Chapter 22: Chapter 224: First place in the group! Naples was eliminated with 12 points!
Seeing Lin Quan score the second goal, Guardiola scratched his head.
In fact, he did not specifically restrict Lin Quan in this game. He arranged for Kroos and Thiago to play just for offense, and the effect was achieved.
But the consequences of not arranging someone to guard Lin Quan also came out, that is, they couldn't guard him!
Gotze's performance on the offensive end is actually pretty good, at least Guardiola is satisfied.
Although he performed very poorly in front of Lin Quan, giving people the feeling that he was not on the same level.
But Guardiola did not ask him to defend Lin Quan alone. If Gotze really had this ability, Guardiola would definitely use him as the absolute main force or even the absolute core of the team.
Obviously, Gotze doesn't have this ability.
"Substitute someone else!"
Guardiola said to the assistant coach.
"Replace who?"
Grande glanced at the bench and wondered who Guardiola wanted to replace.
"Let Martinez come on, replace Gotze, Muller's position retreats, Mandzukic's single arrow!"
Several assistant coaches were stunned when they heard Guardiola's substitution choice.
Is the head coach giving up on competing for first place in the group?
"It's very blue. We need to score 2 goals to get first place in the group. Now there are only more than 20 minutes left. It's basically impossible."
Guardiola knew what these people were thinking, so he explained:
"However, replacing Gotze may not necessarily weaken our offensive strength!"
Everyone was doubtful of his words.
Gotze is an offensive player and Martinez is a defensive player.
Replacing Gotze has obviously weakened Bayern's offensive capabilities. Anyone with a discerning eye can see this, but why does Guardiola say the opposite?
In the 67th minute, Bayern took the lead in making personnel adjustments. Guardiola replaced Gotze with Martinez.
Seeing that he was replaced, Gotze felt relieved. Finally, he no longer had to endure the torture of his opponents on the court.
At the same time, he also had a sense of frustration in his heart. In this match, he undoubtedly lost in the duel with Lin Quan, and it was a huge defeat.
After Martinez came on the field, Bayern's midfielder's defensive toughness immediately improved.
When Lin Quan took the ball to attack again, as expected, Martinez appeared in front of him.
"Lin, be gentle and save some face for me!"
Martinez smiled and said to Lin Quan that he did not want to leave a "famous scene" at the Allianz Arena like Boateng did.
"Brother, I saw you ready to go around, but you came over to keep an eye on me, and you actually told me to be gentle!"
Lin Quan glanced at the other party speechlessly. Who doesn't know that your Hama defense is tough? Only a fool would want to meet you.
"Haha, really? Coach Guardiola arranged for me to keep an eye on you. It's my duty, and there's nothing I can do about it!"
Hama's defensive intensity is not comparable to Gotze's. Under his marking, Lin Quan's breakthrough efficiency has dropped significantly.
That's not to say that it's impossible to break through, but it's just that it's hard to beat him as cleanly as Gotze.
With Hama's running ability and chasing ability, an incomplete pass means a missed pass, and he will catch up in no time.
In addition, when Hama came on the field, Bayern implemented a defensive strategy of compressing space. With him as a support, many other players moved closer to him, forming a cage to trap Lin Quan.
This trick was used by Heynckes when he was coaching, and it disgusted Lin Quan at that time.
After Guardiola came to Bayern, he listened to Grande's advice, retained this tactic, and further improved it.
This greatly increases the power of this move!
Shortly after Martinez came on the field, Bayern's defense gradually stabilized, and several defenders on the back line finally no longer had to worry.
Affected by this, they dared to invest more troops when attacking, and the two full-backs frequently killed the midfielder.
For a time, Bayern made great improvements on both offense and defense, gradually suppressing Manchester City.
"It's strange. Guardiola obviously replaced defensive players, but why do I feel that Bayern's offensive ability has become stronger?"
"I also have this feeling!"
"Although I can't understand it, this proves that Guardiola's substitution adjustments are indeed effective!"
"Haha, it's actually not that difficult to understand. Bayern's wing offensive ability is very strong, but the threat of Lin Quan was too great before, so Bayern's defenders, especially the full-backs, did not dare to boldly assist, without the assists from the full-backs. , Bayern's offensive ability naturally declined.
After Martinez came on the field, Bayern solved the defensive problem in the midfield and backfield, and the full-backs were able to return to attack! "
Pellegrini also discovered this. Seeing that Lin Quan was closely guarded by the opponent in the middle, he immediately changed his strategy and made substitution adjustments.
In the 72nd minute, Manchester City replaced Negredo, replaced Navas, and then asked Lin Quan to move to the right wing position.
In this way, Lin Quan and Ribery faced each other.
Ribery was the main initiator of Bayern's offense during this period. He was too threatening on the wing. If he could not be suppressed, Manchester City's goal would probably be breached soon.
Seeing Lin Quan appear opposite him, Ribery narrowed his eyes.
Ribery and Lin Quan have played against each other many times, and he knows the opponent's strength very well.
Both of them are players who are stronger on offense than defense and are very good at breaking through.
Therefore, neither of them can guard against each other, and it is easy for them to explode with each other.
Does Manchester City want to trade him with me?
Ribery couldn't help but have this thought in his mind.
However, Ribery soon discovered that Lin Quan was not staring at him, but at his teammate, Bayern full-back Alaba!
Alaba thought to himself that I had provoked someone, and as soon as this guy got the ball, he rushed towards him.
The key is that he can't be guarded one-on-one, but if he calls on his teammates to help defend, he will dribble the ball down and make a cross.
Aguero is relatively short, so headers are not his strong point.
But the newly replaced Negredo is different. He is 186cm tall and has good jumping ability. He is very threatening when fighting for the top in the penalty area.
Bayern cannot let the opponent make such unscrupulous crosses. If the opponent really scores a header, then they will be finished.
As a result, Alaba was completely held back. All his energy was wasted on defending Lin Shen, and there was no way he could make it through half the court to assist.
Without the assists from the full-backs, Ribery's threat has dropped significantly.
Bayern's attack on the left suddenly failed!
Guardiola frowned, Pellegrini's adjustment was indeed something.
But if you only have this trick, it's not enough to win the game, far from enough!
"Shaqiri, go warm up!"
Bayern quickly made personnel adjustments. They replaced Mandzukic and replaced him with Shaqiri.
Unlike Mandzukic, a stand-up center, Shaqiri is very fast and can play as either a winger or a forward.
The full-back can't assist?
It doesn't matter, I let the forward assist Ribery in the midfield.
Guardiola's adjustment was not a clever move, but now the game has lasted for more than 70 minutes.
The physical fitness of both sides has dropped seriously, and Manchester City's defensive players can't keep up with Shaqiri's speed.
This led to Shaqiri quickly creating several threats after coming on the field, and even caused Manchester City's midfielder Fernandinho and defender Zabaleta to receive yellow cards one after another.
This can't go on like this!
Pellegrini gritted his teeth and made another substitution adjustment.
He replaced Aguero and brought on Rodwell.
Rodwell played in the defensive midfield position. After he came on, Manchester City changed into a three-midfielder formation.
The sweeping and interception ability of the three defensive midfielders is indeed much better than that of the two defensive midfielders. After Rodwell came on, Bayern's offensive began to be contained.
The reason why it is difficult to defend the full-backs who come in for assists is entirely because they come up from the unmarked rear. Before they get the ball, the defending side is unlikely to arrange someone to mark and restrict them. This gives Their chance to assist.
But if the passer is placed in the frontcourt, he is doomed to be intercepted and restricted by multiple layers of defensive forwards, midfielders and even defenders.
Pellegrini's substitution was very targeted and successfully limited Guardiola's adjustments.
Guardiola couldn't help but be a little surprised that the opponent's adjustment came so quickly.
He remembered that the last time he played against Manchester City, Pellegrini was not only conservative in tactics, but also slow in making substitutions and adjustments.
I didn't expect it to progress so quickly.
He looked back at his bench. Also sitting on the bench were forward Pizarro, second goalkeeper Stark, full-backs Rafinha and Contento, and center back Van Buyten.
Among these people, Pizarro and Van Buyten are both 35 years old and have long passed their prime.
Raphinha is in his prime, but he is no better than Ram and Alaba.
As for Contento, he is completely a role player, with mediocre strength and no chance to perform.
No one is available!
Guardiola sighed, Bayern had too many injuries, and the team's lineup was greatly affected.
Fortunately, the winter break is coming soon, and the Bundesliga's winter break is as long as 35 days.
After playing two more league games, I can rest for more than a month. I hope the team's injury situation will improve by then!
The two teams showed off their tricks, and the score of 2:2 lasted until the final whistle sounded.
When they heard the referee blowing the whistle to end the game, the coaching staff and substitute players on Manchester City's bench went crazy!
We did it!
We actually drew with each other at Bayern's home court!
This draw is of great significance to Manchester City. This is the first time they have reached the knockout rounds of the Champions League, and it is also the first time they have topped the group.
After Pellegrini hugged several assistant coaches excitedly, he remembered that he had not shaken hands with the coach of the home team.
So he quickly arranged his clothes and walked towards the aisle.
Guardiola was already waiting for him there: "Congratulations on your successful promotion!"
"Thank you, I wish you a good draw!"
Bayern qualified as second in the group, which means that they will have a collision with the top spot in each group in the next game.
If teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona are drawn, even if they are stronger than Bayern, they are likely to be eliminated.
On the contrary, Manchester City emerged as the first in the group, and the next draw was the second place in each group.
The second place in the group is obviously weaker than the first place in the group. Compared with Bayern, it is much easier for them to advance.
That's why Pellegrini wished the opponent a good draw, but with Bayern's strength, as long as they don't encounter Real Madrid and Barcelona, it doesn't feel like a big problem.
After the game, Muller took the initiative to find Lin Quan and exchange jerseys with him.
Lin Quan has nothing against Thomas Muller. This guy plays hard on the field and trains hard off the field.
And he can realize his own shortcomings and work hard to improve them to make himself stronger and stronger.
What's even more commendable is that, like Royce, this guy is also a one-man, one-city player.
He even did it more extreme than Royce, after all, he has never played for other teams.
If Bayern's top management acts as a human being, Muller will most likely retire at the Allianz Arena.
"Come on, try to draw Real Madrid and kill them!"
After exchanging jerseys, Lin Quan patted Muller on the shoulder and said to him.
Muller said with a grimace: "Real Madrid is so fierce, we can't beat Real Madrid if we beat them!"
"Don't be discouraged, Dortmund can do it, and so can you!"
"Then let Dortmund draw Real Madrid. When they eliminate Real Madrid, we will eliminate them again!"
Mueller's calculations can be heard across the Atlantic Ocean!
…
The last game of the Champions League group stage, except for the game between Manchester City and Bayern in Group D, has attracted a lot of attention.
The focus of this round is the two games in Group F of the death group.
Naples, which is at a disadvantage in terms of goal difference and points, will face Arsenal's challenge at home in this round.
At the same time, Dortmund rushed to the away game to face Marseille, which had lost all 5 games.
The two games started at the same time. Except for Marseille, which was terrible, the remaining three teams were paying attention to the situation of the other game almost every minute.
In the 4th minute of the game, Dortmund scored the first goal in the away game, temporarily leading Marseille 1:0.
When this news came, the Naples fans at the San Paolo Stadium were gloomy.
If the game ends with this score, then Dortmund will advance and Napoli will be eliminated.
However, 10 minutes later, news came from Marseille that they equalized the score.
This made the Naples fans breathe a sigh of relief and quickly reminded the players on the field loudly that as long as they win this game, they will advance!
However, in another game, bad news came again: Marseille forward Payet received two yellow cards in 2 minutes, two yellow cards turned into one red, and he was sent off directly.
When this news came, Naples fans who had just breathed a sigh of relief began to be worried again.
Fortunately, Marseille, with one less player to play, began to defend with all their strength and did not give Dortmund a chance to score any more goals.
This means Naples still has a chance!
As long as they can win, they will advance!
However, facing Arsenal's defense, Napoli could never find a way to score.
After playing for more than 70 minutes, the score on the field is still 0:0.
Finally, in the 73rd minute, Higuain seized the opportunity and scored Naples' first goal.
After this goal was scored, the Naples fans at the San Paolo Stadium went completely crazy.
With this score at the end of the game, they will replace Dortmund and join Arsenal in the knockout rounds.
As you say, good things come in pairs. Not long after Naples scored, Arsenal midfielder Arteta turned two yellows and one red and was sent off.
This makes the Naples people even more confident that they will advance to the knockout rounds!
However, fate always likes to play tricks on people. After persisting for more than 70 minutes, Marseille, who had one less player to play, finally couldn't bear it anymore.
In the 87th minute of the game, Dortmund scored another goal, rewriting the score to 2:1!
This goal was almost a winning goal. There were only 3 minutes of regular time left, and less than 6 minutes of injury time. Marseille, with one less player and no hope of qualifying, could not attack desperately.
This also means that Dortmund has basically been declared qualified!
Dortmund's qualification means that Naples will be eliminated.
Unless they can score 3 goals against Arsenal and eliminate their opponents by goal difference.
When the news came, Napoli players went crazy.
They attacked like crazy around Arsenal's goal, hoping to score more goals in the final minutes.
Their efforts paid off. In the 90th minute of the game, Callejon scored another goal. Naples 2:0 Arsenal.
The referee gave 4 minutes of injury time. As long as they can score another goal in the last few minutes, they will qualify.
Facing the crazy Naples, Arsenal also went crazy.
Before the start of the game, their qualifying situation was the best, but now it is in jeopardy.
Arsenal cannot accept the fate of being eliminated. It is not yet the second half of the season, and it is not the season where Arsenal is accustomed to collapse.
Napoli wants to advance to the knockout rounds, and so does Arsenal!
In the last 4 minutes, the match between the two teams became extremely intense and even tragic.
Under the united defense of the players, Arsenal withstood the opponent's crazy attack and maintained the 0:2 score until the end.
In the end, Naples defeated Arsenal with a score of 2:0 and accumulated 12 points with 4 wins from 6 games. However, they were eliminated due to two fewer goal differences.
They are also the team with the highest points eliminated in the history of the Champions League, creating Champions League history.
In Group G next door, Zenit St. Petersburg lost to Austria Vienna 1:4 in an away game. They only scored 6 points, but successfully entered the knockout rounds. This also set a historical record in the Champions League.
Destiny can play tricks on people sometimes, and this is true for both Napoli and Zenit fans.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone