Real Madrid narrowly defeated Atletico Madrid 1–0 away from home, extending their perfect league start to seven straight wins.
Atletico Madrid's defeat left them level on points with Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and Sevilla. All four teams had thirteen points, leaving them a full eight points behind Real Madrid, who had won seven in a row.
The gap had sent shockwaves throughout Spanish football. Many people simply could not understand how Real Madrid, who had looked lackluster before the season and had even struggled through some matches, had managed to claim seven consecutive victories.
Regardless, Real Madrid had transformed from a fallen giant before the season into the runaway leaders of the La Liga table.
Three days later, in the second round of the Champions League Group Stage, Real Madrid hosted Belgium's Brugge.
It was also a highly anticipated clash. During the distant 2003–04 season, also in the Champions League Group Stage, an unknown fringe player had come on as a substitute in a match that left everyone despairing. He had then stunned the world, ushering in an unprecedented era in the history of world football.
That man was Yang Yang!
And that team was Brugge!
Brugge had been the first opponent of Yang Yang's professional career. Now, after returning to the Four Major Leagues, he had encountered Brugge again in his first season managing Real Madrid. It had to be fate.
Although the two teams were worlds apart in strength, Yang Yang approached the match with the attitude that even a lion fighting a rabbit had to use all its strength. He fielded an almost full-strength lineup at the Bernabéu Stadium to face Brugge.
Just seven minutes after kickoff, De Ligt sent a long ball from the back to the front. Hazard carried the ball into the box