章 442: Chapter 442: Man City: "I'm Not Targeting Anyone Specifically, I'm Just Saying Everyone Here Is Trash!"
Chapter 442: Man City: "I'm Not Targeting Anyone Specifically, I'm Just Saying Everyone Here Is Trash!"
"Champions in Sight: Man City Ready to Defend Their Champions League Title Again!"
"Terrifying Strength: The Europa League Champions Are No Match!"
"Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern: Are You Ready to Face Man City?"
After the match, the British media went into full praise mode, almost putting Man City on a pedestal. The scoreline of 4-0 wasn't the main focus; while it's a significant margin in the Champions League, it's not uncommon in the group stages. Though the opponents were the Europa League champions, they were just a strong La Liga team, not a top-tier club. So Man City's victory wasn't something extraordinary—more like a show of brute strength.
What the media truly praised was the confidence and composure of Guardiola's Man City, from top to bottom. The players were relaxed and confident on the pitch, playing with ease, which allowed them to fully showcase their abilities. Man City's paper strength was already formidable, and with Guardiola's tactics and the players' state of mind, defeating them was exceedingly difficult.
There weren't many teams in the football world that could match them. Only Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and possibly Atlético Madrid had a chance. However, the British media believed that even these teams would need to perform exceptionally well to have any chance against Man City, estimating their chances of winning at less than 40%.
As for other teams? Paris Saint-Germain? Juventus? Or Manchester United and Chelsea? They weren't even in the same league. Their paper strength was far inferior to Man City's, and even if they performed beyond expectations, they might still not win. So they might as well give up.
The British media's reports, which included belittling other league teams, quickly drew reactions from other countries' media.
Bild: "Man City is indeed strong, but football is unpredictable. Moreover, under Heynckes, Bayern Munich is stronger this season, with 12 consecutive wins in the league and Champions League. As one of the two teams in the top five leagues still unbeaten, Bayern definitely has the strength to challenge Man City!"
Although Heynckes had been out of football for a year and a half, he hadn't lost his touch. Upon returning to Allianz Arena, he combined his tactics with those left by Guardiola, creating a highly efficient and aggressive style of play. Bayern was unstoppable in both the league and Champions League. In their recent Champions League group stage match, Bayern visited the Emirates Stadium, coming back from 2-0 down to win 5-2 against Arsenal, handing the Gunners their third consecutive defeat. This team not only had more firepower but also increased tenacity and resilience. They were the type of team that thrived against strong opponents.
In addition to Bayern, Real Madrid's mouthpiece Marca also quickly published a rebuttal:
"This season, Real Madrid remains unbeaten in both the league and Champions League. Under Zidane, the team is gradually reaching peak form, with Benzema, James Rodríguez, Ronaldo, and Bale all returning to their best. Especially Ronaldo, whose performances in the league and Champions League rival Lin Quan's, possibly even surpassing him. Given that Man City has already won the Champions League twice in a row, their hunger for honors and titles cannot match that of Real Madrid's players. The entire Real Madrid squad's longing for their tenth Champions League trophy is something Manchester City cannot comprehend!"
While Bayern and Real Madrid openly expressed their defiance, Barcelona remained unusually quiet. The departure of Neymar this summer dealt a significant blow to Barca, compounded by a wave of injuries within the squad. Most critically, their star Messi was also injured. Late last month, in a home match against Las Palmas, Messi was subbed off just three minutes in. Diagnosed with a torn left knee ligament, Messi was expected to be out for seven to eight weeks. Without Messi, Barca's strength plummeted, leaving Suarez alone up front. Furthermore, due to violations in youth player recruitment, Barca faced a severe ban from FIFA—no transfers for a year.
This summer, Barca failed to sign Lin Quan, partly because of his reluctance to return to Camp Nou and partly due to FIFA's punishment. Rumors suggested that FIFA might extend the ban if further violations were found, which would spell disaster for Barca. Had the transfer ban come a bit earlier, Neymar might not have left. With Neymar and Suarez, they could have managed without Messi. But with Neymar gone and Suarez struggling alone, Barca's recent performance had been dismal. After Messi's injury, they lost to Sevilla, who Man City had just defeated effortlessly. The gap between Barca and Man City was significant.
Given their dire situation, Barca had neither the confidence nor the interest to join the debate. While the British media might have been exaggerating, only Bayern and Real Madrid dared to challenge them, which spoke volumes.
On October 25, the 10th round of the Premier League was about to begin. The highlight was the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. With Man City in such formidable form, the Red Devils were nervous, speaking in hushed tones.
"We will win this match, right?"
Man United fans, lacking confidence, sought comfort from each other.
"Maybe? After all, our coach is Mourinho. He has led teams to beat Guardiola several times. You could say he's the best at facing Guardiola!"
Currently, Man United's squad and player form were no match for the dominant Man City. Their only advantage was having a coach on par with Guardiola. Mourinho had previously led Inter Milan to eliminate Guardiola's Barcelona in the Champions League, preventing a potential three-peat. He later joined Real Madrid, at times outsmarting Guardiola, almost ending Barcelona's golden era.
With such a record, Red Devils fans clung to a sliver of hope, praying for another miracle.
However, the Red Devils' fans seemed to only remember Mourinho's achievements during his time at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, completely forgetting about his series of defeats against Manchester City while at Chelsea.
Compared to the anxious Manchester United fans, the Manchester City supporters were much more relaxed. The media's praise had them feeling elated, and the team's solid strength and glorious track record gave them extra confidence. A few years ago, Manchester United was still a team that instilled fear and respect in Manchester City. Historically, United had an overwhelming lead in head-to-head encounters. But if you only consider the past five years, Manchester City had no reason to fear United. In fact, since Lin Quan joined City, they hadn't lost to United. Lin Quan's hat-trick at Old Trafford and his celebration mimicking Cantona greatly boosted the confidence of countless City fans, helping them let go of their historical fear of United.
Now, with City even stronger and United having gone through years of turmoil, they were no longer the Premier League giants they once were. So, what was there to be afraid of? All City needed to do now was to kick United off their throne completely.
In the past two seasons, City had won back-to-back Premier League titles. If they could defend their title this year, they would establish their own Manchester City dynasty, ending Manchester United's twenty-year reign over the Premier League. This season was critical, and the upcoming match between the Blue and Red sides of Manchester symbolized a power shift.
Manchester City fans were eager to witness this historic moment and scrambled to buy tickets for Old Trafford. They wanted to see their rivals fall in defeat right in front of them. As City's performance improved year by year, especially after winning two Champions League titles, their global influence skyrocketed. More and more overseas fans were visiting the Etihad Stadium to watch matches. For them, missing out on a significant game like the Manchester Derby was unthinkable. Thus, some well-off overseas fans purchased tickets through various channels, driving the prices up to five or even ten times the usual rate. Some Manchester United fans, having lost faith in their team, couldn't resist the temptation of scalpers and sold their tickets at high prices, preferring to use the money for a couple of beers to soothe their wounded hearts.
But these fans were in the minority. Most of the Red Devils supporters still went to the stadium to support their team. When the match started, Old Trafford, with its capacity of 76,000, was packed. The fans wore their teams' jerseys, creating a sea of red as the dominant color. In this red ocean, the patches of blue looked weak and helpless.
Even before the match started, the fans from both sides were already at it, taunting and trash-talking each other across the barricades. Some felt that words weren't enough and rolled up their sleeves, ready to settle the score with their fists. Fortunately, the security personnel and police maintained order, preventing any physical altercations. Some overly aggressive fans were subdued and taken away, likely facing further punishment from the FA, possibly a lifetime ban from stadiums.
The Manchester Derby was always intense, but with City's rise in recent years, the rivalry had become even fiercer. As the focal point of this round, the match was scheduled for prime time and broadcasted worldwide. The Premier League and the FA aimed to showcase high-level, exciting football to attract more overseas fans, not to display hooliganism.
When the coaches entered the field, Mourinho walked over to Guardiola, shook hands without any expression, and returned to his bench without exchanging pleasantries. Guardiola, equally expressionless, shook hands perfunctorily and returned to his seat. Though long-time adversaries on the pitch, they seemed to have no personal rapport.
Years ago, during their time at Barcelona, they had been good friends, but that changed when they parted ways. To the media and fans, these two represented polar opposites. Guardiola was humble and low-key, while Mourinho was flamboyant and arrogant. Guardiola's teams were offensive juggernauts, while Mourinho's were defensive fortresses. Their clashes were battles of spear versus shield. Over the past five years, their head-to-head record was evenly matched, with no clear dominance by either side. This rivalry would continue until one was definitively defeated.
However, fans were stunned when they saw City's lineup and formation for this match.
"Did they mix up the names? Man City is playing with three defensive midfielders?"
The three-defensive-midfielder tactic was Mourinho's specialty during his Real Madrid days. He used it to disrupt Barcelona's fluid passing game. Although it had some effect, it wasn't overwhelming. Now, Guardiola was using Mourinho's own tactic against him, surprising everyone, as it wasn't Guardiola's usual style. Fans were curious and eager to see how Mourinho would respond to this unexpected move.
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