I Am Scouted by Real Madrid-Chapter 348 - 29: Ambition!

Guardiola’s remarks suddenly pushed Chen Zhong into the limelight.

Right when Barcelona fans were eagerly anticipating an opportunity to trouble Real Madrid, Real Madrid’s players were already on their journey to Italy.

Starting from the draw against Sporting Gijon on October 22nd, the team embarked on a "hellish schedule," averaging a match every 2-3 days.

October 25th at home against Milan, October 28th King’s Cup away against Alcorcon, November 1st home victory over Getafe to regain the top spot, then heading to Italy on November 3rd for an away match against Milan, and back for an away match against Atletico Madrid on November 5th.

This poses a significant test for Pellegrini’s player rotations and their stamina.

However, as long as they endure the match against Atletico Madrid, the team will have a period of "recuperation," with nearly a week until the second leg of the King’s Cup, and it’s at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Then after 11 days, they will host Santander Athletic, followed by the Champions League group match against Zurich at the Bernabeu on November 26th, and then they can await the announcement of the Golden Boy Award, Ballon d’Or, and other accolades.

Among them, the Golden Boy Award, barring any surprises, is likely to land in Chen Zhong’s hands.

Unless in the upcoming Champions League group match, Pato carries Milan’s offense banner and defeats Real Madrid at the San Siro Stadium, he has no chance of snatching the Golden Boy Award from Chen Zhong.

On the specialized plane crafted during the Calderon era, some players wore eye masks to sleep, some played games with neighboring players, while others engaged in childish games.

Meanwhile, Chen Zhong was seated between Pellegrini and Francisco.

Ever since Chen Zhong’s last "rebellion," Pellegrini has been placing excessive importance on his opinion.

Whether it’s player rotations or other matters, he always actively seeks Chen Zhong’s opinion, which makes Chen Zhong feel a bit uncomfortable. He somewhat misses the previous "unrestrained" appearance of Pellegrini.

That kind of flair, that full confidence, was actually quite impressive.

At least it gives off an impression of him having everything under control.

But now, after shedding the previous "filter" of unfamiliarity, Pellegrini suddenly seems less reliable.

"For this match, I want Baptista to pair with you."

"Of course, if you feel a bit tired, you can also be rotated for this match."

Pellegrini is analyzing the current group situation.

Real Madrid, with 3 wins in 3 matches and 9 points, tops the group, while Milan has 1 win and 2 losses, Marseille has 1 win and 2 losses, and Zurich has 1 win and 2 losses, each accumulating only 3 points, making the win-loss results rather abstract.

Milan’s victory was against Marseille, defeating them 2-1, Marseille’s victory was over Zurich, winning by a single goal, while Zurich’s victory was over Milan, also a single goal victory over Milan.

The win-loss relationships among these three teams form a perfect loop...

Real Madrid becomes the sole beneficiary; as long as they don’t suffer three consecutive losses, they are essentially guaranteed to advance as the group leader, and even with three consecutive losses, they can still secure a second-place group finish.

Chen Zhong observed Pellegrini’s "cautious" demeanor, understanding he wants to rotate him for this match. After all, in the last King’s Cup match, Chen Zhong led the youngsters to a 12-2 victory, playing the full 90 minutes, and even broke the scoring record in the King’s Cup.

Moreover, in a situation where advancing from the group stage isn’t an issue, the outcome of this match doesn’t seem particularly significant.

"I can play or not play."

"It’s up to your arrangements." Chen Zhong displayed great humility, and Pellegrini grinned. He was actually quite concerned Chen Zhong might insist on playing in every match, which would be unbearable even for an iron man!

Furthermore...

Despite his reluctance to admit it, Pellegrini feels much more reassured when Chen Zhong is on the pitch.

The relationship between Real Madrid and Milan is amicable. With advancement not in doubt and soft opponents like Zurich and Marseille ahead, this match’s outcome, whether win or lose, is acceptable for the team.

After all, Real Madrid has already accumulated 9 points.

And with the remaining three teams having only 3 points each, they can advance with their eyes closed.

The time quickly reached match day, Real Madrid performed large-scale rotations, yet the formation was still laid out in a 442 setup.

Forwards: Higuain, Benzema

Midfielders: Callejon, Parejo, Baptista, Granero

Defense: Marcelo, Pepe, Albiol, Ramos

Goalkeeper: Casillas

As soon as Real Madrid’s starting lineup was released, Milan’s fans instantly understood the situation, and Real Madrid’s fans were also well aware. Both teams played with a rather lackluster attitude.

The only one with aspirations, Pato, glanced at Chen Zhong sitting on the substitutes’ bench, lacking the spirit.

Both teams were content with a draw in this match.

The first half ended in a draw, and in the second half, Raul took advantage of a counterattack to breach the goal guarded by Casillas.

At the 72nd minute, Pellegrini substituted Alonso for Baptista to let the recently recovered Alonso familiarize himself with the pitch and gain some feeling, and at the 76th minute, Benzema was replaced with Negredo for Negredo to get a feel for the ball.