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Draw or win?

This problem is a very serious problem for Chinese football, but for Hoffenheim, it is not a big problem. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

As early as after the team played the match against Real Madrid, the whole team knew that the safest thing to do in the last game was to win. They don't think about a draw at all, they think about a win.

It's a bit like the situation before the match against Real Madrid, where Hoffenheim were all aiming for a win, and ended up with a draw. But this cannot be said to be a failure, because the plan always has to be a certain gap with reality.

You're planning to win and end up with a draw, better than planning a draw and ending up with a loss, right?

Chinese football has encountered a situation where it can qualify as long as it draws for so many years, but the result of repeated losses is that the players and coaches think that it is good to only need a draw, and the whole team is satisfied with a draw, so when the real game comes, it is strange to face the opponent with the mentality of "victory" with a "draw" mentality, and not to lose. If you start the game with the belief of "must win", even if the opponent also holds the belief of "must win", the probability of a draw when two "must win" meets, and the probability of a draw must be better than the probability of losing.

So no matter what the situation, try to get the best result, so that the actual results you get are often not too bad. When you need a draw, you have to prepare like you need a win, and when you need to win one goal to qualify, you need to always think 'we've got two or three more goals'. Only in this way is the right attitude.

Hoffenheim have no problems with Chinese football, and they have been unified two weeks in advance - the goal of this game is to win, and only victory is the safest.

"Our opponents will definitely win. If they don't win, they're hopeless, they're the real 'no other option than to win', and at home, this team is going to burst out with a lot of energy, you have to be careful. Rangnick spoke to the players during the tactical meeting that evening.

'The good news is that Inzaghi won't play, the bad news is that Ibrahimovic will definitely play and Robinho is in perfect form. We're going to have a lot of pressure defensively, so this game has to be offensive and we have to threaten the opposition's defence to make their attacking frenzy a little less! ”

"Hoffenheim only need a draw to qualify, which is their strength and their weakness. Allegri said this to his players. If their minds are not unified, if some people want to win and some people want to equalize, we will have a chance. But whether they are ideologically unified or not, we only stick to our style of play. This game is our home stadium and there is no reason for us to lose here. And we're not just going to win, we're going to score more! 'Allegri, meanwhile, is telling his players about the importance of scoring goals.

Because AC Milan's goal difference is minus one, while Hoffenheim is one, if the score is 1:0, both sides have a goal difference of 0, and then look at goal difference, AC Milan has an away goal is, which will beat Hoffenheim in second place in the group.

But that's not enough insurance.

Because Hoffenheim's attack power is already well-known throughout Europe, everyone knows that they are very strong in attack. Despite Allegri's opposition to Thiago. Silva's centre-back partnership of Nesta and Nesta is reassuring, but there is no guarantee that his side will be able to play Hoffenheim with more than one goal. So far in the group stage of this Champions League, Hoffenheim has scored goals every game, even in the Bernabeu, against the powerful Real Madrid have scored two goals, of course, AC Milan people can laugh at Real Madrid's backline has always been amateur, but they themselves also lost to Hoffenheim 1:2 away. Looking at the league, Hoffenheim have played 15 rounds this season, and there is only one game in which they have not scored, the 0-1 defeat to Freiburg, and the other games have scored, and at least two goals.

After fifteen rounds of league play, Hoffenheim have scored 45 goals and are top of the scoring charts, while Dortmund, who are currently top of the table, have seven fewer goals than them. Not just in the Bundesliga, but in the whole of European football, they have the most goals.

Facing Hoffenheim, who attacked so sharply, even Allegri did not dare to say that his team could guarantee a clean sheet against Hoffenheim.

Allegri was mentally prepared to concede a goal, and if Hoffenheim did get an away goal, it would be pointless to win just one goal. Because in the case of the same goal difference, the comparison is the away goals scored by the two sides in the two games in which they played each other. If Hoffenheim have an away goal, then the same will be true for both sides.

According to the rules, when the number of away goals scored by both sides is the same, the group goal difference of both sides is compared. In terms of goal difference, AC Milan have a big disadvantage. They won 2-0 away at AJJ Auxerre in the last round, while Hoffenheim drew 2-2 at home to Real Madrid. In a total of five games, AC Milan scored seven goals and conceded six goals with a goal difference of one, while Hoffenheim scored eleven goals and conceded six in five games with a goal difference of five. If the final score of this match is 2-1 and AC Milan wins, then Hoffenheim will still be second in the group, as Hoffenheim have four clean sheets compared to AC Milan's two.

Therefore, as long as Hoffenheim scores, then AC Milan will have to find a way to score more goals and stop the ranking criteria in terms of goal difference against the two sides. When the score becomes 3:1, AC Milan will have one more goal difference than Hoffenheim, relying on a goal difference, AC Milan can beat Hoffenheim and become second in the group, thus gaining the right to qualify.

Hoffenheim's strategy for this game was simple, it was to score as many goals as possible. AC Milan's strategy is also simple, again, to score as many goals as possible, not only to win, but to win big.

Since both sides are going to be looking for more goals, they will inevitably hold high the banner of attack, so there will certainly be no shortage of goals in this game.

Rangnick analysed the characteristics of AC Milan's strikers and told the players how to defend. After that, he spent more time on the offense, telling everyone how to attack.

Nesta and Thiago. Silva's cooperation is very tacit, and it is not easy to penetrate them easily. However, Rangnick has been preparing for this game for almost two weeks and he already has a way to deal with AC Milan.

Strikers Ibisevic and Ruud van Nistelrooy will be responsible for keeping AC Milan's defensive attention, and both are the kind of strikers who can hold the ball, stand on their feet, are good at holding the ball with their backs, and can pass the ball with their feet and heads to create opportunities for their teammates, and they can be the fulcrum and bridgehead of Hoffenheim when attacking.

When Hoffenheim's attack goes up front, the football is handed to Ibisevic or Ruud van Nistelrooy, who can control the ball, they can take the ball with their backs, not rush to turn, but they must be able to protect the ball when the opponent presses it. Because when the football is close to the opponent's penalty area, AC Milan's defense must be much more ferocious than in midfield. That's why it's important to choose a striker who can hold the ball, rather than just a striker. Obasi was able to hold the ball, such as Ibisevic and Ruud van Nistelrooy, so he was not selected from the starting line-up.

When Ibisevic or Ruud van Nistelrooy get the ball up front, Rangnick demands that the defenders have to keep up quickly, otherwise the ball stays at the striker's feet for too long and the ball is bound to be conceded.

Chu Zhongtian, Salihovic and Quaresma must press at the first time, and the other two full-backs must also actively assist to form a layered attack.

It doesn't matter who shoots and scores, whoever is in a better position gives it to whomever it is.

It's a tactic.

Rangnick also considered a change of tactic - what if Allegri saw through his own back-and-forth tactics? He's sure to adjust accordingly, and Allegri isn't a waste of wood that doesn't know how to learn.

What if the opponent sees that we are going to fight and then insert the attack?

It's simple, we make the striker the finisher again. They defend the striker, we move the football to the striker, they defend the striker, we let the striker be the main point of attack. Anyway, it's just going back and forth, and AC Milan is scratching their heads and not knowing what we're going to do next.

As for when to focus on strikers and when to focus on forwards, this is what Chu Zhongtian needs to master. He's the one who controls the rhythm of the team, and the whole team has to follow his ideas.

Hoffenheim is no stranger to this set, having beaten Inter Milan 3-1 in the first leg on their home turf last season. As a result, this puzzling style of play for Inter Milan worked, helping the team to lead 3-1 for 120 minutes, and finally the two sides had to rely on penalties to decide the winner.

Chu Zhongtian's improvisation is very important, but more importantly, the team must keep up with Chu Zhongtian's improvisation, fortunately, after a summer of intensive training, Hoffenheim can basically understand Chu Zhongtian's imaginative style. Hoffenheim have been on a high pitch in the league this season and have also performed well in the Champions League because they have prepared well during the summer training camp.

The main tactic is this, and the team has to be aggressive in the front court, and once someone grabs the ball, everyone has to move quickly and run forward to pick it up. Attack on the spot.

This will ensure that you can put pressure on the opponent's defence from start to finish, forcing them to make a lot of mistakes and increase your chances of attacking. At the same time, it can also effectively reduce the pressure on their own rear, because the opponent will be trapped by their own pressing, and will not be able to pass the football through the midfield and smoothly to the feet of the strikers. In the end, AC Milan could only be forced to play a long pass. In this way, the threat to one's own defense line is much smaller.

Hoffenheim insisted on pressing up front in their first Bundesliga season. Whenever they play well, it has to be the time. Remember what the Hoffenheim players said about the Hoffenheim players when they beat Hamburg in the first season to create a five-game winning streak?

"They are like savages, running all over the field, and they don't know how to get tired."

Yes, that's the impression Hoffenheim football makes.

※※※ "Their offense is excellent, and the key person is this person-" Allegri took a circle on the tactical board and circled Chu Zhongtian's name "Chu". 'The link between him and the other Hoffenheim players has to be severed.'

It's easy to say, but it's not easy to do.

Allegri didn't plan to use Gattuso again this time, he decided to use Boateng alone to defend Chu Zhongtian, and he believed that Boateng could do it. Even fouls are not spared.

Boateng tackled German star Michael Ballack in the FA Cup final before the World Cup, which directly led to the German national team captain's absence from the World Cup in South Africa, which could also be his final World Cup quarter. If he can also shovel Chu Zhongtian off the field in this game, of course it will be better.

Therefore, Allegri's request to Boateng is to be ruthless and fast, to press Chu Zhongtian from the momentum, and tell him from the beginning of the game that the match will not go as he expected.

Defensively and more importantly offensively.

In Allegri's view, defence is definitely not Hoffenheim's forte, with Sana being a good midfielder but still a gap from the top level. Simunic is experienced, but unfortunately too old. Next, whether it is Comper, Pogatts or Metzelde, they all feel that their strength is average. The two full-backs are both assist-type full-backs, who are stronger in attack than in defense, and like to attack very much, and are basically equivalent to a winger when playing.

Such a backline, for Allegri, is full of holes. AC Milan's attack is dominated by the wings, and if Srna and Kolarov provide frequent assists, they can take advantage of the gaps behind them when they get in. If they don't dare to press for fear of being used in the space behind them, it will also be good for AC Milan because it will help their defence to take the pressure off. Anyway, it's good for AC Milan.

Both Robinho and Ibrahimovic could be pulled on the wing, which would further increase the team's investment in attacking from the wing, while also continuing to press Hoffenheim's two full-backs and force them to make mistakes.

"You have to remember to counter-attack immediately after losing the ball, and those who are close to the ball have to participate in the counter-attack, as soon as the AC Milan players get the ball, they go up and force him, don't let them easily turn the ball upside down, especially Pirlo, you need to pay extra attention." As soon as the ball is broken, we immediately organize a counterattack on the spot, and everyone has to run up to catch the teammates who have the ball. I don't want to see long passes of more than thirty meters very often. Try to keep your passes between five and fifteen meters. Rangnick told repeatedly.

As Hoffenheim's fame in European football grows and Chu Zhongtian's fame in European football grows, Chu Zhongtian's defense becomes stricter and stricter every game, and he often faces one or two players in the game, and even three players grab his ball at the same time. In this regard, it is unrealistic to ask Chu Zhongtian to give full play to his personal skills to get rid of defensive players.

The best way is for the whole team to take active action, constantly running back and forth, creating more passing opportunities for Chu Zhongtian, making it easier for him to pass the football, rather than getting rid of three defenders with the ball to find a passing route - Chu Zhongtian is not Maradona, and it is impossible to often stage a good show of several people in a row. Hoffenheim is not a team of his own, he just needs to play hard alone.

It's obviously more efficient for the whole team to run than for one person to keep running while the whole team waits to catch the ball.

As long as everyone runs, the opponent's strict defense of Chu Zhongtian will become an ornament, they can prevent Chu Zhongtian alone, but they can't prevent the whole Hoffenheim team.

Chu Zhongtian is indeed the core of the team, but if there are no other players to cooperate with him, his core is just an ornament.

The Hoffenheim tactical meeting lasted an hour and a half, and in these 90 minutes, head coach Rangnick analyzed in detail every possible player in AC Milan on video - Allegri has not yet released the starting list for AC Milan, so who will start for AC Milan, Rangnick can only guess by experience.

It's much simpler for AC Milan, with Allegri able to make targeted arrangements and deployments based on the starting list that Rangnick has already announced.

After the tactical meeting between the two sides, the coaches rushed their players back to their rooms to rest.

"There's a very important game tomorrow, so you all have to rest early this night!"

Some of the players obediently returned to the room, while others were reluctant because it was still early - less than ten o'clock.

But before this game, no one can enjoy the privileges. Everyone had to go back to their rooms and rest.

Neither Rangnick nor Allegri wanted to see their players on the pitch the next day with weak legs and unable to run.

This game is bound to be accompanied by a lot of running, running from one end of the pitch to the other, back and forth. If you don't have a good rest, you can't do it, and if you don't have good physical fitness, this game will be completely stopped.

There was a commotion in the corridors of the hotel for a while, but soon it calmed down, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

On this night, there may be people tossing and turning, and maybe there will be people sleeping peacefully.

On this night, the San Siro Stadium stands quietly, waiting for tomorrow night's clash of attention.

In the end, will it be AC Milan or Hoffenheim who will qualify from the group? Who can leave laughing, and who will leave crying?

(To be continued)