The schedule of the League Cup is more intensive than that of the Champions League, because there are more teams participating in the League Cup and the schedule is long. Since the 200405 season, there have been 80 teams participating in the group stage, which is so large that it has attracted many second- and third-rate league teams to participate. However, this move did not make the League Cup more attractive and competitive. On the contrary, the large number of participating teams and the overly long and compact schedule have made the event lose its original light. Today, the League Cup has completely become a waste for most people, and neutral fans rarely pay attention to this event.

But for the teams participating in this game, especially those who play in second and third-rate leagues, the League Cup is their only chance to show off in the European arena, and they still attach great importance to it.

After all, it is also a champion. Especially after entering the knockout stage, with the addition of the third place in the Champions League group stage, the team is full of clouds. This game is considered a bit interesting. Therefore, the League Cup tournament actually started not from the group stage with eighty teams participating, but from the knockout stage of the 32 strong teams fighting against each other...

The opening match of the new Russian Premier League is March 14, with the newly promoted terek grozny playing against the Soviet Wings at home. Zenit's first league game will be until the 16th. Their opponent is last season's runner-up - Sparta Moscow. The media said this is a chance for Sparta to take revenge, but whether they can successfully take revenge in the away game is still questionable...

Before this, Zenit had to play two more League Cup games, as the St. Petersburg media had predicted before, it was Marseille. Before the new season started, it would either be eliminated or resolved by Marseille.

If Marseille is solved, they will be able to play the league with peace of mind. But this is definitely not the result that Edvocart and his team want.

In terms of Marseille, the process of advancing was still a bit thrilling. He won Moscow Sparta at his home court at 3:0, clean and neat, and everyone thought that there was no suspense for them to advance. Unexpectedly, when he returned to his home court, Moscow Sparta played Marseille at 2:0, almost equalizing the overall score, dragging the game into overtime...

The media in Moscow are all feeling sorry for Sparta, and they also hope that St. Petersburg can avenge Sparta. Although the two sides are fighting in the domestic league, everyone should work together when it comes to the outside world.

So Zenit, St. Petersburg, took on the responsibility of "avenging Sparta Moscow"...

But Edvokat and Chen Yingxiong didn't care whether they wanted to avenge Sparta. They won Marseille not for revenge, but for themselves to advance.

In the first leg, they will go to Marseille to challenge their opponents, playing away first and then home, which is considered a relatively favorable schedule.

Unfortunately, Edvorkat and his players don't think so now...

"Mamadou Niang"!!" A huge cheer sounded in Verodron Stadium in Marseille, and the commentator on the scene was roaring the name of the player who scored the goal in a sensational manner.

On the court, the black player behind him who had a name that made Chen Yingxiong laugh for a long time before the game was raising his arms and running wildly to celebrate the goal - this was Marseille's second goal in the game. Just two minutes into the second half, Marseille was already leading 2:0.

The player who scored the goal was named Nian, but the name printed on the jersey behind him was "Mother" - Niang. With this name, Chen Yingxiong pointed at this name and smiled for a long time while waiting in the player channel, and spent the waiting time.

He didn't know what this person should be called, anyway, he called this black forward who looked big and thick.

It was this mother striker who was joked by Chen Yingxiong but scored the second key goal, which suddenly expanded and consolidated Marseille's advantage.

Chen Yingxiong can't laugh at all now.

They finally tasted the feeling of being cleanly fucked by the opponent on the road.

At this moment, if Villarreal had any knowledge underground, he would have burst into tears - you guys have today too!

Edvocart stared at the stadium with a serious expression. He was only one ball behind in the first half, and it was okay. During the break, he asked the team to stabilize the defense and then try to counterattack. Even if he couldn't win, it didn't matter. As long as he didn't continue to lose the ball, he would be acceptable to lose 0:1 away.

But in this way, the opponent still seized the opportunity of the second half of the game for two minutes. Zenit's entire team had not yet entered the game. He was a little dazed and had not focused enough to win another game...

It is difficult to play when you fall behind two goals. Because it is easy to cause morale collapse and you can't even get back to the home court. This is not alarmist - Villarreal is still in a cold body...

He was a little anxious. The current situation was that it would not make much sense to continue to hold on. Because even if he lost the game 0:2 and no longer lost the ball, Marseille had an advantage, both at the game and at the psychological level.

So Zenit would be better off finding a way to score a goal and a away goal, so that the opponent's lead will change from two goals to one goal.

But is this goal you can get if you want?

Zenit fans felt like they were having a nightmare with their eyes open. In this nightmare, they became losers, and they were ridiculed. Every cheer from the home team fans of Verodron Stadium seemed to have a knife in their hearts.

They easily defeated Villarreal 2-0 at home, making them very optimistic about the team's future in the League Cup, but they didn't expect that this game would be like this.

The St. Petersburg journalists who followed the team to report on the game away were also talking in the stands, complaining about the bad situation and the results.

"Damn it! Now, the eight yellow cards and two red cards that played Villarreal in the last game finally showed their power! Hill is not on the court, and our left offense can't be played at all, so it's not possible to rely on Anyukov!"

"Yes, yes, without crossing the wing, the hero's characteristics cannot be displayed at all..."

"Marseille is completely crazy... Look at their attack, this cooperation, this pass, this shot... How to play, how to play, alas!" Someone sighed heavily. "I think Zenit is so lucky this time!"

The Chinese journalists were also a little disappointed. Unexpectedly, Zenit, who was still majestic in the last round, was defeated back to his original form when facing Marseille this time.

Can Chinese players only reach here for the longest journey in the League Cup?

In addition to Chen Yingxiong, six Chinese players have appeared in the League Cup field one after another - from the earliest Jia Xiuquan and Liu Haiguang to the later Sun Jihai, Sun Xiang, Shi Jun and Gao Leilei. However, most of these people participated in the League Cup qualifiers. Chen Yingxiong followed the team to the top 16 of the League Cup, which is already the best achievement of Chinese players in this event.

If it were before, many Chinese journalists would be satisfied. But after seeing Chen Yingxiong's outstanding performance, they were no longer satisfied... How great would it be if they could go further!

Many people have this idea in their minds.

Hope is beautiful.

But reality is often cruel.

Just seven minutes after Zenit conceded his second goal, they conceded the ball again...

Marseille took advantage of Zenit's two goals behind the team and was a little panicked, and then scored another goal, and Sisse scored twice!

"3:0! Ah! 3:0! The second round has lost its suspense!" The French TV commentator shouted proudly. "Most of Marseille is already in the quarterfinals!"

And Hirgeevsky seemed very frustrated: "This is a really dark day! Zenit fell behind three goals away from home, and everything is irreversible... I think the second leg has lost its meaning..."

Edvorkat also held his head with both hands, looking very frustrated and painful.

The reality is so cruel, telling him how difficult it is to go further.

Perhaps it was really easy to defeat Villarreal to advance, which made him a little blindly optimistic. He didn't expect that Marseille was so strong!

"After eliminating Moscow Sparta, Marseille is about to eliminate another Russian team. And it is very coincidental that they faced two Russian teams at home, and they both won a perfect 3:0!" The French commentator even brought out history to prove how glorious such a victory was. "Marseille completed the career that Napoleon could not accomplish back then! Conquering two Russian teams in a row, they have become veritable Russian nemesis!"

Conceded three goals in a row, which made many Zenit's players stunned. When Cice and his teammates were celebrating the victory - yes, it was a victory, not a goal, they felt that there was no suspense in this game, and there was no need to compete in the next game, so they just announced that they advanced to the quarterfinals - Zenit's players either hugged their heads with their hands, looked painful, or simply looked at the other party dullly, completely unable to accept such reality.

Chen Yingxiong could not accept it at all, but his face was not a muddy expression. He was holding his hand hard, clenching it and then loosening it, and then loosening it again. In this way, his knuckles were white every time, and blue veins were rising, and crackling and crisp sounds were made at the joints.

He knew very well what it meant to be three goals behind away. Returning to home, such a score would always be like a boulder, always under the hearts of every Zenit player, and as time goes by, it became heavier and heavier. In the end, everyone was breathless when they were at home.

By then, what normal state will the team play?

Chen Yingxiong didn't know if there was still hope of winning this game, and he didn't even know whether he could draw. But there was one thing he knew very well - if he wanted to keep a glimmer of hope for the team, at least he had to score a away goal!

He is a striker and he is good at scoring goals.
Chapter completed!