After the 17th round, Benzema was all smiles every day, brimming with excitement.

He felt his form was excellent, especially after scoring a brace in the previous match.

Compared to last season, his goals and assists at this stage had significantly improved, indicating better integration into the team and overall stronger performances.

This was great news for him.

"Boom!!——"

On the training ground, Benzema unleashed a powerful shot that once again beat Casillas. When confidence is high, performances naturally improve.

The previous match had truly boosted Benzema's self-belief.

"Benzema's form is getting better and better."

Mourinho nodded slightly as he watched the action on the field.

"However, the improvement in Benzema's stats is largely due to opponents shifting their defensive focus toward Suker," Faria sighed.

There was an unusual atmosphere brewing in La Liga lately.

Even if they lost, teams were determined not to let Suker and Messi score.

Especially after the 16th-round El Clásico, this trend had become even more pronounced.

Suker and Messi had become the targets of every team, with tactical setups taking on an almost extreme approach.

While Benzema's rising goal tally was a positive, it was primarily because Suker was drawing excessive defensive attention.

This wasn't due to a major improvement in Benzema's abilities but rather opponents' extreme measures to limit Suker.

Take Benzema's first goal, for example.

Di María had already played the ball across the six-yard box.

Yet, Getafe still had two defenders marking Suker, with only one weakly pressuring Benzema.

It was almost like handing Benzema a goal!

And it wasn't just Real Madrid; Barcelona faced the same issue.

Compared to Suker, the approach to handling Messi was different.

Suker faced extreme man-marking.

For Messi, it was repeated fouls. In Barcelona's match week 17, Messi had only scored one goal but had drawn six fouls and earned three yellow cards for opponents.

Barcelona had angrily protested, claiming opponents were targeting Messi rather than playing football.

The risk of Messi getting injured was too high.

Fortunately, the winter break arrived soon, offering some respite.

"Messi plays too quietly, so opponents proactively provoke him, even through fouls. But Suker is different..." Mourinho narrowed his eyes. "He believes in an eye for an eye. If someone tackles him, he'll tackle back. Plus, we have Pepe, Ramos, and Srna!"

"They won't stand by and let Suker be bullied."

Mourinho knew these teams couldn't stand watching Suker and Messi engage in a goal-scoring battle for the ages.

They refused to become mere background characters, leading to a twisted mindset: even in defeat, they wouldn't let them score.

Although coaches might not set such tactics, each player is an individual with their own thoughts. It's nearly impossible to control everyone's actions entirely.

Of course, Mourinho believed this was part of the journey to the top.

Whether it was Ronaldo, Zidane, or other iconic players of their eras, they all faced such challenges in their careers.

However, compared to them, Suker and Messi faced even more extreme resistance!

But for Mourinho, this was actually good news.

He could use this to enhance the attacking efficiency of other players.

That said, there was one headache: convincing Suker to occasionally play the role of a decoy.

But would Suker agree?

Moreover, they had just resolved a conflict and reached a delicate balance. Neither side wanted to disrupt it now.

With the Champions League approaching and shared ultimate goals, secondary conflicts tended to fade.

In the end, Mourinho abandoned the idea.

Mainly because he didn't want to risk another conflict at this critical juncture.

And if another conflict erupted, it might escalate to an irreconcilable level where a winner had to be decided.

He wasn't fully prepared yet!

He still couldn't handle Suker and Casillas alone.

So, he wanted to secure the Champions League this season and add to his accolades.

With these achievements, he could bring in new players and rebuild the squad!

Mourinho had initially planned to rein the locker room to gain more support, but he had underestimated the complexity of Madrid locker room. Since this wasn't working, a complete rebuild was the only option.

And all of this required results to support it!

Once the rebuild was complete, with his own people everywhere and full control of the locker room, both Casillas and Suker would have to fall in line.

On the training ground, Suker and the others gathered to rest.

"The Champions League knockout stages don't start until February, but the teams that advanced this time are quite unusual!"

Srna remarked.

The Champions League round of 16 consisted of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter Milan, Basel, Bayern Munich, Lyon, APOEL Nicosia, CSKA Moscow, Zenit, Benfica, Napoli, Chelsea, AC Milan, Arsenal, and Bayer Leverkusen.

Surprisingly, Villarreal, Valencia, Manchester United, and Borussia Dortmund had been eliminated.

The first two were understandable, as their European form could be inconsistent.

But the latter two—Manchester United and Bundesliga top seeds Borussia Dortmund—were shock exits.

Srna had been closely following Dortmund. Whether from Manžukić's accounts or their performances, they seemed like formidable opponents.

However, they seemed to struggle adapting to the Champions League, putting in disjointed displays in the group stage.

In six matches, they managed one win, one draw, and four losses.

As Bundesliga top seeds, they finished bottom of their group, not even qualifying for the Europa League.

Dortmund's performance was baffling.

Earlier, German and European media had hyped them up as "super dark horses" but their Champions League group stage showing was inexplicable.

Then there was Manchester United!

United were European giants, with Ferguson's teams known for their resilience. With Ronaldo and Modrić, among others, their group-stage exit was unprecedented.

Despite Ronaldo's form, an aging United squad couldn't hold on.

"Don't you find it strange?" Srna asked Suker.

Suker replied, "What's strange? Dortmund are mostly young, inexperienced players. It's normal."

In the original timeline, Dortmund's first European campaign was also underwhelming.

But the following year, they would stun everyone by reaching the Champions League final.

Dortmund were one of the most explosive "youth storms"!

If not for facing Bayern Munich in the final, the outcome might have been different.

"This season, the teams to watch are Bayern Munich and Barcelona," Srna said.

Barcelona needed no explanation—they were a threat every season.

After years of buildup, Bayern Munich were finally hitting their stride.

Although they had lost the league title, they had increased their focus on the Champions League and were strong contenders.

With Robben and Ribéry on the wings,

Manžukić, Schweinsteiger, Vukojević, Müller, Lahm, Neuer, and other talents, they were a team to be wary of.

But Suker was more focused on another team:

Chelsea!

Currently, Chelsea were plodding along, their journey as bumpy as ever.

But in the original timeline, Chelsea would gradually improve in the Champions League through sheer resilience.

Their veterans seemed to find a second wind late in their careers.

It was like a return to the Blues' glory days, as they defeated Barcelona and Bayern Munich to claim the Champions League title!

So, compared to Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Chelsea were the team to watch.

However, Real Madrid had a significant advantage against Chelsea.

Mourinho, as a former Chelsea manager, knew the team inside out.

Drogba, Lampard, Terry, and others were players he had molded. No one understood them better.

Their strengths and weaknesses!

Mourinho knew them all, giving Real Madrid a natural intelligence advantage against Chelsea.

Moreover, even with Chelsea's famed "Iron Defense," Suker wasn't boasting when he called himself the "unsolvable spear" of the century. Could they really stop him?

Considering all these factors, it was why Suker dared to aim for back-to-back Champions League titles.

As long as internal issues didn't cause a collapse, they could maintain their strong competitiveness.

"By the way, when are you going to Switzerland?" Benzema asked enviously.

This year's Ballon d'Or would likely go to Suker again.

"Right after the 18th round," Suker said with a smile.

His fourth Ballon d'Or!

Although the winner hadn't been announced yet, it was practically set in stone. The honors Suker had earned last season made it impossible for anyone else to take the award from him.

"You're already on your fourth!" Benzema was still envious.

The Ballon d'Or was every player's dream.

Winning one was considered a blessing, but Suker was about to claim his fourth.

And given Suker's form, there would be more in the future!

On January 8th, La Liga officially resumed.

In the 18th round, Real Madrid hosted Real Sociedad.

The starting lineups were as follows:

Real Madrid (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Casillas

Defenders: Srna, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo

Midfielders: Khedira, Kaká, Alonso

Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Suker

Real Sociedad (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Bravo

Defenders: Cadamuro, Mikel González, Estrada, De la Bella

Midfielders: Illarramendi, Elustondo, Aranburu

Forwards: Griezmann, Vela, Agirretxe

Real Sociedad were in the lower half of the La Liga table. Although not in the relegation zone, they weren't safe either.

Vela was their top scorer, but their forwards' goal tallies were similarly low.

Not that they were high—they were just low.

Even Griezmann was no exception.

After 17 rounds, Griezmann had 3 goals, Vela had 5, and Agirretxe had 2.

This was a team with extremely low attacking efficiency.

Their three forwards had combined for only 10 goals in 17 matches.

Suker alone had scored 30 goals—three times their total.

As for Griezmann, he hadn't yet shown his potential—just a promising French boy.

It was only after joining Atlético Madrid that he would embark on his "Main Character Arc," basically dominating at will.

In the 11th minute, Real Madrid scored on a counterattack, with Benzema tapping in.

Following the previous match, Benzema found the net again, showcasing his hot form.

Real Sociedad's marking of Suker remained as phenomenal as ever.

As Suker dropped toward the midfield line, Real Sociedad's full-back pushed up, the defensive midfielder closed in, and even winger Griezmann tracked back, forming a three-man marking scheme.

"Another three-man marking! Even without the ball, if Suker appears near the ball carrier, he faces intense defensive attention!"

Suker glanced around, suddenly stopped, and began walking.

As he dropped back near the midfield line, Kaká suddenly changed pace with a chipped pass into the space behind the left full-back.

There, Marcelo surged down the flank. With Suker drawing defenders, Marcelo reached the ball effortlessly.

The Real Sociedad full-back who had been near Suker immediately turned to chase.

Seeing this, Suker suddenly spun and sprinted toward the half-space.

At that moment, Marcelo played a diagonal pass behind, and the ball landed in front of Suker. Suker pushed it forward with a burst of pace, blowing past the entire defense and charging into the penalty area.

"Suker!! He's broken into the box! How will Real Sociedad respond..."

Commentator González hadn't even finished his sentence when Suker pulled back his left foot and unleashed a fierce shot!

The ball skimmed along the ground, nutmegging the center-back who stretched to block and then slipping through the goalkeeper's legs as well.

A double nutmeg, and the ball found the net!

Swish!

"Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaal!!!!!!!!!!——"

"Suker!! That low shot was perfectly executed. Real Sociedad's center-back Mikel González was too eager to block, and Suker seized the moment to shoot. González also blocked the goalkeeper's view, preventing him from reading the shot's trajectory quickly enough, leading to the nutmeg!"

"Real Madrid's second goal! Suker's 31st goal in the 18th round!"

"Despite Real Sociedad's extreme marking, they still couldn't stop Suker from scoring! Just like in this attack, with teammates creating space, Suker exploited a brief opening and found the net!"

"Real Madrid lead Real Sociedad 2:0!"

The stadium erupted in cheers, Real Madrid fans roaring their approval for Suker's goal.

On the sidelines, Mourinho rubbed his temples.

Even as his own team's coach, he was in awe of Suker's performances.

Unlike in training, Suker's ability to seize opportunities in an instant was remarkable.

Mourinho put himself in the opposition's shoes—if he faced an opponent like Suker, he wouldn't know what to do either!

Back when he defeated Real Madrid with Inter Milan, he was taking advantage of their lack of cohesion.

No matter how strong Suker was individually, he couldn't carry a team against another peak squad alone!

But with just a little support, Suker could give back tenfold!

In the second half, in the 65th minute, Real Madrid launched another counterattack.

This time, it started with Suker's surge down the wing.

Before accelerating, he left Griezmann dizzy with a series of feints and step-overs, sending the Frenchman tumbling to the ground. Once Suker took off down the flank, Real Sociedad's defense was destined to be breached!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!

The sound of wind whistled past his ears as Suker maintained a steady dribbling rhythm. Though not at full sprint, his pace was still blistering.

At the right moment, Suker cut inside toward the half-space.

With just one change of direction, the opposing full-back was left behind.

Suker charged forward several more meters. As he was about to enter the penalty area, he suddenly played a low cross with his left foot and immediately leaped into the air.

As Suker jumped, the opposing center-back slid in with a vicious tackle.

If not for Suker's jump, he would have been taken out.

The ball was played from the left to the right.

Bale was central, holding off a defender, but somehow Benzema had drifted into the space!

"Huh?"

Benzema was on the right, completely unmarked.

The goalkeeper was positioned to the left.

Facing an open goal, Benzema gently tapped the ball forward!

Goal!

Real Madrid scored again, leading Real Sociedad 3:0!

"Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaal!!!!!!"

"Karim Benzema! A brace in consecutive matches. Since the start of the second half of the season, he has been Real Madrid's best performer."

"Four goals in two matches! Is the French striker about to have a breakout?"

Commentator González shouted excitedly.

On the field, Marcelo grinned. "Breakout? He's just poaching goals!"

"But he's good at finding those positions!"

Alonso shrugged.

He had seen it clearly.

Bale had been too eager to score, so he drifted central, wanting to be in a more dangerous area.

But Benzema played more passively. Seeing Bale move central, he drifted to the right post.

Then Suker played the ball to the right.

Sure, there was an element of luck, but Benzema had found the space himself.

Moreover, his goal-scoring instinct had been honed training with Suker.

Every now and then, he would suddenly go on a scoring spree!

Just like now!

Benzema celebrated wildly, sprinting across the field in joy.

Bale, meanwhile, looked dejected.

The right was his position, but he had greedily moved central, only for the chance to appear on the right.

Suker also scratched his head.

Benzema really did have a knack for being in the right place!

It had been a rushed pass, so he had only seen a vague shadow.

Suker had thought it was Bale, but it turned out to be Benzema.

Who would have thought they'd swapped positions!

But it didn't matter—a win was a win!

And with a goal and an assist, his stats were looking good too.