Chapter 253: Reaching the top of the Champions League scorer list, Manchester City is only 2 games a
"The Fall of Camp Nou!" 》
"Man City came back to defeat Barcelona 3:2, Barcelona may miss the semi-finals!" 》
"Lin Quan defeated his old club and scored twice to lead the team to conquer the Nou Camp! 》
"The End of Pass-Control Football?" Should melon-style pass-and-control football come to an end? 》
The news of Manchester City's away victory over Barcelona immediately spread online and offline with viral speed at the moment the game ended.
Before the game, the outside world generally believed that Barcelona had the advantage, but the final result exceeded their expectations.
Barcelona had a ball possession rate of 71%, shot 21 times and 7 times on target, but only scored 2 goals.
Manchester City showed extremely high efficiency. They only had 12 shots and 5 shots on target, but scored 3 goals.
Manchester City shot only half as many times as Barcelona. At least 6 of these 12 shots came after the 85th minute of the game when they besieged Barcelona's goal.
In other words, Manchester City scored 3 goals in only 6 shots!
This terrifying goal efficiency can probably top the entire five major leagues!
It was not easy for Manchester City to win this game.
At Camp Nou, the two teams committed a total of 48 fouls. The referee showed a total of 8 yellow cards, and Manchester City alone received 5.
The game was so intense that players from both sides were injured and left the field. It was a hard-fought battle that saw red in the bayonet.
In the media comments after the game, all major media generally gave Manchester City extremely high praise.
"Le Monde": "This was a wonderful game. Manchester City withstood the pressure in the away game and used efficient counterattack tactics to defeat the powerful Barcelona. Lin Quan was undoubtedly the best player on the field."
"Daily Sports": Neymar's goal once gave Barcelona hope of winning, but Manchester City's No. 10 used two counterattacks to push Barcelona to hell. "
As the mouthpiece of Barcelona, when reporting the news of this game, they did not forget to make some suggestions to the Barcelona club:
"Perhaps Barcelona should think about it and focus their energy on a certain competition. Otherwise, if they continue to fight on three fronts like this, they will probably gain nothing."
"World Sports News": "Manchester City showed an extremely tenacious fighting spirit in the game. Barcelona had hoped to win the game in the first half, but Lin Quan's defense against Messi compromised Barcelona's offensive firepower.
Maybe we should support Bartomeu's proposal, it's time to bring Lin, the treasure of La Masia, back to the Nou Camp! "
Compared to the reports from the two Barcelona mouthpieces, the report from the Real Madrid mouthpiece is much sharper.
"Marca": "The presence of Lin Quan made Messi feel bitter, and Manchester City's core dominated this victory.
Martino's stupidity ruined Barcelona's good game. The aging Xavi obviously could not sustain such a high-intensity game for an entire game.
Here we would like to congratulate Manchester City. They are about to set a record in team history and enter the semi-finals. Next week's game at the Etihad Stadium will just sentence Barcelona to death! "
"AS": "As long as Lin is there, Manchester City will be indestructible."
Compared with Marca, AS's report was less ridiculing of Barcelona and more praising Lin Quan.
The reason is probably because Real Madrid still has great interest in Lin Quan!
At the post-match press conference, faced with questions from reporters, Martino had to admit:
"There is no doubt that Lin is one of the best players in the world."
A reporter from the UK asked: "Coach Martino, if Barcelona fails to advance to the semi-finals, is this considered a failure for Barcelona and you?"
Martino nodded: "Is it a failure if you fail to advance to the semi-finals? Of course, yes, if my team is eliminated, then I will submit my resignation to the club."
Martino's words surprised the reporters at the scene. His contract with Barcelona still has more than a year left. When the contract has not expired, he actually wants to resign?
"So, in order to keep my job, I will lead the team to complete the comeback at the Etihad Stadium!"
Martino's courage is commendable, but aren't you afraid that the wind will blow your tongue when you say this?
You have failed to win against Manchester City at your own home court. It is extremely difficult to defeat the opponent at Manchester City's home court and score at least 3 goals or win by 2 goals!
Pellegrini arrived late, and compared with the frowning Martino, the expression on the Chilean's face looked very happy.
He highly praised the team, especially Lin Quan and De Bruyne.
"Lin's performance does not surprise me. He has always been such a phenomenal player. As long as he is on the court, he can always surprise you!"
"De Bruyne's performance was very good. His pass made a huge contribution to the team's victory. I am very optimistic about his future at Manchester City!"
"The score of 3:2 is not a very safe score. You know, we are facing a powerful Barcelona. If we are complacent because of our temporary lead, then it is likely that a tragedy awaits us."
"My team will be ready at the Etihad Stadium and we will try to qualify in the second leg."
After having the experience of successfully defeating Barcelona, the fear of Barcelona in the minds of Chileans has dissipated a lot.
Lin Quan did not attend the press conference. After the game, he came to the hospital with his teammates.
Kompany was sent to the hospital for an MRI examination. It was initially determined that he had a mild concussion and needed to rest for 2-3 weeks.
As a result, he will definitely not be able to catch up with the next home game against Barcelona.
Compared with Kompany, Pique is much worse.
He was diagnosed with a craniocerebral injury and needed to stay in the hospital for observation and treatment. He may be absent from the game for as long as three months.
The unlucky Pique not only cannot make it to the next Champions League, but may not even make it to this year's World Cup.
…
Just as Manchester City captured the Nou Camp, the results of several other games also came through.
Manchester United was reversed and tied by ten-man Bayern at home. Not only did they not win, they also gave the opponent an away goal.
This result is very uncomfortable for Manchester United. Their next visit to the Allianz Arena may be a disaster.
However, Bayern's midfielder Schweinsteiger received a red card and was sent off during the game, which also added some variables to the next game.
After Kroos left, Guardiola relied heavily on Piggy. Now that Piggy is suspended due to a red card, how Bayern adjusts its midfield position in the next game has become a key factor in determining the trend of the game.
At the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid tied 3:3.
Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo scored respectively. Real Madrid took the lead three times and was tied three times.
Although they failed to win a victory in the away game, but with three away goals in hand, Real Madrid can naturally accept this result.
For Paris Saint-Germain, if they visit the Bernabeu in their next game, they will be eliminated if they don't win, so they can only fight against the odds.
Compared with the previous three games, the games between Dortmund and Atletico Madrid were much duller.
Dortmund attacked wildly at home for almost the entire game, but faced Atletico Madrid's impregnable defense, they failed to score a single goal.
In this game, the best player was undoubtedly Atletico Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, if he hadn't used his heroic performance to resolve crises time and time again.
Atletico must have been taken away by Dortmund's violent offensive!
After the game, Dortmund's head coach Klopp felt sympathetic to Simeone. Both of them admired the other's coaching ability.
Although the two styles are very different, one advocates offense and the other advocates defense.
But to be able to lead a team with a relatively ordinary lineup to such a high level, the coaching abilities of the two naturally cannot be underestimated.
However, this result has a slight advantage for Atletico Madrid. In the next game at Atletico Madrid's home court, it will be more difficult for Dortmund to break the opponent's goal.
But the good news is that Dortmund was 23 points behind Bayern in the league and was unable to compete for the league championship. They can focus more on the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid, like Barcelona, is in the sprint stage of the La Liga championship, and the league will inevitably consume a lot of energy and status.
This may provide Dortmund with a certain chance of winning!
After the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, betting companies immediately adjusted the winning odds of several teams.
Real Madrid has the highest odds and has become the top favorite for the Champions League this season.
Guardiola's Bayern ranks second, but the odds are much worse than Real Madrid. Kroos's departure makes the outside world not so optimistic about them defending the Champions League.
After this game, Barcelona, which was originally ranked third, saw its odds plummet and dropped to fifth place.
Manchester City has entered the top three for the first time, ranking behind the two favorites Real Madrid and Bayern.
Behind them are Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, Barcelona, Paris and Manchester United.
Although both Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United got a draw, judging from the odds, the outside world agreed that they had been eliminated.
Who said they were unlucky to meet the top two favorites with odds of winning the championship?
After the first round of games, the Champions League scorer list was also updated.
Lin Quan, who scored twice at Camp Nou, topped the scorer list for the first time!
At present, his total number of goals is 14 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo has the same number of goals as him, and the two are tied for first place.
Although they were only tied for first place, it was Lin Quan's first summit, which was of great significance.
"Huang Lin is really amazing. He participated in the Champions League for the first time and accidentally won the Champions League Golden Boot!"
"Lin Huang's goals have fewer penalties and more gold content."
"Lin is really great. There are still 4 games before the Champions League. Before all the games are over, the ranking of the scorer list is not fixed. It's too early to be happy now!"
"Indeed, even if Lin successfully gets through Barcelona, if he is unlucky and encounters Real Madrid in the next game, it will still be difficult to play!"
"What if I'm lucky enough to meet Bayern?"
"Haha, let's hope Lin Huang leads Manchester City to the final!"
…
Before returning to Manchester, Lin Quan received a call from Guardiola.
"Boy, how does it feel to score at Camp Nou?"
"Not bad. What's wrong? Do you feel sorry for your old club?"
Guardiola once played for Barcelona for more than ten seasons wearing a red and blue jersey. After retiring, he coached Barcelona for four years.
His feelings for Barcelona are far deeper than Lin Quan's feelings for Barcelona.
Seeing Lin Quan score at Camp Nou, Guardiola felt very conflicted.
He was happy and even proud of Lin Quan, but also a little sad. After all, Lin Quan had scored the goal that he had tried his best to protect.
"Barcelona can no longer accommodate me, so what's the use of feeling sorry for me?"
After saying this, why does she feel like a resentful woman who is full of resentment after being dumped by a scumbag?
"Okay, then what are you calling for? I'm about to board the plane. If nothing happens, I'll hang up first!"
"You brat, can't you even talk to your dad for a while?"
"Okay, okay, what do you always want to talk about? I'll talk with you!"
Guardiola considered his tone and said: "Laporta found me and said that he will participate in the presidential election in the second half of this year."
"Stop it, are you trying to say that Laporta's promise during the campaign was to invite you back to Camp Nou?"
"Well, it's not just me, he also hopes to bring you back to Barcelona!"
"No, I have no interest in returning to Barcelona. I advise you not to go back and get involved. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Barcelona's lineup is aging and its combat effectiveness has declined. Real Madrid is now at its peak, and Atletico Madrid is also on the rise. If you return to Barcelona, what will happen? It’s much harder than it was back then!”
The reason why Barcelona fans miss Guardiola is because he brought them countless honors when he coached Barcelona.
If Guardiola really returns to Barcelona, but is unable to lead Barcelona out of the predicament, then the good impressions of Guardiola in the hearts of Barcelona fans will be quickly shattered. By then, I am afraid that he will not be the savior of Barcelona, but will become Became a scapegoat.
"Yes, I know."
Guardiola's sanity is still online, but he is a bit wavering between sensibility and rationality.
Lin Quan's words became the last decisive weight in the balance, making him completely give up the idea of returning to Barcelona.
"Okay dad, I'm really going to board the plane, I won't talk to you anymore!"
"Well, bye, have a nice trip!"
"Hey, I forgot to mention it. Congratulations on leading Bayern to create a new historical record in the five major leagues and win the Bundesliga championship 7 rounds ahead of schedule!"
After Lin Quan finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Before Guardiola could say "thank you" subconsciously, he heard a blind tone coming from the other side of the phone.
He smiled bitterly and shook his head. Why did he feel that the other person on this phone call was me and he was his son? He felt like he was being educated by the other person?
…
After returning to Manchester, Manchester City had two days of rest.
On April 5, they sat at home and defeated Southampton with a score of 4:1, consolidating their lead.
There are still five games left in the league, and Manchester City, who have one game less, are 7 points ahead of Liverpool.
In the next round of the league, Manchester City will visit Anfield to face Liverpool for the top spot.
The last time at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool ended Manchester City's home victory record, making Manchester City feel worried.
This time as a guest at Anfield, Manchester City vowed to avenge their previous disgrace.
As long as they can defeat Liverpool in a direct conversation, their lead will be expanded to 10 points, and they can win the championship three rounds in advance with one more game.
In other words, Manchester City is only 2 games away from winning its second Premier League championship!
"Well, if the previous game against Aston Villa had not been postponed, we might have been 10 points ahead. In that case, if we beat Liverpool at Anfield in the next game, we would be able to win the championship trophy at their home court. Just thinking about the expressions on the faces of the Liverpool players makes me feel so happy!"
"Actually, it's not bad. As long as we beat Liverpool and return to our home court for the next game, we can win the championship by defeating West Bromwich Albion. The atmosphere of winning at home will be better. After all, we can get the cheers of tens of thousands of fans. Instead of booing!”
If they win the title at Anfield, Manchester City's players will inevitably be booed by the Red Army fans.
They don't dare to celebrate unscrupulously at the opponent's home court. If they anger the fans of the Red Army, which has not won a championship for 20 years, and the opponent rushes into the stadium and beats them up, it will be a big loss!
"Well, that makes sense, then let's try to defeat Liverpool and win the trophy at our own home court!"
"Oh, kill Liverpool and win the cup at home!"
The players started booing and playing around.
It can be seen that their mental state is very relaxed, and the team is currently making great progress on three fronts.
It's only a matter of time before we win the league, and we're only one game away from reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The FA Cup only needs to win two more games to win the cup!
This season, Manchester City is guaranteed to win two championship trophies. If they are lucky, they may even win the Champions League trophy and achieve the Triple Crown.
Of course, this possibility is still too low. Each of the subsequent Champions League opponents is more powerful than the other. It will not be easy for Manchester City to get through this level.
Pellegrini came to the training ground, coughed slightly, and after attracting the attention of the players, he took out his tactical book and said:
"You did well in the last competition, I'm proud of you!"
The team members knew that he was talking about the game against Barcelona, and they couldn't help but puff up their chests, and their hearts were filled with pride.
"However, we still made a lot of mistakes during the game. These mistakes need to be corrected in time. Otherwise, the opponent may catch the mistake in the next game and become a dangerous factor in losing."
The players cheered up and listened carefully.
"You have already felt the pressure of passing football, right?"
Manchester City players all recalled the despair and powerlessness they felt in the last game, when they were suppressed by Barcelona in the first thirty minutes.
"It's normal for you to feel this way, because other teams feel the same way when they face Barcelona."
Manchester City's players were a little confused and didn't know what Pellegrini was going to say.
"When facing Barcelona, I hope you won't be nervous. Nervousness will increase the mental and physical exertion, making you consume your energy faster and be consumed by the opponent faster. You know this better than me, right?"
The players nodded one after another. Before the big game, players generally need to relax and try to play in a calm mood.
It's just that this kind of thing is easier said than done. Your opponents are beginning to besiege your goal. How can you not be nervous?
"The answer is simple, just use offense to threaten Barcelona's goal and make Barcelona's players nervous!"
Pellegrini quickly wrote on the tactical board and arranged the tactics for Manchester City's next game against Barcelona.
"Let's play like this in the next game!"
Seeing the tactics Pellegrini used, Manchester City players were shocked and confused.
Can such a retro tactic really work against a top team like Barcelona?
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