Chapter 240
When the game resumed, Li Lei in the midfield clearly felt the awakening of Manchester United players.
This was not only reflected in his defense, but also in his offense. The rhythm of the game began to be controlled by Manchester United players.
"Something is wrong, this is very wrong," Li Lei thought to himself, and the alarm bells rang.
Through the camera's high-altitude overlooking angle, the fans watching the live broadcast in front of the TV also discovered this.
The strength of Manchester United's giants is awakening. Under the encouragement of Van Gaal, they set things right and showed a more positive attitude.
The two sides entered a positional confrontation. Li Lei was closely guarded by two or three opponents at all times, and his chances of getting the ball were greatly reduced.
And Manchester United's players are more proactive and no longer respond passively, but begin to control the situation.
This situation is extremely unfavorable to Leicester City. They must try to break the deadlock, otherwise Manchester United's counterattack is only a matter of time.
In the Sky Sports live broadcast room, Keane and Jones, who have a God's perspective, are discussing the scene in front of them.
Keane: "After the halftime break, Manchester United was obviously refreshed, and both defense and offense were more threatening."
Jones: "Yes, Van Gaal must have given effective reminders and encouragement in the midfield. Manchester United's current performance is completely different from the passiveness in the first half."
Keane: "You can see that Li Lei is now under tight multi-person defense, and it has become difficult for him to control the ball and pass the ball."
Jones: "Manchester United defenders and defensive midfielders formed a targeted double team, successfully limiting Li Lei's performance."
Keane: "And Manchester United has regained the initiative in the game and kept organizing attacks in Leicester City's half."
Jones: "Yes, they are no longer passive, but choose to take the initiative. It is obvious that a strong counterattack is coming."
Keane: "Ranieri must make targeted adjustments immediately, otherwise this tough battle will only become more difficult."
"Let's see if Leicester City can stabilize the situation again and regain the offensive momentum."
However, their worries soon became a reality. As expected by Keane and Jones, Manchester United launched a strong counterattack.
In the 66th minute, Manchester United midfielder Blind successfully broke through the Leicester City defense and passed the ball to the newly-started Schweinsteiger.
Schweinsteiger received the ball and volleyed it into the net, equalizing the score!
This was a very important goal, which rekindled Manchester United's fighting spirit, while Leicester City's defense once again exposed the same problem.
Ranieri paced anxiously on the sidelines. He had to make adjustments to stabilize the overall situation, otherwise sticking to 1:1 would only lead to more danger.
Faced with the score being tied, Leicester City coach Ranieri decisively made three substitutions:
Replaced Fuchs with Ulloa to strengthen the right-wing offensive power.
Jeffrey Schlupp replaced Albrighton to improve the midfield organization and control capabilities.
Richie Delat replaced Danny Simpson to strengthen the impact of the forward line.
These three substitutions were obviously intended to allow the team to regain the initiative.
Ranieri used the personnel advantage at hand to make targeted adjustments in the lineup, aiming to deal with Manchester United's counterattack and revive the team's morale and fighting spirit.
Manchester United coach Van Gaal only made one substitution this time, replacing Wayne Rooney with Memphis Depay.
This seems a bit conservative, and is very cautious compared to Leicester City's three substitutions.
Perhaps Van Gaal is confident in the current lineup and the players' status, and believes that no major adjustments are needed, only single-point enhancements are needed.
It is also possible that Van Gaal is worried that multiple substitutions will disrupt the team's rhythm, and hopes to respond to Ranieri's repeated adjustments with stability.
In either case, this shows Van Gaal's relatively cautious attitude.
He hopes to maintain the initiative through the smallest adjustments, rather than risky rotations.
As the game came to an end, the head coaches of both sides made various tactical adjustments, and the players also tried their best on the field.
However, the final score exceeded everyone's expectations, and neither side was able to score again.
When the referee blew the whistle to announce the end of the game, the two teams still ended up with a 1-1 draw.
This battle exceeded everyone's expectations and ended in a draw.
The two sides fought for 90 minutes, and they were evenly matched.
Ranieri and Van Gaal's tactics failed to work, keeping the suspense until the last moment.
The 1-1 result means different things to the two teams.
It's a pity for Leicester City, which is leading, but Manchester United can't win a victory away from home.
Facing this draw, Leicester City fans are obviously very depressed.
Although they know that there is still a gap between their team and Manchester United, this still prevents them from winning.They couldn't stop their inner expectations.
"Ah... What a pity! Li Shen's winning streak is interrupted."
"In fact, it is not easy to tie Manchester United at home, but it is still a little regrettable."
"From the lineup, our defense does have problems, and the cooperation between the midfield and the backcourt needs to be adjusted. Only the performance of the new aid Kante is a bright spot."
"But everyone has seen that Li Shen is still the core and soul of the team. The offensive organization depends on him. If he has a few more opportunities in this game, maybe he can rewrite the score."
"Anyway, 1-1 draw with Manchester United is definitely a tough battle. We also see the team's progress and shortcomings."
"Remember today's lesson. I believe that with Li Shen as the core, we will become stronger and stronger! What are you pessimistic about? Keep working hard next time!"
After the game, Gao Yi said in the live broadcast room with a look of regret.
Facing Gao Yi's live broadcast, the fans' comments on the barrage were even more passionate.
"One point is still a point. We are already very good to draw with Manchester United!"
"Kante's performance is really good, and the midfield line is much more stable."
"If Li Lei can have more single shots, maybe we can win directly."
"It's okay, guys, the points are still increased, just keep it up."
"As long as our Li Shen is here, it's only a matter of time before we win the championship!"
"No more talking, no more talking, go buy Li Lei's jersey for the new season!"
"Fans, be more energetic, the league is still long, I believe the coach and players will definitely improve."
"Anyway, I've seen Manchester United get scared, and I'll be weak when I see Li Lei in the future!"
"Is there any hope for the Red Devils? Li Lei can knock you out with one shot!"
For Leicester City, this 1-1 draw is not a bad result.
Although they ended their winning streak, the points gap with Manchester United remains unchanged, and the points ranking is not affected.
But for Manchester United, the impact of this draw is much more serious. Currently, the points gap between Manchester United and Manchester City is only 1 point, and their position is precarious.
In this round of the league, Manchester City's opponent is Southampton, and there is a high possibility of winning.
If Manchester City wins in the end, Manchester United's second place will be given to Manchester City and fall to third.
Considering that Manchester United's opponent in this round is the strong Leicester City, this draw will undoubtedly make things worse for Manchester United.
Manchester City's victory is almost a foregone conclusion, so Manchester United will almost certainly fall to third place.
Such a result will be a heavy blow to Manchester United's championship hopes.
