The field was covered with a layer of snow, a vast expanse of white, to the point where even the lines of the pitch were unclear.

This situation also severely tested the Referee's judgment.

As for Real Madrid's players, it was about how to play against their opponents in such bitterly cold weather.

CSKA Moscow was clearly very accustomed to this playing environment, as from November until the end of the season, they basically had to play in such weather.

Playing in the snow was commonplace for them.

In contrast, Real Madrid's players might not even play one such match all year.

"There's too much snow; don't make short passes, go directly for long passes!"

Srna quickly made his judgment after a brief glance.

The others immediately nodded in agreement.

They trusted Srna's judgment.

After all, both Suker and Srna had played in the Croatian League, so they had rich experience playing in the snow.

"This is the first leg of the 2011/2012 Champions League Round of 16 elimination match, CSKA Moscow Manchester United against Real Madrid!"

"The weather in Moscow is currently minus 20 degrees Celsius, with snow falling and the pitch covered by a layer of snow. The environment for this match is a challenge for Real Madrid's players; they must overcome these difficulties!"

"And for CSKA Moscow, due to this weather and snowfall, their Home advantage is even greater. Let's wait and see who will win this match!"

Spanish commentator González said in a deep voice.

However, he was also relieved that Real Madrid was playing CSKA Moscow.

After all, Real Madrid was not a team known for quick, short passes. If it were Barcelona, this kind of weather and snowfall would have a much greater impact on them.

Just like when AC Milan played Barcelona, they watered the pitch and ultimately defeated Barcelona by relying on the field conditions and reasonable tactics.

Now, Real Madrid also needed to face these challenges.

Suker wore a thermal undershirt beneath his jersey and gloves on his hands, but these still couldn't completely counteract the bitter cold, though they provided some warmth.

Especially his hands and feet, they absolutely couldn't become stiff, or his performance would become even worse.

Soon, with the Referee's whistle, the match began.

CSKA Moscow kicked off and immediately passed the ball back.

Suker and Benzema were at the forefront, charging the opponent's defense.

Suker held nothing back; he wanted to continuously pressure the opponent in this situation.

No matter how much they adapted, snowy weather would still have some impact on them.

Under pressure, these effects would also be amplified.

Real Madrid's players immediately started high pressing.

CSKA Moscow had intended to stabilize the situation by passing, but seeing Real Madrid's press, their tempo instantly accelerated.

However, just as Suker had said, under the influence of the snowy weather and the accelerated tempo, they were also very unaccustomed.

The ball was passed to CSKA Moscow midfielder Dzagoev's feet.

"Go! Press him!"

Suker roared.

Granero immediately rushed up, restricting Dzagoev's passing lanes.

He could only pull the ball back to adjust, and at that moment, Suker had already closed in.

"Tackle him!"

Suker and Granero began an intense press.

Seeing Dzagoev in trouble, his teammates also immediately ran over to help.

Dzagoev quickly chipped the ball, wanting to get it out.

But at that moment, Suker suddenly lifted his foot and intercepted the ball.

Now it was CSKA Moscow's turn to win the ball.

But after Suker stabilized his body, he immediately performed a La Croqueta turn, spinning out of the crowd, while simultaneously passing the ball backward to secure possession.

After completing the pass, Suker did not immediately move forward but moved closer to the center.

He wanted to support his teammates and adapt to the field faster.

"Short passes! Try to shorten the distance, both sides tuck in, don't spread out!"

Suker directed his teammates; he had more experience in snowy conditions.

Once they spread out, long passes could indeed be used for transfers, but when in possession, they needed to tuck in and shorten the distance to reduce the error rate of passes.

Thump!

After Alonso passed the ball to Suker, he turned his head and shouted, "Didn't you say no short passes?"

Srna: "Trust Suker's judgment!"

Casillas: "Alonso, don't complain, Suker has more experience!"

Even Mourinho on the sidelines did not interrupt Suker's idea.

To ensure safety, he indeed emphasized long passes.

But Suker understood the situation on the field better, and with each touch, the players' ball control was indeed improving.

Therefore, Mourinho did not specifically speak up to interrupt.

He also trusted Suker's judgment!

As Real Madrid continuously passed the ball in midfield, CSKA Moscow was somewhat bewildered.

This was their Home Ground, and in this kind of weather, they should be the ones controlling the ball!

Moreover, their previous tactical setup also relied on ball control.

But Real Madrid surprisingly played a possession game themselves, leaving CSKA Moscow to just stare.

"Should we push up?"

Dzagoev asked his teammate.

Aldonin was not too daring, after all, Suker's threat was too great once he got to the front. If they pushed up, Real Madrid could play balls behind them.

Suker received his teammates' passes while turning his head to observe.

These big Russians were truly patient!

However, Suker could feel that these guys were also wavering.

Then, he would lure them a bit more.

When Suker stopped the ball, he feigned a poor touch, and the ball moved about a meter away from his body.

Seeing this, Dzagoev immediately shouted: "Press!"

CSKA Moscow finally started to press forward.

And Suker, before the opponent could tackle, poked the ball to Granero and then quickly moved up.

Granero passed the ball to Alonso.

Alonso looked up and saw Suker already charging forward, making a gesture for a pass.

"So that's how it is!"

Alonso's eyes lit up, and he immediately launched a long pass.

Despite the snow, Alonso was still able to control the accuracy of the ball's landing point.

"Suker!! The moment CSKA Moscow rushed forward, he immediately moved up and surged forward, Alonso~~ long pass!! Can Suker get to it?"

Suker sprinted forward with all his might; in the biting cold wind, his cheeks stung, and his eyes constantly confirmed the ball's landing point.

CSKA Moscow's defenders also rushed to the landing spot.

At the moment of impact, Suker suddenly jumped up, extended his right leg, and the ball struck the top of his foot, flying forward, while Suker also used the momentum of his jump to leap forward, instantly flying past the opponent's defense.

"Oh~~~ Suker!! A first touch and a dribble!!! He's in the penalty area, one-on-one!!!"

Suker regained control of the ball and drove diagonally towards the goal.

Just as Suker approached the six-yard box, he opened his body inward, making a motion as if to cross.

This action caused the Goalkeeper, who was about to dive, to make a misjudgment, and his body stiffened for a moment.

Suker took advantage of this brief pause, and with a sudden shot, he curled the ball.

The ball grazed the Goalkeeper's right supporting leg and flew into the goal.

In the 21st minute, Real Madrid scored first!

Suker scored the opening goal!

"Fantastic!"

Mourinho punched the air!

In this terrible weather, this was like a hand warmer nestled in his chest.

This leading goal was very important to them.

It could even be said that, based on this goal, their chances of winning had greatly increased.

Indeed, Suker's sudden move was meaningful; precisely because he wasn't stopped, this valuable goal came about.

Mourinho was very happy.

With this goal, Real Madrid's pressure would be greatly reduced.

In contrast, CSKA Moscow's players looked at each other in dismay.

Real Madrid's sudden change of tempo caught them off guard. Of course, Suker's final first touch and dribble also left them feeling very helpless.

"CSKA Moscow, they failed to score first in turf, in familiar conditions. Instead, Real Madrid took the lead, which is not good news for them!"

"However, Suker also needs to praise Real Madrid's choices in this match: using short-distance ball control to draw the opponent into pressing, but the moment the opponent pressed, suddenly changing tempo to launch a long-pass counterattack. Alonso's long pass was very accurate, and Suker's choice when advancing was even more brilliant, a first touch and a dribble. In this environment and on this pitch, this method is needed, scoring with the fewest touches and the simplest way!"

"And Suker clearly understood this point. Of course, this also reflected Suker's exquisite ball control; this continuous stop-and-go was simply art!"

González couldn't stop praising him.

Watching Suker's matches was a pleasure for him.

Suker was always able to make the most reasonable judgments, and the details were perfectly executed.

Whether it was the choice to stop and go, or his calm use of body positioning in front of the goal to interfere with the Goalkeeper's judgment, these were all details.

And this goal was pieced together from these details.

Therefore, the Ballon d'or Winner, this title held immense value.

Suker and the others completed their celebration and retreated to their half.

"Now it's simple: with the advantage in hand, we'll play defensive counter-attack!"

This match was very unfriendly to the attacking side; once a problem occurred in the attack, the opponent could immediately launch a counter-attack.

And the side unable to retreat during the attack became incredibly passive.

It could be said that, based on Suker's goal, Real Madrid turned what was a bad environment into one that benefited them.

"Iker, move around! You're going to freeze into an icicle soon!"

Suker shouted loudly.

Casillas yelled, "The opponent can't even attack, how do you expect me to move?"

The Real Madrid players laughed.

Perhaps due to the goal, the players' emotions relaxed a bit.

Casillas also took a deep breath; he understood that the main event was yet to come.

CSKA Moscow would press forward in attack; they were unwilling to lose at Manchester United and could only attack for that reason.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, had to launch counter-attacks while maintaining a strong defense.

In this match, between attack and counter-attack, the latter posed a greater threat.

After gaining the advantage, Real Madrid knew exactly how to win the match.

Therefore, they did not advance rashly, but played steadily, continuously controlling the situation on the field.

In contrast, CSKA Moscow became anxious.

As the time approached 40 minutes, their attacks had not yielded very good results.

"Set the ball for me!"

Dzagoev roared.

Immediately, he met the ball passed by his teammate and shot fiercely.

The ball zipped forward across the snowy ground, and Casillas immediately made a judgment and made a save.

Just as he reacted to save, the ball suddenly refracted off a raised spot in the snow, rolling towards a more peripheral position of the goal.

The ball speed slowed down a bit.

Casillas landed heavily, his wrist aching, but he ignored it, struggling to crawl forward and narrowly pushing the ball away.

"Casillas!! A brilliant save! That ball really almost went into the goal. This is due to the snow; long-range shots have a lot of uncertainty, but Casillas still made the most reasonable judgment! But… he seems… injured?"

Casillas lay on the goal line, holding his wrist with one hand, showing a look of pain.

During the save, to increase his sliding distance, he forcefully used his palm to support his body and slide forward, causing his wrist to suddenly bear too much pressure.

The match was quickly stopped.

Real Madrid's teammates rushed onto the field.

He immediately conducted an examination.

It was finally confirmed that Casillas had sprained his wrist.

Mourinho grimaced on the sidelines, covering his forehead.

Two already!

First Bale, then Casillas.

All because of this terrible weather!

Suker also sighed helplessly; there was a reason he had reminded Casillas to move more earlier.

Because in snowy conditions, the Goalkeeper is often the one most likely to get injured.

Others will run a lot, keeping their bodies and joints sufficiently flexible, but the Goalkeeper mostly stands still, so they are most prone to injury during intense saves.

Moreover, in snowy conditions, the probability of the ball deflecting is also high, which further increases the risk.

Casillas was injured, and he could only leave the field.

Mourinho used a substitution slot to send Real Madrid's substitute Goalkeeper, Adán, onto the field to guard the goal.

Adán was Real Madrid's substitute Goalkeeper, and he also came from Real Madrid's youth academy.

He moved from Real Madrid C team to the youth team, and then to the first team.

However, due to Casillas, he had always served as the substitute Goalkeeper.

Except for appearances in less important competitions like the Copa del Rey, he had never received an opportunity to play in La Liga, let alone the Champions League.

And this time, Casillas's sudden injury gave him a chance.

Adán excitedly walked onto the field.

"Move! Even in the goal, you move for me."

Adán was startled; he turned his head and saw Suker roaring at him.

Adán felt a little intimidated; in the locker room, besides Casillas, Suker was the one he feared the most.

Suker was extremely frustrated.

Casillas was already injured; if Adán got injured too, Real Madrid would have no Goalkeeper available.

In this terrible weather, it was essential to move a lot, especially for the Goalkeeper. Jump a few times for no reason to warm up; otherwise, Casillas would be a lesson.

With Casillas injured and off the field, they didn't trust the substitute Goalkeeper too much, so they retreated more to defend.

Fortunately, the first half quickly passed.

During halftime, Casillas, with his wrist bandaged, taught Adán some defensive tips.

He was also very helpless about this injury.

He was not a careless person, but he couldn't control his cooling body, nor could he control the problem of deflecting long-range shots from the opponent.

These coincidences contributed to this injury.

However, Casillas still believed the team could win the match.

Of course, the most crucial thing was for Adán to just stay steady.

"Sergio, you are the captain on the field now; you need to be more…"

Ramos waved his hand and said, "I don't need to do anything!"

He pointed towards the entrance, where Suker was leading Marcelo, Alonso, and others in some simple activities.

Suker: "Don't let your body cool down; keep moving. The consequence of cooling down is injury! Rookie "

Adán was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand and said, "My name is Adán!"

"Come here! Move! If you get injured, we won't have a Goalkeeper. Move your wrists and joints!"

Under Suker's command, Real Madrid's players continuously kept their bodies warm.

Mourinho teased Faria, "He stole your job!"

Faria shrugged, "He's more experienced anyway, I don't mind!"

Soon, the second half began.

The two sides switched ends.

CSKA Moscow still wanted to score in attack, and they also increased their long-range shots.

However, Real Madrid also adopted high pressing to disrupt their long-range shots.

And after they made a tackle or interception, they immediately launched a counter-attack.

But the harsh environment still caused some interference; although they tried hard to maintain their body heat, they continued to lose heat.

For example, Alonso's feet were already somewhat numb from the cold.

But luckily, Mourinho had been prepared.

In the 65th minute, he substituted Alonso and sent Kaka onto the field.

Kaka had ample stamina, and after he came on, the connection between him and Suker once again proved effective.

In the 73rd minute, Suker received a long pass from Kaka.

Suker jumped again, used his chest to control the ball, and before the ball landed, Suker adjusted his footing, sharply turned his body, and volleyed a shot.

The ball zipped through the cold wind and flew into the goal.

73rd minute.

Suker scored twice, and Real Madrid definitively secured the advantage in the match.

And after Suker's goal, Mourinho used his last substitution slot to directly substitute Suker.

He didn't want Suker to get injured in such a match.

With Suker off the field, Real Madrid officially entered a full retreat, defending the score.

But based on their two-goal advantage from earlier, their defensive pressure was not too great.

The only thing to be wary of was the substitute Goalkeeper being too nervous and making some mistakes.

However, Real Madrid mostly provided blocks, so Adán had very few opportunities to perform, ensuring the safety of the Goalkeeper and the goal as much as possible.

Under these circumstances, time flew by.

The 90-minute match ended.

In the 2011/2012 Champions League Round of 16, first leg, CSKA Moscow lost 0:2 to Real Madrid.

Real Madrid secured victory in the first leg!