Chapter 112: Feint to Establish Reality
In just two months, this marked José's second visit to Madrid, while many of the Mallorca players were returning to familiar haunts.
Samuel Eto'o appeared visibly preoccupied, and both Capdevila and Camara wore expressions of deep reflection. As for Piri, he had not left Mallorca at all. Ever since being appointed technical director, Piri had meticulously reviewed all the available data—scrutinizing the performance of every player, from the first team down to the youth squads. He only attended Mallorca's home matches in person, preferring to watch away games on television. Naturally, this time was no exception. One could only imagine the complexity of emotions Piri must have felt watching this game from afar...
In contrast, "Little Ron" (Ronaldinho) was completely carefree. It was his first time in Madrid, and he wandered around with wide-eyed curiosity—as if he were on a sightseeing tour rather than here to play football.
Coach José had no objections to his lighthearted mood before the game. A relaxed state of mind often helped players perform better on the pitch—as long as it didn't tip into complacency.
The previous two consecutive wins had lifted Mallorca's point total to 28, leaving them in sixth place. They still trailed fourth-placed Barcelona by five points, while Real Madrid, in superb form this season, had 42 points after 18 rounds (13 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses), comfortably leading second-placed Valencia by six points and already clinching the first-half title. Now, Mallorca were set to face the incredibly in-form Real Madrid.
Yet, despite the daunting task ahead, José showed no sign of fear.
"We don't need to feel any pressure for this match," he told his team confidently. "This season, not one team in La Liga has left the Bernabéu unscathed—they've won seven out of seven home games there! When you're up against such a fortress, no one will expect us to triumph. Even if we lose, it won't matter—but if we win... well, that's when things get interesting!"
José's smile was sly and self-assured—almost mischievous. His words electrified the Mallorca players. Indeed, every other team playing at Bernabéu had suffered defeat—teams like Valencia and Deportivo had lost away matches, including one infamous derby where the opponents not only scored two goals amid relentless jeers but also celebrated with bizarre theatrics, and another unexpected loss to Numancia on the road. Yet none of these setbacks prevented Real Madrid from finishing as league champions.
If we can beat Real Madrid away, then our reputation as giant killers will be cemented. Last season, amid chaos, we managed to hold Deportivo to a draw, and just two rounds ago we even defeated Barcelona. And now, add Real Madrid into the mix...