Who made him play as a winger/attacking midfielder?

Chapter 95 The King of Serie A: A Fierce Six-Point Battle!

December 22, Italian time.

Friday at 1 p.m.

The draw for the quarterfinals of the 2017-2018 Italian Cup was held at the headquarters of the Italian Football Federation.

After a process that took more than ten minutes, the draws for the four quarter-final matches were completed.

In the round-robin matches between Roma vs. AC Milan, Atalanta vs. Inter Milan, Lazio vs. Florence, and Napoli vs. Juventus, the team drawn first has the home advantage, and the team drawn later becomes the away team.

After watching the Italian Cup quarter-final draw, Roma headed from their hotel to the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

Head coach Di Francesco and De Rossi went to the press conference hall to attend the pre-match press conference.

no doubt.

This is a crucial battle worth six points.

The two teams are separated by six points. If they both take three points in the end, the gap between them will widen to nine points.

If they lose to Juventus, their points will be reduced to three.

Two days later, Roma's core objective upon arriving in Turin is to secure a draw and strive for a win.

First, secure an undefeated record, then seek to steal three points.

However, when being interviewed by reporters, one cannot reveal their true purpose, because even a person could guess it.

Almost at the same time.

Juventus head coach Allegri and Chiellini left the first team training ground at the Vinovo training center and headed to the press conference hall.

Attend the home team's pre-match press conference.

"Coach Allegri, Juventus are currently 6 points behind Roma, and their number 99, Chang Huan, is in excellent form. How will you contain him in this crucial six-point game? Will you employ the same tactics used by Genoa and Chievo?"

A reporter from the Italian newspaper "La Gazzetta dello Sport" went straight to the heart of the matter.

Allegri quickly denied it: "That's not Juventus' style of play. We will dominate the game at the Allianz Stadium in Turin and keep the three points here."

"Chang Huan is the top assist provider in Serie A and leads all of Europe in key passes. Do you think Chang will perform better in tomorrow night's match, or will Dybala have the better game?"

A reporter from Gazzetta dello Sport asked a tricky question.

A speechless Allegri shrugged and patiently answered the rather "idiotic" question: "Without a doubt, Chang Huan is more talented and has better stats, but Paul (Dybala) is more effective for the team. He has a lot of experience, and I believe the team will win by six points with his help."

The main questions surrounding Chiellini revolve around his ability to effectively defend and secure victories.

The former Italian international with the big nose was full of confidence: "Coach Allegri has formulated detailed and targeted tactics before the match. I believe that with the support of the Juventus fans throughout the stadium, we will definitely complete our defensive mission and seize the opportunities to transition from defense to attack!"

It was 8 p.m. that evening.

The 18th round of the 2017-2018 Serie A season kicked off at the Bentegoti Stadium.

Chievo, the home team, conceded three goals after taking an early lead, and Bologna scored again in stoppage time, ultimately losing the match 2-3.

In the second league match of the same round, Cagliari lost 0-1 to Florence.

Roma have performed better this season than last season, which has caused some concern among Juventus die-hard fans.

They felt they should do something to help the team gain an advantage in tomorrow night's game.

So, in the early hours of the morning, fireworks and firecrackers were lit near the hotel where the entire Rome team was staying.

Crackle, crackle.

The noise woke up almost all the Roma players, hotel guests, and residents in the surrounding area who were in a deep sleep.

Rome's logistics chief, Mauro Baldini, immediately called the police.

However, these extreme fans are very familiar with the nearby roads and are playing guerrilla warfare.

I leave when the police come, and I come back when they leave.

Not only the entire Roma team was very upset, but tourists visiting Turin and nearby residents were also furious.

Many Roman expeditionary soldiers who arrived in Turin gave up sleeping and patrolled the NH Lingato Hotel, where they were staying in Rome.

Some Juventus fans with a broader perspective also spontaneously came to the vicinity to help Roma fans expand the blockade area, preventing extremist fans from doing more harm than good.

But—it was too late.

Tourists to Turin include not only ordinary people, but also travel bloggers and football bloggers with tens or hundreds of thousands of followers.

next morning.

Social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have seen a surge of fans and netizens criticizing Juventus.

Juventus is suffering in silence.

The Roma players weren't significantly affected, but they ended up having to bear the consequences of the extreme fans' actions backfiring.

Roma originally planned to do strength training the following morning, but postponed the gym session due to the significant impact on the players' sleep.

The earliest match will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Lazio were in top form, securing a resounding 4-0 victory over Crotone.

At 3 PM, as many as five league matches kicked off simultaneously.

那不勒斯3：2桑普多利亚、萨索洛1：0爆冷击败国际米兰、斯帕尔2：2都灵、乌迪内斯4：0维罗纳、热那亚1：0贝内文托。

The remaining two league matches will kick off at 6:00 PM and 8:45 PM respectively.

Those teams that finished the league season disbanded on the spot.

The players went home to their respective mothers and families to prepare for the annual Christmas.

AC Milan's home game against Atalanta has already started, while the Roma team has just boarded the team bus to travel to the Allianz Stadium in Turin, which is about ten kilometers away.

This professional football stadium is wholly owned by Juventus and opened in 2011. It was originally called the Juventus Stadium and has a maximum capacity of 41507 fans.

In July of this year, Juventus signed a naming rights agreement with Allianz Group until June 30, 2030, so the stadium was renamed Allianz Stadium in Turin.

As the Roma players traveled by bus to the match venue, every Juventus fan booed and gave them the middle finger, attempting to influence the visiting team's mentality.

Chang Huan's spectacular performance at the Turin Olympic Stadium four days ago has caused concern among Juventus fans, making him a major concern for the home team.

Boos, insults, and graffiti/spoofs were directed at Chang Huan.

He's gotten used to this treatment now and remains unfazed.

The loudest boos came when the team bus arrived at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

Juventus fans queuing to enter the stadium, as well as those without tickets who came to the outer plaza to cheer, collectively unleashed their energy, erupting in a deafening roar of boos.

The commotion was so great that players like Dzeko, Nainggolan, and Manolas, who were listening to music with headphones on, frowned.

Rome's expeditionary force shouted themselves hoarse, but due to their overwhelming numbers and the separation imposed by local police and security, their efforts were futile. They could only watch helplessly as their beloved team was met with a barrage of boos.

Many Chinese students, workers, and residents from Turin and other parts of Italy also came to the Allianz Stadium. They were directed to the Roma fans' area, where they held up banners, signs, and national flags in support of Chang Huan.

Chang Huan, sitting by the window, would wave to the Chinese people who supported her from afar.

Juventus' home game against Roma is a clash between the top two teams in Serie A this round, and the outcome could very well affect the final title race, making it a highly anticipated match across Italy.

A fervent football atmosphere swept across the entire area surrounding the stadium.

Reporters from TV stations, newspapers, football bloggers, and online influencers who own the Serie A broadcasting rights randomly interviewed fans outside the Allianz Stadium, sharing this wonderful moment with football enthusiasts around the world through social media platforms.

The away team's bus was parked in the designated parking area for the away team.

Roma's coaching staff, team doctors, and players disembarked in an orderly fashion.

A gust of cold wind swept over him, and Chang Huan couldn't help but gasp, rubbing his hands together: "It's so cold!"

"You didn't bring warm gloves again, did you? Here you go."

Lorenzo Pellegrini handed him a pair of brand-new gloves from his bag.

"Hey~ My brother is so nice."

Chang Huan didn't stand on ceremony and took the fleece-lined gloves, putting them on immediately: "They're so warm."

The temperature in Turin dropped to -2°C at night.

The highest temperature is only 3℃.

The air was humid, and there was a thin layer of frost around the field; the grass was damp and cold.

Reporters and fans who arrived at the scene were all wearing thick fleece-lined coats or down jackets, with scarves around their necks and fleece-lined gloves on their hands.

The players also took great care to keep warm before entering the field to warm up.

Despite the cold weather, the pre-match warm-up work was carried out with great care and caution.

I was afraid of straining my muscles.

Chang Huan entered the arena to warm up, wearing fleece-lined gloves.

Juventus fans in the stands, who had been complaining about the bad weather, seemed to have found an outlet for their frustration.

A deafening chorus of boos converged from all directions and poured down.

Chang Huan, unfazed by such sights, maintained a smile and chatted and laughed with her teammates.

With one hour to go before the match, fans following this round of Serie A's top showdown saw the starting lineups for both sides on football-related apps and websites.

The home team, Juventus, fielded a 3-5-2 formation.

Goalkeeper: Buffon; Center-backs: Chiellini, Benatia, Barzagli; Midfielders: Sandro, Matuidi, Pjanic, Khedira, Cuadrado; Forwards: Higuain, Dybala. The away team, Roma, fielded their usual 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeeper: Alisson; Defenders: Kolarov, Manolas, Fazio, Florenzi; Midfielders: De Rossi, Strootman, Chang Huan; Forwards: Perotti, Dzeko, El Shaarawy. When Allegri saw the Roma starting lineup brought by his chief assistant Marco Landucci, he scoffed, "A 4-2-3-1 formation is fine, but giving us a 4-3-3 to confuse us, really—"

The Juventus coaching staff made thorough preparations before the match.

First, they studied Roma's usual 4-3-3 formation, and then they studied the formation changes for the Italian Cup Round of 16.

Therefore, only minor adjustments need to be made based on the opponent's starting lineup.

at the same time.

Roma coach Di Francesco also received Juventus' starting lineup from his assistant Tomé.

It was a little different from what he had imagined, but it wasn't a big problem.

Just take the closest pre-match plan, make some cuts and add to it, and you're good to go.

Both teams had a long warm-up period, and didn't return to the locker room until 30 minutes before the start of the match.

The highly anticipated match at the San Siro stadium has come to an end.

Gattuso's AC Milan lost 0-2 to Atalanta.

Ten minutes before the start of the highly anticipated Serie A match, the pre-match bell rang in both locker rooms.

"I believe we can take three points away from here!"

In the away team's locker room, Roma captain De Rossi gathered his teammates together, forming a circle with their hands on each other's shoulders.

"Take away three points!"

The other players spoke in unison, their voices filled with powerful energy.

Go go go!

The players walked out of the door opened by the assistant coach.

The starting players remained in the players' tunnel, while the substitutes entered the field wrapped in thick down jackets.

Both Juventus and Roma are home to many Italian internationals, and their Italian players are very familiar with each other.

Players from both teams also interact, with former teammates reuniting at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, where they hugged and shook hands to greet each other.

But no matter how friendly they seem before the match, things will still be the same once the match starts!

The match had been going on for less than half a minute.

De Rossi delivered a powerful tackle from the side, knocking his former teammate Pjanic to the ground, and roared menacingly, "Miralem (Pjanic), stop pretending, I know exactly what I did."

A chorus of boos erupted from the audience.

Pjanic, feigning great pain, gave an awkward smile, but to keep up the act, he grinned and pretended to struggle, putting his hands on his knees and exhaling.

A short while later.

French midfielder Matuidi also made a ruthless tackle on Roma's key player Chang Huan, sweeping his leg from the side and behind when he couldn't cover in time.

Chang Huan took the opportunity to grab his left shinbone and roll around on the ground a few times to dissipate the force.

It looks like it's in a lot of pain, but actually nothing's wrong.

"Wow, this smells like gunpowder!"

He Wei, the top football commentator on CCTV-5, raised his voice by eight octaves.