Chapter 375: Manchester United's No. 7 possessed by legend vs. Guardiola's Manchester City
In the counterattack just now, five Manchester United players ran forward, which consumed a lot of physical energy.
But in order to return to defense, almost everyone except Haaland was chasing back at full speed, which consumed more physical energy in total.
Guardiola's assistant coach Enzo Maresca couldn't help but curse: "This rubbish team almost scored a goal. If they hadn't bought a red Chinese player, what would they have done?"
Guardiola turned his head and looked at him, but said nothing.
Obviously, he did not agree with Enzo Maresca's words. Other players were bought, but Haaland was born by you? His father is sitting upstairs.
The camera immediately swept towards the stands, but the first person it looked at was not old Haaland, but Sir Alex Ferguson. He was not far from Schmeichel. Although the latter was a legendary goalkeeper of Manchester United, he also joined Manchester City at the end of his career.
Then it was given to Haaland and England national team coach Southgate who was not far away.
However, what excited the Red Country fans was that Sun Jihai, as a member of the Manchester City Club's Hall of Fame, was also invited to watch the game on site, and sitting behind him was Aguero.
Before the game, Chen Xiaoliang received a text message from Sun Jihai, informing him that he had received an invitation from Manchester City to watch the game.
Chen Xiaoliang even asked him to stay for a few more days after the game so that they could meet and chat.
The last time they met was in a small cafe near Glasgow. It has been three years.
On the field, Manchester City re-arranged their formation and organized an attack, and the situation once again became Manchester City in control and Manchester United in defense.
In today's game, it was not that Guardiola returned to the state of sticking to ball possession, but the Champions League final with Roma made him realize that once Manchester City speeds up the frequency of attack, it is equivalent to giving Chen Xiaoliang more counterattack opportunities. Even if three goals are scored in the frontcourt, four can be conceded in the backcourt in the end.
So today he once again used the suffocating control that he used to eliminate Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals last season, and arranged a variable in the defensive formation.
In the 13th minute, the two sides' ball possession rates were still at a huge disparity of 78% to 22%. Manchester United had two interceptions but did not pass the ball, so Manchester City snatched the ball back with intensive double-teaming.
This style of play is somewhat reminiscent of the Barcelona team under .
The ball came to De Bruyne again, who is the undisputed brain of Manchester City's midfield.
Bellingham, Rodri and B Silva were like three fighter jets circling around his mothership, constantly running back and forth, mobilizing and tearing Manchester United's defense.
But Chen Xiaoliang on the field and Ten Hag on the sidelines gradually discovered something strange, that is, the frequency of right-back Kyle Walker's insertions was getting lower and lower.
At this time, De Bruyne passed the ball to the left and passed it to Grealish. The Manchester City's billionaire took the ball and started to move inside.
His dribbling style made Wan Bissaka very uncomfortable. It was neither the kind of dangling style like Kwa and Mitoma Kaoru, nor the kind of style like Bale and Leao, which relied on speed and body to rush forward.
When Grealish dribbled past the opponent, the ball was right under his feet and his speed was not fast, but he protected the ball very well and the distance between the ball and his feet was very close when he dribbled.
This made it difficult for Wan-Bissaka to find enough space to tackle the ball, and he could only use his body to prevent Grealish from moving inside.
But sometimes Grealish doesn't really want to pass you when he dribbles past you. Once he cuts in from the wing, the right-back defending him follows him, leaving the right side empty.
This is exactly the case at this moment. When he came to the left sideline of the penalty area, Grealish was double-teamed by Wan Bissaka and B Fee. He passed the ball backwards to Rodri, who passed it to the left and passed it directly behind him to Akanji who was making a run, and he went straight through the left.
Wan Bissaka immediately turned around to defend, but Akanji seemed to be waiting for him to do so. Just as he was about to catch up, Akanji passed the ball back to Rodri who was still waiting on the left flank. Rodri made a gentle through pass, and Grealish, who slipped in silently after sending the ball, received the ball in the penalty area.
Varane had no choice but to block the shot. If he didn't go up, Grealish could have shot directly.
But just as he blocked it, Grealish flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot and it flew gently towards the middle of the small penalty area.
Haaland, who was fighting with Lima on the right, suddenly cut in diagonally, blocked Lima's header and shot the ball straight to the left side of the goal!
At that moment, the hearts of Manchester United players, coaches and fans all rose to their throats, but De Gea's incredible reaction speed, coupled with a similar action to the previous save, flew sideways and fished the ball out of the goal line again!
Many Manchester City players immediately held their heads and opened their mouths wide to express disbelief!
Haaland, who wanted to rush forward for a supplementary shot, had not yet caught up with the ball, and the ball was kicked out of the penalty area again by Varane.
It seemed as if fate had entered a cycle, with the same scene repeating itself once again.
Haaland shot, De Gea made a great save, Varane kicked the ball to the right, and Rashford rushed to catch the ball.
But this time, because B Fee retreated too deep, he was unable to participate in the counterattack in the first time. When Rashford reached the midline and was about to be caught up by Akanji, he passed the ball directly to the middle with his right foot.
Rodri and Bellingham were still chasing Chen Xiaoliang, but there was one more person next to Chen Xiaoliang, that was Kyle Walker, the fastest player in Manchester City!
It seems that Guardiola used both waist defenders and wing midfielders in the same game.
After receiving the ball, Chen Xiaoliang accelerated forward and tried to get rid of Kyle Walker, but he who was dribbling the ball and Kyle Walker who was running without the ball were actually running in the same pace. He couldn't get rid of the latter, and the latter couldn't catch up with him to stop him.
At this time, Dias and others in Manchester City's defense had quickly moved to the middle, waiting for Chen Xiaoliang to run over. They delayed him in front and then formed a pincer attack with Kyle Walker.
Who would have thought that just after passing the center circle, Chen Xiaoliang actually swung his right leg back while running quickly, apparently intending to pass the ball.
Kyle Walker on the side did not make any blocking move, and the other Manchester City players who were returning to defense at full speed did not feel anything wrong at the first time. Even the Manchester United players thought that Chen Xiaoliang was going to pass the ball to the side.
But when Chen Xiaoliang hit the ball with the outside of his right foot and the ball went straight into the air and flew rapidly towards the goal, everyone realized that it was actually a shot!
A shot over 40 meters!
As Manchester City continued to hold the ball and attack in the frontcourt, goalkeeper Ederson stood very forward.
There is nothing unusual about this. In Guardiola's team, the goalkeeper is also part of the offensive organization and often needs to hold the ball in the backcourt and then pass it.
At the same time, when Manchester United launched this counterattack, Ederson did not retreat immediately. As a routine operation of the goalkeeper, he had to adjust his position in the backcourt at any time. Especially when the back line was in front, the goalkeeper had to stay away from the goal line and press upwards.
On the one hand, it is to narrow the defensive gap between the defender and the goalkeeper, and to promptly attack to disrupt the opponent's ball behind when the opponent launches a counterattack and hits the ball behind him. On the other hand, after the defender disrupts the ball, he can receive the return pass from his teammates as soon as possible and transfer the ball to other areas.
But it is these two correct operations that make the seemingly flawless position a fatal point.
After realizing that it was a long-distance shot, Ederson immediately ran from the penalty area line to the goal line, constantly looking back at the flight trajectory of the ball while running.
He first ran a few meters to the left side of the goal, but Chen Xiaoliang kicked the ball with the outside of his right foot. After flying for a distance, the ball began to rotate outwards to the right, and Ederson immediately ran to the right again.
Just as the ball was falling towards the goal like a meteorite, Ederson, who was 3 meters away from the goal line, had no choice but to rush forward and jump, stretching his right hand forward with all his strength!
Zhan Jun: "The ball flies towards the goal!"
"Ederson touched the ball!"
“But the ball…still went in!”
Zhang Lu: "Hey, Ederson looks helpless. Kyle Walker has caught up with Xiaoliang. There are no other Manchester United players in the frontcourt except Xiaoliang. No one expected that he would choose to shoot directly!"
Zhan Jun: "That's right. After Haaland's close header was saved by De Gea, the whole audience thought Manchester United was going to launch another quick counterattack. They were all guessing which route Xiaoliang would take. Would he shoot from the top of the penalty area like last time, or would he attack the penalty area from a closer distance this time, or would he be destroyed by Manchester City's double-teaming after returning to defend."
“I didn’t expect Xiaoliang to kick directly and catch Ederson off guard!”
"On August 17, 1996, Beckham, who was still wearing the No. 10 jersey at the time, scored a goal in the first round of the Premier League against Wimbledon with a lob from midfield that made him famous!"
"And the old captain Rooney also completed a super long-range lob shot from the center line in the match against West Ham United in the 2013-14 season!"
"Now, Manchester United's new No. 7 has once again scored a goal from midfield!"
"Red Devils fans, are you excited?"
Zhang Lu: "This ball is different from the ones by Beckham and Rooney. One is that they were both in a slow state at the time, and there was no one around them, so they could kick the ball relatively calmly. Another thing is that Xiaoliang's ball was not a lob, at least not completely a lob. The ball's trajectory was not very high, and it was more like a powerful long shot."
After scoring the goal, Chen Xiaoliang did not run to the sidelines to celebrate. Instead, he took two steps and stood in the center circle, opening his arms to welcome his teammates who were rushing towards him excitedly.
His teammates were much more excited than him. Even Casemiro stood up from the bench, holding protective gear on his feet and leaning on crutches in his hands, but he was also waving his fist with his other hand.
The Manchester City fans who were originally full of confidence in the Etihad stands were now speechless, and some couldn't help shaking their heads. Only those in the stands next to Manchester United fans were cursing through the security guards.
Guardiola put his hands in his pockets, looked at the ground, turned around and paced a few steps.
His team played without any problems today. The tactics were executed perfectly, but they couldn't score a goal. The defense was executed well, but they couldn't hold on to the score.
How can you explain this...
Rashford also found it "unreasonable".
I just casually made a side pass during a counterattack and I actually got an assist?
This assist bonus came too easily...
The broadcast screen replayed the goal action several times, the fans were fascinated, and the Manchester United players began to return to their normal positions in the celebration.
"Nice goal! I'm not too happy about it though."
Haaland's voice rang in Chen Xiaoliang's ears. Chen Xiaoliang turned his head and looked at him not far away, smiling slightly:
"But I am very happy."
Haaland didn't say anything else, but stood on the center line waiting for the referee to blow the whistle and De Bruyne to kick off, so that he could rush towards Manchester United's half again.
There was no trace of frustration in Chen Xiaoliang's eyes. Instead, they were full of confidence and joy, as if encountering setbacks in the competition was something that could arouse his interest.
“Beep!”
In the 15th minute, referee John Brooks blew the whistle, 0-1, the home team Manchester City fell behind, and the game continued!
There was no change. Manchester City was still suffocating in the frontcourt, while Manchester United retreated to their own half.
Chen Xiaoliang was not too happy after scoring the goal. Although he knew that he had just scored another super world wave and this ball would definitely spread all over the world, the situation on the field still made him realize that this team not only has a lot of things to do in the future, but also has too many difficulties to face in today's game.
The temporary lead of 0-1 is just an appearance. The core is that Manchester City's lead in overall capabilities is comprehensive.
When in Rome, although Mourinho often chose to defend and counterattack in strong confrontations, it was often an active choice.
At least in Serie A, that Roma team can play against any team and hold the ball against each other, but in Mourinho's football philosophy, defensive counterattacks are more efficient and can better bring out the power of a group of fast horses.
When the team is really leading or in need, they can organize and control the ball in the half court.
But it was different tonight, including the night of the Champions League final. The team had no choice but to passively choose to defend and counterattack.
Because with the current overall strength, it is really a fantasy to play against Manchester City and compete with Manchester City in ball possession at Manchester City's home ground. Looking at the entire European football, no team can do it.
But being unable to do it now doesn't mean that it is not a goal. Chen Xiaoliang on the field and Ten Hag on the sidelines were both unwilling to accept the huge disparity in ball possession.
But the most practical thing to do right now is to get some points.
Manchester City's two sides were getting wider and wider, and the frequency of short passes outside Manchester United's penalty area was getting faster and faster. Both sides knew that this was a signal for Manchester City to launch an attack.
In the 26th minute, De Bruyne received a pass from Akanji on the left side of the flank and broke through diagonally into the penalty area despite Eriksen's defense.
Eriksson retreated diagonally, closing the distance between the two men as he did so.
At this time, De Bruyne passed the ball forward to Haaland who was retreating from the penalty area. Eriksen stretched his legs to intercept the pass but missed.
Haaland knocked the ball back to De Bruyne who was moving without the ball, and the latter made a deadly through pass to the front left!
While Varane was leaving the penalty area with Haaland who was retreating, B Silva, who had gone around to the left, had quietly run behind Haaland and to the left side outside the small penalty area.
De Bruyne's pass passed between Eriksen, Varane and Wan Bissaka, and rolled to B Silva's side without any effort.
Wan Bissaka and Varane chased back, but B Silva had already kicked the ball, and De Gea stretched out his body and pounced on him!
The moment B's right foot landed, he twisted his body, turned his ankle, and sent the ball horizontally to the middle of the small penalty area!
Haaland, who had retreated, had already turned back and pushed the ball towards him. De Gea had already got into position to save the ball and was unable to adjust in such a short time. He could only watch the ball being shot into his own goal!
Zhan Jun: "Haaland's active retreat and De Bruyne's pass directly tore through Manchester United's defense!"
"Manchester United took the lead for less than 15 minutes before the home team equalized the score!"
Zhang Lu: "It's hard to defend like this. Like Xiaoliang, Haaland's presence is too strong. The defenders can't leave him alone. Once he retreats, the defenders who are marking him will have no one to fill the gap, and other players can take advantage of this gap to make a move."
"It's just like Xiaoliang holding the ball at the top of the opponent's penalty area, and then attracting at least two defenders to create opportunities for other players."
"Not only are these two people strong in their personal abilities, their tactical role is also too strong."
After the goal, the Etihad Stadium immediately regained the aura and atmosphere that the defending champions should have. Manchester City fans turned their backs to the stadium and danced the Poznan dance in the stands.
This celebration, invented by fans of the Polish team Poznan and made famous by Manchester City fans, has become a symbol of the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland on the field was also accepting the celebration from his teammates, and they were relieved to equalize the score.
At this time, the director did not point the camera at the crazy fans in the stands, nor at Haaland who was surrounded by stars, but instead aimed it at Chen Xiaoliang on the sidelines.
He was communicating with Ten Hag, and both of them were talking and gesturing with their hands.
The director was obviously very curious about what the two were talking about so intensely when they lost the ball.
