Chapter 400
Manchester was still shrouded in a layer of mist in the early morning, but Manchester City's training base was already brightly lit.
Li Lei was the first to arrive in the locker room as usual. He quickly changed into his training clothes and walked to the court.
What surprised him was that today's training was not as intense as usual. The coaching staff seemed to focus more on the players' recovery rather than high-intensity training.
But Li Lei didn't think much about it. He knew it was just the calm before the storm.
Sure enough, everything changed when Guardiola appeared at the training ground.
He waved to the players to follow him to the multimedia center. "It seems that we need to review yesterday's game," Li Lei thought as he walked.
In the multimedia center, Guardiola stood in front of the big screen with a serious expression. He did not start speaking immediately but watched the players sit down quietly.
"We lost yesterday's game." Guardiola said straight to the point, "Although we did not send out the full main lineup in yesterday's game, the score of 5-1 is not what we should have in Manchester City."
The players lowered their heads and no one spoke.
"But I called you here today not to criticize you." Guardiola's tone slowed down, "On the contrary, I want to thank you."
"Thank you for your efforts in this game, thank you for your fighting spirit on the field."
The big screen began to play the scene of yesterday's game.
"Look, this is us." Guardiola pointed to the screen and said, "Even when we were behind, we did not give up."
"This spirit, this fighting spirit, is the real DNA of Manchester City."
The players raised their heads, and their eyes rekindled their fighting spirit. At present, it seems that the coach's words are not intended to ridicule them.
"But at the same time, we must also admit that we exposed some problems in this game." Guardiola began to analyze yesterday's mistakes one by one.
"Our defense is not compact enough, the midfield lacks control, and the ability to seize opportunities in the front field needs to be improved. These are all what we need to focus on improving in the next training."
Various tactical analyses and data charts began to appear on the big screen.
Guardiola explained every detail and every point in detail. Li Lei listened carefully and silently memorized every key point in his heart.
"In the next three days, our training will focus on the match against Leverkusen." Guardiola said at last.
"We need to formulate a detailed tactical plan based on their characteristics. At the same time, I hope everyone can go all out in training and meet this crucial battle in the best condition."
"Understood!" The players answered in unison.
In the next three days, Manchester City's training ground was full of sweat and shouting.
Everyone was preparing for the upcoming battle. Li Lei felt the enthusiasm and determination of his teammates around him, which made him more excited and looking forward to it.
At the same time, the atmosphere in Leverkusen, Germany, was a bit heavy. They did not perform well in the league this season.
After 22 rounds of games, they only achieved 9 wins, 3 draws and 10 losses, with only 30 points, and have fallen to the 8th place in the league.
The fans' dissatisfaction is spreading, and they demand that the team perform well in the Champions League to save this bad season.
The head coach and the players felt the pressure. They knew that the match against Manchester City would be their best chance to prove themselves.
As time went by, the match was getting closer.
Compared to the players, Leverkusen's head coach Roger Schmidt has been busy in the office recently.
His desk was full of various tactical boards and data analysis reports, and the whiteboard was also densely filled with tactical points.
He felt unprecedented pressure for the upcoming match against Manchester City.
As an experienced coach, Schmidt knew the importance of this match.
Manchester City, the Premier League giant, is undoubtedly one of the strongest opponents Leverkusen has ever encountered in the Champions League.
In order to cope with this tough battle, Schmidt has hardly closed his eyes these days, and I don't know how many brain cells he has burned.
On February 24, Manchester City's bus slowly drove into Leverkusen.
Li Lei sat by the window, looking at the scenery outside the window.
Tomorrow, they will face Leverkusen in the first round at the BayArena, which will be a crucial battle for their promotion.
At this time, the table for the top 16 of the Champions League has been announced, with eight groups, each of which is a strong encounter.
Leicester City vs. Sevilla, this is an unexpected match.
Leicester City, the dark horse team last season, has lost its strength after the carnival of winning the championship.
Especially Li Lei's departureThe team was devastating to them.
But even so, they still fought their way out of the group stage, which is enough to prove their resilience and fighting spirit.
Benfica vs. Dortmund, a duel between two teams with a long history.
Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal, this is a reunion of old rivals.
Real Madrid vs. Naples, La Liga giants vs. Serie A dark horses, this is destined to be a sparkling contest.
And Manchester City will face Leverkusen from the Bundesliga.
Li Lei knows that this will not be a simple encounter.
Although Leverkusen did not perform well in the league, no opponent in the Champions League can be underestimated.
Barcelona vs. Monaco, this is another eye-catching match.
Barcelona, the La Liga overlord, will face this dark horse from Ligue 1.
And Monaco, although the overall strength is not outstanding, they have a young star who makes people shine-Mbappe.
This 18-year-old youngster has conquered the hearts of countless fans with his speed and talent.
Juventus vs. Porto, Serie A champion vs. Portuguese Super League champion.
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid, this is another strong dialogue.
The bus gradually stopped, Li Lei and his teammates got off the bus and walked towards the hotel.
Outside the window, the night sky of Leverkusen was quiet and peaceful, as if a storm was brewing.
As soon as the Champions League round of 16 matchup was released, the media's focus immediately focused on the match between Leverkusen and Manchester City.
Countless comments and predictions began to appear in newspapers, television and the Internet.
Leverkusen, a Bundesliga team known for its high-pressure tactics and ball-control style, is undoubtedly a strong opponent.
Their midfield is well organized, and the frontcourt cooperates tacitly, and they can continuously put pressure on the opponent through layers of transmission.
But the media also pointed out that the team may have some loopholes in defense, especially when facing a team like Manchester City that is good at fast counterattacks.
"Leverkusen's defense, especially the two full-back positions, may become their weak point."
"Manchester City's offensive players, such as Sterling and Li Lei, have extremely fast speed. Once they seize the opportunity and launch a counterattack, Leverkusen's defense may be in trouble."
