Chapter 220: Blitzkrieg! Defending the League Cup Title! Yang Cheng: I Really Just Wanted to Comfort You, José!
When German referee Wolfgang Stark blew the final whistle, the entire Bernabéu was drowned in an overwhelming sea of boos from Real Madrid fans.
It was destined to be yet another highly controversial match—just like Mourinho himself.
Final score: 2–0.
With goals from Lewandowski and Di María, Bayswater China stunned Real Madrid on their own turf.
But the controversy wasn't about the goals—it was about the yellow cards in the second half.
After establishing a lead in the first half, Bayswater China played with more control after the break.
Yang Cheng allowed Real to push forward, setting traps to hit them on the counter.
53rd minute: Modrić sent a through pass in transition. Di María was clean through when Ramos brought him down with a reckless challenge.
Stark gave Ramos a yellow.
Since he had already accumulated two yellows in the group stage, he would be suspended for the second leg.
Then Matić was booked for fouling Ronaldo—Bayswater China's first yellow of the match.
Only four minutes later, Carvalho was booked for a foul on Bale.
That was his third yellow, meaning he too would miss the second leg.
To be fair, Mourinho's aggressive setup had managed to disrupt Bayswater China's rhythm.
When the first wave of counterattacks didn't hit, Real's defense would drop back fast and re-form.
But then, in the 81st minute, Xabi Alonso fouled Modrić, tugging his shirt—and received a yellow card.
It was his third as well.
He would also miss the return leg.
The Bernabéu exploded in rage.
They had only lost 2–0, but now faced the return leg without three key starters.
The fans hurled insults from the stands—at the referee, at the opposing players—convinced the German official had favored the visitors.
How else to explain one yellow for Bayswater China and five for Real Madrid?
Yang Cheng stood on the sideline, shaking his head, then smirked at Bryan Kidd.
"Just wait. Knowing Mourinho, he's going to light up the press conference tonight."
Why did Real get so many bookings?
It wasn't Stark's fault.
If anything, the German referee had been lenient.
If he had gone strictly by the book, there could've been more yellows in the first half alone.
"If Stark had enforced the rules tightly, Real could've seen a red in the opening minutes," Kidd muttered, still frustrated.
"You know how it is," Yang Cheng laughed. "Mourinho and Ferguson are cut from the same cloth. If things don't go their way, they always blame the ref—facts be damned."
Kidd chuckled.
No one understands you better than your rival.
"Still, losing three starters to suspension in one match? That's rare," Kidd laughed.
The truth was, Mourinho had gone too hard in the group stage—his players had stacked up yellows early.
In Yang Cheng's previous life, Mourinho's first season at Real Madrid in the Champions League had gone the same way—he'd even tried to intentionally have players wipe cards.
But instead of resetting, they'd been sent off with reds.
This time, no "card-washing"—but those yellows had carried over.
While Yang Cheng and Kidd were joking on the sideline, Mourinho stormed over, fuming.
Seeing Yang Cheng's grinning face only made it worse.
"Stop smiling, or I swear I might punch you." Mourinho growled.
But he extended his hand anyway.
"Touch me and I'll dive, flop, and fake my death." Yang Cheng laughed with his usual mischievous grin.
They shook hands.
Mourinho let out a heavy sigh, clearly dejected.
"You're in too much of a rush," Yang Cheng said. "Didn't you always say you deliver results in your third season?"
Mourinho's face darkened instantly.
He snorted and walked away.
Leaving Yang Cheng confused behind him.
"Bryan, what did I say wrong?"
"He only coached two seasons at Inter." Kidd replied with a bitter smile.
Yang Cheng slapped his own forehead and couldn't help but laugh.
Right! What a blunder.
In the previous timeline, Mourinho had left Inter after winning the Champions League.
But now?
Two seasons and no European success.
Yang Cheng thought he was being sympathetic, but to Mourinho, it sounded like mockery.
"Seriously, I didn't mean it. I really was trying to comfort you, José…"
...
Real Madrid's 0–2 home loss to Bayswater China exploded across the football world, dominating post-match discussions.
Bayswater China's goals were clean. Their performance? Outstanding.
They left a deep impression.
But the controversy centered on Real Madrid.
As expected, Mourinho went after the referee in the post-match press conference.
He claimed Stark had blatantly favored the visitors.
"The only explanation I can think of is—someone didn't want us to play the second leg in London with our full squad."
"Now we'll have to face the return leg without three of our starters!"
But not all media supported Mourinho.
Marca, close to the club, published an article highlighting Mourinho's tactical failures.
Real Madrid had just 36.4% possession.
More than they had against Barça—but they offered very little going forward.
At home, Real were defending, defending, defending—disrupting, disrupting, disrupting.
"There was no sign of the elegant, fluent football from the original Galácticos, or even Pellegrini's team last season. All we saw were players chasing and scrapping."
"There's no doubt—Mourinho played it safe. His focus was on stopping Bayswater China, not on how Real would score."
The article even featured a photo of Cristiano Ronaldo yelling at Özil in the 15th minute for not passing soon enough.
"With attacking stars like Ronaldo, Džeko, Maicon, Özil, and Alonso—if we still can't create chances, the problem isn't the players."
Marca argued that the suspensions were not the reason Real lost.
This defeat was Mourinho's own doing.
Blaming the referee? Just a way to shift the heat from losing at home.
"When he lost to Barça, he said it was because he was a man down—ten against eleven. That with a full squad, he could beat them."
"But now, against Bayswater China, he played with eleven for the full match… and still lost."
"He didn't just lose the first leg—he lost the second one too."
…
After returning from Madrid to London, Bayswater China had only a short rest before fielding a full-rotation squad mixed with youth players for the FA Cup fifth-round tie on the weekend.
Their opponent was League One side Brighton.
In the 14th minute, Giroud opened the scoring.
In the 22nd, De Bruyne added a second.
Right before halftime, Kompany made it three with a header from a set piece.
With a 3–0 lead at halftime, Yang Cheng made continuous substitutions in the second half to give his young players more minutes and experience.
Final score: 3–0, Bayswater China cruised into the quarterfinals.
Arsenal demolished Leyton Orient 5–0 at home.
Manchester City beat Aston Villa 3–0.
Manchester United narrowly defeated Crawley Town 1–0 at Old Trafford.
…
February 27, 4:00 p.m. – Wembley Stadium, London.
League Cup Final: Bayswater China vs. Arsenal.
As referee Mike Dean blew the opening whistle, Bayswater China took the kickoff and immediately passed the ball back to their own half.
Matić turned and played it wide to the right for Piszczek.
Arsenal pressed quickly.
Both teams had enjoyed a full week of rest.
While the rest of the Premier League played league matches that weekend, these two prepared for the final.
As a result, both sides were fresh and in peak condition.
Bayswater China lined up with their strongest available XI:
Goalkeeper: Courtois
Defense: Marcelo, Thiago Silva, Pepe, Piszczek
Midfield: Matić (DM), Kroos, Modrić
Attack: Gareth Bale, Giroud, Di María
Lewandowski was dealing with a minor injury, so Yang Cheng rested him.
Walcott had recovered but was benched in favor of the in-form Di María.
Right from kickoff, Bayswater China targeted the right wing, where Di María operated.
Piszczek played a sharp pass into Di María's feet.
The Argentine tried to beat Clichy, but the Frenchman intercepted.
Arsenal immediately launched a counterattack.
If Bayswater China were missing Lewandowski, Arsenal were without their midfield maestro Fàbregas.
Wenger started van Persie at striker, with Benzema and Gourcuff on the bench.
Arsenal's lineup:
Goalkeeper: Lloris
Defense: Clichy, Chygrynskiy, Vermaelen, Sagna
Midfield: Song, Wilshere (DMs); Nasri, Arshavin, Rosický
Striker: van Persie
Wenger opted for a 4-2-3-1, prioritizing balance.
But the match started at a blistering pace.
Arsenal's attacking intent was clear.
Their first real threat came from Wilshere, who sliced a sharp pass behind Bayswater China's backline.
It split midfield and defense cleanly, but van Persie couldn't reach it in time—Courtois claimed it near the edge of the box.
The Belgian immediately launched a counter—once again, looking right—feeding Piszczek.
This time, Modrić ran over for a one-two, but his drive forward was cut out by Alex Song, who executed a perfect tackle.
Arsenal transitioned quickly again.
Nasri, receiving the ball in the left channel, threaded another through ball for van Persie.
The Dutchman got in front of Pepe, but the Portuguese defender bodied him off and calmly passed back to Thiago Silva.
That was already four transitions in barely over a minute.
Both sets of fans were on their feet—this was football at its finest.
Only teams like Bayswater China and Arsenal could serve up such thrilling end-to-end football.
But both sides were on edge.
Especially Arsenal, whose defense wasn't as solid.
Wenger insisted on attacking football—a risky gamble.
Thiago Silva moved the ball to Toni Kroos.
The German looked to combine with Marcelo or Bale on the left.
Having focused the opening attacks down the right, Arsenal were clearly alert to the switch.
So Kroos shifted right, took two steps—then stopped, pivoted, and sent the ball back left.
Marcelo, who had stayed deeper for most of the early exchanges, was now just past midfield.
He received the ball.
Kroos sprinted over—but instead of asking for the return, he pointed forward.
Marcelo read the sign and passed into the space ahead.
Kroos curved his run, getting in behind Wilshere, and collected the ball in stride.
No hesitation—right-foot stop, left-footed whipped ball across the face of the box.
It found Giroud in the center, 30 meters out.
The Frenchman controlled it on his chest, turned, and spotted Bale, who was already moving.
Giroud—left-footed—threaded a through ball between Sagna and Vermaelen.
Right on cue, Bale burst through, cutting diagonally into the box from the left.
He reached the ball, used the inside of his left foot to control, then let his body lean into Vermaelen, blocking the Belgian from getting leverage.
Vermaelen couldn't fight back—not in the box.
Bale planted—and unleashed.
A left-footed rocket ripped toward the bottom right corner.
Lloris, standing toward the left post, launched himself sideways.
Too late.
The ball pinged off the inside of the post and into the net.
"GOAL!!!!"
"1 minute, 37 seconds!"
"Not even two minutes in, and Bayswater China strike first!"
"Gareth Bale does it again, firing home from his favorite spot on the left side of the box!"
"1–0!"
"Lightning start from Bayswater China!"
"And credit to Olivier Giroud for the perfect assist!"
The stadium exploded—90,000 fans, half wearing Bayswater China colors, erupted in celebration.
Bale and Giroud sprinted to the sideline together, followed closely by their teammates.
A dream start for Yang Cheng's side.
The early goal dampened Arsenal's morale, but Wenger's team stuck firmly to their pre-match tactical plan. Both sides continued to maintain a fast-paced back-and-forth game.
Neither team was willing to back down.
Especially Arsenal.
Despite being a goal behind, the Gunners didn't play defensively.
The two teams shared several similarities—especially in the speed of their transitions between attack and defense.
As a result, the match rhythm stayed at maximum intensity.
Once either side lost possession, the other would immediately launch forward at full speed.
That kind of tempo came at a heavy cost to player stamina, but it certainly made for thrilling football.
Both sides excelled at quick passing combinations—often stringing together multiple one-touch moves.
The ball seemed to dance through crowds of players, putting on a dazzling performance that had fans roaring with excitement.
Opportunities came frequently for both teams, with shot after shot.
In just the first 10 minutes, the two sides combined for seven shots.
Though the pace slowed slightly afterward, the spectacle never dipped.
Especially in the 14th minute, when Arshavin collected the ball, dribbled past Matić, then Thiago Silva, charging into the box.
As the Russian winger tried to round Courtois, the towering Belgian keeper dropped quickly and used his long arms to smother the ball at Arshavin's feet.
Arshavin also fell in the box, but the referee saw it clearly—no penalty.
Still, that bold solo dribble through the center gave Bayswater China quite the scare.
Such relentless, rapid transitions led to frequent changes of possession and occasional errors in passing.
Not every team had Barcelona's pinpoint accuracy.
Even if Barça tried to play at the tempo Arsenal and Bayswater China were playing at, they'd probably make more mistakes too.
And this was the biggest contrast between Yang Cheng and Wenger's football philosophies compared to Barça's.
Both teams looked to attack immediately after winning possession.
They only considered passing back to reorganize when a forward move wasn't available.
Barça, in contrast, prioritized ball retention above all else.
Also, Premier League teams tended to dribble less.
Barça's players loved to carry the ball more.
Both sides stayed committed to their end-to-end style—neutralizing each other's attacks while always looking to create their own chances.
Then in the 26th minute, Sagna tried a pass to Wilshere from his own half. But under pressure from Gareth Bale, the ball was underhit.
Giroud dropped back, intercepted it midway, and laid it off to Toni Kroos.
Wilshere tried to press and win it back, but Bale and Giroud had already turned and sprinted forward.
Kroos, calm as ever, was unbothered by Wilshere's press. He sidestepped to create space, then delivered a beautiful diagonal long pass toward the edge of the penalty area on the right.
Di María was in space, chested it down, then controlled it with his left foot.
The Argentine paused just long enough for Clichy to charge in—then burst past him with a sudden change of pace, cutting inside.
He whipped in a left-footed cross across the box.
It was perfectly timed—Giroud met it with a powerful header.
Unfortunately, it was too central—Lloris punched it over the bar.
Giroud gave Di María a thumbs up.
He'd sprinted full speed to reach that header—no time to aim for the corners.
Corner!
Modrić jogged to take it from the right side.
As the tall Bayswater China players moved into the box, Arsenal looked nervous.
Height was the Gunners' weakness.
One-on-one marking couldn't cover everyone.
Vermaelen even tugged Pepe's shirt—prompting a complaint and referee Mike Dean to delay the restart.
Once the players were separated, Modrić whipped in a low, fast ball toward the near post.
Pepe darted forward, leapt in front of Vermaelen, and flicked a header toward the back post.
The ball was traveling fast—Pepe's flick made it fly even faster.
At the back post, Bale and Giroud both attacked the ball.
But it was Giroud, slightly in front, who got there first—heading the ball into Arsenal's net.
2–0!
Wembley erupted again.
45,000 Bayswater China fans screamed in jubilation.
Giroud sprinted off in celebration, sliding on his knees toward the corner flag.
…
While Bayswater China were still basking in their two-goal lead, Arsenal immediately launched an attack after the restart.
They pushed both flanks forward—they were going all-in.
Just one minute later, Sagna played a long diagonal ball into the front of the box.
van Persie timed his run perfectly, leaping ahead of Thiago Silva, and glanced a header in the opposite direction.
It caught everyone off guard.
Courtois, despite his reach, couldn't stop it from curling inside the far post.
1–2!
Arsenal struck back instantly!
Bayswater China responded with their own attack.
Marcelo whipped in a cross from the left. Bale nodded it across.
Giroud chested it down and tried to turn away from Vermaelen, but was tripped inside the box.
The ball rolled to Modrić, who fired from just outside the six-yard box—saved by Lloris.
Bayswater China players shouted for a penalty.
Mike Dean waved it off.
Then, in the 39th minute, Wilshere surged forward.
Receiving a pass from Arshavin, he took a surprise long-range shot.
It just skimmed over the bar.
The 19-year-old had truly blossomed this season.
This Arsenal team wasn't like the one in Yang Cheng's past life.
Stronger squad depth meant young players like Wilshere had more freedom to grow.
Yang Cheng couldn't be sure anymore—would Wilshere follow the same trajectory this time?
…
Halftime: 2–1, Bayswater China in front.
Back in the dressing room, Yang Cheng was mostly satisfied, but not without critique.
He pointed out issues in their defense:
van Persie's header and Wilshere's shot exposed weaknesses.
Yang Cheng raised his voice.
"You need to understand—this is a team that can score over 100 goals a season!"
Stay sharp. A two-goal lead means nothing against Arsenal.
Premier League goals alone might not reach 100, but when you add in all competitions and all fronts, it was guaranteed Bayswater China would surpass the century mark.
After pointing out the team's defensive lapses, Yang Cheng turned his focus to their attacking structure.
He'd noticed that Arsenal simply didn't have a good solution for dealing with Giroud.
That was one of Wenger's long-standing weaknesses.
Without Koscielny, they couldn't defend high balls or hold off a proper center-forward.
Think Drogba—he used to bully Arsenal's defense so badly, they practically needed therapy.
Yang Cheng's instruction was clear: in the second half, don't just rely on fast breaks and long balls in behind.
Use Giroud as a pivot. Slow it down. Build through him.
This would add more depth to Bayswater China's attacking patterns.
"It's obvious Arsenal came well-prepared tactically. They studied our attack carefully."
"So we must adjust based on their plan."
In this regard, Bayswater China still wasn't perfect.
That's why Yang Cheng often said—this team wasn't at its peak yet.
Experience matters.
Repetition leads to instinct.
This applied to football just like anything else.
Many players only found their rhythm once they'd built up a wealth of experience—when they could instinctively adapt to the opposition's tactics.
...
As the second half kicked off, both teams maintained the same pace from the first half.
No substitutions. No tactical tweaks.
So the match resumed exactly where it left off—frenetic, high-octane attacking football.
Arsenal came out flying.
They launched 2–3 attacking waves right off the kickoff.
van Persie headed one wide.
Then he slipped a through ball down the right for Sagna, who squared it into the middle for Rosický—but Courtois came out strong, intercepting it just in time.
After 10 minutes of pressure, Arsenal's momentum faded slightly—Bayswater China took over again.
56th minute: Toni Kroos launched a long-range rocket from 28 meters, just grazing the crossbar.
Then, two minutes later, he received a pass from Marcelo, and pinged a gorgeous diagonal ball toward the right side of the box.
Giroud beat Chygrynskiy in the air and headed it back toward the top of the area.
The Ukrainian center-back was one of the few Gunners who could somewhat hold his own against Giroud.
But at the edge of the box, Di María didn't stop the ball—he passed it straight to a surging Modrić.
The Croatian had been dispossessed once earlier by Alex Song, but this time he took no chances—one touch, one feint, shaking Song off completely.
A gap opened up, and Modrić hit a pinpoint diagonal pass to the left side of the box.
Bale came screaming in, a blur of speed, meeting the ball on his left foot and rifling it into the net.
3–1!
He struck it so hard he nearly collided with the left post—but he didn't care.
Bale wheeled away in ecstasy. A brace.
...
On the Arsenal bench, Wenger sat motionless, chin resting on hand, eyes fixed on the pitch.
Even as Bale and the team celebrated, he didn't move.
3–1.
"Still the midfield…" assistant coach Pat Rice muttered with a sigh.
"When we push forward, we can't disrupt Modrić or Kroos quickly enough. That goal—it looked like Giroud was just playing the pivot, but it was Kroos' diagonal ball that did the damage."
"If we'd shut down that pass, if we'd disrupted Kroos—maybe it wouldn't have happened."
Wenger listened quietly. He said nothing.
But it was written all over his face—he was crushed.
He'd worked so hard over the past ten days, pouring himself into this final, hoping to finally beat Bayswater China—to finally win something.
Even if it was just the League Cup.
But now, it was clear: Arsenal couldn't match Bayswater China's midfield.
"Their midfield is too strong," Rice admitted bitterly.
No one had expected Toni Kroos, signed last summer, to transform Bayswater China's midfield like this.
Everyone thought he was just a throw-in during the Neuer deal.
Now, paired with Modrić, Matić, and rotating with Javi Martínez, Ramsey, and Rakitić, the chemistry was exceptional.
When Kroos joined the Premier League last summer, his estimated market value was around €12 million—about £10 million.
Now? £25 million.
A 2.5x increase.
And even that felt cheap.
Yang Cheng wouldn't sell him for less than £40 million now.
A multi-million-pound player, and his value had more than doubled in just one season.
Only Yang Cheng could pull that off.
On Arsenal's side, Fàbregas was injured and Gourcuff had just returned. Wenger had considered using a triple pivot: Muntari, Song, and Toulalan.
That would've secured midfield control.
All three could distribute decently and wouldn't disrupt Arsenal's possession game.
Their work rate and defensive ability would have shielded the back line.
But… it was too defensive.
"You know," Wenger suddenly said, "Yang Cheng once told me—we lost the Champions League final because Ferguson had the guts to abandon his pride before I did."
His voice was bitter, laced with resignation and pain.
"This final… I wanted to win it our way. To beat them playing our football."
He shook his head.
He knew—his players had given everything.
So had he.
With the current squad, trying to outgun Bayswater China in an open shootout?
Not impossible—but highly unlikely.
They were, after all, the most explosive attacking team in Europe.
Stronger even than Barça or Real.
Wenger knew it. Deep down.
Still, he chose to fight fire with fire.
Because he wanted to win. But he wanted to win his way.
And now, this final had crushed his hopes once more.
It shook his belief.
"Pat… what's more important—trophies or conviction?"
Pat Rice had no answer. He just sat in silence.
...
After the 3–1 lead, both sides made changes.
Yang Cheng brought on Walcott, Pogba, and Kyle Walker.
Wenger responded with Benzema and Gourcuff, trying to spark some creativity and regain midfield control.
Just before the final whistle, a clever lob pass from Modrić found Giroud, who flicked the ball on with a header behind the defense toward the right side of Arsenal's box.
Walcott burst forward and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper.
4–1!
Bayswater China defeated Arsenal 4–1 to claim the 2010/11 League Cup title!
It was their second consecutive League Cup championship.
After the match, Wenger congratulated Yang Cheng.
But during his interview with the media, the Frenchman expressed disappointment over the heavy loss.
He didn't believe Arsenal were outclassed—instead, he took full responsibility for the defeat.
He also admitted that Fàbregas' absence had a major impact on his team.
Still, Wenger emphasized,
"The League Cup has never been our priority, so this defeat won't derail us."
"On the contrary, it serves as a reminder to stay focused in the other competitions."
He ended with determination:
"Now is when we're at our most dangerous."
On the other side, despite winning the League Cup again at Wembley, Yang Cheng downplayed the trophy in both media interviews and the dressing room.
The league was still ongoing, and they were still alive in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
"Defending the League Cup is great," Yang Cheng said, "but we need to forget it quickly and focus fully on what's ahead."
"Getting complacent after a trophy—that's the biggest trap for any great team."
…
As Bayswater China lifted the League Cup at Wembley to a thunderous ovation, British media poured in with glowing headlines and praise.
Their commanding lead in the league was already impressive—now with the League Cup in hand, they were on course for a domestic double.
But just after the final, on March 2nd, came a rearranged Premier League Matchday 28 fixture.
The opponent? Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal didn't get it any easier—they faced their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
With both West London and North London derbies happening midweek, these makeup games drew massive attention.
In the end, both League Cup finalists faltered.
For Yang Cheng, this was the middle of a brutal run of fixtures:
League Cup finalPremier League vs West Brom on the weekendSecond leg vs Real Madrid next Wednesday
Rotation was necessary—and heavy.
Chelsea, meanwhile, had 10 days to prepare, practicing set pieces and tactical variations.
The result?
Bayswater China lost 1–2 at Stamford Bridge.
Only three minutes in, Drogba scored after an aggressive Chelsea press.
Eto'o made it 2–0 in the 26th with a swift counterattack.
Yang Cheng's side only pulled one back in the 77th minute, through Rakitić.
Arsenal also stumbled—3–3 away to Tottenham, despite scoring twice early.
Wenger's team couldn't hold the lead in the end.
Still, the Stamford Bridge loss did not significantly impact Bayswater China's title hopes.
…
That weekend, back at Wembley Stadium, Yang Cheng's team hosted West Bromwich Albion.
The first half ended 0–0.
West Brom, fighting relegation, gave it their all.
But in the 58th minute, Rakitić struck from deep to give the hosts the lead.
1–0.
Then, in the 72nd minute, Rakitić assisted substitute Paul Pogba, who scored his first senior goal.
Final score: 2–0.
Rakitić had now scored in two straight matches.
Elsewhere:
Arsenal beat Sunderland 1–0 at home, with Benzema scoring the winner.Manchester United were thrashed 1–3 by Liverpool at Anfield—Kuyt scored a hat trick.
United lost mainly due to over-eagerness.Manchester City edged Wigan 1–0 thanks to Kaká.Chelsea beat Blackpool 3–1 away.
After 29 rounds, the table stood:
Bayswater China – 77 points (25W, 2D, 2L)Manchester City – 67 pointsArsenal – 64 pointsLiverpool – 64 pointsManchester United – 54 pointsChelsea – 51 points
Despite the growing gap, Ferguson still insisted that United could fight back into the top four.
…
After wrapping up Matchday 29, Bayswater China shifted focus to midweek:
Champions League Round of 16, Second Leg.
Having won the first leg 2–0 in Madrid, Yang Cheng still refused to be complacent.
Following a week of rotation and rest, he fielded his strongest lineup at Wembley to face Mourinho's Real Madrid again.
Down two goals, Mourinho went all-in—opting for an aggressive setup:
Cristiano Ronaldo, Džeko, and Higuaín as a front three.Özil pulling strings behind them.Lass Diarra and Khedira in the double pivot.
Though missing Xabi Alonso, Ramos, and Carvalho, Real still played with relentless aggression, defending hard.
Then, in the 64th minute, Di María cut in from the right and laid off a diagonal pass.
Marcelo, overlapping into the left side of the box, beat Arbeloa with a feint and fired home.
1–0 Bayswater China.
Real Madrid were later shown five yellow cards, six in total for the match.
But even that couldn't stop their downfall.
Final score: 1–0.
Aggregate: 3–0.
Bayswater China eliminated Real Madrid and advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals!
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10