Chương 166: Chapter 166: Locking Down Bruno

Chapter 166: Locking Down Bruno

Returning to Serie A, Udinese secured a 2:1 victory away against Torino. With Juventus drawing away at Sassuolo this round, Udinese caught up with Juventus in points but remained second on the leaderboard due to an inferior goal difference.

Subsequently, the entire Udinese team focused their efforts on the upcoming third round of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Meanwhile, at the Valdebebas sports complex, in the manager's office, Ancelotti and three members of his coaching staff were intently watching the television on the wall opposite them.

The TV was showing the last night's Serie A match where Udinese challenged Torino away. Next Wednesday evening, Ancelotti would take his Real Madrid to Friuli Stadium to face Udinese in an away game.

Ancelotti was giving this match high importance. Torino's strength was modest, managing to hold on for the first thirty minutes, but in the 33rd minute, Bruno created a moment of danger on the right wing, his cross assisting Di Natale to head in the first goal. Just eight minutes later, Widmer played a through pass behind the defense, and Bruno easily beat the offside trap to score one-on-one, making it 2:0.

In the 64th minute, Torino pulled one back. Subsequently, the home team continued their all-out assault but failed to penetrate Udinese's defenses, ultimately losing 2:1.

Bruno's contribution of a goal and an assist took his season tally in Serie A to four goals and seven assists. However, the video Real Madrid's coaching staff was now analyzing was not an ordinary match recording but one meticulously edited by the club's video analysis team to better highlight Udinese's tactical characteristics.

Of particular interest to Ancelotti was Udinese's key playmaker, Bruno. With four goals and seven assists in seven games, orchestrating eleven goals, Bruno's performance this season was even more impressive than the last. Even Ancelotti, with his extensive Serie A experience, found Bruno's ability to navigate such a defensively robust league incredible.

The more the coaching staff analyzed, the more astonished they became. Bruno, at only twenty, was displaying a level of skill on the pitch that seasoned and even famous stars couldn't match. Among Real Madrid's stars, only Ronaldo could boast such statistics. Nobody else came close.

After hearing his assistants' analysis, Ancelotti said, "This player has strong movement and physical endurance, and he's become stronger in physical confrontations. One-on-one defense won't work against him and could disrupt our defensive setup."

Ancelotti dismissed the approach many teams take of assigning someone specifically to guard Bruno. Experience had shown that no one could contain him one-on-one.

"I think we should stick to our defensive system, tighten up, especially in the midfield and near the penalty area, which are Bruno's most threatening areas."

From the European Super Cup matches against Udinese, Real Madrid's coaching staff had gained a direct and comprehensive understanding of Bruno's abilities. Though that was before the season started, and after almost half a season of integration, Ancelotti believed Real Madrid could win at Friuli Stadium, but first, they had to neutralize Bruno, the major threat.

"Bruno is very smart, thinks well on the pitch, and adapts quickly," Ancelotti concluded. "We need to pay close attention to him. Over the next two days, we'll arrange specific training focused on containing him. We must completely freeze him out at Friuli Stadium."

Both teams were determined to win this match since their direct encounter might decide who would top the group. With Real Madrid's global influence, the match was highly anticipated.

On the day of the match, Friuli Stadium was packed, not just with Udinese fans but also a significant number of visiting supporters. When the players entered the field, the noise from the crowd was tremendous, a mix of cheers and boos. Considering the opponent was Real Madrid, it was to be expected.

Both coaches opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation. For the home side, Udinese, Carnelos was the goalkeeper, with Cancello, Danilo, Domizzi, and Pasquale on defense; Kante and Allan were the holding midfielders, with Widmer, Bruno, and Guilherme aligning behind the lone striker Di Natale.

Real Madrid fielded Casillas as goalkeeper, with a backline of Aveloa, Pepe, Varane, and Marcelo. Modric and Kroos were the defensive midfielders, with James Rodriguez, Isco, and Ronaldo forming the attacking midfield, supporting lone striker Benzema.

However, when the game started, Real Madrid's formation shifted more towards a 4-4-2, with Ronaldo partnering Benzema upfront.

...

As the match commenced at a high tempo, Bruno, as Udinese's offensive linchpin, naturally received special attention from Real Madrid. Following Ancelotti's detailed instructions and practice, Real Madrid seemed to have constructed a 'steel cage' in their half, with each player acting as a bar, and Bruno the caged bird.

Ancelotti did not assign anyone specifically to mark Bruno but used a zonal defense to restrict him and sever his connections with the rest of his team and midfield.

This tactic effectively contained Bruno in the opening ten minutes; he barely touched the ball, feeling isolated from the rest of the team. Bruno quickly realized this and expanded his movements.

After Mourinho had instilled a more rational and defensively solid approach in this attack-minded Real Madrid team, Ancelotti had continued to emphasize defense while enhancing their offensive play.

Whenever Bruno entered a threatening area upfront, Real Madrid would tighten the cage, which moved with Bruno's movements.

Frustrated, Bruno was forced to receive the ball on the wings or drop deeper into less threatening areas, reducing his effectiveness.

Bruno had to admit, Real Madrid's defense was impressive—not a passive defense, but one filled with proactive, coordinated pressing.

"That old man really knows his stuff," Bruno glanced at Ancelotti across the technical area, a wry smile on his face, thinking, "But if he thinks he can contain me like this, he's underestimating me."

...

Ten minutes into the game, with Bruno quiet on the right and failing to create any threats, Ancelotti felt satisfied. His assistants, sitting by his side, also breathed easier as their tactical plan appeared to be working.

Yet, Ancelotti felt a pang of apprehension. Despite overseeing many exceptional players, including Ballon d'Or winners, he hadn't paid much attention to Bruno, a Golden Boy winner renowned across Europe's football scene.

The current happenings on the field, however, were making Ancelotti question whether they had indeed managed to lock Bruno down. Was he really the type of player to be contained so easily?

Just as this ominous thought crossed his mind, Ancelotti saw Bruno looking towards him, an almost mocking smile on his face, as if to say, "You underestimate me!"

This sudden unease struck Ancelotti forcefully.

...

When the ball was played back to the defense and then to Cancello on the right, Bruno quickly moved to the right flank, signaling for the ball. Marcelo followed, but he was a step slow, and by the time he reached Bruno, Cancello's pass had already arrived. Real Madrid's left-back opted to position himself behind Bruno.

But Bruno had anticipated this, stepping forward before Marcelo could close the gap, smoothly bringing the ball from his left foot to his right and swiftly turning to face inward.

Toni Kroos was right behind Marcelo, but due to their rapid movement, there was a slight distance between them. By the time Bruno turned with the ball, Kroos had just managed to reposition himself defensively.

Facing the hastily approaching opponent, Bruno feinted towards the edge of the box, causing Kroos to fall for the feint and attempt a block. However, Bruno had already moved the ball laterally with a swift dribble.

Bruno's initial plan was to cut inside to the middle, then decide whether to pass or cooperate with his teammates. But as he drove towards the right edge of the penalty arc, he noticed Real Madrid's defensive midfielder Modric had retreated too deeply, somewhat blocking the center-backs and creating a gap between them.

(Chapter ends)