The boiling Bernabéu Stadium was roaring with excitement, as the intense match on the field stirred the fans to feverish heights.
"Costa! It's Costa again! SHOOTS!!"
"Ah~~ The ball narrowly misses the post and flies past the baseline. But Costa's threat can no longer be ignored!"
"Since the start of the game, Costa has been constantly threatening Real Madrid's goal. His physical strength is making life miserable for Real's defenders!"
Ramos got up from the ground, his eyes filled with anger.
Despite his efforts to maintain his physique and ensure competitiveness in physical confrontations, facing someone like Costa—his size and power—made it incredibly difficult to stop him effectively.
Every time Costa received the ball with his back to goal, Ramos had to take a deep breath, brace himself, and push up hard, or he'd be overpowered.
Even so, Ramos still couldn't fully stop Costa from turning and shooting—he could only slightly disrupt him.
And during this time, Costa was adapting, gradually improving his shot accuracy.
At first, his shots were wildly off-target, but by his third attempt, it was already grazing the goalpost.
One more try, and it could be very dangerous.
Spanish commentator González also remarked: "Real Madrid cannot allow Costa to continue like this. They must make effective adjustments."
The camera cut to Mourinho.
At this moment, he was crouching on the sidelines, scribbling and drawing furiously on a piece of paper.
His expression showed no panic or nervousness.
As if Costa's threat didn't concern him at all.
After a while, Mourinho stood up. Taking advantage of a stoppage, he waved at Srna on the sideline.
"Look at this tactical diagram. Pass the message to the players on the field!"
Srna immediately took the paper, scanned it quickly, then handed it back and ran back onto the pitch.
"Midfield drop back! Let them attack down the wings, but don't let them pass to feet through the middle!"
Hearing Srna's command, Mourinho nodded slightly.
Assistant coach Faria came over, worried. "Manzano actually started Costa—that caught us off guard. This situation is partly on us as a coaching staff."
Mourinho nodded. "True. They've played a game like this before, but I couldn't justify preparing extensively for such a low-probability tactic. Still, Manzano is bold—probably forced into a corner by the club."
In recent seasons, Atlético Madrid's performance had been terrible. The higher-ups were dissatisfied with Manzano, and his seat was getting hot. In desperation, he could only make bold tactical changes—using a battering ram like Costa to tear through Real Madrid's defense.
This tactic might work against many teams…
But not against Mourinho!
When it comes to using a target man, Mourinho could confidently say he's the best in the business!
The once-glorious Chelsea, with their Ivorian beast Drogba, is the best proof of that!
"To limit these target men, the key isn't physical confrontation. Of course, if your lineup includes a tough center-back who can go toe-to-toe, that's ideal—but those players are often inflexible and typically backups."
"So in a standard setup, the way to neutralize Drogba or Costa is to first secure the central zones, preventing direct passes to their feet, and force the opposition out wide, where they have to cross."
"That drops their scoring efficiency significantly. On the right wing, we've got Srna—solid and reliable. On the left, Marcelo is a bit weaker defensively, but defense isn't just a job for defenders in our team!"
Faria listened closely. Turning to the pitch, he noticed Real Madrid players moving with discipline, using their numbers to push Atlético's attacks toward the wings.
It didn't feel like Atlético wanted to go wide—more like they were forced to.
As if an invisible hand was guiding them to the flanks.
And on the wing—
Bang!
Reyes tried to cross, but suddenly a foot appeared in front of the ball.
The ball ricocheted off the foot, then bounced off Reyes and rebounded backward.
Reyes turned to chase the ball…
But Srna reacted quicker. As he turned, he gently pressed Reyes's chest to slow his momentum and gained a positional edge, reaching the ball first and taking control.
"Srna!! Brilliant one-on-one defense!!"
"Since joining Real Madrid, the Croatian fullback has become the most reliable presence on the right side!"
Bang!
Srna passed the ball to Xabi Alonso, then kept sprinting forward.
Alonso slipped the ball into the right half-space for Kaká.
"Kaká!!"
Srna overlapped and shouted.
Kaká, with his back to goal, lightly nudged the ball with the outside of his foot—right into Srna's path.
"Damn, my teammates are incredible!"
Srna was thrilled.
The timing of the pass was perfect—he didn't even need to slow down. He just pushed the ball forward in stride and surged down the wing.
"Oh~~~~ Srna!! Real Madrid have opened up the right flank! Srna sprints from his own half to the byline—cross incoming!!"
BOOM!!
Using his last ounce of strength, Srna whipped the ball into Atlético's penalty area.
At this moment, Atlético's defenders were still scrambling to get back.
Benzema held his man in the center—but the ball flew over the middle and toward the far post.
And there—
A figure darted in from the diagonal.
Thud!
Right foot planted, body leaping like a soaring eagle. He kept his torso straight, locked his neck, eyes fixed on the ball—and slammed his forehead into it.
Bang!
The ball flew into the bottom left corner of the net.
Swish!
Goal!
Real Madrid, in the 22nd minute, took the lead with a stunning counterattack!
Real Madrid 1:0 Atlético Madrid.
"GOAL!!!!!! GOAL!!!!"
"Suker!!!"
"This is Real Madrid—one counterattack, one goal! Their transition speed is just too fast!"
"Of course, Suker's header was excellent—but the biggest credit goes to Darijo Srna!"
"From intercepting the ball to launching the counterattack, sprinting the entire right flank, and delivering a pinpoint cross—he was the key!"
"Let's all shout his name—Darijo..."
SRNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!——
The entire Bernabéu erupted in chants of "Srna!"
Srna, supporting himself on his knees, looked around the stadium.
His heart was pounding.
Not long ago, Real Madrid and the Bernabéu were distant dreams—places he could only imagine.
Now, he wasn't just playing here—he had 90,000 fans shouting his name.
Amazing!
"Hell yeahhhhhhh!!!!——"
Someone suddenly leapt on his back.
Of course—it was Suker!
Suker, excited beyond belief, was pointing at Srna as if to show him off.
Look at him! Look at my fullback! Isn't he awesome?
The other Real Madrid players swarmed over, laughing, shouting, celebrating.
On the other side, Atlético players looked dazed.
They had been pressing hard, but not only did they fail to score—they conceded.
And then Real Madrid suddenly flipped the script—the change in style had them completely disoriented.
"Hey! How'd you do that?"
Ramos grinned as he ruffled Srna's hair.
The interception, the counter, the decisions—it was like Srna had foreseen it all.
"Boss told me!" Srna replied openly. "He gave me a tactical diagram and pointed out a few key things!"
Everyone nodded—they had seen Mourinho pass him that note, but didn't expect it to pay off this directly.
Srna smiled: "First, defensively, we had to force their attack toward the wings, especially my side. Against Reyes, I noticed he always fakes first, then crosses second—so I held back on the first move and intercepted the second."
"As for the counterattack, that was boss's design too. Their fullbacks like to push forward, so instead of sprinting with the ball, I was told to pass more—to confuse them, slow their retreat, and draw their focus to Kaká. That way, I'd get a clean overlap opportunity."
"I just did what he said—and we scored!"
Everyone looked at each other, amazed.
Even Suker sighed in admiration.
That's Mourinho for you.
Tactical adjustments, transition triggers, attacking options—even the opponent's fullback positioning—all planned in advance.
And it wasn't even a hidden strategy.
When the ball reached Kaká...
Atlético's fullback had to make a choice—stop Kaká or follow Srna?
If he followed Srna, Kaká could charge down the middle—far more dangerous.
If he stopped Kaká—well, we saw what happened.
So in a way, the fullback made the least bad decision—and still got punished.
Because Real Madrid's ability to seize opportunities is just that good.
"Brilliant!"
Mourinho clenched his fist and pumped it toward the fans, triggering wild cheers.
He loved this kind of tactical execution—this feeling of control.
Giving orders that players fully understand and implement—this is what a strong team looks like.
As for what came next?
Lock down Costa!
"Pass it here!"
"Over here!"
"To me!"
Costa kept shouting for the ball, but after scanning the field, his teammates kept passing to the flanks.
Costa was fuming. Why won't they pass to me?!
Costa was anxious.Atlético's players were even more anxious.
They wanted to pass to Costa.
But Real Madrid's defensive spacing was too tight—especially after tucking in. The central zones were completely choked off.
If they passed to Costa—it was almost guaranteed to be intercepted.
And once intercepted, Real could immediately counterattack.
That was the real killer.
So Atlético had no choice but to play the ball wide—just as Real Madrid wanted.
But on the right side, Srna had Reyes locked down.
Srna kept pace with him and blocked every cross like a leech that wouldn't let go.
On the other side, Simão had slightly more room—Marcelo wasn't as solid defensively.
But Di María was practically glued to Marcelo.
They defended together—like Siamese twins.
Outnumbered, Simão couldn't find space to deliver.
He had to pass back.
But maybe from all the feints, he misjudged his strength—and the pass was too soft.
Di María stuck out a toe to slow the ball, then spun and chased it.
Thiago rushed in to win it.
But Di María was faster—he reached it first, poked it ahead, and collided with Thiago. Both went flying.
But that didn't matter—the ball had reached Suker.
Suker shifted it forward and accelerated.
"Suker! He's on the move!"
Suker sprinted through the center.
Near the penalty area, Benzema suddenly moved laterally.
That drew the defenders' attention—Suker seized the chance, made a sharp cut, and burst into the backline.
"Uh-oh!"
Felipe gasped and reached out to stop him.
As Suker shot, Felipe gave him a shove.
Suker's balance was off—but he poked the ball with his toe.
Bang!
The ball skimmed low toward goal.
De Gea dropped to one knee, hands low, trying to scoop it up—but the ball suddenly dipped, hit the turf, bounced off his arm, and spilled loose.
De Gea leaned back, scrambling to recover.
But a foot appeared—
And slammed the ball into the net.
"Benzema!!!——"
"Karim Benzema!! On the rebound! Real Madrid now leads by two goals!"
The Bernabéu exploded.
Their ten-game win streak was alive!
Benzema rushed to the corner flag, leapt up, and pumped his fist.
Ecstatic!Snuck in another goal!
"Another counterattack goal! Real Madrid's transitions are lethal!"
"Suker's shot was key. Even with Felipe's shove and off-balance posture, he still got the shot off—forcing a mistake from De Gea. Benzema cleaned up the rebound!"
"Real Madrid's attack is heating up. But don't forget the defense—after Mourinho's adjustment, the backline stabilized."
"Ten league matches in—Mourinho has transformed Real Madrid's attack and defense!"
"Last season, the defense was a mess. And offensively, it was mostly Suker."
"But this season, the defense is systematic. And in attack, it's not just Suker—it's also Kaká and a rejuvenated Benzema!"
"This Real Madrid—I can't wait to see what comes next!"
With a two-goal lead, Real Madrid took control.
At the 55th minute, Atlético made a change.
Costa and Assunção came off.
Agüero and Forlán came on.
Manager Manzano had no choice—he needed results to keep his job.
So he subbed on two strikers, hoping to intensify the attack.
But Real Madrid responded in kind.
Kaká and Benzema came off.
Carvalho and Arbeloa came on.
Two forwards off. Two defenders on.
Manzano looked like his eyes were about to pop.
What kind of substitution is that?!
You're Real Madrid!
Shouldn't you be attacking?
Show some class!
Mourinho looked back at Manzano's furious glare—
And seemed to understand.
He muttered:
"Psycho. Who would attack now? What's the point of more goals?"
Real Madrid, obligated to attack?
For the sake of pride?
Star appeal?
To hell with that.
In my team, everything serves victory.
Mourinho's football philosophy is simple: if one goal secures the win and you can keep a clean sheet—that's perfection.
Why score a second if the first is enough?
Real Madrid entered full defensive mode.
Aside from Suker, everyone defended. Suker remained the out-ball for counters.
Of course, he still had light defensive duties—but thanks to his teammates, he didn't need to drop back often.
Just pressure occasionally.
And under this setup, 90 minutes flew by.
La Liga 2010/11, Round 10: Real Madrid 2–0 Atlético Madrid.
This loss made Manzano's situation even worse—his job was now hanging by a thread.
"Crap!"
Suker suddenly slapped his forehead.
Manzano getting fired?
Then who was Atlético's next coach again?
Suker couldn't remember.
Could it be that bearded guy—Simeone?
Was he coming to Atlético this soon?
If Manzano gets fired, that could trigger Simeone's arrival.
"Iron-blooded Atlético"La Liga might soon enter a "Three Powers" era.