Chapter 245 Advance to the next round of the Champions League, the opponent of the top 1 is actually
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Xian Xue Niao
Chapter 245 Advance to the next round of the Champions League, the opponent of the quarter-finals is actually Barcelona!
Although the gold content of the League Cup is lower than that of the League Championship and the FA Cup, Manchester City is very happy to win the team's first championship of the season.
At Wembley, they made it to the podium for the first time.
Since many rounds of the League Cup were played by substitute players, they contributed a lot to winning this trophy.
So Lin Quan suggested that they come up to toast, and this proposal was supported by his teammates.
The substitute players were flattered, and surrounded by the main players, excitedly lifted the first championship of the season belonging to Manchester City!
……
After winning the League Cup, Manchester City did not delay in London and returned to Manchester without stopping.
They will usher in two home games next, namely the FA Cup home game against Stoke City and the Champions League home game against Werder Bremen.
These two games next to each other have caused some differences of opinion within the Manchester City club.
Some people think that the FA Cup should be abandoned strategically and go all out to hit the league and the Champions League.
Compared with the FA Cup, the weight of the league championship and the Champions League is obviously heavier.
And the FA Cup is not like the League Cup, which can end immediately.
Counting the game two days later, they will have to play at least three games to win the championship.
And these three games happened to be interspersed between the league and the Champions League, which made them very embarrassed.
But not everyone thinks that the FA Cup should be given up. After all, they have already reached the quarterfinals, and they are only three games away from the championship.
If you give up at this time, wouldn't all your previous efforts be in vain?
"Stoke City's strength is not strong. Even if we don't send a full lineup, we may not lose to them."
"Yes, we have a huge lead in the Champions League and the league, and we have a lot of room for error. If we can win the FA Cup, then we hope to achieve a small treble this season!"
This so-called small triple crown obviously counts the League Cup.
Generally speaking, the triple crown of the five major leagues refers to the league, cup and UEFA Champions League. These three championships have high gold content. It is very difficult to win these three championships at the same time, so there are not many triple crowns in the five major leagues. .
In response to the differences of opinion among the assistant coaches, Pellegrini thought seriously.
They defeated Werder Bremen 4:1 away in the last round, holding 4 goal difference and [-] away goals.
So in the next game against Werder Bremen, as long as they don't lose more than 4 goals, they will definitely be able to break into the next round.
So, should we consider the FA Cup first and play conservatively against Werder Bremen?
Pellegrini couldn't make up his mind, he decided to publicly ask the players for their opinions in the training match the next day!
After all, whether the game is tiring or not, the players themselves have the most say.
Facing the question raised by Pellegrini, the substitute players' opinions are very firm, that is, they must strive to the end.
Among the main players, players represented by old players such as Kompany and Yaya Toure believe that the focus should be on the league.
They are a bit overwhelmed by this intensive schedule, worried that injuries during the game will affect this year's World Cup.
Pellegrini had a general understanding of the players' opinions, so he looked at Lin Quan, who had never expressed his opinion:
"Lin, what do you think?"
Lin Quan doesn't have the same worries as other veteran players. He has the talent of immunity to injuries and doesn't need to worry about injuries.
As for the consumption of physical energy, he feels fine now. Although he is a little tired psychologically due to the continuous competition, it is still within the tolerable range.
Just like what those substitute players said, if you give up now, wouldn't all your previous efforts be in vain?
So he said: "I think we should fight for this championship!"
After seeing Lin Quan's statement, De Bruyne immediately stood up to support Lin Quan:
"I support it too!"
Those in the Spanish gang naturally looked forward to Lin Quanwei's lead, and they also expressed their support for the FA Cup championship.
The relationship between Aguero and Lin Quan is very good, and he also stood up to support Lin Quan at this time.
As for the young players of the team, after receiving Lin Quan's support, they were all very excited. They clustered around Lin Quan like they were their elder brothers, and even supported Lin Quan's decision incomparably.
Kroos silently observed the reactions of the Manchester City players, taking all of this into his eyes.
Lin's voice and influence in Manchester City are greater than he expected.
Hearing Lin Quan's words, several veteran team members showed disappointed expressions on their faces.
Competitions like cup games are more difficult to play as you go to the end, because the remaining teams are all strong teams.
Although there are only three games, these three games are fierce battles, and to win all of them must be peeled off.
If it falls short in the middle of the process, it will really lose the wife and lose the army.
However, people who supported Lin Quan accounted for the majority, and even if they opposed it, it was useless, so they didn't speak at all.
"Although I support continuing to play in the FA Cup, I think the main players consume too much energy. Before reaching the final, we should use as many substitutes as possible to compete!"
Just when everyone felt that the matter had been settled, Lin Quan spoke again, attracting everyone's attention.
"Lin, according to what you mean, don't you still have to give up the FA Cup?"
When Kompany heard Lin Quan's words, he doubted his own ears.
Is there any difference between sending all substitutes to play and giving up the FA Cup?
You can't really expect to win the championship with a group of substitutes, can you?
"Hehe, of course not, because I will make a move!"
Lin Quan immediately stated his plan. Before reaching the final, Manchester City will use a substitute lineup for the remaining two games of the FA Cup.
In this way, their main players can get enough rest, and they won't be beaten by the opponent because of a group of substitutes.
If it doesn't work, there are still a few main players on the bench. If the team really can't win the opponent, they can be replaced in the second half.
In this case, Manchester City is enough to deal with most opponents.
"The method is feasible, but in this way, it will consume too much energy for yourself. Are you sure you want to do this?"
In fact, Pellegrini didn't agree with Lin Quan's plan very much in his heart, because he was worried that Lin Quan's full-line battle would cause injuries.
"No problem, if I really can't hold on, I will take the initiative to bring it up!"
Pellegrini nodded. Since Lin had said all that, it was hard for him to say anything more.
So, when he ranked the starting list for the second day, Pellegrini put Lin Quan in.
After seeing Manchester City's starting list, the commentators had weird expressions on their faces.
"To be honest, I don't understand Manchester City's starting list!"
He Wei shook his head. Most of Manchester City are substitutes, and then put the absolute core Lin Quan on the court. What does this mean?
Now that they are all on the bench, it means that they are going to give up the FA Cup.
But letting Lin Quan start, it doesn't feel like giving up.
This kind of formation is a sticking point, whether to give up or not to give up, can't you give me a happy talk?
"Perhaps Pellegrini has his unique understanding. As for the effect of Manchester City's formation, we can only wait for the game to verify it!"
Xu Yang also didn't understand Manchester City's intentions, but he chose to believe before questioning.
In fact, even if it is a substitute lineup, Manchester City's strength is also very strong.
In addition to Lin Quan, they can also have Negredo, Jovetic, Nasri, Harvey Garcia, Demichelis, Milner and others on the field.
If Fernandinho has not been suspended, then there is still a Brazilian iron waist in the midfielder position, and the lineup will be stronger.
In this game, on the front line, Lin Quan's partner is Spain's teammate Negredo.
Negredo has always been Aguero's substitute, but he and Aguero are not the same style of center.
He is tall, has the ability to get the ball behind his back and make the ball, and when Manchester City needs a fulcrum in the frontcourt, he is usually selected.
However, in most cases, the striker duo is Lin Quan and Aguero, a pair of small and fast spirits.
The combination of Lin Quan and Negredo, one high and one fast, started less frequently at the same time.
Although Negredo didn't start many times, he played a lot.
Negredo has represented Manchester City in 32 games this season, including 22 in the league, 4 in the League Cup, 3 in the FA Cup and 3 in the Champions League.
If it weren't for so many appearances, he would not have been selected for Del Bosque's Spanish national team.
Negredo seemed very excited to be able to partner with Lin Quan.
"Lin, just look at it, I will perfectly assume the role of the frontcourt fulcrum and make the ball for you!"
Before the start of the game, Negredo said vowedly.
However, after the start of the game, Negredo's first confrontation with the opposing defender ended in failure.
"Bah, it doesn't count this time, I'm not ready!"
Lin Quan stretched out his hand and pulled Negredo up when he fell on the ground. The latter spat out the grass clippings he ate in his mouth and said very dissatisfied.
Lin Quan glanced at the opponent's tall black central defender, and then at Negredo.
He is pessimistic about the prospect of Negredo singled out the opponent's defender!
As expected, Negredo was completely at a disadvantage in the confrontation with the opponent's strong central defender. The role of the fulcrum did not play a role, but it became the opponent's breakthrough point.
Fortunately, the opponent's offensive tactics were very rough, the ground penetration could not penetrate Manchester City's midfield, and the long pass tactic was not easy to beat Manchester City, and the game soon fell into a stalemate.
Seeing that the team was unable to play effectively in the middle, Lin Quan decisively took the ball to the side.
There are two outstanding players Milner and Nasri on the flanks on both sides. If they cooperate with them, it will be easier to play the effect.
Stoke City players are very wary of Lin Quan. Among the 11 Manchester City players on the field, his threat is far higher than others.
So for Stoke City, defending Lin Quan is basically half the battle.
In the 23rd minute, Manchester City completed cooperation on the left. After receiving a pass from Nasri, Lin Quan dribbled the ball inside and was brought down by the defender.
Lin Quan is very happy that the opponent is willing to give a free kick.
However, this position is not very good. He missed the free kick and was slightly higher than the crossbar.
But even so, the goalkeeper of Stoke City was still taken aback. The flight trajectory of the football, which flickered left and right, almost made him surrender.
"Pay attention to the foul position, don't give the opponent too good a free kick opportunity!"
Hearing the goalkeeper's call, the players of Stoke City felt very embarrassed.
It is very difficult to prevent Lin Quan, and it is even more difficult not to foul.
But they also know the consequences. If they continue to give him free kicks, they may really lose the ball.
So, they specially sent a midfielder to stare at Lin Quan, restricting his passing and receiving, and not giving him room to start.
The number of times Lin Quan has been marked by his opponents is not once or twice, and he has long been accustomed to this.
Since the opponent sent someone to stare at him, he would take the initiative to retreat, bring out the opponent's back waist, open up the opponent's formation space, and create opportunities for his teammates.
Seeing that Lin Quan left the front line and ran to the midfield to become Manchester City's midfield commander, Stoke City's midfielder looked at his head coach a bit embarrassed:
Coach, shall we continue following this situation?
The coach of Stoke City gritted his teeth and made up his mind: follow!
Don't say he's going to play in the midfield, even if he's going to be the goalkeeper, you stand in front of him and stare at him to death!
Seeing that the opponent's back was still following him, Lin Quan was a little happy.
He passed the ball to Garcia, making a move forward.
Come on, this guy retreating to the midfield is really a lie!
Stoke City's defensive midfielder regained his spirits, Lin Quan retreated and he also retreated, and controlled the distance with Lin Quan, and at the same time was ready to destroy his catch.
However, Lin Quan's running forward was just a cover, he ran two steps and then suddenly retreated.
At the same time, Garcia's pass also came to his feet.
Taking advantage of the opportunity before the opponent came up, Lin Quan sent a through kick.
The ball was not passed to striker Negredo, but to midfielder Jovetic.
Jovetic was in an open position at this time. After receiving a pass from Lin Quan, he took a long shot directly.
The ball was played with great quality, but it was a pity that it was a little too high, and the football hit the crossbar and flew out of the bottom line.
Stoke City have escaped a catastrophe!
"Pay attention to people, don't miss people!"
The head coach of Stoke City was very dissatisfied with this goal. He believed that it was the players' inattention that gave Jovetic the opportunity to attack forward.
Moreover, the defensive midfielder McKellen's marking of Lin Quan was not in place, giving the opponent a chance to pass the ball.
In short, many problems have been exposed in the defense this time. If these mistakes cannot be corrected in time, Manchester City's ability to seize opportunities will lead to disaster sooner or later.
However, it is easy to say, but difficult to do.
McKellen further narrowed the distance with Lin Quan, almost inseparable from him!
However, getting too close may not be a good thing, especially for an extraordinary king like Lin Quan.
In the 42nd minute of the first half, Lin Quan took the initiative to retreat and received a pass from Demichelis.
The moment the ball came to his feet, he turned Cruyff, easily wiped out McKellen, who was too close, and strode towards Stoke City's half-court with the ball.
After losing a defensive midfielder, there was a loophole in Stoke City's central defense, giving Manchester City a chance.
After Lin Quan and Jovetic completed a two-for-one collision with the wall, they dribbled into the penalty area and sent the ball into the goal with a light kick.
Manchester City scored the first goal and temporarily led Stoke City 1:0.
After the goal was scored, the Manchester City substitutes breathed a sigh of relief.
They all proudly raised their chests: We are so good, the substitutes can beat the opponent's main force!
They played more and more relaxed and played better and better.
On the contrary, it was Stoke City, who were eager to equalize the score and launched an offensive frantically, but in the end they exposed even greater flaws, and were attacked by Manchester City several times in succession.
In the 55th minute of the second half, Milner's goal sealed the victory for Manchester City.
In the end, Manchester City eliminated Stoke City with a score of 2:0 at home and entered the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
However, their luck did not seem to be very good. Manchester City drew the opponent Arsenal in the semi-finals.
With Arsenal's desire for the championship, this game may be difficult to play.
But to break into the semi-finals, the substitute players are already very happy.
Regardless of whether they can get past Arsenal, they have proved themselves this season.
Even if you can't stay in Manchester City next season, you should be able to find a good place.
After the game, Pellegrini gave the team a day off.
Three days later, they continued their challenge at home against Werder Bremen.
In this game, Lin Quan was placed on the bench.
Although he assured Pellegrini that his condition was fine, Pellegrini felt that Manchester City had a great advantage in this game, and Lin Quan did not need to play unless it was absolutely necessary.
The opponent's consideration was also reasonable, so Lin Quan no longer insisted, and sat on the bench to watch the game with peace of mind
Although the team has little hope of promotion, after coming to the away game, Werder Bremen played not conservative at all.
They chose to play against Manchester City in this game, and Manchester City naturally agreed with such a choice with both hands and feet.
Therefore, after the start of the game, the two teams played very unrestrainedly, and the number of goals was also exaggerated.
In the 13th minute, Kompany scored with a header to help Manchester City lead 1:0.
In the 20th minute, Werder Bremen scored a goal from Peterson in the counterattack, and the score became 1:1.
Just 2 minutes later, Manchester City scored another goal, and De Bruyne scored with a free kick.
Like Lin Quan, De Bruyne pressed his hands down after scoring and did not choose to celebrate, even though this is Manchester City's home court.
The offense of the two teams in the first half was not over yet. In the 38th minute, Manchester City fouled in the penalty area and gave Werder Bremen a penalty.
Captain Fritz personally took the knife and rewritten the score to 2:2 in one fell swoop.
At this time, the total score of the two teams was 6:3, and Manchester City still held a three-goal lead.
In terms of the current state of the two teams, it is obviously difficult for Werder Bremen to come back.
However, even so, the Parrot Legion still did not give up, they chose to continue to attack!
In the 67th minute, Werder Bremen scored again. Arnautovic used his strong jumping ability to overwhelm Kompany and head the ball into Manchester City's goal.
However, before that, Manchester City had already scored two goals in the 48th and 55th minutes.
At this time, the score on the field has become 4:3, and Manchester City has another goal difference.
Since then, the offensive firepower of the two teams has gradually turned off, and the Parrot Legion, who tried their best, even had cramps in some players near the end of the game.
In the face of a huge gap in strength, the Parrot Legion, relying on their tenacious fighting spirit and unyielding spirit, scored three goals in the away game, almost equal to Manchester City, which won them the respect of Manchester City fans.
After the game, Manchester City fans stood up and applauded to pay their respects to their opponents.
Although they failed to complete the miracle of reversal, they proved the strength of the Parrot Legion with their actual actions!
This is a respectable team!
After defeating Werder Bremen, Manchester City broke into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a record-breaking team history.
In other games, Bayern drew Chelsea 1:1 in an away game, eliminated Chelsea 4:1 in two rounds and entered the quarterfinals.
Manchester United beat Galatasaray 1:0 at home and advanced to the quarterfinals with a total score of 2:1.
Arsenal lost 0:3 to Barcelona in the away game, suffered a double play at home and away, and missed the quarter-finals.
Atletico Madrid swept AC Milan 4:1, also double-killed their opponents at home and away, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid defeated Olympiacos 3-0 at home and easily advanced to the quarterfinals.
Dortmund lost 1:2 to their opponents in an upset at home, and advanced to the quarterfinals with a total score of 5:4.
Greater Paris defeated Leverkusen 2:1 and got the last ticket to the quarterfinals.
So far, the list of the top eight has been released, namely Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern, Dortmund, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Paris.
La Liga dominates the crowd with three teams and deserves to be the first league.
Both the Bundesliga and the Premier League have retained two places, which is quite satisfactory.
The entire Serie A army was destroyed, but Ligue [-] still retained a spark.
After the list of the quarter-finals was released, the draw ceremony for the quarter-finals of the Champions League was held at UEFA headquarters soon.
The first one to be drawn was Real Madrid, and their opponent was Paris Saint-Germain.
The second one to be drawn is Manchester United, and their opponent is Bayern Munich.
The third one to be drawn is Atletico Madrid, and their opponent is Dortmund.
In the end, there are still two teams left, and the result will be known without drawing.
Manchester City will face Barcelona in the quarter-finals!
(End of this chapter)
Although the gold content of the League Cup is lower than that of the League Championship and the FA Cup, Manchester City is very happy to win the team's first championship of the season.
At Wembley, they made it to the podium for the first time.
Since many rounds of the League Cup were played by substitute players, they contributed a lot to winning this trophy.
So Lin Quan suggested that they come up to toast, and this proposal was supported by his teammates.
The substitute players were flattered, and surrounded by the main players, excitedly lifted the first championship of the season belonging to Manchester City!
……
After winning the League Cup, Manchester City did not delay in London and returned to Manchester without stopping.
They will usher in two home games next, namely the FA Cup home game against Stoke City and the Champions League home game against Werder Bremen.
These two games next to each other have caused some differences of opinion within the Manchester City club.
Some people think that the FA Cup should be abandoned strategically and go all out to hit the league and the Champions League.
Compared with the FA Cup, the weight of the league championship and the Champions League is obviously heavier.
And the FA Cup is not like the League Cup, which can end immediately.
Counting the game two days later, they will have to play at least three games to win the championship.
And these three games happened to be interspersed between the league and the Champions League, which made them very embarrassed.
But not everyone thinks that the FA Cup should be given up. After all, they have already reached the quarterfinals, and they are only three games away from the championship.
If you give up at this time, wouldn't all your previous efforts be in vain?
"Stoke City's strength is not strong. Even if we don't send a full lineup, we may not lose to them."
"Yes, we have a huge lead in the Champions League and the league, and we have a lot of room for error. If we can win the FA Cup, then we hope to achieve a small treble this season!"
This so-called small triple crown obviously counts the League Cup.
Generally speaking, the triple crown of the five major leagues refers to the league, cup and UEFA Champions League. These three championships have high gold content. It is very difficult to win these three championships at the same time, so there are not many triple crowns in the five major leagues. .
In response to the differences of opinion among the assistant coaches, Pellegrini thought seriously.
They defeated Werder Bremen 4:1 away in the last round, holding 4 goal difference and [-] away goals.
So in the next game against Werder Bremen, as long as they don't lose more than 4 goals, they will definitely be able to break into the next round.
So, should we consider the FA Cup first and play conservatively against Werder Bremen?
Pellegrini couldn't make up his mind, he decided to publicly ask the players for their opinions in the training match the next day!
After all, whether the game is tiring or not, the players themselves have the most say.
Facing the question raised by Pellegrini, the substitute players' opinions are very firm, that is, they must strive to the end.
Among the main players, players represented by old players such as Kompany and Yaya Toure believe that the focus should be on the league.
They are a bit overwhelmed by this intensive schedule, worried that injuries during the game will affect this year's World Cup.
Pellegrini had a general understanding of the players' opinions, so he looked at Lin Quan, who had never expressed his opinion:
"Lin, what do you think?"
Lin Quan doesn't have the same worries as other veteran players. He has the talent of immunity to injuries and doesn't need to worry about injuries.
As for the consumption of physical energy, he feels fine now. Although he is a little tired psychologically due to the continuous competition, it is still within the tolerable range.
Just like what those substitute players said, if you give up now, wouldn't all your previous efforts be in vain?
So he said: "I think we should fight for this championship!"
After seeing Lin Quan's statement, De Bruyne immediately stood up to support Lin Quan:
"I support it too!"
Those in the Spanish gang naturally looked forward to Lin Quanwei's lead, and they also expressed their support for the FA Cup championship.
The relationship between Aguero and Lin Quan is very good, and he also stood up to support Lin Quan at this time.
As for the young players of the team, after receiving Lin Quan's support, they were all very excited. They clustered around Lin Quan like they were their elder brothers, and even supported Lin Quan's decision incomparably.
Kroos silently observed the reactions of the Manchester City players, taking all of this into his eyes.
Lin's voice and influence in Manchester City are greater than he expected.
Hearing Lin Quan's words, several veteran team members showed disappointed expressions on their faces.
Competitions like cup games are more difficult to play as you go to the end, because the remaining teams are all strong teams.
Although there are only three games, these three games are fierce battles, and to win all of them must be peeled off.
If it falls short in the middle of the process, it will really lose the wife and lose the army.
However, people who supported Lin Quan accounted for the majority, and even if they opposed it, it was useless, so they didn't speak at all.
"Although I support continuing to play in the FA Cup, I think the main players consume too much energy. Before reaching the final, we should use as many substitutes as possible to compete!"
Just when everyone felt that the matter had been settled, Lin Quan spoke again, attracting everyone's attention.
"Lin, according to what you mean, don't you still have to give up the FA Cup?"
When Kompany heard Lin Quan's words, he doubted his own ears.
Is there any difference between sending all substitutes to play and giving up the FA Cup?
You can't really expect to win the championship with a group of substitutes, can you?
"Hehe, of course not, because I will make a move!"
Lin Quan immediately stated his plan. Before reaching the final, Manchester City will use a substitute lineup for the remaining two games of the FA Cup.
In this way, their main players can get enough rest, and they won't be beaten by the opponent because of a group of substitutes.
If it doesn't work, there are still a few main players on the bench. If the team really can't win the opponent, they can be replaced in the second half.
In this case, Manchester City is enough to deal with most opponents.
"The method is feasible, but in this way, it will consume too much energy for yourself. Are you sure you want to do this?"
In fact, Pellegrini didn't agree with Lin Quan's plan very much in his heart, because he was worried that Lin Quan's full-line battle would cause injuries.
"No problem, if I really can't hold on, I will take the initiative to bring it up!"
Pellegrini nodded. Since Lin had said all that, it was hard for him to say anything more.
So, when he ranked the starting list for the second day, Pellegrini put Lin Quan in.
After seeing Manchester City's starting list, the commentators had weird expressions on their faces.
"To be honest, I don't understand Manchester City's starting list!"
He Wei shook his head. Most of Manchester City are substitutes, and then put the absolute core Lin Quan on the court. What does this mean?
Now that they are all on the bench, it means that they are going to give up the FA Cup.
But letting Lin Quan start, it doesn't feel like giving up.
This kind of formation is a sticking point, whether to give up or not to give up, can't you give me a happy talk?
"Perhaps Pellegrini has his unique understanding. As for the effect of Manchester City's formation, we can only wait for the game to verify it!"
Xu Yang also didn't understand Manchester City's intentions, but he chose to believe before questioning.
In fact, even if it is a substitute lineup, Manchester City's strength is also very strong.
In addition to Lin Quan, they can also have Negredo, Jovetic, Nasri, Harvey Garcia, Demichelis, Milner and others on the field.
If Fernandinho has not been suspended, then there is still a Brazilian iron waist in the midfielder position, and the lineup will be stronger.
In this game, on the front line, Lin Quan's partner is Spain's teammate Negredo.
Negredo has always been Aguero's substitute, but he and Aguero are not the same style of center.
He is tall, has the ability to get the ball behind his back and make the ball, and when Manchester City needs a fulcrum in the frontcourt, he is usually selected.
However, in most cases, the striker duo is Lin Quan and Aguero, a pair of small and fast spirits.
The combination of Lin Quan and Negredo, one high and one fast, started less frequently at the same time.
Although Negredo didn't start many times, he played a lot.
Negredo has represented Manchester City in 32 games this season, including 22 in the league, 4 in the League Cup, 3 in the FA Cup and 3 in the Champions League.
If it weren't for so many appearances, he would not have been selected for Del Bosque's Spanish national team.
Negredo seemed very excited to be able to partner with Lin Quan.
"Lin, just look at it, I will perfectly assume the role of the frontcourt fulcrum and make the ball for you!"
Before the start of the game, Negredo said vowedly.
However, after the start of the game, Negredo's first confrontation with the opposing defender ended in failure.
"Bah, it doesn't count this time, I'm not ready!"
Lin Quan stretched out his hand and pulled Negredo up when he fell on the ground. The latter spat out the grass clippings he ate in his mouth and said very dissatisfied.
Lin Quan glanced at the opponent's tall black central defender, and then at Negredo.
He is pessimistic about the prospect of Negredo singled out the opponent's defender!
As expected, Negredo was completely at a disadvantage in the confrontation with the opponent's strong central defender. The role of the fulcrum did not play a role, but it became the opponent's breakthrough point.
Fortunately, the opponent's offensive tactics were very rough, the ground penetration could not penetrate Manchester City's midfield, and the long pass tactic was not easy to beat Manchester City, and the game soon fell into a stalemate.
Seeing that the team was unable to play effectively in the middle, Lin Quan decisively took the ball to the side.
There are two outstanding players Milner and Nasri on the flanks on both sides. If they cooperate with them, it will be easier to play the effect.
Stoke City players are very wary of Lin Quan. Among the 11 Manchester City players on the field, his threat is far higher than others.
So for Stoke City, defending Lin Quan is basically half the battle.
In the 23rd minute, Manchester City completed cooperation on the left. After receiving a pass from Nasri, Lin Quan dribbled the ball inside and was brought down by the defender.
Lin Quan is very happy that the opponent is willing to give a free kick.
However, this position is not very good. He missed the free kick and was slightly higher than the crossbar.
But even so, the goalkeeper of Stoke City was still taken aback. The flight trajectory of the football, which flickered left and right, almost made him surrender.
"Pay attention to the foul position, don't give the opponent too good a free kick opportunity!"
Hearing the goalkeeper's call, the players of Stoke City felt very embarrassed.
It is very difficult to prevent Lin Quan, and it is even more difficult not to foul.
But they also know the consequences. If they continue to give him free kicks, they may really lose the ball.
So, they specially sent a midfielder to stare at Lin Quan, restricting his passing and receiving, and not giving him room to start.
The number of times Lin Quan has been marked by his opponents is not once or twice, and he has long been accustomed to this.
Since the opponent sent someone to stare at him, he would take the initiative to retreat, bring out the opponent's back waist, open up the opponent's formation space, and create opportunities for his teammates.
Seeing that Lin Quan left the front line and ran to the midfield to become Manchester City's midfield commander, Stoke City's midfielder looked at his head coach a bit embarrassed:
Coach, shall we continue following this situation?
The coach of Stoke City gritted his teeth and made up his mind: follow!
Don't say he's going to play in the midfield, even if he's going to be the goalkeeper, you stand in front of him and stare at him to death!
Seeing that the opponent's back was still following him, Lin Quan was a little happy.
He passed the ball to Garcia, making a move forward.
Come on, this guy retreating to the midfield is really a lie!
Stoke City's defensive midfielder regained his spirits, Lin Quan retreated and he also retreated, and controlled the distance with Lin Quan, and at the same time was ready to destroy his catch.
However, Lin Quan's running forward was just a cover, he ran two steps and then suddenly retreated.
At the same time, Garcia's pass also came to his feet.
Taking advantage of the opportunity before the opponent came up, Lin Quan sent a through kick.
The ball was not passed to striker Negredo, but to midfielder Jovetic.
Jovetic was in an open position at this time. After receiving a pass from Lin Quan, he took a long shot directly.
The ball was played with great quality, but it was a pity that it was a little too high, and the football hit the crossbar and flew out of the bottom line.
Stoke City have escaped a catastrophe!
"Pay attention to people, don't miss people!"
The head coach of Stoke City was very dissatisfied with this goal. He believed that it was the players' inattention that gave Jovetic the opportunity to attack forward.
Moreover, the defensive midfielder McKellen's marking of Lin Quan was not in place, giving the opponent a chance to pass the ball.
In short, many problems have been exposed in the defense this time. If these mistakes cannot be corrected in time, Manchester City's ability to seize opportunities will lead to disaster sooner or later.
However, it is easy to say, but difficult to do.
McKellen further narrowed the distance with Lin Quan, almost inseparable from him!
However, getting too close may not be a good thing, especially for an extraordinary king like Lin Quan.
In the 42nd minute of the first half, Lin Quan took the initiative to retreat and received a pass from Demichelis.
The moment the ball came to his feet, he turned Cruyff, easily wiped out McKellen, who was too close, and strode towards Stoke City's half-court with the ball.
After losing a defensive midfielder, there was a loophole in Stoke City's central defense, giving Manchester City a chance.
After Lin Quan and Jovetic completed a two-for-one collision with the wall, they dribbled into the penalty area and sent the ball into the goal with a light kick.
Manchester City scored the first goal and temporarily led Stoke City 1:0.
After the goal was scored, the Manchester City substitutes breathed a sigh of relief.
They all proudly raised their chests: We are so good, the substitutes can beat the opponent's main force!
They played more and more relaxed and played better and better.
On the contrary, it was Stoke City, who were eager to equalize the score and launched an offensive frantically, but in the end they exposed even greater flaws, and were attacked by Manchester City several times in succession.
In the 55th minute of the second half, Milner's goal sealed the victory for Manchester City.
In the end, Manchester City eliminated Stoke City with a score of 2:0 at home and entered the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
However, their luck did not seem to be very good. Manchester City drew the opponent Arsenal in the semi-finals.
With Arsenal's desire for the championship, this game may be difficult to play.
But to break into the semi-finals, the substitute players are already very happy.
Regardless of whether they can get past Arsenal, they have proved themselves this season.
Even if you can't stay in Manchester City next season, you should be able to find a good place.
After the game, Pellegrini gave the team a day off.
Three days later, they continued their challenge at home against Werder Bremen.
In this game, Lin Quan was placed on the bench.
Although he assured Pellegrini that his condition was fine, Pellegrini felt that Manchester City had a great advantage in this game, and Lin Quan did not need to play unless it was absolutely necessary.
The opponent's consideration was also reasonable, so Lin Quan no longer insisted, and sat on the bench to watch the game with peace of mind
Although the team has little hope of promotion, after coming to the away game, Werder Bremen played not conservative at all.
They chose to play against Manchester City in this game, and Manchester City naturally agreed with such a choice with both hands and feet.
Therefore, after the start of the game, the two teams played very unrestrainedly, and the number of goals was also exaggerated.
In the 13th minute, Kompany scored with a header to help Manchester City lead 1:0.
In the 20th minute, Werder Bremen scored a goal from Peterson in the counterattack, and the score became 1:1.
Just 2 minutes later, Manchester City scored another goal, and De Bruyne scored with a free kick.
Like Lin Quan, De Bruyne pressed his hands down after scoring and did not choose to celebrate, even though this is Manchester City's home court.
The offense of the two teams in the first half was not over yet. In the 38th minute, Manchester City fouled in the penalty area and gave Werder Bremen a penalty.
Captain Fritz personally took the knife and rewritten the score to 2:2 in one fell swoop.
At this time, the total score of the two teams was 6:3, and Manchester City still held a three-goal lead.
In terms of the current state of the two teams, it is obviously difficult for Werder Bremen to come back.
However, even so, the Parrot Legion still did not give up, they chose to continue to attack!
In the 67th minute, Werder Bremen scored again. Arnautovic used his strong jumping ability to overwhelm Kompany and head the ball into Manchester City's goal.
However, before that, Manchester City had already scored two goals in the 48th and 55th minutes.
At this time, the score on the field has become 4:3, and Manchester City has another goal difference.
Since then, the offensive firepower of the two teams has gradually turned off, and the Parrot Legion, who tried their best, even had cramps in some players near the end of the game.
In the face of a huge gap in strength, the Parrot Legion, relying on their tenacious fighting spirit and unyielding spirit, scored three goals in the away game, almost equal to Manchester City, which won them the respect of Manchester City fans.
After the game, Manchester City fans stood up and applauded to pay their respects to their opponents.
Although they failed to complete the miracle of reversal, they proved the strength of the Parrot Legion with their actual actions!
This is a respectable team!
After defeating Werder Bremen, Manchester City broke into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a record-breaking team history.
In other games, Bayern drew Chelsea 1:1 in an away game, eliminated Chelsea 4:1 in two rounds and entered the quarterfinals.
Manchester United beat Galatasaray 1:0 at home and advanced to the quarterfinals with a total score of 2:1.
Arsenal lost 0:3 to Barcelona in the away game, suffered a double play at home and away, and missed the quarter-finals.
Atletico Madrid swept AC Milan 4:1, also double-killed their opponents at home and away, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid defeated Olympiacos 3-0 at home and easily advanced to the quarterfinals.
Dortmund lost 1:2 to their opponents in an upset at home, and advanced to the quarterfinals with a total score of 5:4.
Greater Paris defeated Leverkusen 2:1 and got the last ticket to the quarterfinals.
So far, the list of the top eight has been released, namely Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern, Dortmund, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Paris.
La Liga dominates the crowd with three teams and deserves to be the first league.
Both the Bundesliga and the Premier League have retained two places, which is quite satisfactory.
The entire Serie A army was destroyed, but Ligue [-] still retained a spark.
After the list of the quarter-finals was released, the draw ceremony for the quarter-finals of the Champions League was held at UEFA headquarters soon.
The first one to be drawn was Real Madrid, and their opponent was Paris Saint-Germain.
The second one to be drawn is Manchester United, and their opponent is Bayern Munich.
The third one to be drawn is Atletico Madrid, and their opponent is Dortmund.
In the end, there are still two teams left, and the result will be known without drawing.
Manchester City will face Barcelona in the quarter-finals!
(End of this chapter)
