Chapter 159 The Most Suitable Position, Part

Levante's current points are on the edge of the relegation zone, and if they lose this round they may fall into the relegation zone; what's more, they are playing at home, and they must force Levante to attack more actively and strive to equalize the score.

So in the second half, Levante pressed more aggressively after the midfield adjustment and adopted high pressure, hoping to equalize the score as soon as possible.

In the third minute of the second half, the home team almost scored against the visiting team, but unfortunately Etienne's shot from 3 yards on the right side of the penalty area was bravely saved by Palop... And if you miss the opportunity, you have to learn a lesson. Just after Levante's shot was blocked, Sevilla took advantage of the home team's high pressure and launched a quick counterattack.

First, Alves returned to the penalty area and protected the ball that was hit by Palop; however, under the high-risk pressing of Levante's attacking players, Alves did not blindly kick the ball away, but dribbled the ball to the side and knocked the ball diagonally to Li Qi who came to meet him...

Li Qi pretended to make a wall-to-wall pass with Alves, and immediately fooled the two home team defenders who were trying to steal the ball. With a Cruyff turn, he took the ball out of the home team's high-pressure formation!

Just when the home team wanted to stop Li Qi by fouling, Li Qi passed the ball to Maresca who had already rushed to the center circle; Li Qi bypassed the foul interception by Levante's midfielder.

Maresca, who was responding to Li Qi, was also knocked down by the Levante defender. However, before the referee blew the whistle to stop the game, Li Qi stole the ball that Maresca had sent before he fell, and went straight into the home team's defense.

The referee therefore raised his hands and gave the attack a favorable result! Li Qi dribbled at high speed, and on the way, he changed direction and dodged a defender; at this time, there was only a goalkeeper and a central defender standing between Li Qi and the home team's goal, and the other central defender was taken away by Kanoute.

Li Qi did not wait for the central defender to rush to create offside or back-shovel interception, but directly passed the ball to the other side of the penalty area corner...

New signing Korzakov came in from behind and received the ball. He was not offside and did not hesitate. After all, he had an all-on-one opportunity, so he just raised his foot and shot!

The ball went straight to the top corner of the home team's goal like a cannonball! But this time, goalkeeper Molina made a contribution; Molina had been very focused, and Korzakov was indeed a little too impatient. Although the shot was powerful, the angle was not too tricky.

Molina leaped into the air and blocked the ball outside the goal line...

However, in a hurry, the ball was not blocked out of bounds, but bounced in the corner of the small penalty area!

Li Qi followed up smartly and used his left foot to steadily kick the ball into the empty goal again. Molina lay on the ground and it was too late for him to make another save. Moreover, Li Qi deliberately hit the ball in the opposite direction... Sevilla led the home team 2-0.

But it was not over yet. Sevilla, having expanded their lead, were in high spirits and played more easily. The home team was eager to close the gap and even equalize the score, but they played a little panic, resulting in more defensive loopholes.

So Sevilla broke the record again in the 55th minute of the game.

Li Qi once again accurately found a defensive loophole in the home team in the crowd, and then sent a straight pass to Adriano who was inserted from behind. The latter made a cross from the left, and Alfaro, who had just replaced Maresca, forced his way into the penalty area from the right and made a cross. Korzakov, who was unguarded, easily pushed the ball into the goal from 6 yards in front of the goal to score his first goal after joining the team.

Alfaro also provided an assist with his first touch of the ball after coming on the pitch; therefore, Alfaro was extremely excited in the subsequent games, constantly dribbling forward and threatening the home team's defense.

Ten minutes later, Alfaro once again broke through the home team's defense and forced a cross. The home team's Italian defensive midfielder Tommasi tried to intercept the ball in the middle of the penalty area but accidentally blocked the ball into his own goal... Sevilla scored three goals in 10 minutes in the second half, expanding their lead to 20 goals.

So Juan Ramos began to continue to adjust his troops and rest the main players. Li Qi and Kanoute left the field one after another; Puerta and Renato replaced them.

Perhaps the big lead made Sevilla a little relaxed, and Li Qi's departure also caused Sevilla's midfield scheduling and offensive organization to be a little chaotic. Levante took this opportunity and used set pieces to score two goals in 5 minutes!

In the 68th minute, Irish full-back Hart took a corner kick from the right side, and De Hu headed the ball from 6 yards in front of the goal. The ball went around Palop's fingers and fell into the net, equalizing the game.

Then in the 73rd minute, Hart took the free kick and passed it into the penalty area. Reggie was 4 yards in front of the goal on the right side of the small penalty area, and he headed the ball into the upper corner of the goal from close range before the goalkeeper.

Hart assisted in two goals from set pieces, and both of these goals scored by the home team were their first goals of the season.

So less than 8 minutes after Li Qi and Kanoute left the field, Levante instantly narrowed the score to 2-4, giving Levante hope of tying the score!

However, under Levante's more frantic pressure, Sevilla, who was still two goals ahead, played steadily and three minutes later, responded with a free kick to seal the victory. The goal was scored by Alfaro, who was extremely active after coming on as a substitute.

In the 76th minute of the game, Korzakov created a free kick in the frontcourt during a counterattack; Alves was responsible for the free kick near the left bottom line and the little Alfaro headed the ball into the goal from the far post!

Young player Alfaro made an own goal and a goal with an assist after coming on as a substitute, helping Sevilla to completely kill the game away from home, with the score coming to 5-2.

Head coach Ramos became nervous again as the team went from leading by 4 goals to being narrowed to 2 goals. However, young player Alfaro scored and saved the team at the crucial moment. After the game, Alfaro also squeezed out Li Qi who also performed well in this game and was named the best player of the game.

In the end, Sevilla did not let their opponents' hopes of an upset become reality; although Hart created threats with two free kicks before the end of the game, Sevilla still snatched three points.

Sevilla finally won. The world's best club in 2006 only got its first three points in the fourth round of the league in the new year. Although it missed the golden opportunity to leave Real Madrid and Barcelona behind, after beating Levante 3-3 away, Sevilla got back on track to compete for the championship and avoided the embarrassment of four consecutive defeats. The last time they lost four league games was in the final stage of the 0/4 season.

The losing Levante fell into the relegation zone.

In this game, Juan Ramos originally discovered some of the team's problems and clues, but after Li Qi left the field, the home team narrowed the score. Juan Ramos became nervous again and lost the little inspiration he had finally grasped. He could only hastily thank the whole team for their efforts in the post-match press conference, and focused on praising Alfaro, who came from youth training, for his daring and fighting spirit.

But Juan Ramos knows that Alfaro is by no means the answer to the team and the problems the team has encountered since the New Year have not really been solved.

Three days after the 06th round of the 07/20 Spanish Football League, Sevilla returned to their home ground and faced Real Betis in the Spanish King's Cup.

The focus of the first leg of this round of the Spanish King's Cup quarter-finals is undoubtedly on the Sevilla derby. Just look at the arrangement of the TV broadcast: the other three games will be played first, and the Sevilla derby will be the finale.

As the Spanish derby becomes increasingly commercialized and globalized, the Sevilla derby better represents the deep-rooted hatred between the two rival teams. Goals, red cards, intentional injuries, fan disturbances... these are the components of the Sevilla derby.

However, the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final in Seville on Thursday night disappointed all Spanish fans; after a goalless draw with no red cards or fouls, the angry Marca newspaper fiercely criticized: "What kind of game is this? This is simply the most boring football!"

If there is a culprit to blame for this unexpected draw, it must be Real Betis coach Fernandez-Irueta. Betis, playing away, set up a solid defense from the start, with 9 defensive players usually hiding in their own defensive third zone.

Slovenian defender Jelic and Argentine defensive midfielder Kafa, who just joined the team in the winter transfer market, both appeared in Real Betis' starting lineup; Real Besti's starting lineup was a tough one, except for a striker and an offensive midfielder, all of them were players with strong defensive attributes.

As for the home team, Sevilla, they fielded all their main players in a 4-4-2 starting lineup, with No. 1 Palop as goalkeeper;

The left and right backs are No. 16 Puerta and No. 4 Alves, and the double center backs are No. 14 Escude and No. 2 Navarro;

The left and right wingers are No. 6 Adriano and No. 15 Navas, and the double defensive midfielders are No. 8 Poulsen and No. 11 Renato;

The two forwards are No. 12 Kanoute and No. 7 Li Qi.

Maresca, Duda, Marty, new signing Korzakov and young player Alfaro were all on the bench.

In order to prepare for this game, Sevilla kept a large number of main players in the league last weekend; but facing Betis's complete abandonment of attacking style of play, Sevilla, who had been gathering strength, was at a loss as to what to do.

The two Brazilians Alves and Adriano were still sharp in their breakthroughs on the wing, but once the ball was passed to the middle, it disappeared like a stone stuck in the mud.

Li Qi also kept retreating to the midfield to support, but when he turned around and looked at the densely packed defensive third zone, he felt his scalp tingling, as there were not many effective offensive means.

In addition, although Sevilla's wing breakthroughs were quite effective, Real Betis obviously also focused on defending the wing, blocking the space for Alves and Adriano to go down the bottom and to break through the ribs, allowing you to break through and then pass the ball from the wing or at a 45-degree angle.

In the middle, Li Qi is not a stationary center forward and often retreats. On the other hand, Kanoute is pushed into the penalty area and dangerous areas by the visiting team's defenders, making it impossible for Kanoute to easily compete for the first shot.

Therefore, it was not until the last minute of the first half that Sevilla created its first good scoring opportunity; Alves' cross penetrated Betis' defense, but Kanoute, who was trying to score in the middle, failed to touch the ball. The ball slid to the far end and was caught by Li Qi. Unfortunately, Li Qi, who had triggered the explosive point, could not find a good shooting and passing route in the crowd. He could only barely kick the ball, but after being intercepted by the defender and deflected, he lost his speed and was easily caught by the goalkeeper...

Moreover, Real Betis was also on guard against several set-piece masters of Sevilla and would not easily commit fouls in dangerous areas. However, as long as Li Qi or Renato wanted to break through the middle with the ball, they would directly take down the defense near the center circle. Since they were not in a dangerous position and their movements were not big, they would basically not even get a card.

Moreover, the referee of this game was relatively lenient and very much encouraged physical confrontation. He would not easily call fouls or give cards, which was very beneficial to the defending Real Betis. Li Qi was kicked several times in a row and was unable to get a free kick near the top of the penalty area.

So it was not until the 53rd minute of the second half that Betis defender Meli used a free fighting move to knock down Adriano who was breaking through, and the referee showed him the first yellow card of the game - it was unbelievable, this was a red card action!

Afterwards, both sides made substitutions. Maresca replaced Navas, who was physically limited in this game, to strengthen his dribbling ability, while Korzakov replaced Paulson and moved Li Qi back to midfield. After all, the visiting team hardly attacked, and it would be a waste to keep a full-time defensive midfielder. It would be better to replace Li Qi to organize the game and let Korzakov go for the hard attack.

After the substitution, Sevilla's offensive improved significantly, especially Li Qi who returned to the midfield, and his organization and dispatch became clearer. Facing the iron bucket formation, Li Qi tried hard to recall the teachings and plans of Xavi and Deco when he was in Barcelona, ​​but unfortunately, it lacked the explosive points like Messi and Ronaldinho's father...

In addition, Renato made many forward runs, so Li Qi naturally could not rashly lead the ball out, and was more responsible for connecting and organizing. However, this made Real Betis very uncomfortable, after all, they often did not touch the ball for five or six minutes; and even if they occasionally touched the ball, it was robbed back by Li Qi's counter-attack in a few seconds; defending without counterattacks was very physically demanding...

But the good news is that Sevilla's physical strength is also declining, and the side breakthroughs are not as sharp as in the first half. With some fouls, Real Betis can still hold on...

Seeing this, the visiting team's head coach Irueta decided to give up the counterattack and directly replaced the forward and the midfielder who had a yellow card, and replaced them with two new defensive players, changing to a formation of 5 defenders and 4 midfielders, blocking the team for the last 15 minutes.

However, in this way, Li Qi's original concerns about not easily getting in and losing his position were gone. After saying hello to Escude and captain Navarro, Li Qi began to plan how to get a vote to break the deadlock. He had to start with the Italian twin combination...

When the game reached the 81st minute, Li Qi, who had been preparing for a long time, suddenly exerted his strength!

For about two minutes before, Li Qi had been playing short passes with Puerta and Renato on the left side of the court, causing both teams' formations to tilt towards this side. Then Li Qi made a powerful low pass to Adriano, who had already moved to the edge of the defensive third zone, trying to cut inside...

As soon as Adriano received the ball, he was immediately double-teamed. If he hesitated any longer, he would be surrounded on three sides. He quickly used his footwork to pass the ball back to Li Qi who came around from the back to receive the ball; however, this time, the visiting team's defense tilted even more towards Sevilla's left wing.

Li Qi, who received the ball, made a slight adjustment and kicked the ball to the right in the opposite direction; the ball drew a strange arc, just bypassing the midfielder who was returning to defense, and landed accurately on Maresca's forward running route, and there were only two defensive players on this side!

Seeing this, the Real Betis defense rushed towards Maresca who was dribbling the ball, trying to block him outside the penalty area. However, Maresca, the new player who came on as a substitute, was not to be underestimated. He broke through a defensive player in two moves, and the opponent couldn't stop him. He was about to enter the penalty area from the ribs...

However, the backup player of Real Bess also arrived, and immediately blocked three defenders in front of Maresca. But Maresca slowed down and turned around calmly, made a short pass to Korzakov who was pulling the defender away, and then made a 3-degree cross to the far end of the goal.

Kanoute, who was lurking at the far post, was seen wrestling with the Betis central defender for the header, while the Betis goalkeeper also moved to the far post, ready to block Kanoute's possible shooting angle...

However, the ball was not passed to Kanoute! The ball was obviously passed over the head! Behind Kanoute, Li Qi, who was not guarded by anyone, rushed forward at high speed, jumped high, and headed the ball back to the front of the goal before the ball was about to go out of the baseline...

The ball once again passed over Kanoute and the defender, as well as the goalkeeper's flying arms, and went straight to the goal post near Sevilla's offensive right wing!

At this time, the new aid Korzakov has already secretly counter-attacked from the position just pulled to the side...