[Football] Bad Boy Batty

The Champions League is not that difficult.

After the game, Batistuta took off his jersey and gave it to the young fans on the sidelines. When he was about to go back, the "socialite" on the opposite side came again.

Thomas Muller was not kept on the bench today. In fact, he was replaced just 10 minutes into the game because of Robben's injury. However, due to Ancelotti's tactical arrangement, the German striker who took the opportunity failed to help the team achieve a reversal today.

"Well done, you are great and deserve the championship trophy." Muller patted Batty on the shoulder and said.

Although he was smiling, one could still see the sadness behind Bei Yanzeng. Batty pursed his lips. He didn't like such emotions appearing in the man in front of him.

"I will win the championship." Batistuta raised his chin and stretched out his hand to him. "Cheer up, Thomas Muller. I will wait for your revenge next season. In addition, show your best condition and go to the World Cup with full fighting spirit. I swear, next year's World Cup will make you Germans look good."

Muller was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. It was not known whether the sadness on his face was hidden by the wrinkles, or not.

"Thank you, kid." He grabbed Batty's hand and pulled him into his arms for a big hug. "I'll remember that. See you on the court next year."

Perhaps Batistuta's provocation (comfort) worked, and Muller turned back into the happy silly boy. He waved his hand, turned around and walked back to the locker room with a step that showed no regard for his relatives.

Batty can't go back yet because he has to give a post-match interview.

Because of Guardiola's protection before, the team rarely asked him to face reporters alone, but today is different. The season is coming to an end, and it is time for Batistuta to get some training.

"You can't just go to an interview like this, put on a coat." De Bruyne took a jacket and put it on Batistuta. "It's only April, you will catch a cold."

Batty wasn't cold at all, but in order to prevent this conversation from turning into a tug-of-war, he put on his jacket obediently. "Got it, Kevin's mom." He teased as he half-unzipped the zipper that the other party had pulled under his neck. "You won't catch a cold, go back quickly."

Reporters who had been waiting in front of the billboard in the interview area were lucky enough to capture this scene.

[Congratulations on advancing to the semi-finals, Batistuta, you scored your ninth goal in this season's Champions League today. How do you feel? ]

No nutritional issues.

"I feel good," Batistuta said, swaying lazily from side to side with his hands in his pockets. "Before I came to Europe, many people told me that the Champions League was the most difficult competition, but I haven't felt it so far. And those goals, it's very simple, get the ball, get rid of it, shoot - have there been 9 already? I didn't count."

The reporters' eyes lit up, this was their favorite type of player, born with arrogance. Just from what he said just now, there were more than one or two things they could use to write an article.

They don't mind exaggerating Batistuta's shortcomings if it can attract attention with the title.

[So far, your goal tally has surpassed Ronaldo (8 goals), and Messi, who hasn't played the second leg yet, has 10 goals. Do you think you can score more goals in the next games? Can you surpass them and win the Golden Boot?]

To be honest, Batty didn't pay much attention to the statistics.

Like he said, he scored nine goals, but he didn't feel anything. He didn't pay attention to his own goal number or other people's goal number, because these things only concern people who are worried that they can't catch up or be overtaken by others.

"Maybe, I don't care." Batty said, "I don't need data to prove myself. What's mine will eventually be mine, and what's not mine - if I want it, it will eventually belong to me."

Perhaps shocked by Batistuta's extremely arrogant words, the reporters stopped asking boring questions. Five minutes later, Batistuta ended the interview and returned to the locker room. On the way, he met Kimmich again, who seemed to be waiting for him specifically.

Batty crossed his arms and said: "Why are you here? Two yellow cards turned into a red card in the last game. You are suspended today."

Kimmich calmly replied: "The rules never say that suspended players cannot appear on the pitch."

"——Okay, of course you can come." Batty shrugged, "I have to go back now, hurry up and say whatever you want to say. If it's any later, I won't have time to take a shower."

Batistuta's nonchalant attitude ignited fire in Kimmich's eyes and he clenched his fists.

"I was careless in the last game. You won fairly. I have nothing to say." He took a step forward, raised his head and looked directly into Batistuta's eyes. "I won't make mistakes again next time. If we meet next season, I will never let you pass easily. I promise."

It’s a really nice momentum.

Batty raised the corners of his mouth.

"Okay, I'll wait for you." He nudged Kimmich provocatively, "But before that, make sure you become the main player first."

……

After returning that day, Manchester City organized a small celebration party for the players. This was their third time to reach the semi-finals after the Champions League was restructured, while Real Madrid, who was also in the semi-finals, had made it 3th time since the Champions League was restructured.

Guardiola drank some wine and gave a stirring speech on stage. He did not expect that his first season in office would be so successful. He also mentioned that now is not the end, and their real problems are still behind. If they want to get the remaining three trophies (Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup), they must maintain their form and work harder.

The club chairman also went on stage to speak. During the speech, the man behind Manchester City, Sheikh Mansour, also called to congratulate them. The atmosphere was very warm.

Later, Batistuta, as the biggest contributor to the Champions League, was also dragged onto the stage, but he didn't say anything. Soon, music started playing on the sidelines, and the high-end banquet turned into a party. No one was dissatisfied with this, and Guardiola even put down his lamb chops and went on stage to show everyone his dancing moves.

To be honest, it's a bit eye-catching.

All in all, Manchester City had a wonderful night.

The next day, several other matches also ended. Barcelona's miracle failed to happen again, as they fell under Monaco's youth storm; Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid, as Ronaldo broke his goal drought in previous games and ended his city derby rivals' Champions League journey with a header and a penalty; Juventus defeated Leicester City, as the Foxes' myth failed to continue into this season. The Serie A powerhouse has a clear goal this time, aiming directly at the treble throne.

The top four teams in the 2016-17 Champions League have just been announced: Manchester City, Real Madrid, Monaco and Juventus.

In the afternoon, Batistuta drove to the training base. As soon as he entered the door, he was grabbed by the arm by Sam Eli and taken to the second floor. Before he could react, he was already sitting in the club's special interview seat.

"What are you doing?" Batistuta asked from his chair. "I didn't hear Pep say I was going to do a pre-match interview."

"It's a collaboration. The club and YouTubers are working together to make videos to increase popularity. We just happened to have made it to the Champions League semi-finals, so we should post more videos while the topic is still hot." Sam explained, "Each of you will be interviewed. It was decided this morning and has been posted in the group. You may not have seen it."

Batty stuck out his tongue at him.

Sam added, “The blogger will ask you some questions about the game and off the court in a little while, just answer them normally.”

Wait, Batty's normal standard...

The translator suddenly remembered the kid's answers when he was interviewed by the team when he first transferred to the club. He hesitated for a few seconds and changed the last sentence to:

"Try to give an official answer. I'll just stand by. He'll set traps for you on some questions. You just need to follow my expression and talk your way out of it."

Batty waved his hands impatiently to indicate that he knew how to answer.

Sam went to check the machine. The YouTuber hadn't arrived yet, and Batty was sitting in his seat, scrolling through his phone boredly.

Manchester City's players are chatting enthusiastically in the WhatsApp group. Yes, they also have small groups. Without the coaching staff and senior management, they can talk about some marginal topics without restraint.

Batistuta was not interested in the celebrity photos they posted. He opened the chat window with Neymar and suddenly found that the other party had canceled the read option, so the person who sent him the message would not know whether he had read the message.

This was quite strange. Batistuta looked at the time and it was not yet time for Spain's training, so he tentatively sent a smiley face, and the other party quickly replied with the same smiley face.

So, Neymar is online.

Batty made a video call.

"Why did you turn off the read function?" he asked straight to the point.

"Nothing, I just don't want to hear from my dad." Neymar's tone was a little weird, but he still had a smile on his face. "I haven't congratulated you on your promotion yet, Batistuta, good luck in the semifinals."

Batty looked at him for a few seconds, then poked at his pain point: "I saw you crying after the game."

"…I didn't, I was just sad."

"Don't deny it. We were defeated by Monaco in both rounds. What the hell are you doing?" Batty said mercilessly. "We agreed to see you in the final. I did it. What about you?"

If someone else had said this, Neymar would have hung up the phone directly, but it was Batistuta who was on the other end, and he did break his promise.

"I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill my promise," Neymar said softly. "You played very well and deserve a trophy. I hope you can win the championship."

"I will," Barty said. "And you, Ney, you better get in shape so I can give you the trophy when I get it."

what!
Take it and feel it, what a gift of breath this is.

Neymar was amused.

"You should keep it and hold it while sleeping or something." He teased, "I've held it before. I'm reminding you to wear pajamas, otherwise the trophy might wake you up in the middle of the night."

Neymar's mood returned to normal, and Batistuta's goal was achieved. He looked at the lighting board pushed in front of him and smiled.

"I hope this won't affect our vacation," he said. "When I win the World Junior Championship again, we can go to China. I have friends there who can provide everything we need."

"sounds good."

At this time, the YouTuber arrived at the scene, Sam Eli went over and said something to him, then waved to Batty to get ready.

"My interview is about to begin." Batistuta said to Neymar quickly, "Turn on the read mode. I must know when you read my message - Come on in the last few games. I remember you still have the King's Cup and the league. Don't be empty-handed by then."

After saying that, Batty hung up the phone without even giving the other party time to say goodbye.

Looking at the phone screen that exited the call interface, Neymar was stunned for a long time, then he smiled helplessly.

He wanted to go on vacation with Batty, but—

A few hours ago his father mentioned Paris Saint-Germain to him again.

Neymar sighed inwardly.

I hope there won't be any accidents.

……

[Hello, everyone in Hello City! I am your Paul, I am here again, today's guest is our Brazilian Rose Batista! Welcome! ]

This YouTuber is a stylish guy in his twenties, wearing black-framed glasses. He started making Manchester City-related videos on YouTube in 2011 and now has 35 followers. The year before last, Manchester City Club officially invited him to cooperate in building a YouTube channel, and he is actively making money from various fields to make up for his losses (of course, Sheikh Mansour is not short of money)

[Let's start with the first question of the day, Batistuta. Fans say that your performance this season is exceptionally perfect. You just came to England but adapted very well. Now you have 27 goals in the league. There are still 5 games left before the end of the Premier League. Without considering the championship, do you think you have a chance to score 30 goals?]

Batistuta: "If Pepken lets me play the remaining five league games, I can tell you for sure that I can. Even more than 5, it's not difficult."

He did not change his posture, but still sat backwards on the chair as before, with one hand flat on the back of the chair and the other supporting his chin, his legs stretched out and swinging leisurely.

Batistuta: "Everyone is talking about how fierce the confrontation in the Premier League is, but so far there are very few people who can stop me, and most of them will choose to make a tackle - this is a compliment, a submission. The moment they kicked me down, I seemed to hear them saying: It's terrible, conventional actions can't stop him, I can only try violence. I don't like being knocked down, fortunately I haven't been injured yet."

This answer is really good. Although there is still his personal arrogance in it, it does not make people feel unreasonable. Sam Eli touched his chin outside the camera and thought with relief that it seems that getting along with Aguero these days has made him calmer (wrong)
Poor Sam doesn't know the truth. Aguero does have a good personality, but being with Messi for a long time has made him equally keen on making trouble, and Batistuta, well, being with Aguero will only make him worse.

YouTuber Paul asked a few more routine questions, and Battie answered them well without any out-of-the-ordinary moves. After that, Paul gradually began to ask more interesting and confusing questions.

[We all know that Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world. Barcelona, ​​which he coached, has won six titles. The core figure of that team, Lionel Messi, is now the top player in football.
So during training, does Pep mention Messi's past experiences to you? For example, when doing the same training, what results did Messi achieve, and would he ask you to do the same? Has this ever happened? 】

Barty smiled and lowered his hand from under his chin, which usually meant he was starting to find things interesting.

Batistuta: "Oh of course, he likes to mention Messi, as if that is his favorite player but he can't buy him anyway. I went to him once, when Kun was injured, and he told me that we are now one man less in the frontcourt and I have to take more offensive responsibilities. He hopes that I can try to play as a false 9 like Messi."

[Oh? It's the attacking midfielder position, right? ]

Batistuta: "Yes, he wanted me to move closer to the center. But he mentioned Messi first, so I was angry, very angry, and I told him: I didn't come to Manchester City to be the second Messi. I am me, I have my own way and style of playing. If you want me to imitate him, then you should try to sign Messi, and the chances of success are greater."

【Haha, did you really say that? 】

Batistuta: "Yeah, I said that. But Pep apologized to me. He wanted me to be more comprehensive and get more training. He didn't mean to ask me to imitate him. We tried the tactical arrangement he said, and you saw the result. It was a great success."

[It sounds like he cares about you. I heard that Pep doesn't often apologize. When he was in Barcelona, ​​he had a disagreement with Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic later told the media that Pep would pretend not to see him and treat him as air during that period.]

Batistuta shrugged. This didn't sound like Pep Guardiola at all, the dad figure who always reminded him that his pants were too short and his collar was too low. Batistuta couldn't imagine the situation where the other party would treat anyone as if they were air.

Batistuta: "I don't know what Ibrahimovic is talking about, but Pep is a very good friend to me and yes, he cares about me and every one of his players."

[I also heard that Pep was very concerned about Messi at the time. When he was coaching Barcelona, ​​Messi was substituted off the field once. He was angry and didn't go to training the next day. Pep finally drove to his house, talked to him, and then took him back. By the way, did Pep also go to your apartment a few days ago? ]

Batistuta: "Yes, it was my birthday. I held a party and invited them to play. Everyone was very happy, but someone suddenly showed up and ruined it all. I drank a lot of alcohol. Pep came to my house in the morning and told me that the club would help me deal with this matter..."

Oh hell.

Sam Eli's eyes went dark.

In the past 7 minutes, he watched Battie fall step by step into the pit dug for him by Paul, and said too many things that he shouldn't have said according to the other party's thoughts.

And he had clearly agreed to act according to the instructions and just deal with the bad questions perfunctorily, but Batty ignored him completely. His eyes were almost cramping but Batty didn't even look at him.

Looking at Batty who was getting more and more excited talking over there, Sam slapped his forehead.

……

The interview time was over, but YouTuber Paul expressed his wish to give fans a little treat by letting Battie play a little game with him at the end, and Battie agreed.

"This game is simple and allows fans to get to know your life off the court better," he said. "You pick a person from your list and call him/her. If the person answers within 5 seconds, you win."

"Any rewards?" Batty asked.

[No, but no one succeeded in this game in one try, at least none of the people I interviewed did.] The YouTuber smiled and said, [Kevin made 2 calls, Rahim made 4, and the most people made was 9 calls and still failed.] Oh?
This aroused Batty's wonderful desire to win.

He took out his phone, opened the list and scrolled up and down. Looking at the names flying by, the smile on Batty's face grew bigger and bigger.

Seriously, everyone here would answer within 5 seconds of him calling.

"Why don't you choose any one of them?" Batty tilted his head and threw the phone into Paul's arms. "Except for Lucy, my godfather's financial advisor, he may not answer my call. Everyone else, including my godfather, can do it, so it's not difficult."

The YouTuber was shocked. He had done so many interviews, but this was the first time he was given the right to choose.

[Then——] If he chooses directly, it will seem too deliberate. Paul thought for a moment and began to slide the screen randomly, [Let God decide. I won’t watch it. It’s a blind selection. You have to call whoever you choose, okay?]

Batty shrugged, agreeing with the decision.

[Okay, here it comes!] The YouTuber swiped the screen, and then his finger dropped when he counted to 5 in his mind, [Look, this lucky guy will be - uh, him?]

Batty looked at the screen, and even Sam looked over curiously.

The YouTuber picked up Batty's phone and focused the camera.

【Everyone, please watch carefully. I have no shady dealings. This was indeed a blind selection.】

The camera enlarged the screen, and Cristiano Ronaldo's name was clearly visible on it.

God.

Sam Eli's eyes went dark again.

Is this YouTuber really a Manchester City fan? Why is he so keen on stirring up trouble?
C Ronaldo? He is a Real Madrid player. Last summer, he and Real Madrid had a big fight over contract renewal and annual salary. This is something everyone in the circle knows, and Florentino finally used Batistuta to create a smokescreen.

Complete and utter disaster.

Of course, it was a disaster for Mr. Eli, but it was a rare pleasure for Batistuta. He licked the corner of his mouth, then took the phone and dialed the number of the Real Madrid superstar.

[It's connected. From now on, 5, 4...]

What was unexpected was that before Paul had even finished reading number 4, Cristiano Ronaldo on the other side answered the call.

"Good afternoon, little Barty. It's rare that you call me. What's the matter?"

rare?

Batty raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he called the other party.

The Portuguese was very much like a superstar. He gave Batistuta enough time to answer and tried to sound more friendly, but it cannot be denied that one of the main reasons was that they had just won the game, so he was in a good mood.

"Nothing, just congratulations to Real Madrid for reaching the semi-finals." There was a noisy voice in the background. Considering that Real Madrid's second leg was an away game, Batistuta guessed that he was on the return flight. "I heard that you found your shooting boots after reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. Now you have 1."

"Are you a tabloid reporter? Why are you saying such things?" Ronaldo quipped. "Why, do you feel threatened after seeing me surpass you?"

"Me? Sense of crisis? Are you kidding?" Batistuta glanced at the shocked Paul next to him. "What you should worry about is the next game. If Real Madrid draws Manchester City, it will be a pity. Your goal count will be fixed at 10."

"Don't be so confident. You're not a defender." Ronaldo asked his teammates who were making noises to lower their voices. Then he suddenly changed the subject and said slowly, "Bati, your performance in the first season is enough to attract the attention of all the big clubs. According to inside information, someone is already asking about your contract."

Barty blinked. "So?"

Ronaldo cleared his throat: "So you think--"

Sam Eli felt an unprecedented sense of crisis, and he waved his hand to signal the camera to stop immediately.

This can't be said anymore!

If you continue talking, the show won’t be broadcast anymore!
However, the camera had no right to stop without Paul's signal, and Paul was almost stunned. He was just a YouTuber, not a professional host, so he had no idea what to do in the face of this sudden crisis.

"——What do you think of Real Madrid?" Ronaldo asked, "The best club of the 20th century, and possibly the 21st century as well. Are these conditions attractive enough to you?"

Batty did not answer this question. He likes to stir up trouble, but he can still distinguish between the important and the unimportant.

"Are you sure that Real Madrid is the best team of the 21st century? Because with me here, Manchester City is bound to win the Champions League this season. And you'd better be careful, because then the championship trophy and the Golden Boot trophy will be mine." He said, "By the way - I'm recording a YouTube video, and the camera is still on. You should be glad that this is not a live broadcast."

There was a very strange pause on the other side.

"Ahahaha, I'm kidding. Boom! Got you!" Ronaldo laughed heartily but with a hint of embarrassment. Then there was the rustling sound of backpacks and zippers. "Oh! I have something else to do. I won't talk to you anymore. Goodbye Batistuta. Let's talk next time."

After saying this, he decisively hung up the phone, as if he was running away.

Batty looked at the call interface that had ended and raised his eyebrows. Then he looked at the camera and the miserable translator whose soul was out of his body behind the camera.

"How is it? Is this show's effect as good as it can be?"

SAM: ...

Destroy it, hurry up.

……

On the evening of the game, UEFA issued a statement that the draw for the semi-finals would be held three days later and the match would be scheduled for early May. Once all four games were completed, it would be determined which two teams would meet at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales to compete for the final championship.

However, Manchester City players cannot wait for the UEFA draw in the screening room this time, because they have a more important game that day, the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

In order to allow the newly-adult Batistuta to get enough rest, Guardiola did not let him start the game. He chose Iheanacho to replace Batistuta as the right winger, and Sterling was also replaced by Sane.

This was a wrong decision, but Guardiola realized it too late. In the 60th minute, they were still trailing 0-1, so he replaced Sterling to strengthen the attack, but problems arose again as the defense pressed too high. In the 73rd minute, they were trailing Arsenal 0-2.

#It’s worthy of being a thermos cup. The professor became excited as soon as the FA Cup arrived.

At the last moment, Guardiola finally replaced Batistuta, and the effect was quite obvious. Batistuta immediately seized the opportunity to score a goal after coming on the court, but there was not much time left for him. In the end, Manchester City lost the game 1-1, and Arsenal won the ticket to the FA Cup final.

Batty was furious.

If the elimination from the League Cup was due to his absence from the field, then this time, he experienced the taste of failure up close. He watched Arsenal players celebrate wildly around him, and someone even bumped into his shoulder while running over.

What's worse is that the guy who bumped his shoulder apologized to him!
This left him with no place to vent his anger.

How could it be possible? How could I lose!

In the end, Batistuta blamed Guardiola for the wrong decision. If the head coach had let him play earlier, they would have definitely beaten Arsenal and advanced.

Of course, in his heart he knew that this was just a vent of anger.

Guardiola's reasons are very sufficient. Batistuta has just become an adult and his physical development is at a critical stage. He promised to let him play all the Champions League games. Then, accordingly, Batistuta will have to make concessions in other games. This is for long-term considerations.

But Batty was still angry.

He chose the same approach as Messi: ignore everyone and go straight home.

When Batty was sitting on the sofa with an ice cream in his arms and turning on his godfather's "Gunfire" to cheer himself up, countless calls came in. He hung up all of them skillfully, then selected a few familiar numbers and added them to his blacklist.

The world is purified.

It has been proven that when you are in a bad mood, just watch a gun action movie. Watching several top Hollywood actors shooting with guns in the movie, and then scooping a big spoonful of ice cream into your mouth, the feeling is probably even better than heaven.

Just then, the WhatsApp message alert sounded.

It was Neymar, and he sent a message to Batistuta.

The draw is over, Real Madrid and Juventus stage a battle between veterans, and Manchester City and Monaco face off against young players.

what!
Batty almost jumped up from the sofa.

Monaco! Their next opponent is Monaco! Thank God, that's what he's looking forward to.

"What's wrong, Barty?" Loach came in with a fruit plate. "What did you see that made you so excited?"

"It's the result of the Champions League draw," Batistuta waved his phone at him, "We drew Monaco."

Loach naturally understood what his boss meant and grinned.

"That's great! Batistuta, go! Show them who is the king of the right wing!" The dark-skinned boy would jump onto the coffee table, waving his hands. "You don't even know, a few days ago, the internet was almost hyping that kid up as the next soccer king. A fan asked for help, so I anonymously went to the forum to argue with them. Really, they actually thought your fans were easy to bully."

Batty paused and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You went to the forum to join in the quarrel?" he asked. "So that's why you haven't been seen in the past few days, is that right?"

"Oh, that's not the case." Loach regained his senses. He got down from the coffee table, scratched his hair, and became unexpectedly shy. "I met a girl recently, and we're, uh, chatting well."

Yo ho!

Has this kid finally gotten the idea?

"Not bad, Loach, where did you know him?" As a good friend and boss, Batty would be happy for Loach if he could find happiness. "Tell me, it seems like you haven't succeeded yet. Do you want me to help you think of a solution?"

The loach shook its head like a rattle.

"No, no, I think she's interested in me." His dark skin flushed. "I met her when I went to get my nutritionist certification. She knocked the documents out of my hand. There was a fountain nearby and some documents were unusable, so she helped me reprint them first, and then bought me a cup of coffee... Anyway, we're still in the stage of chatting."

so good.

Batty patted his shoulder and said, "In that case, go to her more often and don't hang around me all the time. I'm your boss, not a useless person. I don't need you to serve me 24 hours a day."

"But--"

"Hurry up and ask her out now." Batty pushed Loach's back and got him out the door, then slammed the door shut. "If you meet someone you like, take action decisively. Go quickly. I'm still waiting to attend your wedding."

Loach stayed at the door for a while, then followed Buddy's advice and called the girl to make an appointment. Buddy returned to sit on the sofa.

The ice cream in my hand suddenly didn't smell so good anymore, and the bullets flying around on the screen didn't seem so interesting anymore.

Tsk, annoying.

Batty waved his hand to get rid of the scent of love in the room, then opened his phone and looked through the playlist.

Although he is single now, anyone on this list can become his at any time if he wants.

Thinking about it this way makes me feel better.

……

It was early May, after we beat Middlesbrough with goals from Batistuta and Silva.

With three rounds left in the league, Batistuta's goal tally stopped at 3. He was again given a yellow card for arguing and pushing an opposing player, bringing his total to 29 yellow cards for the entire season. After discussion, the FA's Disciplinary Committee issued him a two-match suspension.

Therefore, if he wants to score 30+ goals, he can only wait until the last round.

At the same time, the exciting Champions League semi-final is about to begin. This time Manchester City will play at home first and then away. On May 5, on this rare and refreshing evening, the Etihad Stadium was full.

In the locker room, Guardiola was making final tactical arrangements for the players.

"We can't let Monaco catch us. They want to compete with speed and impact, so we should avoid these two and start with what we are best at."

"The midfield must be controlled. Monaco knows our characteristics and they won't let us pass the ball easily. Gundogan and Silva, you need to make more long passes. I believe in your accuracy. Don't pass it to the opponent."

"On the offensive end, you have to support the midfield. Monaco's defense has the worst running ability in their team, but if you want to face them head-on, you have to break through the first line of defense in the midfield."

"When Batistuta runs, the right and the middle are yours. When you retreat, Kun will make room for you. We have been practicing interlaced runs for half a season. You know what to do."

"Be careful, not all Monaco players are rough beasts, there are also delicate players among them, such as Bernardo Silva, whose lateral movement is fatal. Stop him and cut off his passing route."

After the deployment was completed, Guardiola clapped his hands to cheer the players.

"Okay! Guys, you know what to do! For the future, for the finals, for the trophy! Let's go!"

……

With great momentum, Manchester City players lined up in the tunnel. Batistuta stood at the end of the team. He could feel that Mbappe, the focus of the focus in the Monaco team next to him, was secretly looking at him.

Batty didn't look back.

Come on.

(End of this chapter)