69novels Chapter 81 Europe's No.1 Home Ground
Chapter 81 Europe's No.1 Home Ground
After the Europa League Round of 32 knockout stage concluded.
Monaco will soon face two consecutive away league matches.
June 2016, 2
In the 28th round of Ligue 1, Monaco will travel to Nantes.
Nantes are known as a tough opponent in Ligue 1 this season, boasting a home defense that ranks among the top five in the league.
They set up an impenetrable defensive formation, with all players huddled in their own half of the field to defend.
Only Sigsorsson and Sara were left to wait for an opportunity to launch a counterattack near the center circle.
Iceland's striker scored two headers in the penalty area, and Sala broke through on the counter-attack.
All of them were saved by Subasic, who became the goalkeeper in this match.
Monaco, on the other hand, clearly didn't give it their all.
Mbappe's several sprints down the wing were met with tight defense from Nantes, who consistently failed to provide him with space to shoot.
Jiang Ming kept moving back and forth in the midfield, orchestrating and stretching the defense.
They were constantly being closely marked by Nantes' defenders.
If it were the old him, he might not have lasted long enough and would have been exhausted.
But now, Jiang Ming has improved his endurance attribute and has a module passive effect.
They treated their opponents like ruthless task-farming machines.
[Successfully secured possession of the ball, mission progress +1]
Whenever Jiang Ming heard the system voice in his mind, he would feel a sense of comfort.
This is the feeling that comes from making efforts concrete!
As long as the opponent doesn't resort to dirty tricks, like they did with Neymar.
Jiang Ming could spend more time getting to know these tough, physical players from Ligue 1.
Both sides maintained this rhythm in the first half, without scoring a single goal.
In the 57th minute of the second half.
Jiang Ming finally found a gap in the Nantes defense line.
He delivered a subtle through ball just outside the penalty area.
The ball passed perfectly through the gap between the two defenders.
Lemar on the right wing understood perfectly.
He took advantage of the opponent's defender's slow turning speed, and made a high-speed run to receive the ball.
One-on-one with the goalkeeper, he easily slotted the ball into the far corner!
1-0!!
Monaco has finally broken through Nantes' impenetrable defenses.
Just three minutes after the goal, Jardim made a timely substitution.
Jiang Ming was still panting heavily when he walked to the sidelines.
He casually brushed the grass clippings off his basketball shorts.
Although he only provided one assist, the overall result of this match was still quite good.
[During the match, successfully use your body to protect possession of the ball or contest for advantageous positions a total of 50 times.]
[Task Progress: 31/50]
Jiang Ming looked at the task's progress bar.
I feel like a few more matches and we can finish this smoothly!
In the remaining thirty minutes, Nantes launched a relentless counterattack after conceding the goal.
They brought on three attacking players in quick succession to attack Monaco's goal.
But Monaco's defense is no pushover either.
In addition, Subasic blocked two threatening shots in succession.
They held on to a 1-0 lead until the final whistle.
The final whistle blew, and Monaco took three points away from home.
This result was more satisfactory to Jardim than a draw.
However, this is only enough points to secure a Champions League spot for next season.
After all, they are still more than ten points behind Paris Saint-Germain.
……
Ligue 1, Round 29.
Monaco once again travels to Caen to face the opposition.
There are only a few days left until the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16 against Borussia Dortmund.
Jardim made even more rotations in this match than in the last one.
Nearly 70% of the starting lineup was rotated.
Even Jiang Ming and Mbappe were sitting on the bench, waiting to be called upon.
It's clear they're saving all their energy for European competitions.
Caen, this dark horse, is determined to be a dark horse all season long.
They are still ranked fourth in the league.
Their home advantage was also off the charts; even when Paris Saint-Germain visited, they couldn't secure three points.
Facing a heavily rotated Monaco squad, Caen adopted an all-out attacking approach from the very first minute.
They want to secure three points and continue their push for Champions League qualification.
Monaco were completely on the back foot in the first half.
The rotated players couldn't control the ball at all in midfield.
Caen launched wave after wave of attacks, with Rodelin and Barrez continuously assaulting Monaco's defense.
The 32th minute of the match.
Echekil made a clearance error.
Rodlin passed the ball across the box.
Ferret, who made a late run, met the ball and slotted it home!
Caen took a 1-0 lead at home.
In the next ten minutes or so, Caen created two more excellent opportunities.
Thanks to Subasic's excellent saves and Carvalho's solid defense, the score was prevented from widening further.
At halftime, Monaco trailed 0-1 away from home.
During halftime, Jardim did not make any substitutions.
In the eyes of Caen fans, Monaco is giving up on this league match.
But the game went on for 65 minutes.
Jiang Ming is warming up on the sidelines.
The Caen coach felt a sudden pang of unease as he watched him disappear into the distance.
It felt like Simeone seeing Messi warming up on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Mbappe and Bernardo Silva were also doing high knees to warm up on the side.
The next moment, all three players came on as substitutes, replacing the mediocre rotation players.
The trio immediately changed the rhythm of Monaco's game as soon as they entered the field.
Mbappe constantly used his speed to attack Caen's full-back on the left flank.
Bernardo Silva used his exquisite footwork to engage in close battles with opposing players.
Jiang Ming, on the other hand, was responsible for receiving, orchestrating, and transferring the ball in midfield.
Monaco's previously chaotic midfield became organized, and their attack finally showed some structure.
Just seven minutes later.
Jiang Ming observed from midfield that Caen's defensive line was pushed slightly higher.
Immediately afterwards, a precise long pass over the top bypassed the entire defensive line.
Mbappe made a high-speed run, received the ball, and delivered a cross.
Bernardo Silva got into position and unleashed a powerful shot!
The football went straight into the top corner of the goal.
1-1!
Monaco have equalized!
Monaco's morale soared after scoring, and their attack became increasingly fluid.
78 minutes.
Jiang Ming received the ball at the edge of the penalty area, attracting the attention of two defenders.
He seized the opportunity and chipped the ball over the defender in front of him.
Caen defender Jaccia hurriedly returned to defend, but seeing the Monaco forward trio pressing forward at the same time, he made a mistake in clearing the ball and poked it into his own goal!
2-1!
Monaco have taken the lead!
Less than twenty minutes later, Monaco had turned the tide of the game!
"Their dominance in the league right now feels almost as strong as Paris Saint-Germain's!" Sun Chen couldn't help but exclaim.
In the remaining time, Caen launched a final counterattack, but failed to break through Monaco's defense.
The final whistle blew, and Monaco came from behind to defeat Caen 2-1 away from home, taking three points away once again.
After securing this victory, Monaco remains firmly in second place in the league, and has even widened the gap with third place by ten points.
But everyone knows that the outcome of the league match is no longer important for Monaco.
Monaco's attention is already on the next match.
In the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16, they will travel to Signal Park to challenge Borussia Dortmund.
Of course, fans still prefer to call this stadium the Westfalen Stadium.
It has the most terrifying home atmosphere in all of Europe.
The Hornets are known for their aggressive, high-pressing style.
The highly anticipated new Asian derby, which the media has been hyping for a long time, will finally take place on this very pitch.
……
Germany.
Brakel Training Base.
Tuchel stood on the sidelines, watching the players running hard on the training field.
He kept thinking about the strategy for the upcoming match against Monaco.
Monaco is currently enjoying a surge in popularity.
They have won multiple matches across the league, Europa League, and domestic competitions.
This team from France is attracting the attention of all of Europe at an astonishing speed.
However, Tuchel remained completely unperturbed.
His Dortmund team is also in red-hot form.
They are currently on a 15-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.
This even includes top clubs like Bayern Munich.
of course.
Guardiola conducted a small tactical experiment in that match.
Otherwise, if the two sides were to fight each other with real weapons, the final outcome would be unpredictable.
On the training ground.
Reus is dribbling the ball forward at high speed.
Gündoğan is in charge of scheduling near the center circle.
Shinji Kagawa kept making runs and cuts between positions.
This is Tuchel's most satisfying group of players.
Add to that striker Aubameyang's near-terrifying speed.
He even believes that the team still has room to grow.
Thinking about this...
Tuchel walked to the tactics board and quickly drew several lines with a pen.
Monaco is a team that is very good at controlling the tempo of the game.
They like to dictate the pace of the game to their own comfort zone.
Use the midfield to constantly pass the ball around and look for opportunities.
The key to this is that young Chinese man who has recently gained immense popularity.
His Dortmund, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
A storm raged through Tuchel's mind.
His German-equipped division is best at speeding up the pace of the game.
Tuchel's lips curled up slightly.
This is Germany.
The place in the world that emphasizes offense the most.
Furthermore, their stadium is the craziest home stadium in all of Europe.
When 80,000 fans shouted at the same time.
Many young players make mistakes even with the simplest passes.
His players can use this to turn the fast pace of the game into goals!
Monaco, on the other hand, is a very young team.
Tuchel recalled the Chinese face in Monaco.
"An 18-year-old genius?"
"We need to pass the test of the competition first."
……
This highly anticipated match has already generated buzz in the country.
—A Clash of Asian Titans! Chinese Youngsters vs. Japanese Players! Who Will Emerge Victorious?
—A battle between black market shops! Scouts from top football clubs gather to inspect the quality of their merchandise!
—Japanese media: Facing the prodigy of the Eastern Empire! Kagawa-kun! Crush your opponent with your experience!
Comment area:
"The Japanese headlines are way too over-the-top, like 'The Empire's Ferocious Tiger' or 'The Empire's Destructive Dragon'..."
"Now they've come up with some kind of genius young dragon for the empire, so they think they can just throw any term into it?"
"Any experts out there? Can you tell me what level Shinji Kagawa is at? If he's really that good, why was he sold back to Dortmund by Manchester United?"
"Well, you could say it's like a tree dies if you move it, but a person thrives if they move them."
"Shinji Kagawa's failure to perform at Manchester United is purely Van Gaal's fault."
"He's refusing to use a top-class attacking midfielder and insisting on having Shinji Kagawa play as a winger or defensive midfielder."
"After transferring back to Dortmund, he returned to his peak and is now an absolute key player for the team. It's no exaggeration to say that he is the best player in Asia right now."
"Holy crap? This match really isn't just media hype; it's a true clash of Asian titans?"
"Absolutely! If Jiang Ming can outperform Shinji Kagawa in this match, then the top spot in Asian football will belong to someone else!"
"Don't jinx it! The Westfalenstadion is terrifying. Let's aim for a draw first, then try for a win!"
"Just charge! Let's crush those Japanese!"
……
Germany.
Borussia Dortmund.
As the day of the competition draws ever closer.
The whole city began to liven up.
Fans wearing yellow and black jerseys could be seen everywhere.
Although the Europa League may not be as good as the Champions League.
But the knockout stage is still something they should pay attention to.
Inside the beer hall.
Germans gathered together.
Someone holding a beer remarked, "Monaco's been on fire lately."
Another fan shrugged.
"So what?"
"We are a German team."
"Germany is really good at beating France."
A burst of laughter immediately erupted around them.
"Um, Monaco isn't exactly part of France, is it?"
"How can playing in Ligue 1 not be considered French!"
at this time.
A fan with a side-parted hairstyle was standing on the stage of the beer hall.
His tone was impassioned.
"On match day, let's give Monaco a warm welcome to Dortmund!"
"Welcome to Europe's most intimidating home stadium!"
"When we all shout for it together."
"Hopefully, their prized Chinese talents won't be so scared they'll turn to jerks!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
……
The day before the match.
The plane from Nice, France, landed on time at Düsseldorf International Airport.
The Monaco team bus headed towards a hotel near the stadium.
On the bus.
The Monaco players sat together in twos and threes.
Fabinho was listening to music with headphones on.
Bernardo Silva was catching up on sleep while wearing an eye mask.
Jiang Ming was idly scrolling through video websites.
Suddenly, he paused for a moment.
A video of Westfalen Stadium appeared on the screen.
It's like a targeted push notification.
In the video, tens of thousands of people are waving yellow scarves at the same time.
The unified shouts echoed throughout the entire stadium.
Even the photographer's lens was shaking.
Jiang Ming glanced at it casually.
The video's title is simple: "Europe's Best Home Ground"
He rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment.
The name doesn't exaggerate at all.
Regardless of the local fan atmosphere.
It's still that famous "yellow wall".
Borussia Dortmund's fan culture has reached its peak.
The Westfalenstadion truly deserves the title of "Europe's best home stadium".
……
After checking into the hotel.
Monaco conducted their pre-match training session as usual.
As they walked out of the players' tunnel.
The whole team stopped in their tracks.
Even though the stands were completely empty.
But there was an immense pressure looming over everyone.
The south grandstand directly opposite looks like a huge yellow steel wall.
It gives people an invisible sense of oppression.
Mbappe looked up and around, then swallowed hard.
"Will this place really be able to hold 80,000 people tomorrow?"
The staff member smiled and shook his head.
"It's okay normally, but not tomorrow."
"According to UEFA regulations, all seats must be occupied."
Mbappe breathed a sigh of relief: "That's alright..."
"However, it can still seat 65,000 people."
Mbappe: "?"
The air suddenly fell silent for two seconds.
Jiang Ming stood near the center circle, looking around.
He could almost picture what tomorrow would be like.
The cheers of 60,000 people.
Yellow scarves fluttering everywhere.
A shout that could lift the roof.
All of this is enough to overwhelm the young players' sense of pressure.
On his way back to the locker room, Jiang Ming looked back one last time.
tomorrow.
This might be the craziest night of the season.