In the Manchester United locker room, Erik ten Hag was motivating his players; a one-goal lead was far from enough for Manchester United, and whether they could reach the Champions League semi-finals depended on their performance in the second half.
In the 64th minute, Real Madrid's offensive pressure finally paid off.
Modric, who had just come on as a substitute, received a throw-in from Alaba and delivered a surgical through ball that cut through Manchester United's defense.
Vinicius, surging into the box, found himself with an open path to goal and precisely slotted the ball past Nübel's outstretched hands.
Real Madrid equalized, and for the remaining 30 minutes, both teams were back on level terms.
Erik ten Hag made like-for-like substitutions for both full-backs, with Wan-Bissaka and Malacia coming on.
Using their superior stamina, they constantly stretched Real Madrid's defense.
In the 82nd minute, Manchester United attacked.
Malacia dribbled past two players on the left wing, pushing forward.
Just as the home fans were thrilled by his performance, Malacia had a momentary lapse in judgment and opted for a long cross to the right side.
The low-quality cross predictably resulted in a turnover, with Tchouaméni intercepting the ball.
Manchester United's advanced defensive line gave Real Madrid an opportunity for a counter-attack.
A long pass, though not as exquisite as Casemiro's, accurately found Benzema, who was positioned upfront.
Benzema, not known for his speed, nevertheless steadily blocked Lisandro Martínez behind him.
The increasingly wily Benzema carried the ball into the box and calmly slotted it into the top right corner past Nübel.
Without a doubt, the world-class striker easily scored from a one-on-one situation.
Real Madrid completed the comeback, with a 2-1 scoreline, putting the pressure on Manchester United.
In the final ten-plus minutes, Real Madrid's midfield pressing, combined with a stable backline, prevented Manchester United from creating many chances.
Gao Nuo gave his all, repeatedly challenging Real Madrid's defense, completely disregarding his dwindling stamina.
Finally, in the 90th minute, he cramped in his calf and fell to the ground.
With Gao Nuo's departure, the match concluded.
In the Champions League quarter-finals, over two legs, Real Madrid eliminated Manchester United with a one-goal advantage.
In the post-match interview, Carlo Ancelotti once again employed psychological tactics, claiming that Gao Nuo's performance was still outstanding and that his never-give-up attitude was a role model for young players.
Real Madrid had already planned to sign Gao Nuo in the summer.
To defeat you and then buy you—this was quite an unusual move for Real Madrid.
Erik ten Hag also responded, stating that neither he nor the club would let Gao Nuo leave and that all offers would be rejected.
Gao Nuo was happy at Manchester United, and the team's next goal was solely the League title.
Furthermore, the team would support Gao Nuo in the Golden Boot race.
Gao Nuo himself declined interviews.
Being eliminated from the Champions League in the quarter-finals left him somewhat regretful.
The upcoming seven League matches were his last chance to complete his mission, and he did not want to waste time dealing with transfer rumors.
Gao Nuo's silence gave the media and fans a lot of room for imagination.
“Manchester United's top scorer is about to leave,” “Chinese star Gao Nuo is deeply loved by Carlo Ancelotti,” “Manchester United not only lost the game, but might also lose Gao Nuo”—a series of reports flooded out, and Gao Nuo's reputation spread to Madrid.
“Support the team in signing Gao Nuo; Benzema has given his all, and he needs a successor.”
“Are Chinese players trustworthy? I have reservations about Carlo Ancelotti's choice.”
“I also don't think Gao Nuo is good enough for Real Madrid; his technique is still very rough.”
“If Gao Nuo comes as a substitute, I think there's no problem.”
Unlike the meticulousness of Real Madrid fans, Chinese fans were quite jovial.
“If you can't beat them, join them! No shame in that!”
“Real Madrid said: Gao Nuo is the first person I've crushed and still want to buy.”
“Manchester United fans don't want to talk and are throwing countless bombs at you all!”
“Gao Nuo would look even more handsome in a white jersey; I support Real Madrid!”
“Little sister upstairs, don't stir up trouble; Manchester United won't let him go.”
Rumors always come and go quickly; a few days later, Gao Nuo found peace.
Aside from Challenge Road still causing trouble, Manchester United's upcoming schedule was quite relaxed.
Exits from the FA Cup and Champions League drastically reduced the intensity of matches.
Although there were regrets, Manchester United could better maintain their form in the League.
A five-point lead made it highly likely that Manchester United would win the Premier League title, which they had not won in ten years.
On the training ground, Gao Nuo was pestering Edin Dzeko, asking him how to deal with the defense of the three formidable defenders.
“Barzagli? Bonucci? Chiellini? What are you studying those three for, kid? We're not playing Juve anymore, and besides, two of them have already retired.”
Dzeko looked at Gao Nuo, who was about his height, with a helpless expression.
He was just a temporary fix, set to leave at the end of the season.
If it weren't for the kid being quite likable, he wouldn't bother explaining things to him.
“Oh, I'm always suffering from packed defenses; I want to learn.”
Gao Nuo unleashed his ultimate move, meeting Dzeko's gaze with eyes full of sincerity.
Dzeko calmly said, “The boss’s tactics are fine; focusing on the wings, the most important thing is to constantly move the opponent's formation horizontally, making them tired from moving, causing mistakes in their fatigue, exposing gaps, and then, seizing the opportunity.”
Gao Nuo continued his eye offensive: “I know all that; I just want to ask, if it were you, what would you do?”
Dzeko smiled and pointed to his head: “Do what you're best at.
For me, it's using my head for headers.”
Dzeko paused, seemingly remembering that Gao Nuo's heading ability was quite ordinary, and continued: “Actually, there's another way: 'lure the snake out of its hole,' actively giving possession to the parked-bus opponent, enticing them to attack, and then hitting them on the counter-attack after a successful defense.
It's said this is Mourinho's common tactic.”
Gao Nuo thought to himself, “Don't I know that already? But Juve's defense in 2011 was too solid; this trick wouldn't work.”
After discussing with Dzeko for a while longer, no new conclusions were reached.
Facing a packed defense, the old methods of long shots, set pieces, and wide play remained the mainstream solutions.
In fact, for Manchester United, both wings, whether it's the explosive ability needed for crosses from the byline or the dribbling ability required for cutting inside, were at a decent level.
Also, with the three starting midfielders, plus Ward-Prowse, the free-kick master on the bench, Manchester United's long shots and set pieces were quite threatening.
After analyzing for a long time, Gao Nuo felt that after his speed was limited, his greatest advantage was his height.
If his heading ability could be better, he could provide more options for the team, and crosses after getting to the byline would be even more threatening.
Thinking about the level of his virtual teammates, Gao Nuo felt that the key to Challenge Road was also heading!
After thanking Dzeko, Gao Nuo pulled a younger teammate, Kobbie Mainoo, to serve as his free ball-server, and immediately began extra heading practice.