The final few minutes of the first half were rather uneventful; Manchester United didn't launch major attacks, as being down 0-2 in a Final meant the situation couldn't get any worse.
Real Madrid also didn't press hard, choosing the safest option to maintain their lead until halftime.
“Beep!” As the Referee’s whistle sounded, the first half ended, and both teams' players headed to the locker rooms.
Militão, wearing the captain's armband, walked up to Gao Nuo and said in Portuguese, “Kid, are you coming to Madrid this summer?”
Gao Nuo replied in somewhat broken Portuguese, “I don’t know yet, but I’ll win this match first.”
Militão was a little surprised; although the other party’s Portuguese was a bit hard to understand, the general meaning was clear.
“Good luck, little guy!”
Gao Nuo didn't quite catch that last sentence, so he didn't reply and quickly walked into the player tunnel.
The scene returned to the live broadcast studio, where Zhan Jun cleared his throat and began to guide the discussion.
“The 2024-2025 Champions League Final, Real Madrid leads 2-0 at halftime, and the match is now in the halftime break. Zhang, could you analyze for everyone how this score came about?”
“Ah, according to the data collected so far, Real Madrid had 12 shots in the first half, 5 on target, scoring two goals. Their efficiency is very high. Manchester United only had 7 shots, with only 2 on target, and no goals.”
Zhang flipped through his notebook and continued, “Ah, from the data, this score is quite normal. Throughout the first half, Real Madrid dominated and scored.”
Zhan Jun interjected at an opportune moment, “From what I saw, Manchester United’s performance in the first half was far below their usual standard!”
Zhang looked down at his notes and responded, “Indeed! Not to mention the defensive issues, Manchester United also has considerable problems in attack today. The rhythm in the midfield and front field is a bit chaotic. You know, a normal Manchester United’s front-field coordination is very fluid, and the ball moves quickly. Facing Real Madrid’s 4-3-3, it shouldn't be difficult to create openings.”
Zhan Jun adjusted his glasses, “Hmm? Is it really because of Gao Nuo? His somewhat irrational behavior in the first half indeed made Rashford’s presence in attack a bit low.”
Zhang had an 'I told you so' expression, “Indeed! I think Gao Nuo is still a bit young. It’s good to speak up on the field, but he still needs to grasp the right measure.”
In the live stream, those who had finished their cigarettes and taken a break returned to their screens, and upon hearing the two’s analysis, also began to express their opinions.
Call Me Xiao Heizi: “Let me see who else is blindly praising Gao Nuo. Isn’t he just relying on teammates to feed him goals?”
Mbappe’s Lackey: “Exactly, as soon as the team stalls, Gao Nuo is nothing. He still wants to compete for the Golden Boot? Don’t dream.”
Galactic Battleship: “This is in line with Real Madrid’s buying strategy: first beat you, then buy you.”
Loves Shaanxi Noodles: “That statement has some intelligence, but not much! If Gao Nuo wanted to go to Real Madrid, he would have gone long ago. Beat him into submission? What a load of rubbish!”
Cold-Proof Bird: “Damn it, as soon as there’s a chance, these Xiao Heizi pop up. They just can’t stand to see Chinese football do well.”
One in a Million: “How much stimulation must they have suffered in real life? If the National Football Team loses, you can curse all you want. Now Gao Nuo is fighting for honor, why are you guys spewing nonsense?”
Red Bean Rice Cake: “Why bother with those anti-fans? I just want to know what Gao Nuo said on the field?”
Husky, Your Bro: “What could he say? Rashford didn’t pass that ball. If it were me, I’d chew him out.”
Chinese Aegis 169: “Brother, you’re being a bit hasty. After all, it’s a match; occasional unreasonableness is understandable.”
Watched Another Few Minutes: “Let’s just see how they adjust at halftime. I’m waiting for Gao Nuo to prove Zhang wrong, I’ll wait until the end!”
Today, the live stream wasn't just for Manchester United and Real Madrid fans, but also a portion of people who were solely fans of Gao Nuo.
Seeing Gao Nuo's lack of performance on the field, most viewers could only fret, emptying bottle after bottle of beer on the table.
In the Manchester United locker room, Gao Nuo had just sat down when he heard Erik ten Hag’s calm voice.
“We are going to win this match, right, lads? This is a normal deficit, but you need to stay positive until the very last moment, the very last moment.”
“The most important thing is to be aggressive defensively, but without actions that earn yellow cards.”
At this point, Erik ten Hag looked at Antony, then retracted his gaze and continued speaking.
“We need a goal, and then we will get momentum, and then win the match! I saw our ball movement after we conceded goals; we were closer to losing than winning.”
As he spoke, he looked at Rashford again.
“I understand the pressure you feel in dangerous situations; it’s normal! If we were the best, we wouldn’t be in this situation; you are not the best yet.”
Erik ten Hag’s gaze swept towards Gao Nuo.
“In this situation, I understand we are chasing victory, but we need to handle this situation in a positive way. So trust me, the challenge is right here. Press, be aggressive! Try to pass the ball through, you have enough quality, people will see it.”
“There will be no change in the tactics for the second half. The tactics we practice every day, and stick to every match, are these current tactics. We have proven time and again that Manchester United can break through any team’s defense.”
“Lads, now what you need to do is rest well, drink some water, eat something. There are still 10 minutes, enough time for you to find yourselves, and then! Get back on the field and kick their asses!”
Erik ten Hag turned and left.
The silence in the Manchester United locker room was deafening!
Erik ten Hag’s calmness was somewhat abnormal; this speech, far more than any shouting or impassioned rhetoric, was even more surging and powerful.
After a moment of silence, Bruno Fernandes stood up and walked to the center of the locker room. Everyone’s eyes were on him.
“Listen, the boss is right. We are Manchester United, we have to win this match. This isn’t just a Final, we must win! There’s another reason: Gao Nuo is being discriminated against, and we must win for him.”
Tightening his captain’s armband, Bruno Fernandes looked at Gao Nuo.
“You all saw it. Gao Nuo, who has the best temper in our team, criticized a teammate on the field. This is not common, which shows how much he is suffering. No matter what you think, remember, this is a match we must win.”
After speaking, Bruno Fernandes plopped back into his seat and picked up a banana to eat.
Gao Nuo felt a warmth in his heart. He stood up as well. Some words had been bottled up inside him for a long time, and he had to say them!
