At halftime, in the Real Madrid locker room.

Faria followed Mourinho's tactics to arrange the second-half strategy.

Team manager Leite had already relayed the message, so Faria breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he was also glad that Mourinho hadn't done anything foolish, like hiding in a laundry basket again. Earlier, the event staff had turned every possible hiding spot upside down, especially the laundry baskets.

The Real Madrid players were busy rehydrating and eating some light food.

The intense battle before the season had taken a lot out of them, and they needed some replenishment.

Suker had a banana stuffed in his mouth as he sat on the bench. Nearby, Kaka and Alonso were discussing the second half.

"Defense is key, but we also need to counterattack. If we can't launch counterattacks, Barcelona will press us even more recklessly!"

"I agree. Sometimes we might even need to focus more on offense."

"This match might require full-press defending for the entire game."

"Being tired doesn't matter, as long as we win the fourth title."

Kaka and Alonso exchanged ideas, while Suker also pondered the second-half strategy.

Mourinho wanted to "set up the big cannon."

This tactic was brilliantly executed by Pellegrini in Suker's first season at Real Madrid.

During that season, when Real Madrid had not yet built a cohesive system and was transitioning between old and new players, the team relied on this tactic all year long, leveraging Suker's exceptional individual ability to secure victories.

It had to be said that Mourinho's choice was excellent, especially since the second half was very favorable for Suker. His "abundant stamina" would become the big cannon that threaten Barcelona!

However, as Alonso had pointed out, defense was also key!

Suker quickly swallowed the banana in his mouth. Though not full, he had at least replenished some nutrients.

He patted his butt and stood up, took a fresh pair of socks from the table, stretched them to make them looser, then cut a few slits in them before putting them on.

After putting on his cleats, shin guards, and other gear, Suker moved around a bit.

He still hadn't used the Stamina Recovery Card yet.

He would use it at the appropriate time, and when he did, he would also re-equip [Inzaghi's Awareness].

Real Madrid no longer needed Suker and Kaka to attack together as often; instead, they operated more in a staggered formation.

Of course, adjustments would be made in specific situations, but for now, they would maintain their current style.

Thus, even without [Kaka's Awareness], Suker could still coordinate well with the midfield.

Clap clap clap!!

Faria clapped his hands and said, "Alright, guys, it's time to head out. Remember, defense is the most critical point in the second half. On the foundation of defense, let's win this match!"

Following Faria's words, everyone shouted "¡Vamos!".

Halftime ended, and the teams switched sides.

At the end of the first half, Barcelona 2:2 Real Madrid. After 45 minutes, the score was still seesawing, and the situation was extremely tense.

This season, Barcelona's form remained excellent.

With Messi hitting his peak, the team was more cohesive than ever, making it even more challenging to play against them compared to last season.

However, for their fourth title, they had to defeat Barcelona here.

The second half was about to begin.

Guardiola stood in front of the coaching area, glancing once more at the stands. After confirming that Mourinho was nowhere in sight, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. If Mourinho had been there, it would have likely led to another round of mind games.

Now, Guardiola's main focus was limiting Suker.

Currently, both teams had three substitutions remaining.

The key was how to force Real Madrid to use their substitutions while also strengthening Barcelona's defense.

This would also determine which team could score first.

The scoring side would gain a significant advantage from the goal.

Not only could they force the opponent to make substitutions, but they could also adjust their own tactics with late substitutions.

At the same time, they could gain some advantage on the field.

Therefore, the second half would not be dull.

"Score!"

Suker stood in his own half, slowly exhaling.

His eyes were sharp.

The second half would be a battle for goals!

Barcelona's attack!

Real Madrid's counterattack!

Who would score first?

Suker planned to use the Stamina Recovery Card between the 55th and 60th minutes.

This was the period when fatigue would slowly set in, making it the optimal time.

To that end, Suker would use the most ferocious firepower during this time to annoyed Barcelona's defense.

Peep!

The whistle blew again.

Barcelona kicked off.

After the kickoff, Real Madrid's players charged forward aggressively to press and intercept.

Compared to usual, Real Madrid's pressing was more intense. They wanted to force Barcelona to pass backward.

However, Barcelona still looked to advance. They were familiar with Real Madrid's high press and, though struggling, were not at risk of being dispossessed.

Bang!

Suker forcefully bumped into Busquets.

This guy still hadn't been substituted. Guardiola really valued Busquets.

But aside from Busquets, there were no better defensive midfield options.

They used to have Yaya Touré, but now only Keita was on Barcelona's bench. Would Keita play as a defensive midfielder?

Tap!

Busquets struggled to pass the ball to Xavi.

Xavi immediately switched play.

Busquets turned to look at Suker, his eyes filled with intense anger.

This wasn't the first time. Every time they played, Suker targeted him. Was he that easy to dispossess?

Suker glanced at Busquets, then turned away to continue pressing.

For Suker, Busquets was indeed easier to dispossess. After all, the guy turned slowly, wasn't quick with his feet, and when his brain wasn't working well either...

Wait...

Suker paused.

Busquets was in a phase of extremely poor form.

Why did he have to focus on the defensive line?

If he could break through Busquets, the defensive midfielder, Barcelona's entire formation would become disjointed.

Moreover, Suker had a special card for dealing with Busquets!

"Looks like I won't have to wait until the 60th minute!"

Suker turned to look at Busquets again.

Professor Busquets!

Get ready to be broken!

Busquets felt an inexplicable chill.

He knew his current form wasn't good. Having been responsible for two goals conceded in the first half, he bore significant responsibility.

Because of this, Busquets became even more cautious.

Even when Suker pressed him, he felt flustered.

Though reluctant to admit it, he was indeed afraid of Suker.

On the other side, Suker stood on the midfield line, still pressing.

During a dead ball situation, Suker immediately called up the system interface.

He was going to change cards!

He removed [Kaka's Awareness].

He equipped [Busquets' Awareness].

Suker now understood that some cards weren't about being strong or weak; in specific situations, they could be extremely effective.

However, Suker was also somewhat puzzled.

Why wasn't [Busquets' Awareness] a diamond card?

Didn't Professor Busquets, who played with a clever brain, deserve a diamond card designation?

But Suker didn't dwell on it!

Stamina Recovery Card activated!

His body instantly filled with energy.

Suker's eyes began to shine. From now on, he would focus on targeting Busquets.

"Barcelona is still possession, but they lack effective means to advance. The ball is passed to Busquets..."

As soon as Busquets received the ball, he heard intense footsteps beside him.

Busquets immediately wanted to pass, but at that moment, a foot suddenly appeared in front of him.

He forced himself to hold back, but his footing became unsteady. Before falling, Busquets passed the ball back to Piqué.

Piqué safely passed the ball to Xavi.

Busquets fell to the ground and turned to look at Suker again.

'It's him again!'

Annoying!

Extremely irritating!

Again!

Who's the defensive midfielder here?

Did he have to avoid Suker to play?

More importantly, Suker's reaction to his handling of the ball was too quick, as if he knew Busquets would pass immediately.

What if he had chosen to drag the ball and dribble past?

But!

Busquets shook his head.

At that moment, his mind was filled with passing—passing before Suker arrived. He didn't dare to dribble or shake off defenders.

If he lost the ball and conceded because of it, it would be disastrous.

Busquets believed he needed to play simpler and more stable.

Not greedy with possession.

Pass immediately upon receiving the ball. Let's see how you steal it!

Suker drifted from the left side toward the center. At that moment, Puyol passed the ball to Busquets again.

Before receiving the ball, Busquets glanced at Suker.

Xavi, beside Busquets, was dropping back to find space to receive the ball.

Suker leaned slightly to the right, then suddenly started stomping his feet wildly.

Bang!

Busquets passed backward!

"Hey!"

Xavi shouted dissatisfied; "I was already in position to receive the ball. Why didn't you pass to me?"

Busquets: "..."

Busquets had no response.

When Suker stomped his feet, the sound of intense footsteps made him too afraid to pass.

Even though Suker was some distance away, he was still afraid Suker would intercept, so he played a "safe pass."

Suker also grinned.

This guy's mentality was on the verge of collapsing under his pressure.

"Busquets' pass... hmm..."

Commentator González didn't know how to evaluate it either.

It was a safe pass.

It wasn't a good pass. Xavi was right there; passing to Xavi would have been the most logical way to advance.

But passing backward didn't result in a turnover, so it couldn't be called a mistake.

However, from this pass, it was clear that Busquets' mentality was problematic.

"Keep pressing!"

Suker continued to focus on harassing Busquets.

Applying pressure again and again!

Applying pressure again and again!

I don't believe you won't make a mistake!

This time, Xavi passed back to Busquets, and Suker immediately charged over.

Busquets noticed Suker in advance and turned toward the goal. Just as he was about to pass backward, he heard intense footsteps beside him.

Would he be dispossessed?

Busquets' body stiffened, and his passing motion wasn't fluid, pausing for a fraction of a second.

But in that time, Suker had already reached Busquets and stretched out his leg.

Bang!

The ball hit Suker's foot and bounced toward the edge of the penalty area.

"Oh~~~~ Busquets! A passing error! What is he doing?!"

On the sidelines, Guardiola also frowned deeply.

The Barcelona fans in the stadium gasped in shock. In such a tense situation, this sudden loss of possession, especially near the penalty area, completely disrupted the defensive line.

Seeing the lost ball, Xavi immediately tried to regain control.

But someone was faster than him.

Bell charged in rapidly from an angle and poked the ball toward the left front.

Suker had been marking time near the defensive line, ready to make a run at any moment.

When he saw this pass, his eyes lit up.

Great pass, Bell!

Just like that!

Suker's powerful explosiveness transmitted to the ground, and his body surged forward.

He reached the ball before Piqué, met it with his left foot, and unleashed a furious shot!

Bang!

The powerful shot arrowed toward the left near post like a cannonball.

Piqué arrived a moment later, sliding in past Suker.

When he turned his head, he saw the ball ripple the net!

"Goal!!!—Goal! Goal! Suker!!"

"Another goal from Suker! In a tense situation, Suker has once again stepped up!"

"A brilliant tackle + a near-post blast! Suker didn't hesitate at all; he fully trusted his technique! This powerful shot has given Real Madrid the lead again!"

"Real Madrid 3:2 Barcelona."

Suker charged toward the corner flag, leaped high, and celebrated with a fist pump.

The entire Camp Nou was filled with boos.

But Suker smiled incredibly happily!

The boos of the opposing fans were the best compliment!

"Mascherano, warm up! Keita, warm up!"

Guardiola turned and shouted.

But his heart was full of hesitation.

Should he really make these substitutions? It was like the same old situation.

If he strengthened the midfield and attack, what about the defense?

The clock had already reached the 56th minute. As time passed, Suker's threat would only increase.

He had originally planned to use two substitutions to limit Suker.

But now they had conceded a goal.

This was the situation he had mentioned earlier, only now it had shifted to his own team.

"Let's just substitute Busquets!"

Guardiola planned to substitute Busquets in the 60th minute, after these two had warmed up.

He thought just four minutes should be enough to stabilize.

But!

In the 58th minute, when Barcelona kicked off again and tried to advance, Xavi's pass was intercepted by Kaka.

After intercepting, Kaka slotted the ball toward the center.

Benzema dropped back to receive, acting as a pivot, and distributed the ball to the left.

But the pass wasn't great under pressure.

The ball was closer to Busquets.

"Damn it!"

Benzema gritted his teeth.

Busquets hurriedly chased down the ball, immediately stopped it, and shielded it.

Perhaps too flustered, he spread his legs wide, completely failing to notice Suker poking the ball through his legs with a single foot.

After poking the ball, Suker initially planned to sprint forward to chase it.

But at that moment, he suddenly jumped.

As Suker jumped, Busquets clutched his ankle, let out a cry of pain, and fell backward.

Instantly, the entire Camp Nou fell silent.

Suker had already bypassed Busquets, quickly reached the ball, and swept it toward the goal.

Bell arrived in the nick of time and easily tapped it in.

Real Madrid led 4:2 against Barcelona!

Bale ran to the corner flag to celebrate.

Suker turned to look at Busquets.

Busquets lay on the ground, still crying out in pain, even vigorously slapping the ground.

Beside him, teammates like Xavi looked extremely embarrassed.

Because they had all seen Busquets' clumsy dive.

Suker had already jumped, making it impossible for him to kick Busquets' ankle.

If he had fallen at the moment of the poke, it might have been plausible, but he paused before falling backward, making it an obvious dive.

The referee look coldly at Busquets.

He was also angry!

What a clumsy performance!

Did he really think the referee was blind?

The referee hated diving because it exploited the referee's blind spots to gain advantages through deception, which could affect the referee, potentially even leading to personal attacks.

The referee first pointed to the center circle and blew his whistle, signaling the goal was valid.

Then, he ran to Busquets.

"Get up!"

Busquets continued rolling around.

"Get up! Don't make me say it a third time!"

Only then did Busquets clutch his ankle and point at Suker; "He kicked my ankle!"

The nearby Barcelona players lowered their heads, also looking very embarrassed.

The referee almost laughed.

He directly showed a yellow card.

Busquets received a yellow card for diving!

And Barcelona had conceded another goal!

"This really is a clumsy performance!"

González watched the replay.

The slow motion clearly showed Suker poking the ball and immediately jumping.

After he jumped, Busquets suddenly clutched his ankle and fell.

Throughout, Suker never touched Busquets.

As for the reason for jumping, he believed Suker's center of gravity was forward, and he used the jump to readjust.

But regardless, Busquets had gotten his comeuppance.

"Make the substitutions!"

Guardiola covered his forehead, his voice hoarse.

Conceding two goals in the second half made him feel extremely urgent.

No matter how amazing Messi's form was, having a "teammate who drags the team down" made it impossible to carry!

Strictly speaking, Busquets wasn't a teammate who drags the team down, but he had been made foolish by Suker!

In the 59th minute, Barcelona was forced to make substitutions.

Busquets and Fàbregas came off.

Keita and Mascherano came on.

With these substitutions, Barcelona stabilized the midfield but sacrificed substitution options for the forward and defensive lines.

But Guardiola had no choice!

Who told Busquets to have another episode!

That's right!

"Another" episode.

In Suker's first season at Real Madrid, Busquets had been similarly destroyed by Suker.

And now, it had happened again!

As the link between Barcelona's midfield and defense, Busquets being broken through was, for Barcelona nothing less than a disaster situation.