"Two things."
The first half ended with Manchester City temporarily leading 1-0.
During the halftime break, when Gao Shen walked into the players' locker room, everyone was already seated and resting.
The team's masseurs were giving muscle massages to several players, and the rhythmic slapping sound of "pa pa pa" could be heard throughout.
Gao Shen first spoke with his assistants, then walked to the center of the room once the players were ready.
"First, please check your equipment carefully, especially your boots and shoelaces."
As soon as he said that, a burst of laughter broke out in the locker room.
David Luiz shouted out, saying he wanted to see Suarez's football boots, while others joked about wanting to steal them as souvenirs.
"I think we should display your boots in the Hall of Fame at the Etihad Stadium, Luis," Gao Shen added with a laugh.
Suarez was speechless, lowering his head with a wry smile. It was obvious he regretted missing that golden opportunity in the first half.
"Alright!" Gao Shen clapped his hands forcefully, signaling everyone to focus.
"The second thing. I don't think there are major issues with your performance or our tactics in the first half. But our opponents are showing a lot of resilience. I think this is because we didn't apply enough pressure."
His words made the players exchange glances. They quickly understood what Gao Shen meant.
"This is the final match, guys. I don't want anyone holding back. I want you to give everything, even if it means cramping up. After we win this title and complete the quadruple, you'll have all the rest you need!"
In truth, many players wouldn't get a break.
Because 2012 was a major tournament year.
But Gao Shen was right. This was the final match, and they needed to go all in.
"We need to pick up the pace a bit more. Use tempo to wear them down and increase the pressure."
"We attacked Contento and Lahm on the flanks several times in the first half. The opposition had prepared for that. So we can do more through the middle, especially just outside the penalty area. I noticed that Gustavo and Schweinsteiger are often missing from that zone, so keep an eye on that."
Why did Lahm have to rush to block when Suarez missed?
Because the two defensive midfielders didn't recover in time.
After Gustavo fouled David Silva, the Spanish midfielder had already gotten up and continued driving forward with the ball, while Gustavo was still struggling to get to his feet. He failed to catch up, which exposed the defense.
That, in itself, was a problem.
Gao Shen had always believed that the space in front of the penalty area was key.
In fact, at his level, he no longer cared much about rigid formations or positions.
As long as each player appears where the team needs them, whether it's a 1000 or a 0010 setup doesn't really matter.
Formations simply help define roles and responsibilities.
There was a reason Gao Shen asked everyone to give it their all.
First, Bayern were physically strong, but Manchester City had the physical advantage.
Second, in terms of substitutes, Manchester City clearly had the edge.
Once City raised the tempo and sustained their intensity, Bayern would be forced into a battle of endurance. In that case, depth off the bench would become critical. And here, City held a clear advantage.
"People often say that 1-0 is the most dangerous and unsafe scoreline in football."
After finishing his tactical instructions, Gao Shen began his final pre-match rally.
"But I believe that until the final whistle blows, no scoreline is safe. Not even 3-0."
After saying that, Gao Shen quietly muttered to himself: Forgive me, Ancelloti!
"If you want to be safe, you have to give your all, every minute of the match, right up until the final whistle. Stay 200% focused. Never relax!"
"Let me tell you, these next 45 minutes could change your lives. No team before us has ever completed a quadruple."
"And we might be the first!"
"I can even say we have a very real chance."
"But only if you give your best in these final 45 minutes. Leave it all on the pitch, fight for the team!"
"Remember what I said, we don't let up until the final whistle. Understood?"
"Understood!"
All the players stood up together and shouted in unison.
From their loud voices, Gao Shen could feel their burning fighting spirit.
…
As soon as the second half whistle blew, Manchester City launched a fierce press on Bayern's defense like a pack of wolves.
Suarez immediately rushed forward to pressure Bayern's goal, forcing Butt to kick the ball long.
Bayern had played a lot of long balls tonight, but the problem was that Gomez's positioning was too fixed.
Maybe it was because of City's high pace and constant movement. Gomez, being tall and strong, had to manage his energy consumption, so he limited his movement.
Instead, he focused on physical duels with City's central defenders.
But this made Bayern's long balls to Gomez predictable.
Each time Bayern tried to hit Gomez, either Javi Martinez came in to support, or Kompany and David Luiz stepped up to contest the ball. As a result, Bayern's front-line strategy never really took effect.
From this, it was easy to see the value of a center forward like Drogba.
In contrast, City's Suarez, while also a center forward, was more agile.
He was a complete player, but lacked standout traits in certain areas.
For example, in the final third, he was often outmuscled by Van Buyten and Tymoshchuk.
That simply wasn't his strength.
But Suarez's advantage lay in his mobility.
Like in the 58th minute of the second half.
After Manchester City regained possession, they looked to attack down the left. But David Silva and Felipe couldn't create danger and passed the ball back to David Luiz.
The Brazilian center back controlled the ball, looked forward, and saw both Gareth Bale and Suarez up top. He considered launching a long pass.
But Bayern had already anticipated this and adjusted quickly.
Seeing that, David Luiz abandoned the idea and switched the ball to the right.
Since both teams had overloaded the left flank, it was crowded, while the right had more space.
Lichtsteiner received the ball, took a step forward, and noticed Robben raising his hand for it.
The Dutch winger was hugging the touchline and found an open pocket.
Without hesitation, Lichtsteiner rolled the ball into Robben's feet.
Robben stopped it with his left foot and turned.
Toni Kroos quickly approached, combining with Contento to form a double-team.
Robben, reading the play, knew they were trying to pin him and immediately looked for support.
Rakitic was in the center circle of his own half, but it would be difficult to play the ball past Toni Kroos.
Passing backward seemed like the safest option.
Just as Robben had that thought, a figure suddenly dropped back from the front.
Suarez!
The Uruguayan called out to Robben as he dropped deep. Robben reacted immediately, adjusted his position, and used his left foot to pass diagonally forward. Then he burst into a sprint.
Contento knew what was coming and immediately turned to chase, but he simply didn't have the speed to match Robben, who left him in the dust.
Suarez's sudden drop also drew Bayern's attention.
But with Gareth Bale staying forward, neither Tymoshchuk nor Van Buyten dared to step out. So Schweinsteiger was the one who picked up Suarez.
As soon as Suarez received the ball, Schweinsteiger moved to block him, trying to stay goal-side without committing, worried about being dribbled past.
But Suarez was quick and confident. The moment he controlled the ball, he spotted Robben charging forward and instinctively flicked the ball backward with his heel.
He often had these flashes of brilliance.
The ball rolled past Schweinsteiger and behind Bayern's defense.
Robben sprinted at full speed and latched onto Suarez's heel flick perfectly.
This sudden play set the Allianz Arena alight.
Fans from both sides erupted in screams.
Robben dashed into the right side of the penalty area with a clear one-on-one chance.
Van Buyten closed him down immediately but didn't dare dive in, afraid of giving away a penalty. The Belgian defender simply tracked Robben's left foot closely.
On the right side of the box, Robben's left foot was closer to Van Buyten, putting the Dutchman at a disadvantage.
But just as Robben entered the penalty area and squared up to Bayern goalkeeper Butt, he suddenly fired a volley with his right foot.
The ball shot out like a rocket. Butt instinctively threw up his hands to stop it, but the shot was too fast and powerful. He missed it completely.
The ball sailed over Butt and into the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"Robben! Arjen Robben!"
"Manchester City score again!"
"In the 58th minute, Robben finishes with a solo effort to break down Bayern's defense once more!"
"2-0!"
"With around 30 minutes to go, the result looks all but sealed."
"Manchester City have dominated the match, and Bayern Munich haven't been able to mount any real threat."
"Gao Shen's team is simply too strong, both in terms of overall quality and squad depth. They've left their opponents with no hope."
"This is Gao Shen!"
(To be continued.)