Both head coaches stood in their respective technical areas, watching the situation on the field.
Unlike the spectacular goals in the first half, the two sides were locked in a fierce battle in midfield during the second half, with possession constantly changing hands.
Whoever controlled the midfield controlled the game.
That was how Barcelona had once dominated world football.
Once they controlled the midfield, their opponents lost their most basic means of counterattacking.
They couldn't link their forwards and defenders through the midfield.
To launch a counterattack, they could only rely on long balls, which were difficult for the forwards to make the most of.
The importance of the midfield was self-evident.
Time passed slowly, second by second, but the situation on the field hadn't changed much.
However, Atletico Madrid were happy to see things stay this way.
A defiant smile tugged at Simeone's lips. Pushing the battle toward midfield, far from his own goal—that was his strategy for the second half.
Although this would take a heavy toll on the midfielders' stamina, it would do the same to Barcelona.
And with the two sides canceling each other out, Atletico Madrid's back line would have plenty of time to rest.
What's more, Barcelona definitely wouldn't want to keep grinding things out like this.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, Barcelona made the first change.
Koeman brought Dest on for a completely out-of-sorts Pique, then reshaped the formation.
"Oh, Koeman's made a substitution. Pique is coming off, with fullback Dest coming on. This change seems a little strange. What kind of formation is Koeman planning to play?"
"Let's take a look at Barcelona's positions now. It's still hard to tell, but... wait, that's not right. Why has De Jong dropped back? Is he going to play as a center-back?"
"My goodness, what