Capítulo 147: Chapter 147: Bruno vs Ronaldo
Chapter 147: Bruno vs Ronaldo
In fact, Ancelotti was aware of this, but he had confidence in his strategy because Real Madrid possessed a world-class defense. The central defense partnership of Pepe and Ramos could compensate for the lack of defensive ability in the midfield.
Moreover, in this match, offense was the key. With the BBC trio up front and a midfield of J. Rodriguez, Modric, and Kroos, Real Madrid was set to outplay Udinese defensively, not just offensively. So, Real Madrid did not intend to pull back their defense in the second half; Ancelotti made the same choice as Guidolin—attack.
The "Galacticos" ramped up the firepower and pressed Udinese hard. The fast pace of attack and defense was exhilarating for the fans, sparking fierce exchanges that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
… Ancelotti furrowed his brow, sensing something was off. The intense gameplay and quick transitions were marred by numerous mistakes, lowering the technical quality of the match. This was a bad sign.
Ancelotti had deployed a boldly offensive lineup, aiming to draw Udinese into a shootout, a scenario where Real excels. He was initially pleased to see Udinese engage boldly in this tactic, thinking, "Old Guidolin wants to challenge me!" However, he soon realized the outcome was different from what he had anticipated.
Ideally, Real Madrid should have controlled the pace, leaving Udinese dizzy and overwhelmed by Real's attacking storm. Instead, Udinese had taken control of the game's rhythm. The frequent errors on the field were a clear disadvantage for Real Madrid.
Udinese's fast-paced and error-prone game turned out to suit them better than Real. Whenever Udinese made a mistake, their young players, like spirited calves, would fiercely contest possession, slowing down Real's counterattacks. In contrast, Real's players also chased down lost balls, but often half-heartedly.
Moreover, it was unrealistic to expect stars like Modric and Kroos to commit to the gritty, scrambling style of play that Kanté and Allan embodied.
… In the 61st minute, Guidolin made a substitution. He replaced the tiring team captain Di Natale with Muriel. Although Di Natale had not participated in the World Cup with Italy, at nearly 37 years old, he could now only play for about 70 minutes.
Ancelotti soon made a substitution as well, replacing the newly signed World Cup Golden Boot winner J. Rodriguez with Isco. Both teams made adjustments to their offensive setups.
Guidolin stood on the sideline, intensely watching the field. The outcome of this match against Real Madrid would significantly impact Udinese's morale for the new season. Successfully standing up to Real Madrid would be a baptism of fire for Udinese's spirit and confidence.
While Guidolin was naturally anxious—Udinese's bench depth paled in comparison to Real Madrid's—he realized his playable cards were limited. Despite having nearly thirty players listed, only a few were genuinely impactful. On the bench, only players like Videmont, Teiro, and Pinzi could potentially make a surprise impact. The first was fast and agile, the second was tenacious in defense, and the last was a new summer signing whose capability was yet to be proven.
On the other hand, Real Madrid's bench included attacking players like Di Maria, Xabi Alonso, and the young talent Jese.
Hmm? Guidolin reassessed, noting that Real Madrid's squad didn't seem that much stronger after all. Moreover, with recent transfer rumors surrounding Di Maria and Alonso, it was uncertain if they would stay.
Guidolin wasn't getting ahead of himself; he genuinely felt that this iteration of Real Madrid wasn't quite up to par.
… Substitute Muriel was very active, and his speed made life difficult for Modric. Indeed, Guidolin had targeted Modric for attack, and at 29 years old, the Croatian midfielder was quite beleaguered.
For a football player, 29 is nearing veteran status. Although Modric was still in excellent competitive shape, he had participated in the World Cup and hadn't rested well over the summer. Now, Guidolin was letting several energetic young players take turns challenging him.
Muriel, using his speed, easily bypassed Modric, who was forced to foul to stop him.
Udinese earned a free kick, which Bruno took, sending the ball just over the bar.
Then, Kanté pressed forward, breaking through the midfield before passing to Guilherme on the left wing.
Guilherme advanced, drawing Carvajal's attention, then suddenly stopped and cut inside, feinting a shot to draw Modric in defense. Instead, he deftly pulled the ball back, slipping it by the Croatian with a flick of his left foot and accelerating past him on the other side.
"Beautiful play! Modric is left scrambling!"
… Modric had no chance to even commit a foul as he watched Guilherme carry the ball forward, skillfully evading Ramos and Isco's chase, then cleverly knocking the ball back with his heel right through Isco's legs.
Then, everyone saw a figure in black and white dart forward. "Bruno Fernandes!"
Bruno didn't hesitate, taking a direct shot. Although Kroos hadn't expected Bruno's ghostly positioning or Guilherme's heel flick after his dribbles, every Brazilian on the field is capable of surprising moves!
Casillas, one of the finest goalkeepers of his time, reacted swiftly, diving to save. But the shot was too powerful, and although Casillas got a hand to it, the ball deflected off his palm, slowed but still spinning into the net beside the right post.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!" "Bruno Fernandes! The Portuguese scores a stunning long shot, his second of the game."
Ecstatic, Bruno turned and sprinted towards the sidelines, waving his arms and shouting.
Cardiff City Stadium, a modest venue with a capacity of just over 26,000 and quite a distance from Italy, didn't host many Udinese fans, but those present gave Bruno the loudest applause.
By the 69th minute, Bruno's second goal had made it 3-1 to Udinese. The "Galacticos" of Real Madrid now needed to score three more goals to turn the game around.
… Driven into a corner, Real Madrid unabashedly pushed everyone forward, pinning Udinese back into their defensive third.
It must be said, Real Madrid's offensive capability is genuinely formidable.
Even with Kanté and Allan sweeping in front of the defense, Udinese's backline could only hold out for 13 minutes before collapsing.
In the 82nd minute, a sequence of passes between Kroos and Benzema set up Ronaldo, who burst into the box to powerfully strike home, narrowing the score to 3-2.
Another Portuguese, Ronaldo, matched Bruno's double by scoring his second goal of the game.
Today, Portuguese players played pivotal roles in both teams. Alongside Ronaldo, Real also started Pepe and Coentrao; while Udinese had Cancelo in defense, stepping in for the injured Brazilian left-back Silva.
… "This could be the most exciting UEFA Super Cup in years," exclaimed Martin Tyler.
After scoring, Ronaldo didn't celebrate but quickly retrieved the ball from Udinese's net, urging his teammates to reset quickly for the restart.
"There's still time, still a chance," shouted the commentator from Madrid. "Just two more goals. We can do this, we are Real Madrid."
With about ten minutes left, including stoppage time, scoring two more goals seemed daunting for any other team but feasible for Real Madrid.
Filled with anticipation, the Madrid commentator roared with excitement while Ancelotti made final tactical adjustments, signaling for a last push by substituting in Di Maria and Marcelo for Modric and Coentrao.
Clearly, Ancelotti was all in for a final gamble.
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