifically suggested, aiming to form a dual-attacker system through positional fluidity between Rashford and Haaland.
What was Rashford's greatest weapon?
Cutting in from the left and curling in with his right foot.
He had an excellent shooting technique. He could strike with precision and power, often driving the ball low into the corners.
This was also a key trait of Leeds United's goalscoring training philosophy.
From Mbappe to Haaland, and including Rashford and Vardy, they all followed this style.
It was demanding, but once mastered, it resulted in excellent conversion rates.
Rashford, Haaland, Sancho, Vinicius, and Rodrygo were all forwards with conversion rates above 20 percent.
What did that mean?
If Leeds' shots mostly came from these attackers, they could score one goal every five shots.
Leeds averaged 17.3 shots per game.
Statistically, that translated to more than three goals per match.
Of course, this was just theoretical analysis.
But it clearly showed Leeds United's attacking potential.
Gao Shen, Borrell, and Pochettino all understood that if they kept refining this squad, Leeds would eventually reach full maturity. And when that happened, with their firepower, who could stop them?
But that would be a story for another day.
Tonight at the Bernabéu was destined to be a painful one for Leeds United's young players.
In the final minutes, they attacked with nothing held back.
Even goalkeeper Alisson joined the attack for a late corner, trying to contest a header.
But it didn't work.
Real Madrid defended tightly and held out.
Leeds United were eliminated from the Champions League semi-finals after a 2-1 defeat, losing 3-2 on aggregate.
Meanwhile, at another stadium, Paris Saint-Germain, who had lost 1-0 away to Bayern Munich in the first leg, returned home and beat Bayern 3-1 with goals from Choupo-Moting, Neymar, and Cavani, advancing 3-2 on aggregate.
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain will meet in the final.
(To be continued.)