Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

"Barcelona's form is truly outrageous!"

"Who can argue with that! They weren't affected at all after we forced them to a draw. We managed to secure three consecutive wins despite our struggles, and we thought we could use this opportunity to narrow the gap a bit. But when we looked back, they also had three consecutive wins, and the gap didn't show any signs of narrowing at all!"

With only one game left before the winter break, Real Madrid has climbed from fourth to second in the league thanks to this three-game winning streak.

However, the gap between them and Barcelona has not narrowed. The huge 11-point difference is like an insurmountable chasm in front of them, making people feel hopeless.

"It's not fair to say that Barcelona's form hasn't been affected at all. Haven't you noticed that they've conceded a lot of goals in their last three matches?"

After the El Clásico in the 15th round, Barcelona's defense seemed to have a slight problem.

In the three group stage matches that followed, Barcelona conceded goals in every single one.

In the 16th round, they narrowly defeated Villarreal 2-1 away from home, almost getting held to a draw by their opponents again.

Returning to their home ground in the 17th round, Barcelona's form improved considerably, but they still conceded a goal against Mallorca.

As for the 18th round, it was the most thrilling win for Barcelona out of these three matches.

In an away game against Osasuna, a team ranked last in the league, Barcelona actually fell behind at one point, and only managed to secure a narrow 3-2 victory thanks to a last-minute goal from Messi.

This state is a far cry from their previous form before facing Real Madrid, when they were unstoppable in both the league and the Champions League.

If Barcelona were to face another top team of similar strength after playing Real Madrid, they might suffer their first defeat of the season.

Unfortunately, this is La Liga, and apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid, the other teams are far from being considered powerhouses and are simply powerless to challenge the two dominant forces.

Therefore, during Barcelona's slump, no one can deliver the fatal blow. Once they recover and return to their former invincible form, other La Liga teams, including Real Madrid, will likely suffer.

Lin Feng's intuition was spot on; it was the 19th round of La Liga, the final match of the first half of the season.

Barcelona thrashed Deportivo La Coruña 5-0 at home. In this match, Barcelona's attacking trident was in full force, with Eto'o and Henry both scoring twice, and Messi contributing two assists and a goal.

Deportivo La Coruña were completely outmatched by Barcelona at Camp Nou, while Barcelona, ​​with a resounding victory, announced that they had completely shaken off their slump following El Clásico.

Seeing Barcelona regain their form has not only caused panic among La Liga teams, but also among the European powerhouses who will face them in the Champions League.

Even Real Madrid could only manage a draw against Barcelona. If it were them, could they stop Barcelona's invincible machine?
On December 19, the draw for the Champions League Round of 12 was held at UEFA headquarters.

This draw has attracted widespread attention, with the biggest question being who will become the rivals of the two La Liga giants.
Real Madrid, having suffered two defeats at the hands of Juventus, could only advance as the second-placed team in their group.

However, Real Madrid was not the only team to underperform. Chelsea, Inter Milan, Arsenal and other powerhouses also had mediocre performances in the Champions League this season, ultimately advancing as runners-up in their groups.

With so many top teams finishing second in their groups, the draw for this year's Champions League knockout stage is full of suspense.

The other group winners are very nervous and don't want to face such a strong opponent in the round of 16, especially after being drawn against the defending champions Real Madrid.

Although Real Madrid's advancement was fraught with difficulty, no team dares to underestimate them.

If they unfortunately encounter this Galácticos team in the round of 16, they could very well be defeated by Real Madrid.

While the group winners were feeling uneasy because of Real Madrid's unexpected situation, the second-placed teams, especially powerhouses like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Inter Milan, were desperately praying that they wouldn't be drawn against the seemingly invincible Barcelona.

Of course, not everyone is afraid of these two teams. For example, Manchester United fans, who have been in the spotlight recently, don't seem to take these two teams seriously.

[I'm a Manchester United fan, what's there to be afraid of about Real Madrid? If we draw them in the round of 16, it'll be perfect revenge for last year's defeat!]

[Exactly! Our Manchester United is aiming for the Champions League title. If we can't even beat little Real Madrid, how can we possibly win the championship?]

Hearing Manchester United fans boasting like this, other fans joked:

It's a deal then, the matter of dealing with Real Madrid is in your hands!

Hearing this, Manchester United fans were unhappy again:
But then again, while we're not afraid of Real Madrid, who wouldn't want to easily defeat the weak and advance? If we fight Real Madrid to a standstill, you'll be the ones who benefit in the end. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

[Haha, Manchester United chickened out!]

[The Manchester United players were just talking big, and they've already chickened out. It's hilarious!]

I'm a Liverpool fan, and I sincerely wish Manchester United the best of luck in drawing Real Madrid in the knockout stage!

Liverpool fans are so good at talking, and no sooner had they said that than Real Madrid drew Liverpool!

[Hahaha, that's a boomerang!]

Congratulations Liverpool! Manchester United fans send their best wishes!

[Thanks to our Liverpool brothers for helping us clear the mines!]

Upon seeing the draw results, the internet erupted in cheers and laughter, with fans other than Liverpool supporters celebrating wildly.

Liverpool fans, however, were not laughing at all. What kind of nonsense was this, drawing Real Madrid?
We were just joking, but you actually gave us opponents with this level of regional difficulty?

The camera focused on Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard had just been chatting and laughing with the people next to him about how difficult the draw was, but after seeing the results, his expression instantly turned serious.

Clearly, even Benitez himself didn't expect that they would draw Real Madrid as their first opponent!
Real Madrid is a tough opponent. In last year's Champions League semi-final, Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 by Real Madrid at home. That match is still a painful memory for countless Liverpool fans.

Although Liverpool's squad has been strengthened to some extent this season, their overall strength has not improved much.

Facing Real Madrid again in the Champions League, Benitez really doesn't have much confidence in defeating his opponent.

Does this mean Liverpool's Champions League journey will end in the round of 16?

Thinking of this, Benitez's face became even more unpleasant.

With Liverpool having paved the way, the remaining group winners are much more relaxed. While teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, and Inter Milan are also strong, they are still slightly easier to deal with compared to Real Madrid.

As the draw guests continued to draw lots, the opponents of each team were revealed one by one.

Atletico Madrid from La Liga drew Portuguese giants Porto, a very favorable draw for both teams.

Although Porto is a powerhouse in the Portuguese league, they are not really that good in Europe. They are not even comparable to top clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and Bayern Munich. They are a level below even the "Big Four" of the Premier League and the three giants of Serie A.

Atletico Madrid is just a strong team in La Liga, not even a powerhouse. For Porto to be drawn against them in a group of second-placed teams with so many powerhouses is definitely a stroke of luck.

Given their strength, it's highly likely they'll defeat Atletico Madrid. Similarly, for a non-elite team like Atletico Madrid, drawing Porto among top clubs like Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Barcelona is incredibly lucky.

They have at least a fighting chance against Porto, and if they perform well, they might be able to advance.

The third team drawn was also from La Liga – Barcelona!
Their opponents, on the other hand, are Lyon, the dominant force in Ligue 1.

When the draw results were announced, the Lyon manager's expression was priceless; it was hard to tell whether he was crying or laughing.

Lyon really seems to have a connection with La Liga; it's always either Real Madrid or Barcelona!

Honestly, if Lyon had drawn Real Madrid, they might have had a slight chance of advancing, since they play exceptionally well against Real Madrid. But if they drew Barcelona, ​​their chances of advancing would be slim. Lyon's midfield and defense aren't top-tier, and against a fully-powered Barcelona, ​​they could easily suffer a humiliating defeat.

[Sigh, I was hoping UEFA would create a script, pairing Barcelona with a strong team like Inter Milan or Chelsea for a showdown of titans, but they ended up drawing Lyon!]

[Does the person upstairs look down on us, the French Ligue 1 champions?]

[Ligue 1 is practically being expelled from the top five leagues; how much is the reigning champion of Ligue 1 really worth?]

The term "top five leagues" isn't actually used very often in Europe.

The four most recognized leagues are England, Spain, Germany, and Italy, with Ligue 1 being added to make up the five major leagues.

There's nothing we can do about it; Ligue 1 lacks top-tier clubs to carry the team, and their international record is just too poor!

[Ligue 1 suffers from a lack of top-tier clubs, but I see that PSG has invested heavily in recent seasons, and they might very well grow into a club of similar caliber to Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and Bayern Munich in the future!]

This statement was ridiculed by many. To grow into a team of the caliber of Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and Bayern Munich, it's not simply a matter of throwing money at it. It requires a long time to build up a solid foundation, and during that time, the team's performance must be outstanding.

Clearly, considering Ligue 1's current reputation and its attractiveness to talent, even if PSG pours money into it, it will still have a long way to go to reach that level.

In contrast, Manchester City, whose Premier League neighbors are also funded by Middle Eastern oil tycoons, is more likely to succeed.

After all, there are successful precedents of quickly improving a team's performance in the Premier League by spending money, such as Chelsea.

After Barcelona, ​​Arsenal were drawn against Roma, a draw that was acceptable to both teams.

Inter Milan, on the other hand, faced the in-form Manchester United. This draw is quite a test for Inter Milan, who are currently in poor form.

Inter Milan's strength has not improved in recent years; on the contrary, it has weakened along with the continued decline of Serie A. Although Manchester United is an old rival for them, now that they meet again on the field, the Nerazzurri, without Lin Feng, will have to rely on Torres' performance to advance.

After Inter Milan, Chelsea were drawn against Juventus.

This draw result is somewhat difficult for both teams to accept, as both are among the stronger teams in their respective tiers.

The fact that they were drawn together meant it would be a clash of titans. Even if they managed to advance, the excessive exertion in the round of 16 would give their opponents an easy advantage.

Compared to them, Villarreal, the fourth team in La Liga, is much luckier.

They were drawn against the weakest team among the group winners in this Champions League – Panathinaikos!
Given the strength of the Yellow Submarine, if they perform normally, they have at least a 70% chance of advancing to the quarterfinals.

The final opponent is Bayern Munich versus Sporting Lisbon. This is a match between two vastly different teams, and it will be extremely difficult for Sporting Lisbon to defeat Bayern. Therefore, after seeing the draw results, the outside world has essentially condemned them to death, with no expectation that they can create a miracle.

After all the draw results were released, fans of the major leagues reacted in different ways.

La Liga fans are ecstatic, as all four of their teams have drawn favorable groups. With a bit of luck, this Champions League season could see the spectacular sight of four La Liga teams advancing to the quarterfinals.

But fans of the Premier League and Serie A were not so lucky, as no Premier League team had a good draw.

Even Arsenal, who are considered the best team, still have a considerable chance of being eliminated.

As for the other teams, they almost all encountered strong opponents, and whether they can advance depends entirely on their performance on the day.

Serie A fans were equally dissatisfied with the draw results. Inter Milan's poor performance, losing to Panathinaikos and dropping to second place in the group, led to them being drawn against Manchester United. They said they deserved whatever the outcome was.

However, Juventus defeated defending champions Real Madrid twice, but were ultimately drawn against Chelsea in the round of 16.

Is this really reasonable?

With this draw result, it feels like they got first place in the group for nothing. In fact, if they had advanced as the second-place team in the group, they probably wouldn't have drawn such a bad group.

Compared to the intense reactions from Premier League and Serie A fans, Bundesliga fans were much calmer.

In this season's Champions League group stage, apart from Bayern Munich, all other Bundesliga teams were eliminated again, leaving Bayern Munich as the sole representative of the Bundesliga.

Given Bayern Munich's strength, they are confident of advancing to the next round regardless of who they are drawn against, unless they are Real Madrid.

Unfortunately, Bayern Munich had a favorable draw, getting to face a relatively weak Sporting Lisbon.

So what are the fans still worried about?
Just enjoy Bayern's performance.

For those teams that have drawn strong opponents, there is good news: the Champions League round of 16 will not begin until late February.

This gives them a full two months to prepare; if they are well-prepared, they might just be able to create a miracle. (End of Chapter)