Fourteen points.

No matter how many rounds of league games remain, the huge difference of 14 points is a huge chasm. What does 14 points mean? That means four wins and two draws! In other words, Atletico Madrid can lose four more games than Real Madrid in the next thirteen rounds of the league and still have an advantage! There are only thirteen rounds left in the league!

What's more, Atletico will only face Barcelona and Celta Vigo in the next match, the top six teams, while Real Madrid will also play against Celta, Barcelona and Deportivo La Coruna! On the schedule, Atletico also have the advantage! Such a huge advantage is enough to make the royal horse lose the room to catch up!

Many people think that with Florentino's character, he will fire Bosque immediately, but surprisingly, Florentino held a press conference soon after this loss, expressing the team's support for Bosque, and at the same time saying that now that Real Madrid's economic crisis has passed, more outstanding players will be introduced next season to strengthen the team!

"It's strange that Real Madrid didn't want to change the coach, Florentino seems to be much more stable than Sens." Marriner said to Dick, a little puzzled.

"There's nothing strange about it, it's not that he doesn't want to change, it's that he can't...... How many managers can still be hired by Real Madrid? Real Madrid has basically gotten a place to go, where did he find a good coach in a hurry? You must know that a club like Real Madrid is looking for a famous coach, how can it be like our Mr. President, who temporarily pulls a manager from the second team to the horse......" Dick said with a smile.

"The point is that a manager like you doesn't just come into contact with a manager...... Our Mr. President, has had a great deal of luck during this time......" Marriner muttered.

That's right, there is no shortage of coaches in a club like Real Madrid, the first team B team youth team, Real Madrid has at least a dozen head coaches, but there is also a huge gap between the youth team manager and the first team head coach! The average head coach Real Madrid can't look down on it, and they are naturally even more unlikely to send a head coach from the second team to coach the first team - Real Madrid can't afford to lose this person!

"Let's leave other people's affairs alone, let's prepare for the Champions Cup, I can't play in these Champions Cups, so I can only rely on you...... Although I can deliver the news on the field, some opportunities on the field are fleeting, so you must do your homework during this time. Even if we lose, it's not a big deal, we can afford to lose in the group stage! Dick said to Marina earnestly.

Marriner nodded, Dick can't coach on the spot in the three Champions Cup group games, so he can only rely on Marina, but after Marina's last failure, his mentality is much calmer, and he knows that he can't compare with Dick in on-the-spot command, but many games in Atletico Madrid can only be won by relying on Dick's on-the-spot command and scheduling, without Dick, Atletico Madrid's combat effectiveness will drop by at least fifty percent!

The fact that a manager can make such a difference when he is not on the sidelines is a testament to how important Dick is to this Atletico side!

Marriner has already figured out that even if he can't lead the team to victory, he must minimize the losses! UEFA's punishment is also very particular, Dick is suspended for three games, which must have had a huge impact on Atletico Madrid's results, but in the last game he was able to return, and it happened that the opponent in the final round was Galatasaray - such a gimmick, they will not let go!

Dick naturally didn't know that Marriner couldn't win and didn't want to lose, in fact, his considerations were similar to Marriner, the next three games, first against Roma in a row, and then against Liverpool, although there are two home games, but the strength of the opponent is not bad, and it is not easy to win, and in such a group stage, if you win one game and lose two games, and three games are draws, although the points are three points, but the difference is very big - because of three draws, You only give your opponent one point per game, and if you win two games, you give them three points in two games!

"For the rest of the games, we will all be as a ...... Because the main players have to prepare for the Champions League against Roma with all their might, I will send most of the substitutes on the pitch in this league! The better you play, the bigger the Champions League will be, and this season we have a big advantage in the league, so why can't we go for the Champions Cup? Since we are so strong now, then don't leave any regrets! ”

Dick's encouragement made Atletico Madrid's players start to get high morale - rushing towards the Champions Cup is something every professional player dreams of, if the World Cup is supreme in the minds of all players, then for most players who are unlikely to win the World Cup, hitting the Champions Cup is their more realistic goal!

On 18 February, Atletico welcomed Las Palmas at home.

Although Atletico Madrid sent most of the substitutes because of the preparation for the Champions Cup, they are full of individual energy and high morale, although the strength of the midfield is much worse than the main force, but in the back line and the forward line, the gap between them is not very large, so when the substitutes come on, their tactics are relatively simple, quickly pass through the midfield, and then use the individual ability of the two strikers to create opportunities.

Cruise has excellent impact and good technique at his feet, Torres is more sensitive, and the same technique and impact are not weak, when these two strikers can fully exert their strength under the protection of other teammates, most of the middle and lower reaches of La Liga teams can't resist!

Because many teams in the middle and lower reaches of La Liga now tend to have one or two powerful strikers, and then play the league with such strikers as a whole, which can be more effective.

After a difficult battle, Atletico Madrid relied on the goals of two strikers to force Kraspalmas 2-1 and won four consecutive wins in the league, Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao in a difficult away game, and continued to chase after Atletico Madrid, while Valencia, which Dick feared the most, was overturned in the gutter, and was drawn 1-1 by Villarreal away, and the gap between Dick and Atletico Madrid was widened to as much as 16 points - this time Dick is not worried about Valencia, there are twelve rounds left in the league, Even if Benitez has the ability to reach the sky, he can't turn the tables around when Atletico Madrid has such a big advantage!

"Dead fat, let you stop me, I'll make it impossible for you to win the league title in your first season in charge of Valencia!" Dick thought to himself with great pleasure.

It's just that his happy mood disappeared after the Champions Cup three days later.

In the Champions Cup three days later, the refreshed Atletico Madrid launched a tidal wave of offensive against Roma at home, but the experienced Capello commanded Roma's players to temporarily avoid Atletico's edge and use defensive counter-attacks against Atletico - although Roma are known for their gorgeous and fluid attack, but they are Serie A teams after all, and their defensive ability is not bad, they suffered in defending set-pieces last season, and they will not make such mistakes again this season.

In the first half, Roma was at the bottom of the game, but instead scored the first goal through a sharp counterattack, Montella received Del Vecchio's header and broke through to the bottom line cross, Molina grabbed the ball in front of the follow-up Del Vecchio and knocked the ball out of the penalty area, and the follow-up Roman prince Totti opened the scoring for Roma with a beautiful volley from outside the penalty area!

Dick adjusted his tactics at half-time, but Roma did a very good job defensively, and in the end, although Atletico only relied on Capdevilla to insert an assist and then equalize with a powerful volley from the corner of the box, the home team was unable to win!

"It's a bit of a disappointment not to win, but it's better than losing." Dick didn't appear at the press conference after the game, instead using Marriner to replace him – he was suspended anyway, and it was Marriner who was in charge of the game, and Marriner said at the press conference: "Now we are still top of the group, the situation in this group will be complicated, and the next thing we have to do is try to win in Rome." ”

"Robert, your 'it's better than losing' is really ......" Dick said to Marina a little speechlessly: "But forget it, we are still the top of the group anyway, Galatasaray, who are missing two main players, can actually draw 0-0 with Liverpool away from home...... These Turks are so fucking tenacious. ”

Roma has played three consecutive draws, Galatasaray has played three consecutive draws, Liverpool is one loss and two draws, this group has played three rounds, and there is only one game to divide the winner and loser, that is, Atletico Madrid defeated Liverpool away, and now Atletico Madrid has five points, Galatasaray and Roma are both three points, Liverpool has two points, and the points can be glued into this, which can be regarded as a spectacle in the history of the Champions Cup......

However, what even Dick didn't expect was that such a strange situation would continue......

In the next half month, Atletico Madrid continued to maintain a high level in the league, they defeated Espanyol and Alaves successively, only lost to Athletic Bilbao away, and led the second place Valencia in the standings as many as 13 points, although Valencia has won all three rounds of the league, but in the case of being left behind too much, the league is only nine rounds away, and the gap of 13 points is still huge!

However, in the Champions Cup, Atletico Madrid is plague-like without a win - not only them, but other teams are also like this, in the fourth round of the Champions Cup, Atletico Madrid stubbornly equalized after falling behind by two goals, and finally played 2-2 with Roma away from home, while Liverpool drew 1-1 with Galatasaray away, and in the fifth round of the Champions Cup, Atletico Madrid played 0-0 with Liverpool at home, but Roma played 1-1 with Galatasaray at home......

After five rounds, Atletico Madrid remains unbeaten, with one win, four draws and seven points to top the group, Roma and Galatasaray are also unbeaten, both of which are ranked second and third with five games and five draws, and Liverpool is at the bottom of the group with one loss, four draws and four points, but they still have great hopes of qualifying......

Such a group ranking, such a group of points, makes everyone feel incredible and interesting, but for the four teams in this group, they all feel a little crying without tears.

The Champions Cup has now involved too much of their energy, but the current situation makes them unable to give up, and after the final round on March 20, those who can advance are fine, and those who can't qualify are afraid that they will really want to cry without tears......

Such a superb group really makes all fans feel powerless.