Bab 64: The Arrival of Bundesliga Giants
Before the match with Bayern, Lin received a call from Guardiola.
The date of October 1st was Guardiola's wedding day with Cristina. Guardiola needed to confirm when Lin would return.
"After the match with Bayern, if there's an evening flight, I'll take the plane directly. You don't need to pick me up. I can ask for directions," Lin proposed.
Hearing Lin's plan, Guardiola thought for a moment and suggested, "How about coming back on the 30th morning? Catalonia's security situation isn't good, and I worry about the risk if you return at night!"
Considering the high unemployment rate and the separatist activities in Catalonia, Lin agreed with Guardiola's suggestion for safety reasons.
"How do you feel? We're about to play against Bayern. Are you confident in defeating them?" After chatting about personal matters, the conversation naturally led to football.
The match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich garnered widespread attention, not just in the Bundesliga but across Europe. Both teams were part of the top clubs with strong fan bases, sparking extensive discussions online.
People were curious which team's winning streak would last longer, and which would end sooner.
"To be honest, I don't have much confidence. Even though the coach has devised some specific tactics, against top teams like Bayern, our strategies may not work," Lin admitted.
The overall strength gap between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich was significant. Lin didn't believe his personal skills could bridge the vast distance between the two teams.
Football isn't an individual sport but a team effort. Any problems in any part of the team can lead to defeat.
Moreover, the 2012-2013 season's Bayern? Can you find their shortcomings? Lin doubted his ability to see it, believing that the current Bayern was undoubtedly the strongest team in the world of football.
"Good, to be realistic and not become overly arrogant just because of a few good games. That's good," Guardiola reacted with a relieved smile on the phone.
"However, Bayern isn't invincible," Guardiola added, catching Lin off guard. He then earnestly listened.
A few minutes later, Guardiola hung up.
Looking at his phone, he shook his head and smiled wryly. "Kid, I can only help you up to this point. Whether you can create a miracle, it depends on your performance!"
On the other end, after setting down the phone, Lin fell into contemplation. As a time traveler, he was aware of Guardiola's appointment as Bayern's head coach after Heynckes' retirement.
However, he didn't expect such early contact and the depth of Guardiola's knowledge about Bayern's internal situation. It's likely that both sides had already signed an intention contract.
To be honest, Guardiola's coaching in Bayern wasn't considered successful. Heynckes' Bayern had already reached its peak, and Guardiola's radical reforms didn't deliver better results than Heynckes. It even disrupted the previous super squad, leading to a decline in Bayern's Champions League performance and the failure to create a new dynasty.
Thinking about this, Lin sighed. "Forget it, let Bayern be Bayern. I might as well go help him and spare him some criticism!"
...
On September 29th, the highly anticipated sixth round of the Bundesliga officially began.
At 3:30 pm, Werder Bremen, ranked third in the league, played against table-toppers Bayern Munich at home.
It was the most anticipated match of the Bundesliga this round, and several media outlets chose to broadcast the game live, including a German TV channel and the German sports television network.
The massive Weser Stadium was packed to the brim. All fifty thousand tickets were sold out a day before the match.
Of the fifty thousand spectators, 45,000 were Werder Bremen supporters, and 5,000 were Bayern Munich fans who traveled with the team.
The stadium seemed like a green sea as Werder Bremen fans drowned out the cheering of Bayern Munich fans with their resounding songs.
"These noisy crows think they can win with their loud voices?"
"Rest assured, our team will not only win the match today but will also tear their goalpost apart!"
"Exactly, with Werder Bremen's defensive line level, our powerful attacking lineup will score at least five goals today!"
Although the Bayern fans' morale was suppressed by the Werder Bremen fans' vigor, they remained composed and confident that their team would win the game, and by a considerable margin.
After all, there was a marked difference in both the hard strength and recent form between the two teams.
In the pre-match predictions by various experts, everyone favored Bayern Munich, which further bolstered their confidence.
On the commentator's desk at the match venue, renowned German football commentator Beckmann chatted with the invited guests during the pre-match lull. The TV channel had invited legends from both teams as guest commentators.
On Werder Bremen's side, the legendary captain Marco Bode was invited. He was once Werder Bremen's all-time top scorer, serving for thirteen seasons and finally hanging up his boots at Werder Bremen, representing the era of playing for just one team throughout one's career.
As for the invited guest from Bayern, it was Gerd Müller, the current world record holder and the all-time top scorer for Bayern Munich, renowned as the "Bomber der Nation."
Gerd Müller's confident assertion seemed a bit self-assured, as if he saw no issue with what he said.
This certainly rubbed Marco the wrong way. While he respected Gerd Müller as a senior figure in football, he wasn't pleased with such an open dismissal of his own team at their home ground.
"I disagree with Mr. Müller's assertion. Football is unpredictable, even the strongest team cannot guarantee a win every time. Though there is a gap in strength between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich, it doesn't mean we have no chance. This is the Weser Stadium, and I believe the young lads from Werder Bremen can create a miracle at their home ground!" defended Marco.
Beckmann observed Marco's unease, having used the word "miracle."
He knew that many viewers were not necessarily fans of Bayern Munich and liked stories of underdogs overcoming stronger opponents.
Therefore, he supported Marco's sentiment, highlighting Werder Bremen's strong performance this season and the capabilities of their young players, especially De Bruyne and Lin, and their previous victory over Bayern Munich.
Gerd Müller shrugged, dismissing the relevance of previous cup matches as Bayern often considered them mere warm-up games.
He also emphasized that Werder Bremen's victory in the cup didn't hold much significance, considering Bayern's lack of seriousness in those matches.
Both parties couldn't find any counterarguments to Gerd Müller's reasoning.
However, Gerd Müller changed the subject by acknowledging Werder Bremen's #10 as a player with great potential, indicating that if Bayern's defense underestimated him, he might score.
He had been impressed with the recent emergence of this young player at Werder Bremen and had praised him before the press, but always with one condition - "Such an outstanding young player should come to Bayern Munich to play; this is where he belongs!" Just like when he attempted to bring Lionel Messi to his club after Messi broke his historical records.
It seemed like he's always trying to lure the best players to the Allianz Arena!
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