The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 237 We need to find a way to pack them all up.
The development of Kant has now gradually deviated from the development trajectory of Gaio that Gaio was familiar with in his previous life.

His organizational abilities have not yet been fully demonstrated due to tactical issues. After all, the current Bastia midfield's playmaker is De Bruyne, and even if De Bruyne isn't there, it's Rothen.

We don't need him.

Kante was used more by Hagi Begic as a pure defensive midfielder.

But it works really well!

Kante's long-term training focused on defending players like Gaio and Mane, who possess both speed and dribbling skills, which made him much more comfortable when facing other players.

Just like now, Turan is a player with very delicate footwork, but he was locked down by Kanté in their first contact.

Courtside.

Hagi Begic couldn't help but applaud Kanté. Kanté is the kind of player who trains diligently off the court and doesn't cause trouble off the court, and on the court, he runs tirelessly to implement tactical arrangements.

Which coach wouldn't like a player like that?

Atletico Madrid quickly made a comeback.

Turan's position began to shift to the left, in order to attack Angula.

Simeone frowned slightly as he watched the changing situation on the field.

He analyzed the reasons for the first-round defeat, which can be summarized into three points:

The defensive structure collapsed, the flanks were broken by Gai, and the central defenders and full-backs were disconnected in their defensive coordination. For example, one of the goals conceded was due to Gai breaking through on the flank and then switching the ball laterally to the weak side.

Midfield out of control: Koke is still too young and lacks physical strength, which allows De Bruyne to easily make long passes to connect with the wingers;
Ineffective counter-attacks: Costa is always left isolated and helpless.

Therefore, his core tactic against Bastia this time was to strengthen vertical attacks, with Falcao starting to provide a pivot in the penalty area and Turan returning to the left wing to improve the individual attacking ability on the wing.

They blocked the long passes between De Bruyne and Gaião, cutting off the counter-attack initiation point through midfield strangulation.

Furthermore, they need to make more use of set pieces and aerial bombardment. This is mainly because Simeone knows that Bastia's Ligue 2 defense is not always reliable, especially goalkeeper Noves, which presents Atletico Madrid with many opportunities.

but,

After Atletico Madrid launched their opening attack, Simeone discovered that Bastia's defense was not as fragile as he had imagined.

Especially Anguilla, although his technique is a bit rough, his mental attributes and fierceness in confrontations are more like those of Atlético Madrid players than Atlético Madrid players.

I wonder what Simone would think if he knew that Angura used to fight in Muay Thai?
drop!
The referee blew his whistle as Turan's attack down the left flank was met with a collision from Anguilla, who brought down both Turan and the ball.

Atletico Madrid free kick.

Turan got up with the help of his teammates, looking unwell. He had suffered setbacks in the mid lane and then again in the side lanes.

clap clap clap!
The Bastia fans applauded, as Gaio and others brought technical elements to Bastia after their arrival.

In the past, players like Anguilla were typical of Bastia.

Just like Chatham said to Haji Begitch, "We are Bastia! We are the islanders in the mouths of the mainlanders, a synonym for vulgarity, ferocity and barbarity. We don't need anyone's approval, we just need to make them afraid."

Bang!
Atletico Madrid took a free kick, and the ball flew directly into the middle, with players from both sides fighting hard for it.

Contrary to Simeone's expectation that Atletico Madrid would gain an advantage from set pieces, Bastia is not at a disadvantage in defending against high balls.

However, this time, Atletico Madrid did a good job protecting the second ball.

They cut off Bastia's chances of launching counter-attacks from set pieces.

Simeone knew that Bastia had a strong counter-attacking ability, so he instructed his players to maintain possession as much as possible, and even if they lost possession, they had to win it back immediately and resolutely prevent Bastia from launching a quick counter-attack.

among them,

De Bruyne was closely marked.

Simeone's targeted tactics against Gaio on the flanks involved having Filipe mark him throughout the game, but against De Bruyne, whenever he got the ball in midfield, two players would confront him.

This arrangement can be considered a success.

Bastia already had few attacking opportunities, and with De Bruyne being tightly marked and no one passing the ball out, Bastia's connection between attack and defense became problematic.

Several counterattacks failed to produce any results.

The TF1 commentator said, "It seems that Simeone has really found a way to counter Bastia. However, Bastia is sticking to their defensive strategy and Atletico Madrid doesn't have any solutions for the time being. Moreover, I believe that Bastia's players and fans can accept a draw."

Atletico Madrid is Bastia's biggest rival in the group stage. If they draw, Bastia will have a win and a draw, giving them a significant advantage and a much higher chance of finishing first in the group.

At the Thessaloniki Stadium, the sounds of fans singing and shouting filled the air.

Gaio didn't get the ball very often, but whenever he did, it always drew cheers from the entire stadium.

He is the king of Thessalon Stadium!

Every time Gaio dribbled the ball, Mbappe was thrilled. As a fellow winger, he could better appreciate Gaio's strength when he saw him.

Because there are many movements he simply can't do.

In Clairefontaine, many people are attracted by Mbappe's speed, but they forget that his footwork is also quite good.

but,

Even so, when he looked at Gaio, he felt that he was still far from being good enough.

The game reached a stalemate.

Neither side was able to break the deadlock.

Each of them doesn't have many opportunities.

The main reason was that Atletico Madrid didn't play an open game. In the words of the commentators, Simeone was "terrified by Bastia's counter-attacks in the previous game."

at this time.

In the Bastia stands, there were two other different guests.

Begiristain and Soriano.

The two arrived in Bastia quietly, without attracting anyone's attention.

With more than half of the first half already gone, the two players had essentially given Gaio a firsthand look.

Soriano said, "Gaião is absolutely an indispensable player for us to start a new phase for Manchester City. His ball control is outstanding, at least a level above Nasri's."

Soriano watched a lot of Nasri's games and concluded that while Nasri has talent, his mentality and form are inconsistent.

When he's playing well, he's on par with Gaio.

When things aren't going well, he's like a powder keg, the team's biggest threat.

Therefore, abandoning Nasri and building on Gaio and the core is the first major goal proposed by Soriano since taking office.

Begiristain wholeheartedly agreed, "But we may not necessarily become his next club; many top clubs are eyeing him now."

Soriano shook his head. "No, although there are few reports about Gaio's personal statements, most of them focus on his time before arriving in Bastia. But I think Gaio is definitely a clear-headed person. We just need to tell him our advantages, and we'll wait and see what his final choice is."

Begiristain nodded. "When we look for a new coach, we must be able to build a core system on the flanks, and we need to make sure that the full-backs overlap, the midfield provides support, and the center forward makes plays, and make Gaio the absolute core."

Soriano agrees with this.

When trying to attract a top young talent, the salary is often not the most important factor; tactical role is more crucial.

Manchester City's current squad looks excellent, with talented players such as Dzeko, Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and Kompany.

But actually, the ceiling isn't high enough, and it doesn't align with Manchester City's ambitious goals. "Therefore, we also need to demonstrate to him the team's determination to win the Champions League and become a top team in Europe and the world!"

Soriano thought for a moment, "We need to find a way to take Bastia and his group with us: Gaio, De Bruyne, and Kanté."

Begiristain had long harbored this intention: "Geo is a top-tier player who can contribute immediately. De Bruyne and Kanté are both good gamblers, at least based on their performance in the Europa League. They are definitely worth buying and developing."

De Bruyne's many ball-handling techniques have won the hearts of both Soriano and his teammate.

Manchester City's midfield core currently consists mainly of David Silva and Yaya Toure.

If we add De Bruyne, this midfield setup should be able to compete with those top clubs, right?
The two chatted intermittently.

Looking at Gaio on the field, he was genuinely satisfied and wished he could spend money to bring Gaio to Manchester City during this winter transfer window.

But they also know.

It's impossible for Gaião to leave Bastia during the winter transfer window. The fact that Gaião instructed his agent to refuse all contact before the winter transfer window shows that Gaião wants to stay in Bastia for a full season.

"This summer transfer window is going to be a bloodbath," Begiristain exclaimed.

With a top talent like Gaio, Bastia couldn't keep him. This is a feast for the elite, and it remains to be seen who can get him.

Marca even reports that Real Madrid is preparing to sign Gaio and is willing to promise him a starting position.

However, this report was quickly questioned by Mundo Deportivo, which said that if Real Madrid wanted Gaio, what about Bale?
If Real Madrid gives Gaio and Bale the starting positions, what about Ronaldo and Benzema?
Therefore, Mundo Deportivo directly stated that Gaio could not transfer to Real Madrid, which is also a blatant sabotage of Marca.

However, these two media outlets have been feuding far too often. After all, one is the mouthpiece of Real Madrid, and the other is the mouthpiece of Barcelona. They are at least sworn enemies, if not fierce rivals.

drop! !

The two chatted as the first half came to an end, and the referee blew his whistle.

The score remains 0-0.

Simone frowned and walked quickly toward the locker room without saying a word.

Hagi Bejic was constantly thinking about how to break De Bruyne's predicament of being unable to pass the ball due to being stifled by the midfield.

Gaio didn't make much of an impact in this half, since Bastia didn't have much possession of the ball overall.

Bastia only managed three shots in the first half, one of which was on target.

That shot on target came from Gaio's forced cut inside and shot, but unfortunately he couldn't control it; he was too eager to exert force and the shot went slightly over the crossbar.

Atletico Madrid have a lot of attacking statistics; apart from not scoring, their other stats are extremely impressive.

In the Atletico Madrid dressing room, Simeone spoke vehemently, "In 45 minutes, you allowed the opponent only one shot on target! Yes, that's good, that's the result we wanted, but what about you? Arda, you made a few successful breakthroughs, but your crosses looked like you were clearing the ball for the opponent! I want you to hit the ball at Falcao's head, not his knee!"

"The opponent couldn't launch a single counter-attack in this match. Their defense was just a bunch of Ligue 2 players. How should this have been a crushing victory? But what was the result?! What was the result?!"

The players lowered their heads when they heard Simeone's words. Indeed, on paper, they should have been the dominant force.

As a result, they were unable to break through after a long period of attack.

If they hadn't shut down the opponent's midfield in this match, they might have conceded another goal.

This disparity between their performance in the league and their performance in other leagues has left them somewhat bewildered.

Is it really that hard to play against a French Ligue 1 team?

Isn't it said that Ligue 1 teams are all peasant leagues? At most, there's only one nouveau riche peasant team, Paris Saint-Germain.

It turns out we've run into a tough opponent.

the other side.

Hagi Bejic, on the other hand, wants the players to maintain their current form.

"A draw is still a win for us!"

There were no extra tactical arrangements, because Hagi Begic himself hadn't figured them out.

Some media outlets hostile to Bastia always say that Hagi Begić is undeserving of his reputation and that his current achievements are entirely due to Gaio's influence.

At least in terms of making adjustments during the game, he is not as good as many famous coaches.

He simply told Rothen to help pass the ball out and to launch long balls forward to find the striker.

soon.

Halftime is over.

Back at the stadium, the Bastia fans were as enthusiastic as ever, cheering and shouting wildly.

"Geo!"

As the players entered the tunnel, the fans chanted the team captain's name with all their might.

Gaio waved to them.

His gaze fell upon the court, and he pondered how to break the deadlock.

unfortunately,

When the match started, it remained in the same situation as the first half, with Bastia struggling to attack.

This marked a departure from his usual sharp and retaliatory style.

De Bruyne was extremely frustrated and even shoved Gabi, almost getting a yellow card.

This is partly a reaction to the current midfield chaos in Bastia.

"He still needs to go through more experiences." In the stands, Begiristain shook his head slightly as he observed De Bruyne's condition.

Soriano, standing nearby, remarked, "Young people, that's normal."

When the time reached 65 minutes, Gaio was brought down on the wing, almost triggering a major brawl.

This also reflects the fact that both teams' players had accumulated a certain amount of pent-up emotions.

"Gaio, crush them!"

As Gaio stood up, he heard the shouts of the fans on the sidelines, and he also saw familiar faces in the crowd.

Mbappe and Saliba.

The two waved excitedly at him, and Gaio nodded slightly before returning to the court.

The actions of both sides gradually became more aggressive, which made Bastia fans see that the team was returning to its traditions.

Whenever Atletico Madrid got the ball, they would boo.

Up to 75 minutes.

Hagi Begic finally made the first substitution of the game.

Replace Kahusac, move Angura back to center-back, and then bring on Klose.

Since the midfield can't get the ball out, let the wingers overlap.

Hagi Begic has been hesitant to play against Klose because he's worried about Klose's defense.

With only ten minutes left, he decided to go all out!
(End of this chapter)