Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 367 Rematch with Manchester City, Champions League Advancement

"On February 28th, Kyoto time, the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards were announced in Monaco. Chinese athlete Qin Ming beat Federer, Nadal, Hamilton, and others to win the Best Male Athlete Award."

"This is Qin Ming's first time being named Laureus World Player of the Year in his career, and he is also the first football player in the world to win the Laureus World Player of the Year award. Before him, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Messi, nor any other outstanding professional player, had ever won this award."

"Last year, Qin Ming won the Laureus Breakthrough Award, which already showed that the Laureus Awards began to favor team sports such as football, while track and field gradually lost its influence after Bolt's retirement."

"."

Qin Ming appeared on the screen in the morning news the following day.

The moment he held the trophy and received applause from countless outstanding athletes was captured by the camera.

no doubt.

This will be one of the most glorious moments of his life.

Qin Ming, who returned to London with the Laureus World Sports Award for Best Male Athlete, was on the same flight as Benedict Cumberbatch.

He left Benedict Cumberbatch an autographed jersey and a photo, then headed straight to the Kearney training facility to prepare for the pivotal Game 2 the day after tomorrow.

Arsenal are still unbeaten in the league.

However, Manchester City are four points behind Arsenal due to their previous loss to Arsenal and two draws.

Looking back at Manchester City's record this season, with a perfect record in the league in September, October and December, they had a real chance to reach 100 points by the end of the season.

But a formidable obstacle stood in their way: Arsenal.

Manchester City, fresh off their defeat in the EFL Cup final, are not about to accept another league loss to Arsenal.

The date was March 2nd.

The Emirates Stadium was packed with people.

Considering Sterling's tendency to play "happy football" in the past, Guardiola opted for a forward pairing of Sané, Aguero, and Bernardo Silva today, with David Silva, Gundogan, and De Bruyne in midfield.

They clearly intend to play a possession-based style of football.

But without Fernandinho in charge, the defensive intensity drops drastically. How can we defend against Qin Ming?

This is a question on the minds of Manchester City fans.

However, once the game actually started, Manchester City played very smoothly in terms of passing and possession, and they managed to avoid the midfield problems.

"Guardiola's tactics are like walking a tightrope!"

"If we're not careful, Arsenal could easily break us down, but the Manchester City players are like robots, executing the coach's orders with perfect precision!"

"De Bruyne needs to speed up when receiving the ball!"

As the ball rolled toward Aguero, Kante suddenly appeared in the passing lane.

The French defensive midfielders are getting better and better.

Having faced De Bruyne so many times, he understands De Bruyne's passing logic very well.

Moving ahead of time could potentially lead to interception.

Manchester City, who were walking a tightrope, had already taken one foot off the tightrope when the ball was passed from Fabinho to Qin Ming.

Arsenal's pace is even faster than Manchester City's.

Besides Qin Ming, the other three members of the Trident quickly moved forward, while Qin Ming, in a one-on-one situation with Gündoğan, used a small hop to feint and get away from the left side.

Because Danilo and Kyle Walker are positioned further forward.

Bang! Qin Ming made a diagonal pass to Sanchez, forcing Kompany to cover, while Morata suddenly fell behind.

Sanchez passed the ball across to Morata.

Otamendi rushed over from the side.

Morata flicked the ball with the outside of his foot, and it rolled to the right.

Qin Ming followed up and shot.

The shot was so precise that it grazed Ederson's fingertips and flew into the goal.

"Whoa whoa!"

Arsenal have taken the lead!

"The stalemate that had lasted for almost forty minutes was broken. Arsenal withstood Manchester City's rapid penetration and turned the tables with a counter-attack!"

Look at their excellent teamwork in the attacking third!

"I can only say it's perfect!"

Paul Dutton exclaimed in amazement.

Deafening cheers erupted at the Emirates Stadium.

On the sidelines, Guardiola glanced at the substitutes' bench, where Yaya Toure and Fernandinho were located.

Could it be that I made a mistake again?

The strategy against Arsenal shouldn't be a technical approach, but rather to increase the depth and strength of the midfield and force Qin Ming out of position.
But can this really be done?
He had tried it before, and the result was that Qin Ming was a dragon in the dense midfield.

next door.

Wenger's smile was broad. Arsenal's biggest rival for the title this season is Manchester City, who have barely lost any games.

It's important to remember that Arsenal used to be seen as...

In July, a rising star was acquired; in August, the captain resigned; in September, the lineup was finalized; in October, five titles were won; in November, there was hope; in December, there were ambitious goals; in January, the team was plagued by injuries; in February, they competed in the Champions League; in March, they finished in the middle of the table; in April, they ranked fifth; in May, they reached the semi-finals, and the playoffs were in sight. The whole team was overjoyed and finally breathed a sigh of relief, ready to welcome their new captain.

There have been earth-shattering changes.

But people still subconsciously worry that if they perform poorly in March and April and lose one or two games, they might actually be overtaken by Manchester City.

Therefore, today's match is especially important.

Maintaining a significant point difference with Manchester City is like having insurance.

It has greater fault tolerance.

The 1-0 score remained until the 70th minute when Guardiola made three substitutions: Yaya Toure, Gabriel Jesus, and Phil Foden.

Clearly, he didn't want to leave with zero points on the road.

"Foden, number 47, who just came on, is only 18 years old. He is 171cm tall and has outstanding skills. I wonder how he will perform today?"

"Can you be like Qin when he first debuted?"

Paul Dutton soon realized he had overestimated his opponent.

Not every young player is like Qin Ming, capable of making extraordinary moves under pressure and turning the tide.

Arsenal's defense prevented Manchester City from finding any clear scoring opportunities.

Paul Dutton had previously predicted that Arsenal, who had played too aggressively in the first half of the season, would play more defensively in the second half.

Maintain stability while ensuring the status quo.

The match ended with Arsenal defeating Manchester City 1-0, leaving the fans in the stadium wanting more.

That's just how most football matches are.

The game between two teams that primarily control possession will not be very exciting unless they play an attacking game without restraint.

Two days later, in the 29th round of the Premier League.

Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brighton away from home, securing their first draw of March with a largely rotated squad.

This relieved the gunmen.

To conserve energy for the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, Arsenal fielded a relatively mediocre lineup today. Although they scored early, they were unable to hold onto the lead.

Brighton equalized from a set piece opportunity.

three days later.

Qin Ming and his teammates arrived at the Parc des Princes stadium.

Paris Saint-Germain's home ground.

The red and black colors on the three sides of the stands rolled like dark clouds.

"Neymar was injured in the league match the day before yesterday because he tried to do a rainbow flick but was trampled by a defender."

"Therefore, PSG's starting forward line today is Di Maria, Cavani and Mbappe."

"Arsenal fielded their full-strength squad after resting, which shows their determination to win the Champions League."

"Can Arsenal, who won 2-0 in the first leg, escape Paris unscathed?" Zhan Jun asked.

The camera pans to Neymar in the stands; the Brazilian striker is wearing sunglasses and sitting with his legs crossed, looking quite relaxed.

I don't know if he was faking it or if he didn't care about winning or losing the game.

On the pitch, Mbappe gave Qin Ming a deep look. At the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony at the end of last month, he witnessed history as the first football player to become the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

He dreams that one day he too can stand in the spotlight of the world.

That's why they needed to perform well in this match; the moment the whistle blew, PSG pressed forward with all their might.

Trailing by two goals in the first leg, they had no choice.

The only option is to attack and try to survive.

However, Arsenal had already prepared for this, reducing midfield transitions and possession in the backfield, and quickly moving the ball forward.

Even if we concede a goal, it won't have a major impact.

Learning from the experience of the first leg, PSG pressed hard in their own half and also coordinated with the midfield and attack.

Arsenal did not become obsessed with possession.

They decisively relinquished possession and retreated to establish a defensive line in the midfield and backfield.

It was exactly the same as the game against Manchester City a few days ago.

Emery on the bench frowned as he carefully studied the match; Manchester City had just been a little unlucky.

However, PSG's overall squad is not strong enough for them to replicate Guardiola's tactics.

The only option is to find another way, first speed up the pace of the game, see if we can force Arsenal into making a mistake, and then look for a chance to score.

Arsenal played very steadily!

"It seems they weren't attacking blindly, but rather choosing the most advantageous tactic after considering various factors!"

"This might disappoint the fans who came to the stadium!"

This is what the commentator on Sky Sports France said.

This immediately drew strong rebuttals from fans other than PSG fans. Does it mean that if you take the lead in the first leg, you should attack fiercely in the second leg and give the opponent a chance to equalize?

On this green field.

Pure idealists find it difficult to keep moving forward.

On the contrary, it is the extreme opportunists who succeed.

Wenger is no longer in his thirties; he's an idealist who carries a backpack and goes on a pilgrimage to one stadium after another.

The 29th minute of the game.

Di Maria forcefully shook off Roberto on the wing, desperately intercepting Sokratis's cross and delivering a cross straight to Cavani.

Unfortunately, the champion of joyful football was somewhat distracted by Van Dijk.

The ball went wide of the goal frame, and just as Mbappe was about to follow up with a shot, Monreal thwarted his attempt.

The Parc des Princes stadium was instantly filled with sighs.

A few minutes later, PSG came back strong, this time with Mbappe making a powerful breakthrough, easily defeating Monreal one-on-one.

It accelerates like a supercar and then cuts inward.

Unfortunately, the young man was still too inexperienced. Van Dijk only took half a step back, which prompted Mbappe to adjust his footing and shoot.

The shot hit Van Dijk's shin and went out of bounds.

"PSG's offensive has been very aggressive lately!"

"But in reality, they didn't pose any threat to Cech; they were taken care of in the back line!"

"How about we try a long-range shot?"

As the commentator's voice faded, Thiago Silva, positioned on the perimeter, actually unleashed a long-range shot.

The Brazilian defenders all have excellent footwork.

Perhaps because they both have the heart of a striker, Thiago Silva's shots are quick.

It's just that the angle isn't that tricky.

Even the older Cech can block first and then take down the opponent.

The first half ended amidst wave after wave of attacks. When the second half began, PSG seemed to be injected with adrenaline and launched another fifteen minutes of fierce attacks.

Qin Ming accurately captured the period of weakness under high-pressure attacks.

He made a gesture, spurred his teammates to speed up, and in the blink of an eye, they completed the advance from the side lane.

A simple inverted triangle cross that couldn't be simpler.

Qin Ming faked a shot, then cut inside past Thiago Silva before unleashing a powerful shot to make it 0-1. The Arsenal fans who had traveled with the team immediately rose to their feet and cheered.

"PSG played aggressively against the defending champions, but couldn't score a single goal."

"Arsenal changed the score with just a few counter-attacks."

"It's obvious who's stronger and who's weaker; PSG's Champions League dream is almost shattered."

"This also tells us that the strongest team is not necessarily composed of the best players."

"Suitability is the most important thing."

Zhan Jun glanced at the time. PSG, trailing by three goals and missing Neymar, how could they possibly create a miracle?
But he told the truth.

Without Neymar today, PSG seemed stronger and played a more complete game.

Beep-beep-beep!
When the final whistle blew, Qin Ming stopped and saw Mbappe covering his face. He walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

No words of comfort were offered.

If you're going to stand on this stage, you have to be prepared to lose.

Because no one can win forever.

Qin Ming himself was prepared, but he would do his best to pursue victory until that day came.

The Guardian: Arsenal beat Paris Saint-Germain to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals. Will the curse of no team ever defending the Champions League title since its rebranding be broken this season?
The Sun: The newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner has returned to his most loyal Parisian home!

《4-4-2》：从各队在欧冠1/8淘汰赛的表现看，皇马和阿森纳仍是最有竞争力的，本赛季欧冠决赛很有可能复刻上赛季！

With the two-legged Champions League knockout stage over, the media has begun predicting the finalists.

Many fans are excited because they have the opportunity to see a rematch between Real Madrid and Arsenal.

Of course, there is a chance that the two teams will meet earlier.
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If they can truly replicate last season's performance, Real Madrid still won't have a chance, unless Zidane intervenes.
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If Zidane had been more effective, they wouldn't have finished as runners-up last season.
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[If Ronaldo stays in this form for a few more seasons, Messi seems to be in the same boat. Qin Ming's era of dominance probably won't arrive for a few more years.]
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Those two old guys are really something.
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A three-way power struggle.
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Is it true that Cristiano Ronaldo is planning to leave after this season?
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Where to go?
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[I can't go back to Manchester United, they don't have that much money, it'd probably cost around 200 million.]
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Manchester United really does have that kind of money; they're the real big spenders.
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【.】

The start of the 29th round of the Premier League on March 11th also symbolizes the countdown to the Premier League's conclusion.

Who will be the champion of the 2017-18 season?

Arsenal are currently leading the odds by a wide margin, and many believe that the Gunners dynasty is about to begin this season.

Arsenal showed no mercy against Watford, securing a decisive 4-0 victory.

Qin Ming scored twice in this match, bringing his goal tally from 33 to 35. He is now just 7 goals away from the record he set last season.

There are still nine league games left, plus Arsenal's postponed game.

How many goals can be scored in 10 games?

The game is over.

The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals was held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Arsenal drew Bayern Munich, Real Madrid drew Juventus, Barcelona drew Manchester City, and Liverpool drew Roma.

Three of the eight quarter-final spots are from the English Premier League.

Arsenal can be seen as a disruptive force, significantly raising the overall level of competition in the Premier League.

Because the competition is too fierce.

The next stage of the Champions League knockout stage will be held on April 5th.

Prior to this, Arsenal played in the 31st round of the Premier League, easily defeating Stoke City with a score of 4-0, which pleased the fans.

(End of this chapter)