The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 234 Gaio is "unsuitable" for Atletico Madrid

"Oh, Gaio is on the field. The nightmare for Brest's defenders has begun."

The TF1 commentator continued with a smile, "I believe that defenders from both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 teams should know how difficult Gaio is to defend."

His exquisite footwork was enough to outmaneuver Italy's ironclad defense during the European Championship.

Italy, aiming for the championship, were eliminated in the quarterfinals. It remains to be seen whether Brest's defense can withstand the test.

Chauvin waved his arms, making a gesture of holding firm towards the defensive line.

Brest's left-wing defenders were actually prepared for Gaio's appearance.

In fact, they had been preparing to defend against Gaio as a core tactic even before the game.

Seeing Chauvin's gesture, they all knew what to do.

The Brest fans at the stadium all looked rather somber; as French people, they knew all too well what Gaio was capable of.

As the westernmost city on the French Atlantic coast, Brest's football scene has always been lukewarm.

Brest FC claims to have been founded in 1903, but this claim is disputed. The current Brest Sport FC was formed in 1950 by the merger of five different local clubs.

They claim to have been founded in 1903 because of their merger with Brest Amorica, whose history dates back to the early 20th century.

So they consider themselves to have been founded in 1903.

They were first promoted to the French top flight in 1979 and remained there until their relegation in 1991, spending most of those years in Ligue 2.

Although they remained in Ligue 1 this season, their strength is relatively average.

So when they saw that their team was leading Bastia by one goal, they were especially eager to maintain the score.

but.

Gaio gave them a big scare with just his first touch of the ball.

De Bruyne played a through ball, and Gaio cut inside from the wing to the half-space. Cantari, the defensive midfielder, was marking Gaio closely, but he didn't follow up with the first step, causing Gaio to lose his position.

If center-back Bernard Mendy hadn't been in the right position to block Gaio's pass to Lukaku...

Brest's goal is in grave danger.

Lukaku gave Gaio a thumbs-up, showing his approval.

Gaio shook his head, not satisfied with his pass, which he made with his right foot in an effort to save time.

He looked at Bernard Mendy, who had just blocked his shot, and was quite impressed.

For no other reason than that Gaio once watched a charity match.

Bernard Mendy faced the opposing attacking player with a defensive gaze, watching as the opponent scored.

Of course, the goalkeeper also has a lot of blame for that match. The opponent's shot wasn't very powerful, but the goalkeeper failed to make a timely save.

It profoundly illustrates what it means to "play football with your boss".

Oh, in that match, Mbappe's father, Wilfrid, was also on the same team as Bernard Mendy.

The goal was scored by the white team's short forward, who is only 173 centimeters tall (as shown in the picture below).

Gaio snapped out of his reverie and turned his attention to Brest's defense, looking for an opportunity.

at this time.

Neither the Bastia fans in the away section nor the fans in Bastia had lost faith in the game.

They believed in Gaio.

After Bastia kicked the ball out, they continued their attack.

Brest's objective is clear: to defend to the death. Even striker Ben Bassat has dropped back to the defensive line.

"Half an hour left, hold on and we'll win." That's what all the Brest players and fans are thinking.

Chauvin was actually very nervous on the sidelines.

If anyone in Brest lacks confidence in holding onto their lead, it's undoubtedly the manager.

The more you know about both teams and players, the less confident you become.

This season, Bastia has surprised Chauvin with both their squad and the actual performance of their players on the field. They are definitely not an ordinary Ligue 1 team.

More importantly, Bastia's investment was not large. Compared to Paris Saint-Germain's investment of over 100 million euros, they only invested a little over 10 million euros and achieved such results, which is extremely cost-effective.

Bastia has a powerful backer!
If Chauvin were in charge, he certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve the same effect as Bastia with over ten million euros.

That's why he was somewhat pessimistic about the game.

Of course.

It's not because of pessimism that we shouldn't strive for victory.

If possible, he still hopes to win this game.

Time keeps passing.

Brest fans are seeing more and more hope.

The time has reached 70 minutes, and the score is still 1-0.

Bastia had several threatening attacks, but none of them resulted in a goal.

Lukaku was getting a bit irritable because he was being defended so badly. There were two players in the middle lane who were practically holding him down, giving him no chance to move around easily.

however,
Brest's defensive strategy came at the cost of a rapid decline in physical fitness, especially by the 75th minute.

Gaio still received the ball on the right wing. He glanced at his teammates in the middle, feigned a pass, but actually flicked the ball forward, then cut inside, changing direction and sending the defending winger Mario Lichka flying.

Lichka was too focused on marking Gaio, so Gaio's feint completely fooled him.

Fortunately, he still has teammates.

However, Gaião's fast footwork, combined with the Brest players' declining stamina, became their nightmare.

Gaio cut inside, penetrating the defensive zone of Cantari and full-back Bernoulli. Upon seeing Lichka being outmaneuvered, the two immediately surrounded and double-teamed Gaio.

Bang!
Gaio then made a cross to De Bruyne, who was making a forward run.

De Bruyne advanced through the middle with the ball, but another defensive midfielder, Sissoko, blocked his path.

but,
As if they were telepathically connected, De Bruyne didn't look at Gaio, and Gaio didn't look at De Bruyne either.

Gaio burst out of their defensive zone and charged into the six-yard box during a moment when Cantari and Bernoulli were off guard.

De Bruyne flicked the ball over his shoulder.

Their movements were perfectly natural and perfectly timed.

As if magnets were drawn to his left foot, Gaio gently brought the ball to rest on his foot and then dribbled down the ball.

Center-back Bernard Mendy quickly moved out to block, while Cantari behind him tried to grab Gaio.

Gai dribbled the ball the entire time, without looking at the goal, but instead looking at his teammates following up in the middle.

That one glance fooled not only the opposing defenders, but also goalkeeper Tebo!
But in Gaio's mind, the feeling of the goal was exceptionally strong.

It was a feeling of "I know the door is there".

Shooting Enhancement!

Without hesitation, Gaio pushed with his left foot towards the near corner!

Bernard Mendy's attention was also momentarily diverted by Gaio's earlier deception; he was worried about Gaio passing the ball and wondering whether he should get back on defense.

But the next second, Gaio took a shot!
He instinctively stretched out his foot, trying to intercept the ball, but the ball passed between his legs.

Mendy roared, "Shoot! Tebo!"

Goalkeeper Tebo had already shifted his weight toward the center when he saw Gaio's shot and heard Mendy's words.

He forcefully twisted his body and leaped towards the near corner.

He collapsed to the ground with a thud, and the football slammed into the net.

He was too late.

1-1.

"Buuuuut!! Gaio! It really is Gaio who scored! Brest's defense was completely bypassed by the combination of Gaio and De Bruyne. Their stamina is waning, and they can no longer keep up with Gaio's moves. Now the score is tied, and there are still more than ten minutes left. Will there be another goal?" Listening to the commentator's words.

Bastia fans at Sunset Cafe went wild in celebration.

"I told you, as long as Gaio is on the team, we don't have to worry about falling behind at all. See?! Did you score?"

"You don't even need to tell me! As long as Gaio is on the field, I will always believe that Gaio can score!"

"Great! This season's roster is much better than last season's. Last season, Gaio was always carrying the team alone. Many times, he had to force the game open up by himself. Now, with De Bruyne, the combination is so cool. The two have great chemistry."

"That's the tacit understanding between geniuses."

at the same time.

In the away section of the Francis Lebrue Stadium, Modoso led his die-hard fans in a vigorous shouting hysteria towards Gaio.

"Geo!"

"Fight, Bastia!!"

After scoring, Gaio rushed to the side of the stands, pointed to the Bastia fans in the corner, and raised his arms in celebration.

His teammates rushed over and hugged Gaio.

Rothen said, "Good, there's still a chance! Turn the tide against them!"

"We must reverse this! We are Bastia!" Joplin shouted.

This season, Bastia has seen a surge in new players, many of whom have secured starting positions.

Therefore, some die-hard Bastia fans feel that Bastia has lost its original charm.

Bastia used to be tough guys, now they're all technical players.

But in reality, the defense is what best represents Bastia!
They are indeed very tough.

Even though they are a Ligue 2 team, they were still able to withstand the pressure when facing a La Liga powerhouse like Atletico Madrid.

Giving Brest a penalty today was just a fluke.

After all, Bastia is competing on multiple fronts with a tight schedule, so player mistakes are perfectly normal.

With this goal scored.

Both the Brest players and fans are feeling quite upset.

A comfortable lead has been wiped out.

On the contrary, Chauvin on the sidelines seemed to have a conflicted feeling, as if he had guessed the outcome.

He looked at the scoreboard; there were about fifteen minutes left. Could Brest hold on?

drop!
The referee blew his whistle, and the game continued.

Bastia clearly didn't want to end the game with a draw; they now need to fight for every win if they want to chase the top spot.

To win the championship, you can't rely on your competitors to falter.

After all, this isn't the Premier League, and there's no Arsenal.

After celebrating, Hagi Begic kept yelling at his players to press forward, shouting, "Give the ball to Gaio!!"

This is the core of Hagi Begic's tactics: if he can't break through, he passes the ball to Gaio.

Gaio will definitely find a way.

Madrid.

At the Espino training ground, Simeone was still working overtime in his office, studying the match against Bastia that had been going on for several days.

To study your opponent, you must first understand them.

Therefore,
He was watching the Brest vs. Bastia match, and in Simeone's opinion, Brest's defensive strategy was rather mediocre.

He felt that many players' running in the second half was problematic, which was purely giving Bastia an opportunity.

Sure enough, Gaio seized the opportunity.

While declining physical fitness is certainly a factor, the more important reason is that Brest players lack defensive awareness.

but,

Simeone suddenly felt a sense of helplessness. What good was Atletico Madrid's excellent defensive discipline?

They were still defeated by Bastia in the same way.

"Ugh."

Simone sighed, watching Gaio and De Bruyne flash across the screen.

He knew that this was the heart of Bastia.

To secure a victory against Bastia in the second leg away from home, it's crucial to neutralize De Bruyne and Gaio.

If they don't resolve this, then Bastia's attack will be unstoppable.

Suddenly, a thought popped into my head, "Buy it?"

After the first leg against Bastia, the team president Cerezo talked to him about this topic, saying, "How about that number 10? Do you think he'll be useful? We could buy him and give it a try."

At the time, Simeone clearly approved of the team's decision to sign Gaio.

only,
In the following days, Ligue 1 player valuations were refreshed, and the Golden Boy award nominees were announced.

Simeone immediately realized that Gaio was a player Atletico Madrid couldn't afford.

He believes that Gaio's transfer fee will be at least higher than his market value after the season ends.

Atletico Madrid is still feeling the pinch when they spend such a large transfer fee.

In the end, Simeone decided, "Forget it, he's not a good fit for my tactics."

After all, Gaio doesn't track back on defense, while Simeone requires everyone on the team to actively track back on defense.

To hamper the opponent, use running and iron-willed defense to forge Atletico Madrid's soul!
Gaião is not a good fit for Atlético Madrid.

drop!
As Simeone was pondering this, the referee's whistle blew on the television.

And he pointed to the penalty spot.

"Ok?"

On the field.

Gaio sat on the ground, and De Bruyne pulled him up, saying to him, "Well done, the penalty area is a perfect stage for you."

Gaio smiled and watched as the Brest players protested to the referee, while he quietly adjusted his shin guards.

Just now, it was another combination between him and De Bruyne. He forcefully attacked the paint, carrying Cantari into the penalty area, deliberately creating an opening to lure Cantari into extending his leg.

Then he collapsed.

Cantari and the referee's appeals were unsuccessful, and the more they thought about it, the more upset they became.

It's been 84 minutes now!
The game was about to end when he conceded a penalty.

Gaião, without hesitation, took the football and headed to the penalty spot.

As the team's first penalty taker.

In any situation, you must have absolute confidence to take penalty kicks; otherwise, what are you going to do as the first penalty taker?
Unless it's a moment of special significance for your teammates, what point should you give them?

If they let him take the penalty, why is he still called the first penalty taker?
Gaio put down the football, took a few steps back, and looked firmly at goalkeeper Tebo.

Tebo kept reaching out to try and distract Gaio.

And the Brest fans behind him kept making various noises.

drop!
The referee blew his whistle, signaling for a penalty kick.

Gaio exhaled lightly, took a running start, and unleashed a powerful kick!
The ball flew straight into the top corner!

An absolute dead end!

(End of this chapter)