While Gao Shen was barbecuing at home in Madrid and studying how to play against Manchester United, Ferguson was also analyzing Real Madrid at the Carrington training base in Manchester.

In front of the Manchester United manager, on a large tactical board, was the lineup he predicted would be Real Madrid's starting eleven.

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas.

Defenders: Arbeloa, Ramos, Varane, and Carvajal.

Midfield: Xabi Alonso sitting deep, with Toni Kroos and Modric in central positions.

Forwards: Ronaldo, Benzema, and Di Maria.

If nothing unexpected happened, this should be Real Madrid's starting lineup.

Ferguson and his coaching staff had also compiled and analyzed information from multiple sources.

One key detail was that although Marcelo had returned to training, his fitness was far from meeting match requirements, leading Ferguson to believe Gao Shen would not risk using him.

Ferguson knew Gao Shen well. He was not cold-blooded and would never treat players like disposable tools.

Even so, Real Madrid's lineup was still stronger than Manchester United's.

How to contain Real Madrid's attack would be the key challenge at the Bernabéu.

To contain their attack, you had to first limit Ronaldo.

Everyone knew the Portuguese forward was the most dangerous weapon in Real Madrid's offense.

How should he set up to deal with this?

"Rafael alone can't stop Ronnie. We need at least two players covering that wing," assistant coach Mike Phelan said.

Ferguson gave him a glance, feeling slightly helpless.

Of course he knew that. What he needed to decide was who would be Rafael's partner on that side.

More importantly, would Gao Shen rotate Ronaldo, Benzema, and Di Maria's positions during the match, like he did against Manchester City?

If Real Madrid's front three switched positions, how would Manchester United defend?

These were the crucial points.

If he had the wingers track back to help defend, it would inevitably affect Manchester United's attack.

Against a strong side like Real Madrid, if United failed to apply enough pressure in the attacking third, they would be pinned back and concede goals.

In the end, they would not be leaving the Bernabéu in one piece.

Ferguson understood this better than anyone.

He knew full well that sophisticated tactics needed the right balance.

If wingers weren't used, the only other option was to deploy more defensive midfielders. Carrick alone was not enough, so he would need two.

Cleverley? Phil Jones? Schneiderlin?

Ferguson thought it through, then placed two pieces on the tactical board in the holding midfield positions: No. 16 and No. 28.

Number 16 was Carrick, and number 28 was Schneiderlin.

Carrick was positioned on the left, Schneiderlin on the right.

Clearly, Ferguson's plan was to use Schneiderlin alongside Rafael to contain Ronaldo, especially when he cut inside from the left.

The defense itself would remain largely unchanged.

From left to right: Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, and Rafael.

This was Manchester United's strongest defensive unit.

In their peak years, United's defense had been one of the best in Europe, helping them win the Champions League. While age had taken a toll in recent seasons, it remained solid and was a key factor in their Premier League lead.

Ferguson knew better than anyone how crucial this back line was to winning the title.

But with two defensive midfielders, they would be playing a 4-2-3-1. How should the attack be set up?

He had considered adding more firepower up front, but had never found the right fit.

Unlike Gao Shen's previous life, Berbatov was still at United, but Ferguson felt this type of match did not suit the Bulgarian striker. He could not apply enough pressure on Real Madrid's defense.

United's biggest strengths in this game would be pressing and counterattacks.

Try to play possession against Real Madrid? Ferguson wasn't foolish.

More importantly, if Carrick and Schneiderlin were used as a double pivot, who would be the main playmaker in midfield?

Ferguson placed No. 23, representing Özil, in the attacking midfield role, with Rooney just behind as the natural choice.

On the right, Valencia, currently United's best winger.

On the left, Ferguson chose Welbeck ahead of Nani and Shinji Kagawa.

Mike Phelan and the other assistants watched as Ferguson finalized the player numbers on the board, immediately grasping his thinking.

The right flank would be United's main attacking channel, with Valencia pivotal there, while on the left, Welbeck would be tasked with putting pressure on Carvajal.

Welbeck had height, strength, and a physical advantage, and had been performing well this season. He reminded Ferguson of Ronaldo in his early years, and the manager wanted him to play that role.

Moreover, with Marcelo absent, Real Madrid's right side would certainly be their main attacking route. Once Carvajal pushed forward, Welbeck's side would have more space to exploit.

After thinking it through, Mike Phelan and the others felt Ferguson's plan was the most logical.

Even if Real Madrid's front three swapped positions, United could adjust by having Welbeck drop back to help Evra, while pushing Valencia forward.

Welbeck and Valencia also had clear speed advantages.

In midfield, Schneiderlin was strong in ball recovery and distribution, making him an important part of the tactical plan.

But this was only the ideal setup. How well it would work depended entirely on the players' performances.

Especially the veterans and young defenders.

United's back line was a mix of youth and experience.

Evra and Vidic were both 31, Ferdinand was 33, while Rafael and De Gea were just 21.

This was clearly a potential weakness.

But Ferguson had no choice. Nearing retirement, if he wanted to win one more title, he needed to keep the lineup stable. A major shake-up could easily backfire.

That was why United had not made big moves last summer.

It also meant their overall strength had taken a hit.

Compared to top teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona, and even Premier League rivals Manchester City, United's squad looked modest.

But so what?

Ferguson could still lead a modest squad to a title.

After all, they were currently top of the Premier League.

…

"Boss, is our goal in this game to score?" assistant coach René Meulensteen asked.

The Dutchman, highly valued by Ferguson, was United's technical coach and oversaw training.

If Ferguson wanted goals, training would have to be tailored for it.

"We definitely want to score, but that's not the main goal," Ferguson said, frowning.

René Meulensteen and Mike Phelan exchanged confused looks.

"When you face a team like Gao Shen's, the most dangerous thing is a lack of unity in approach. If the players aren't on the same page, the team's lines can disconnect, and Gao Shen is excellent at exploiting that."

It was true. Gao Shen's tactical adaptability had been widely praised, and he was adept at targeting weaknesses exposed in the game.

"Honestly, this match is not in our favor. We have one less day of rest than Real Madrid and we're away from home. The best approach is to keep our structure, contain their attack, and look for chances to score."

The assistants immediately understood.

Scoring would be a bonus. Leaving without damage was the priority.

Easier said than done.

Real Madrid had the most potent attack in Europe, and Ronaldo was the top scorer so far. The pressure on United would be immense.

Even Ferguson wondered if Schneiderlin and Rafael could really contain Ronaldo.

From what he knew, Ronaldo's style had clearly evolved under Gao Shen's training this season.

If United could shut down Real Madrid's attack away from home, even without scoring, Ferguson would be confident of turning things around at Old Trafford.

He only feared Real Madrid would seize the initiative.

But he would not abandon attacking play for an all-out defensive shell.

Ferguson had never parked the bus in his career. Even against Barcelona and Manchester City, United played without fear.

It was in the club's DNA.

Besides, could they really keep a clean sheet at the Bernabéu by defending deep?

That would be underestimating Gao Shen too much.

"The focus of our next training will be on defensive formations. We must stay compact and organized."

"I suspect that even if Gao Shen doesn't switch his front three at the start, he will definitely rotate them during the game to stretch our defense and midfield. So we need targeted training for that."

This gave René Meulensteen a headache.

"Then what about the Everton match..."

United would face Everton at home before the Real Madrid game, and it was a key fixture in the title race.

"Don't worry, I'm confident about that game. I don't need special training for it. I know exactly how to play against Everton."

That was Ferguson's advantage.

After decades in the Premier League, he knew every team inside out. Even without targeted preparation, he could still set up to win.

Of course, there had been exceptions.

Chelsea under Mourinho from 2004, and Manchester City under Gao Shen from 2009, had caused United serious trouble.

But Everton was not one of those threats.

Moyes did not have Mourinho's or Gao Shen's level.

Ferguson was still confident.

(To be continued.)

***

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