Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 469 This isn't the first or second time we've fallen behind at the start.
"We lost the game."

After the match, Rodgers appeared very frustrated in an interview: "Our players worked very hard, they showed their strength, and they evened the score when they were down 0-3."

"But unfortunately, we still lost the game in the end."

"Manchester City are doing well, well, they're completely reliant on Shan Yongzhuo..."

Rodgers' last words were somewhat sarcastic, praising Shan Yongzhuo while also expressing disdain for Manchester City.

However, this is the truth.

The reporters at the press conference largely agreed with Rogers's statement.

Anyone who watched the game knows that Manchester City scored 4 goals, 3 of which were scored directly by Shan Yongzhuo, and the other was an own goal caused by him.

It's nothing new that Shan Yongzhuo's individual performance has carried Manchester City's attack and the team's overall results.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, football has become more team-oriented, and the role of individual star players has become increasingly smaller.

But Shan Yongzhuo...

He is still an exception.

Manchester City's victory in this match was not easy. After the game, they had a half-day off, which was practically the same as not having one, because the schedule is still very tight.

Guardiola isn't actually a very strict coach; he usually gives the team time off when possible, but that's clearly not the case now.

Although Manchester City have been eliminated from the FA Cup and the League Cup, they still have Champions League matches to play.

A week later, the team played away against Wigan Athletic.

Despite the opponent's relatively weak strength and the upcoming Champions League Round of 16 away match, Guardiola still fielded his full-strength squad due to Manchester United's relentless pursuit in the league.

Wigan Athletic are undoubtedly fighting to avoid relegation, as they have for several seasons in a row.

However, they were powerless against a full-strength Manchester City side. In the first half, Shan Yongzhuo scored twice, helping Manchester City take an early two-goal lead away from home.

In the second half, after Shan Yongzhuo was substituted, Javi Garcia scored another goal, making it 3-0. Manchester City defeated Wigan Athletic with minimal effort away from home.

After returning to Manchester, Manchester City gave the club a day off and trained for two days before the team set off for Ukraine to play in the Champions League Round of 16.

Their opponent is Shakhtar Donetsk, a powerhouse in Ukraine.

The Champions League is of paramount importance, without a doubt.

It's not just about exposure and bonuses; for Manchester City, this is a stepping stone to becoming a top club.

In fact, the Champions League is more important than the league.

This is how the fans see it, this is how the players see it, and this is how the club sees it.

But in reality, apart from Manchester City themselves, no one really believes they have a good chance in this season's Champions League.

After all, since the Champions League was restructured, no team has ever been able to defend its title; it's an unbreakable curse.

Most Europeans believe that even with Shan Yongzhuo, Manchester City would be unable to break this curse.

However, Manchester City themselves are quite confident.

Shakhtar Donetsk is undoubtedly a good opponent, but Manchester City doesn't really take them too seriously.

After all, this is just a Ukrainian team.

For Ukrainian teams, reaching the Champions League round of 16 is basically the end of the road.

But when the match arrived and the entire Manchester City team entered Shakhtar Donbass Stadium, the home ground of the Shakhtar Donbass, they discovered that things were not so simple.

The Donbas Stadium is a stadium that can hold 50,000 people and is a very famous stadium in Ukraine. The scene when the lights are turned on at night is very impressive, and it is known as the jewel of the local area.

What's even more impressive is the atmosphere at the home stadium.

Although many Manchester City fans were present, they were completely overwhelmed by the momentum of the Ukrainian fans; the stadium was truly a devilish place.

Once the match began, Shakhtar Donetsk came out strong with aggressive pressing, catching Manchester City off guard. Ukrainian football is a typical example of the physical style of Eastern European football, and their fierce tackling immediately put Manchester City at a disadvantage.

In fact, the Shakhtar Donetsk's midfield has little control, but they took the initiative from the start and quickly converted it into goals thanks to their aggressive pressing.

In the 7th minute, Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Teixeira delivered a cross from the wing. Kompany headed the ball away, but it fell to Mkhitaryan on the perimeter.

Mkhitaryan's sudden, unexpected shot caught Joe Hart completely off guard.

The Donbas Arena erupted in cheers.

"Mkhitaryan!"

The commentator excitedly shouted, "Just seven minutes into the game, the miners are in the lead! 1-0!"

"Manchester City paid the price for their complacency!"

The Miners' fans at the stadium were cheering excitedly, while the Miners' players gathered together to celebrate the goal.

This goal certainly excited them.

Although it was a home game, they were well aware of the gap in strength between themselves and Manchester City.

Therefore, getting off to a good start is a very important thing.

If you can seize the initiative at the start, then it will be meaningful to play a tight defense afterwards.

This may be the only option for Shakhtar Donetsk to beat Manchester City at home, and that's exactly what Shakhtar Donetsk manager Lucio Lusicu has decided.

Manchester City, on the other hand, paid the price for their slow start.

"Don't take it to heart, everyone. This isn't the first or second time we've fallen behind at the start."

"Let's teach them a lesson."

Seeing his somewhat depressed teammates, Shan Yongzhuo had no choice but to step in and cheer them on.

The teammates seemed to be in a better mood, but...

Why does this sound weird?

This isn't the first or second time we've fallen behind at the start.

Uh, okay.

Although what he said was true.

However, once the game restarted, Manchester City easily took the lead and gradually controlled the match at their own pace.

This pace was also within the expectations of the Donetsk miners.

After all, their fierce tackling and tireless running couldn't be sustained for the entire match; scoring one goal was already the desired outcome.

For the miners, the most important thing now is to defend against Manchester City's fierce attack.

If they can defend against it, they have a chance to win the game.

The miners' plan was quite clever.

However, they underestimated their true strength.

In the 9th minute of the match, just two minutes after the Shakhtar Donetsk scored.

This time, Shan Yongzhuo ran to the flanks without the ball, and Cigrinski and Hübschman immediately ran over to double-team him.

However, when Hübuschman came over to help defend, Nasri, who received the ball, was left wide open.

Nasri received the ball comfortably and then advanced down the wing.

(End of this chapter)