I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 472: Chapter 86: Bayern Munich Approaches!

At the news conference after the match, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded.

When Pellegrini implied that while the team’s first-half performance was excellent, the reason they conceded two goals in the second half was due to someone in the dressing room not supporting his tactics.

Guardiola’s intervention made things suddenly interesting.

In this match, there is no doubt that Guardiola’s performance was more outstanding, especially since most media favored Real Madrid before the match.

However, in this match, Guardiola was full of innovative spirit and made targeted formations, earning him media praise, even though he didn’t win the match compared to Pellegrini’s conservatism.

Guardiola fielded three players in the starting lineup who had never participated in a National Derby before: left-back Maxwell, the miraculous Pedro, and the ”new Puyol,” Ziglinsky, which was certainly unexpected.

The ”Pep effect” also took place in this match, with ”Pedro’s magic” being showcased at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. He received a direct pass from Xavi, delivering a lethal blow against Casillas, leaving countless fans with a lasting impression.

From the coaches’ comparison, there is no doubt that Guardiola is a notch above Pellegrini, with most media and fans attributing the result of this match to the ”Pep effect,” believing that Guardiola embodies the Cruyff style of football, where every player is a component in the tactical system, and their performance ensures the machine’s operation.

Pedro is just such a component; he is neither a star nor a pillar player but can integrate well with his teammates and become one of the protagonists on the field unexpectedly.

In the 2008/09 season, Pedro was a player drawn from the second team to the first team, appearing only 14 times, with 11 as a substitute.

Pedro truly began to enter the eyes of most fans when he came on as a substitute for Iniesta in the last minute against Manchester United in the Champions League final.

But after just a summer, Pedro remained in the first team under Guardiola’s approval and created miracle after miracle.

Since staying in the first team this season, Pedro has scored 18 goals in all competitions for Barcelona.

This was Pedro’s first National Derby; he didn’t get a chance to play in the first leg, as Messi, Henry, Iniesta, and Ibrahimovic were Guardiola’s choices in attack.

But halfway through the season, Henry became unreliable, Ibrahimovic got injured, and only Pedro could be the most suitable partner for Messi.

Guardiola played Pedro as a left winger, but he struggled a bit in the first half against Ramos and found it hard to get good opportunities.

The only highlight of Pedro in the first half was a breakthrough on the wing causing Alonso to get a yellow card and a long-range shot hitting Albiol’s body as the half ended.

But in the second half, when Alves returned to the defensive position, Pedro also changed his position. Barcelona returned to their familiar attacking routine.

After scoring, Pedro celebrated freely, grabbing the team crest on his jersey and shouting towards the stands.

Even at just 22 years old and in his first National Derby, Pedro showed no signs of stage fright.

In fact, if not for Chen Zhong, Pedro would definitely be the media’s darling; he has scored 18 goals in various competitions this season: eight in the league, three in the Champions League, three in the King’s Cup, one in the Spanish Super Cup, one in the UEFA Super Cup, and two in the FIFA Club World Cup.

After being the main contributor to Barcelona’s treble in 2009, Pedro has once again taken the central stage in Barcelona’s campaign to defend their La Liga and Champions League titles this season.

It’s important to remember that two years ago, Pedro was playing in the Third Division, and now he’s the main character in conquering the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

However, compared to Chen Zhong, all these achievements seem less impressive. Chen Zhong was with Castilla three years ago, playing in the Third Division, and then at 16, he joined the team and gradually became indispensable for Real Madrid when their defense was in shambles.

By the end of the season, he made significant contributions to the team winning the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga title.

In the second season, although he moved to the Apennines, it took only half a season for him to gain the trust of coaches and the love of fans, winning a Serie A title and a UEFA Europa League title, and returned to a ”reorganized” Real Madrid, staging a triumphant comeback.

In this season so far, he has scored over 50 goals in all competitions, with 36 goals in the league and is expected to break the league scoring record, pushing it to over 40 goals.

In the National Derby, when C. Ronaldo and Kaka underperformed, he stepped up, completed a hat-trick, helping the team to draw, taking away three points from Barcelona, leaving them with just one.

Such a performance is truly impeccable.

Some novice fans may not have noticed, but some veteran fans, even some seasoned football ”experts,” have already sensed the arrival of a dynasty.

The arrival of the Dream Team III dynasty.

Under Guardiola, Barcelona, in terms of player chemistry and tactical proficiency, is undoubtedly world-class. Currently, they are simply experiencing some internal friction due to new signings. After resolving these internal issues, they will be invincible.

Of course, there are still variables here!

That is whether Chen Zhong, who already vaguely holds the title of the world’s best midfielder, can withstand Barcelona’s ”pass and control.”

From this match, it seems that Chen Zhong is still lacking somewhat.

After the match, the media rated the players of both teams:

For Real Madrid, Casillas received a score of six, with an intriguing comment: ”The god” shows a human side: he astonishingly saved two one-on-one shots from Messi, but failed to save the other three goals.

Compared to Casillas, Barcelona’s Valdes was praised. The media commended Valdes for not being a problem for the first time, particularly highlighting his performance in the second half, saving goals from C. Ronaldo and Van der Vaart, an indisputable wall.

Although he conceded three goals from Chen Zhong, Valdes undoubtedly delivered an outstanding performance in this match.

Some people even argue that this is like someone who usually fails an exam passing it; they’ve given Valdes too much credit.

The defense scores for both teams were similar, most hovering between 5-6 points, given they were facing world-class attackers. The highest score was given to Pique, who received 8 points, with the greatest acknowledgment being his ability to restrict C. Ronaldo’s performance.

In the midfield, Real Madrid’s Chen Zhong and Barcelona’s Xavi both received a rating of 9, a point of contention for some Real Madrid fans who felt Chen Zhong ought to be 10 or Xavi 8.

Chen Zhong was awarded MVP for the match, completing a hat-trick with a header, a long shot, a poaching goal, and a fake shot trick. This led to people starting to call Chen Zhong the ”Terminator” and even discussing the possibility of Chen Zhong playing as a center forward.

The media’s evaluation of Chen Zhong: This is an incredible player, seemingly omnipotent. Whether in attack, defense, or organization, he performs excellently. He achieved three goals in different ways, and his all-powerful finishing ability leads people to wonder how frightening it would be if he became a forward.

In this match, he was beaten one-on-one by Messi, but that’s not an issue. After all, one-on-one defending against Messi is basically impossible without fouling.

In evaluating other players, Marcelo and Alonso were both rated between 5-6. Marcelo’s first-half performance and a few good breakthroughs were praised, but his recklessness and lack of patience were criticized. Alonso was praised for his defensive performance, but deemed ordinary in attack and organization.

Pirlo was not evaluated due to his short playing time, while Baptista received the lowest score of 3. The media judged him as not diligent enough, not meeting expectations, and not contributing much to the team. This has led many to believe that Baptista’s time at Real Madrid is counting down.

For Barcelona, player evaluations were generally good. Yaya Toure even received a high score of 8, mainly praised for his restricting of Chen Zhong after coming on and his suppression of Real Madrid’s midfield. Such world-class midfield strength would merit a starting position on any team.

This match also showcased the players’ performances to the fullest as the game drew to a close.

The aftermath has not yet subsided, and Real Madrid must prepare for the Champions League semifinals, where they will face another formidable opponent from the Champions League.

The giant from the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich!

The first leg will be held on April 22. Meanwhile, Real Madrid must play two league matches in a week, making it a schedule of three matches in a week counting the Champions League semifinal.

The schedule is extremely tight.

The opponents in the league are no pushovers either.

One is Almeria, a team that has repeatedly denied Barcelona 3 points, and the other is the Bat Army, Valencia.

Especially after the match against Valencia, Real Madrid must travel to Germany to face Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.

The lineup selections for this match are also quite worrisome.