April 1.

Pep Guardiola, who is back in England, looks to be in a good mood.

The photo of him leading a group of Barcelona stars out of the airport has appeared on the official websites of major media outlets, and sitting at the press conference, Guardiola kept smiling at the reporters, and then habitually scratched his bald head and touched his chin.

"It's a pleasure to see you again. ”

"Pep, how is the team's preparation now?" the BBC reporter asked a seemingly modest question first.

"Everything was fine, I'm satisfied. I know you want to ask Patrick......" Pep grinned and scratched the top of his head, "I can't tell you for sure if he'll be in the starting line-up, after all, he hasn't played in almost three months. However, he did well in training sessions and recovered very quickly. I think he's going to get playing time. ”

"So, what do you think about Amber's face to the old master QPR this time, as well as his reunion with Kristen Lu?"

"It's a matter between them. For me personally, if it were me, I would be looking forward to playing against my former manager, it would be fun. Christine has done a great job this season and I think they are one of the favourites to win the Premier League and in the Champions League as well. At this stage, all eight teams have the potential to win the title and we need to be careful. ”

****

"Oh, I can tell you're concerned about this. Lu Ling shrugged her shoulders slightly, turned her head to look at the reporter who asked the question, she even leaned back, trying to make herself look more relaxed, "But here, we should be able to find a better topic to talk about." For example, so far, you haven't asked me about the injuries in the team. I can tell you that we have no new injuries in our squad. ”

"Christine, with Patrick Amber probably the most dangerous player in the opposing lineup and should be playing time, do you have a specific defensive plan for him?" asked Mirror reporter John Krauss.

"The most threatening? Don't they have Neymar and Messi in their squad? Yes, Pate will be a problem for every Barça opponent, he is one of the best players in the world. Still, if I'm not mistaken, he hasn't played in a long time......" she said here, curling the corners of her mouth, "yes, I know him well, we have a lot of plans, but I won't say it here." ”

'What do you think of the other game, Arsenal vs Everton? The two teams have met twice in domestic competitions this season and Everton have not won. ”

'That's not what I care about, hopefully a better team wins. ”

"Barcelona are the top scorers in Europe's top five leagues this season and there is a general consensus that the prospects for promotion for QPR are bleak, are your team mentally ready to take on Barcelona and what do you think are the chances of knocking them out?"

"Odds or odds don't make sense to me. It's our home stadium and we're confident. The QPR coach sat up straight and looked directly at the reporter who asked the question, "We will do everything to eliminate Barcelona." ”

Lu Ling heard his voice clearly, it was very loud and full of faith. She didn't know what the reporters in the room would think, but she felt she was ready.

****

April 2, 4pm, North London.

Thin raindrops fall from the sky.

The world's media attention on the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals match between Queens Park Rangers vs Barcelona has reached its highest point.

Although there will be a Premier League civil clash between Arsenal and Everton tonight, no football topic can overshadow Patrick Amber's return to the new Queen's Park against his mentor Kristen Lue, as well as the many people involved in the game, such as Pep Guardiola, Neymar, Messi, Leon Ferreira......

Nicholas was sitting in a hotel in North London. And all the Everton coaching staff and players are there. He will face Allegri again tonight.

When Nicholas picked up a certain newspaper on the table, as expected, the headline on the tail page read:

luandamber:thecivilar

Lu and Amber: Civil War

Civil war? Very gimmicky.

Nicholas's brow moved.

Obviously, the match between Everton and Arsenal is the real civil war, but recently, when England fans talk about the "civil war", they are actually talking more about Christine and Patrick.

BTSPORT's promotional video also uses the word "civil war".

It seems that in the eyes of the English, the focus of that game was not Barcelona, one of the greatest clubs in the football world, against the little-known and perhaps not even a "nouveau riche" QPR, but the reunion of two Englishmen.

Someone came over and glanced at the newspaper in his hand, and then laughed in a thick European accent: "Stupid media." ”

Nicholas didn't speak, he threw down the newspaper, clapped his hands, and everyone looked over.

"Are there any details you'd like to tell me?" he asked solemnly.

Or, as a surprise detail in itself, the controlling Spaniard is actually a man who likes to listen to other people's ideas. Otherwise, how could he have hired a 26-year-old English girl with little experience as his teaching assistant in the late autumn of 2015?

And on April 2, 2019, that girl has become the manager who will lead a small club in west London to the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Barcelona.

Yes, tonight, there will be two civil wars in London that will attract worldwide attention.

****

April 2, 7 p.m., New Queen's Park.

Michael Owen: QPR is a strong team, but it's still too far from eliminating Barcelona's

Zixiang read the headline aloud, then laughed and threw the newspaper to the floor. A flurry of invective ensued in the locker room.

"Fuck Barcelona!"

"Michael Owen may be a great player, but every time I see him commenting on football, I want my girlfriend to get a coaching certificate......"

"If you let the boss hear this......

……

At the same time, Lu Ling was walking to the locker room, and she had just finished giving a pre-match interview to BTSPORT. She glanced a little past the visiting locker room, the door was shut, Pep might be peptalking, maybe putting some final touches on his assistants, maybe ...... She couldn't possibly know.

But she knew that there was a locker there that was being used by a guy called Patrick Amber, and would he have imagined that one day he would be in the away dressing room at this stadium?

The visitors' dressing room is a little more modest and cramped than the home team's dressing room, and the players' lockers don't have combination locks......

When Lu Ling was an assistant coach at the club, he complained to the coach at the time, Nicolas Flores, that the visiting dressing rooms of some teams were too basic, as if he didn't want the players of the visiting team to feel comfortable......

At that time, the man said: "This is one of the meanings of home and away, and I would be happy to make the opponent uncomfortable as long as I play by the rules of the game." Speaking of which, do you know which team likes sprinkling the most?"

Later, she became the head coach of this team, and she gradually understood the meaning of his words, and she also liked to make opponents uncomfortable while playing by the rules of the game.

This has never been a sport that is all about technique and tactics. Perhaps, as some media say, this is war, and war requires the use of all possible means.

Lu Ling had already passed by the visiting team's locker room and pushed open the door of the home team's dressing room.

She looked around.

On the seats on three sides of the locker room, the players' jerseys are hung. And there are a few players who have already started to change their clothes. The music was loud, and the stench of sweat had not yet begun to permeate, but she seemed to be able to smell the tension before a big battle.

That's good, it's got to be good.

It is also unprecedented, in every sense of the word.

For her, for the team, for the whole coaching staff, for all the players, except maybe David Silva......

Thinking of this, Lu Ling glanced at David Silva. He looked composed, and she hoped that when she needed him, he would do the same on the court.

She looked away, and in the blink of an eye, she thought, this was a scene she had been familiar with in the last two and a half years.

And everything is so different.

"Boys......" she said aloud.

Everyone stopped talking and the music was turned off.

She once told someone that she was stronger than those who thought she was vulnerable, but not as tough as those who thought she was tough thought.

What she didn't tell anyone was that she wanted to be tough enough, and she had to be tough enough.

She glanced at the newspaper on the ground, and then her voice was still loud: "Do you remember what I said on the training ground?"

"Remember!"

"Good. Lu Ling nodded and continued, "They don't think we can do ......."

Anyone could see her scornful smile.

Her voice continued to ring in the dressing room: "That's because they're stupid! we can do it, we only have one ......goal for today," she said, putting her hand to her ear, followed by the voices of the players:

"Kill them!"

"Very good!" Lu Ling looked at Ian and motioned for him to speak.

The Scots stood up. He's still not the team's No.1 captain, but everyone, including Nedham Onuoha, has tacitly assumed that the red-haired young man is the leader in the locker room.

"Q-P-R, what do these three letters mean? I don't know what you think, but from a long time ago, for me, there was only one, and that was the only team I loved! I didn't expect us to go this far......" Ian's voice was very powerful, "If we get past Barcelona, it's the Champions League semi-finals!" I know the opponents are strong, with players like Messi and Neymar, and Pyter...... But we've come all the way and we've beaten a lot of big teams, and this is our best chance to prove that we're a good team too!

"Beat them !!!" the voices of everyone, including Phil and Claudio and Glenn, who have always been taciturn.

"Okay, let's go warm up!"

Lu Ling waved his hand, and everyone rushed out.

****

April 2, 7:10 p.m.

The grandstand at New Queen's Park is topped by huge media boxes, one of which is the BTSPORT studio.

Host Lineker and guests Leo Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ian Wright are having a heated discussion about the starting XI for both teams.

The appearances of both teams appear on the screen in turn. (See the author's words for the formation map)

QPR starters (4-4-2/4-3-3):

Hans-Bachmeier;

John O'Connor, Mario Fernandez, Glenn Mitchell, Yu Zixiang;

Henk De Graaf, Mensah, Ian Parker, Jacob Harding;

León Ferreira, Misy-Batshuayi

Barcelona starting XI (3-4-3):

Ter Stegen;

Andre Gomez, Pique, Umtiti;

Sidibé, Dahoud, David Muñoz, Alenia;

Alex Ferre, Messi, Neymar

"Barcelona's surprise is the usual main lineup, that kid, Alex Ferre is replacing Patrick Amber, I haven't watched him play much, but I think Barcelona's overall strength is there...... They're averaging close to three goals per game this season!" Wright began by saying.

Scholes went on to say: "I think ...... I think Kristen Lu seems to be a bit conservative and without Sorin Mithulescu, the creativity of this player will make a difference, in fact, at home, QPR should have a little bit of confidence in their attack. ”

Rio Ferdinand immediately said: "I don't agree with you, Paul, remember when we played against Barcelona 10 years ago? QPR is undoubtedly the weaker side, and perhaps it would be a good way to combine the midfield with Harding, Mensah and Parker, or perhaps Christine had something else in mind, and she put it on the bench...... I think Phil Warren should have a chance, this guy has a special personality, but sometimes playing strong teams can often have unexpected results. ”

Lineker took over, "We can't tell exactly why Kristen Lue has such a conservative-looking lineup, but we always know that the 30-year-old tactician — well, I guess I can call her that way — has always had an amazing tactical set-up. So, we're really looking forward to this game against Barcelona and will her side be able to create a surprise at the new Queen's Park?"

****

April 2, 7:25 p.m.

Amber tugged at her hair and smelled the perfume on her wrist. She loved the one she used today. Sweet, but not overly sweet, sexy and mysterious. This should be the impression she has always given to everyone. Many people may not like who they are seen by others, but Amber is happy with this positioning.

Several of her assistants were chatting with Patrick's agent, and she had no intention of getting involved and walked out to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

At Camp Nou, she was always in the stands and she was always next to the wives or girlfriends of the Barcelona players. But today, none of the girls came to London, only she came. Moreover, the new Queen's Park is not the same as the Camp Nou, she will watch the game in a box.

In addition, it is a small course compared to the Camp Nou.

It's just that now, this small stadium is full, and through the fine rain, you can see the blue and white flags flying all over the place, making people feel like a rainbow.

It could be a small stadium, it could be a small team, but the atmosphere at their home stadium —

Her assistant told her that right now, the stadium is the scariest home stadium in all of Europe, and that few teams can beat Christine Lue's new Queen's Park.

Or maybe it's the Queen's new Queen's Park.

Because, on her left, that is, in the die-hard stands, the fans of the QPR unfurled a huge banner:

The Queen's Blue and White Legion!

They put Kristen Lu's face on the banner as well.

"It's exciting, isn't it?"

A voice came from behind Amber, who lowered her eyes and smiled, and turned her head, "Hi, Nate." ”

Nathan Neal was dressed in a formal suit, and the square scarf pinned to his suit pocket was also blue and white, and that corner was chic. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and the hairspray combed his hair meticulously. There are some differences from the playboy Amber had seen in the past. Once upon a time, he was just a handsome and glamorous billionaire, but tonight, he did look like the owner of this club beyond those things – very professional, very imposing.

"Yes, it's not half the size of the Camp Nou, but it'...... You create an atmosphere of excitement. ”

Nathan Neal walked over, and he looked out the window as well.

Before the game, there was a blue and white flag on the seats of each home fan, and now, there are many fans who hold the flag in their hands and wave it, and after a while, when the players of both teams come out, all the fans will stand up and wave that flag. It would be a magnificent picture.

However, the huge banner in the stands was not an official arrangement of the club, and it seemed that the die-hard fans themselves brought it.

The face on the banner has become the hallmark of the club.

This is her time. Nathan Neal thought. Afterwards, the American turned her head to the girl from the same country as herself, who was not dressed very grandly, but her tight dark jeans and camel-colored cashmere shoulders still made her shine.

"I mean, it's exciting to see you. Nathan Neal smiled.

Amber rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, we all know what kind of person you are, and I still feel unworthy for my good friend." ”

Nathan Neal found it difficult to recall what Amber's close friend had looked like. Oh, he's seen so many pretty girls, really too many. He thought.

"You've forgotten her name, have you?"

Nathan Neal nodded honestly. He pointed out the window and changed the subject, "What do you think of her?"

Amber looked at the banner in the direction of Nathaniel's finger, "She's better than that." ”

"That's not the point, I was thinking, when people put a face on a flag, on a scarf, on a banner, there's always a sense of religion, I mean, it's a kind of piety and faith. ”

Amber looked up at Nathan Neal's side face, and she felt that there was something else he wanted to say.

Nathan Neal also looked at her, smiling, and then, full of kindness, said: "Anyway, welcome to the new Queen's Park, but I don't want the team you support to win, but, like you, I look forward to Pate's appearance." I think it would be a historic scene. ”

The former heroes of this stadium are back, but in this way.

Amber smiled and said firmly, "He will defeat her." ”

"Will it?"

"Yes. Patrick Amber will defeat his mentor here, his best friend, Kristen Lu, even if she is already the queen here. Amber shrugged nonchalantly, "Or, we could call it his ex-girlfriend." ”

****

April 2, 7:40 p.m.

Patrick Amber walked out of the dressing room wearing a Barça coat.

Then, in the players' tunnel, he met his former teammates.

Most of them are familiar faces.

He lowered his head, and when he looked up again, there was a smile on his face. He walked over and punched Ian and Zixiang in the shoulders, and hugged Hans, Leon, and Mensah. There was almost no conversation. Tacit.

But Patrick said to Neymar and Messi in Spanish: "Good luck, beat them." ”

That's where he stands today.

He walked out and couldn't help but look back, he saw Tim, but he didn't see her.

Tim nodded to him from a distance, and Patrick nodded to his former teaching assistant. After that, he walked out of the players' tunnel.

It was drizzling, and he was familiar with the weather.

The new Queen's Park was crowded with people, like boiling water, making restless sounds.

In the north stand of the stadium, in addition to the "Queen's Blue and White Army", there is also a huge blue flag held up by the fans, and the QPR team emblem is written in white letters:

“rangerstillidie”

And under the team emblem, it is also written in white font:

“ebelieve”

Patrick looked at the face of the banner in the North Stand, and there was a moment of shock.

It rings in my ears with "earetherangersboys, noise". He walked quickly past the sidelines, and suddenly a fan came down from the stands, waving his scarf:

"Amber Kid, you're welcome home, but am!!"

Patrick looked up, and it was the same familiar face, thin and fierce-eyed, the same old man Ron who was also famous in the fandom.

He smiled at Ron and stepped onto the bench.

In the middle of the stadium is a constantly flashing Champions League logo, and the earth-shattering singing and shouting of the stadium seem to overturn the stadium.

Patrick stared at the field, his eyes full of blue and white, so kind, and so strange.

Suddenly, a figure flashed out of the corner of his eye.

It's her.

She was wearing a black dress today, with a trench coat over it. She volunteered to come to the visiting bench and was smiling as she shook hands with Pep Guardiola and his assistants......

Then, she turned to him and took two steps in this direction.

Patrick stood up, and the two shook hands.

At this moment, countless shots were aimed at the two of them.

She smiled and asked him, "How are you, Pat?"

Patrick stared at the face across from him, the one that had been with him for so many years and was now radiant.

"Thanks, I'm fine, how are you, Tina?"

"It's great. Hopefully today is a good game and we will beat you. ”

"No, it won't be as you wish. ”

She smiled, stopped talking, and let go of his hand, leaving him with a back.

She must have seen the flag in the North Stand, and she paused slightly, raised her hands above her head, and applauded in that direction to express her gratitude.

Her face was on that flag.

They call it the Queen's Blue and White Legion.

’army!

Patrick thought that the day had finally come.

****

April 2, 7:45 p.m. A drizzle envelops the hustle and bustle of New Queen's Park.

The blue and white players are in place.

On the other side are the best teams in Europe, dressed in yellow away kits. Even though Patrick isn't on the list, every QPR player knows what he's up against.

It was by far the most important game this young team has faced.

The referee was Sergi Karasev from Russia, and as soon as he blew the whistle, Messi kicked the ball out.

The first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Queens Park Rangers vs. Barcelona, officially began.

Barcelona have adopted their usual 3-4-3 formation this season. Now the ball is passed down between the three defenders, centred around 32-year-old veteran Gerard Pique, with Samuel Umtiti spreading to the left, while Andre Gomez, who has been transformed into a defender this season, spreads to the right.

Mitsy Batshuayi quickly pressed Pique's feet, Pique passed the ball back to German goalkeeper Ter Stegen, who fired the ball directly to the left, Umtiti received the ball and adjusted slightly, not blindly with a big foot, but stuffed it into his team-mate David Muñoz in the middle.

Muñoz, who wears the number six, joined Barcelona from Sevilla last season and is now only 19 years old. He is a true Catalan, who actually trained at Barcelona as a child, but later left for some reason. Now he's rejoined the team he supported as a kid and has also taken on the team's legendary Xavi number.

This is a very talented midfielder who is very skilled and has an extremely wide passing vision. Although he is only 170 tall, he has a tough style and leadership potential that is different from many Catalans, and is considered a candidate for the future captain of Barca. It was because of his presence that Sergio Busquets, the team's meritorious player, was squeezed to the bench.

Muñoz turned comfortably on slippery turf, evaded Leon Ferreira's pressing, and then handed the ball to another German midfielder, Mohamed Dahoud, a descendant of Syrian refugees who has gradually become a staple of the German national team after the World Cup, with a refined ball at his feet and a cool head, which is a hand-picked signing from Pep Guardiola when he took over.

The 23-year-old and another midfielder, Barça Academy graduate Carles Alenia, made a quick link against the wall and split the ball to the left. There is Neymar, the world footballer of the year and the winner of the Ballon d'Or, who was the first to win Brazil's sixth World Cup.

Neymar didn't pause and went straight to the QPR position with the ball. The blue-and-white players began to retreat, making it difficult for the Brazilian to drill straight in.

Neymar immediately gave the captain of the withdrawn team, Lionel Messi, the Argentine who is considered one of the most amazing players in the history of football. Despite approaching the age of 32, his feet are still full of magic.

After Messi got the ball, he didn't give the young player Ferre at the other end (the player who replaced Patrick), took two steps forward, and dodged the empty kick and shot from a distance!

Hans leaps to the right-hand side, but the ball goes just wide of the post.

Barça's first attack, the ball passed through the feet of nine players.

The QPR hasn't touched the ball yet.

However, from this goal kick, QPR has to start executing its own tactics.

****

Not far from here, in Islington, North London, the first leg of the quarter-finals between Arsenal and Everton has also started at the Emirates Stadium, which is also raining.

Both teams have had individual attrition due to injuries, but they are still very strong squads. Arsenal controlled the ball and Nicholas was in no hurry to let the team take the lead.

Allegri's Italian coach has been a scheming Italian coach who has met twice this season, once drawing 2-2 and once beating Everton in the Carabao Cup final. Nicholas considered a number of options, but in the end he decided to start the game on the road in a low-key manner.

It's going to be a long game.

The knockout stage of the Champions League is completely different from the league competition - even the strong dialogue in the league cannot be compared to the tension of the Champions League.

Will it be the same on that pitch?

The thought only flashed through the minds of the Spaniards, and did not stay.

He needs to be 100 per cent focused. 166 Reading Network