I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 775: Chapter 41: Derby de Madrid (Part 2)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford is of interest to UEFA, and the Portuguese also expressed willingness to face Manchester United. However, the Real Madrid team still hopes to meet such strong teams as late as possible.

As for Barcelona, after going through tough challenges to finally eliminate Arsenal, the players’ stamina has been affected, and the number of injuries within the team is increasing. Under such circumstances, Barcelona’s desire for revenge against Inter Milan and proving their strength in front of the strongest teams has been temporarily put on hold.

Guardiola’s team likewise hopes to draw weaker opponents.

Schalke 04 and the inexperienced Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League knockout stages are ideal opponents in Barcelona’s eyes.

Another theoretically weaker team, Shakhtar Donetsk, is not the preferred opponent, as this Ukrainian team has caused Barcelona embarrassment in the 2008-09 Champions League group stage and the European Super Cup.

In the European Super Cup, Barcelona relied on Pedro’s miraculous goal to defeat them.

Moreover, Ziglinsky knows all of Barcelona’s secrets.

Although Real Madrid didn’t draw Schalke 04, they got what Barcelona considered a good draw, Tottenham Hotspur.

Compared to Real Madrid’s good luck, Barcelona was not so fortunate, drawing the Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk, which had previously embarrassed them. Of course, some people unfamiliar with the feud between the two teams didn’t feel much about this.

After the draw, people quickly focused their attention on the upcoming Madrid Derby.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet again.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid surprised many this season.

Many even consider him the second "Mourinho," and his team adheres to a 1:0 philosophy, with significant achievements in defense.

Before the match, Real Madrid’s coach and players were interviewed.

Among them, the recent standout performer, Real Madrid’s French forward Benzema, expressed his hope to continue his good scoring run in the Madrid Derby.

In the summer of 2009, Real Madrid bought Benzema from Lyon for 35 million Euros, but he hadn’t fully proven his worth since joining Real Madrid.

However, recently, Benzema’s form has been hot and he is gradually integrating well with the team’s performances.

When discussing the Madrid Derby, Benzema said, "Currently, my goal-scoring luck is good, and my teammates provide me with many passes."

"Physically and mentally, I feel good, and I will continue to work hard. I hope to maintain the current scoring momentum. I want to score in the game. However, we must also guard against opponents, especially the forward duo of Aguero and Fernando."

Victory against Lyon this Wednesday advanced Real Madrid to the Champions League quarter-finals. Although Real Madrid has many injuries within the team, their main lineup hasn’t been significantly impacted, but the midweek Champions League game will test Real Madrid’s stamina.

Whether Cristiano Ronaldo will play is a mystery. Mourinho said, "If it were a derby on Sunday, he’d be better," as the Portuguese recently lacked match and training practice, with his injury not fully recovered.

If he does not play, Adebayor, who appeared as a substitute in the midweek match, could start this game.

Real Madrid now faces a serious test of stamina, with the team competing on three fronts, striving for titles in various competitions, while Atletico Madrid aims to secure a spot in next season’s European tournaments.

This season, Atletico Madrid can be said to be without desires, having been eliminated from the King’s Cup and with poor league performance.

Currently, Atletico Madrid ranks seventh in La Liga with 39 points, 3 points behind sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao, but 12 points behind fourth-placed Villarreal.

For Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid, defeating Real Madrid will be their only chance for glory this season.

They hope to beat Real Madrid in the match to break their continuous winless streak.

Aguero, who helped the team remain undefeated in the last five games, said, "We know our performance has been unstable this season."

"We started well but then had some ups and downs. The most important thing in playing the league is not to drop points. Staying undefeated during this period is good news."

"For the goals of this season, we must be realistic, as a Champions League spot is hard to fight for, but we won’t give up easily. We must have firm faith and confidence in the future."

"Qualifying for the Champions League has always been our primary goal, but we also can’t give up on the Europa League. In short, we need to secure a ticket for European tournaments. No matter how we play, we must win."

The most criticized aspect of Diego Simeone’s coaching at Atletico Madrid is their playing style, which supporters call iron-blooded defense, while detractors call it ugly and dirty.

Regarding the Madrid Derby battle, Aguero said, "Participating in such a match, your previous form doesn’t matter."

"A derby game has special significance for both teams. This match will be tough, and we will do our utmost to strive for victory. You never know what will happen in the future, so we will fight until the end to secure 3 points."

Someone also mentioned Chen Zhong.

During Chen Zhong’s debut season, Aguero was in his prime, even overshadowing Messi to some extent. At the start of the season, he kept scoring, earning praise...

Until Chen Zhong appeared as a substitute...

Subsequently, Aguero, who was entrusted with the hope of breaking the record of not winning against Real Madrid, fell into the embarrassment of being "controlled" by Chen Zhong.

"As I said."

"We will fight to the end."

Once habitually tough-talking Aguero is now more composed.

At the pre-match press conference for the Madrid Derby, Real Madrid’s head coach Mourinho mentioned Chen Zhong.

"Chen has been working hard in training over the past few days, and we can always see his effort," Mourinho said. "Even though he has already won the Ballon d’Or, he is still striving to improve, setting a great example for young players."

Concerning the derby battle at Estadio Vicente Calderón, Mourinho did not disclose Real Madrid’s lineup. "I won’t reveal the participating lineup, because even I don’t know it yet," he said.

When discussing who will be the favorite for the derby, Mourinho remarked, "Logically speaking, a derby has no favorite, the league standings have no reference for such a match."

"Atletico Madrid had a week to prepare for this game and study us."

"They will come into this match in the best form, while our minds were on Lyon until Wednesday, with only two days to prepare for this game."

"Although the physical condition of both sides is unbalanced."

"However, the players are full of fighting spirit."

"Why?"

"Because of Chen, when players were affected by outside news discussions, he dispelled their concerns with one sentence."

Mourinho smiled here, looking at the journalists below, and repeated, "Since I was 16, in Madrid Derbies I played, we’ve never lost."

Real Madrid, fighting on three fronts, is exhausted, even their top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo is injured.

But when they see the consistently diligent Chen Zhong, despite any enemies they face, they always feel they will be the victors, as if an invisible aura surrounds Chen Zhong and influences them.

And it’s not just in words.