Chapter 331: Termination of Records
After 24 consecutive wins, the team fell into an inexplicable madness, from manager Arsene Wenger to every player, who couldn't help but have an indescribable arrogant mentality. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info
What's even crazier is the Arsenal fans, who have been in north London these days, as long as they see the fans of other teams, they have directly raised their chins high, as if they are the fans of the strongest team on the planet, and the resulting conflicts are not a few.
For this sick mentality, Zhang Xu could only shake his head helplessly, he knew very well in his heart that such an Arsenal is actually very fragile, as long as it encounters a strong team with a little strength, it can directly beat Arsenal back to its original shape.
However, Zhang Xu doesn't want the team to lose, he always hopes that if the team can recover if it is not defeated, it will naturally be the best thing.
However, football never rolls at someone's will!
This time is no exception!
At 8:15 p.m. on December 11, 2013, the final round of Group F of the Champions League group stage began, and Arsenal challenged Napoli away.
Because Arsenal have already secured top spot in the group, Arsene Wenger fielded most of the substitutes for this game.
Arsenal line-up 3-2-4-1: goalkeeper 1-Szczesny; Defenders No. 25 - Jenkinson, No. 6 - Koscielny, No. 28 - Gibbs; Back 18 Zhang Xu and 20 Flamini; 16 - Ramsay, 11 - Ozil, 19 - Cazorla; Forwards No. 14 Walcott and No. 23 Bendtner.
Arsenal's last trip to Italy was a 4-0 defeat to AC Milan in February 2012. Sania's injuries continue to recover. Napoli must win by three goals or more to secure qualification, and Borussia Dortmund can qualify with more points than Borussia Dortmund in this round.
If Napoli beat Arsenal by one or two goals and Borussia Dortmund beat Marseille, Napoli will become the first team in Champions League history to accumulate 12 points but finish third in the group, the team has never drawn in the last 18 European games and conceded goals in the last 12 European games.
Hamsik and Mesto are out injured. Goalkeeper Reina suffered a thigh injury and Rafael, who made his league debut last weekend, continued to start, with Behrami rotating for Inle and Mertens replacing Insigne.
Before the race, the staff of the competition committee showed everyone in the audience a banner to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela, the father of the South African nation, who passed away on December 5.
As soon as the game began, the arrogant Arsenal immediately launched a tidal wave of attacks.
In the 2nd minute of the game, Zhang Xu received a pass from Ozil outside the penalty area, thirty yards away from the goal, and after shaking off a position, he immediately shot violently!
This heavy cannon is powerful and sinks straight to the top right corner of the goal!
The Napoli goalkeeper couldn't react and could only watch the football fly towards the goal!
"Wow"! Football hits the net!
The ball is in! 1 to 0! Zhang Xu used a long-range shot to open the scoring for the team in the second minute of the game!
This one goal directly blinded all the players of Napoli! It's only been a long time, and besides, this game must be won to have any hope of fighting Dortmund for second place!
Now, Napoli is in a difficult situation.
Things tend to be more dramatic, and just when the morale of Naples plummeted, a piece of news came!
In the other group game, Borussia Dortmund also led Marseille by one goal! In this way, Napoli has been cornered, and Napoli can only fight with their backs, otherwise they can only leave the European Champions League in disgrace.
In such a desperate situation, Naples broke out completely!
In the 9th minute of the game, Mertens broke the ball on the right side of the backfield and made a long diagonal pass, and Pandev stopped the ball on the left side of the penalty area and fired a low shot 12 meters from the goal.
At this time, news came again that Dortmund had been equalized by Marseille!
This is tantamount to a shot in the arm for Napoli, giving them hope of qualifying! As a result, their attacks became even more violent!
In this case, Zhang Xu had to return to the position of the midfielder he is best at and organize the team to defend with all his might.
In the 23rd minute of the game, Mesut Ozil was assigned to the left side of the penalty area, and Walcott's powerful left-footed diagonal shot from 10 meters in front of the goal was blocked by Rafael.
In the 31st minute of the game, Callejon volleyed high from 22 meters from the goal on the left side.
Just when Napoli's offensive was in full swing, another dramatic news came, on another field, the Marseille team was sent off by 1 man!
In this way, the probability of defeat for the Marseille team is greatly increased! Naples is on the edge of a cliff again!
Well, anyway, Napoli not only did not slow down the pace of attack, but played more frantically.
In the 36th minute of the game, Mertens raised his leg high to bring down Rosicky and was yellow carded.
In the 38th minute of the game, Maggio received the ball from Mertens over the top, Szczesny abandoned the goal, and Maggio's small-angle hanging shot from the right side of the penalty area was saved by Zhang Xu on the goal line.
In the 41st minute of the game, Zemaeli knocked down Flamini and was yellow carded.
In the 44th minute of the game, Szczesny did not kick the ball directly, but the pass was wrong, and Higuain's header from 8 meters from the goal on the right side of the penalty area was a little off the near post!
Four minutes into the second half, Mesut Ozil fired a left-footed shot from 27 yards wide and flimpant.
In the 54th minute of the game, Arsenal cleared the back to create a single chance for Walcott, and goalkeeper Rafael attacked to destroy first.
Napoli began to make substitutions, bringing on Insigne for Pandev.
In the 58th minute of the game, Insigne made a direct pass, Zhang Xu intercepted unsuccessfully, and Almeiro broke into the left side of the penalty area 10 meters away from the goal with a left-footed volley confiscated by Szczesny!
In the 60th minute of the game, Almeiro took the ball from the left, and Mertens' volley from 11 meters from the goal was blocked by Gibbs. Two minutes later, Koscielny's header was not cleared and Callejon burst into the right side of the box and slid a diagonal shot wide of the far post from 13 yards out.
Flamini tackles Behrami and is booked.
Theo Walcoat was then booked and Wilshere replaced Cazorla.
In the 68th minute of the game, Insigne's personal breakthrough and low shot from 28 meters from the goal were collected by Szczesny.
Napoli finally equalized in the 74th minute, Almeiro crossed from the left, Higuain turned his back to do it, Callejon stuffed Higuain again, Higuain turned and pushed with his left foot 13 meters in front of the goal, 1-1!
In the 76th minute of the game, Arteta, who came on as a substitute, brought down Callejon behind his back!
In the 85th minute of the game, Napoli used a counterattack to successfully overtake the score, Insigne crossed diagonally from the left, Callejon volleyed into the net from 8 meters in front of the goal, 2-1!
Seeing this goal, Zhang Xu was really a little angry, this goal was completely a manifestation of the overall lack of concentration of the backline, he had already stared at Higuain, the biggest threat of Napoli, to death, but Koscielny missed Callejon!
But the facts have been created, Zhang Xu can only look up to the sky and sigh, and then shout to cheer for his teammates!
After the game resumed, Zhang Xu began to strengthen the offensive organization!
This is also a helpless move, if you don't strengthen the attack, the team will definitely lose, but Zhang Xu doesn't want the team to lose the game like this!
"God's Perspective" is activated!
Zhang Xu made a quick decision and activated his most perverted skill!
Of course, no matter how rebellious the skill is, it is not omnipotent! It can only increase the probability of success for Zhang Xu.
What Zhang Xu wants is just a little help, and his strong attributes are enough for him to change the direction of a game!
With the development of skills, Zhang Xu directly raised his speed to the highest value! Like a bolt of lightning, it runs fast around every corner of the course.
In the 91st minute of the game, Zhang Xu quickly stepped forward and once again came to the right side of the penalty area, and after he took two steps horizontally to the middle of the field, he once again raised his left leg and pumped it the football!
The ball crosses a straight line and goes straight to the top left corner of the goal!
This time, the Napoli goalkeeper has finally made a mark!
The moment he saw Zhang Xu shooting, he quickly moved two steps towards the left side of the goal, and it was these two steps that allowed him to jump in time and seal the route of the football flying into the goal in time!
"Smack!" With a bang, the football hit his outstretched right palm! Then it hit the top of the crossbar, and the bounce flew out of the bottom line!
Corner kick!
This may be Arsenal's last chance, so almost everyone is in the Napoli penalty area, ready to work for the last attack! Even the team's goalkeeper, Szczesny, ran over and joined in the scramble for the header.
At this moment, all the players of Arsenal finally returned to their normal mentality, and everyone had only one thought, to score! Equalize!
Ozil ran to the kick-off point, set up the football, stretched out his right hand, waved his hand to Zhang Xu in the crowd, and then started quickly, directly kicked, and passed the football to the middle of the penalty area!
Napoli knew that Zhang Xu's header was very powerful, so they arranged two defenders to focus on Zhang Xu.
After Zhang Xu saw this situation, he simply strolled towards the outside of the forbidden area!
Of course, he didn't give up on scrambling for headers, but rather to paralyze the opposition and also to attract the attention of opposing defenders.
Sure enough, the two defenders who were marking him were attracted to him and continued to follow Zhang Xu to the edge of the big penalty area.
At this time, Ozil's ball came out, and Zhang Xu suddenly moved!
"Hurry up!"
Zhang Xu directly activated the skill of increasing speed, used the speed of the pervert, quickly shook off the two defenders who were marking him, quickly inserted into the middle of the small penalty area, and then jumped decisively!
The perverted speed, coupled with his strong bounce, made Zhang Xu directly above everyone, facing the flying football, and slammed it with his forehead!
"Bang"!
The football hit Zhang Xu's head unexpectedly, and then quickly changed the direction of movement and flew towards the far corner of the goal!
At such a close distance, there is nothing the Napoli goalkeeper can do about it, no matter how brave he is!
"Wow"! Football hits the net!
Zhang Xu scored twice to help the team tenaciously equalize! Once again, a miracle was created!
However, Arsenal's winning streak is not ending here!
At the same time, Napoli also had to leave the Champions League because of this draw, handing a place in the round of 16 to Borussia Dortmund. (To be continued.) )