"You think highly of this German midfielder?" Zorancic asked.

He was aware of Suker's recommendation of Toni Kroos.

Core players like Suker, while they might not be able to dictate the technical department's decisions, would still be taken seriously, at least prompting the technical department to thoroughly investigate the recommended player's abilities and data.

Suker nodded, "He has the ability of a top midfielder!"

Zorancic said, "I can't tell!"

Suker smiled and shook his head.

Toni Kroos did not seem too important in Bayern Munich's tactical system, or rather, he didn't have many tactical resources, which made him seem unremarkable.

However, if one were to study him closely and compare his tactical resources with his contributions in matches, a judgment could be made immediately.

In every match, Toni Kroos's contribution was far greater than what he received in terms of resources.

As for Suker, he indeed needed to make some preparations.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Real Madrid, but that he couldn't afford a long period without a strong midfield.

Kaka was already in his 30s, and it was uncertain how many more years he could maintain his form. Alonso was currently being suppressed by Mourinho, especially after his tactical role was reduced. He outwardly showed no resistance, but deep down, he was somewhat resentful.

The worst-case scenario would be Alonso leaving and Kaka's form declining at the same time.

Real Madrid's midfield would be leaderless. They couldn't possibly ask Suker to drop back and play in midfield to organize, could they?

Suker could organize, and he could also transition to a midfielder.

But not now!

Currently, Suker could still score goals, and his physical condition and various forms were excellent. There was no need for adjustment or transition.

Therefore, Suker had no intention of transitioning to a midfielder yet.

One day, when he truly couldn't make runs in the front, he might transition towards midfield organization, distribution, and passing, but not now.

Football is not a one-man sport!

Suker, when attacking in the front, also needed a midfielder to provide him with ammunition.

Toni Kroos was a safeguard!

Moreover, he was not doing well at Bayern Munich. In the original timeline, he only began to be heavily relied upon after joining Real Madrid.

Suker believed that with the capabilities of Real Madrid's technical department, and with his reminder, they would certainly be able to unearth Toni Kroos's abilities.

In any case, it was just a heads-up. The next 1-2 years would be a buffer period, and Suker could wait.

"Let's sleep. We have a match tomorrow!"

Suker stretched, got up, and walked to his room on the second floor.

Tomorrow was the second leg of the Champions League Semi-Final, a crucial match that would determine the Champions League finalist. Suker naturally couldn't be careless.

Although they had won away, the score difference was really not large enough. With Bayern Munich's ability, if they were careless, they could easily be overturned.

Therefore, Suker had to stay focused and be prepared.

The next morning.

Suker drove to Real Madrid's training base.

Everyone was preparing in an orderly manner, with not much communication. Each person was tidying up their own equipment.

Having experienced the Champions League last season, these Real Madrid players were no longer as nervous about important matches like the Champions League Semi-Final and the Champions League.

In their spare time, they also discussed yesterday's match.

The match between Barcelona and Chelsea had ended yesterday.

After 90 minutes of fierce battle, Chelsea defeated Barcelona 1-0 at home to advance to the Champions League.

It could be said that this situation was beyond everyone's expectations.

One was the dominant Barcelona, whom no one dared to guarantee a victory against, except Real Madrid.

The other was Chelsea, who had been struggling throughout the season.

But on the Champions League Semi-Final stage, Chelsea surprisingly defeated Barcelona with an aggregate score of 3-2, which was astonishing.

And Chelsea became the first team to reach the Champions League.

"Chelsea's defensive density is very strong!"

"Drogba was truly like a beast last night!"

"Their counter-attack speed is also very fast!"

The Real Madrid players also discussed last night's match during their preparations.

Although they didn't watch the entire match for today's game.

But by combining it with the match report the next day, it was easy to analyze yesterday's match.

In one sentence, it could be summarized as 'high morale and strong concentration in the match!'

Messi, Sanchez, Iniesta, Perez, Fabregas, and others bombarded them repeatedly in both halves but failed to score a single goal, which showed how stable Chelsea's defensive base was.

"Don't think about these things. Let's play this match well first!"

Casillas clapped his hands and said, "Once everyone has prepared their equipment, we need to depart!"

Upon hearing this, everyone picked up their equipment, walked out of the locker room, and boarded the bus.

On the way to the Bernabéu, the sky had already begun to darken, and night was falling.

The bus was very quiet, with everyone finding their own ways to relieve stress.

After all, it was the Champions League Semi-Final, an important match concerning a ticket to the Champions League. It was false to say they weren't nervous.

But how to overcome nervousness and perform in the match was the key.

Suker turned to look out the window, resting his chin in his hand, lost in thought.

After a moment, the surroundings gradually brightened, and various noisy sounds filled the air.

The bus had arrived at the city center of Madrid, where the Bernabéu stadium was located.

Even at night, it was brightly lit.

Large numbers of Real Madrid fans gathered there, awaiting the start of the match.

They sang songs loudly, clapped repeatedly, and shouted with all their might.

Songs drifted, and thunderous applause echoed and resonated in the Madrid sky.

The bus arrived at the stadium entrance.

The Real Madrid players, under the gaze of the media and some invited fans, walked into the venue one by one.

They went directly to the locker room and began changing into their training gear.

"You must warm up thoroughly and awaken your body to the maximum extent!"

Pintus moved among the players, shouting loudly and offering encouragement.

Even Pintus felt extremely nervous.

The annual Champions League, the brutal knockout stage, was about to enter its final phase.

If they won this match, they would enter the Champions League and reach the final stage.

They were Real Madrid!

They were the defending champions!

They must deliver an even better performance!

Hala!!!!!!!!!—

Madrid!!!!!!!!!!!!—

At the Bernabéu stadium, the roars of over ninety thousand fans exploded like thunder in their ears.

At this moment, everyone was united.

They were about to launch an assault on the Champions League defense.

Once they achieved this feat, they would be the most decorated team in Champions League history, truly the 'King of the Champions League'.

On the other side, Bayern Munich's players were also preparing nervously.

"Damn it! I'm so nervous!"

Mandžukić kept taking deep breaths to regulate his emotions.

It was his first time on such a crucial stage as the Champions League Semi-Final, so he was naturally extremely nervous.

Vukojević also remained silent; he shared the same emotions as Mandžukić.

It wasn't just these two; other Bayern Munich players were also the same.

Even the usually noisy Thomas Müller became quiet, actively engaging in warm-up training.

They would occasionally glance at the opposite half of the field, their eyes filled with solemnity.

Before long, the warm-up session ended.

After warming up, their physical functions were awakened, and their emotions were no longer as tense.

Both teams returned to the locker room for final preparations.

"This is the second leg of the 2011/2012 Champions League Semi-Final, Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich at home!"

"Throughout the Champions League, both teams have given us spectacular matches, and in the previous leg, Real Madrid even defeated Bayern Munich 3-2 away, holding a slight advantage!"

"But Real Madrid cannot be careless because of this; Bayern Munich is not an easy team to deal with."

"Bayern Munich is under more pressure. Based on the first leg, they are already behind, and in this situation, can they defeat Real Madrid away? Only by defeating Real Madrid can they secure a ticket to the Champions League!"

As the commentator González spoke, the camera panned to the player tunnel.

The camera moved from front to back, giving close-ups of each player's face.

Needless to say, both sets of players had solemn expressions, looking straight ahead, conveying a sense of pre-match urgency.

The camera continued to advance, and at the end, it gave close-ups of Mandžukić and Suker respectively.

These are the top scorers for both sides!

They are both from Croatia and are National Team teammates, but at this moment, they have little communication.

They both looked forward, waiting for the start of the match.

"Get ready to play!"

The Referee turned and roared.

In an instant, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

It was as if a fire was burning in the hearts of each player; they nervously clenched and unclenched their fists, constantly taking deep breaths to adjust.

They were very clear about how severe the upcoming Champions League would be.

Starting lineups for both sides:

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Casillas.

Defenders: Srna, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo.

Midfielders: Di Maria, Khedira, Kaka, Alonso, Suker.

Forward: Benzema.

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Neuer.

Defenders: Lahm, Badstuber, Boateng, Alaba.

Midfielders: Robben, Vukojević, Toni Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribéry.

Forward: Mandžukić.

Seeing Real Madrid's starting lineup, Bayern's veteran coach Heynckes couldn't help but rub his temples.

"Di Maria is starting!"

He had also done a detailed analysis of Di Maria as a player; Di Maria's positioning in Real Madrid was not precise enough, he was a versatile midfielder.

He could perform both midfield duties and wing breakthrough duties.

Unlike Bale, Di Maria was better at integrating into the team, using his individual ability to create attacking channels for his teammates.

In other words, with Di Maria starting, Suker would become even more formidable.

Although Bale was also very strong, consuming a portion of resources would inevitably squeeze some space from Suker and Benzema.

In Real Madrid, the dual wings of Suker and Bale were indeed formidable, but Di Maria should not be underestimated either.

The most crucial point was that Bale was benched, waiting to play.

This offered Real Madrid many tactical options; once the situation reached a stalemate, Real Madrid could completely drag the tempo into the second half, at which point, Di Maria could be replaced by Bale, and Real Madrid could then play with dual wings, which Bayern Munich's defense would not be able to withstand.

"What a headache!" Heynckes said, rubbing his temples.

At the same time, Mourinho was also looking at Bayern Munich's lineup.

Compared to the last round, it was a more offensive formation.

Moreover, Bayern Munich had no room to retreat; they could only attack, going all in.

Mourinho turned to look at Bayern's bench.

Muller was still benched.

This was good news.

Compared to a striker of Mandžukić's type, Real Madrid was less adept at dealing with players like Muller, who possessed flexible running abilities.

At this point, players from both sides had already arrived at their respective halves.

In the first half, Bayern Munich kicked off first.

Suker continued his signature warm-up routine, constantly bouncing and jumping, trying to activate his physical functions as much as possible.

At the same time, Suker also looked towards Bayern Munich's half.

On the left wing where Suker was, Bayern Munich still had heavy defensive coverage.

Right-back Lahm, defensive midfielder Vukojević, and Kroos's positioning would also tilt towards the left, and when necessary, Robben would also track back to press.

After a brief observation, Suker slowly exhaled.

At this point, the Referee retreated to the center circle, and the match was about to begin.

Beep!!

A sharp whistle sounded, and Mandžukić immediately kicked off.

The second leg of the 2011/2012 Champions League Semi-Final began.

Swish!! Swish!! Swish!!

Suker, Benzema, Di Maria, and other players immediately rushed forward.

They ran hard in the front, and the midfield and defense also raised their positions to block passing lanes.

"high pressing!" Heynckes frowned slightly.

On the field, Bayern Munich was also somewhat unaccustomed to Real Madrid's sudden pressing, after all, Real Madrid hadn't played like this in the previous leg.

But they quickly cleared the ball from their own half with a series of one-touch passes.

Real Madrid's high pressing was indeed intense.

However, they had been through the baptism of Borussia Dortmund's 'mad dog tactics' in the League and the German Cup.

They could still handle this kind of situation!

"Press up! Press up!" Alonso kept shouting.

The pressure wasn't enough; Bayern Munich's passing wasn't under too much duress.

"Maintain your positions!" Ramos suddenly roared.

"Watch Mandžukić!" Alonso turned his head and saw Mandžukić positioned on the defensive line, making a move as if ready to break through at any moment.

Was he planning a long ball over the top?

Bang!

Just then, Kroos passed back to Schweinsteiger, who immediately launched a long pass.

Schweinsteiger lobbed the ball towards the space behind Ramos.

At this moment, Ramos had his back to the goal, while Mandžukić could directly initiate his run.

"Good opportunity!" Just as Mandžukić was about to start, he felt his jersey tighten.

Although it was only for an instant, it still hindered his initial burst.

And by the time he tried to accelerate again, Ramos had already turned and stepped in, positioning himself in front of Mandžukić to interfere.

This interference prevented Mandžukić from starting smoothly; the ball had already fallen, bounced off the ground, and entered the penalty area, where Real Madrid Goalkeeper Casillas easily gathered it.

Casillas held the ball with one hand and gave Ramos a thumbs-up with the other.

In that moment, Ramos's decision was excellent.

He completely ignored the ball and instead focused on interfering with Mandžukić, preventing him from starting and chasing the ball.

Two consecutive interferences prevented Mandžukić from breaking free of Ramos's defense until the ball was controlled by Casillas.

"Sergio made an accurate judgment!" Faria praised.

A stable defender brings a significant boost to a team.

Although Ramos didn't use an aggressive defensive method this time, this subtle interference was even more morale-boosting, giving a feeling of effortless, easy defense.

"Ramos's defensive awareness is not bad to begin with, but he's just too willing to slide tackle, but that's also his characteristic; sometimes, such decisiveness is needed!" Mourinho also nodded.

For a defender, slide tackling is not an easy thing.

You can slide tackle freely in the attacking third, but in the defensive third, one mistake could lead to a yellow card or a red card, or even a penalty.

There are many players who have received red card and penalty packages by rashly slide tackling in League matches.

Some defenders even hesitate to slide tackle sometimes for fear of being blamed.

But in a fast-changing Champions League, this slight hesitation can lead to a breakthrough, a distortion of the formation, or even a gap in the defense.

Mourinho does not encourage slide tackling, but he encourages decisive choices!

This is also why Ramos and Pepe, despite repeatedly getting cards, still enjoyed Mourinho's trust.

Bayern Munich's players retreated like a tide.

Seeing the actively tracking back Bayern players, Casillas then threw the ball to Marcelo on the left.

Marcelo passed forward to Suker, and Suker made a horizontal pass to Kaka.

When Suker turned his head, he saw Vukojević lightly moving away from him.

Kaka continuously observed the positioning of Bayern Munich players, and he noticed that Suker was attracting too much defense.

"Play on the right wing!" Kaka immediately shifted, shouting, "Angel! Do it yourself!"

This meant letting Di Maria do more on his own on the wing, without thinking about passing.

Di Maria's presence on the field certainly boosted Suker's performance.

But Di Maria's sharpest weapon was his 'swing attribute'.

He could pass and shoot!

He was a good passer, and he could also attack on the wing.

Bayern Munich stubbornly believed that Di Maria would inevitably look for opportunities to pass to Suker, who would then pass to Benzema.

At this time, it was necessary to let Di Maria go solo and catch the opponent off guard!

Di Maria received Kaka's instructions, and his eyes also shone with excitement.

In Real Madrid, he was chasing honors, but Di Maria wasn't playing happily, after all, he didn't have a true position of his own.

Now that he was on the wing, Di Maria became even more excited.

Moreover, Kaka indicated that the upcoming attacks would primarily focus on the right wing.

Since that was the case, he would cause a ruckus!