While everyone was still celebrating Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Dortmund, the aftereffects quickly surfaced in the 13th round of La Liga over the weekend.

In their away match against Real Betis, Real Madrid held an overwhelming 71.7% possession and took 28 shots throughout the game, but still suffered a 0-1 defeat.

Ronaldo, Higuaín, and Di María all failed to score. Substitutes like Jesé and Benzema also couldn't find the net after coming on.

Out of 28 total shots, Real Madrid managed just 8 on target—and none resulted in a goal.

Real Betis had only 6 shots, with just 1 on target, but that single shot ended up in the back of the net.

It was a world-class strike from the edge of the box.

Beñat's long-range effort deflected off Casemiro's leg and changed direction, leaving Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois completely helpless.

The score held until full-time.

Despite Real Madrid's relentless push, they couldn't turn things around.

Key players like Ronaldo performed poorly, and the team lacked the firepower to convert chances into goals.

While Real Madrid lost away, Barcelona defeated Levante 4-0 on the road, with Messi scoring twice.

That victory extended Barça's lead at the top of the table to 4 points.

What stirred up even more heated debate was Atletico Madrid's 4-0 home win over Sevilla in this round, which allowed them to overtake Real Madrid in the standings and move into second place.

For Real Madrid fans, this was hard to swallow. The media, as usual, wasted no time in pouring salt on the wound.

…

In the post-match press conference following the loss to Real Betis, Gao Shen expressed his disappointment with the result.

He first congratulated Real Betis on their tenacious performance.

But Gao Shen made it clear he didn't accept the defeat.

The main reason was that after Real Madrid made several second-half substitutions, the dynamics of the match clearly changed.

Jesé, who came on as a substitute, scored once against Real Betis, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

In stoppage time, Kaká had a shot that struck the arm of Betis' central defender, but the referee turned a blind eye.

Gao Shen wasn't blaming the officials, just stating the facts.

From the slow-motion replay on the broadcast, Jesé was not offside, and the handball was real—but both went uncalled.

Gao Shen also pointed out another issue: Real Madrid's schedule.

"We played a Champions League group-stage match on Wednesday night. Normally, our weekend league game should be scheduled for Sunday. But this time, it was on Saturday. That's actually unreasonable."

Playing on Wednesday and then again on Saturday is a very tight turnaround.

Still, Gao Shen said he took full responsibility for the loss.

"The responsibility lies with me."

…

Midweek brought the second leg of the fourth round of the Copa del Rey.

Real Madrid hosted Alcoyano at home.

Once again, Gao Shen fielded a full reserve lineup. Jesé, Morata, and Vázquez formed the front three.

In the end, with a brace from Jesé and a goal from Vázquez, Real Madrid defeated Alcoyano 3-0 and successfully advanced to the next round.

With the fifth round approaching, most teams remaining in the Round of 16 were from La Liga. Real Madrid drew Celta Vigo this time.

That was a favorable draw for Real Madrid.

Gao Shen used the midweek match to give his first-team regulars a proper rest.

In particular, all the players who had featured in the Champions League and the weekend league match were given a day off to help them recover and prepare for the Madrid Derby this weekend.

Yes, in Matchday 14 of La Liga, Real Madrid would host the Madrid Derby at the Bernabéu.

This was yet another marquee showdown.

Every derby has its own flavor, but the Madrid Derby is something else entirely.

Especially this season.

Atletico Madrid had 11 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in 13 matches, earning 34 points—2 more than Real Madrid.

The current La Liga standings showed that Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid were separated by just 2 points.

Fourth-place Málaga was already more than 10 points behind.

The rise of the Colchoneros this season had shaken up the power structure of La Liga, especially affecting Real Madrid.

In the past, it was all about the two giants of La Liga. Now, Atletico was breaking through.

Especially their No. 9, Falcao, who was being hailed as a challenger to both Ronaldo and Messi.

With this intense atmosphere building, the first Madrid Derby under Gao Shen officially kicked off at the Bernabéu.

…

Gao Shen clearly remembered that when he first managed Real Madrid in 2006, his debut was also a Madrid Derby.

But times had changed, and today's Atleti was no longer the same.

Diego Simeone set up his side in a 4-4-2 formation.

Goalkeeper: Asenjo.

Defense: Díaz, Miranda, Godín, and Juanfran.

Midfield: Turan, Gabi, Mario Suárez, and Koke.

Forwards: Diego Costa and Falcao.

From Atletico Madrid's starting lineup, Simeone's tactical intentions were clear.

The aggressive Diego Costa was responsible for harassing and disrupting Real Madrid's back line. The midfield and attacking lines frequently committed fouls to break up Real Madrid's rhythm.

Real Madrid tried to dominate possession and control the tempo, but Atletico's pressing was intense.

Simeone's tactics were quite different from Klopp's. His style leaned heavily toward the Italian school, so Atletico's defensive organization was more meticulous and structured than Dortmund's.

This allowed Simeone's side to maintain pressing pressure throughout the entire match.

The Colchoneros had incredibly high tactical discipline. They played rough, fouled often, and never hesitated to push the limits.

This gave Real Madrid players a hard time.

Even though they had been mentally prepared, it was still uncomfortable.

In the 9th minute, Juanfran passed the ball to Koke on the right.

As Marcos Alonso came in to defend, there was obvious physical contact. Koke used his arm to block him.

The action was subtle, but Marcos Alonso was struck and appeared to be in pain. He clutched his chest and gasped on the sideline. The linesman was right there but didn't signal anything, and the referee didn't blow the whistle either.

Koke seized the opportunity, cut inside, and crossed the ball into the box with his right foot. Falcao stepped up and headed the ball into the far corner—past Courtois and into the net.

The referee blew his whistle. The goal stood.

Real Madrid captain Ramos immediately erupted, protesting to the referee and linesman.

Koke's action was obvious—he had shoved Marcos Alonso aside. How could that not be a foul?

Real Madrid players crowded around the referee, asking for an explanation. But the referee ignored them and instructed Ramos and the others to return and restart the match.

Boos rang out from all corners of the Bernabéu.

…

Gao Shen stood on the sidelines, shaking his head as he watched it all unfold.

"From the TV replay, that move was brutal." Carlos Vargas showed Gao Shen the footage.

In the slow-motion replay, Koke clearly used his arm to block Marcos Alonso, hitting him square in the chest. The contact forced the Real Madrid left-back to stagger back in pain.

It all happened so quickly, and it was hard to say if the linesman missed it or ignored it.

But it took place right under his nose.

"That was such a dirty move!" Hierro cursed angrily.

As a former defender himself, few things made Hierro this furious.

This was the Simeone way. Tons of small fouls. A tough, dirty playing style.

Any team would have a headache against an opponent like this.

Gao Shen had prepared thoroughly and had repeatedly warned his players.

Marcos Alonso did have his share of responsibility. When the whistle didn't go and the linesman didn't react, he should have recovered and defended.

But maybe it really did hurt too much.

This kid Koke always played dirty football.

1-0. Real Madrid had fallen behind.

A very unfavorable situation for Los Blancos at home.

Atletico was not like Dortmund. The Colchoneros had elite defensive structure.

In fact, if the game didn't go their way, they could simply sit back and defend.

Simeone, a Serie A-trained coach, was a master at setting up a tight defense.

This season, Atletico were one of the best defensive sides in La Liga, conceding fewer goals than anyone except Real Madrid.

Falcao's goal had now put Real Madrid in a tough position.

"We must equalize quickly," Carlo reminded.

Gao Shen walked to the touchline and signaled the team to press forward, especially down the right. He asked Modric to increase his support on that side.

…

The game resumed.

Since the referee had not called Koke's foul, the goal stood.

But after the restart, Real Madrid began to launch heavy attacks, especially down the right flank.

The duo of Carvajal and Di María began to exert pressure on Atletico's left side. Di María specifically targeted left-back Díaz.

After several matches working together, Real Madrid's right wing had built solid chemistry. This was especially evident now.

When their right-wing build-up stalled, they suddenly switched play. Modric carried the ball forward on the right, disrupting Atletico's defensive setup, and then laid it off to Di María.

The Argentine controlled the ball, cut inside, shook off Díaz, and instead of returning it to the overlapping Carvajal, made a diagonal pass with his left foot into the box for Benzema.

But Miranda reacted just in time, stepping ahead of Benzema and clearing the ball with a header.

Real Madrid's attack failed to produce a real threat.

But Di María quickly sprinted into midfield and challenged Turan for the ball. As they contested Miranda's clearance, Turan subtly flicked the ball with his hand while Di María had gained control.

Di María reacted immediately, signaling handball to the referee.

It was a blatant handball, and the referee blew the whistle, showing Turan a yellow card.

Real Madrid earned a free kick in the attacking third.

(To be continued.)