Capítulo 211: Champions League Top Scorers
Although Bayern Munich eventually won their away match against Viktoria Plzeň, they only secured a one-goal margin. The 1-0 scoreline held until the end of the game. Meanwhile, in another group match, Manchester City triumphed over CSKA Moscow with a 5-2 victory. A controversial penalty awarded to the visitors near the end of the match allowed them to score two goals at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City was a bit dissatisfied with conceding two goals, but after seeing Bayern's score, they felt content. With this round's results, the situation in Group D became clear. Manchester City, with four consecutive wins and a goal difference of 10, advanced two rounds early, leading Bayern by three points and two goals in goal difference. Bayern, with 9 points, only needed a draw in the next match to advance. Given Bayern's strength, advancing was not difficult, but challenging City for the top spot in the group was a different matter.
In the next match, Bayern would play away in Moscow, while City would host the weakest team in the group, Viktoria Plzeň. Considering the strength differences between the opponents, City could likely increase their goal difference lead. Unless Bayern were to win by a large margin at home against City in the final match, City would likely secure the top spot on goal difference. This led to criticism of Guardiola in the German media after the match.
"If Guardiola hadn't been so fixated on experimenting with a strikerless formation away from home, Bayern could have scored more goals. Bayern wouldn't be in such a passive situation now," commented some critics. "Guardiola has been at Bayern for several months, yet his adjustments to the team haven't shown significant results. Compared to last season's dominant team, Bayern seems to be missing something this season."
Bayern is undoubtedly the dominant force in the Bundesliga, and German fans had high expectations for them. With Dortmund struggling in Europe, Bundesliga fans pinned their hopes on Bayern to shine in the Champions League. However, Bayern's performance in the Champions League had been somewhat disappointing. Facing these criticisms, Guardiola didn't respond directly, but Bayern's club manager Uli Hoeness did:
"Bayern is on the right path. Under Guardiola's leadership, the team has won the UEFA Super Cup, Telekom Cup, and Audi Cup. Besides, Bayern remains unbeaten in the league this season, and the Champions League group stage outlook is very positive. Although we were unlucky at the Etihad, we will defend the honor of Bayern Munich at home. Please be patient!"
Hoeness mentioned three trophies, but aside from the UEFA Super Cup, the others held little prestige. Hence, the public didn't buy his rebuttal.
"I bet five bucks Bayern won't finish first in the group!"
"Unless City loses their next match, Bayern won't get first place!"
"Don't be so sure; what if Bayern thrashes City at home?"
"Haha, do you think that's likely? This is a City team with Lin, winning is tough enough, let alone thrashing them!"
"What about Lin? Didn't Barcelona lose 4-0 last season? Is Lin better than Messi?"
Someone argued, citing Bayern's victory over Barcelona last season as an example.
"City isn't Barcelona, and Bayern isn't the same Bayern from last season!"
...
While Bayern might not top their Champions League group, the club remained quiet on the matter. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was still patient with Guardiola, noting that it was too early in the season to draw conclusions. Besides, Guardiola's overall record at Bayern was not bad: 10 wins and 2 draws in the first 12 league matches, making Bayern one of the only three unbeaten teams in Europe, alongside Manchester City in the Premier League and Barcelona in La Liga. In terms of league consistency, Guardiola was meeting expectations. The only issue was some fluctuation in the Champions League, but that was manageable. With Bayern's strength, they could navigate the knockout stages unless they faced the very top teams early on. Bayern was more concerned with Guardiola's tactical changes, hoping to blend Spanish possession football with their style to stay in line with global football trends. Therefore, unless Guardiola's results drastically declined, Bayern was unlikely to part ways with him.
...
Due to the Ballon d'Or buzz, players like Ribéry, Ronaldo, Messi, and Lin attracted significant attention in this Champions League round. Ribéry's performance away from home was lackluster; he neither scored nor assisted, and his post-match rating was low, raising concerns about his form. In contrast, Ballon d'Or favorite Ronaldo continued his impressive run. In Real Madrid's 2-2 draw with Juventus, the goals were scored by their two £100 million stars, Ronaldo and Bale. This marked Ronaldo's fourth consecutive game with a goal in the group stage, a feat matched only by Lin. However, Ronaldo led Lin by three goals overall, though Lin had four assists, keeping him level with Ronaldo in terms of contributions.
Currently, Ronaldo tops the Champions League scoring chart with eight goals. Ibrahimović follows with seven, having scored again in this round. Barcelona's Messi, with six goals in one fewer game, is third. Lin, with five goals, is fourth.
"The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi continues strong; they make scoring in the Champions League look easy."
"Both are in their prime, playing for strong teams, so they're consistently producing great performances."
"Lin is also incredible; his first Champions League and he's scored in four straight games!"
"Yes, I'm increasingly convinced he's on the same level as Ronaldo and Messi!"
"It's too early to say. There have been many players who shined briefly. If Lin continues this level of performance next year without a significant drop, then we can consider him on par with Messi and Ronaldo."
"I'm already eager to see Lin reach his peak and dominate football!"
"Haha, by then, Ronaldo and Messi will likely be nearing the end of their careers, leaving Lin without much competition!"
"Neymar would disagree!"
"Götze can compete too!"
...
Having just finished the Champions League match, Manchester City barely had time to rest before the third round of the League Cup. In this round, City would play at home against Championship side Wigan Athletic. The League Cup had actually started in September, but Premier League teams can skip the earlier rounds, starting from the third round. This meant City had not yet been affected by the League Cup.
However, now that the League Cup had reached the third round, Premier League teams had to participate. Due to the packed schedule, there was some division within City about their approach to the League Cup.
"We have to play Sunderland away three days from now. Should we just forfeit this League Cup game?"
Some viewed the League Cup as a less important trophy, far less prestigious than the FA Cup, and didn't want to waste time and energy on it, especially with the congested fixture list. However, others argued that the League Cup was still a trophy, and winning it was easier than the FA Cup. Even a small trophy is valuable, and they shouldn't abandon it just because it's less prestigious. Moreover, participating in the League Cup allowed the team to give younger players, substitutes, and youth players from the reserves a chance to play and gain experience, which was important for nurturing young talent.
Both sides had valid points, leaving Pellegrini hesitant. Though City was known for spending big on players, they also had some promising young talent in their academy. These young players, unable to get first-team opportunities, usually played in the youth or reserve teams, where the intensity of matches couldn't compare to official cup competitions. Due to the busy schedule with the first team, Pellegrini rarely interacted with these players and lacked a full understanding of the quality of the club's youth development and the skills of the young players. Playing them in the League Cup would provide a chance to evaluate their performance and potentially discover hidden gems. Lin's outstanding performance in the first team had boosted Pellegrini's confidence in the younger players, hoping to find another star.
However, Wigan was a strong opponent, having been relegated from the Premier League last season. They aimed to return to the top flight and had invested heavily in new players. Although they were a Championship team, their strength was comparable to lower-tier Premier League teams. Relying solely on young players to beat them would be challenging. If they lost in the first match, it would defeat the purpose of giving the youngsters valuable experience. Thus, Pellegrini decided to field a mixed lineup of half regulars and half substitutes. Lin was included in the squad but not in the starting lineup, instead sitting on the bench. Pellegrini planned to assess the situation during the game to decide whether to bring Lin on. If the team could handle the match without him, they wouldn't need to use their star player.
Sitting on the bench was a rare experience for Lin since his early days at Werder Bremen. As the game began, City capitalized on their home advantage to attack Wigan's goal. Wigan, however, held firm and launched counterattacks. Young defender Boyata, who almost cost the team at Stamford Bridge, played solidly in this game, becoming a rock in City's defense. Under his steadfast defense, Wigan's forwards found no opportunities.
Pellegrini nodded in approval at Boyata's performance and remarked to the assistant coach:
"Boyata has good technical skills and strength, but he might be slightly lacking in mental fortitude. If he could have the same composure as his compatriot Kompany, we'd have a reliable backup for our defense."
"Yes, but that might be due to his age. He's only just turned 20 and hasn't had many first-team appearances, so his lack of experience in big games makes him prone to mistakes."
The assistant coach glanced over at Lin, sitting among the substitutes. Despite
being a young player, even younger than Boyata, Lin never showed such issues. His composure and maturity surpassed many veterans. In addition to Boyata, backup goalkeeper Pantilimon was another player the coaching staff focused on. Joe Hart's performances in the league and Champions League had been inconsistent, with several mistakes on long shots, even though his save rate exceeded 60%. If City wanted to go further this season, they needed a more stable defense. After some initial adjustments, City's defense had improved, but the goalkeeper position still seemed vulnerable. Pellegrini wanted to test the second and third-choice goalkeepers to see if they could meet expectations. If a backup proved reliable, he might replace Hart with Pantilimon or Wright as the starter.
In the first half, Pantilimon performed well, making three crucial saves, two from long shots. At 2.03 meters tall, he had a significant advantage in dealing with high balls. The coaching staff was pleased with his performance, and Pellegrini considered starting him in the next league match against Sunderland. If successful, Pantilimon could become the first-choice goalkeeper.
While the defense held firm, City's attack struggled. Without Lin and Aguero, the forwards lacked cohesion and failed to convert their chances. The first half ended in a goalless draw, with both teams scoreless.
"Should we send Lin in?" asked the assistant coach, noticing Pellegrini's displeasure.
"No need, let's wait and see."
However, twenty minutes into the second half, the score remained 0-0. Wigan couldn't break through City's defense, and City couldn't penetrate Wigan's. As the game approached the end of regular time, Pellegrini became visibly frustrated. Even Aguero couldn't make a difference? The City fans in the stadium also grew anxious, fearing their team might be held to a draw at home by a Championship side. City had maintained a perfect home record so far, and losing it to a Championship team would be a huge embarrassment. The fans started calling for Lin to come on.
"Lin, we need Lin!"
"Put Lin on!"
Pellegrini glanced at Lin, who was now sitting upright, his expression serious. Lin had expected the team to secure a comfortable win, but they had wasted numerous chances without scoring, creating a sense of urgency. Just then, he heard Pellegrini's instructions:
"Lin, warm up and get ready for extra time!"
Lin shook his head, "No need to warm up; just put me in."
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