As Real Madrid's biggest star, Yang Yang being left on the bench put enormous pressure on Head Coach Benitez, because if they lost this match, he would become the focus of criticism from media and fans around the world.
Who would bench their sharpest weapon before the decisive battle?
Besides, Yang Yang had returned from injury with a hat-trick within twenty-odd minutes in his first match, showing astonishing form.
Even within the team, Benitez's decision had received plenty of questioning.
But before making the decision, he had taken the initiative to find Yang Yang and explain why he had made it.
As expected, there were mainly two considerations.
First, Yang Yang had only just returned from injury. For the sake of caution, the medical team did not recommend that he play the full match. But Benitez had a feeling that the match would be decided in the final stages.
That was his tactical instinct as a Head Coach.
Starting from that point and taking the team's current situation into account, the best option was to bring Yang Yang on as a substitute.
In Yang Yang's mind, setting aside personal factors, from both a tactical and professional perspective, Benitez was absolutely one of the finest Head Coaches in the world, a true tactical master.
Yang Yang had played under him for nearly five years, and when it came to targeted tactics, Benitez seemed never to have lost.
Of course, that did not mean winning the tactical battle guaranteed victory in the match. Those were two different things.
Because he trusted Benitez, Yang Yang believed in his judgment. He also knew that Benitez had chosen David Silva over Di Maria on the left wing, which undoubtedly confirmed Benitez's thinking.
David Silva was not fast and was not particularly strong in counterattacks. He