Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 253 How to beat Barcelona? A resounding victory over Watford in the league, facing their long-time nemesis!
After the match against Qatar, the draw for the final 12 was not until April, so Qin Ming did not stay long and transferred back to London that night.

After all, there are quite a few matches in April.

Although their league opponents are generally weak, mostly mid-to-lower table teams, they will face Barcelona in the Champions League.

In recent years, Barcelona has been a nemesis for Arsenal. In the 2006 Champions League final, Barcelona defeated Arsenal to win the title.

In the knockout stages of 2010 and 2011, Barcelona also defeated Arsenal to advance.

This has led to the Arsenal players developing PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and their expressions change drastically whenever Barcelona is mentioned.

Some pessimistic fans even felt that their Champions League journey was over.

Qin Ming didn't have much to say about this.

Surrendering before a fight is not in his nature.

Moreover, the two World Cup qualifiers that just ended were particularly intense in South America.

Argentina drew 2-2 with Chile in their two matches and won 2-0 against Bolivia.

Coincidentally, Messi was in poor form in both games.

And what Messi means to Barcelona is something that everyone knows without needing to be said.

According to Diario Sport, the Argentines are in a worrying hibernation; Messi can't find his rhythm, even with free kicks, and his slump will drag Barcelona into the abyss.

Although it's a bit of an exaggeration, the meaning is correct.

The Kearney training ground on April 1.

Qin Ming met the radiant Sanchez.

It's said that Chile's star player is good at beating Argentina. Manchester City previously deployed an Argentine defense, which allowed Sanchez to unleash his full potential.

They scored a last-minute equalizer a few days ago.

"Alexis, you played well. Maybe we can meet in the World Cup in two years."

Qin Ming put his arm around Sanchez's shoulder and said enthusiastically.

"Not bad, not bad!" Sanchez grinned, clearly in a good mood.

"Then remember to cheer on Barcelona when they play on the 6th."

Qin Ming remembers that Barcelona's squad also included many Argentine players, such as Messi and Mascherano.

“I’ll do my best!” Sanchez nodded.

"Oi!"

Qin Ming saw Kirkland and shouted, "Francis, why are you running? Start extra training today, prepare to defend Messi one-on-one!"

"I feel something is amiss."

Kirkland reluctantly stopped.

When Arsenal played against Barcelona before, he was still in the youth team or on loan and had never faced Messi.

But facing Messi, who had just won the Ballon d'Or, he naturally felt uncertain.

"What's there to be afraid of? Messi is only human, and humans have weaknesses. Cheer up!"

Qin Ming patted Kirkland on the shoulder to encourage him.

"It's not like you're the one defending!"

Kirkland pursed his lips.

However, he was just saying that; among Arsenal's defensive midfielders in recent years, his mental attributes are the highest.

They give their all in every battle.

He's just not glamorous; he prefers to work quietly behind the scenes.

Otherwise, Qin Ming wouldn't have been able to play so comfortably after joining Arsenal.

"Why wouldn't I be the one defending? He's the right winger, and I'm the left winger. I'll definitely track back and show you my defensive skills!"

Qin Ming patted his chest and said, "And Nacho too! Let's try to shut down Messi and break through Barcelona's flanks!"

"Just do it!"

Monreal, on the other hand, was really into it.

He spent his early years in Osasuna and Malaga, where he faced Messi many times. Although he was soundly defeated, he couldn't afford to lose morale.

"It's alright, Mr. Wenger has a secret weapon, and here it is!"

Qin Ming saw the professor and Pat Rice walking towards him.

"I'm very happy to see you all back healthy. I also have some good news: Santi and Peter have recovered from their injuries and should be able to play in the Champions League."

Wenger laughed.

Finally, after a long March, their process was somewhat arduous, but the result was quite good.

They've advanced in the Champions League and are leading the league. It's just a bit frustrating that they were held to a draw by Tottenham.

“I could hear Qin speaking from quite a distance. We have indeed been training specifically to reduce space and improve ball control, which is something we have been doing all along, but now we need to be faster and more accurate.”

Wenger had his assistant coaches set out the ice cream buckets.

Because both teams, in a sense, use a style of play that emphasizes possession.

So he's been thinking a lot lately.

It is to avoid their sharp edge, relinquish the initiative, and focus on defense and counter-attack.

Or will the brave prevail when they meet on a narrow path?

Later, he realized that tactics could not be applied too rigidly, and he also knew that Barcelona was putting too much pressure on him.

"How to break down Barcelona's tactics is a global challenge for all teams."

"If we don't press hard and give them possession, and allow Barcelona players to pass the ball around freely, they will take advantage of that moment when our attention is diverted."

"High-pressing disrupts the rhythm, and our stamina can't keep up, so they'll find opportunities."

"What should we do?"

Wenger raised the question.

"Barcelona, ​​like many women, is slow to start and habitually gets stuck in the first half; there have been many examples of this this season."

Qin Ming has been learning a lot about Barcelona lately. "We can take advantage of this time to put high pressure on their defense, and the most important thing is to cut off Sergio's connection with his teammates."

"We must also play with intensity and power, not wait for our opponents, but attack with all our might!"

After Qin Ming finished speaking, he saw Wenger smile and knew that he was right.

"That's right, but the current Barcelona is no longer so reliant on possession. The speed of attack and defense transitions is much faster than before. This is a change that Enrique has made."

"This also makes them more dangerous, because they can score at any time."

"Aggression! Think about the game against West Ham United, and face Barcelona with that mentality."

Wenger said.

He knew that Barcelona was a favorite to win the title and had a stronger squad on paper.

But he saw Barcelona's decline even earlier than Qin Ming.

In the past few seasons, Messi, Neymar and others have played at an extremely high frequency, almost never missing the World Cup, Copa America and club matches.

Enrique still doesn't give them regular rest, and physical fatigue is uncontrollable.

After completing the specialized training, Qin Ming practiced shooting with his teammates.

"Peter, you look like you're recovering well. Good luck in the next game!"

Qin Ming shouted after seeing his shot being saved.

"Qin! Peter has a record: he has never conceded a goal to Messi!"

"Monreal said."

"Awesome! Keep the record! Number 6, beat Barcelona!"

Qin Ming gave a thumbs up.

Upon hearing this, Cech adjusted his helmet and recalled the Champions League match against Barcelona, ​​where Messi indeed failed to score against him.

In those four matches, Iniesta and Busquets scored the goals respectively.

Messi missed a penalty.

Arsenal are making a big show of preparations for their match against Barcelona.

Barcelona did not let their guard down. Although Enrique was nicknamed "Dog-Tethering Crown," if he didn't have some skills, he would have been fired by the club long ago.

"Has Leo's vomiting problem not been resolved yet?"

Enrique asked.

The assistant coach shook his head. "He went to Sacchile, Italy a few days ago and visited Possel, a local sports nutrition expert, but the results were mediocre."

Enrique frowned.

Starting with the 2014 World Cup, Messi began vomiting frequently, especially in the later stages of matches.

Physical fitness issues?

The investigation revealed a connection, but it wasn't that significant.

More likely, it's related to Messi's long-term use of growth hormones, which damaged his gastric mucosa, causing stomach spasms and resulting in nausea and vomiting.

Moreover, these symptoms are worsening.

"Let's try to get through this season first." Enrique couldn't think of a good solution either; not using Messi was even more impossible.

After all, Messi is the core of Barcelona; whether he's there or not makes a difference to the team.

Moreover, March and April are crucial periods for the season.

2016 4 Month 2 Day.

Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal vs Watford.

Today, Cech and Cazorla, who have recovered from their injuries, are on the bench. Whether they can come on as substitutes to regain their form will depend on the situation of the game.

Upon learning this, Qin Ming naturally went all out.

Bang, bang, bang!

Arsenal had already scored three goals before the end of the first half.

In the 4th minute, Sanchez dribbled past the young Aké and passed to Giroud in the penalty area. Giroud's shot was saved, and Qin Ming followed up with a shot to score.

21 minutes.

Qin Ming's form is noticeably hotter after each national team match than before.

He broke free from the pincer attack by Nyom and Watson on the flank.

A perfect arc was spun out from the left edge of the penalty area.

Scored twice.

In the 42nd minute of the match, Gustavo made a forward run and casually took a shot.

Who knew they would unleash a high-quality world-class goal?

The Brazilian was quite surprised and immediately ran up excitedly to celebrate his first goal for Arsenal.

After the start of the second half, Wenger substituted Cech and Cazorla.

They need to work together before facing Barcelona.

"Cech made a fantastic save; look at his relaxed posture!"

"I would believe you if you said he had never been injured!"

"Cazorla is also in decent form. After Qin Ming returned to the left wing, he performed well in the attacking midfield position!"

"Of course, it's also possible that Watford's strength is just average!"

"."

"The match is over!"

Arsenal 4-0 Watford, a resounding victory!

Emirates Stadium.

Just as Qin Ming was about to leave with his teammates, he saw Aké running over quickly. It turned out that the Dutch lad wanted to exchange jerseys.

Qin Ming naturally wouldn't refuse.

"Santi, you can't play like this against Barcelona. If we want to play possession football, you have to keep the tempo steady."

After exchanging jerseys, Qin Ming looked at Cazorla.

In the 78th minute of the match, Cazorla scored another goal. Giroud headed the ball back to Cazorla, who volleyed it with his left foot.

But apart from that, there were no other notable achievements.

However, it's clear that it's slowly recovering.

The match against Barcelona is in just four days; they don't have much time left.

"I know."

Cazorla stepped on the grass with his right foot and felt no stinging pain, thinking that he was recovering quite well.

We can go all out in the next game.

Back at the Colney training ground, Qin Ming chatted with Sanchez about his time at Barcelona.

In fact, Sanchez did not have a good time at Barcelona.

Even though he has received many honors.

He was young then and needed a free position to allow himself to grow quickly.

But because Messi is the core of Barcelona, ​​he can only be a tool.

Even being a tool can have differences.

At Barcelona, ​​his position needs to be more conservative so that he can quickly get involved in defense.

In the 2013-14 season, Messi would not have been able to showcase his abilities to the world if he hadn't been plagued by hamstring problems.

He has 19 goals and 12 assists in the league.

Then he was sold to Arsenal.

"then."

Sanchez then smiled as he recounted his past hardships.

At that time, Barcelona's performance in European competitions was mediocre, so people started looking for someone to take the blame.

He, Alves, and Villa were then pushed forward.

Sanchez recalled Marca's criticism of Fabregas, saying that he not only performed poorly but also disliked running.

In fact, Fabregas ran 12370 meters in that race.

First in the team.

"Then let them know that selling you was a mistake."

Qin Ming gave Sanchez a shot of adrenaline.

Beating up your former employer has always had a great effect on boosting your mental attributes.

"Actually, during this summer transfer window, I thought you were going to Barcelona, ​​since they made an offer."

Sanchez smiled.

His desire for victory is unquestionable; he doesn't need any motivational speeches at all.

Defeating Barcelona and Messi has always been his goal.

"I can't act, what would I do at Barcelona?"

Qin Ming replied casually.

Sanchez immediately thought of Busquets, whose acting skills were indeed superb.

Before the Champions League resumed, the hype was off the charts, especially the match between Arsenal and Barcelona, ​​which attracted more attention than the other teams.

The two players are the most noteworthy.

Qin Ming and Messi.

One of them emerged as a dark horse, winning titles such as the Bundesliga, Europa League, Community Shield, and EFL Cup at the age of 18.

He also broke two records: the all-time UEFA Cup goal record and the world football transfer fee record.

The latter goes without saying.

"Hey, in yesterday's Spanish derby, Barcelona lost 1-2 to Real Madrid. Ronaldo and Benzema scored, but Pique scored for Barcelona?"

Qin Ming glanced at Barcelona's record.

"This is very advantageous for us. They had one less day of rest than us and played a high-intensity game."

"Cazorla said."

The players' restaurant was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"Real Madrid still has 10 players!"

Gustavo leaned over to look at Qin Ming's phone.

"It's clear that Barcelona's form is indeed average, and you can see that Barcelona's attacking frequency is significantly lower than last season. Apart from possession, all their statistics are inferior to Real Madrid's."

Qin Ming opened the detailed data interface.

"Nacho, look at how they defend against Messi. It won't hurt to learn from them."

Qin Ming handed over the phone.

Monreal saw that the game had only just begun when Pepe and Ramos took turns fouling Messi, bringing him to the ground.

"The Spanish derby is a high-stakes match, and if we did that, we'd probably get a yellow card right away."

Monreal is quite familiar with La Liga.

"Be prepared for biased refereeing."

Cech suddenly said something.

In recent years, Barcelona has benefited from refereeing decisions in the Champions League quite a bit. Could Platini be said to be involved in this?
Last year.

On October 8, FIFA's Ethics Committee suspended UEFA President Michel Platini from his post for 90 days.

On December 21, Platini was banned for eight years by the FIFA Ethics Committee for violating the FIFA Code of Ethics and allegedly accepting £1.3 million in unexplained payments.

These two penalties alone are enough to illustrate the point.

(End of this chapter)