Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Battle With Bayern Tianwang Mountain! Bundesliga Championship!
When the team drew with Schalke at the Allianz Arena, Thomas Muller witnessed a rare sight: Pep Guardiola losing his temper.
"What the hell are you doing out there?"
"Are the tactics I set up before the game so hard to understand?"
"Is your brain full of mashed potatoes?"
"You call this performance competing for the Triple Crown? Even amateurs play better!"
"A bunch of pigs!"
Guardiola kicked a water bottle across the locker room, the loud thud echoing off the walls. The Bayern players stared at him in stunned silence.
Normally, Guardiola was calm and composed, his tactical discussions devoid of excessive emotion. But today, he seemed like a child who had lost control, venting his frustration openly. Clearly, Union Berlin had put him under immense pressure this season.
Guardiola's time at Bayern had not been entirely smooth. His tiki-taka style struggled to adapt in the Bundesliga. Although Bayern managed to play pass-and-control football, it never quite became Guardiola's ideal.
Club executives and fans alike missed the days of Heynckes, who led Bayern to the Champions League title in 2012-2013. Under Guardiola, Bayern didn't even make it to the semi-finals last season, suffering a humiliating defeat by Real Madrid. Some fans had already grown dissatisfied with Guardiola.
This season, Bayern aimed for a Triple Crown, but the league title proved elusive. A newly promoted team without a major sponsor, Union Berlin, was riding high. The value of Bayern's squad was ten times that of Union Berlin, yet they couldn't defeat them, and Guardiola bore the brunt of the blame.
Rumors of a coaching change were rampant, with Heynckes possibly returning. This added to Guardiola's stress, leading to his outburst after the draw with Schalke.
After stepping outside to smoke a cigarette and calm down, Guardiola returned to the locker room.
"Sorry for losing my cool earlier," he said. "But the team's current state is concerning. Does anyone have any thoughts?"
Captain Lahm was the first to respond. "The next game is crucial. If we can crush Union Berlin, our morale will peak, and we'll start winning consistently again."
Thomas Müller chimed in, "Yes, boss! Our main competitor is this newly promoted team. The others aren't a threat! We're ready to beat them at home!"
"Get rid of them!" the Bayern players echoed.
"Good," Guardiola nodded. "Train hard this week and forget about the last game. Remember, the Bundesliga belongs to Bayern. No one can take that away from us!"
The media and fans shared Bayern's confidence. The "Munich Evening News" proclaimed Bayern's invincibility:
"For years, teams have tried to shake Bayern's dominance, but they all failed. In the Bundesliga, Bayern has a rich heritage. Dortmund, Wolfsburg, Leverkusen—they couldn't dethrone us. How could a newly promoted team hope to defeat Bayern at home? The 4-4 draw last time taught Guardiola valuable lessons. This time, his tactics will be perfect, completely shutting down Su Luo. Bayern will reclaim their supremacy."
Bayern fans retweeted images of Su Luo's defeated look after Bayern's 6-4 victory over Union Berlin last season. "He's our victim!" they declared. "We'll score six again!" Some even tweeted, "Didn't he have a knee injury? Keep targeting his knee and finish him!"
This extreme tweet even received a like from German soccer legend Matthäus, though he quickly removed it. Netizens captured screenshots, sparking outrage among Union Berlin fans.
"How could a renowned player support such extreme remarks?" they demanded. Fans of other teams supported Union Berlin and Su Luo, condemning Matthäus.
"I used to respect Matthäus, but now he's just disgusting," one fan commented. "It's too much to wish someone to be injured. He should apologize!"
Matthäus, known for his big mouth, didn't have a good reputation even in German football circles. Chinese fans nicknamed him "Ma Dazui" (Big Mouth Ma).
Amidst the backlash, Matthäus tweeted, "First of all, I didn't mean to discriminate, and I apologize. Su Luo does go to clubs a lot, and I'm just saying he might decline, especially against Bayern."
Netizens were not appeased. "This is an apology? No sincerity at all!" they fumed. "What if Su Luo wins against Bayern?"
Matthäus replied, "If he really beats Bayern and leads his team to the title, I'll erect a bronze statue in his honor and worship it daily."
Matthäus analyzed that Union Berlin's current lineup couldn't realistically beat Bayern. Guardiola's possession tactics could limit Su Luo, making it hard for Union Berlin to create counterattack opportunities. And playing at the Allianz Arena would reduce any team's effectiveness by at least 20%.
Bayern fans supported Matthäus, and fans of various teams quarreled on Twitter. Not surprisingly, the clubs exchanged verbal blows before the game, with Guardiola leading the charge in a TV interview:
"In the second half of the league, one lineup won't be enough. We have a deeper bench and more hope. Su Luo scores efficiently, but we've devised tactics to completely freeze him. As long as we stop Su Luo, we stop Union Berlin."
Robben added, "Su Luo isn't scary. He's weak against strong teams."
Lahm declared, "This time, we'll completely shut him down. No goals for him."
Lewandowski stated, "The Bundesliga is ours. No one can take it away."
Union Berlin's coach Neuhaus fired back, "We nearly beat them last time. This time, we will. Bayern are just paper tigers. We're not afraid."
Su Luo, brimming with confidence, couldn't wait to face Bayern. After all, what's the point of playing in the Bundesliga if you don't challenge Bayern?
The day before the match, Union Berlin's players arrived in Munich by bus. This was their third visit to Munich in two years. The first visit was against Munich 1860, and the second was for the German Cup semi-final, where Su Luo suffered a defeat. Now, the Allianz Arena would host a battle to determine the championship.
"It's the Allianz Arena again. Who would have thought a year ago that we could compete with Bayern for the championship?" one player remarked.
"Yeah, this match is the most important of the year. I'm starting to feel a bit nervous," another added.
"Me too," someone else admitted.
"What are you nervous about? There are still four hours until the game!" a teammate reassured.
Outside the Allianz Arena, members of the Steel Alliance were also present, supporting the team for their away game. Uncle Hans and the others couldn't help but feel anxious. After all, it was their first time competing for the Bundesliga championship, and the fans were understandably restless.
"Calm down! Even though we are away, we must let the team hear our voices!" Uncle Hans rallied.
It was Friday, and many Chinese fans had experienced a long week of work. They went home early, turned on the TV, and prepared to watch the highly anticipated match.
"I'm worried that Union Berlin will struggle," one fan said.
"Xiao Poren has been strong this season. The other teams haven't been a match," another commented.
"Guardiola is still capable, and Union Berlin relies entirely on Su Luo. The others aren't as good," a fan noted.
"I can't believe there's a day when a team relies on a Chinese player!" another exclaimed.
"It sounds like science fiction!" someone joked.
"Then it all depends on Su Luo's performance!" a fan concluded.
Thousands of miles away, tens of millions of people had tuned into the sports channel, eagerly waiting for Su Luo to take the field. Everyone felt a sense of unease, as if something big was going to happen in this game.
After warming up at the Allianz Arena, the players returned to the visiting team's locker room. Even in the advanced Allianz Arena, the visiting team's locker room was quite basic. To make matters worse, the hot water had been turned off.
"Do you have hot water over there?" one player asked.
"No! It's all cold water!" another replied.
"Damn it! The assistant coach asked the staff, and they said it's an accident. There's no hot water at the Allianz Stadium recently," someone explained.
"I don't believe it. The home team's locker room definitely has hot water," another player grumbled.
Su Luo also had to take a cold shower. In the cold winter of February, it was quite a torment. But he comforted his teammates.
"Bayern's tricks like this mean they are afraid of us!" Su Luo said.
"Right!" The teammates' eyes lit up.
If Bayern were confident in their strength, they wouldn't resort to such tactics. Their willingness to play dirty showed that they were scared of Union Berlin.
"Since they are afraid, we have to grit our teeth and fight, use their fear against them, and completely overthrow them!" Su Luo urged.
"Oh oh oh! Overturn Bayern!" the team cheered.
When Neuhaus entered the locker room, he found the players excited, roaring like Tarzan.
"Huh? What's going on? I thought we'd need a pep talk, but it seems unnecessary," Neuhaus observed.
"Look, it's Su Luo," Hofstadter pointed out.
Neuhaus nodded. "It seems he's very motivated. Why not make him captain next season?"
Currently, Su Luo was the team's vice-captain, as Captain Matuschka was gradually stepping back. Next season, Matuschka was likely to retire or play for a smaller team. The team needed a capable and charismatic captain to lead them forward. Su Luo, though only 18 next season, was perfect for the role.
"Agreed," Hofstadter concurred.
Meanwhile, in the Bayern dressing room, the atmosphere was tense. Guardiola, worried, pulled out the tactical board for a final explanation. Although he had repeated it countless times, it was like reviewing a textbook before an exam. It might not help, but it was comforting.
"Do you remember everything?" Guardiola asked.
"Remember!" the Bayern players replied, though they didn't seem enthusiastic.
Guardiola took a deep breath. "You are the overlords of the Bundesliga. Embrace that aura! Remember, this is the Allianz Arena! Go out and crush all challengers!"
"Crush them!!!" Only then did the Bayern players regain their morale.
With less than ten minutes before the game, players from both sides lined up in the player tunnel. The atmosphere was tense, and there was no communication. Some timid caddies were scared.
"Are these two groups of people going to fight?" one caddy wondered.
They didn't know that the fierce battle between the two teams was already a war!
"Okay, we see the players on both sides are ready! The battle of the 22nd round of the Bundesliga is about to kick off!" Duan Xuan's voice rang out on the TV.
Many fans, sleepy after watching commercials, perked up at Duan Xuan's voice and the sight of the players. This was the first time a Chinese player was participating in such an important event, directly related to the Bundesliga championship.
Chinese fans were inevitably nervous.
"My heart can't take this!" one fan exclaimed.
"Ah, I see Su Luo! He looks so handsome!" another admired.
"Hope he gets a hat-trick today," a fan wished.
"It's hard. Bayern has only conceded a goal in 2 of the last 11 games," someone pointed out.
"Anyway, as long as Su Luo plays well, that's enough," another concluded.
Close-ups of Su Luo appeared on TV. The Bundesliga broadcaster showed the world that this 17-year-old Chinese boy had become a key figure in the battle for the Bundesliga title.
After the pre-match ceremony, the 22nd round of the Bundesliga kicked off!
Duan Xuan announced the starting lineups:
"Bayern goalkeeper Neuer; defenders Boateng, Benatia, Alaba; midfielders Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Alonso, Bernat; strikers Robben, Götze, Lewandowski!
Union Berlin goalkeeper Fabianski; defenders Trippier, Richards, Alex, Laxalt; midfielders Sabitzer, Naby Keita, Quinin, Grealish, Forsberg; attacking core, Su Luo!"
"The game has officially started! Bayern Munich's home game against Union Berlin has begun!"
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