"Gao Shen really is the best coach in the world at dealing with Barcelona!"
In the stands of Wembley Stadium, several legendary managers—including Ferguson, Wenger, and Sacchi—were seated in the chairman's area by invitation, watching the game unfold below. Manchester City's two consecutive rapid counterattacks, nearly resulting in goals, had left them both surprised and regretful.
Had they taken their chances, City could already be leading 2–0.
But Manchester City was still a relatively young side and lacked composure in key moments.
From a tactical and technical standpoint, the well-crafted strategies had completely restrained Barcelona.
"The stronger they are, the more vulnerable they become. Gao Shen has always followed this principle," Wenger said with admiration in his eyes.
Manchester City certainly had the strength, but in terms of tactical sophistication, there was probably no other team besides them that could compete with Barcelona on equal footing, or even pose a greater threat.
Mourinho's Real Madrid had been repeatedly dismantled by Barcelona, and not in a good way.
Manchester City might be trailing in ball possession, but the overall situation wasn't bad. They had even won the ball back several times and, under Barça's pressure, delivered some thrilling one-touch football.
As for trying to compete with Barcelona for possession, Gao Shen wasn't foolish enough for that.
"Everyone talks about Manchester City's attack, but they all underestimate their defense. Just look at this game—defensive shape, player positioning, and coordination between the lines. I'm afraid no other Premier League team can match this," Sacchi said frankly, as a retired Italian coach with no affiliations.
Ferguson and Wenger both furrowed their brows but didn't argue.
The truth was, none of their teams could defend like this.
In midfield, Javi Martínez and Rakitic were crucial.
Ferguson was especially envious of Rakitic.
This kid was so well-rounded—excellent in both attack and defense.
"Barcelona's in trouble now. If they keep playing like this, City might score again. You can't expect them to miss chances forever. But if they change things up, it could cause chaos and increase the risk," Wenger said with a shake of his head.
He sighed deeply after speaking.
The lineup and tactical system that Gao Shen had built at Manchester City were remarkably complete and multidimensional.
They had pace, technique, ball control, passing, cutting, counterattacking, and even defensive balance.
From front to back, it was seamless.
Barcelona, on the other hand, was stuck.
Their refined passing and control had hit a wall, and they kept running into it.
But the problem was, Agüero wasn't a battering ram.
In fact, some people had already raised concerns when Barcelona signed Agüero.
It was understandable that they let go of Eto'o, but buying Agüero meant doubling down on their possession-based play. In critical matches, though, who would break down a defense?
Even against Real Madrid this season, Barça had run into similar problems.
Madrid had played passively, with Mourinho setting up a deep block that smothered Barcelona's buildup and forced both sides into drastic tactical shifts.
That's why Mourinho once said, "Barcelona can't win unless Real Madrid gets a red card."
Now, Gao Shen was using a disciplined, compact defensive structure to contain Barcelona, while still looking strong on the pitch. That was truly remarkable.
Just as they were speaking, the game changed again.
…
In the 14th minute, Manchester City launched another attack down the right.
Lichtsteiner once again pushed further forward than Robben, but this time had no option and played the ball back.
Robben controlled it near the halfway line, with no defenders around him for a moment.
By the time Iniesta rushed over, Robben had already adjusted. He pulled the ball with his left foot, just about evaded Iniesta, and sent a long diagonal pass.
It was a deep, sweeping ball from the right side of the halfway line to the area outside the left edge of the penalty box.
Gareth Bale turned and chested the ball down. Alves immediately closed in, but the Welshman played it back to David Silva.
The Spanish midfielder stopped the ball and, before Xavi could get close, lobbed a pass with his left foot toward the penalty spot.
At some point, Suárez had already established position inside the box. He used his body to block Piqué, back to goal and slightly to the right, then used his chest to control the ball to the left of the penalty spot.
Without letting it touch the ground, Suárez turned and volleyed it straight into the air.
The whole move—from chest control to turn and shot—was smooth and seamless. Piqué reacted too late and could only watch as the ball flew into the net.
Valdés had been guarding the left side, wary of Bale. When the ball went to Suárez, he shifted to the middle. But Suárez's move was too quick and too sudden. By the time Valdés dived, the ball was already in.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"LUIS SUÁREZ!!!"
"Manchester City!! They've scored!!!"
Suárez sprinted to the sideline in celebration.
The entire Wembley Stadium exploded in deafening cheers.
City fans shouted Suárez's name, going wild.
The Uruguayan forward rushed to the touchline, embracing teammates who came flying toward him to celebrate the opener.
"Another Manchester City attack, once again shifting from right to left."
"Robben's pass was perfect, Bale's control was excellent, and David Silva's run was timed beautifully. City's entire attacking move was full of rhythm and movement, leaving Barça's defense struggling to respond."
"This was City's third shot of the match. After missing two golden chances earlier, they've finally converted. One-nil!"
…
When Gao Shen saw Suárez chest the ball down, turn, and volley it in, he threw both fists into the air in triumph.
This kid always scored in weird or unexpected ways.
But that's exactly why he could produce goals even when it seemed like there was no chance at all.
Robben's pass had been the key.
In fact, it was similar to Barcelona's ball-switching moves. But unlike Barça, who insisted on short passes to shift play, Gao Shen wasn't afraid to go long.
If the opportunity was there, he went for it.
Not just across the flanks, but even from center backs and holding midfielders—long passes were always part of the plan.
That gave City a more three-dimensional attack, unlike Barcelona's obsession with intricate ground play.
There was no doubt about Agüero's quality, but in key battles, his impact as a central striker was limited.
On the other hand, someone like Suárez wasn't fazed at all by defenders like Piqué or Thiago Motta.
That was why Gao Shen had always believed that the center forward most suited to Guardiola's Barcelona was Luis Suárez.
Not Ibrahimović. Not Lewandowski.
Too tall, and those long legs slowed them down. Suárez, on the other hand, had the perfect height. He had technique, creativity, and flair—able to spark chemistry with Messi. He could play with his back to goal, press aggressively, and combine artistry with gritty, dirty work.
Who else could play that kind of all-around role?
But unfortunately for Barcelona, this center forward was now playing for Manchester City.
The front three of Bale, Suárez, and Robben that Gao Shen built might not be as iconic as the MSN trio, but it was already strong enough—arguably the most fearsome attacking trident in world football today.
Not to mention that players like Hazard, Van Persie, Sturridge, and Robinho were still on the bench.
As for Real Madrid, they had Benzema, Higuaín, Ronaldo, and Di María. But they hadn't fully clicked yet.
And now, Gao Shen's choices were once again proving to be correct on the pitch.
The front line of Sánchez, Agüero, and Messi had great firepower, but lacked the ability to truly break defenses down.
…
After conceding the first goal, Barcelona began to slow the game down.
Guardiola clearly became more cautious. If they continued playing like they had at the start, City might find another opening.
With the early lead, Manchester City settled into their rhythm and started executing their tactics with greater discipline.
It wasn't until the 23rd minute that Barcelona registered their first shot.
But after that, they launched a wave of attacks.
Gao Shen had anticipated this and had Manchester City well-prepared. The team remained composed and solid.
It was only at this point that everyone realized City could also shift to a 4-5-1, with Bale and Robben functioning as traditional wingers.
That came as a big surprise.
Gao Shen really had full control over Manchester City's tactical system. No matter how Barcelona passed and moved, there were always two defensive lines in front of Xavi and Iniesta.
Suárez was pressing Busquets up top.
And as soon as Barcelona's front three received the ball, they were immediately surrounded and closed down.
Especially Messi, who found it almost impossible to get on the ball.
"Xavi takes a long-range shot, but it flies over the bar."
"Barcelona's attack still hasn't broken through City's defense. They need to come up with something more effective."
"Now that City have the lead, they've grown more composed. Even with just 35% possession, Barcelona don't dare press too high for fear of getting hit on the break."
"That's the biggest dilemma for Barcelona at the moment."
"Perhaps Guardiola needs to adjust his tactics, at least to get the midfield distributing the ball more effectively."
"If not, they'll struggle to break City down."
"We're approaching stoppage time at the end of the first half."
"City are pressing the ball, but Barcelona are moving it well."
"If nothing unexpected happens, the first half will end with Manchester City leading by a goal."
"But the second half will be the ultimate showdown!"
(To be continued.)