The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 309 Ultimately, it was a yearning for the Champions League.
Even Yakin, at the pre-match press conference, only said, "Yes, this is an almost impossible task. A three-goal margin? A four-goal margin? The math is clear, but the reality is incredibly cruel. Bastia is very strong, Gaio is in top form, and they come here with a huge psychological advantage."

"but!"

"This is St. Jakob Park! Basel's blood flows here, and the roar of the fans echoes here! This is our last bastion, our only hope. We will not talk about miracles, we will only talk about fighting, from the first whistle to the last second."

In this case.

At first glance, it might sound very inspiring, but in reality, Yakin's glamorousness lacks any substance.

He didn't reveal any tactical details.

The only thing that can motivate the team is through some motivational words.

Very simple.

Yakin really didn't know how to control Bastia.

In fact,
After Bastia's easy victory over Basel, Bastia's odds of winning the Europa League are now second only to Premier League giants Chelsea.

Many media outlets have even predicted that the Europa League final will be between Chelsea and Bastia.

More importantly, the media has provided Bastia's attacking statistics: they scored 21 goals in ten Europa League matches!
Two goals per game!

Meanwhile, Bastia also ranks among the top in terms of goals conceded defensively.

Simply put, Bastia has a strong defense and a strong offense.

but,

Bastia, however, is a team that primarily executes a defensive counter-attacking strategy.

what does this mean?
This means that Bastia has an extremely strong counter-attack point!

The answer is self-evident.

Gaio!

He was responsible for almost 60% of the team's goals.

Therefore, as the season draws to a close, rumors about Gaio's transfer have become rampant.

However, neither Gaio nor Bastia has given any positive response to this matter so far.

Even if there were reporters with ill intentions who asked Hagi Begic this question at the pre-match press conference.

"Aha! It's those buzzing flies again. At this crucial moment in the season, there are always some voices trying to distract the team's focus with the noise of the transfer market!"
Listen, I'll only say this once, and I want everyone who cares about Bastia to hear this clearly: Right now, all I care about is the next game!
The concern is how to keep all the players, including Gaião, De Bruyne, and Kante, in top form!
What they care about is how to bring the league title and Europa League glory back to Corsica!

others?
Before the season ends, everything else is just insignificant dust!

The veteran coach was very firm on this issue, not giving anyone else the chance to ask further questions.

"Next question? Please only ask about football and the game itself! Otherwise..."

He shrugged, revealing a completely unsmiling smile. "This concludes the press conference."

Faced with Haji Begic's firm stance, naturally no one would dare to provoke him.

Haji Begitch also gave brief answers to the following questions.

That night.

The second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals continues on the second day of matchday.

Gaio, of course, wouldn't miss it.

The Champions League truly lives up to its reputation as the most watched competition besides the World Cup.

All four matches in this year's Champions League quarterfinals were full of highlights.

of course,

Gai's main focus is still on the current "two superstars", Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.

They are also currently the only two players with a market value of over 100 million.

And it belongs to the kind that is priced but not available for sale.

In summary, the Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain match was like this: Messi was unable to start due to injury and sat on the bench; Barcelona was teetering on the brink of collapse and being torn apart; then Messi warmed up; Messi came on; Messi strolled around; Messi received the ball; Messi got rid of his marker; Messi orchestrated the goal; Messi saved Barcelona.

A substitute who played for 33 minutes, covered only 2828 meters, and made no goals, assists, or even attempts to shoot, seemingly strolling around for most of the time, became Barcelona's savior on that night at Camp Nou.

When the entire Barcelona team was tightly bound by Paris Saint-Germain's impenetrable defense, Messi completely turned the tide of the battle with just one explosive moment.

This marks the fifth time this season that Messi has not been included in the starting lineup.

the other side.

Cristiano Ronaldo, too, shines with dazzling brilliance.

The match between Real Madrid and Galatasaray was completed last night, a day earlier than planned.

皇马与加拉塔萨雷在欧战中交手4次，2000-2011赛季欧冠1/4决赛中，皇马首回合客场在2-0领先的情况下被连入3球逆转，次回合移师伯纳乌，皇马干脆利落的3-0击败对手，从而5-3淘汰加拉塔萨雷。

This time, the process was different, but the result was the same.

Real Madrid also eliminated Galatasaray 5-3.

In the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo broke the deadlock, giving Real Madrid a 1-0 lead.

In the second half, Eboue equalized the score, but Sneijder and Drogba then scored two goals within two minutes to give the score the lead.

Arbeloa was sent off after receiving two yellow cards before the final whistle, and Ronaldo scored in stoppage time of the second half. Real Madrid ultimately lost 2-3 away, but advanced to the Champions League semi-finals this season with a 5-3 aggregate score, eliminating Galatasaray.

Without Cristiano Ronaldo, the final result of Real Madrid's match against Galatasaray last night would have been hard to imagine.

If Real Madrid didn't have Ronaldo this season, could Mourinho have led the team even further?

Of course, these are all assumptions.

Cristiano Ronaldo played a crucial role in Real Madrid's run to the Champions League semi-finals for three consecutive seasons.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 11 goals in 10 games this season and continues to lead the Champions League top scorer list.

Last season, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 10 goals in the Champions League. This season, he has scored 11 goals so far, which not only sets a new personal best record for Champions League goals, but also makes him one of only two players in Champions League history to score 10 or more goals in a single season: Messi and Van Nistelrooy.

Cristiano Ronaldo not only set a new record for consecutive Champions League matches with goals, but also became the first player in Real Madrid's history to score in five consecutive Champions League games.

In the Champions League all-time top scorers list, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a total of 50 goals.

In the main competition stage, Ronaldo has scored 49 goals, surpassing Shevchenko's 48 goals and ranking 5th in the Champions League main competition top scorers list.

As for the other two matches...

That was the pinnacle of the Bundesliga!
Dortmund and Bayern Munich have both advanced to the semifinals!

As a result, all four semi-finalists of the Champions League are now teams from the Bundesliga and La Liga.

The two Bundesliga giants vs. the two La Liga giants.

In contrast to Bayern's easy domination over the two legs, Juventus, who lost 0-2 in the first leg, returned to the Juventus Stadium for a do-or-die battle against Bayern. After 90 minutes of intense fighting, Bayern Munich ultimately defeated Juventus 2-0 away from home, advancing to the semi-finals with a 4-0 aggregate score. This marks Bayern's second consecutive season reaching the Champions League semi-finals, while Juventus' 11-game unbeaten streak at home in European competitions came to an end, and all Serie A teams were eliminated.

Dortmund's performance was quite volatile.

The first leg ended in a 0-0 draw at the Rosé Garden Stadium in Malaga. In the second leg, both teams have a chance to advance. Dortmund needs a victory to advance, while Malaga only needs a draw with goals to reach the semi-finals.

But in the end, Dortmund came from behind to defeat Malaga 3-2, with both the equalizer and the winning goal coming in the last three minutes of stoppage time.

Klopp's team is just that exciting; fans need a quick dose of heart medicine. Until the 90th minute of regular time, Dortmund trailed Malaga 1-2, and Malaga seemed the clear favorite to advance.

however,
The comeback began in the first minute of stoppage time!
In the 91st minute, Hummels launched a high ball from the backfield, Demichelis misjudged the header in the penalty area, Subotic passed it across the face of goal, Santana's shot was blocked by Sanchez, and Reus followed up to tap the ball into the empty net, making it 2-2, and Dortmund saw a glimmer of hope.

Two minutes later, Lewandowski crossed the ball from the left wing. In the ensuing scramble in front of the goal, Santana took two consecutive shots and finally put the ball into the empty net, making it 3-2. Dortmund completed a stunning comeback!

Although slow-motion replays showed that Santana was offside when he took the shot, the ball was technically offside.

This has also caused a great deal of controversy.

But the score was already set.

After seeing those familiar faces, Gaio recalled that the Champions League final that year should have been an all-Bundesliga match.

This Champions League final, held at Wembley Stadium, marked the first time in history that two Bundesliga teams met in the final.

Bayern Munich suffered a treble of runner-up finishes last season. First, they lost the Bundesliga title to the youthful Borussia Dortmund early on. Then, they lost the German Cup final. Finally, in the Champions League final held on home soil, Bayern dominated the game but were pegged back by Didier Drogba's header in the final moments of regular time.

Robben missed a penalty in extra time, and Bayern Munich ultimately lost in the penalty shootout.

Adding to the defeat in the 2010 World Cup final, one can only imagine the extent of Robben's psychological trauma regarding major tournament finals.
Although he couldn't remember the details, Gai knew that Bayern Munich, led by Heynckes, had defeated Klopp's Dortmund.

Klopp has built a complete system for the team: high-intensity high pressing, a young squad, and a passionate coach. After winning the domestic league title, Klopp and his players aspire to reach the top of Europe.

pity.

God does not fulfill one's wishes.

Klopp spent seven years at Dortmund without winning the Champions League title, and it wasn't until he joined Liverpool that he finally won his first Champions League title.

of course,

Klopp can be said to have ushered in an era for Dortmund, and he has become one of the greatest managers in Dortmund's 100-year history, alongside Hitzfeld.

After watching all the match results, Gaio was filled with excitement.

Champions League!
This is arguably the highest honor at the club level, something many people never achieve in their entire professional careers.

How many people have left the stage in disappointment after winning the Champions League trophy?
How many people train day after day for years, just to step onto the Champions League stage?
Gaio let out a deep breath.

Suppressing the turmoil within him, he knew that what was meant to happen would happen eventually, and there was no need to rush it.

Now, let's focus on the immediate goal – the Europa League – and be more pragmatic.

the next day.

As the Champions League fever subsides, the Europa League resumes.

Basel, St. Jakob-Park Stadium.

In the afternoon,

The sunlight was filtered through the thick clouds, casting a cool, clear light.

The wind along the Rhine carried a slight chill, yet it couldn't dispel the increasingly intense clamor that permeated the air.

The stadium was already covered in deep red and blue – the colors of Basel, the only faith tonight.

Along the streets, Basel's team flags fluttered in the wind, like countless indomitable battle flags.

The slogan “FCB - Für Ehre und Wunder!” (FC Basel - For Honor and Miracles!) is visible everywhere.

Fans flocked in from all directions, like countless streams flowing into the ocean.

Most of them were dressed in Basel's red and blue jerseys, their faces painted, their eyes filled with a mixture of anxiety, expectation, and an almost tragic determination.

Gone were the usual lighthearted conversations; instead, there were somber battle songs being hummed and encouraging pats on the shoulder.

Scattered among the sea of ​​red were Bastia fans who had traveled from afar.

They were few in number and were separated into specific areas by specially arranged security personnel.

The bright red and blue stood out against the deep red, and were particularly "glaring".

They chatted easily with confident smiles on their faces, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere around them.

night.

As night slowly fell, the stadium lights came on, like a beacon ignited.

Fans from all directions flocked into this massive fortress—St. Jakob Park Stadium.

On the banks of the Rhine, in the cold night wind, I held my breath, waiting for the whistle that signaled the start of the life-or-death battle.

Nine o'clock.

Both teams' players stood ready in the center circle.

drop--

A whistle blew.

The game officially begins.

Even though their team was trailing by a large margin, the Basel fans in the stands were still cheering enthusiastically.

The players on the field were equally determined to fight, with their backs against the wall.

unfortunately,

Having experienced the Europa League against several strong teams, Bastia are now quite adept at this situation – defending in a low block and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake and create space for a counter-attack.

This is Bastia's core tactic.

Simple, yet highly effective and deadly.

12 minutes.

Bastia, who had been playing slowly from the start, made a mistake in Basel's midfield and Kanté intercepted the ball.

A sudden acceleration!
De Bruyne received the ball and, while feigning an advance, attracted the attention of the Basel players before suddenly making a through pass.

The football slipped between the two center-backs.

Lukaku is directly competing with the two center-backs in speed!

Wow!

A gasp of surprise erupted from St. James' Park.

Bastia's first counterattack was as deadly as ever!
Scher desperately tried to keep up with Lukaku.

however,
You can say Lukaku isn't good in tough games, but when it comes to stomping weaker opponents, he's top-tier!

Bang!
Facing Sommer's attack, he unleashed a powerful shot!
0-1.

Bastia defeated Basel 5-1 in the final score.

There was a moment of silence at St. Jakob Park when the goal was scored.

Everyone in Basel knows this.

They're finished.

Bastia had already sealed the series within the first 12 minutes!
(End of this chapter)