Chapter 320
On August 23, Manchester City challenged Everton away. The fans of the Blue Moon followed the team on the expedition, and their songs rang out in Goodison Park.
At the beginning of the game, Manchester City firmly controlled the situation on the field.
Li Lei was still running on the field, but Guardiola began to consciously reduce his time.
In the 64th minute, when Li Lei's number plate was raised, the young Chinese player was a little puzzled, but he still obeyed the coach's arrangement.
As the game continued, Manchester City's advantage became more and more obvious.
In the end, they defeated Everton with a score of 2:0 and won the valuable three points away from home.
However, the joy of victory was also mixed with a hint of worry.
Mangala, Fernandinho and Nasri, three Manchester City players received yellow cards one after another. Does this foreshadow the future difficulties?
On August 29, Manchester City returned to the Etihad to face Watford. This time, the Blue Moon easily won with a score of 2:0.
On September 12, Manchester City traveled to London to challenge Crystal Palace.
This was a tough game, and the two sides were evenly matched on the field.
But in the end, Manchester City still took away three points with a goal.
Five consecutive wins, this is an exciting start.
But Guardiola knows that the real test is still to come.
Li Lei sat in the locker room, looking a little lonely. There was nothing wrong with his performance, but he was confused by the coach's decision.
"Li, don't think too much," captain Vincent Kompany came over and patted him on the shoulder, "You are our pride, and this will never change."
Li Lei raised his head and saw the encouraging eyes of his teammates, and his mood gradually became clear.
Yes, he is a member of Manchester City. No matter what happens, the Blue Moon family will always be his strongest backing.
In the distance, Guardiola was studying tactics in the office. To make Manchester City a real giant, he must make some changes.
But he believes that with the strength and fighting spirit of this team, and with Li Lei's talent and hard work, Manchester City will surely overcome all problems and move towards a more glorious future.
Outside the window, the sky of Manchester is as blue as a mirror.
The blue moon flag flutters in the wind, symbolizing Manchester City's unstoppable pace of progress.
Five consecutive wins, this is just the beginning. The legend of Manchester City and Li Lei has just begun.
On August 27, the eyes of European football gathered in Nyon, Switzerland.
In this quiet little town, the annual Champions League group stage draw ceremony is about to be staged.
In the beautiful draw hall, various media have already been in place.
The red light of the camera flashed, and the pens in the hands of reporters quickly recorded every detail.
On the big screen, the team logos of the 32 participating teams flashed one by one.
From the defending champion Barcelona to the first-time Leicester City, each name carries the expectations and dreams of the fans.
With the announcement of UEFA officials, the draw ceremony officially began.
A well-dressed female host walked onto the stage and greeted the audience with a smile.
The first draw box was pushed to the front of the stage.
The host gracefully reached in, fumbled, and then took out the first ball.
"Barcelona!"
There was a cheer at the scene, and the name of the Red and Blue Army can always ignite the enthusiasm of the fans.
The second, third... small balls were taken out one after another, and each name touched the hearts of countless fans.
In front of the TV, Manchester City fans held their breath and stared, and when they saw "Manchester City" appear in Group C, cheers resounded through the sky.
"We are in the same group with Barcelona, this is the arrangement of fate!"
"With Li Lei here, we are not afraid of any opponent!"
The fans discussed it in a flurry, full of expectations for the upcoming Champions League journey.
In the end, the eight groups were settled. Some teams were jubilant, while others were frowning.
Group A: Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Ludogorets, Basel
Group B: Napoli, Benfica, Besiktas, Dynamo Kyiv
Group C: Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Steaua Bucharest
Group D: Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Rostov, PSV Eindhoven
Group E: Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow
Group F: Dortmund, Real Madrid, Legia Warsaw, Sporting Lisbon
Group G: Leicester City, Porto, Copenhagen, Bruges
Group H: Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb
Before the draw ceremony began, the scene was already crowded and lively.
Guests and media from all walks of life gathered together, and the hall was filled with an atmosphere of expectation and excitement.
In a corner of the hall, there was a huge model of the Champions League trophy.Guests took photos with it, as if they could be infected with the breath of the champion.
Some football stars who came to watch the ceremony also stopped in front of the trophy. They once fought for this trophy, and now they met again, and they could not hide their excitement.
On the other side of the hall, there were rows of carefully arranged display boards.
Each participating team has an exclusive display board, which details the team's history, home field, star players and other information.
Fans stopped to watch, looking for the figure of their favorite team.
As time went by, the atmosphere became more and more heated.
The draw ceremony has been prepared for a long time, and all work is proceeding in an orderly manner.
The etiquette ladies dressed in uniform and shuttled in the hall to provide services to the guests.
Suddenly, there was a commotion.
It turned out that several famous football legends appeared at the venue.
They are special guests and will serve as draw guests at the draw ceremony.
People rushed to shake hands with them, take photos with them, and ask them about their views on the upcoming Champions League season.
Spotlights flashed and shutter sounds came one after another.
This was a day for football, and everyone was immersed in the charm of this great sport.
At this moment, a figure caught people's attention.
It was a young man wearing a Manchester City jersey with a shy smile on his face.
"Is that Li Lei?" someone exclaimed.
This young player from China is the focus of Manchester City this time.
Although he is not as famous as Ronaldo or Yosi, his talent and potential have already attracted countless people.
The appearance of Li Lei brought the atmosphere to a climax.
People came forward to shake hands with him and asked for a photo.
Although Li Lei was shy, he was very friendly. He interacted with everyone patiently and always had a sincere smile on his face.
In this laughter, the time for the draw ceremony quietly came, and people slowly dispersed and looked for seats.
The lights dimmed and the big screen lit up.
The night of the Champions League officially kicked off.
After the noise of the Champions League draw ceremony gradually subsided, people's attention was once again ignited.
Because next up was the much-anticipated UEFA awards ceremony.
In the magnificent hall, a huge screen stood in the center of the stage.
On the screen, the top ten candidates for the Ballon d'Or were presented one by one:
Yosi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Suarez, Griezmann, Lewandowski, De Bruyne, Pogba, Li Lei, Hazard.
In this dazzling list, a name from China is particularly eye-catching.
With his outstanding performance in the Premier League last season, Li Lei became the first Chinese player to be shortlisted in the top ten of the Ballon d'Or.
