Chapter 82: Champions League quarterfinals
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After playing the match against Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid welcomed Borussia Dortmund at home. The pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info playing here, there is no such thing as the fans booing Chu Zhongtian, and they are all cheers for him.
Because of the defeat of Dortmund in the first leg, Mourinho did not send the strongest squad in this game. He put players who had missed out on injuries to find a feeling, and gave players who had been playing for most of the season a chance to rest. C. Ronaldo sat on the bench, and Kaka and Ozil, who returned from injury, started respectively. The striker was also replaced by Benzema, Alonso was replaced by Khedira, the central defenders Pepe and Carvalho rested, Ramos and Albiol partnered, and the left-back was Gareth. Gareth Bale and Arbeloa at right-back.
Chu Zhongtian still started the game. Everyone else rested, but he didn't, which shows how much Mourinho values him. Last season, the person with such treatment was C. Ronaldo, whether it was the domestic league, or the Champions League, even if it was a game like the Copa del Rey, C. Ronaldo had to start all the games and play the whole game, and never accept the fate of being replaced early.
Replacing the other main players and leaving Chu Zhongtian on the field, no matter what Mourinho's considerations, at least make those Chinese fans who stay up late in front of the TV to watch Real Madrid's Champions League games very happy - what are they staying up late to watch the game for? Isn't it just to see the wonderful performance of your compatriots?
In the ratings survey of CCTV Sports Channel, even snooker was able to have higher ratings than football programs before, so much so that CCTV once gave up the broadcast of several football matches in order to broadcast Ding Junhui's snooker games, which caused fans to be very unhappy. Why is snooker more watched than football, the world's number one sport? Many fans are puzzled. A big reason for this is that there are Chinese in the snooker billiards game, and many Chinese sports fans will pay attention to this game, so the ratings exceed football. Coupled with the extreme support and extreme dislike of football, fans who like AC Milan are unlikely to watch Inter Milan's game broadcast, and there are not many fans who support Barcelona who choose to watch Real Madrid's game broadcast.
With such a point, the ratings of football naturally can't compete with snooker.
Now it's different, Chu Zhongtian is in Real Madrid, many neutral fans of the Champions League game, and Chinese who are not football fans will be interested in this game, and the ratings have soared, and they have completely surpassed snooker. Now don't say it's snooker, even F1 can't compete with Real Madrid's game broadcast, just because Real Madrid has Chu Zhongtian, which is a guarantee of ratings and a golden signboard.
As long as Chu Zhongtian is here, it will not be in vain that so many Chinese fans have been waiting in front of the TV for half a night.
※※※Because of the big score in the first round, the suspense of the second round has basically been lost. Borussia Dortmund are also well aware that they want to chase four goals in a row at the Bernabeu while keeping Real Madrid, who are known for their attacking incisiveness, a goal from a single goal, which will be difficult for them to do with their defence.
In that case, then don't think about qualifying, just go all out and try to be able to score Casillas' goal at the Bernabeu Stadium more than once.
If you can fight a vs. offensive battle, maybe there is some hope...... With this in mind, Dortmund started attacking from the first minute of the game, constantly looking for opportunities to score.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, were a little flustered at first - they didn't expect Dortmund to be able to attack them in such a disruptive manner. Within 10 minutes, Borussia Dortmund had two dangerous shots on goal that almost scored, forcing Casillas to make a world-class save.
Seeing such a poor performance of his team, Mourinho got up from the dugout and shouted at the pitch: "Chu! Clear! ”
Now the core of the team is Chu Zhongtian, and he must take responsibility for the team's current poor performance.
Mourinho did not directly tell Chu Zhongtian what he should do, he only expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation of the team to Chu Zhongtian. He believed that Chu Zhongtian knew what to do.
In fact, Chu Zhongtian really knew what to do, and he was trying to find a way to change the current bad situation.
It's not hard to change, as long as you don't concede a goal, once you concede a goal, the format of the game will go in a direction that is not in the direction of Real Madrid, which is something that no Real Madrid player wants.
As long as you don't concede a goal, you still have a chance. And there is a great chance, after all, this is Real Madrid's home stadium, and playing on their own doorstep, the mood of the Real Madrid players will calm down quickly - now Real Madrid have a good record, they have a very good relationship with the fans, and when the team used to perform badly, they would hear deafening boos at home and see waving white handkerchiefs, but now they don't. Regardless of whether Real Madrid was playing defensive counter-attacks or attacking aggressively, the fans supported them with singing and cheering.
With such a great atmosphere, it was very quick for the Real Madrid players to get rid of this panic.
All Chu Zhongtian had to do was speed up the process. Organize a few more high-quality attacks to calm down your teammates and understand that Dortmund are the visitors and they are just three boards.
Soon, Chu Zhongtian grasped the initiative in the midfield with the help of Khedira, Kaka and Ozil.
Kaka and Ozil had always been thought to be incompatible, but in fact, they just didn't make the most of their respective characteristics. Kaka and Ozil are characterized by completely different hi, so there is no question of any style similarity that is incompatible.
Mesut Ozil is delicate and has excellent passing, while Kaka is sharp with the ball and can threaten the goal directly.
According to their different characteristics, Chu Zhongtian gave them different balls. Mesut Ozil's brilliant little skills allow him to get away from the defence in very tight spaces, so it doesn't matter if he gives him the ball at his feet.
As for Kaka's pass, Chu Zhongtian tried to use a straight pass with a lot of advance, so that Kaka could raise his speed and rush up to catch the ball, and once he ran up, Kaka's full energy could be brought into play.
Chu Zhongtian is like the conductor of an orchestra, he knows the characteristics of each member and under what circumstances can they bring out their best level. Under his command, Real Madrid quickly regained the initiative and began to threaten Dortmund's goal frequently.
Mourinho didn't ask the team to play a counter-attack in this game, because of the huge lead, it was not appropriate to shrink back to the home field to play a counter-attack. Although Real Madrid fans can tolerate him defending and counterattacking for the sake of victory, in their bones, Real Madrid fans still pursue offensive football, which is good-looking and elegant football. How could someone as smart as him let go of such a great opportunity that would not harm the interests of the team and at the same time curry favor with the fans and the media?
Before the game, he told Chu Zhongtian that the tone of this game was offense.
As a result, the two teams of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund played a wonderful battle at the Bernabeu Stadium. A total of six goals were scored by both sides, which made fans who stayed up late to watch the game addicted.
Chu Zhongtian scored his second goal in this season's Champions League in the 55th minute of the game. At that time, the score was already 3:0, and Real Madrid was ahead.
The aggregate score became 8:1 and the game was completely meaningless. Real Madrid fans in the stands have already started celebrating their advance to the quarter-finals.
But the Borussia Dortmund players didn't give up and were still looking for a chance to score.
It was only in the 67th minute that they scored their first goal of the game. Then five minutes later, another goal was added to make it 3-2, and the Borussia Dortmund players saw hope of an equaliser and went crazy in pursuit of a second goal.
Real Madrid didn't play well enough during this period, and after taking a three-goal lead, they were a little slack and didn't run aggressively enough. Thankfully, Borussia Dortmund's two goals woke them up and they added two more to end the game in the remaining time.
Karim Benzema was named Man of the Match after the game for scoring a hat-trick in the game.
Eliminating Dortmund to advance to the quarterfinals did not make Chu Zhongtian feel much excited, because this is a matter of course. With Real Madrid's quality and the form they have shown recently, it would be a shame and a big joke to not even get into the quarterfinals.
The rest of the Real Madrid players are not as excited as they were last year. Last year, Real Madrid eliminated Lyon to advance to the quarterfinals, but even President Florentino couldn't help but stand up and dance in the stands. Only the Real Madridians themselves know best how long they have been waiting for this moment and the moment they broke the spell felt really great.
Now...... It's like men are always the most excited when they break down, but when they do more, they get used to it and don't feel that there is anything to be excited about.
※※※After the quarter-finals were decided, UEFA conducted another draw, which was the quarter-final match, and it was also the last draw for the Champions League this season.
The eight teams are divided into two parts, each with four teams in a region, and the two teams determined by these four teams will advance to the semi-finals and finally advance to the finals.
This season's finals will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, which can be regarded as half a home stadium for Chu Zhongtian. He didn't come here a lot when he played at Hoffenheim and he had very good memories of playing in this stadium.
And he had many friends in Germany, and he was very eager to go back to Germany.
Just like when he came back to Wembley.
The results of the draw were dramatic and full of gimmicks.
Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid met his former club, Inter Milan, in the quarter-finals.
When the results came out, there was a burst of knowing laughter from the draw site.
This is Mourinho's first time facing his old club since leaving Inter Milan. Prior to that, he had led Inter Milan and Chelsea to a knockout round in the Champions League, when it was his Inter Milan who beat Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea. Jose Mourinho behaved rather gentlemanly in the leg at Stamford Bridge, refraining from cheering after his team's goal and scurrying off the pitch after shaking hands with Carlo Ancelotti after the game had eliminated Chelsea.
But all the clubs he has stayed in, the fans have a very deep affection for him.
To this day, Inter fans will still miss Mourinho. And when Leonardo loses again, the stands will ring "Jose. Mourinho".
This is also what makes Leonardo not very happy. He kind of understands the feelings of his ex Benitez - it's like finding a beautiful girlfriend, but the girlfriend is always thinking about the benefits of the ex-boyfriend, and once he doesn't meet his requirements, he says to himself: "If this is my ex-boyfriend, it will definitely satisfy me!" ”
This is so hurtful to one's self-esteem.
However, Leonardo is a smart man compared to Benitez, and he did not demand that the club erase Mourinho's traces from the top and eliminate Mourinho's influence as soon as the Spaniard took over Meazza - and instead of doing what he would like, he will be met with a very strong backlash. That's why Benitez has only been out of class for half a season, and he has offended almost everyone he can offend, whether it is a player or a club executive.
Leonardo is much smarter, he comes little by little, and sometimes even shows his value and respect for the "legacy" left by Mourinho, so he can lead the team to a winning streak as soon as he takes office, reversing the previous decline in one fell swoop.
However, the defeat in the Champions League quarter-finals and the Milan derby instantly knocked him to the bottom, and many Inter fans did not rejoice for long, and began to miss Mourinho again.
Some Inter Milan fans even jokingly suggested that Fiorentino fire Mourinho, the "parallel import" manager who caused Real Madrid to lose to Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals, after Real Madrid was eliminated by Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals, so that Moratti could re-hire Mourinho to coach at Inter Milan.
This time Real Madrid and Inter Milan met in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and the protagonists were no longer stars such as C. Ronaldo, Kaka, Chu Zhongtian, Eto'o, and Sneijder, but only Mourinho.
How will he face his former club, and what will Inter fans feel as they watch the two games?
This is the topic that the media is most interested in, and it is also the most hyped gimmick.
After the draw came out, Mourinho was quickly surrounded by reporters on the spot, who all wanted to hear what Mourinho had to say about the draw.
Mourinho was obviously prepared, and from the moment the draw results came out, he may have simulated an interview in his mind.
"I'm glad to be able to revisit the same place. I have a very deep affection for Inter Milan as much as I do for Chelsea. Of course, I'm proud to be the manager of Real Madrid now. I'm looking forward to playing at the Meazza and Inter Milan and I hope the team that performs well will make it to the semi-finals. ”
So what does he say about Leonardo?
"Leonardo did a good job at Inter, but he didn't reach my heights." Mourinho's arrogant character is once again on full display, and perhaps only Mourinho can praise himself so much.
And it is true that Leonardo has not yet reached his heights - because he has not even won a Champions League...... Although facing his old club, Mourinho did not relent, and the first shot of psychological warfare has been fired unconsciously.
In the face of Mourinho's provocation, Leonardo chose to keep a low profile: "Inter Milan still misses him, and I hope that so many people will remember me long after I leave this club." ”
There is still a while to go to the game, and the psychological warfare between the two sides has come to an end, and it has not been deepened, after all, before this, there is still a domestic league. It's already March, and there are just over two months left in the domestic league, so it can be said that it has entered the sprint stage of the league championship race.
Barcelona and Real Madrid were not placed in the same zone as a result of the draw, so the possibility of the two teams meeting in the quarter-finals or semi-finals is gone. Now you can expect the two teams to meet in the final.
If that's the case, Chu Zhongtian will meet Barcelona in the final for the second year in a row, and I don't know if everyone will have aesthetic fatigue...... Real Madrid, who returned to the league, defeated Espanyol 2-0 away and are unbeaten in 27 league games. If the momentum continues, they have a good chance of winning the title undefeated, and if that is the case, it will be a remarkable result for both Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho.
At the same time, they will also firmly suppress Barcelona, even if Barcelona keep winning all the subsequent games, they will eventually lose the league title by one point. For Barcelona, this is probably the second most humiliating thing to lose the league title with the same number of points.
After the match between Espanyol and Real Madrid, the Spanish media found a new topic. First of all, the pro-Barcelona Catalan media criticized the Spaniards for deliberately giving water to Real Madrid, because the Spaniards did not fight fiercely in this game, and they did not cause Real Madrid any big trouble.
How can RCD Espanyol endure such accusations? You know, they've always been at odds with Barcelona. As you can see from their name, Barcelona flaunts the best and Espanyol has a name that expresses its commitment to the country.
The president of RCD Espanyol, Alexis Sanchez. Angered by the Barcelona media coverage, Liebre angrily declared war on FC Barcelona: "The next Barcelona derby, we will be very happy to show you what 'sportsmanship' is! ”
Real Madrid fans also cheered for the Spaniard this time. A friend of an enemy is a friend, and it's not uncommon for Real Madrid fans to stand with Espanyol fans. Many Real Madrid fans even happily recalled the penultimate league game of the 2006-2007 season, which is so dramatic that it is still unforgettable. Real Madrid barely equalised at Zaragoza's home stadium thanks to a brace from Ruud van Nistelrooy. However, Barcelona were leading Espanyol 2-1 at the time, and if the score remained until the end, Real Madrid would fall from the top of the league table, leaving Barcelona two points at the top of the league table. In the final round, Barcelona challenged the underdogs away and won without any suspense. Therefore, in fact, the competition for the league title is based on this penultimate round.
As a result, not long after Ruud van Nistelrooy equalised, the Spaniard's Raul Brown. Tamudo also received an assist from De la Pena to score a goal, and the score was also tied at 2:2!
When Tamudo also scored twice to score his second goal of the game, the Camp Nou fell silent, and many Barcelona fans covered their faces with their hands in disbelief their eyes.
Real Madrid fans are clearly hoping to motivate Espanyol to fight for the first place in the Barcelona derby, beating Barcelona and widening the gap between the two sides.
According to the schedule, the next leg of the local derby between the two sides will be played in the previous round of the national derby, and the result and process of the local derby will have a deep impact on the outcome and process of the national derby.
(To be continued)