"This one's mine!"

Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Toni Kroos, Di María, and others gathered around the ball, and the Portuguese star stepped up confidently.

The free kick was positioned about 28 to 30 meters from goal, slightly right of center. It was indeed a prime spot for Ronaldo to unleash one of his trademark strikes.

Hearing his call, the others had no objections.

When it came to free-kick technique, few in Real Madrid dared to challenge Ronaldo directly.

If there was anyone who could, it was Real Madrid's assistant coach, Zidane.

Not long ago, during a training session, Gao Shen organized a free-kick contest.

Naturally, Zidane and Ronaldo faced off in the final.

Ronaldo ended up winning, but even he felt Zidane hadn't gone all out.

Who knows?

Since then, Ronaldo had started practicing his free kicks even more diligently.

Anyone could say Ronaldo was overly competitive or vain, but no one could deny he was an incredibly hardworking training machine.

More importantly, he was supremely confident.

In key moments, he never doubted himself.

So, at this moment, the Real Madrid players all gave way.

"Come on!"

"Good job, Ronnie!"

"Let's go, Ronnie!"

After a round of encouragement, the others stepped back.

Pepe and Benzema moved into the wall, while Di María positioned himself on the other side.

As a left-footer, he could draw some of the defenders' attention away from Ronaldo.

Ronaldo backed up slowly.

Given the distance, his run-up this time was longer than usual.

This was a detail he had worked out through repeated training—how much distance he needed to generate his most powerful and accurate shot.

There were no gimmicks to free kicks. It was all about repetition and mastery.

…

The referee pointed to the goal and blew the whistle.

Ronaldo took a deep breath, then sprinted forward, planted his left foot, and struck cleanly with his right.

A sharp, air-splitting sound echoed as the ball rocketed through the air, rose quickly, then dipped.

It flew just over the wall and fell into the goal.

Atletico goalkeeper Asenjo reacted quickly, diving to his side, but he was stunned to see that Ronaldo's shot was even faster than expected.

He couldn't reach it.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!"

"The ball is in!"

"Cristiano Ronaldo!!"

"With a brilliant knuckleball, Ronaldo has equalized for Real Madrid!"

"That was a top-class free kick. Ronaldo has once again proven his excellence in set-piece situations!"

"The ball had tremendous pace."

"Asenjo did dive for it, but there was no way he could stop that one."

As soon as the goal went in, Ronaldo rushed out to celebrate.

Real Madrid players followed, cheering and piling on.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen pumped his fists repeatedly, roaring with joy at the equalizer.

The entire Bernabéu erupted.

"This kid's free-kick technique has improved significantly after you pushed him," Carlo laughed as he celebrated with Gao Shen.

"This has nothing to do with me. It's all Zizou's fault!" Gao Shen pointed toward the assistant coach.

Zidane's smile froze. "How is that my fault? You're the one who made me do it. Don't push the blame on me. I'm innocent."

Everyone burst out laughing.

It all stemmed from that free-kick contest.

Gao Shen and his coaching staff often organized fun challenges for the players, and the free-kick competition was one of them.

Ronaldo was famously proud and competitive. Gao Shen knew that very well and sometimes used special tactics to get the best out of him.

For example, Zidane's shooting ability was something even Ronaldo respected. So, lately, the two had been training together on shooting technique.

Zidane had been confident he could win the contest, but Ronaldo took the final.

The Portuguese believed Zidane had gone easy on him, which only made him work harder in training.

"Honestly, I envy his physicality…" Zidane said with admiration.

Everyone knew Ronaldo trained relentlessly.

That much was obvious. But the fact that he rarely got injured was pure natural talent.

Anyone else training that intensely would've collapsed by now.

Ronaldo, who has African ancestry, possesses the muscle type of a born athlete.

This kind of natural advantage is common among African players, which is why some believe that in the future, Europe's top leagues will be dominated by black players.

The logic is simple. Under the same scientific training methods, black players tend to outperform their white counterparts physically.

The main reason African players haven't dominated historically is the lack of youth development systems in Africa, which leaves many talented players without proper early training.

Take Leeds United's Mane, for instance.

He's not a starter yet, but his development has been astonishing. At just 20 years old, he's progressing rapidly. Like a sponge, he absorbs football knowledge, skills, and experience.

Borrell once said that if Mane had received professional youth training in Europe from a young age, he'd already be a top-tier talent.

Even someone like Kolo Touré didn't play many matches before joining Arsenal.

Ronaldo's crazy work ethic is backed by a body built for it.

Of course, his discipline and drive are equally admirable.

Now that Gao Shen was building Real Madrid's attack around Ronaldo's strengths, he naturally wanted to maximize those strengths.

…

Atletico Madrid wasn't rattled after conceding.

Simeone's team was notorious for its tricks, not just Koke's foul on Marcos Alonso or Turan's sneaky handball earlier—but also in moments like the quick free kick that followed.

The two teams were still jostling near midfield when Toni Kroos and Mario Suárez collided and both went down.

The referee awarded a free kick to Atletico.

Diego Costa immediately took the ball, ran forward quickly, and launched it into the box.

It was a classic quick free kick.

Real Madrid players were stunned. Wasn't that illegal?

But the referee didn't blow the whistle.

Ramos and Pepe immediately flanked Falcao, trying to contain him, but the Colombian striker was lightning-quick. He forced his way into the box, controlled Diego Costa's pass with his left foot, and shot immediately.

But Courtois had charged off his line, stretched out with all his might, and made the save with both hands.

Falcao's shot struck Courtois' leg and deflected wide of the far post.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen was furious, jumping up and down.

"Focus! Stay alert!"

"What are you doing out there?"

"You're just letting them break through like that?"

"Did you leave your brain in the locker room?"

Gao Shen's yelling left the players frustrated.

Atletico really was a cunning bunch.

They should've waited for the whistle—but instead, they took the initiative.

And the damn referee? Why so lenient?

"Everyone, focus!"

"Angel! Did you forget what I told you before the game?"

"If you don't want to play, I'll sub you out at midfield!"

Gao Shen called out Di María by name, and the Argentine raised his hand to show he heard.

Damn Atletico Madrid!

If not for you, would I be getting yelled at by the boss?

Tch!

I'm not done with you!

…

After Gao Shen's outburst, the Real Madrid players noticeably stepped up.

Di María, especially, became more aggressive on the right flank.

Gao Shen's strategy tonight was to have Di María attack Atlético's left side.

Their left-back, Díaz, was a clear weakness, and Di María had the tools to exploit it.

In the 31st minute, Real Madrid launched a quick counterattack after winning the ball in midfield.

Atletico's defense was also lightning-fast, giving Real Madrid no room to strike directly.

But Toni Kroos picked up the ball on the left side, just outside the 30-meter area. After receiving a pass from Benzema, he turned and used his right foot to drag the ball away from Gabi's pressure.

The German glanced across and sent a sharp diagonal ball from left to right.

It flew over most of the pitch and landed on the right edge of Atletico's penalty area.

Di María arrived, controlled it with his chest, and immediately advanced.

Díaz rushed in, and Turan dropped back to help. The two closed in to trap Di María.

The Argentine winger faced both defenders calmly. He dribbled aggressively, pushed into the box, then suddenly pulled the ball back toward the edge of the area. After creating space, he cut laterally across the top of the box.

Before Mario Suárez could close him down, Di María unleashed a fierce curler with his left foot.

The ball came off fast and with venom, carrying the full force of Di María's pent-up frustration.

It curled around the defenders, flew past the diving Asenjo, and smashed into the top left corner of the net.

As the ball hit the back of the goal, Di María let out a primal scream and sprinted away in celebration.

Only then did the Bernabéu erupt.

2-1!

A comeback!

Di María made a heart gesture with his hands, then slid on his knees by the touchline in celebration.

The rest of the Real Madrid squad charged after him to celebrate the stunning, world-class goal.

Atletico's players stood frozen.

What just happened?

Look at that guy—so skinny, spindly even—how the hell did he score a goal like that?

Gao Shen laughed on the sidelines but also let out a sigh of relief.

Di María had massive untapped potential. He just needed the right push.

As one of his trusted players, Gao Shen could call him out, apply pressure, and be hard on him—because he was one of his own.

Of course, after the match, Gao Shen would also give praise. Maybe even a little extra in private.

Otherwise, why would he fight for you?

(To be continued.)