Chapitre 222: Topping the Group!
When Lin scored his second goal, Guardiola scratched his head.
In this match, he hadn't specifically planned to limit Lin. His decision to play Kroos and Thiago was aimed at strengthening the attack, and it had worked. But the downside of not assigning someone to mark Lin was clear—they couldn't stop him!
Götze's performance in attack had been decent, at least satisfactory for Guardiola. Although Götze had performed poorly against Lin, making it seem like they weren't even on the same level, Guardiola never expected Götze to be able to defend against Lin on his own. If Götze had that capability, Guardiola would undoubtedly make him the team's key player, perhaps even the core.
But it was obvious that Götze didn't have that ability.
"Substitution!"
Guardiola instructed his assistant coach.
"Who do you want to substitute?"
Grande glanced at the bench, unsure who Guardiola wanted to bring on.
"Bring on Martínez for Götze, move Müller back, and let Mandzukic play as the lone forward!"
Hearing this substitution, the assistant coaches were a bit stunned.
Is the coach giving up on trying to finish first in the group?
"It's almost impossible now. We need two more goals to top the group, and there are only about 20 minutes left," Guardiola explained to his team's puzzled faces. "But replacing Götze doesn't necessarily weaken our attack."
Everyone was skeptical of his words.
Götze was an attacking player, while Martínez was a defensive one. It seemed obvious that substituting Götze would weaken Bayern's attacking power. So why was Guardiola saying otherwise?
In the 67th minute, Bayern made the first substitution, bringing on Martínez for Götze.
As he was substituted, Götze felt a sense of relief—at last, he wouldn't have to endure any more of Lin's torment on the pitch.
But there was also a feeling of defeat. In this match, he had clearly lost the head-to-head battle with Lin, and it was a resounding loss.
Once Martínez entered the game, Bayern's midfield defense immediately strengthened.
When Lin attacked again, Martínez, as expected, was there to face him.
"Lin, go easy on me—give an old friend a break!" Martínez joked, not wanting to end up like Boateng, leaving behind another "highlight moment" at the Allianz Arena.
"Brother, I was planning to avoid you, but you came over to defend me. And now you're asking me to go easy on you!" Lin replied with a helpless glance. Everyone knew how tough Martínez was on defense—who would want to face him?
"Haha, really? Well, Coach Guardiola told me to mark you, so it's my job. I have no choice!"
Martínez's defensive ability was on a different level from Götze's, and under his watch, Lin's ability to break through was significantly reduced.
It wasn't that Lin couldn't get past him, but it was much harder to leave Martínez behind completely. With his mobility and recovery speed, even if Lin got by him, Martínez could catch up quickly.
Moreover, with Martínez on the field, Bayern adopted a defensive strategy that compressed space. With him as the anchor, other players closed in, forming a cage to trap Lin.
This tactic had been used during Heynckes' tenure and had once frustrated Lin to no end. When Guardiola took over Bayern, he kept this tactic upon Grande's recommendation and further refined it, making it even more effective.
After Martínez came on, Bayern's defense solidified, and their defenders finally stopped worrying so much.
This allowed them to commit more players to attack, with both fullbacks frequently pushing past midfield.
As a result, Bayern improved both defensively and offensively, gradually putting pressure on Manchester City.
"It's strange—Guardiola subbed on a defensive player, but it feels like Bayern's attacking has gotten stronger."
"I feel the same way!"
"Maybe we're just seeing things, but this proves that Guardiola's substitution is working!"
"It's not that hard to understand. Bayern's flank attack is very strong, but Lin's threat earlier was so significant that Bayern's defenders, especially the fullbacks, couldn't fully commit to the attack. Without their support, Bayern's attacking power naturally dropped. After Martínez came on, Bayern's defensive problems were solved, allowing the fullbacks to join the attack again!"
Pellegrini also noticed this. Seeing Lin tightly marked in the center, he quickly adjusted tactics and made a substitution.
In the 72nd minute, City brought on Negredo for Navas, moving Lin to the right-wing position.
This put Lin directly against Ribéry.
Ribéry had been Bayern's main attacking force lately, posing a significant threat from the wing. If City couldn't contain him, their goal would likely be under serious threat.
Seeing Lin positioned opposite him, Ribéry squinted slightly.
He had faced Lin many times and knew how strong he was.
Both were players stronger in attack than defense, and both were excellent at dribbling past opponents.
This meant neither could likely defend the other, making it likely they would neutralize each other.
Is City trying to take me out by sacrificing him?
Ribéry couldn't help but think this.
But soon, he realized that Lin wasn't focused on him—Lin was targeting his teammate, Bayern's fullback Alaba!
Alaba thought, "What did I do to deserve this?" as Lin constantly attacked him whenever he had the ball.
The problem was, Alaba couldn't stop him in one-on-one situations. If he called for a teammate to help, Lin would simply dribble to the baseline and cross the ball.
Aguero wasn't tall, and aerial duels weren't his strength. But the newly substituted Negredo was different. Standing 186 cm tall with excellent jumping ability, he was a significant threat in the box.
Bayern couldn't let City cross the ball uncontested—if they did, and Negredo scored with a header, they would be in big trouble.
So Alaba was entirely tied up, using all his energy to defend Lin and unable to push up and assist the attack.
Without the fullback's support, Ribéry's threat diminished considerably. Bayern's left-flank attack suddenly stalled.
Guardiola frowned at Pellegrini's adjustment—clever, but not enough. Not nearly enough to win the match.
"Shaqiri, go warm up!"
Bayern quickly made another change, taking off Mandzukic and bringing on Shaqiri.
Unlike the stationary Mandzukic, Shaqiri was fast and could play both winger and forward positions.
Can't get the fullbacks to push forward?
No problem, I'll have my forwards assist Ribéry from the midfield.
Guardiola's adjustment wasn't anything special, but at the 70-minute mark, both teams were exhausted. City's defenders couldn't keep up with Shaqiri's speed.
This led to Shaqiri creating several dangerous chances shortly after coming on, even forcing City's defensive midfielder Fernandinho and right-back Zabaleta to pick up yellow cards.
This couldn't go on!
Gritting his teeth, Pellegrini made another substitution.
He took off Aguero and brought on Rodwell.
Rodwell was a defensive midfielder, and his introduction meant City switched to a three-defensive-midfielder formation.
The added defensive cover of three midfielders significantly increased City's ability to intercept and block attacks. After Rodwell came on, Bayern's offense began to stall.
The difficulty in defending fullbacks' attacking runs is that they're coming from the back, unmarked. Before they get the ball, it's unlikely that the defending team will have someone specifically marking them, giving them room to attack.
But once you move the playmaker upfield, they face multiple layers of defense from the forwards, midfielders, and even defenders.
Pellegrini's substitution was highly targeted, successfully countering Guardiola's strategy.
The quick response from the opposition surprised Guardiola.
He remembered that when they last faced each other, Pellegrini's tactics were not only conservative but also slow to adapt.
He hadn't expected Pellegrini to improve so much.
Guardiola glanced at his bench. The remaining players were forward Pizarro, backup goalkeeper Starke, fullbacks Rafinha and Contento, and center-back Van Buyten.
Of them, Pizarro and Van Buyten were 35 years old and past their prime.
Rafinha was in his prime but wasn't better than Lahm or Alaba.
Contento was just a role player with average ability and few chances to shine.
There's no one left to use!
Guardiola sighed. Bayern's injuries were taking a toll on the squad.
Fortunately, the winter break was near, with the Bundesliga pausing for 35 days.
After two more league matches, they would have over a month to rest. Hopefully, the team's injury situation would improve by then.
Both teams countered each other's moves, and the 2-2 score held until the final whistle.
When the referee blew for full time, the Manchester City bench erupted in celebration.
We did it!
We actually held Bayern to a draw at their home!
This draw was monumental for City. It marked their first time advancing to the Champions League knockout stage, and they did so as group winners.
After celebrating with his assistants, Pellegrini remembered that he hadn't yet shaken hands with the opposing coach.
He quickly adjusted his outfit and walked over to the dugout.
Guardiola was already there waiting for him. "Congratulations on advancing!"
"Thank you. I hope you get a good draw!"
Bayern's second-place finish meant they would face a group winner in the next round. If they drew a team like Real Madrid
or Barcelona, even a team as strong as Bayern could face elimination.
Conversely, City's first-place finish meant they would face a group runner-up, a theoretically weaker opponent, giving them a better chance to advance.
So Pellegrini's wish for a good draw was genuine. However, with Bayern's strength, they should be fine as long as they avoided Real Madrid or Barcelona.
After the match, Müller sought out Lin to exchange jerseys.
Lin didn't have any issues with Thomas Müller. The guy worked hard on the pitch, trained diligently, and was aware of his shortcomings, striving to improve and becoming stronger.
Even more commendable was that Müller, like Reus, was a one-club man.
Müller had taken this even further, never having played for another team.
If Bayern's management treated him well, Müller would likely retire at Allianz Arena.
"Good luck, hope you draw Real Madrid and knock them out!" Lin said, patting Müller on the shoulder after exchanging jerseys.
Müller made a face, "Real Madrid is tough; we can't beat them!"
"Don't lose hope. If Dortmund could do it, so can you!"
"Then let Dortmund draw Real Madrid. After they eliminate Madrid, we can eliminate them!"
Müller's cunning plan could be heard across the Atlantic!
...
On the final matchday of the Champions League group stage, besides the high-profile match between City and Bayern in Group D, the spotlight was on the two games in the Group of Death, Group F.
Napoli, trailing in both goal difference and points, hosted Arsenal at home.
At the same time, Dortmund traveled to face winless Marseille.
These two games kicked off simultaneously. Except for Marseille, the other three teams were keenly aware of the developments in the other match.
In the 4th minute, Dortmund, playing away, scored first, taking a temporary 1-0 lead over Marseille.
News of this goal left Napoli's fans at Stadio San Paolo in gloom.
If the match ended with this score, Dortmund would advance, and Napoli would be eliminated.
However, 10 minutes later, news came that Marseille had equalized.
This news relieved Napoli fans, who urged their players to win, knowing that a victory would send them through.
But then bad news came from Marseille: their forward Payet received two yellow cards in two minutes, resulting in a red card and his dismissal.
This news left Napoli fans anxious again.
Fortunately, with one less player, Marseille went all-out on defense, preventing Dortmund from scoring more goals.
This meant that Napoli still had a chance.
All they needed was to win to advance.
However, despite their efforts, Napoli couldn't find a way past Arsenal's defense.
After 70 minutes, the score remained 0-0.
Finally, in the 73rd minute, Gonzalo Higuaín seized a chance to score Napoli's first goal.
This goal sent the Stadio San Paolo into a frenzy.
If the match ended with this score, Napoli would replace Dortmund and advance to the knockout stage alongside Arsenal.
Good news came in pairs. Shortly after Napoli scored, Arsenal's midfielder Arteta was sent off after receiving two yellow cards.
This boosted Napoli's confidence—they were on their way to the knockout stage!
But fate loves to play tricks. After holding on for over 70 minutes, the undermanned Marseille finally gave in.
In the 87th minute, Dortmund scored again, making it 2-1!
This goal was almost a death blow. With only three minutes of regular time left and less than six minutes including stoppage time, Marseille, with nothing to play for, wasn't going to mount a desperate attack.
This meant Dortmund was almost certainly through, which in turn meant Napoli would be eliminated.
Unless they could score three more goals against Arsenal to advance on goal difference.
When this news reached them, Napoli's players went berserk.
They launched a frenzied assault on Arsenal's goal, hoping to score more in the final minutes.
Their efforts paid off. In the 90th minute, Callejón scored again, making it 2-0 for Napoli.
The referee added four minutes of stoppage time. If they could score one more goal in those final minutes, they would go through.
Facing a desperate Napoli, Arsenal also went crazy.
Before the match, their qualification looked the most secure, but now it was hanging by a thread.
Arsenal couldn't accept being eliminated. It was still the first half of the season, far from the time when Arsenal usually collapsed.
Napoli wanted to reach the knockout stage, and so did Arsenal!
In the final four minutes, the match became intense, even brutal.
But Arsenal, with their players united in defense, held off Napoli's furious attacks and maintained the 2-0 scoreline until the final whistle.
In the end, Napoli won 2-0 against Arsenal, finishing the group stage with 12 points from four wins in six matches.
Yet they were cruelly eliminated due to a two-goal deficit in goal difference.
This made them the highest-scoring team ever eliminated from the Champions League group stage, setting a new record in the tournament's history.
Meanwhile, in Group G, Zenit St. Petersburg, despite a 1-4 loss to Austria Wien, advanced to the knockout stage with just six points, also setting a Champions League record.
Fate can be cruel, and for the fans of Napoli and Zenit, it was a bitter reminder of that.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone