The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 183 (o_O)

The match against the Paris team was a major event in Corsica.

After all, Paris was once conquered by legendary figures from Corsica.

Furthermore, due to Corsica's long-standing separatist tendencies, Bastia fans often view matches against Parisian teams as a symbol of "confrontation with mainland France."

In this match, it made the Bastia fans even more excited.

The Bastia of today is not the Bastia of the past.

With players like Gaião and De Bruyne, they are considered a force to be reckoned with in the current Ligue 1 standings.

After five rounds of Ligue 1, the team that Hagi Begic called a relegation candidate has quietly moved up to fifth place.

Their opponents in this match, Paris Saint-Germain, have also gradually risen to fourth place.

This direct dialogue is likely to further impact the points rankings.

Thessaly Stadium.

By 6 p.m., Bastia fans, led by Ultras Bastia, had already gathered around the stadium.

Everyone shouted slogans and sang Bastia's cheering songs with all their might.

As the Paris Saint-Germain team bus drove toward the stadium.

Bastia fans went wild.

At the very front of the crowd, Modoso, shirtless with a Moorish head tattooed on his chest and "Gueho" on his shoulder, along with other patterns, was the first to rush to the bus, shouting—"Parisians, your souls are in the bank!"

He was yelling and banging on the bus.

More and more Bastia fans surged forward, completely forcing the bus to a stop.

The Bastia police were moving rather "slowly" in the crowd, as they were blocked and unable to get through.

"Your trophy belongs to Qatar, but our glory belongs to Corsica!"

"Mercenaries, get back to Paris! How much is your loyalty worth?"

Countless voices converged.

clap clap clap!
Listening to the various noises coming from the car, the PSG players inside appeared somewhat agitated.

Especially Ibrahimovic.

Perhaps he hasn't yet adapted to the unique intensity of competition in Corsica – in the second round of Ligue 1, when PSG played away against Ajaccio, Ibrahimovic lost his temper because fans threw objects and interrupted the game.

Ajaccio ultimately managed to draw with Paris Saint-Germain.

Therefore, he had no goodwill towards Corsica. With a displeased expression, he said to Silva beside him, "I will tear their defense apart and make them feel the pain of conceding a goal at home."

The police eventually managed to "break through" the crowd.

after all,

If they don't come to manage things soon, PSG's entry into the game may be delayed.

The home team will be the one punished in the end.

The police are indeed useful.

When they decided to come over, Modoso and the others scattered in all directions.

However, after clearing a path, Modoso led the fans in making international friendliness gestures towards the bus.

"Is everything ready?" Modoso asked the person next to him as the bus drove into the stadium.

"Of course! Those guys from Ajaccio gave the Parisians a run for their money, how could we miss such an opportunity!"

boom!
Boom boom! !
When the players came out to warm up at the Thessaloniki Stadium, the stadium was already packed with people.

This is the cohesion that Bastia has today.

Inside the stadium.

The die-hard fans in the North Stand sang along non-stop, including a song specifically mocking Paris Saint-Germain called "Tremble, Oil Guys!"

The fans stomped their feet in unison.

Boom!Boom!
"Checks can't buy courage; Parisians' legs are weak!"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Gold can't buy loyalty, and mercenaries will flee!"

dong dong! !
The stomping grew more and more rapid.

The speaking speed gradually increased—

"Ancelotti, your tactics manual is as thick as a brick? I didn't even glance at it during the Istanbul night!"
Ibrahimovic calls himself God? Your bicycle kicks may be fancy, but you miss most open goals, making you worse than my grandma!
Menez's lightning-fast dribble? Dazzling and flashy, but upon closer inspection, it's just a "standing still" move.

The sound is rolling.

The PSG players didn't expect this match to be even more troublesome than the one in Ajaccio.

"Islanders are islanders, barbaric." Ibrahimovic scoffed, then took a warm-up shot, the ball sailing over the crossbar and into the stands.

Shhh!!

Another round of boos followed.

the other side.

The Bastia players, on the other hand, were warming up intensively.

On the way back to the locker room.

Gai said to Mane, "Don't be nervous, remember to get back on defense often."

"it is good!"

Mane nodded, realizing that he had actually started the game since he signed full ownership to Pierre's agency.

Although there seems to be no connection between the two.

But he couldn't help but think about Gaio's current influence in Bastia.

Kanté remained silent as always.

De Bruyne is highly motivated to fight.

Lukaku seemed somewhat disappointed, as he did not start the match.

In the locker room.

Hagi Bejic said, "We're playing full defense! Everyone has to defend! Only Gaio can stay deep enough to be the spearhead of the counter-attack. We only have one tactic for this game: counter-attack! Even though we're playing at home, it's not shameful to defend; losing is!"

The players nodded.

Bastia's summer signings were only one-tenth of PSG's.

The difference in their net worth is also significant.

While Gaio, De Bruyne, and Lukaku are all reasonably valued, they are the only three players in Bastia with a market value exceeding ten million.

Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, has a bunch of players with transfer fees of over 10 million.

Players with market values ​​exceeding 30 million euros, or even approaching 40 million euros, include Ibrahimovic, Pastore, Silva, and others.

In addition, Verratti, Menez, Alex and other starting players are all valued at over 1,000.

Even goalkeeper Sirigu is valued at 1200 million euros!
On paper, Bastia is completely outmatched by Paris Saint-Germain.

Therefore,
Hagi Bejic reiterated, "Defense! The key to this game is defense! We can't let them score easily!"

He then turned to Rothen and Anguilla, saying, "You're both veteran players, I think you know how to play against Ibrahimovic."

Angula patted his chest, "Don't worry! I used to practice Muay Thai! I definitely won't let him have it easy!"

Rothen nodded as well.

Hagi Begic then looked at Gaio, and without a word, Gaio nodded slightly, knowing what he had to do—give everything to get the ball into the net!

Hagi Begić then looked at Mane.

The latter also nodded; this was his first start, and he didn't want to mess it up.

soon.

Time's up.

The players stood in the middle of the locker room, hands clasped, and shouted together, "Fight, Bastia!"

"Corsican fans are world-renowned for their fervor; they will transform their home ground into a 'blue hell' with deafening cheers, waving independence flags, and burning fireworks. Captain Gaio's attacking line possesses formidable attacking capabilities and may test the Paris defense's weakness in turning speed."

The TF1 commentator couldn't wait to start broadcasting the match. He continued,

"Regardless of the outcome, this match has long transcended the realm of mere competition. For Bastia, it's a declaration of war by grassroots football against financial giants; for the Corsicans, it's a battle to defend the dignity of their home culture. Tonight, every inch of the pitch at the Cesarí stadium will be soaked in the blood of the Bastia people."

"For Ancelotti and his PSG, only a victory in this match would justify their transfer fees."

As captain, Gaio stood at the front of the team.

Beside him was Thiago Silva, the captain of Paris Saint-Germain.

Under Ancelotti's management, Paris Saint-Germain built their defense around Thiago Silva and replicated AC Milan's "Christmas tree formation".

Gaio glanced at Silva, who returned a smile at the opportune moment.

It's hard to be unaware of Gaio's name when playing football in France. He's currently the most rapidly rising player in French football.

As a Brazilian, Silva had to admit that after watching Gaio's match highlights, he also thought Gaio was very similar to his Brazilian predecessors.

His playing style is very flamboyant.

Tonight, he will play as a left center-back, and his primary task is to prevent Gaio from cutting inside.

That would be a direct confrontation between the two captains.

"Let's go."

The referee checked the time, called to the players, and they all entered the field.

The moment of entering.

boom!
The roar of the 20,000 fans at Thessaloniki Stadium filled the ears of every player.

It even hurts a little.

"Gaio" and "Bastia" are the most frequently shouted words.

Opening ceremony.

Gaio and Silva played a coin toss game, choosing which side to pick.

Paris Saint-Germain gained possession of the ball.

The players quickly moved to the center circle, waiting for the match to begin.

Courtside.

The two head coaches stood a few meters apart.

Ancelotti looked serious, but also somewhat nonchalant.

Haji Begitch seemed a little nervous.

This season is one of the few top-league seasons he has coached, and this match is the most important one for Bastia.

How can we win the championship if we can't get points from our direct competitors in the league?

Yes.

Although Hagi Begic has always said he wants to avoid relegation, it would be a lie to say he didn't have the desire to compete for the championship when he was fifth in the standings.

Regardless of success or failure, we must keep going!
"Geo!!"

Suddenly, a loud bang came from the north grandstand, followed by the sound of drums and clapping.

Send it all out.

Boom!
The drums sound, "Gaio!"

clap clap clap!
A giant TIFO was unfurled in the North Stand, the one many fans are familiar with – Gaio's silhouette, holding a crown and facing the mainland.

However, this image has been modified.

Gaio changed his jersey number to 10.

Furthermore, the Paris Saint-Germain team emblem appeared at Gaio's feet, and many torn euros fell to the ground.

drop! !

When the time was up, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.

The Bastia players didn't get carried away by the opening festivities; they all agreed that the game would be tough.

At the start, the entire Bastia team retreated.

Hagi Bejic used a 4-4-2 formation in this match.

Up front, Mane and Gaião.

Following them are Palmieri, De Bruyne, Kanté, and Rothen.

The back line consists of Sidibé, Kahusac, Joplin, and Angula.

Goalkeeper Norvis.

Hagi Bejić's idea was simple: focus on defense, then utilize De Bruyne and Rothen's long passing ability, and rely on Mane and Gaião to take turns attacking PSG's defense.

The tactics are simple.

However, it requires a high level of individual skill from the players.

After the opening ceremony.

PSG advanced with the ball, and Ancelotti tried out many formations for PSG.

Ultimately, the Christmas tree formation 4321 was chosen.

When it's time to attack, it will become 41212 again.

Goalkeeper Sirigu.

The defense is led by two center-backs, Silva and Alex, with Jallet on the right and Brazilian international Maxwell on the left.

Midfielder: Verratti.

Muhammad Sissoko, and Matuidi.

Pastore.

The two forwards are Ibrahimovic and Gameiro.

Wow!

Just two minutes into the game, Pastore saw that Bastia's defense was somewhat weakened on the edge of the penalty area, so he decided to try a long-range shot.

Kahusac dove to block the shot, deflecting the ball out of bounds.

Paris corner kick.

The TF1 commentator remarked, "This match put immense pressure on Bastia's defense. They conceded a corner kick to Paris just two minutes into the game, and this kind of situation is likely to become the norm in subsequent matches."

Verratti took the kick.

Ibrahimovic tried to jump in the crowd, but someone pulled him down and he fell to the ground.

The ball was punched out of the penalty area by Norvez.

"Hey! Foul!"

Ibrahimovic sat on the ground, looking furious, and reached out to the referee.

The referee simply gestured for him to get up.

The game continues.

Bastia had no possession whatsoever and were completely shut down. Gaio even dropped back to his own half to help with the defense.

The fans at the stadium were not discouraged by the situation and continued to cheer for the team.

Even when Ibrahimovic had the ball, some fans were yelling, "Ibrahimovic, you softie!"

courtside,

Seeing this scene, Haji Begić couldn't help but pace around to relieve his anxiety.

Jerónimín and Chatham in the stands also looked somewhat nervous.

They all wanted to know how strong the team would be after going all-in this season.

Shouting the slogan of winning the championship is certainly easy.

European football has seen its share of examples of teams that went all-in on player signings, only to end up with a disastrous performance and a disastrous collapse.

Across the strait in the English Premier League, Leeds United, once known as the "White Roses," ruined themselves in the same way.

Hey!
Kante made a flying tackle, and Pastore poked the ball out of bounds, drawing gasps from the fans.

Kante faced a lot of defensive pressure in this match.

He lacked the passion that other players showed after a successful defensive play, so Kanté quickly got up and immediately focused on the nearby Paris Saint-Germain players.

At this moment,
The broadcast suddenly focused on Deschamps in the stands.

The TF1 commentator laughed, "Deschamps is here! Both sides in this match have French internationals and players who have a chance to be selected for the French national team. My God! De Bruyne!!"

He suddenly cried out in surprise.

In the broadcast.

Paris Saint-Germain threw the ball out, and Ibrahimovic caught it, but Kahusaz and Joplin behind him worked together to poke the ball away.

De Bruyne controlled the ball.

Matuidi immediately rushed up to intercept De Bruyne, but De Bruyne, with a quick flick of his foot and a pull, combined with his own rhythm, spun around and shook off Matuidi.

He then did not proceed further.

Instead, he launched a sudden long pass!
This kick,
This also elicited gasps from the fans at the scene!
Ancelotti's expression fell when he saw the speed of Bastia's striker.

(o_O)

He stared blankly at the backcourt.

(End of this chapter)