462. Chapter 460 The most powerful firepower of the paper defense line PK!
462. Chapter 460 The paper defense line PK has the strongest firepower!
Author: Thief Cao
Chapter 460 The paper defense line PK has the strongest firepower!
The next day, February 14, is the first match day of the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. On this night, there will be two heavyweight duels.
Manchester City VS Monaco
Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
Although the first-round clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona was highly topical and had various points of interest that could arouse public opinion, the media did not neglect Manchester City and Monaco because of this.
Although Manchester City has recently achieved four consecutive victories with zero opponents, doubts about Manchester City's defense are still widespread.
Therefore, many European media believe that the highlight of today's game is the showdown between Manchester City's defense and Monaco's ferocious attacking line.
Once Manchester City's defense cannot withstand the test and is exposed to its true colors, even if Monaco is playing away from home, it is bound to score multiple goals.
This is not a blind speculation, but Monaco's powerful offensive power is right under everyone's nose.
Even though the overall level of Ligue 1 is not high and their strength is not strong, Monaco's 10 goals in the Champions League group stage have fully demonstrated their offensive strength.
And if Manchester City's defense really improves, then outside media and fans believe that Monaco may in turn be in an unfavorable situation.
In terms of offensive ability, Manchester City has scored 71 league goals this season.
If you include Manchester City's 15 Champions League goals in the Champions League group stage and those goals in domestic cup matches, then Manchester City's total goals in the season so far have exceeded 100.
This powerful offensive power is not only stronger than Monaco, but also slightly inferior to the two La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Therefore, once Manchester City's defense withstands Monaco's impact, the situation may become that Monaco will be tested by Manchester City's powerful offensive firepower.
Moreover, Monaco does not have rich experience in Champions League competitions.
After entering the 21st century, Monaco has missed the Champions League for nearly ten years.
It was not until the 2014-15 season that it returned to the Champions League, but unfortunately it also stopped in the quarterfinals that season.
This year is the second time Monaco has played in the Champions League since 2010. There are very few players in the team with experience in the Champions League. Most of the players are in their twenties.
Even their head coach Jardim is not a head coach with a rich Champions League resume like Guardiola.
Jardim has no football experience.
Like Mourinho and Villas-Boas, he is an academic coach who started from the grassroots level.
So this is another disadvantage of Monaco.
Why is the Champions League so difficult to win?
It is because this kind of top-level cup competition not only depends on the team configuration, but also depends on the tactical ability and experience of the head coach. It also tests the unity and mental strength of the players and various other factors.
If you compare the league with the Champions League, the league is a marathon.
It compares overall strength, long-term strategy and endurance.
No one will disrupt their rhythm in a marathon to compete with their opponents for a kilometer of acceleration. This is the difference between the desire to win in the league and the Champions League.
The Champions League is a 100-meter sprint, and all your opponents are here to fight you.
The moment the gun went off, everyone had to risk their lives, and what they were fighting for was explosive power.
Being behind at the start does not mean that you will fail in the end. Even if you are half a leg hair ahead of your opponent at the moment of crossing the line, you will be the final winner.
Although the Champions League also requires a contest of comprehensive strength, luck and the mentality and fighting spirit of fighting the enemy to the death are also more important.
Just like Paris Saint-Germain in recent years, they have been spending heavily on various luxury goods in the transfer market every year, and they have become a dominant team in the French Ligue 1 as expected.
But PSG, which dominates domestically, always disappoints in the Champions League.
In fact, there are no secrets for a strong team. It can be said that they are naked under the crazy study of their opponents.
But even if everyone in the world knows how to play, the only thing that makes me stronger is that even if I tell you how to play, you can't prevent it and can't win.
This is the foundation of a strong team and the scary thing about a strong team.
Looking back at Manchester City, the age structure of the team is indeed too old, and the defense can even be said to be aging.
But old age has its benefits, and the experienced veterans in Manchester City's team can sometimes play a crucial role.
Guardiola has also won two Champions League trophies, and his own Champions League experience can also help Manchester City to a certain extent.
Therefore, from all aspects of analysis, Manchester City has the advantage.
But this is just an analysis, after all, football is round.
It was 18:00 local time in the evening, nearly two hours before the start of the game, but Manchester was already on fire under the night.
Pedestrians stopped and cars parked on the roads leading to the Etihad from all directions in central Manchester.
At this time, thousands of fans wearing Manchester City's blue home jerseys were holding high the Manchester City flag on the road, like a marching army heading towards the Etihad Stadium.
Along the way, the singing was loud and clear, and pedestrians and vehicles were passing by.
For Manchester City fans, tonight's game is a battle.
Football is actually war in another sense in peaceful times.
"without a dream in my hert"
"without a love of my own"
"Bah, bang, bang, bang!!!!" The melodious and soothing song ended, and the marching Manchester City fans suddenly burst into applause.
Then, the singing rhythm became brighter and more exciting.
"You saw me standing alone"
"without a dream in my hert"
"without a love of my own"
"I said Blue Moon"
"You saw me standing alone"
"without a dream in my hert"
"without a love of my own"
"I said Blue Moon"
"..."
The loud singing became faster and faster, accompanied by applause from time to time, resounding throughout the Manchester night sky.
At this moment, it is easy for you to distinguish the camp affiliation of the people around you.
Those people watching in silence are most likely from Manchester United next door.
Manchester City fans, under the call of this collective chorus, began to echo on the roadside, or directly entered the fan square.
This night will belong to Manchester City and has nothing to do with Manchester United.
Outside the Etihad Stadium, faint singing could be heard from all directions, and the Manchester City fans who had arrived early to wait also started a chorus, which continued to increase the atmosphere of the game.
"There is a fairy in the nest, the atmosphere is so pleasant!!!"
Outside the VIP entrance channel, a group of men and women with Asian faces were preparing to enter. Everyone was a little stunned when they saw the marching phalanx of fans coming one by one.
If Chu Zheng saw this group of people, his eyes would pop out in shock.
His parents, his sister's family, his second uncle's family and his third uncle's family all came.
In addition, there are Zhao Dudu’s parents.
"Shocking Claw!!!" Chu Zheng's sister Chu Ling became fierce as soon as she opened her mouth.
Lin Gou smiled coquettishly and did not dare to reply.
Up to now, Lin Guo has completely fallen in love with football and realized its charm.
He has watched the Bundesliga and Premier League live.
But this is the first time in the Champions League. He personally feels that this kind of atmosphere can directly beat the atmosphere of the Bundesliga and the Premier League.
Next to them, Chu Zheng's second uncle Chu Nan and third uncle Chu Bei also looked like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
These two people, a university teacher and an honest country man, have never seen such a big scene.
Chu Zheng's second and third aunts beside them also looked like they were seeing something new.
In front of Chu Ling and Lin Guo, Chu Zheng's niece Lin Mengmeng didn't look as timid as her two-year-old uncle and aunt beside her.
This little thing has been infected by the atmosphere of the scene and became excited.
If it weren't for her mother holding her, this little thing would have rushed into the square of Manchester City fans and had fun together.
After a while, Zhao Dudu ran out of the VIP channel and smiled at everyone: "Mom, Dad, uncles and aunts, let's go in!"
During the Chinese New Year, Zhao Dudu visited Chu Zheng’s house two years ago.
She learned that Chu Zheng's family planned to go abroad after the New Year, and his parents also happened to be traveling abroad, so she luckily brought them all over.
Their group just arrived in Manchester this afternoon.
As for the ticket, Zhao Dudu secretly asked Mario to prepare it, and it was a perfect seat in the front row next to the Manchester City bench.
Zhao Dudu has always known that Chu Zheng is a family-oriented person.
However, because there are still two elderly people at home, the family has been unable to embark on the journey to the UK.
So this time she was lucky enough to bring him along, giving Chu Zheng a big surprise.
"Are you hungry?" After a while, Zhao Dudu led everyone to the VIP fans dining area.
Outside the single-transparent glass is the passage where players waiting to queue up for admission.
"If you want money, don't eat, if you don't want it, eat!" Lin Mengmeng raised her hand to speak, which immediately made the Chu family laugh out loud.
Zhao Jie and Gu Jie didn't stop jumping either.
They saw in Lin Mengmeng the shadow of Zhao Dudu when he was a child, who was also so naughty and mischievous, not letting people live in peace.
"It doesn't matter even if you ask for money, sister guarantees that our Mengmeng can keep our bellies full!" Zhao Dudu smiled and picked up Lin Mengmeng, then raised his head and looked at the crowd, "How about we wait here, wait. From here, you can see Chu Zheng and the others lining up to play."
Hearing what Zhao Dudu said, everyone nodded. They happened to be a little tired, so they sat down to eat something and rest for a while.
Not long after everyone sat down, bursts of cheers suddenly erupted.
Outside the stadium, mounted police cleared the way, and police officers were also on the roadside restraining the large number of Manchester City fans who gathered on the roadside.
On the wide road, a sky-blue bus with a huge Manchester City logo and photos of Manchester City players was slowly driving towards the Etihad Stadium.
Behind the Manchester City bus, there was even a SWAT car accompanying him for protection.
There are also multiple mounted police officers protecting both sides of the bus.
Not long after, the Manchester City bus drove into the stadium, but the crowd gathered on the roadside did not disperse. They still had a task to do, and only some fans began to enter the stadium.
Not long after, the Monaco bus came slowly.
Suddenly there were bursts of boos on both sides of the road.
Before the game even started, Manchester City fans stood up for the team and frantically created psychological pressure on the Monaco players.
Compared with the bus of the home team Manchester City, Monaco’s bus had no mounted police on the front, back, left and right, let alone special police accompanying it. It was all alone, which made people feel a bit desolate.
Even the route that the Monaco bus takes is not the main road that the Manchester City bus takes.
The Monaco bus takes a relatively narrow road.
When the bus arrived outside the stadium entrance, there was only one staff member in front of the bus to guide us.
This is the treatment for away games.
An away game is an away game, and this is how the visiting team should be treated.
Some fans are actually curious as to why some teams have to drive their buses over for away games even though they travel thousands of miles away.
In fact, this is exactly part of European football culture.
As a visiting team, no matter how far away the game is, the players and coaches have to get off their own buses.
Because when they go to other countries, the team bus is the closest home to them.
At Manchester City, the players got off the bus and went straight to the locker room.
After Guardiola explained to the two assistant coaches Arteta and Torrent, he turned around and went to the pre-match press conference.
Chu Zheng hung behind his teammates, looking behind him as he walked.
"Chu? What are you doing?" De Bruyne turned around and found Chu Zheng stopped at the intersection between the home team and the visiting team. He shouted to Chu Zheng with a puzzled face.
"You go back to the locker room first, I'll be here later!" Chu Zheng said with a smile, waving his hand to signal De Bruyne to go back to the locker room first.
Soon De Bruyne left with a puzzled look on his face.
After a while, Chu Zheng waited for the Monaco players.
Jiang Lai was chatting and laughing with a black player in the Monaco player team who was all in black and his teeth were extremely white.
When he suddenly saw Chu Zheng, he immediately beamed.
"Brother!" Jiang Lai shouted, then quickly ran forward and hugged Chu Zheng directly.
The two haven't seen each other for half a year.
Since Jiang Lai joined Monaco, he has become busier and busier.
Now Jiang Lai is highly valued by coach Jardim in Monaco.
Although Jiang Lai is not yet Monaco's absolute main player, he is still considered a semi-main player and basically starts every other game.
Sometimes they even start consecutively.
Even if he does not enter Jardim's starting lineup, Jardim will put him on the bench and then let him come on as a substitute in the 67th or 70th minute of the game.
Yardin's intention to focus on cultivating Jiang Lai is very obvious.
The reason why Jiang Lai has no shortage of playing time is not only due to Jardim's attention, but also thanks to Mario, his agent, who helped Jiang Lai get it by fighting with each other.
And Jiang Lai has lived up to Jardim's trust. Jiang Lai's performance in Monaco this season is much better than that in Ajax.
He contributed to 7 of Monaco's 75 Ligue 1 goals.
In addition, Jiang Lai also has 6 Ligue 1 assists.
Nowadays, he is also well-known in Ligue 1, and it can be said that he has established a foothold.
In terms of fame growth, it is not the same as when he was at Ajax. His development is much better than that of Niu Benben and Hao Xiao.
Mario once told Chu Zheng that he was very optimistic about Jiang Lai's future and believed that if Jiang Lai continued to develop steadily, he would be able to gain a foothold in a wealthy club in the five major leagues.
"Can I ask for leave after the game?" Chu Zheng asked with a smile.
"It should be okay!" Jiang Lai nodded.
After this Champions League match, the next round of Ligue 1 will be a week later.
"Okay!" Chu Zheng nodded and smiled, "Then wait for me in the parking lot and go home with me!"
In front of the Monaco crowd, Mbappe frequently looked back at Chu Zheng, who was talking to Jiang Lai behind him.
It was this bad guy who continuously robbed him of the celebration moves he had racked his brains to come up with.
Since then, Chu Zheng has become a thorn in the flesh.
Last year, Mbappé was a little bit happy when he saw Manchester City being drawn in the Champions League draw ceremony. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
He was going to show Chu Zheng a little bit today, and he was going to use his best speed to make Chu Zheng suffer a little bit.
Chu Zheng and Jiang Lai didn't chat for long. They had to go on stage to warm up, so they separated quickly.
