September 30, Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium.
La Liga, Round 6. Real Madrid welcomed Deportivo La Coruña at home.
During this period, there had been National Team matches and a packed schedule of two games a week. Real Madrid were under immense pressure, and immediately afterward they would travel to Amsterdam to face Ajax, then play Barcelona away, followed by another round of National Team matches.
Real Madrid's schedule was incredibly demanding, leaving them almost no chance to catch their breath.
Ancelotti had no choice but to make extensive rotations for this match.
But as long as one man was fit and healthy, he would definitely appear at the very front of the starting lineup.
That man was Yang Yang!
Behind him, young Jesé started on the left wing, while Di Maria took the right. The midfield trio was also reshuffled, with Herrera, Mascherano, and Modrić partnering up. The back four consisted of Marcelo, Pepe, Varane, and Carvajal.
It was the only option available. If Real Madrid used the same lineup for every match, even Iron Man would not be able to take it.
Real Madrid took control from the opening whistle. In the seventh minute, Carvajal sent a brilliant pass forward after a quick attack, but Di Maria's long-range shot went wide and failed to pose a threat.
Since the European Super Cup, Carvajal had grown increasingly confident. But if he wanted to establish himself as a regular in the First Team, he still needed to perform better and make a more convincing case.
In the eleventh minute, Mascherano won the ball in the attacking half and passed it to Herrera. Herrera played a through ball, and Yang Yang beat the offside trap on the left side of the penalty area to go one-on-one. After receiving the pass, he struck with