Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

”Real Madrid has adopted Real Sociedad’s favorite tactic in this match. Perhaps Mourinho has his own reasons, but all we can see right now is a fragmented, chaotic game,” commented the Movistar La Liga broadcaster, trying to inject some excitement into his voice.

But honestly, watching a match like this in La Liga was nothing short of torture.

Philippe Montanier’s Real Sociedad had been getting excellent results with their ”unorthodox” tactics. Other than local rivals Athletic Bilbao, few teams in the league could play the same disruptive, physical style. Yet today, Mourinho’s Real Madrid had schooled them with a lesson of their own.

Having cut his teeth in the Premier League and learned from Serie A, Mourinho had zero regard for Real Sociedad’s approach. Last season, when he didn’t have full control of Real Madrid, he still opted for standard tactics in their matchups.

In the first encounter, Real Madrid’s attack exploded and crushed Real Sociedad 4-1. But in the second meeting, with Leon having moved to Italy, Madrid struggled against Sociedad’s persistent fouling and disruptive rhythm. They ended up being held 1-1 at home—a result Mourinho never forgot.

So, this season, facing them again, Mourinho decided to teach them what real tempo disruption looked like.

He had changes in mind, but not in the first half. Now fully in control of Real Madrid, his tactical arsenal had grown dramatically compared to the previous year.

And sure enough, letting him off the leash meant one thing—his opponents would only grow more uncomfortable.

Carlos Vela, Sociedad’s lone striker, managed only two shots in the first thirty minutes—only one of which came inside 30 meters. For most of the half, he was invisible.

To be fair, Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t having a great time either. As the lone striker, he only had three shooting chances in the first thirty minutes. Two of those were wild strikes from distance off Alonso long balls, and the last came from a ground pass by Khedira.

Both sides’ fans were growing frustrated with the lack of attacking action.

But relatively speaking, Real Sociedad’s fans were more accepting of a draw. After all, being the first team to earn a point off both Real Madrid and Barcelona this season was no small feat.

Montanier was thinking along the same lines. He wasn’t happy with Mourinho mimicking his tactics, but a draw was acceptable.

However, the calm wouldn’t last.

In the final ten minutes of the first half, things started to change. Real Madrid ramped up their pressure in midfield, and Sociedad responded in kind. Crunching tackles flew in from both sides, and players were booked left and right.

The referee, recognizing the rising tension, pulled no punches—three yellow cards in rapid succession.

Nacho and Lassana Diarra were both booked for Madrid, while Sociedad’s Bergara and earlier, Iñigo Martínez, also went into the book.

Captain Xabi Prieto was on his final warning after multiple rough challenges.

With both sides taking damage, the players finally sobered up.

Then, as soon as the second half began, Mourinho made his move.

He brought on Di María and Benzema, replacing the carded Nacho and Diarra. Madrid immediately switched to a 4-3-3 formation, with Leon and Alonso as a double pivot and Khedira in front of them. The forward trio—Ronaldo, Benzema, and Di María—lined up to press high and strike fast.

It was a bold change aimed directly at Sociedad’s vulnerable players—Bergara and Martínez, both sitting on yellow cards.

Montanier’s head spun. He glanced at his bench but found little comfort. Other than Griezmann, who was resting today, he had no reliable cards left to play.

Bring on Griezmann and risk a shootout with Madrid? That was just begging for trouble.

As Montanier hesitated, Madrid’s pressure intensified. Prieto fouled Leon to relieve the siege and finally broke Madrid’s momentum.

But the worst-case scenario arrived: Prieto was booked.

Now all three of Sociedad’s key midfield and backline players—Prieto, Bergara, and Martínez—were on yellow cards and had to dial back their aggression.

On the sidelines, Mourinho cracked a satisfied grin.

Against teams that liked to ”play dirty,” you clip their claws, bind their mouths, and watch them squirm.

This was a nakedly obvious trap—Mourinho’s classic open conspiracy.

Madrid could simply swap out two players on yellows, switch to a more aggressive formation, and push forward without fear. But what about Real Sociedad? They couldn’t sub everyone out. If they lost Prieto or Bergara, the midfield would collapse.

And now, it basically had.

Mourinho had accurately predicted that Philippe Montanier wouldn’t dare to substitute both of his midfield starters at the same time. And as it turned out, Montanier truly lacked that kind of boldness. Real Sociedad could only continue retreating their defensive line on the pitch.

Xabi Alonso was pushed up near the halfway line to orchestrate the offense. Cristiano Ronaldo and Di María were constantly moving along the wings, pulling apart Sociedad’s backline.

In the 54th minute of the second half, Benzema nearly latched onto a through ball from Di María to break into the Real Sociedad penalty area. Unfortunately, Martínez made a timely slide tackle at the last second and disrupted the pass.

But just four minutes later, Real Madrid returned with even greater momentum. Once again, it was Di María who beat his defender one-on-one on the flank and suddenly whipped in a cross. Ronaldo surged past defender Cadamuro at the far post, leaped into the air, and headed the ball back across goal.

Just as Benzema was about to nod it home with a follow-up header, Real Sociedad goalkeeper Bravo bravely charged out and punched the ball clear of the box!

Real Madrid’s striker had now missed two golden chances right at the doorstep, leaving him looking frustrated, his hands spread helplessly.

Even Mourinho was left speechless at this point. He made a decisive move and gestured for both Leon and Khedira to push forward!

Leon, naturally delighted by the tactical call, charged upfield with enthusiasm. But before he made his move, he took a moment to think it through.

Often, just piling more players into the attacking third doesn’t mean a more efficient offense.

Last season at Milan, he had been instructed by Allegri to push forward alongside Boateng because they played a two-striker system. Ibrahimović and either Pato or Robinho could drift wide, leaving enough space in the central midfield for Leon and Boateng to exploit.

But here at Madrid, Benzema occupied the central space, and Ronaldo also liked to cut inside and shoot. If Leon forced himself into the middle as well, it would overcrowd Real’s offensive area.

After weighing his options, Leon chose to move into the right half-space in Madrid’s attacking third, closer to the flank, where he could better support Di María and the dropping Benzema.

Ronaldo and Khedira focused more on coordination down the left and center.

This distribution of attacking personnel ensured there were no congested zones. Leon could also provide more timely defensive support for Di María.

With more players committed to the attack, Madrid’s pressure mounted. Despite Real Sociedad switching to a back-five formation, they were clearly struggling to cope.

In the 67th minute, Benzema received a cross from Ronaldo on the left wing, controlled it, and immediately opted for a half-volley while pivoting.

The technique was superb, but the shot lacked sufficient power, and Bravo once again denied him.

Outside the box, Leon beat Bergara to the ball and quickly laid it off back to Ronaldo on the left.

This time, Ronaldo didn’t cross. He cut inside and decided to go for it himself!

The thunderous long-range shot from outside the box tested Bravo’s reflexes and goal-line technique to the limit.

But the Chilean goalkeeper seemed to be playing like a man possessed. Just before the ball crossed the line, he managed to get the faintest of touches!

The altered trajectory sent the ball spinning right into the post before bouncing quickly back out of the penalty area!

The ball rebounded to the right edge of the box, still traveling at high speed — a testament to the sheer power behind Ronaldo’s shot.

Iñigo Martínez rushed out of the penalty area to chase it. Di María was tightly marked on the right wing and couldn’t get free to receive the ball.

Leon, who had been hovering near the area, had no time to hesitate.

He wasn’t known for his shooting skills, especially from distance.

After all, his shooting rating was only around 67. If he aimed ten shots at the goal from outside the box, all ten would likely be caught easily by the goalkeeper.

So, he didn’t aim.

No need to overthink it — at that moment, the only option was to take a wild swing!

If he hit the target, maybe Bravo would be forced to parry it out for a corner.

If it missed, there was always the chance it might deflect off a Sociedad player and change direction.

These thoughts flickered through Leon’s mind as his body instinctively adjusted.

He quickly wound up and launched into a powerful shot. His intention was a full strike with the instep, but the moment he connected with the ball, a thought flashed across his mind: ”Crap!”

He’d mishit it.

Instead of striking the lower half of the ball, his foot had brushed along the outside of it, ”scooping” it off his boot.

But to the thousands in the stadium and millions watching at home, Leon’s shot looked brilliant.

The ball spun upward in a rising arc, and just as it looked like it would sail over the goal, it suddenly dipped violently!

Bravo was stunned.

He had assumed the shot would fly over the crossbar. By the time he reacted and dove to make a save, it was already too late.

The ball dropped so quickly that Bravo’s hand was still at least twenty centimeters away when it hit the back of the net.

With nothing left to do, Bravo could only watch as this miracle shot crashed into his goal.

Real Sociedad’s defense, which had held firm for nearly seventy minutes, finally crumbled.

”Khedira with the clearance… Ronaldo cuts inside, a long-range effort! Bravo—!!! Oh no, it’s Leon at the far post. Wooo—!!! Leon—!!! What a screamer!!! An absolute thunderbolt!!! That was stunning! Leon—!!! A divine strike from nowhere!!! Bravo had no chance on that one! Could this be Mourinho’s secret weapon? 1-0! Real Madrid finally breaks the deadlock just shy of the 70th minute!”

Commentator He Wei, still broadcasting late into the night, could no longer contain his excitement and energy.

Meanwhile, thousands of fans across China who had stayed up past 5:30 a.m. erupted in ecstatic cheers!

This was Leon’s first goal for Real Madrid!

They Had Waited Too Long…

They had waited too long. And in that time, they had imagined countless scenarios for how Leon would score his first goal.

But never in their wildest dreams did they expect it to come as a stunning world-class strike, precisely when Real Madrid desperately needed a breakthrough!

The moment instantly brought to mind a popular comment among Milan fans on local football forums from last season—a line they loved to repeat when talking about Leon:

”Don’t look at how few goals and assists the Little Lion has—every one of them is decisive! He only scores in tough battles, only breaks deadlocks!”

And now, looking at this goal, it turned out the old-school Milan fans understood Leon best. Damn, they were absolutely right!

Anoeta Stadium fell completely silent. That strike had turned Real Sociedad’s home turf into a temporary library!

Well… except for that pocket of Real Madrid fans going wild in celebration.

Mourinho covered the lower half of his face with his hand, eyes wide, staring at the pitch in utter disbelief.

Karanka wasn’t much better off—his hands were gripping his head in shock before he let out a euphoric double fist pump!

Real Madrid’s entire bench exploded. The substitutes stormed the sideline, charging toward the corner flag, shouting with passion.

And there, at the corner, was Leon—who had just sprinted over and celebrated with his signature ”masked” pose—now completely mobbed by his teammates.

Moments later, the stunned Real Sociedad crowd finally snapped back to reality and unleashed a deafening wave of boos.

Philippe Montanier looked absolutely livid. He had every reason to believe Leon’s goal was pure dumb luck.

After all, in his two seasons at Madrid, Leon had played more than twenty league matches but had only taken two shots!

Even during his loan at Milan, all his goals had come from headers or scrappy tap-ins near the goal.

And now this? A midfielder like him suddenly unleashing a thunderbolt from long range? If that wasn’t a fluke, what was?

Another lucky moment of brilliance?!

”Bloody hell! What kind of luck is this kid riding?! The 70th minute! It’s already the 70th minute, and he still manages to score a goal like that?! Goddamn it!”

Montanier was pacing and muttering angrily on the sideline, his nerves completely shot.

After ranting, he immediately called on Griezmann and another striker, Agirretxe, to warm up.

He was preparing to go all in for one last desperate push.

Meanwhile, Mourinho, still riding the wave of astonishment and joy, wasn’t slow to react either.

Beating Montanier to the punch, he signaled for Carvajal to start warming up.

On the field, Leon—still flushed from the celebration—was already urging his teammates to focus on defending.

Several Real Madrid players, hearing his words, quickly calmed down.

This victory meant everything to them.

If they could secure ten straight wins, they wouldn’t just break Real Madrid’s club record for the best start to a season.

More importantly, beating Real Sociedad here meant removing the final major hurdle before facing Barcelona in the season’s first true showdown.

Winning fourteen in a row would give them massive psychological momentum heading into El Clásico.

Fired up, Madrid’s stars shed all distractions and quickly retreated into their own half, preparing to defend the lead with everything they had.

Of course, Ronaldo still stayed high up the pitch.

His mere presence was enough to keep Sociedad’s defense on high alert.

And it also left open the possibility of Madrid killing the game with a late counterattack.

When play resumed, Real Sociedad made their moves first—Griezmann and Agirretxe came on, finally giving Vela some support.

Montanier threw caution to the wind, scrapping the five-man backline and switching to an aggressive 3-4-3!

Madrid, pulling back into their own half, entered the final stretch locked in a fierce defensive battle.

In the 76th minute, Carvajal entered, replacing Di María.

Madrid adjusted again, shifting into a 5-4-1 formation. Even Benzema dropped back to the midfield to help defend.

Leon and Alonso—Madrid’s double pivot—once again became Mourinho’s key piece for closing out the match.

With their grit and tenacity, arguably the best midfield shield in La Liga, Real Sociedad simply had no way through.

Griezmann was only 20 years old at the time—not yet the elite forward who would later become the world’s third-best player.

Expecting him to break down Madrid’s dense defensive lines in this situation was a stretch.

Sociedad’s midfield and attack just weren’t enough to overcome that kind of resistance.

In the end, Madrid’s united front and near-perfect, airtight defense managed to see out the remaining time.

As the final whistle blew, Movistar’s commentator shouted in triumph—Mourinho’s Madrid had just set a new record for the best start to a La Liga season!

The previous record was nine consecutive wins, also held by Madrid, set during the 1968-69 season.

Now, 43 years later, Madrid had broken their own record!

And this relentless, powerful Madrid side was now eyeing an even bigger milestone:

Barcelona’s single-season record of sixteen consecutive wins set just last year.

In the final moments, the broadcast camera zoomed in on Leon, who had just finished hugging Nacho.

Still smiling, Leon casually pushed his hair back from his forehead.

Countless Chinese fans watching from home were instantly reminded of that goal—a strike as stunningly handsome as Leon himself.

Peach Blossom Shadows Fall, Divine Sword Flies!

”Cool. So damn cool!”

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