Three goals down, Barcelona were on the verge of losing their composure.

When had this team, always proud and self-proclaimed as extraordinary, ever been beaten so badly by a domestic opponent?

The first meeting between the two sides this season was at Camp Nou, where Barcelona lost 0-3 at home.

That was already a huge humiliation.

Now, at the Santiago Bernabéu, they still had no answer to Real Madrid.

In fact, the situation was even more embarrassing than in the first game.

For much of the match, they could barely cross the halfway line.

Especially in the second half, with Real Madrid already leading 3-0, they were still pressing high in Barcelona's half. From their posture, it looked like they genuinely intended to take Barcelona head-on. How could Barcelona accept such a provocation?

As a result, Barcelona quickly intensified their counterattacks.

Their players were extremely experienced and quickly recognised that when Real Madrid's defence pushed high, the space behind would open up. They began actively trying to exploit it with direct passes into the space behind the back line.

In this case, Varane and Pepe, as centre-backs, were the first to face the test.

In the 49th minute, the two sides were battling fiercely near the halfway line, with possession changing hands repeatedly.

Xavi attempted to play the ball in behind to find Sánchez, but Carvajal got there first and cleared with a long pass.

The clearance fell back into midfield, where Xavi again tried a direct pass, but Pepe intercepted.

However, the loose ball was picked up by Messi, who shook off Xabi Alonso and threaded a through ball.

Agüero cut in from behind, collected the ball and drove into the box.

With Agüero in a one-on-one situation and Casillas about to come off his line, Varane burst across from the side. Just as Agüero was about to shoot, the Frenchman slid in and blocked the attempt.

Varane then sprang back to his feet, shielded the ball from Agüero, and calmly passed it back to Casillas.

The Real Madrid keeper immediately launched the ball upfield.

The entire Bernabéu erupted in cheers.

From a distance, Casillas gave Varane a thumbs-up.

…

On the touchline, Gao Shen applauded Varane's outstanding defending and turned to smile at Zidane.

It seemed his "motivational" tactics for Varane had worked.

Push this kid a little, and his potential would be forced out instantly.

"He's been brilliant tonight," Hierro couldn't help but praise.

At just nineteen years old, to deliver such a performance in El Clásico was a sign of great promise.

More importantly, his marking of Messi had been excellent.

Now, Barcelona were even having Messi drop deeper to find space.

"Honestly, I'm shocked," Carlo said with a wry smile, giving Gao Shen a look that seemed to say: I'm not as bold as you, can we tone it down?

"This is a perfect chance to see how much attacking pressure our defence can handle. Only when we understand our limits can we be more confident in setting up for the Champions League knockout stage," Gao Shen explained.

In truth, his aggressive approach at the start of the second half was not solely about scoring.

The goal was a bonus.

What Gao Shen really wanted was to test how much pressure Real Madrid's defence could withstand.

Barcelona were the perfect benchmark.

If Real Madrid could hold up under their attack, Gao Shen would have more confidence and flexibility in the knockout rounds.

Sometimes, it would even allow him to try more daring, attack-heavy tactics.

Otherwise, sticking to the current style might leave him unsure and hesitant.

"Didn't you already test this in the group stage?" Carlo grumbled.

"That was Ramos and Pepe. Now it's Varane. I want to see if he can cope," Gao Shen replied.

Two centre-backs were not enough for the demands ahead.

The reason he dared to take this gamble was because he believed Varane could handle it.

This was Real Madrid's future defensive leader.

…

On the pitch, the two sides remained locked in battle.

What surprised everyone was that Real Madrid still showed no intention of sitting back. Instead, they kept pushing forward.

In the 55th minute, Xabi Alonso played a long pass, looking to exploit space behind the defence, but Puyol beat Benzema to the ball and headed it to the retreating Alba.

Alba passed to Busquets, who laid it off to Xavi.

Barcelona kept the ball moving until Xavi, finding space, launched a long pass over the top of the Real Madrid back line.

Agüero raced forward at full speed, charging into Real Madrid's defensive third and heading straight for the box.

Pepe and Arbeloa chased from behind, but Varane's pace was quicker.

The Frenchman sprinted past Messi, accelerated again, and closed the gap on Agüero just as he reached the top of the arc.

Agüero entered the penalty area, but Varane made a subtle blocking movement with his left hand — not making contact, but signalling his presence — while taking half a step ahead.

At the decisive moment, Varane slid in for a tackle.

Agüero stumbled over him and went down inside the box, but Varane had already cleanly won the ball.

Casillas reacted instantly, coming off his line to collect before Messi could arrive.

Barcelona's players appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on.

"Fantastic tackle."

"Varane, the 19-year-old Frenchman, coming up with a huge defensive play at a critical moment."

"We can see his tackle was decisive, with no hesitation, and his reading of the situation was spot on."

"This young player has just made a massive contribution."

The Bernabéu once again rang out with chants of Varane's name.

The fans were roaring their approval for the young centre-back, as were Gao Shen and his staff on the touchline.

Two crucial tackles in quick succession had made a lasting impression.

Especially his composure under pressure.

Inspired by Varane's interventions, Real Madrid surged forward.

Casillas quickly rolled the ball out, signalling his teammates to push up.

The attack began down the right. Modric fed Di María, who carried the ball to the edge of the box before being stopped by Alba and Busquets, forcing him to lay it back.

Modric switched play to Ronaldo on the left.

Real Madrid tried to break through there, but Ronaldo, tightly marked, found no opening near the edge of the box and laid the ball back to Toni Kroos.

The German midfielder, receiving on the turn, used his right foot to shield from Xavi and then played a cross-field pass.

At that moment, the entire right side of Barcelona's penalty area was completely open.

With Di María and Benzema central, Ronaldo on the left, Barcelona's defence had collapsed inward, leaving that space unguarded.

Carvajal timed his run perfectly. Receiving Kroos's pass, he controlled it with his right foot and, before Alba could close him down, whipped in a first-time cross.

The delivery had low height and high speed, skipping past the crowded middle and dropping at the back of the six-yard box.

Ronaldo had anticipated this the moment Carvajal took possession. Sprinting in at full speed, he rose with a powerful leap and met the cross with a thundering header.

The ball flew into the left side of Barcelona's goal.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!"

"4-0!"

"Another goal for Real Madrid!"

"In the 57th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo scores again!"

Ronaldo charged towards the stands in celebration, with the Bernabéu faithful leaping from their seats in ecstasy.

His teammates quickly caught up to celebrate with him.

Barcelona's players lowered their heads in dejection.

No matter how hard they tried, they could not stop Real Madrid's relentless attack.

…

"This attacking routine will be our ultimate weapon," Zidane said in admiration.

What is an ultimate weapon?

It is something the opponent cannot defend against, no matter what they do.

Just as teams cannot fully stop Barcelona's possession game, this was Real Madrid's answer.

Their goal just now had been carefully designed.

First, draw the entire defence to one side. Then, switch play quickly with a long diagonal pass to the free side, where the full-back joins the attack to deliver the decisive ball.

Just like now — how could Barcelona defend it?

Kroos's diagonal pass was faster than anyone could react to, and perfectly accurate.

Carvajal's control on the run was flawless, a skill honed in training. His first-time cross was pinpoint for Ronaldo, whose leap and timing made him impossible to stop.

In that moment, Real Madrid's attack was simply unstoppable.

And this was only one side.

When Marcelo returned on the left, both flanks would become equally dangerous…

Zidane could barely imagine the havoc it would cause.

It would shake European football to its core.

Looking at Gao Shen, the French legend couldn't help but feel genuine admiration.

As the season progressed, it was clear Gao Shen's transfer business had been deeply thought out.

Take Toni Kroos — his passing was steady, his ball retention excellent, and his vision and long-range delivery devastatingly accurate.

And Gao Shen had placed him in the left central midfield role to maximise those qualities.

Seeing Khedira's and Özil's current roles, who would dare say now that signing Kroos and Modrić was a bad deal?

It was a masterstroke.

(To be continued.)