I Am Scouted by Real Madrid-Chapter 451 - 76: World’s Number One (Part 2)

"Look, you’re getting anxious again." C. Ronaldo mimicked a playful phrase he learned from Chen Zhong and said, "Chen is also an excellent player, but he’s a midfielder, not a forward."

"We don’t have a competitive relationship, nor any comparability, but speaking of now, this is my first year in Spain. I think I’m doing well. Compared to Messi, I’m better in age, height, and fitness. I’m confident I can become the world’s best attacker."

C. Ronaldo seemed to know the reporters were about to talk about goals again, so he quickly shifted the topic, "If you understand football, you know that the game can’t focus on just certain players. Whether it’s me, Chen, or Messi, we all need the support of our teammates."

"Barcelona’s coordination has been there for many years. Real Madrid is just in its first season. We are still getting better. Last time at Camp Nou, we beat Barcelona, and this time at our home ground, there’s no reason for us to lose."

"I really hope that in this match, I can take the match ball home, and have my teammates sign it."

In La Liga, if you complete a hat-trick, you can take the match ball home and have your teammates sign it. C. Ronaldo’s words revealed his ambition, hoping to complete a hat-trick in this match. These statements were interpreted by some as a sign that Real Madrid’s offensive focus may differ in this match.

However, the media were obviously unwilling to let C. Ronaldo off so easily and were very keen to stir up the relationship between C. Ronaldo and Chen Zhong, once again raising the issue of the Golden Boot.

Cristiano Ronaldo was silent for a while and then said, "Saying I don’t want that Golden Boot would certainly be unobjective because it’s the greatest recognition for a forward."

"But last year, Atletico Madrid’s Fernando won the Golden Boot, and Atletico Madrid wasn’t the champion team."

"So, I always remind myself, what’s important is the team’s interests."

Cristiano Ronaldo was silent for a while, then continued, "I have communicated with Alvaro, Gonzalo."

"As a forward, once you enter the front field or penalty area, often the first thought is to look for a shooting opportunity."

"This searching is not only for oneself but also for teammates in better positions."

"Chen does very well, he always makes the most of opportunities. In fact, my number of shots is more than Chen Zhong’s."

"Our relationship is good, we communicate, he also passes the ball to us. It’s all good and will only get better."

When C. Ronaldo said these words, some noticed his micro-expressions and analyzed some of his small actions, like unconsciously touching his hair, touching his nose, looking around, not as confidently facing the journalists as before.

This was considered by some to be a sign of lying, suggesting C. Ronaldo might not be as assertive as he says.

The focus on this match is unprecedented, so the media are eager to dig up news. Everyone understands the significance of this weekend’s derby, and therefore, the ticket scramble in Madrid started a week ago.

The official channel tickets have long been sold out.

They even sold out earlier than the second leg of Barcelona’s Champions League round of 16 match started; the Real Madrid website announced on April 5 that all eighty thousand tickets for the century match were sold out.

Moreover, this sell-out came with a condition.

To create a devil’s home ground, all tickets sold externally will be provided to Real Madrid’s members only. Non-Real Madrid members will not be able to obtain tickets through normal sales channels.

This means that on match day, the entire Bernabeu will become a sea of white.

And in Real Madrid’s internal training, to prepare for this match, some fans made "crucial decisions," like Cristiano Ronaldo deciding to wear a mouthguard during the match, as well as the mysterious "energy bracelet." In recent matches and training, C. Ronaldo believes these two "weapons" are key to his increasingly outstanding performance.

Not only that, C. Ronaldo also communicated during training with Alvaro and even Chen Zhong on how to defend against Messi.

On Alvaro, C. Ronaldo found some presence, but in front of Chen Zhong, Chen Zhong used a body check and a precise tackle to successfully shut C. Ronaldo’s little mouth!

After discussing with the coaching staff, Pellegrini also analyzed that Barcelona’s so-called "Yaya Toure" might be a decoy. He firmly believes that facing a player like Chen Zhong, they will no longer use the previous setup.

"Did they forget what Chen Zhong did last game?"

Pellegrini said as he pounded on the table during the coaching team’s meeting, "We could score 10 goals over their heads!"

After setting the tone, Pellegrini carefully studied recent videos of Messi; he could clearly feel that Messi is now at his "most comfortable time." For this, Pellegrini also began carefully researching tactics against Messi.

But in the pre-match press conference, the feeling Pellegrini gave to the outside was different.