The Atlantic Stadium was filled with cheers.

All the members of the Spanish substitute bench couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The painful experiences of the Confederations Cup and the World Cup made everyone realize that Spain was not as strong as they thought.

Germany is a formidable opponent.

Müller is even more of a "massacre opener."

If they fell behind by a goal early on, Spain would be in a passive position in the subsequent game, and Germany would snowball step by step.

...

A simple clearance was extremely encouraging.

Isco excitedly grabbed Morata’s crotch.

Diego Costa excitedly locked Saul's neck with his elbow.

Miniano exclaimed, "Boss, how can Li's return speed be so fast? It's as if he guessed..."

A flash of wisdom flashed in Bosque's eyes, and he said, "He knows Bayern's players very well, including Kimmich's passing tendencies. In a short period of time, he deduced the direction of Germany's attack and the end point."

"Germany's attack is about to change again."

On the other side.

Löw put his finger to his nose and smelled it.

Then he made gestures to the midfielders and defenders.

...

Near the center circle.

Hummels steadily stopped the ball, and the German team was not in a hurry to continue the attack.

Kroos retreated again to sort out the back and midfield.

The midfielders and forwards instantly returned to their respective formation positions.

The ball was slowly passed on the grass.

Boateng waved to the goalkeeper, Ter Stegen, signaling the latter to move a little further forward, just like Neuer usually does.

Speaking of Neuer, he's in a terrible state.

He was still lying on the bed in the residential bedroom, watching the live broadcast of the game, his expression was very anxious, and he muttered to himself: "Don't stand too far away from the defense... Hey! It's not good to be too close either. That kid Li will break up the defense!"

...

Ter Stegen inexplicably felt a tension that professional players shouldn't have.

Very unaccustomed, very awkward.

He has very few opportunities to play for the national team.

Fortunately, the partners on the back line all grew up in the same German youth training system, so there will be no major problems for the time being.

The style of play in the German team's back and midfield is completely different from that of Barca.

At the club.

Enrique told him: "You are still very young. You must not only reduce mistakes, but also learn from Bravo and become an important passing point in the backcourt. As long as you can integrate into the system, your footwork can completely make up for the lack of attack and save. Just like Valdes, helping teammates gain ball control is the best defense."

In the German team.

Löw told him: "You have to learn from Neuer and master the handling of threatening balls in the high defensive line, because the German team spends most of its time pressing the opponent to attack. Also, it is best to directly participate in the attack during the goal kick stage to create opportunities for teammates in the frontcourt."

"Attack is the best defense."

These are two different concepts.

Ter Stegen, 24, is still too young in terms of a goalkeeper's life cycle.

He may become one of the world's top goalkeepers at some point in the future.

But he still can't fully understand: In top competitions, the strength of a goalkeeper is not only reflected in the individual level, but also in the integration with the team's style.

...

"Germany has changed its previous offensive of impact and speed!"

"They are gradually advancing steadily!"

"The Spanish team's frontcourt pressure is not having much effect."

"Kroos and Boateng are two very stable passing points. They are not afraid of the opponent's frontcourt pressing in a short period of time."

Cazorla and Iniesta launched a quick press in the frontcourt.

David Silva is relatively slow, but his prediction of the secondary passing point of football is very accurate.

These three people are not trying to steal the ball for the sake of stealing the ball.

Instead, they interfere with Germany's secondary passing.

Affecting the opponent's midfield advancement, sorting, organization and connection.

Teams with slightly weaker midfields generally feel very uncomfortable when they encounter these three midfield masters.

Where did Koke go?

He is clinging to Kroos.

Even girls who don't usually watch football can now recognize who the core of the German team's midfield is at a glance.

Very reasonable.

It seems that the legendary cores in football history are either handsome...or ugly, and they will have some temperament more or less.

...

Unfortunately.

Kroos, who is active on the right... is too stable in receiving the ball.

Koke has worked very hard, but he can't interfere with the East Germans' passing rhythm.

What is forward and what is back-to-goal?

Understand it literally:

One is facing the pressing while receiving the ball from the front.

One is facing the pressing while receiving the ball with his back.

However, many experts also translate it as: Forward and back.

It involves many, many elements...

...

Time passed by every minute and every second.

The German team steadily controlled the ball and advanced slowly.

The game gradually turned into a "positional battle in motion."

Pressing → counter-pressing → intercepting passes → adjusting passing distance to counter-intercept...

"Kroos, Khedira, Boateng, and Hummels are maintaining the operation of football very easily."

"Not to mention the national team, even the giants of the top five leagues can hardly find two central defenders with super passing ability at the same time. Ter Stegen, the goalkeeper from Barca, can only stare blankly."

"Beautiful football belonging to Germany!"

"Two full-backs have pressed to the front line!"

"Müller and Draxler cut inside to the center."

"From our perspective, the German team is like a big net, about to envelop Spain's backcourt!"

...

The Atlantic Stadium.

Fans on both sides were shouting frantically with all their might.

Although no goals have been scored yet, the spectacle is extremely high.

Li Kang did not participate in the pressing.

Instead, he chose to stand parallel to Busquets, waiting for the storm of attacks that the opponent would set off in the thirty-meter area.

In God's perspective.

He really couldn't guess who was responsible for speeding up the overall rhythm of the German team.

Kroos?

Boateng?

Hummels?

These three guys all have terrifying ball-playing abilities and determine the different attacking directions of the German team.

I can only continue to wait.

Waiting for Koke to make contributions and disgust Kroos.

The Spanish team's defensive answer will become a two-choice question.

...

Are there any Atletico Madrid players who can't trash talk or make small moves?

Yes.

The young Koke... hasn't fully learned the essence from his elder brothers yet.

He is talking some painless "trash talk" with Kroos.

The upper limit is something like your shoes are really ugly, the smell of your hairspray is really bad...

Finally.

When Kroos received the ball with his back to the goal in the forty-meter area.

Slowly raised his finger... that was a signal to speed up the attack!

Is that an anti-forward rocker movement from a deity pointing the way?

In a moment of crisis.

Atletico Madrid's youngster still came up with a flash of inspiration.

Koke was like a little wild boar, arching fiercely towards the German core's lower body, trying to steal the ball!

Accompanied by the fierce impact, the effect brought by muscle gain was infinitely magnified.

Pa!

The ball rolled out of bounds.

Kroos sat down on the grass with a thud and helplessly raised his hand.

Beep!

The referee, Kassai, decisively blew his whistle and quickly stepped forward to give Koke a verbal warning.

"This game is very difficult."

"The only team that can be on par with the Spanish team in terms of ball possession data is their student: Löw's German team."

...

There was no chaos or dispute on the green field.

Kroos is not only technically proficient, but also as strong as an ox.

He sat on the grass and unhappily reached out to Koke.

The Atletico Madrid youngster awkwardly pulled him up.

This little episode caused neutral fans in the nearby stands to burst into applause.

...

On the sidelines.

Miniano said anxiously: "Boss, this is different from the pre-match deployment... Our current situation is very dangerous and passive!"

Bosque had a kind smile on his face: "Where is it dangerous? A strikerless formation does not mean that you are in an advantageous position just by having possession of the ball. Take a good look. It is difficult for the German team to advance to our dangerous area."

"Don't worry, football is not a race."

On the other side.

Löw stood in the command area and couldn't help scratching his eyes.

His eyes were fixed on the Spanish team's midfield and backcourt.

The coaching staff behind him was busy.

Assistant coach Zorg was frantically deducing: In different areas of the Spanish half... if the ball is lost, what kind of response should be made respectively, if the ball is lost... what method should be used to restrict Li?

This is a German team armed to the teeth.