Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 402 Victory Belongs to the Whole Team
In the following period, Real Madrid launched a full-scale attack on Manchester City.

The ball mostly circulated around Manchester City's half, rarely reaching Real Madrid's half.

As time ticked by, Real Madrid's players grew increasingly impatient, adopting a more direct and often brute-force approach to attacking, frequently lobbing the ball into the penalty area.

Shan Yongzhuo didn't seem to be in a hurry; he stood leisurely in the midfield position.

There was nothing that could be done about it; even Ramos had come to Manchester City's half, and Real Madrid's half was empty except for goalkeeper Casillas.

If Manchester City has a chance to counter-attack and pass the ball over, it would be offside for him to be standing in Real Madrid's half.

As for Manchester City's defense, Shan Yongzhuo is not too worried.

It won't be easy for Real Madrid to score two goals in twenty-five minutes to equalize.

In the 76th minute, Manchester City made a substitution.

Veteran Barry was substituted off, and new signing Rodwell came on.

Rodwell rose to fame at a young age, starting as a center-back and once considered Ferdinand's successor. After switching to midfield, he continued to perform well, possessing outstanding physical attributes and comprehensive defensive capabilities with a large defensive coverage area.

As a midfielder, Rodwell also possesses excellent technique and passing vision, making him a versatile player.

His position after coming on the pitch clearly signaled that Manchester City needed to further strengthen their defense.

With Rodwell's introduction, Manchester City's formation changed once again to 4-2-3-1, with Rodwell and Javi Garcia sweeping and defending in the defensive midfield position.

With both defensive midfielders on the field at the same time, Real Madrid's attack became more difficult. They relied more on the flanks to launch attacks, but it was very difficult to get into the penalty area through passing and combination play. More often than not, they could only lob the ball into the penalty area, or simply have Ronaldo and Di Maria take a sudden shot from outside the box.

However, such an attack is really not very efficient.

However, Manchester City also struggled to find opportunities to counterattack.

Time was consumed second by second.

Mancini was very anxiously directing his players from the sidelines. Real Madrid's players were also very eager, especially Ronaldo, who kept shooting from outside the box, and Di Maria, who kept creating threats by breaking through.

Unfortunately, they failed to score a goal.

As time ticked by, the Real Madrid fans at the Bernabéu gradually went from tense to desperate.

Finally, the three minutes of added time ended.

With Di Maria's long-range shot going high and wide, the referee blew the final whistle.

"Congratulations to Manchester City on their victory in the first round of the Champions League Group D matches, where they defeated Real Madrid away from home."

"That was a really exciting match!"

"This was also the first time that Shan Yongzhuo and Mancini, the master and apprentice, had faced off, and in the end, Shan Yongzhuo had the last laugh."

"He was also the most eye-catching player in this game, scoring a hat-trick and leading the team to a 3-1 away victory against Real Madrid."

……

competition is over.

Manchester City's players breathed a sigh of relief, with many even sitting down on the grass. The defensive pressure in this match was immense, but thankfully Manchester City held on until the end.

1:3.

This away game was absolutely perfect, even more so than expected before the match. Of course, as Lineker said, the most attention was still focused on Shan Yongzhuo, who was also the biggest contributor to the victory.

A hat-trick, another hat-trick at the Bernabéu, he scored all of Manchester City's goals.

The victory was a team effort, but the contributions of the other players were primarily in defense.

On the other hand, Real Madrid didn't seem to be in a good mood. Many players went back to the locker room early with their heads down, leaving the team feeling rather bored.

Mancini was in a bad mood. After saying goodbye to Shan Yongzhuo, he left early.

Guardiola, however, was in a very good mood.

Last season, Guardiola's Barcelona failed to win any major trophies, including being overshadowed by Real Madrid in the league.

Upon arriving at Manchester City, Guardiola's first Champions League match was against Real Madrid, and against Manchester City's legendary manager Mancini, which put a lot of pressure on him.

After all, nobody wants to be outdone.

If he loses this match, wouldn't that mean he's not as good as Mancini?
Fortunately, they ultimately won the game.

However, when it came to the press conference, Guardiola appeared quite calm, saying, "It was just a regular Champions League match, 1-3. We won, and the victory belongs to every player. They all performed exceptionally well."

"Of course, Shan Yongzhuo was the best performer. He scored a hat trick and was the biggest contributor to our victory."

"To be honest, I'm not surprised he performed so well; he's just that kind of player."

"But the victory belongs to the whole team, not just one person's achievement."

Guardiola's remarks were formulaic and offered nothing of interest, which left the journalists somewhat dissatisfied.

Then, a reporter took the lead and asked a pointed question.

Guardiola, however, remained rational: "Conflict? There is no conflict between me and Shane, and those reports are untrue."

On the other hand, Mancini, as the losing side, was naturally very frustrated. Losing the game was secondary; what worried him more was what Shan Yongzhuo had said about going to Granada.

This is not good news for Mancini.

Life at Real Madrid wasn't easy. Not only did they face a formidable opponent like Barcelona, ​​but Atletico Madrid and Sevilla were also tough opponents to deal with.

If Shan Yongzhuo comes back, then La Liga will be even more difficult.

However, during the interview, Mancini couldn't stop praising Shan Yongzhuo: "No one knows better than me how excellent Shan is."

“I brought him to Al-Ittihad from the back then, and I know how powerful he is.”

"Of course, he also has his own characteristics. He is not an all-around player. He needs a tactical system that suits him."

"Instead of forcing him to adapt to a particular tactic that doesn't suit him."

Mancini's earlier remarks were relatively normal, but his later remarks clearly carried a divisive intent.

The conflict between Guardiola and Shan Yongzhuo, as reported by many media outlets, is mostly overt.

Mancini wasn't entirely trying to sow discord; he had a good relationship with Shan Yongzhuo and didn't want to see Shan Yongzhuo suppressed under Guardiola.

These words did indeed have a hint of support for Shan Yongzhuo.

(End of this chapter)