Time was slipping away, and Arsenal's players felt increasingly exhausted.
With every run, their legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead, their chests heaved violently, and their lungs burned.
Under the blind running, their brains were somewhat deprived of oxygen, unable to issue commands in time, and even making many errors in judgment.
The timing for tackles was off, so they fouled!
The passing angle was wrong, and the ball was lost!
They ran with their heads down, and when they looked up, they were surrounded by opponents, unable to find any teammates.
This cycle repeated, and morale steadily dropped, making it difficult to organize any effective attacks or counterattacks.
When the time reached 80 minutes, this feeling became even more pronounced.
The match continued, but compared to Real Madrid, who still maintained their passion for the game, Arsenal's players seemed like walking dead, unable to comprehend what they were doing.
Even some basic tactical runs couldn't be formed, and the team as a whole was gradually collapsing.
Seeing this, Wenger could only sigh.
He understood that the tide had turned; they had no remedies left.
Now he could only pray that Real Madrid would ease up and not continue to press their attack.
And Ancelotti, understanding the situation, did not further provoke Arsenal's players at this point.
The current Arsenal was on the verge of collapse and madness; if Real Madrid truly played too aggressively, some malicious incidents could very likely occur.
Although the score difference wasn't particularly large, not yet reaching the standard of a massacre, the entire match process was incredibly oppressive for Arsenal.
They should have been the team controlling possession, but their possession rate in this match was insufficient, let alone their attack.
It could be said that none of the goals they wanted to achieve in this match were met.
These guys were like barrels of gunpowder soaked in oil, ready to explode at any moment.
For safety's sake, Ancelotti also made his final substitution.
He naturally replaced Suker, the key safeguard, with Pato to play in his stead.
When Suker was substituted in the 82nd minute, the Real Madrid fans present erupted in applause.
Although Suker did not score many goals in this match, he still played an extremely crucial role in the overall game.
It was precisely because of this role that Real Madrid was able to play so effortlessly.
With time running out, there was no need for Suker to remain on the field, and Real Madrid fans sent him off with fervent applause.
Bathing in the applause, Suker high-fived Pato as he left the field.
The camera remained fixed on Suker for a long time, not moving away.
"You worked hard!" Zidane personally draped a towel over Suker and enthusiastically embraced him.
This match was played with such gusto; Arsenal was given hardly any chances throughout, with Real Madrid always holding the initiative.
Ancelotti also nodded towards Suker: "Get some good rest!"
Suker went straight to the bench and sat down, stretching out his legs and half-reclining in the chair.
He wasn't overly tired!
But sitting like this was comfortable.
In fact, Suker was quite satisfied with this match.
His satisfaction stemmed from their successful execution of the tactical plan and their control over all the essential rhythms of the game.
His only minor dissatisfaction was Ancelotti substituting him, though Suker understood that this was to mitigate risk.
Thinking about the many Champions League matches ahead, he stopped dwelling on it and watched the game with peace of mind.
Suker's departure brought a sigh of relief to Arsenal's players, but their overall state still couldn't be adjusted.
Even Pato, who came on as a substitute, constantly drove forward and broke through on the wing, giving their defense no peace.
Finally, the full-time whistle blew.
The final score remained unchanged, and Real Madrid successfully won the match.
Suker also stood up from the bench to celebrate with his teammates.
While Real Madrid was filled with joyous cheers, the other side was grim-faced, forming a stark contrast.
At this moment, Suker noticed Wenger and Ancelotti shaking hands and conversing.
Compared to typical Head Coach handshakes, the two were clearly chatting more.
And at the moment of their final parting, Wenger even glanced at Suker.
Wrinkles were deeply etched on the old man's face, but he still managed to force a faint smile, like a gentleman.
However, his gaze towards Suker was extremely complex.
Suker didn't know what specific emotion it conveyed, nor did he intend to interpret it.
Winning this match was a good start to the knockout stage; next up was an away game, and they still needed to continue their efforts.
For some reason, after this match, Real Madrid's players were in exceptionally good spirits, and their morale was extremely high.
Perhaps it was because this match started well and was played so smoothly.
Before the match, Ancelotti had marked some simple and difficult rhythm points, which were things Real Madrid absolutely had to fight for.
Among them, the simple rhythm points absolutely had to be secured, as they concerned the direction of the game.
As for the difficult rhythm points, losing one or two was acceptable, but Real Madrid completed all of them.
In terms of task completion, it was 100%.
This was also why the match went so smoothly, and they were naturally very pleased.
"Later, we're having a barbecue party at my place!"
Suker waved his hand, indicating that they would have a feast that night.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately cheered; at times like these, a good celebration was needed.
Ancelotti also understood the need for emotional release, adding, "Training starts tomorrow afternoon!"
Everyone cheered loudly again.
Amidst the cheers, Real Madrid's team bus directly took the players to Suker's house, and this time even Ancelotti and other coaching staff members joined.
For Ancelotti, he usually avoided such gatherings, but this time was different; he was afraid that the players would get carried away, secretly drink, and drink too much.
Form, such a thing, could easily be lost with one night of heavy drinking.
Of course, a small drink led by the Head Coach was fine.
Suker had already called Zorancic in advance to have him prepare.
When Suker and the others arrived at the villa, there were already dedicated personnel grilling in the yard, and in the middle, there was a long, joined table large enough for all first-team players to sit.
The grilled meat was laid out on the table, and everyone sat gathered around.
Ancelotti, as the Head Coach, was the first to raise his bottle.
They were all athletes, so there was no need to insist on drinking from glasses; they drank directly from the bottles.
Ancelotti was in a suit, still in his match attire, while the players wore their training kits; some hadn't even showered and reeked of sweat.
But none of this affected the joyful mood.
"Since the season started in August, six months have passed, and during this time, I have seen your efforts. On behalf of the coaching staff, I thank you for your cooperation and trust. It is because of this trust that we have won match after match, and I believe that in the future, no matter how great the challenge, we will overcome it together!"
As Ancelotti spoke, members of the coaching staff also stood up, raising their bottles.
Suker began to clap and egg them on.
"Chug! Chug! Chug!"
As Suker started, others immediately followed suit.
Normally, they tortured them to death in training; they couldn't let them off the hook now.
The coaching staff members exchanged smiles, and Ancelotti led the way, putting the bottle to his mouth, tilting his head back, and chugging it down.
Seeing Ancelotti's generosity, Zidane, Pintus, and others were not to be outdone, each tilting their heads back and chugging their bottles.
Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!—
Immediately, cheers erupted.
Suker also immediately stood up, raising his glass sharply: "Let's drink half, in return to the coaching staff! Although they train us terribly, we still love them!"
"Exactly!" Benzema also immediately stood up and shouted; "This bottle is for the coaching staff!"
With that, Real Madrid's players, both starters and substitutes, stood up with a rustle and began to guzzle.
Of course, they didn't chug the whole bottle, but drank half, and some greedy ones secretly drank a whole bottle.
Ancelotti saw this but said nothing, silently making a note.
With this start, the party immediately became lively.
Everyone gathered, chatting about beautiful women, luxury cars, and football.
Suker, Kaka, and Ancelotti sat together; they were all players and coaches who came from Milan, and they had more topics to discuss.
As for Pato, who also came from Milan, he had already joined the others in besieging Pintus.
Looking at the lively scene, Suker smiled and said, "It's really nice to relax occasionally!"
Kaka: "I remember when we were in Milan, we always gathered like this!"
"Someone has to take the lead!" Suker shrugged: "Back then, the boss took the lead, so it was naturally easy for us to gather."
As for Real Madrid, the three major factions had previously clashed, so how could they possibly gather?
Now, these misunderstandings and conflicts have been resolved, and the team atmosphere has naturally become more harmonious.
Ancelotti nodded: "Paolo is indeed an excellent Captain, and also an outstanding leader!"
After saying that, he turned to look at Suker; "You've also done well."
Suker immediately waved his hand: "Don't flatter me, I really have no intention of being a Captain. The former Captains led fights, but now the Captains are only good for breaking them up."
Speaking of this, Suker pouted: "They've become more and more cowardly!"
Kaka suddenly turned his head; "You were also cowardly before!"
Suker was not having it.
"I was cowardly before? Which eye saw me being cowardly? You had to apologize when you had a conflict with Giggs, but I really went at it with Keane. The situation was so serious back then that if we didn't give way to each other, either I'd break my leg, or he'd shatter his nasal bone!"
Kaka: "But you always fouled sneakily in Milan, and I only saw you stopping people, not getting into fights!"
Suker said speechlessly; "It depends on the situation, okay? What was the situation in Milan? Did they need me to fight? Stam and Nesta would run faster than me when they heard about a fight. If I didn't go stop them, there really would be no one to stop them!"
"And you, troublemaker, have the right to talk about me. You're the one who's always stirring up trouble!"
"Eighty percent of the conflicts in Milan were because of you!"
Kaka retorted, unconvinced; "What you're saying is exaggerated, Filippo was also very willing to cause conflicts."
Suker and Kaka were bickering, while Ancelotti sat by, chuckling non-stop.
Listening to them bicker, he also recalled past events.
Unconsciously, time really flies!
As the party reached its peak, Benzema directly carried a speaker out of Suker's house. He carried the speaker on his shoulder and danced wildly on the lawn with a group of Real Madrid players, making the scene even livelier.
And even then, Ancelotti and the other coaches showed no intention of leaving.
They would stay for the entire party, not only to control the players' alcohol intake but also to ensure they went home immediately after the party ended.
In the lively atmosphere, the party continued until 1 AM, when the players finally had their fill and left in their respective cars.
Ancelotti required every player to send him a selfie video after arriving home, ensuring they had safely reached home.
He would even conduct random checks.
If he caught them, they would be benched.
This completely extinguished any thoughts these guys had of continuing to indulge themselves; they could only obediently go home.
Although they really wanted to keep playing, they thought it wasn't worth it if it might anger Ancelotti.
The next day, Real Madrid players had a good night's sleep. Since there was no training in the morning, they had plenty of extra time to sleep.
As for the little bit of alcohol, they had already metabolized it, and it had no effect whatsoever.
The bodies of professional athletes cannot be compared to ordinary people. As long as they don't binge drink for extended periods, an occasional instance is fine. Furthermore, each of them drank at most four bottles of beer, which isn't much.
Suker also woke up late. When he went downstairs, he found Sukic sitting on the sofa, sulking.
They had gotten too carried away yesterday and hadn't considered Sukic, and the little one had been sleepless for half the night.
"Dad, do you know that not getting enough sleep affects development?"
Listening to Sukic's slightly resentful words, Suker couldn't refute him and could only walk towards the kitchen.
"Have you eaten?"
"Uncle Zorancic already made it for me!"
"Cough cough... Not going to the youth academy today?"
"It's a day off today. I even walked Luna this morning."
Suker nodded, then continued to cook.
Sukic ran over and held out his hand to Suker.
Suker immediately understood. He walked to his gym bag, took out his wallet, and pulled out 100 euros to hand over.
"Not enough!" Sukic said: "You said you'd increase my allowance!"
Suker: "When did I say that?"
Sukic: "When I joined the youth academy, you said it. And Enzo gets 1,000 euros a week, while I only get 100 euros. That's not fair."
"Why does he need so much allowance?"
Suker frowned.
Sukic: "He can buy things he likes."
Suker: "I can also buy them for you. Just give me a list!"
Sukic: "I want to buy them myself, and all those things you gave me are what you think I like. I want an increase in my allowance, you promised me!"
Looking at the stubborn little guy, Suker, out of helplessness, pulled out more euros from his wallet and handed them over. (1000 euro a week for a 6 years old)
"I won't give you any more allowance this week. How you manage it is up to you!"
Sukic cheered and ran out of the house with the money without looking back, probably to go play with someone.
Suker also shook his head and stopped bothering with these things.
He ate something simple, then slung his gym bag over his shoulder and prepared to head to the training base.
Since they hadn't drunk too much last night, the players all arrived on time.
Ancelotti values punctuality greatly and detests players who are late for training. So he waited at the locker room door, and once the time was up, he would close it. Those who didn't arrive on time would have to face penalties.
However, Real Madrid players have a strong sense of punctuality, with almost all of them arriving five minutes early.
Seeing this, Ancelotti nodded with satisfaction.
The afternoon training still focused on adjustment. Currently, Real Madrid has no major tactical issues; the personnel and system are already established.
Therefore, apart from some necessary tactical running drills, it was mostly relaxed training like passing the ball and getting a feel for it.
Moreover, in the second half of the season, the coaching staff dared not train them to death. They still relied on these players to charge into battle. If they were exhausted now, how would they exert themselves in matches?
After training, there was also specialized physical therapy and massage.
Real Madrid's scientific training is very well done, maximizing the players' condition through training, physical therapy, massage, and other methods.
At the same time, there are also follow-up data, constantly monitoring the state fluctuations of each player, which is not an easy task.
After a day of training, Ancelotti sat on the sofa, reviewing these data.
Zidane was also opposite him; he was not unfamiliar with this data. As a player, he also underwent these training contents.
However, compared to that period, Real Madrid is now more complete in terms of equipment and other aspects.
"The overall condition feels very good. Quite a few players are in an upward trend, and apart from a small number of players, their condition is not an issue."
The small number of players Zidane referred to included Srna, Kaka, and others whose physical condition declined due to age.
But these are unavoidable things.
However, whether it was Srna or Kaka, besides their condition, they also had rich experience and knew how to adjust, so there was no need to be too nervous.
As long as it wasn't a cliff-like decline in condition, they could accept it.
And the so-called cliff-like decline in condition often occurs after surgery for a major injury.
Real Madrid's current health status is very good. The main players have no injuries, and a few substitutes have minor injuries, but nothing serious.
And it was this healthy data that gave Ancelotti and Zidane a great sense of security.
After all, for a coach, nothing is better than seeing the main players' condition turn green in the second half of the season.
In a long season, injuries are a key factor in testing a team's strategic depth, especially for a team like Real Madrid, which competes on multiple fronts in a single season.