Chapter 132: The Birth of a New Midfield Duo — Twin Turbo Engines Engage!
During the summer transfer window, quite a few fans predicted a significant drop in Real Madrid's performance for the new season.
After all, the club had sold three rotation midfielders—two of whom were key players—and brought in two new ones. One was a strong, unknown figure from Ligue 1; the other, the core of Tottenham, was considered good but not elite.
The squad's balance seemed questionable, and even if the newcomers were promising, surely they'd need time to adapt?
Add to that a common trend among champions: after a treble-winning season, complacency tends to set in. The veterans in the squad had earned their glory and acclaim—wasn't it natural to take their foot off the gas?
That's how it usually went. Just look at Inter after their 2009–10 treble, or Barcelona in 2010–11. Neither managed to defend their Champions League crown.
Players are only human. They win, they celebrate, and they slow down. Not everyone has the will to grind year after year without ever pausing to enjoy the spoils of success.
But when Real Madrid took down Barcelona 6–3 on aggregate over two legs to win the Supercopa de España, those doubting voices started to fade.
And when they then crushed Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, securing their fifth trophy of the year, those same critics fell completely silent.
It was clear now: the Real Madrid players weren't anywhere near satisfied after winning a treble.
These stars were every bit as ambitious and hungry as the Barcelona side that won the treble in 2008–09.
They wanted it all. They wanted the sextuple.
And frankly, based on current form, that goal looked almost inevitable.
The two most challenging trophies—Supercopa and UEFA Super Cup—were already in the bag. The Club World Cup, by comparison, would be a walk in the park.
In terms of season projections, the best point of comparison was Barcelona's 2009–10 campaign.
Despite their dream team status, that Barça side didn't retain the Champions League. Mourinho's Inter tactically outmaneuvered them and denied them in the semifinals.
But this time, there was no Mourinho waiting to ambush a title-favorite squad.
This time, Mourinho was the man leading the most dominant team in Europe.
And unlike other coaches, Mourinho's teams were historically rock-solid in knockout competitions.
So if this Real Madrid squad could learn from that season's Barça—perhaps by sacrificing the domestic cup to focus entirely on La Liga and the Champions League—they had a real shot at doing what no team had done since the tournament's rebranding:
Successfully defend the Champions League title.
That would mark a seismic shift in European football.
Of course, Bayern Munich—who had strengthened significantly this summer—were looking just as formidable.
If Barça couldn't rise to the challenge this year, it might fall to Bayern to see if they could play the 2010 Inter role.
As the international break rolled in, the Real Madrid squad, fresh off their fifth trophy of the year, temporarily disbanded as players left for national duty.
Li Ang, as usual, stayed in Madrid.
Partly to avoid any unnecessary media speculation, but more importantly, because he had no desire to take a vacation.
He still had several developing abilities that needed training time to progress.
He asked Jorge Mendes to find him a training team available for short-term work. At first, he wanted to ask Antonio Pintus to help him focus on strength training for ten days.
But when he heard that Pintus had only recently moved his family to Madrid, Li Ang didn't want to disturb him.
Let the man enjoy some well-earned time with his family.
Truthfully, training alone wasn't exactly thrilling, even though Li Ang had long grown used to grinding through the international breaks.
Fortunately, the well-structured training plan kept the boredom at bay.
With each day fully packed—training, therapy, recovery, rest—he had no mental bandwidth left to dwell on boredom.
By September 10, his short-term training block was complete, and the rest of Madrid's players without international duty began arriving at Valdebebas.
The World Cup qualifiers were still in full swing, with both Spain and Portugal engaged in fierce group-stage clashes.
Naturally, Mourinho and his coaching staff were concerned.
Fatigue aside, the real nightmare was injury.
If key players got hurt just before La Liga resumed—or worse, before the Champions League group stage opener—the whole squad's rotation would be compromised.
Sure enough, the worst-case scenario struck again.
On September 11, Spain returned victorious from their qualifiers, but Álvaro Arbeloa had suffered a second-half ankle sprain against Georgia.
Meanwhile, over in Azerbaijan, Portugal's Fábio Coentrão pulled a thigh muscle and had to be substituted at halftime.
Both starting full-backs injured.
Mourinho was not pleased.
When most of the first-team players reported back to Valdebebas on September 12, many were visibly fatigued, and Mourinho's face practically twisted into a "囧" symbol.
Medical checks were run immediately. Anyone showing signs of injury risk was sent straight to recovery therapy.
The few players who were still physically sound were allowed to ease into light training.
With just two days until the league resumed, several players were finally cleared from the injury watchlist.
On the eve of the match against Sevilla, Mourinho finalized his starting XI.
This time, there were no smoke screens or tactical misdirection.
Of the eighteen-man squad released to the press, Marcelo and Matuidi were clearly set to start.
With Coentrão sidelined and Alonso still visibly fatigued, both were removed from the starting rotation.
That made the lineup at left-back and holding midfield pretty easy to guess.
As for right-back, most media outlets assumed Mourinho would go with Essien as a temporary stopgap.
For Essien, starting at right-back was no problem at all. After all, during his Chelsea days, he often filled in both as a right-back and center-back. Versatility had always been one of his trademarks.
Carvajal and Nacho were still primarily used against lower-table La Liga sides. Neither offered the same level of stability as Essien in a high-stakes match.
The only true uncertainty in Mourinho's starting lineup was the final piece in his midfield trio.
Both Di María and Modrić were included in the 18-man matchday squad. Both could play as central midfielders or even operate as attacking mids. It was anyone's guess who would get the nod.
September 15, under the eager eyes of countless fans, Real Madrid's starting lineup was finally revealed just an hour before kickoff.
Di María was starting. But so was Modrić!
Over on the Sevilla sideline, coach Míchel looked visibly troubled.
Modrić hadn't played a single minute since joining Madrid. He had only been seen in training sessions, working to build chemistry with the team.
His level, sure, could be guessed from past performances with Tottenham and the Croatian national team.
But his style within Madrid's system? His tactical role? There was zero footage to analyze.
Unless you had insider access to Real's training videos, Modrić was the biggest unknown in this match.
Míchel had not expected Mourinho to start a new signing who hadn't played a second of competitive football yet.
Now all he could do was brace for impact—and find out what surprises Mourinho had prepared.
Back in China, as the match approached, He Wei teamed up with Coach Zhang for the live broadcast, both intrigued by the news.
"Luka Modrić, the Croatian midfield maestro, had an excellent run with Tottenham, and left a strong impression during Euro 2008. Today marks his debut for Real Madrid—and he's not just coming off the bench. He's starting.
In an earlier interview, Mourinho said he'd give Modrić his debut as soon as he felt the moment was right. Well, it looks like this is that moment."
Zhang nodded as the camera lingered on Modrić's sharp profile—reminiscent of a young Johan Cruyff.
"He's taken over Kaká's No. 8 shirt, which says a lot about the faith and expectations placed on him by Mourinho and Real Madrid. Li Ang has also publicly praised Modrić more than once. This is their first time starting together, and given how Mourinho works, that means their training synergy must've been excellent."
Their analysis raised expectations among Chinese fans, many of whom had never seen Modrić play a full match live.
But Modrić himself was remarkably composed.
Yes, the pressure was there. But not nearly as overwhelming as he'd imagined.
He had long prepared for this.
Playing for Real Madrid meant every touch would be scrutinized a hundred times more than it ever was at Spurs. He accepted that. And with his natural resilience and mental toughness, he was actually feeling quite calm.
After the pre-match formalities, he took a deep breath and walked to his position in his own half.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Ang standing parallel to him.
"Don't be nervous, Luka! Just keep an eye on me!"
Li Ang had clearly felt his gaze, and turned with a grin, calling out loudly.
Modrić smiled back. Somehow, the simple gesture calmed his nerves completely.
The referee's whistle blew. The match began.
Over 40,000 fans at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán erupted, both sides roaring in support of their team.
Sevilla started with a bold 4-3-3, spreading wide immediately and probing for early openings.
Their starting striker? Álvaro Negredo—a product of Real Madrid's own youth system.
At 1.86 meters and 85 kilos, Negredo had the classic frame of a traditional No. 9: strong, aggressive, and dangerous in front of goal.
And with only one tall, defensively robust midfielder in Real's lineup—Li Ang—Sevilla knew exactly where to target.
Matuidi and Modrić were both smaller, more mobile midfielders who couldn't physically match up to Negredo.
Míchel had clearly spotted this. Just before kickoff, he gave the order: play through Negredo.
And sure enough, the Sevilla striker camped out on Modrić's side of the midfield, waving for the ball and acting as a pivot.
With him acting as the fulcrum, Sevilla's left winger, Troschowski, began finding space to attack down the left channel—specifically targeting Matuidi.
In the opening exchanges, Modrić's smaller frame did show. While his positioning was sound and he never got caught flat-footed, he was still physically overpowered in one-on-one duels.
Real's midfield had a noticeable weak spot.
But neither Mourinho nor Modrić panicked.
Commentators watching were confused—until Li Ang suddenly shifted.
He rarely changed roles so early in a match, especially not without instruction. But now, he began covering Modrić's side, engaging Negredo head-on.
"Looks like Modrić really was struggling with Negredo's pressure. Smart move by Li Ang to rotate over and handle that matchup," He Wei explained, trying to remain composed.
The Sevilla fans, however, erupted. They thought they'd found Madrid's defensive Achilles' heel.
Madrid supporters grew nervous as Modrić drifted into the left midfield zone.
Negredo was free to roam—and as a center-forward dropping into midfield to link play, he could pull defenders out of position. Madrid's midfield couldn't keep reshuffling every time he moved.
Li Ang could adapt easily—he'd played on both flanks plenty of times. But Modrić had only just arrived. Could he really adjust to the team's attack and defense rhythms so quickly?
It was a fair concern. Modrić's late transfer had left him little time to build chemistry.
But as the match went on, Luka began proving his worth.
Steady passes. Sharp movement. Timely rotation and defensive support.
He wasn't dazzling—but he was dependable.
And in a team like Real Madrid, that was exactly what they needed.
Playing this position was no problem for Essien. He'd long since proven his versatility at Chelsea, frequently deputizing as both a right-back and a center-back when needed.
Carvajal and Nacho were still mainly starting against lower-tier La Liga teams, and neither offered the same reliability as Essien in a high-stakes match.
The only lingering mystery in Mourinho's lineup lay in the final piece of the midfield trio.
Both Di María and Modrić were on the 18-man squad list. Both could play central midfield or even as attacking midfielders. Whichever of the two was selected to start would be a reasonable choice.
On the night of September 15, with thousands of fans eagerly waiting, Real Madrid's starting lineup was finally released an hour before kickoff.
Di María was in the starting XI.
But so was Modrić.
Sevilla's head coach Míchel was clearly troubled. This was the first time Modrić had been included in the starting lineup since joining Madrid. Until now, he'd only been seen training with the squad, building chemistry with his new teammates.
While Modrić's overall quality could be inferred from his time at Tottenham and with the Croatian national team, no one had seen how he'd function in Real Madrid's tactics or what kind of role Mourinho had planned for him.
Unless you had access to internal training footage, Modrić was a total wildcard—an X-factor.
Míchel hadn't expected Mourinho to throw a player with zero official minutes straight into the starting lineup.
Now, all he could do was raise his guard and see what new tricks Madrid had up their sleeve tonight.
Back in China, as fans tuned in for the late-night broadcast, He Wei and Coach Zhang were equally intrigued as they introduced the lineups.
"Luka Modrić, the Croatian midfielder, had a standout career at Tottenham and impressed many fans back at Euro 2008. This will be his first appearance for Real Madrid, and he's starting.
Mourinho said in a previous interview that when he believed Modrić was ready, he would give him the nod. It seems tonight is that moment."
Zhang nodded thoughtfully as the camera panned over Modrić's sharp profile—strikingly reminiscent of Cruyff.
"He's inherited Kaká's No. 8 shirt, which symbolizes the faith Mourinho and the club have placed in him. And don't forget—Li Ang has publicly praised his new teammate several times.
This is their first time starting together. If Mourinho trusts them to pair up in midfield, that means their training sessions must have shown real chemistry."
Their commentary only amplified the anticipation among fans back home.
But on the pitch, Modrić's mind was astonishingly clear.
Sure, there was pressure. But not nearly as much as he'd expected.
Perhaps because he'd already mentally prepared for this moment.
Playing for Real Madrid meant everything you did would be scrutinized hundreds—if not thousands—of times more than before. He'd accepted that. With his strong mentality and composure, he was calm and focused.
After the opening ceremony, Modrić took a deep breath and moved to his position in Madrid's half.
When he glanced sideways, he saw Li Ang standing almost parallel to him.
"Don't worry, Luka—just keep an eye on me out there!"
Li Ang must have sensed his gaze. He turned, grinned, and shouted with a laugh.
Modrić smiled back, a quiet calm settling in his chest.
The match kicked off on time with the referee's whistle. The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium erupted as over 40,000 fans roared for their respective sides.
Sevilla took the first kick and came out in a high-pressure 4-3-3 formation, launching immediate probing attacks.
Their starting striker? Álvaro Negredo—a product of Real Madrid's own youth academy.
At 1.86 meters tall and 85 kilograms, he had the textbook frame of a target forward—physically strong and deadly in front of goal.
And tonight, only one of Madrid's midfielders—Li Ang—had the size and physicality to challenge him. Both Matuidi and Modrić were smaller, quicker types who would struggle in aerial duels or direct clashes with a brute like Negredo.
Míchel clearly saw this. Just before kickoff, he adjusted his tactics.
Negredo positioned himself near Modrić's zone, signaling repeatedly for the ball and acting as a central pivot.
His presence opened up space for left winger Troschowski, who used Negredo's screens to make several dangerous runs at Matuidi's flank.
From these opening exchanges, it was obvious: Modrić's slight build made him vulnerable in physical duels. Even though his positioning was sound and he didn't lose shape, Sevilla had found a weak point in Madrid's midfield.
But Mourinho wasn't concerned. And Modrić remained composed.
Commentators began to express doubts—until Li Ang made his move.
He was known for his wide coverage of the field, but even so, it was rare for him to switch roles so early in a match without orders.
"Looks like Modrić really is struggling with the pressure from Negredo. Letting Li Ang take over the matchup is probably the right call," He Wei explained, though his tone was dry.
Sevilla fans, meanwhile, sensed blood in the water. They began cheering wildly, convinced they'd discovered Madrid's defensive weak link.
Madrid supporters, on the other hand, looked nervously toward Modrić's new position on the left side of midfield.
Negredo could shift freely. As a center-forward, if he dropped deep to link play, he could drift left or right. Madrid couldn't afford to constantly reshuffle their midfield shape to track him.
The two wings had distinct tactical responsibilities. Li Ang could handle both—he'd done it before. But Modrić had just joined. What if he couldn't sync up with the team's tempo and got overwhelmed by switching roles?
Their worry was justified.
Modrić had joined late in the transfer window. He barely had time to get used to his teammates, let alone master Real Madrid's tactical rhythms.
But as the game wore on, he gradually silenced the doubts.
Clean, simple passes. Clever movement. Well-timed rotations. Smooth, supportive coverage on defense.
He didn't do anything flashy—but what he did do, he did right.
And for a debut match under this much pressure, that alone was impressive.
His understanding of his teammates' movement on the pitch exceeded the expectations of many Real Madrid fans.
To be fair, Modrić's role at the moment was mostly about distributing the ball from the back and providing support in defensive cover. He hadn't done anything flashy on the offensive end.
But his midfield partner was Li Ang.
With Modrić helping maintain ball circulation at the back and Matuidi anchoring the defense, Li Ang was free to shift the majority of his focus toward advancing the ball.
And his acceleration had improved significantly.
No, he wasn't a speed demon by any stretch—but within the midfield zone, his bursts of speed had reached top-tier levels.
With solid ball control, quick acceleration, and sharp, precise short passes, Li Ang was orchestrating Real Madrid's offense with remarkable poise.
The tempo on both wings surged with intensity, all thanks to his smart, half-field command.
And the Sevilla fans, who had just moments ago been loudly celebrating and jeering, began to sense that something was very off.
At first, they had assumed that Li Ang would be covering for Modrić—that the Croatian was the designated midfield engine in Madrid's new system.
So when Modrić struggled defensively in the early stages, they thought their team had the upper hand in midfield.
A new signing who was already shaken and under pressure? Surely, he couldn't direct the rhythm of Real Madrid's midfield.
But it turned out they were dead wrong.
Mourinho hadn't sent Modrić out to run the show—he'd put him out there to do the dirty work.
Li Ang was the true engine of Madrid's offense tonight!
And Sevilla's midfield enforcer, Gary Medel, was starting to run out of answers.
The Chilean "Pitbull," who had earned a reputation for shutting down elite players like Messi, was finding Li Ang's brutal charges forward too much to handle.
He couldn't outmuscle him. Couldn't tug him off the ball. Couldn't match his step frequency. And in terms of anticipation and reading the play, Li Ang had him beat as well.
Medel quickly realized that none of his usual "small man beats big man" tricks were working here. So he resorted to fouling.
And Li Ang? He didn't mind. If there were no good passing options ahead, he was more than happy to go down.
That was when Real Madrid's deadly set pieces came into play.
Time and again, Madrid earned free kicks in dangerous areas, and Sevilla's defenders were left scrambling.
Li Ang's gritty, tireless surges earned his team chance after chance—and from the sidelines, both Mourinho and Karanka were chuckling.
It was an unorthodox method of attack, sure—but it got the job done.
And while Sevilla's entire squad was fretting over how to stop Li Ang's relentless bull-rushes, something else was quietly unfolding on the opposite flank.
Modrić was steadily pushing his position higher up the field.
Sevilla's defenders didn't notice at first.
So when Li Ang once again drove forward and drew the attention of both Medel and Rakitić, Modrić found himself with a perfect opportunity to advance.
He drifted into space on the left side of the midfield, unmarked.
Only when Maduro, Sevilla's right central midfielder, realized what was happening and started to track back did the alarm bells ring.
But by then, it was too late.
Li Ang saw the window and played a quick, low horizontal pass that split the defensive shape.
The ball arrived at Modrić's feet just before Maduro could intercept.
"What a chance! A sudden low pass from Li Ang—Modrić lifts his head... and sends it in!"
Completely unmarked, Modrić pressed forward without hesitation.
And when he saw Benzema making a run down the middle, he didn't flinch. He unleashed a bold, confident outside-foot lobbed through ball over the defense.
"Sensational!"
Watching from midfield, Li Ang couldn't help but think: that was pure swagger.
The elegance, the curve—it was textbook Modrić. Artful and fearless.
Even Benzema seemed caught off guard by how daring his new teammate was with the pass.
Luckily, Benzema caught sight of Ronaldo barreling down the opposite side—and executed a perfect glancing header flick-on to redirect the ball.
For most players, that would've been enough.
But not Cristiano Ronaldo.
Where others might hesitate, Ronaldo didn't.
He timed his run, waited half a beat for the ball to drop, and then snapped his right leg forward in a compact, controlled swing.
A seemingly effortless strike—but full of venom.
Sevilla's veteran keeper Palop reacted instantly, even getting a hand to it.
But the shot was simply too fast. His fingertips only managed to brush the ball, slightly altering its path—but not stopping it.
The ball rocketed into the back of the net.
1–0, Real Madrid.
The scoreboard lit up. The clock read minute 17.
Madrid had taken the lead at Sevilla's home ground with a goal that was the perfect blend of toughness, vision, and style.
Mourinho and Karanka embraced joyfully at the touchline.
As the players on the pitch mobbed Ronaldo, the camera cut to Modrić, who was brushing his long hair back, a mix of relief and joy on his face.
Then came Li Ang, sprinting toward him with open arms.
Modrić saw him, eyes lighting up.
The two embraced tightly.
And in that moment, fans watching around the world finally got it.
This wasn't some single-engine midfield system like they'd assumed.
This was a twin-turbo setup.
Two engines firing in perfect sync.
Twin Turbo Engines: Engaged.
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