Capítulo 239: Chapter 239: Return to Weser Stadium, Special Gifts from Old Teammates!
Chapter 239: Return to Weser Stadium, Special Gifts from Old Teammates!
"Did I hear that your team is having some issues lately?"
Before heading to Bremen, Lin Quan received a call from Guardiola.
Guardiola had been extremely busy with a lot on his plate at Bayern, so it took him until now to call Lin Quan.
"Yes, a bit," Lin Quan answered honestly. The problems at Manchester City were no secret in the UK and would likely soon reach Germany as well.
On the other end of the line, Guardiola spoke after hearing Lin Quan's response: "After the Champions League match, can you come to Munich for a visit?"
"Sure!" Lin Quan didn't ask why he should go to Munich. Knowing Guardiola, he wouldn't do anything meaningless.
"Good luck in the Champions League match!"
"You too, don't lose to Mourinho at home!"
"Heh, don't worry. I've prepared a surprise for Chelsea. I'm sure they'll love it!"
Guardiola sounded confident, as if the departure of Kroos hadn't significantly affected his team. Whether he was bluffing or had a real ace up his sleeve was unclear.
On February 18, the entire Manchester City team flew to Bremen in northern Germany.
After several months, Lin Quan and De Bruyne returned to this city.
The difference was that before, they had worn the green jerseys of the Werder Bremen parrots to fight at Weser Stadium.
But today, they would step onto the Weser Stadium as opponents.
This made them both feel a bit complicated.
"Do you think they'll boo us?" De Bruyne asked worriedly.
He didn't have strong feelings for Chelsea, but he had many beautiful memories at Werder Bremen, so he was very concerned about hearing boos from the home fans.
"Don't worry, they won't. I believe they won't do that!" Lin Quan patted De Bruyne's shoulder and walked out of the airport passage with him.
"They're here!"
"Lin!"
"De Bruyne!"
"Welcome home!"
As soon as they walked out of the airport passage, they heard a burst of noise outside.
When they looked up, they saw thousands of fans welcoming them at the airport.
But these fans were not wearing Manchester City's blue jerseys; instead, they were wearing the green jerseys representing the home team.
If you looked closely, you could even see that they were wearing last season's Werder Bremen jerseys, with number 10 and number 6 being the most common.
Seeing this scene, Lin Quan and De Bruyne were stunned.
They never expected that returning to Werder Bremen, they would be treated like this.
They looked at each other, and all their previous worries vanished.
It seemed that they wouldn't hear any boos at Weser Stadium.
"Lin, don't hold back on the field. Even if Werder Bremen falls in the Champions League knockout stages, we'll go down standing!"
"Although our strength isn't as good as yours, don't underestimate us. We're the indomitable parrot army!"
While signing autographs and taking photos with the fans who came to welcome them, they heard these words repeatedly.
Clearly, they knew that returning to Weser Stadium as former Werder Bremen players might trouble the former twin stars.
So, they hoped to ease their pressure this way, letting them perform their best in the game, even if it was against their old team.
What a group of understanding fans!
The two were very touched and patiently signed autographs and took photos with every fan present, thanking them for their support.
"Are Lin and De Bruyne really that popular at Werder Bremen? I heard Bremen is just a small team!"
Aguero, who had been scolded by Atletico Madrid fans, found this scene unbelievable.
"When Lin and De Bruyne were here, Werder Bremen could compete for the championship against Bayern. Now they've fallen to a relegation team, so the fans naturally miss them a lot!"
David Silva wasn't surprised. Unlike Aguero, who left with a harsh confrontation against the team, Lin Quan and De Bruyne left after their loan spells ended, so the fans didn't blame them.
...
While Werder Bremen fans showed goodwill towards Lin Quan and De Bruyne, the German media were not kind to Manchester City.
At the pre-match press conference, a German reporter bluntly asked Pellegrini:
"Mr. Pellegrini, your team hasn't won in three Premier League games. If you lose to Werder Bremen this round, will you resign?"
The German reporters were hostile towards Manchester City, partly due to their status as Champions League opponents.
The other reason was Manchester City's wealthy background.
Most Bundesliga clubs are membership-based, belonging not to an individual but to the fans.
Benefiting from the membership system, their finances are very healthy, but this also means they don't have much money for transfers.
Therefore, many rule-abiding Germans view Manchester City, built with money rather than honor and accumulation, with hostility.
In their view, this is not a healthy operational model.
"My team will win on the road, so your question is invalid!" Pellegrini glanced at the German reporter coldly and answered.
"What if you lose? Will you resign?"
The reporter pressed on, determined to get to the bottom of it.
Pellegrini was very angry and left the press conference early, ending it abruptly.
Reporters quickly snapped photos of his angry departure, already thinking of tomorrow's headlines.
If Manchester City lost, Pellegrini would undoubtedly face a barrage of criticism from the media.
Under tremendous pressure, Pellegrini meticulously arranged training.
He stood on the sidelines, watching the players on the training field, lost in thought.
"The coach doesn't seem quite right emotionally," Aguero whispered to Lin Quan while Pellegrini wasn't paying attention.
Lin Quan glanced at the stern-faced coach on the sidelines and nodded slightly: "The coach must be under great pressure. We need to play well in this match and strive to win to dispel external doubts."
Manchester City's three-game winless streak had brought increasing criticism from the outside world.
Rather than wasting time arguing, it was better to train hard and use a beautiful victory to silence the critics.
As professional players, everyone naturally understood this.
"Yeah, we need to win this game. It'll make the next home game easier. But seriously, Lin, are you going to hold back?" Aguero looked at Lin Quan suspiciously. Facing his old team, and a team that treated him well, could he really go all out?
"Don't doubt my professionalism. Giving my all is the greatest respect to Werder Bremen!"
Before coming to Bremen, Lin Quan might have had reservations.
But after seeing the welcoming fans at the airport, all his concerns vanished.
On February 19, at Weser Stadium.
Before the match started, Lin Quan and De Bruyne went to the home team's locker room.
Lin Quan gave each old teammate a delicate watch. Not only the old players but even the club staff received one.
Last year, he had a youth team contract and a low salary, so he didn't give any significant gifts to his teammates when he left.
This time, now wealthy, he made up for it.
"Wow, you've really changed after going to Manchester City. These fifty watches must have cost a lot!" Arnautovic marveled at Lin Quan's generosity.
Old captain Fritz smiled and said, "Not cheap. Each of these watches costs at least 30,000 euros!"
Fritz's words drew everyone's attention. Arnautovic was shocked and exclaimed, "Good heavens, that's almost my yearly salary!"
Fullkrug nodded repeatedly, "That's twice my salary!"
Peterson's eyes lit up, "Lin, does Manchester City pay that well? Do you think I have a chance..."
Mielitz knocked on Peterson's head and bluntly said, "Manchester City only buys top stars. Don't dream about it, Bayern reject!"
Peterson held his head, looking aggrieved: "People need dreams, right? Without dreams, what's the difference from a salted fish?"
Schaaf clapped his hands to stop the banter among the players: "Alright, if you have dreams, play well in this match. Score a goal against Manchester City, and maybe they'll notice you!"
"Sure, boss, watch me today. I feel like I can get a hat-trick!"
"Ha, if you can manage three shots, that'd be a success!"
"I'll give you a tip. Once on the field, shout 'Lin, pass the ball!' Maybe Lin Quan will fall for it and pass to you. Then you might have a chance!"
"Good idea, you're a real genius!"
...
Lin Quan and De Bruyne exchanged a glance. Their teammates were just as cheerful and quirky as when they had left.
The game time arrived quickly, and when Lin Quan and De Bruyne walked through the player tunnel and onto the Weser Stadium field, they were met with a huge cheer from the crowd!
"Lin!"
"De Bruyne!"
The home fans stood up collectively, applauding and cheering for the two players. Although they were no longer wearing Werder Bremen's green jerseys, the fans were still very grateful for the championship trophy and the wonderful memories from the previous season.
As the fans stood up, the Werder Bremen players on the field pulled out pre-prepared cards, piecing together a hand-drawn "Werder Bremen Family Photo." Behind the players, a large portrait of last season's Werder Bremen team photo appeared on the south stand.
In the family photo and the team portrait, both Lin Quan and De Bruyne were prominently featured. Seeing this, Lin Quan and De Bruyne couldn't contain their emotions. They walked up to their old teammates and hugged them one by one, before being pulled into the center for a new "family photo."
In the CCTV live broadcast room, commentator He Wei was quite moved by the scene.
"Perhaps this is the charm of football. Beyond victories and trophies, there are other things as well!"
Although Werder Bremen's fans were very friendly towards Lin Quan and De Bruyne, this didn't mean they didn't want their team to win.
After the game started, Werder Bremen played very actively. Coach Schaaf had clearly studied Manchester City's game tapes, and based on Mourinho's tactics, he specifically assigned players to limit the connection between Kroos and De Bruyne.
One of them was Manchester City's metronome, and the other was the team's front-line organizer. By restricting them, Manchester City's attacking threat was halved.
In the first ten minutes, Werder Bremen players, by running tirelessly, successfully achieved their tactical goal.
In the stands, fans saw their home team not only holding their own but even having a slight edge, and their cheering became even louder.
In the stands, Germany's national team coach Löw, who had come to watch the game, shook his head when he saw Kroos struggling on the field.
Pellegrini's coaching level was indeed inferior to Guardiola's. Under Guardiola, Kroos's performance was much better than at Manchester City. If he couldn't improve his performance at Manchester City, Löw thought that Kroos's decision to join Manchester City might have been a mistake.
Kroos was smart. He knew he was being targeted, so he consciously retreated closer to his own defense line, making it easier to receive the ball with less interference.
This move worked quite well. By staying closer to his defense, he faced less pressure when receiving the ball. After receiving the ball, Kroos had more options for passing as he moved forward, and Manchester City's other players had good passing abilities, not necessarily needing to go through the midfield. They could attack from the wings as well.
In the 18th minute of the first half, Kroos saw an opportunity and passed the ball to David Silva on the wing. David Silva made a wall pass with Lin Quan, who had come to support him, bypassing the defenders and then passed to an unmarked De Bruyne.
De Bruyne made a precise through pass to the advancing Lin Quan, who easily scored, giving Manchester City a 1-0 lead.
After scoring, Lin Quan motioned with his hands down, indicating he wouldn't celebrate. De Bruyne, seeing Lin Quan score, also lowered his head and walked back without any intention of celebrating, not even a hint of joy on his face.
On the sidelines, Pellegrini was very excited. A lead in an away game was good news. Even if they were eventually drawn, they would still have a significant advantage with an away goal.
Seeing the goal, Schaaf couldn't help but shake his head. They couldn't defend against it; the players were simply not on the same level. Lin Quan's positioning had improved since last season, and De Bruyne's passing ability had also increased significantly.
The fans on-site felt bitter. The Lin Quan-De Bruyne connection had been their secret weapon in the Bundesliga last season. They never expected this weapon to be used against them one day.
After a moment of silence, someone led the applause. They were clapping for Lin Quan and De Bruyne's wonderful teamwork and for their decision not to celebrate.
With the lead, Manchester City seemed to relax. They played better and better, showcasing various brilliant moves. Another goal soon followed. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Lin Quan assisted Aguero for a goal. In the 44th minute, Lin Quan received a long pass from Kroos, successfully beat the offside trap, and scored again.
Before the half ended, Manchester City, playing away, was already leading by three goals. The gap in strength between the two teams was evident. Since losing Lin Quan and De Bruyne, Werder Bremen's performance had significantly declined. This season, affected by the Champions League, their performance in the league had dropped dramatically.
After 21 rounds in the Bundesliga, Werder Bremen had only five wins but ten losses. With just 21 points, they were sixth from the bottom, just above the relegation zone.
And now, they were up against the Premier League leaders. A halftime score of 3-0 might be the truest reflection of the gap between the two teams.
During the halftime break, Pellegrini didn't make any personnel changes. Werder Bremen, however, substituted two defensive players for two attackers. They seemed unwilling to give up and wanted to defend their dignity at home.
Werder Bremen played very tenaciously, despite having significantly less possession. They seized every opportunity, striving to threaten Manchester City's goal.
Their efforts paid off! In the 67th minute of the second half, using a set-piece opportunity, Fritz sent a cross into the box. Arnautovic outjumped Kompany to head the ball into Manchester City's goal.
Arnautovic was very excited after scoring. He ran to the corner and roared towards the fans in the stands. The crowd of over 50,000 erupted into deafening cheers.
His teammates rushed up to celebrate with the goal scorer Arnautovic.
This goal acted like a shot of adrenaline for the home team, sparking a brief offensive surge. Manchester City's players seemed somewhat affected, making several mistakes and nearly giving the opponents more chances.
However, Lin Quan stepped up at the critical moment. Dribbling from the wing, he bypassed three players, almost single-handedly breaking through Werder Bremen's defense and finally scoring. This goal was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the heads of Werder Bremen, bringing them back to reality. Their opponents still had a formidable player like Lin Quan!
"Indeed, this kid is still so hard to defend," Schaaf smiled bitterly from the sidelines. Having coached Lin Quan, he knew better than anyone how difficult it was to defend against him! Even Bayern's top defenders couldn't manage it, so Werder Bremen's players stood little chance.
With his third goal of the match, Lin Quan still chose not to celebrate. He helped up the fallen Selassie and gave him an apologetic nod. Selassie casually patted his head, indicating no hard feelings.
"I'm not skilled enough to defend against you, nothing more to say."
Weser Stadium fell into a long silence. This time, no one applauded Lin Quan. His goal not only disrupted Werder Bremen's offensive rhythm but also killed any suspense in the game.
If Manchester City finished with a 4-1 victory, it would almost guarantee their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals. With Werder Bremen's strength, they couldn't possibly score four goals at the Etihad Stadium.
Thinking of this, some fans couldn't help but shed tears. Compared to last season's glory, this season they had nothing. The team was mired in relegation battles, out of the Champions League in the round of 16, and eliminated early in the German Cup.
If those two were still in the team, would the results be the same?
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