I build a giant in the Premier League

Chapter 134 The cornerstone of the dynasty! A bloody battle with Manchester United [Subscribe]

If he were to write an autobiography, Marcelo really wouldn't know where to start his story.

Was it the summer camp when you were 6 years old?
Or was it the graffiti he and his friends drew on the streets before the 94 World Cup?
Or when, at age nine, he first felt like Ronaldo?

But it was probably, it should be, being invited to Fluminense when I was 15, and having my grandfather's orange Volkswagen Beetle.

In Brazilian football, 18 is a very special age.

Being 18 years old means you can go abroad to play football and make money.

Every year, many European teams come to Brazil to explore.

Everyone knows that Brazilian players are very good, so they like to buy some players around 18 years old.

It's a bit like gambling.

Young players who are 18 years old are still semi-finished products. After they are sold to Europe, they are processed and trained. Once they become successful, they will be sold to better teams at a higher price.

If it fails, sell it back to Brazil at a low price.

This is already a complete and mature industrial chain.

When Marcelo was 18 years old, many European teams were already paying attention to him.

For example, CSKA Moscow in the Russian Premier League.

In recent years, teams in Russia and Ukraine have liked to buy Brazilian players, so you won’t feel lonely when playing there.

And there is Sevilla in La Liga.

This team gathers many Brazilian players and has also trained quite a few, and they are developing very quickly.

When Marcelo came into contact with Sevilla, he was really interested and asked many people about this team.

But he didn't know why, he finally chose London, England.

Fluminense easily accepted the offer from the Bayswater Chinese and then informed Marcelo and his agent.

The next day, Marcelo and his agent went to the hotel to meet with the representative of Bayswater Chinese, Mike Rigg, and had a phone call with head coach Yang Cheng.

The call didn't last long, about ten minutes.

But on the phone, Yang Cheng used fluent Portuguese to communicate smoothly with Marcelo, which gave him a great impression.

He began to look forward to his trip to the Premier League.

The next day after talking with Yang Cheng, he received a call from the UK.

The Bayswater Chinese resettlement specialist asked him some questions, such as whether he had a girlfriend, who he would live with, and how big a house he would need.

In a very short time, he successfully joined Bayswater Chinese.

From warm Brazil to cold Britain.

To be honest, the climate is not a big problem for him or his girlfriend.

In London, the hotel arranged by the club was very comfortable and the house found for them was very cozy.

Everything was well arranged.

Marcelo still clearly remembers that he met with head coach Yang Cheng on the first day he arrived at Bayswater Chinese.

The two had a conversation that lasted half an hour.

Just like on the phone, Yang Cheng left a very good impression on him.

Very young, with a lot in common.

But he seemed very familiar and understood him.

This made Marcelo feel relieved.

After that, Yang Cheng called Jose Fonte.

A Portuguese, the team's vice-captain.

José Fonte brought him into the team, introduced him to all the players and gave him his mobile phone number.

"If you need anything, just call me."

Marcelo still remembers this sentence clearly.

Although there were language communication problems, the atmosphere within the team was very good and Marcelo received help from many people.

His life soon settled down.

He began to study English hard and actively integrated into the team.

But for Marcelo, everything happened too fast.

From leaving Fluminense to joining Bayswater Chinese, he hadn’t completed the role transition before he followed the team to train, then went to Asia, and then came back to participate in the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, FA Cup…

The Premier League schedule is packed, with endless games to play every week.

In his first season after joining the team, his agent reminded him that he might be loaned out.

After all, he had not been selected for the national team at that time. He only played for the Brazilian U17 and was selected for the U20.

But what they didn't expect was that the Chinese in Bayswater activated the special genius clause for him.

It is said that each Premier League club can only use it once a year.

This shows how valuable this position is.

The first season was more about getting familiar and adapting, but also about learning and improving.

The football style in the Premier League is completely different from that in Brazil.

They're too fast-paced.

Every time I get the ball, the defensive players rush to me before I'm ready.

But Marcelo is the kind of Brazilian who likes to have the ball at his feet.

He is struggling to adapt to the Premier League.

This season, Danny Collins left the team, leaving only Leighton Baines and Marcelo on the left side.

The playing time has increased and the competition tasks have become heavier.

Marcelo's previous worries about not being able to play in the game were also eliminated.

But instead, he found himself performing somewhat differently than he had expected.

There are very different understandings of football, of full-backs, of the Premier League and Brazil.

In Brazil, he is more responsible for offense.

Losing the ball in the frontcourt and conceding goals are not a problem at all in Brazil.

In fact, no one would even consider it.

But in the UK, that’s not possible.

More and more people began to pay attention to his strong offense but weak defense, and more and more media were blaming him for his poor performance on the defensive end.

At the beginning, the head coach and teammates around him would comfort him.

Especially the head coach.

He always emphasized, "You must have confidence in yourself and in me!"

In order to help him, the coaching staff even arranged some targeted projects in training. During the game, Jose Fonte, Yaya Toure, Thiago Silva and others would constantly remind him.

Assistant coach Brian Kidd was nice to everyone else but very tough on him.

He would ask Marcelo to advance, but he must ensure that he can sprint back in the shortest possible time after losing the ball.

Can you do it?

You can attack however you want.

But what if I come back late?
What awaited him was Brian Kidd's shout.

After every training session and game, Brian Kidd would point out many of his problems and tell him where he could do better and where he was stupid...

Although Marcelo was in awe of Brian Kidd's strictness, he was more grateful to Brian Kidd for helping him improve and progress.

So, Marcelo learns quickly.

But like all Brazilians, he always feels particularly strange about European tactics.

Even, it’s incomprehensible.

Marcelo couldn't describe the feeling.

He knew what he wanted to do and tried hard to do it well, but he always failed.

It was as if, whenever he performed badly, everyone around him told him not to care about the outside opinions.

But it is impossible for him not to pay attention to the public opinion outside.

Even Brazilian media reporters asked him if it was really bad to play in the Premier League?
Right!

All Brazilians don't like the Premier League.

So far, the number of Brazilians who have had success in the Premier League can be counted on one hand.

This began to become Marcelo's nightmare.

He began to wonder if he would be the next Brazilian to fall in the Premier League.

He tries very hard to do everything well and play well in every game.

But sometimes, the harder he tried, the worse the results.

Just like the game against Tottenham.

Especially the last penalty kick.

He ruined the team's 3 points and a precious chance to reach the top.

He might even ruin the team's chances of winning the league title.

This made him feel even worse and more self-doubting.

Especially after the game, he even began to worry whether he would be isolated by his teammates?
On New Year's Day, he wasn't even on the roster.

This made him even more worried.

The New Year’s Day game is in the afternoon and it will be evening after the game.

The head coach invited the whole team to have a meal together.

After dinner, Marcelo stopped the head coach who was about to go out on a date with his girlfriend.

This is what the head coach said before.

If you need anything, you can always find him.

……

The two stood on the rooftop of the Lancaster Royal Hotel where they were having dinner, looking towards the Bayswater Stadium in the west.

It was pitch black there now.

"You have two problems now."

In the past few days, Yang Cheng has been extremely busy and has hardly had any private time.

It was a rare day that he had some free time, so he was planning to accompany Xia Qing to Knightsbridge for a stroll and then go home to sleep.

So, he didn't plan to talk to Marcelo.

"First, you are not confident enough right now."

Marcelo looked up at the head coach in disbelief.

He felt that the head coach knew all the worries and thoughts in his heart.

And it's crystal clear.

"Secondly, you lack experience and practical training. You have not yet found a balance between offense and defense, between Brazil and the Premier League."

Marcelo was completely convinced!
He didn't know how Yang Cheng did it.

The head coach is only 28 years old, but why does it seem that nothing can be hidden from him?
“These seem like two problems, but they are actually one problem.”

Confidence is something that is built up slowly.

So do competition experience and practical training.

"From the moment I signed you, I have been telling you that I know what kind of player you are and what level you can play, but you seem to be doubting me and yourself."

Marcelo didn't know how to answer.

Because Yang Cheng is right.

"To be honest, there is really no better solution for this situation. There are only two options."

"First, I will loan you out right now, during the winter transfer period. I will help you choose a suitable team where the game pressure and media attention are not so great. You can play there on loan for one or two years."

"As long as you perform well out there, play hard and improve yourself, I'll bring you back in a year or two."

"The second option is that you stay in the team and continue to play like you are now. I will try to arrange more game time for you. You play slowly, accumulate experience and build confidence slowly, and the situation will get better in the future."

Marcelo felt a strong sense of trust and support.

This is his second professional team.

But he had never felt the kind of trust and support he was getting at Fluminense.

To be honest, Marcelo was particularly touched.

For the first time, he felt an urge to play football for Yang Cheng and do everything for him.

"I don't want to leave!" Marcelo said firmly.

He has never been one to give up easily.

More importantly, he was afraid that if he left, he would never come back.

"Then just train, play and improve peacefully. Brazilians have always had low tactical literacy, but the more so, the harder you have to work to learn more and understand more. No one is born with the ability."

"Also, Brazilians are very resistant to physical confrontation and hate training in the gym. I'm not saying that you should train yourself into a muscular man, but at least you have to ensure that you don't suffer a disadvantage in a physical confrontation of the same level, right?"

Marcelo nodded.

"We will all help you, but it will take some time, maybe one, two, or even three years."

"I have confidence in you, so don't give up!"

Marcelo was really touched and kept nodding as he listened to the coach's instructions.

……

"It can be seen that you attach great importance to Marcelo."

After Marcelo left, Xia Qing came to Yang Cheng and spoke with particular curiosity.

The outside media has a very low opinion of Marcelo.

Especially after the draw at White Hart Lane, Marcelo was almost nailed to the pillar of shame.

Yang Cheng smiled slightly, leaned against the guardrail, looked at Xia Qing in front of him, stretched out his hand, and led her to his side.

"He will be the best left-back in the world, bar none!"

Xia Qing was very surprised.

Unexpectedly, Yang Cheng thought so highly of Marcelo.

"I remember you said that Maicon would be the best right-back in the world. Now..."

Yang Cheng laughed out loud, "Maicon was born in 81, Marcelo was born in 88, the age difference between them is 7 years."

The peak periods are completely staggered.

Why does Yang Cheng value Marcelo so much?

In addition to the fact that he is one of the world's top left-backs, there is another very important reason, Toni Kroos.

Marcelo is actually a very, very, very special full-back.

He is very different to other full-backs.

Needless to say on the defensive end, Marcelo's specialty is on the offensive level.

European full-backs generally focus on crossing, whether it is a diagonal pass or a low cross, which is a characteristic of European full-backs.

But they rarely surpass others.

Just like Ashley Cole, who is famous for his offensive ability, he is considered to be a European full-back with strong offensive ability. He is not tall and has good footwork.

Ashley Cole's overall pass success rate exceeded 85%, and it reached 95% in the backcourt.

But his number of dribbles is pitifully small, and his attacking method is still mainly based on crossing.

Leighton Baines averages 0.6 dribbles per game, but his pass success rate is lower than Ashley Cole. His overall pass success rate is 80%, and around 90% in the backfield.

The success rate of crosses is only one in four at best.

These days, crosses from the wing are not that efficient.

Even Maicon in the Bayswater Chinese team, who is considered a very mature right-back, has a success rate of this magnitude.

But Maicon's long passes on the right were very accurate, reaching 60%.

In recent years, the full-backs in Europe have basically all adopted this style. Even for the top-level players like Lahm, it is considered quite good if he can make one dribble in each game.

Passing is still mainly through crosses and long passes.

This situation continued until ten years later, when a new generation of full-backs emerged, including Arnold and Theo Hernandez.

Influenced by the overall football environment at the time, the training and requirements for full-backs have undergone great changes.

Theo Hernandez rarely makes crosses, and most of his passes are long passes and passes.

Arnold was influenced by the tactical system of the Premier League and Liverpool. He still retains a strong crossing ability and is also very good at long passes.

To put it simply, Arnold is like Ashley Cole on the right.

But Arnold's passing ability is far inferior to Ashley Cole, at least 10 percentage points lower.

This is the mainstream full-back in continental Europe.

So what is it about Brazil's full-backs that is so special?
A very important reason is that they dare to dribble past opponents on the wing.

Whether it is Ashley Cole, Lahm, or others in front, European full-backs basically dare not, or do not know how to dribble past opponents on the wing.

Theo Hernandez is one of the few exceptions.

The French full-back has the ability to dribble past opponents on the wing that is no less than that of the Brazilian.

Even someone like Maicon only averages more than 1.5 dribbles per game.

Such extraordinary data is beyond the reach of many European wingers.

Marcelo and Dani Alves will be better at dribbling past opponents.

These two Brazilian players have another common feature, that is, they both have very delicate footwork.

Marcelo, in particular, is better at stopping the ball and passing it than Alves.

The most rare thing is that his right foot is also very strong.

This allows him to launch attacks along the wing, and when he reaches the frontcourt, he can choose to cross the ball, cut in diagonally, or cut in laterally.

So, if you watch Marcelo, you can easily find that he often moves on the wing and the flank.

This is a bit similar to being a defensive midfielder or even an attacking midfielder.

Judging from the statistics, he will have a lot of through balls.

The same was true for Maicon and Alves during their peak periods.

Whether it's crossing from the wing, dribbling through, or cutting in and passing straight, they can do it with ease.

This is the biggest difference between Brazilian full-backs and European full-backs.

Among European full-backs, even Theo Hernandez, who has strong dribbling ability, rarely or almost never passes the ball behind him.

To some extent, this style of play of the wing midfielder is like a style started by the Brazilian full-backs.

Only Brazilian full-backs can use this style of play to its full potential.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, whether it was Maicon in Inter Milan, Alves in Sevilla and Barcelona, ​​or Marcelo in Real Madrid, they were all representatives of this type of all-round organizer on the wing.

Rafael also played like this Brazilian full-back during his time at Manchester United, and his ability to dribble past opponents was also excellent, but later on, Manchester United and Ferguson's training of him gradually moved towards European style.

This trend can be vividly reflected in Rafael's series of game data.

Another player who must be mentioned here is Piszczek.

The Pole was born as a striker, and he has sharp speed, excellent footwork, and strong ability to dribble past opponents on the wing.

But in his previous life, two hip surgeries, that is, buttock injuries, had a huge impact on him.

During the 08/09 season, he was still playing for Hertha Berlin and was injured for 8 months.

In the 12/13 season, he was injured again, this time in Dortmund, and rested for more than half a year. As a result, his speed and dribbling ability were all gone in an instant.

Since then, Piszczek has started to change his playing style, and his injuries have increased.

But at Bayswater Chinese, Piszczek is doing fine now.

It’s just that Maicon is performing too well, and it will be difficult for the 22-year-old Pole to get a starting position for the time being.

……

In Yang Cheng's previous life, many people mentioned Real Madrid's ceremonial three midfielders and praised them highly.

But it is still easy for fans to underestimate Marcelo's role at the tactical level.

The Brazilian full-back's exquisite footwork and sharp wing breakthroughs allow him to pose a great threat on the wing.

More importantly, his small-area passing and cutting cooperation with Toni Kroos on the left side of the midfield, coupled with Cristiano Ronaldo in front, is something that no team dares to ignore.

Therefore, they can only shift the focus of their defense here.

In this case, the effect of Toni Kroos's long pass can be maximized. Once the ball reaches the right side, the cooperation between Modric and Carvajal can quickly attract the attention of the defense.

At this time, Ronaldo will move towards the middle, and the defensive players will also move towards the middle, leaving only Marcelo on the left.

Modric and Carvajal will also transfer the ball to the left in time.

In this situation, Marcelo, who has strong one-on-one dribbling skills, played to his full potential.

Among the Bayswater Chinese team currently built by Yang Cheng, what makes them better than Real Madrid is that Carvajal's ability to dribble past opponents on the wing is not strong.

Real Madrid's full-backs average about 0.6 dribbles per game, which is similar to Ashley Cole, Arnold and others.

What about Piszczek?
Now in Bayswater Chinese, when he is not injured, his statistics are basically the same as Maicon, both above 1.5.

This is the biggest gap.

By then, the attack of the Chinese in Bayswater will be sharper than that of Real Madrid.

The threat from both flanks will be greater.

If Barcelona in its heyday had Alves and Messi on the right, and Real Madrid in its heyday had Marcelo and Ronaldo on the left, then now, the Bayswater Chinese have very attacking full-backs on both the left and right flanks.

By that time, it will be hard to say who will win or lose!

But with Modric and Toni Kroos in hand, plus Marcelo and Piszczek, Yang Cheng is absolutely confident that he can compete with the peak Barcelona, ​​or Real Madrid where Ronaldo is!
There is nothing we can do about this.

The strength of the two heroes is really too strong.

Since Bayswater Chinese do not have such a superstar with superb individual abilities, they can only make up for it by relying on the overall performance.

But Yang Cheng believes that this will definitely be a strong foundation to establish a ruling dynasty in the Premier League.

This is also the reason why Yang Cheng has been waiting for Toni Kroos.

……

The Premier League's devilish Christmas schedule is indeed very difficult.

After Christmas, the FA Cup will start immediately.

Therefore, many Premier League teams, especially the strong teams, often choose to rest their main players in the third round of the FA Cup.

Even a holiday.

Yang Cheng gave Arshavin a vacation last year.

The same is true this year.

Because after the third round of the FA Cup, the League Cup semi-finals will be in the middle of the week.
But Bayswater Chinese have been eliminated from the League Cup, so there is no pressure in this regard.

In other words, after the 1st round of the Premier League on January 1, many main players of the first team will be able to get about 21 days of rest.

Yang Cheng gave the core players three days off at once, allowing them to have a good rest and spend time with their families.

In the FA Cup third round on the afternoon of January 1th, Bayswater Chinese faced a very interesting opponent.

Queens Park Rangers.

This is really not a trick, it's just a coincidence.

What’s even more coincidental is that Bayswater Chinese drew the home court.

Because of past connections, the Bayswater Chinese are also very generous.

Adam Crozier suggested that each side sell their own tickets.

Anyway, Wembley Stadium is so big, how can it be full?
So, each party sells tickets, and the revenue from the tickets sold belongs to them.

When Adam Crozer made this suggestion, he also secretly told Yang Cheng that he just wanted to take this opportunity to secretly attract a wave of Queens Park Rangers fans.

In the end, more than 7 fans flocked to the game, including more than 2 Queens Park Rangers fans.

This also shows the strength of this West London team.

The Chinese in Bayswater have already attracted a lot of attention, and now they can call on so many fans to go to Wembley Stadium to support them.

Yang Cheng had to admire this team, and at the same time he also gave Adam Crozier a severe beating.

The suction is not strong enough!
Yang Cheng played this game with an all-substitute and young lineup.

Goalkeeper: Begovic;
Defense: Marcelo, Thiago Silva, Koscielny and Piszczek;

Midfield: Matic deep, Rakitic and Aaron Ramsey;
Forwards: Gareth Bale, Lewandowski and Walcott.

Yang Cheng originally planned to start Matuidi, but the French midfielder was injured in training.

There is no choice but to let Rakitic take over.

Although the lineup is young, its strength is not weak at all.

After the start of the game, the midfield composed of Matic, Rakitic and Aaron Ramsey showed strong passing and ball control abilities.

All three midfielders have excellent footwork.

Queens Park Rangers tried to launch an attack at the start of the game, but it was like hitting cotton.

After slowly controlling the tempo of the game and possession of the ball, the Chinese from Bayswater gradually started to exert their strength from the 15th minute.

In the 21st minute, Walcott dribbled past two opposing defenders and passed the ball low to the right side of the small penalty area.

Lewandowski came up and sent the ball into the Queens Park Rangers goal.

1 is better than 0!

In the 29th minute, Gareth Bale made a wonderful pass from the left, Lewandowski stopped the ball on the left side of the penalty area, dribbled past the defender, and shot with his right foot, once again breaking through the goal guarded by Lee Kemp.

2 is better than 0!

The continuous attacks made Queens Park Rangers exhausted.

Especially the two side lanes.

Marcelo and Piszczek played very actively on the wings.

The gap in strength between the two teams is too great.

This resulted in basically no pressure on Bayswater Chinese's back line, as both Marcelo and Piszczek could devote themselves to the attack to the maximum without having to worry about what was behind them.

Queens Park Rangers played with trepidation.

Before the end of the first half, a long shot from Rakitic once again broke through the Queens Park Rangers' goal.

3 is better than 0!

After the second half, Gareth Bale scored with a direct free kick from 35 meters away.

Subsequently, former Bayswater Chinese midfielder Martin Roland also took a long shot, but it was confiscated by Begovic.

In the 58th minute, Aaron Ramsey took the ball on the right rib, broke through the double-team of two opposing defenders, and made a straight pass on the right side of the penalty area.

Lewandowski kicked the ball from the right side of the small penalty area and sent the ball into the goal again.

5 is better than 0!

The Polish center forward scored a hat trick!
Afterwards, the Chinese in Bayswater also decided to quit while they were ahead.

After all, they are both teams from West London and they played in the same stadium before.

But on the field, the team still created dangerous situations repeatedly.

In the end, Bayswater Chinese beat Queens Park Rangers 5-0 at home.

Yang Cheng didn't think there was anything to say about this victory.

The head coach of Queens Park Rangers is Italian Luigi De Canio, who has previously coached several Serie A teams.

Yang Cheng was not familiar with him and just shook his hand politely.

Instead it was Martin Roland.

After the game, the Irish international came over and shook hands with Yang Cheng.

When he saw Koscielny and Lambert, his expression became obviously complicated.

Interestingly enough, Martin Roland did quite well in his first year after leaving Bayswater Chinese.

With a higher salary, although it was hard to see the Chinese team at Bayswater promoted from the Championship to the Premier League, it could be appeased by money after all.

But as the performance of the Bayswater Chinese got better and better, especially last season, when they won the Premier League championship, he felt even worse.

He has not played for the Irish national team since July 04.

A few years have passed, and watching his former midfield partner, Modric, who performed worse than himself, has now become a well-known midfield core in the Premier League and the captain of the Bayswater Chinese.

Seeing that the former substitute center Lambert has also become famous, Koscielny, although not a main player, has also gained a good reputation.

On the other hand, although I have always been a main player at Queens Park Rangers, my performance has been getting worse and worse.

Today, Queens Park Rangers is almost in the relegation zone of the Championship.

Martin Roland has also seen it clearly and figured it out.

The success of the Chinese in Bayswater was not due to their strong capabilities.

It is because he fits the tactics of head coach Yang Cheng and plays to his own characteristics and advantages in this set of tactics.

After leaving Bayswater Chinese, he was like a bird without wings. Although he could still run on the ground, he could no longer fly.

"If I hadn't chosen to leave, perhaps everything would be different."

Before Martin Roland left, he left behind these words of regret.

Yang Cheng had a smile on his face the whole time, but he didn't think so in his heart.

Is it different?

Maybe.

If Martin Roland meets a team with compatible technical characteristics, it should be possible for him to be a substitute in the middle and lower reaches of the Premier League.

But it is very difficult to become a main player.

More importantly, he cannot replace any of the three midfielders of Bayswater Chinese.

So, the result should be the same.

……

December 1, the 12th round of the Premier League.

This round of games began with Chelsea beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at home.

Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Birmingham at home.

This is a not-so-small upset.

Birmingham is currently fighting for relegation, and it is indeed embarrassing for Arsenal to play like this at home.

Liverpool drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough away from home.

Manchester United beat Newcastle 6-0 at home thanks to a hat trick from Ronaldo and a brace from Tevez.

Ferguson's team, as always, always exerts its strength during Christmas and the winter break.

With Arsenal and Liverpool losing points one after another, Manchester United's morale was greatly boosted by this crazy slaughter.

Bayswater Chinese will challenge Aston Villa away in this round.

Martin O'Neill's team has been strengthened for two consecutive seasons and is quite strong.

The team includes Premier League stars such as Gareth Barry, Carew, Agbonlahor, Petrov, Bouma and Rayo Koke.

Especially the combination of Kalu and Abang Laho, one tall and one fast, is a headache for all teams.

On the other hand, Bayswater Chinese sent out all their main players for this game, but Yaya Toure was called up to the national team to play in the African Cup.

Therefore, Yang Cheng arranged Matuidi to start and Las Diarra to play as the lone defensive midfielder.

At the beginning of the game, the team still wanted to attack, but failed to score a goal.

Instead, in the 14th minute, Carew made a pass, midfielder Gareth Barry followed up and shot from the edge of the penalty area, breaking through the goal of the Bayswater Chinese.

1 is better than 0!

But just 9 minutes later, Bayswater Chinese equalized the score.

Maicon and Arshavin formed a wall-to-wall combination on the right, and the Brazilian made a cross from the right.

Dzeko grabbed the ball in the middle and passed it back to Modric who was running in from behind.

The Croatian made a cross pass, Matuidi broke into the penalty area and shot with his left foot near the penalty spot to equalize the score.

1 is better than 1!

After that, the Chinese in Bayswater launched a series of offensives.

Matuidi even had a long shot that hit the post.

But in the 36th minute, it was Maicon's precise cross from the right that allowed Dzeko to overpower the opponent's two central defenders in front of the goal and head the ball in from close range to reverse the score.

2 is better than 1!

In the second half, neither side was able to score again.

In the end, this score remained until the end of the game.

……

March 1st afternoon, Wembley Stadium, London.

In the 23rd round of the Premier League, Bayswater Chinese faced Manchester United at home.

This is a battle for the top spot that has attracted worldwide attention.

Both teams are aiming for the championship, and the current gap between them in the standings is only 1 point.

Since Yang Cheng took over as coach, Bayswater Chinese have never lost at home.

But the team's biggest problem now is that the core midfielder Yaya Toure has gone to participate in the African Cup.

In the last round, Yang Cheng used Matuidi as the top and Las Diarra played as the single defensive midfielder, but the effect was not very good.

So, in this game, Yang Cheng chose Matic to start.

This is a very bold decision, and it also represents Yang Cheng’s opinion.

You may not be able to hold the position by defending, so it is better to take the initiative to attack!
If Ferguson wants to maintain his position as the leader, he must leave Wembley Stadium unscathed.

Manchester United had just defeated Newcastle 6-0 at home in the last round and was in the limelight.

Ferguson's idea was also very ambitious. He wanted to destroy Bayswater Chinese in one fell swoop on the away field.

Use Manchester United's best attack to defeat the opponent!

Not only was it necessary to expand the league points, but it was also necessary to weaken the morale of the Chinese in Bayswater.

For this reason, both teams presented an open game to the 7 fans at Wembley Stadium from the first minute.

Just 42 seconds into the game for Manchester United, Ronaldo passed the ball to Tevez and Rooney, dribbled to the front of the penalty area and shot.

This was the first shot of the game.

Ferguson also held the same idea, which was to disrupt the attack of the Chinese in Bayswater and prevent them from attacking.

But in the 9th minute, Wes Brown got the ball in the backcourt and was intercepted by Di Maria.

The Argentine dribbled the ball diagonally to the left side of the penalty area and shot, but was saved by goalkeeper Van der Sar.

At the critical moment, Dzeko rushed over, blocked Vidic with his body, and scored the follow-up shot, 1-0!

The atmosphere in the entire stadium was completely ignited!
Experienced fans can guess that in this kind of offensive situation, the result of an early goal will definitely be a big score.

Manchester United began to launch a fierce attack, especially the trident in the frontcourt, which performed particularly strongly.

The Bayswater Chinese were equally unwilling to be outdone.

Although Yaya Toure was not there, the team's midfield operated smoothly.

In the 20th minute, Manchester United launched a quick counterattack.

After Tevez received the ball with his back, he made a straight pass.

Rooney quickly moved forward and received the ball into a one-on-one situation.

Facing the attacking Neuer, Rooney created an angle and shot into the empty goal.

1 is better than 1!

But the counterattack from the Chinese in Bayswater soon came.

First, Modric's long-range shot from outside the penalty area was brilliantly saved by Van der Sar.

Then Dzeko shot from a small angle on the right side of the small penalty area, but Vidic blocked the ball with his body and it went out of the baseline.

The subsequent corner kick also failed to pose a threat.

And in the 28th minute, Leighton Baines' free kick in the frontcourt went directly to the upper right corner, hit the crossbar and went out of the bottom line.

Just three minutes later, Dzeko faced a double-team from Ferdinand and Vidic in a quick counterattack. He made a hasty long shot from 3 meters away, which almost broke through Van der Sar's goal. The ball hit the post and bounced back.

Manchester United's goal was in danger, and the same was true for the Chinese at Bayswater.

The difference is that Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez are obviously not doing well.

Yang Cheng once again released Las Diarra to restrict Ronaldo. The Portuguese seemed to have a psychological shadow on Las Diarra and shot frequently, but all of them were wasted.

In the first half stoppage time, Maicon came from the right, received a straight pass from Arshavin, broke into the right side of the penalty area, and passed a low ball to the back post.

Di Maria followed up with a left-foot shot to increase the score again.

2 is better than 1!

After the second half, Manchester United's Rooney passed the ball to Ronaldo in the 57th minute despite the interference of Matic.

The Portuguese player quickly cut into the right side of the penalty area and made a cross, sending the ball in front of the goal.

Tevez threw himself out and shoveled the ball into the goal of the Chinese team in Bayswater.

2 is better than 2!

After equalizing the score, Manchester United decisively changed its tactics.

Ferguson started making substitutions, replacing Tevez with Fletcher.

At the same time, Manchester United adjusted the team's tactics, changing to 4312, with Rooney and Ronaldo as the forward line.

At this time, Hargreaves, Carrick and Fletcher formed a three-man defense, with Scholes in front.

Yang Cheng guessed Ferguson's intention.

But he wanted to take a gamble!
Bayswater Chinese are now 1 point behind Manchester United and must beat Manchester United in this game to make a comeback in the standings.

What's more, this is at home.

Therefore, Yang Cheng signaled the team to continue to strengthen the offense.

For a moment, there was panic outside Manchester United's penalty area.

The Bayswater Chinese attack resulted in one shot after another.

Van der Sar suddenly became the busiest person on the field.

Especially in the 65th and 67th minutes, both times they were just a little bit close to scoring.

The previous time was when Maicon made a cross from the right, and Dzeko almost sent the ball into the goal with a volley from the left side of the penalty area, but it was saved by Van der Sar as if with divine help.

But the Chinese in Bayswater continued to intensify their offensive, forcing Vidic to head the ball in the 67th minute.

Yes, Manchester United’s defense has a big problem this season, which is defending high balls.

Ferdinand, Vidic and Wes Brown all have good heading skills and are tall enough, so it's impossible that they are often scored against by opponents with headers, right?

But they have a fatal problem, which is that they are sometimes not focused enough when defending high balls.

That's what happened with Vidic's header this time.

Arshavin broke into the penalty area and rushed to the penalty spot.

As a result, Van der Sar left the goal and snatched the ball out of the air before Arshavin.

The two of them bumped into each other.

But the Manchester United goalkeeper held on to the ball tightly.

One minute later, the offensive of the Chinese players in Bayswater forced Ferdinand to commit a foul and receive a yellow card.

Another crack has appeared in Manchester United's iron wall.

But just when the Chinese from Bayswater were about to break through Manchester United's defense, in the 77th minute, Fletcher blocked an attack from the Chinese from Bayswater, Scholes made a fatal through pass, and Ronaldo moved forward at an extremely fast speed.

When facing the joint blockade of two defensive players, Pepe and Thiago Silva, the Portuguese used his speed to break through, broke into the right side of the penalty area, and shot into the goal, 3-2!

Manchester United began to defend more resolutely.

Ferguson even replaced Scholes with Giggs and continued to adopt a defensive counterattack tactic.

The Chinese in Bayswater continued to increase their offensive efforts.

The crucial battle for the top spot, the unbeaten record at home over the past few years, the cheers of 7 fans on the scene...

All of this made the Bayswater Chinese put their all into the game!
Especially after the 86th minute, the attack of the Bayswater Chinese almost reached the point of completely disregarding defense.

In the 88th minute, Rooney made a pass, allowing Ronaldo to rush into the penalty area of ​​the Bayswater Chinese team and once again had a one-on-one opportunity.

But Neuer decisively left the goal and rushed out to the right side of the penalty spot, saving the ball from Ronaldo's feet.

Then, the German goalkeeper rushed out of the penalty area before Rooney and kicked the ball forward.

Such a brave performance further aroused the bloodiness and morale of the home team players.

It was not until the 92nd minute that Arshavin received Dzeko's return pass on the left side of the penalty area, dribbled past Fletcher, and shot a curved ball with his right foot.

The football made an arc, hit the inside of the right post and went into Manchester United's goal.

The entire Wembley Stadium erupted in crazy cheers!

3 is better than 3!

(End of this chapter)