Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 547 Osasuna Full of Confidence

Overall, Pellegrini is quite satisfied with the preseason preparations for the new season.

Shan Yongzhuo seems to be in good form, which gives Pellegrini peace of mind.

Besides Shan Yongzhuo, there was another surprise.

First is the new signing, Nainggolan.

During training, Pellegrini observed Nainggolan and discovered that the team had really struck gold, acquiring him from Cagliari for 1200 million euros – a huge profit indeed.

Nainggolan is in excellent form and has demonstrated a level of ability that inspires confidence; he is perfectly capable of being used as Granada's midfield linchpin.

Another surprise was Harry Kane.

Compared to Flores, a striker, Kane is not much worse in any aspect, and what is more satisfying is his ability to create opportunities for his teammates.

In Pellegrini's view, with another year or two of honing his skills, he could definitely become a top scorer in the top five European leagues.

£900 million, this is definitely another great deal at a bargain price.

In Pellegrini's mind, the main 4-4-2 formation was basically finalized.

At least, judging from the results of the two warm-up matches, this lineup is quite good.

Although overall, this lineup isn't particularly luxurious if you exclude Shan Yongzhuo.

However, Pellegrini knew perfectly well that this lineup was by no means weak; at least the entire central axis was extremely formidable.

The core axis consisting of Shan Yongzhuo, Nainggolan, and Van Dijk is, in Pellegrini's view, not inferior to Real Madrid and Barcelona.

This gave Pellegrini tremendous confidence.

Pellegrini's test comes as the new La Liga season is about to begin.

August 20th was the first match of the La Liga season.

This year's La Liga season started a little earlier, but not by much; compared to the Premier League, it's still considered to have started relatively late.

Starting the competition later also has its advantages, namely that each team has ample time to prepare.

Granada's first opponent is Osasuna.

As it was New Granada's first match, an away game, and Shan Yongzhuo's La Liga debut, the match garnered widespread attention.

Granada is incredibly beautiful in the summer.

They secured this summer's record signing, Shan Yongzhuo, which has significantly improved the team's overall strength.

However, their actual performance has been widely questioned by the media, as their squad is considered by outsiders to be quite mediocre.

Spanish national television chose to broadcast Shan Yongzhuo's La Liga debut match live.

Meanwhile, China's CTV5 has also purchased the broadcasting rights for La Liga. They are now completely following Shan Yongzhuo's lead; wherever Shan Yongzhuo goes, they buy the rights for that place.

However, the effect is quite obvious.

Although La Liga matches are often broadcast in the early hours of the morning in China due to time zone differences compared to the Premier League, many people still choose to watch the game, and Chinese fans are full of anticipation for Shan Yongzhuo's La Liga debut.

In no time, the internet was abuzz with discussion, and a whole bunch of Granada die-hard fans of 20 or 30 years came forward.

Pellegrini and the players in the team are also under a lot of pressure.

The best way to relieve stress is, of course, to win the game.

Throughout La Liga's long history, the title has been dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona, with other teams rarely having a chance to emerge. The only teams that have ever truly threatened these two giants have been powerhouses like Valencia, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, and Deportivo La Coruña. However, these teams have all experienced ups and downs. For example, Valencia, once a powerhouse, is now somewhat diminished, while Atletico Madrid has seen a resurgence in recent years.

Even worse are examples like Deportivo La Coruña, the super team of the early 2000s, who are now struggling in the Segunda División.

Granada is actually a team that has long been relegated to the Segunda División and only returned to La Liga the season before last. It is a typical small Spanish club.

The reason why this season has received so much attention is entirely due to Shan Yongzhuo's efforts.

As for their opponent in this match, Osasuna, historically, although they are better than Granada, they are not much better.

Osasuna is actually a veteran team in La Liga. They have played in La Liga for 36 seasons in their history, including 14 consecutive seasons, which is quite an achievement.

Their best result was fourth place in La Liga, making them a team with their own glorious moments.

Since returning to La Liga in 2000, Osasuna has performed quite well, participating in the Europa League, winning the Copa del Rey runner-up title, and finishing 7th in La Liga in the 2011-2012 season.

However, they struggled last season, finishing only 16th in La Liga and barely avoiding relegation.

However, Osasuna's strength should not be underestimated.

They can be considered a peculiar and unconventional team in La Liga.

In La Liga, a league known for its attacking football, Osasuna is famous for its tough style of play. They prioritize defense over offense and are very aggressive in their defense, exhibiting the characteristics of a northern team.

In this match, playing at home, Osasuna seemed determined to give Granada a taste of their own medicine.

Their head coach, Gracia, confidently stated in a pre-match interview: "With Shan Yongzhuo, Granada's team has undergone a qualitative change."

"But Osasuna is not to be underestimated. We will defend our home ground and fight to win the game!"

Gracia is very powerful.

Of course, he was also confident.

In his view, Granada's overall squad is quite average, only about equal to Osasuna. With such a squad, Granada simply doesn't have the strength to overwhelm Osasuna.

All they need to do is defend against Shan Yongzhuo.

Gracia's strong performance has also given some Spanish media confidence.

In fact, many people are unwilling to see Granada rise, not only big clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, but also some smaller clubs.

Everyone else is fighting relegation, so why are you rising to prominence?

People can easily become sour and jealous.

Therefore, the vast majority of Spanish media outlets offered advice to Osasuna before the first round.

"Granada can only rely on Shan Yongzhuo alone."

"Osasuna needs to pay special attention to defense, especially against Shan Yongzhuo."

"Osasuna can beat Granada if they play a good defensive counter-attacking game."

"..."

Spanish media outlets are hoping that Osasuna can defeat Granada at home and deliver a blow to Shan Yongzhuo's La Liga journey.

This would further prove that La Liga is stronger than the Premier League.