Chương 277: Chapter 277: Man City vs Atletico Madrid, the Champions League Final Begins!
Chapter 277: Man City vs Atletico Madrid, the Champions League Final Begins!
"CCTV, CCTV!"
"Dear viewers, welcome to the live broadcast of the 2013-2014 Champions League Final between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid. I am commentator He Wei!"
"And I am Xu Yang!"
"Before the match starts, let's take a look at the starting lineups of both teams!"
"It seems both teams have made some surprising adjustments for this match!"
"Indeed, Diego Costa, who was injured in the last match at Camp Nou, surprisingly starts for Atletico Madrid."
"This raises the question: was the news of Diego Costa's injury just a smokescreen to confuse Manchester City?"
Many people shared the commentators' thoughts. Seeing Diego Costa's name in the starting lineup, they couldn't help but wonder if this was part of Atletico's strategy.
However, Manchester City also had something new up their sleeve. Fernandinho, who had been suspended for several months, not only played but started, replacing the team's main defensive midfielder, Kroos.
People were curious about Pellegrini's decision. What was his plan with this lineup? Was he giving up on a playmaker for a defensive midfielder to engage in a midfield battle with Atletico?
With the referee's whistle, the match officially began. Manchester City, in blue jerseys, attacked from the left side of the pitch, while Atletico Madrid, in red and white striped jerseys and blue shorts, attacked from the right.
Both teams played cautiously at the start. Atletico didn't immediately attack after kickoff. Instead, they passed the ball around, drawing Manchester City's forwards over the halfway line to press them, before moving the ball to the flanks to organize their attack.
However, Manchester City's defense was solid, giving Atletico few opportunities. Contrary to everyone's expectations, the first intense battles occurred on the flanks rather than in the midfield.
Both teams defended decisively, not hesitating to tackle or foul when necessary. This made the game choppy and less enjoyable to watch. However, both coaches, seeing the situation on the field, felt uneasy.
"Strange, Manchester City is not a team known for its defense. Why are they focusing on defense in this match?" wondered Simeone on the Atletico bench. City's luxurious attacking lineup, including Lin Quan, was not heavily involved in attacks but focused more on defense. What was Pellegrini's strategy?
Pellegrini, feeling anxious, had intended to use Fernandinho to solidify midfield defense and then launch attacks. The forwards' aggressive pressing was to tire out Atletico's defenders, a tactic that worked well against Barcelona. But Atletico was known for their stamina, so Pellegrini wasn't sure if this would be effective.
Looking at his bench, he felt reassured. City's attacking lineup was deep, with two wingers and a forward ready to come on if needed.
To the spectators, it seemed less like a football match and more like a race, with players constantly running. Any player holding the ball for more than three seconds was immediately pressed.
With the game at a fast pace, neither team could hold onto the ball or create significant threats. Five minutes into the match, neither team had taken a shot, nor even entered the opponent's 30-meter zone.
In the 7th minute, City had the first shot. David Silva, under pressure from Juan, passed back to De Bruyne, who quickly passed to Lin Quan. Lin Quan, anticipating the defender's move, skillfully received the ball and backheeled it through Miranda's legs, trying to get past him.
However, Miranda fouled him, and City got a free kick. Lin Quan took the free kick himself, but it went over the bar into the stands. Despite the missed shot, Atletico was nervous about Lin Quan's previous play. If he had gotten past Miranda, he would have faced the goalkeeper with many options to score.
"Focus on support, midfielders drop back to compress the opponent's space," Simeone instructed, displeased with the defensive lapse. Escudero didn't put enough pressure on De Bruyne, allowing him to make the crucial pass to Lin Quan.
The spectators applauded Lin Quan after the big screen replayed his skillful move. Although some doubted his young age and ability, his performance on the field showed promise, almost as impressive as an 18-year-old Ronaldo. Portuguese fans, who highly regarded Ronaldo, were impressed by Lin Quan's potential.
If the game continued at this pace, goals would be few and far between. However, in the 9th minute, a significant incident occurred. Diego Costa, running in a duel with City's Kompany, suddenly clutched his leg and fell to the ground in pain.
On the sideline, seeing this, Simeone felt his heart sink. Costa's old injury had flared up again. Looking at the clock, it was only 9 minutes into the match! Reluctantly, Simeone called up Adrian Lopez to replace Costa, who hadn't even had time to warm up.
Costa's injury was a blow to Atletico's morale, and City seized the opportunity to intensify their attacks. In the 11th minute, Fernandinho intercepted the ball and tried to pass to De Bruyne, but Koke intercepted it first, launching an Atletico counterattack.
Koke passed to Gabi, who was immediately pressured by Toure and De Bruyne, forcing a pass to center-back Godin. Lin Quan and Aguero rushed at Godin, who quickly passed to Miranda. Aguero then pressed Miranda, who passed to Juan. Under Silva's pressure, Juan hurriedly passed to Tiago, but Toure intercepted it.
Toure, seeing three Atletico players charging at him, quickly switched the ball to the right wing to Lin Quan. With Atletico's defense focused on the left, the right side was open, offering a chance for a threatening attack if Lin Quan could reach the ball.
However, as the ball was in the air, Atletico's defense shifted swiftly to the right. Aerial shots showed Atletico's defense moving as a unit, maintaining a tight formation without gaps, a testament to Simeone's disciplined training.
From the stands, Guardiola frowned. It was suffocating. Bayern had faced the same defense against Atletico. How did Simeone train his 11 players to act like a disciplined army?
On the pitch, Lin Quan felt the pressure more intensely. Just moments ago, the left side was open, but as the ball flew towards him, Atletico's players were already in position.
As he lifted his foot to stop the ball, Atletico Madrid's fullback Felipe, center-back Godín, and defensive midfielder Gabi were all within five meters of him.
Lin Quan had just enough time to turn around but not to handle the ball before Gabi tackled him.
Despite being the furthest away, Gabi's tackle disrupted Lin Quan's rhythm, forcing him to make adjustments. These adjustments created opportunities for the other two defenders to intervene.
It's clear that Atletico Madrid had a very precise tactical arrangement for their defense in this area.
Lin Quan dodged Gabi's tackle by pulling the ball away.
However, he was then bumped by Godín, causing him to stumble, and Felipe took the opportunity to try to steal the ball.
Lin Quan barely managed to keep possession, but at this point, he had no room to maneuver and no speed advantage. Escaping the triple team was virtually impossible.
So, he had no choice but to pass the ball back to fullback Zabaleta.
As soon as he passed the ball, two of the three defenders immediately left him, either returning to their positions or pressuring the player with the ball.
Faced with Atletico Madrid's spatial control, Manchester City struggled to find effective ways to attack.
Wherever they passed the ball, Atletico's defenders were always first to position themselves, often creating situations where they outnumbered Manchester City players.
As a result, Manchester City players frequently found themselves surrounded by opponents as soon as they received the ball.
In such scenarios, their routes for breaking through, passing, or even dribbling were cut off and severely compressed.
Thus, they quickly lost possession of the ball.
Even Lin Quan, with his exceptional dribbling skills, found it difficult to keep the ball under such circumstances.
He wasn't afraid of one-on-one defense, but Atletico Madrid didn't play fair; they never gave you a one-on-one chance. They habitually used two-on-one or even three-on-one tactics.
Moreover, Atletico's defensive actions were very rough and decisive in committing fouls.
If they couldn't steal the ball, they would foul you. In any case, they wouldn't give you any chance to break through their defense.
Lin Quan realized why top teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona found it so tough to play against Atletico Madrid!
Atletico's high pressing was very targeted, limiting the midfielders from making good passes and the forwards from creating effective breakthroughs and attacks.
At first glance, Atletico's defensive strategy seemed very aggressive, pushing their defensive line almost past the halfway line.
There was a lot of space behind their backline, but breaking through this defense was extremely difficult.
No wonder so many experts said Atletico Madrid had the best defense in the five major leagues. Their overall performance in the final truly lived up to their reputation.
However, Lin Quan wasn't in a hurry. They would take their time.
With Atletico's players running so aggressively and defending so intensely now, Lin Quan didn't believe they could maintain this pace and intensity in the second half.
Once their energy was depleted, it would be Manchester City's turn to exert pressure.
But before that, Manchester City needed to ensure they didn't concede a goal first.
If they did, the situation would become very dangerous!
That kind of last-minute equalizer like Real Madrid's header in the third minute of stoppage time couldn't be relied on every time!
After Lin Quan stopped the ball with his foot, Atletico Madrid's defenders Felipe and Godín, along with defensive midfielder Gabi, closed in within five meters of him.
Lin Quan barely had time to turn around before Gabi went for a sliding tackle.
Gabi, being the furthest away, disrupted Lin Quan's rhythm with his slide, forcing him to adjust, which created an opportunity for the other two defenders to close in.
It was evident that Atletico Madrid had a clear defensive strategy in this area.
Lin Quan dodged Gabi's tackle with a quick touch on the ball.
However, Godín bumped into him, causing him to stumble, and Felipe took the chance to try and steal the ball.
Lin Quan managed to protect the ball, but he had no space or speed to escape from the three defenders surrounding him.
So, he was forced to pass the ball back to the full-back, Zabaleta.
As soon as he passed the ball, two of the defenders immediately left him to either return to their positions or continue pressing the ball holder.
Against Atletico's tight spatial control, Manchester City struggled to find effective ways to attack.
Whenever a Manchester City player received the ball, they were immediately surrounded by opponents, often facing a numerical disadvantage.
This situation cut off their passing and dribbling routes, making it difficult to maintain possession.
Even a skilled dribbler like Lin Quan found it hard to keep the ball under such pressure.
He wasn't afraid of one-on-one situations, but Atletico never allowed that, always employing two or three defenders against one.
Additionally, Atletico's defenders were very aggressive, committing fouls decisively.
If they couldn't win the ball cleanly, they would foul, denying any chance to break through their defense.
As soon as he received the ball, before he could gain speed or even turn, all his options were blocked as if he was forced to follow Atletico's script.
Lin Quan finally understood why top teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona found it so tough to play against Atletico!
Atletico's high pressing not only restricted midfielders from making good passes but also hindered the forwards from creating effective breakthroughs and attacks.
Although Atletico's defensive strategy seemed aggressive, almost pushing their defense past the midfield, breaking through their line was extremely difficult despite the large space behind.
No wonder so many experts claim Atletico has the best defense in the top five leagues; their performance in this match truly lived up to that reputation.
However, Lin Quan was not in a hurry. They just needed to play patiently.
He didn't believe Atletico could maintain such high defensive intensity and pace throughout the second half.
Once Atletico's stamina waned, it would be Manchester City's turn to dominate.
But before that, Manchester City needed to ensure they didn't concede any goals.
Losing a goal would put them in a very dangerous position!
Not every game could end with a miraculous last-minute equalizer like Real Madrid's header in stoppage time!
(End of Chapter)
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