Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Chapter 17: If He's Not a Freak, Then He's a Prodigy

"Di María is onside! He's tearing down the right wing, and Higuaín is already calling for the ball in the middle!"

The Movistar commentator's voice raced with excitement. As Di María approached Osasuna's penalty area, the broadcast booth caught fire with adrenaline.

Di María showed no signs of passing. The shooting angle was narrow, but there was still a theoretical chance to fire one off.

Osasuna's defenders quickly shifted their formation to cover the left side. Keeper Ricardo braced himself, sealing the near post tight.

But just as Osasuna closed in for the double-team, Di María suddenly—rarely—used his right foot to deliver a low cross!

"Back post!"

Defender Damiá instinctively shouted.

But the ball didn't dip into the center like they expected. It flew past everyone—heading straight to the back post!

And there, Cristiano Ronaldo exploded past right-back Juanfran, burning him with sheer speed.

A flash of lightning. A crushing header.

Osasuna's keeper Ricardo never had a chance.

The ball slammed into the back of the net, and the Portuguese superstar spread his arms wide, roaring as he sprinted down the sideline.

His celebratory slide near the corner flag felt like he was unloading all the pent-up frustration from the first half.

By the time Li Ang reached him to join the celebration, all that was left on Ronaldo's face was a brilliant smile.

Gone were the frustrated expressions of the first half. The entire Real Madrid squad now radiated relief and joy.

"You've got guts, kid... but nice job."

Cristiano slung an arm around Li Ang's neck, thumped his chest, and gave him a knowing look.

Li Ang's smile twitched.

Okay, fine—he'd admit it. That through pass earlier was a gamble.

Even though he'd been working on seizing offensive opportunities and improving his short passing in training, he couldn't say he was yet capable of confidently delivering killer through balls in matches.

But sometimes, when the opposition's midfield was out of position—like just now—he could take a calculated risk.

Most of the time, though? He stuck to his defensive role.

Cristiano, having trained with him recently, obviously knew Li Ang's current level. He could tell that pass had at least a bit of luck behind it.

But Li Ang wasn't ashamed.

Everything starts with a first try, right?

And his first professional through pass? Successful.

Too bad Di María didn't go for goal himself—otherwise, Li Ang might've picked up his first La Liga assist right then and there.

As he lamented the missed stat, up in the coaching area, Mourinho and Karanka sat slightly dizzy—once again forced to reevaluate Li Ang's potential.

"That was luck, right?"

"Probably. Or at least a little. But still, he did recognize the split-second gap in Osasuna's midfield. And honestly, his short passing... it's really improving."

"Hey, Aitor… is it possible our youth coaches were just... wrong about him?"

"Come on, no way. A few coaches misjudging a player? Sure. But the Castilla and C-team managers too? That's a stretch."

"Yeah… probably."

"So?"

"So either this kid's a freak... or he's a genius."

Mourinho said it with calm certainty.

While Karanka was still mulling it over, Mourinho had already accepted the facts.

After all, he'd coached Balotelli for two years—he'd seen what talent looked like when it bloomed unexpectedly.

If he had to explain Li Ang's recent transformation?

It might just be that after joining the Real Madrid first team, the kid had experienced a second awakening.

Rare, yes. But not impossible.

Especially for a young player with solid fundamentals. Once the light bulb flicked on, with the right environment and enough work, that spark could absolutely evolve into real talent.

Still, Mourinho wanted to watch closely in the coming weeks—to see if this was a fluke or a breakthrough.

For now, he returned his focus to the game.

With midfield defense under control, Real Madrid had been able to ramp up the pressure in attack.

And now that they were 1–0 up, Osasuna had no choice but to press forward in search of an equalizer.

Mourinho wasn't just about parking the bus—he loved controlling the tempo.

Osasuna hesitated. Should they fully commit?

No problem. Real Madrid made the decision for them—by forcibly accelerating the pace.

Di María subbed on for a certain "deadweight," able to drift centrally or tear up the right flank in one-on-one duels.

Benzema, who had played as a right winger in the first half, shifted into the center alongside Higuaín.

Add Ronaldo on the left, and suddenly Real Madrid had four explosive attackers up front—each capable of overwhelming defenders.

Once they hit full stride, Osasuna could barely breathe.

Their defense collapsed under the barrage, and their attack lacked the coordination to respond.

Li Ang, meanwhile, found his job easier than ever.

Hold position. Clean up behind the midfield line.

Simple.

And in the 74th minute, Higuaín finished off a slick move to score the second goal—killing off the match.

2–0.

Li Ang didn't even feel tired.

When the referee finally blew the whistle for full-time, and his teammates began celebrating the two-match win streak to start the season, Li Ang was smiling for another reason.

Inside his mind, the system was speaking:

"2010–2011 La Liga: Second victory achieved.

Top-tier European league wins: +2

Base points: +5

Win bonus: +10"

He watched the number on his system interface jump upward.

The smile on his face widened.

And standing on the sideline, watching Li Ang with a satisfied look, Mourinho was already planning something.

Freak or genius.

Didn't matter.

This rare "midfield anchor of dreams"?

Mourinho was going to shape him personally.

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