Chương 342: Chapter 342: Universe Country's Publicity Backfires, Barcelona Loses Unexpectedly
Chapter 342: Universe Country's Publicity Backfires, Barcelona Loses Unexpectedly
The hype by the cosmic country did not gain international acceptance. In everyone's view, Lin Quan and Son Heung-min's abilities are simply not on the same level. Forcing a comparison between two players who are not on the same level is just shamelessly chasing clout. Japanese media reported: Son Heung-min is merely the "Asian Star" as proclaimed by Koreans, but Lin Quan is a bona fide world-class football star. The gap between them is like comparing a firefly to the bright moon. It's baffling where Koreans get the confidence to compare the two.
As football powerhouses in East Asia, both Japan and Korea have many players competing in European leagues. For instance, Japanese star Keisuke Honda wears the number 10 jersey at AC Milan, a position much more prominent than Son Heung-min's at Leverkusen. Thus, if anyone is most annoyed by the Korean hype, it would naturally be the Japanese.
As for the domestic fans in China, since there are few Chinese players abroad, and those who are abroad do not match the top Asian levels, the public tends to just watch these developments as spectators, occasionally mocking the arrogance of the Koreans.
"Honestly, Son Heung-min has faced Lin Quan before; when Lin was at Werder Bremen, he led his team to defeat Son's Hamburg in both encounters!"
"Exactly, if he couldn't beat Lin Quan from two years ago, how do the Koreans dare to provoke the current Lin?"
"Fair is fair, Son Heung-min is talented and still young. He might make a name for himself in the future, but if he's as arrogant as the Korean media and fans, I doubt he'll reach very high levels."
"Hopefully, he'll play well. Asian football needs top stars to promote the sport so that more kids fall in love with football."
Lin Quan was unaware of the Korean media's reports, but Son Heung-min apologized to him before the match for any trouble caused by his country's media. Son, who had trained in Europe from an early age, had a manner more influenced by Europe than his compatriots.
Lin Quan, unaware of the media coverage but knowing Korean media's reputation, didn't take his frustrations out on Son. After Son apologized, Lin patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "No worries, just play well and give us a great game."
Encouraged by Lin, Son nodded heavily, "Yes, I'll learn a lot from you in this match!"
As a fellow winger, Son admired Lin greatly. He had collected many of Lin's match highlights and often studied Lin's dribbling and shooting techniques to improve his own skills. His rapid improvement over the seasons was largely due to his diligence.
The match began with Leverkusen leveraging their home advantage to launch an offensive against Manchester City, hoping to catch them off guard. In these attacks, Son performed exceptionally well, his break on the wing even earning an opponent a yellow card. Korean fans in the stands cheered wildly for Son, thinking he had overshadowed Lin.
As they eagerly anticipated a goal from Son to decisively outperform Lin, Leverkusen's aggressive but ultimately non-threatening offense was methodically dismantled by City's well-organized defense. After weathering the initial storm, City players took control of the midfield and began their counter-attacks.
Leverkusen had focused heavily on defending against Lin, considering his pivotal role in City's lineup. They believed that stopping him would cripple City's offensive capability. However, they were gravely mistaken. Lin did not attempt to showcase his skills to counter the media hype. Instead, he adapted his style from being a striker to a playmaker.
With Lin's assists, Jovetic and David Silva scored in the first half, stunning Leverkusen's coach who had anticipated Lin's direct attacks on goal. Instead, Lin had remained outside the box, orchestrating plays that led City to a two-goal lead without much apparent effort from him, deepening Leverkusen's despair.
Despite their disadvantage, Korean fans refused to see the reality. They clung to the fact that Son, despite not scoring, had performed better than Lin, who had also not scored. They boasted about Son's successful dribbles, claiming a hollow victory in that regard.
However, their claims fell apart in the second half when Lin scored from outside the box in the 65th minute, his third goal penetration of Leverkusen's net and his first personal goal of the match. This left the Korean fans speechless; surely, they couldn't argue that dribbling was more important than scoring.
And when Lin later dribbled past four defenders to score again near the end of the match, completing his brace, even the most delusional fans couldn't twist the narrative in Son's favor.
Despite the overwhelming defeat, Son sought out Lin after the match to exchange jerseys, a gesture that Lin gladly reciprocated. Korean fans, witnessing the exchange, suddenly switched narratives, praising Son for gaining recognition from the world's best player—a title they had inadvertently validated for Lin during their fervent support.
Thus, even as they tried to elevate Son, they unwittingly acknowledged Lin's superior status in the football world.
European media usually describe Lin Quan as "one of the best." After Korean media heavily reported on the match, especially emphasizing Lin Quan exchanging jerseys with Son Heung-min, many Korean fans quickly became fans of Lin Quan.
"No wonder he's considered the best of our time; Lin Quan is truly amazing!" "Yes, he can effortlessly break through on the wing, organize attacks in the center, and assist teammates. His playing style is becoming more and more like Maradona's!" "I wonder when our Son Heung-min will reach Lin Quan's level!"
Because of Lin Quan's strong performance, the Koreans have faced reality after this match. Although they have stopped hyping the rivalry between Son Heung-min and Lin Quan, they have started trying to find evidence that Lin Quan might have Korean ancestry. Typical of the so-called "origin of all things" country!
Korean media reports are of no concern to Lin Quan, who does not understand Korean and naturally wouldn't bother following news from a small country. Instead, Manchester City's players are more focused on their group standings and the scores of other groups. After defeating Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City has won both its games, leading their group with 6 points. Monaco and Zenit drawing their game increased City's lead to 2 points. In Group C, Manchester City tops the table with 6 points, Monaco follows with 4, Zenit has 1, and Leverkusen has none after losing both matches.
Looking ahead, City's position looks promising. Monaco, next in line to challenge City, faces slim chances of victory. Monaco's situation is slightly better than Zenit's because of their points advantage. Zenit must win their next game against Leverkusen to catch up. Leverkusen, to avoid early elimination, must desperately win their next game.
In other groups, Atletico Madrid and Juventus's spotlight match in Group A saw Atletico recover from a loss to Olympiacos by beating Juventus 1-0 at home, earning three crucial points. Surprisingly, Olympiacos lost to Malmo in this round. This result caused a four-way tie with each team having 3 points, creating a chaotic fight for progression where all four teams still have a chance.
In Group B, Real Madrid has won both of its matches, leading the standings and looking strong to advance. Liverpool unexpectedly lost away, putting their progression in jeopardy. Their next match is at home against Real Madrid. Given the current form and strength of both teams, Liverpool's chances of winning at home are slim. A loss would likely see them fall behind Basel, who shares the same points. Therefore, Liverpool needs to defend their home turf and hope for a Basel loss.
In Group D, Arsenal achieved a thrilling victory for their fans with a 4-1 home win over Galatasaray. Arsenal's attack was seamless, with Welbeck scoring a hat-trick and Sanchez also finding the net. The only downside was their goalkeeper Szczesny getting a red card in the second half, meaning they must use a backup goalie for their next away match.
In Group E, Bayern Munich narrowly won 1-0 away against CSKA Moscow, not only gaining three points but also avoiding the difficult winter trip to Moscow.
Group F saw a major upset. Barcelona, who were favored to win, lost 2-3 away to Paris Saint-Germain. Lin Quan was surprised to hear about Barcelona's defeat, as he remembered this season's Champions League winner was supposed to be Barcelona. The MSN trio hadn't unleashed their power yet, which explained the loss. Messi and Neymar scored, but it wasn't enough for victory. This loss cast doubts on Barcelona's Champions League prospects for the season. With Suarez still suspended, even when he returns, if he doesn't integrate quickly, Barcelona might not top their group. Finishing second could mean facing tough opponents like Manchester City, Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich in the knockout stage, which isn't favorable for Barcelona.
However, the situation isn't dire yet; Barcelona still has a chance to reclaim the top spot. But given PSG's current form, it will be challenging. PSG, after defeating Barcelona, is highly motivated. Many of their players believe this is their best chance to win the Champions League, especially for their star player Ibrahimovic, who has never won the title. Before Lin Quan's rise, Ibrahimovic was often considered the third-best player behind Messi and Ronaldo. However, unlike the top two, Ibrahimovic never won the Champions League despite playing for several top clubs like Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, and AC Milan. His bad luck often saw him miss out on the title. Now at 33, he is undoubtedly in the twilight of his career, making PSG possibly his last chance to win the Champions League.
After several seasons of heavy investment, PSG has significantly improved their squad. This season, they look stronger than ever, even defeating mighty Barcelona. It seems they might finally have their best shot at the title. If Manchester City could win with similar investment last season, there's no reason PSG can't do the same with even greater resources.
(End of Chapter)
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