255: Shocking, this unexpected opening!

December 28, 2013, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England.

What is being held here today is the highlight of the 19th round of this season's Premier League, Manchester City's home game against Crystal Palace.

Today, the starting lineups of both sides are as follows

Home team Manchester City, head coach Pellegrini, formation 4231

goalkeeper joe hart

The back four from left to right: Clichy, Nastasic, Kompany and Boyata

Double midfielder Fernandinho and Xavi Garcia

The front three from left to right: David Silva, Milner and Navas

Lone forward Dzeko

Visiting team Crystal Palace, head coach Tong Yi, formation 4213

edouard

Four defenders from left to right: Alonso, Laporte, Van Dijk and Zhang Linpeng

Double defensive midfielder Paulinho and Kante

Single attacking midfielder Pogba

Three forwards from left to right Zaha, Lukaku and Mane

It can be seen that both sides still attach great importance to this game. Although the Manchester City team's lineup has been adjusted somewhat, it can be seen that it is still a relatively complete main lineup. They obviously came for victory in this game.

The same goes for Crystal Palace, which almost maintains the absolute main lineup, with only a few adjustments.

Both sides are actively involved in this game, and it can be seen that they are all aiming for victory.

This game is worth watching.

Tong Yi, a thug in a suit, sat on the coaching bench and looked at the sky quietly.

It's raining in Manchester, and it's getting heavier. This is not good news for the players on both sides, and it also adds a lot of variables to the game.

Of course, it's very cold in Manchester this month, and with the rain getting heavier, it's even colder.

To be honest, Tong Yi was a little worried.

I'm worried that the team's players will be accidentally injured in this game. It's really easy to get injured when playing football in such weather. I'm very worried.

Pellegrini was wearing a raincoat and stood directly on the sidelines.

It can be seen that he still attaches great importance to this game. At least this attitude has been very obvious, and the Manchester City players on the court should be able to see it. So in this game, the Manchester City players should grit their teeth and fight hard, right?

Manchester City players would not be so ignorant.

As soon as the game started, Manchester City launched a ferocious attack and pressed forward across the board.

It was obvious that they understood what Pellegrini meant.

However, the Manchester City players soon discovered that it was difficult for them to easily pass the half-court and lay siege to the Crystal Palace goal. Because Crystal Palace's high pressure was really powerful and caused a lot of trouble for the Manchester City players.

Especially in this rainy weather,

The Manchester City people appear to be even more disadvantaged.

Due to the influence of weather, there was a lot of instability in passing.

Water accumulation and mud on the turf will affect the speed of the football rolling on the turf. For normal passing, sometimes the ball speed will be faster and sometimes the ball speed will be slower. This is for the Manchester City players. Passing and receiving caused great difficulties.

Under the pressure of the Crystal Palace's fierce high-position press, it became even more difficult for the Manchester City players to pass the ball, and it was difficult to guarantee accuracy in an instant.

No, the high-pressing Crystal Palace suddenly stole the ball in the midfield.

Garcia in the midfield made a pass error under the high pressure of the Crystal Palace people. The football actually accelerated and rolled forward on the waterlogged turf, causing his teammates not to catch the football.

The football was intercepted by Pogba who rushed up. After intercepting the ball, Pogba did not walk on the ground, but quickly pulled the football back and passed it directly to Kanter who was following.

After Kanter stopped the ball, he delayed for a moment, waiting for Zhang Linpeng on the wing to pass over.

Then, he directly made a high-altitude diagonal pass and passed the football to Zhang Linpeng.

Zhang Linpeng stopped the football with his left foot, then directly crossed with his right foot, suddenly passing the football into the Manchester City penalty area.

The football drew a wonderful arc, passed over the head of the jumping Nastasic, and then fell towards Lukaku in the penalty area.

Lukaku directly shook his head and attacked the goal.

With a bang, the football roared out and flew straight to the upper right corner of the goal.

The Manchester City fans at the scene were dumbfounded. Is this dangerous?

Seeing that the football was about to fly into the goal, Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart flew out sideways and saved the football from the bottom line with one palm.

call!

The Manchester City fans breathed a sigh of relief. It was really suspenseful and dangerous just now!

The fans of the home team Manchester City were stunned.

Is the high-position oppression of the Crystal Palace people really that powerful?

This game has just begun, and our Manchester City team seems to be suppressed!

Pellegrini on the sidelines was filled with worry when he saw this. This game was indeed very suspenseful.

Crystal Palace's tactics, coupled with the bad weather, really defeated their Manchester City team.

He, Pellegrini, is an offensive football coach who pays attention to control. His tactics are more about passing and controlling, advocating. attack. Unlike the previous Mancini, he was more defensive and counterattacked.

For Pellegrini's offensive football tactics that emphasize passing and control, the weather is indeed very bad, and it has a huge impact on them.

Especially when it comes into contact with water

A team with tactics like Crystal Palace.

very dangerous.

Pellegrini looked up at the sky and shook his head. Even God was not on their side.

Manchester City are dangerous in this game.

Navas' speed on the wing cannot be used, and Manchester City's explosive point has no chance to be used, so now Manchester City is very passive.

Pellegrini felt that their Manchester City team was in danger in this game.

When Tong Yi saw the weather, he knew that their Crystal Palace team had a great chance in this game.

Manchester City's offense in this game will be very constipated, and under their high pressure, Manchester City's offense will most likely not be able to hit.

Sure enough, Manchester City's offense really can't be played now.

Near the midfield, Manchester City's possession of the ball was cut off by the high-pressing Crystal Palace players, and then they quickly launched a counterattack.

And the people of Crystal Palace are also very smart.

They know that the condition of the turf is not particularly good. If they walk on the ground and dribble the ball for a long time, the error rate will be very high. Therefore, the Crystal Palace people's counterattacks more often use high-altitude balls. Then he used a short pass to quickly send the football into Manchester City's penalty area, threatening Manchester City's goal. This threat is really full.

During this period, Manchester City fans were very nervous.

They all could see that this game was too dangerous.

After stealing the ball, Pogba made a direct arc and quickly shot the football pocket near the far sideline. After the forward Mane stopped the ball, he directly passed the ball into the Manchester City penalty area.

In the penalty area, Lukaku headed the ball from the forward point and then quickly moved the football to the back point.

Salah, who followed up with a thick point, volleyed directly into the air, and the football roared towards the Manchester City goal.

The ball was so fast that the defensive players in front of the goal did not react.

Fortunately, Joe Hart was highly concentrated and reached out his hand like lightning to block the football from the bottom line, otherwise Manchester City would have lost the ball.

Pellegrini on the sidelines looked very aggrieved.

He knew that this guy Tong Yi had conducted detailed research and arrangements for this game. Otherwise, their Manchester City team would not have been targeted so obviously. Their Manchester City team's offensive hot spot Navas is given special care, so that Navas's speed advantage cannot be used at all, and it is even impossible to deliver a good ball for Dzeko's cross.

Navas' cross was also targeted.

Pellegrini sighed and shook his head and said, "This young man Tong Yi is really good. He was too prepared for this game. We are very worried!"

Pellegrini immediately turned to look at Tong Yi, his eyes full of shock.

Corner kick!

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Crystal Palace won a corner kick, Alonso went directly to the corner kick area, and he took charge of the ball.

The fans of the Manchester City team at the scene did not dare to show their anger at this time. They watched the stadium quietly and silently cheered for their players. They can see that their Manchester City team is really dangerous in this game.

At this moment, Alonso directly drove the football to the back point of the penalty area with a arc.

Van Dijk, who rushed up from behind, jumped high and headed directly over.

Yes, Van Dijk directly headed the ball and did not directly header the goal. This was beyond all Manchester City's expectations, because Van Dijk was so close, how could he not just head the ball towards the goal?

So no one noticed at all in the middle, Laporte jumped high in the middle, pressed against the top, and smashed the football into the Manchester City goal.

One to zero!

Because Joe Hart also went to block Van Dijk's header.

He also did not expect that Van Dijk did not directly header the ball towards the goal, but instead headed the ball across. It was too late for him to react, the football had already flown into Manchester City's goal.

There was dead silence at the Etihad Stadium!

All the Manchester City fans did not expect that the first goal in this game would be Crystal Palace, and they couldn't accept it. Of course, what was even more unacceptable to them were the media reporters in the stands. Didn’t they clamor crazily before the game that Crystal Palace had collapsed?

Why does this game look like Crystal Palace is going to defeat Manchester City? They are going to counterattack.

Of course, this bad weather is the biggest factor that gives the Crystal Palace people an advantage.

Huh, your Crystal Palace is just lucky, what's so big about it?

After losing the ball, Manchester City's players obviously stepped up their offense. Naturally, they could not accept this situation. They want to win, but Crystal Palace is not their opponent at all. This game will definitely not allow Crystal Palace to win.

Here, Kompany, the Manchester City backfielder, directly passed a long ball to Dzeko in front.

But Dzeko jumped high and was directly suppressed by Van Dijk, and the football was pushed out.

Fortunately, the football fell to Milner's feet, but as soon as Milner caught the ball, Kanter had already jumped in front of him. Milner had to panic and cross, trying to pass the football to his teammates on the wing. Unexpectedly, the football was cut off directly by Zhang Linpeng who rushed up.

Zhang Linpeng directly took a long pass and passed the football in the direction of Salah.

After Salah caught up with the football, he didn't attack with the ball at all. Instead, he just passed the football into the Manchester City penalty area with a direct arc. Lukaku from the front point made a false shot, and the football fell directly towards Mane who rushed in from the back point.

Mane volleyed the ball hard into the Manchester City goal post.

The ball then bounced straight into the Manchester City goal.