Real Madrid's players began to panic.
If their one-goal lead at halftime had made them feel as though victory were beckoning, then the start of the second half—the way Simeone directed things from the sidelines and Atlético Madrid's ferocious counterattack—had undoubtedly struck the Real Madrid players like a wake-up call.
When Atlético equalized at 1–1, they had still managed to remain composed. Now they had been turned around and were losing 2–1.
Everyone clearly realized that the match ahead was about to become extraordinarily difficult.
That was because the next forty minutes or so would completely enter the kind of match situation Atlético Madrid was best at.
Real Madrid had to devote even more energy to attacking, while Atletico Madrid would pour their entire focus into preparing for counterattacks.
This had completely overturned the advantage they had enjoyed in the first half. It had even caused quite a few Real Madrid players to wonder: could they really break through Atletico Madrid's goal again?
Yang Yang clearly sensed this mood among his teammates, and he felt it was perfectly normal.
No matter how powerful or mature a team was, there would be times when it doubted itself.
And right now, the most important thing for Real Madrid was not to equalize, but to remain calm.
The Art of War said: "A ruler must not raise an army out of anger, and a general must not provoke battle out of resentment."
Real Madrid's hearts were unsettled. If they launched a reckless attack now, they would definitely fall into Simeone's trap. Atletico Madrid's counterattacks would tear open Real Madrid's defense again and again. If they conceded another goal, they might as well stop playing and raise both hands in surrender.
Steady their formation, advance step by step, and Real Madrid could use their