On April 12, there is one day left before the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

The entire Leicester squad boarded a charter flight to Madrid, Spain.

Generally speaking, if you are competing domestically, you don't need to prepare too much, and it doesn't matter if you start on the morning of the race.

However, in the cross-border competition of the Champions League, we still have to pay attention to it, prepare for training on the field in advance, and adapt to the local temperature and climate.

The small price paid for this is nothing compared to the increase in prize money and popularity of the event.

At noon that day, the whole Leicester City team landed in Madrid, and they also felt the style of this football city for the first time.

As the capital of Spain, Madrid is a beautiful city, and although its architecture is not as neat and harmonious as Barcelona, it can be regarded as unique.

The huge royal palaces, the brightly lit churches, and the generally only a few storeys of low-rise buildings in the European style show the city's very deep cultural heritage.

After a short break at the hotel.

The entire Leicester squad travelled to Atletico Madrid's home stadium, the Calderón Stadium, one of the best in the world.

They're going to train here and prepare for the game.

On the way, every Leicester player leaned on their windows and admired the football city.

"Although Madrid is best known for Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid is also a team that is deeply rooted in people's hearts, and you can think of this city when you think of it."

Morgan looked out longingly, "Playing against such a team in the quarterfinals of the Champions League is something I didn't dare to imagine before. ”

The current Premier League is not yet a super hegemon, and the influence of Spain's giants is still there, and for a player like Morgan, Atletico Madrid is indeed a big mountain.

'It's the same for me, everything was like a dream during this period and that feeling from the end of last season is back.

Mahrez sat next to Chen Yufeng, his left hand supporting his chin, and his right hand pulling open the window, "It's really weird, swaying and swaying, every time I close my eyes and open them again, I will be surprised." ”

'When we qualified for the Champions League last year, did we think we would be able to play in the quarter-finals?

'It's really not the FA Cup or the League Cup...... But the Champions League?? ”

Atletico Madrid is not insurmountable, I guess you still have to dream...... Chen Yufeng next to him said secretly in his heart, and then said with a smile: "Prepare well for training, don't sigh here." ”

"That's a good thing, people have to be as sensational as if they were acting in a movie, we should have more passion."

The others stopped talking, and the group arrived at the training ground afterwards for some light passing and receiving exercises.

Don't look at the action is very simple, but everyone present is engrossed and does not dare to anchor at the slightest thought.

They have to take everything here to heart, remember every pass, every sprint so they can play better tomorrow.

At the end of the session, Mr. Ranieri gathered everyone together, and Mr. Vichai was standing next to him.

"To put it simply, in a cup match against a team as strong as Atletico Madrid, with a lot of blood and style, you have to be prepared for all difficulties."

Ranieri stepped up first, and he asked Steve Walsh to roll out a tactical board, pointing to the opposition half and saying: "Number one, we have to be prepared to accept the setbacks of the attacking line. ”

"Atletico are the only ones in defence, and I'm not saying this to hit everyone, but to make you more aware of what you should do."

"Forget the unstoppable in the Premier League, forget the big wins before you."

"Be prepared, even desperate, so that you can score and win at the Calderón Stadium, you see?"

Watching the players nod, Ranierijan's tactical board advanced a little, and in the away game, he didn't dare to make too many adjustments, nor did he dare to send too many young people.

A somewhat reluctant lineup was pushed out.

"Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, centre-backs Morgan and Hut, denny Simpson and Fox on either side, midfielders, N'Golo Kante and Drinkwater, wing-backs, Chen Yufeng and Mahrez."

"Center, Jamie Vardy with Shinji Okazaki."

Old lineup...... Many of the young players were a little disappointed, but they were ready to face Atletico.

But at this critical juncture, Ranieri seems to believe more in the old man in the team, and he may feel that experience is important in such a high-profile field.

Young people are more creative, but prone to mistakes.

Ranieri had long expected this face, and he didn't know if he was doing it right, so he had to try it first.

Even if you lose away from home, you have a chance to fight for your life in the young squad when you return to home.

"Okay, I'll say a few words."

Vichai walked up at this time, he was very friendly in private, but in a multi-person situation, he would still ensure a certain amount of majesty, "I'm a businessman, I don't know much about tactics and sports psychology. ”

"But even I can see that it's really great that you've come here, and we've accomplished things that we couldn't have imagined before."

"Next, as long as we get past Atletico Madrid and get to the last four."

"Then we will have the most amazing fighting spirit in the world, the most urgent desire to win, and we can really have the courage to raise our heads and attack against any team!"

"Reach the semi-finals and fight for the championship together!"

"Atletico Madrid is the last obstacle, tomorrow we will meet them in Calderón, this grass at our feet, cheers everyone!!"

Vichai clenched his fists, he was not tall, but he showed good spirit.

What he said did speak to the hearts of the players, and for a while, the breathing of many Leicester City players became heavier.

…………

Shortly after Leicester City left Calderón, Atletico Madrid's players also came to the field to stamping on the field.

Simeone stood on the sidelines with his chin propped up, his expression was very heavy, but his straight back told the reporter next to him that he seemed to be confident.

"Tell the Spanish reporters who come to the scene tomorrow in advance not to ask stupid questions when they interview Leicester City, and to preserve their dignity as Spanish journalists."

Simeone turned his head to look at the assistant coach next to him and said, "Don't anger the Leicester coaches and players, don't be disrespectful to their people. ”

"I want to make a good impression on my opponent and I want us to beat them with dignity."

"We don't need shady tricks, and we don't want to hurt our opponents off the field."

"Hmm......" The assistant coach nodded on the side, but secretly said in his heart, I'm afraid it will leave a good impression on Chen Yufeng.

The purpose is a little too clear.

Simeone, although he is not a heinous bad guy in his coaching career, is definitely not a soft-tempered guy.

What drove him to do so was certainly not just the righteousness of his heart.

Who believes this?

"Chen Yufeng has just scored a hat-trick in the Premier League and I am very worried that he will suddenly show a superstar level and disrupt all our plans."

When Simone talked about Chen Yufeng, he looked a little worried.

"Don't worry, the players are at their peak and they won't let you down."

The assistant coach on the side comforted: "Chen Yufeng is also a god and an ordinary one many times...... Ah, I mean he's going to score goals too, just the kind that only scores one goal. ”

"He's not always going to score a hat-trick, so don't worry, now that we've got a good strategy, we don't have to worry about him playing beyond the double level."

"At Calderón, we're not going to make any of our opponents feel better."

His comfort had some effect, and Simone felt much better after a few quick breaths.

Before leaving the pitch, he turned his head and added, "You must remember, don't have anything but games, and don't embarrass Leicester City's players and coaches tomorrow, especially Chen Yufeng and Ranieri." ”

With that, he left the scene.

…………

The next day, from one o'clock in the afternoon, everything was already lively.

Atletico Madrid fans in red and white striped jerseys inside and outside the stadium began to enter, and Leicester City's Champions League expeditionary team also paced among Atletico fans.

Somehow, the fans of both teams showed friendly qualities from the pre-match period.

"Come on, come on, take a picture, how many years have you supported Leicester City?"

"You can go and have a drink together, don't look at the palaces and churches everywhere in Madrid, the nightlife here is rich, otherwise why do those stars always say that they are lost in Madrid, hahahaha......"

"It's okay, Leicester City, Madrid, a family!"

'We don't have any contradictions, if there is, it's just a misunderstanding, in fact, I like Madrid and I like Leicester City.'

"Then let me ask you a question, where is the knife?"

"The knives are British, of course."

"Tsk, I'll just say a family!"

"But then again, it's a relationship, and hopefully your team won't stop us from reaching the Final Four! We at Atletico Madrid are going to win the Champions League! ”

"It's the same with Leicester, hahaha!"

“……”

On the streets, Atletico Madrid fans and Leicester City fans took photos together, and some even hooked up their shoulders to make an appointment for a drink.

English and Spanish sound completely different, but they are close to languages, and it is very easy to learn one or the other.

Therefore, there are still quite a few fans who communicate without barriers.

They entered the arena in hugs of each other, laughing and laughing, but with different positions.

In a sense, this kind of moment in football can be regarded as a moment to prove the charm of the sport.

Healthy competition has always been a rational and beautiful football ecology that everyone is fantasizing.

This is, of course, a state of great importance.

On the other side, Leicester players disembarked from the bus at the side gate.

The cameras on both sides of the "Click, Click, Click......" flashed the shutter wildly, and many Leicester City fans living in Spain let out high-pitched cheers.

Since Simeone had asked someone to say hello in advance, today's scene was quite harmonious.

When they entered the stadium, there were cheers on both sides, and the media did not ask anything to the crowd.

All the way to the passage in the field, every staff member is also full of enthusiasm, diligently guiding the players and coaches into the locker room.

There were even people in the locker room wiping down the seats that had become very tidy, dragging the already reflective floor.

This continued until they came on to warm up.

Leicester's players couldn't help but wonder, why something was wrong?

Why didn't you have this treatment before?

Let's talk about the Premier League, which game is not tense and tense, let alone such a high-profile Champions League quarter-final.

By the end of the pre-match press conference, after no difficult questions from the local Spanish media, Chen Yufeng finally couldn't hold back his doubts and chatted with Ranieri.

"Are all Madrid good people?" Chen Yufeng, who was still in the dark, said a very inexplicable and wonderful sentence.

"Probably not."

Ranieri smiled: "I can only say that someone should have greeted him in advance, either a high-ranking member of the Spanish royal family who likes Leicester City, or a government official." ”

"Or rather, Atletico Madrid itself, Simeone himself."

"As for the purpose of the greeting, there are many guesses."

"That's all it can be." Chen Yufeng nodded slightly.

"As for the purpose, think about the good, this is a kind of respect from the heart, then when we go back to the Imperial Power Stadium, we should also give them respect, it's mutual." Chen Yufeng said again.

"Of course yes, we don't treat anyone who respects us badly." Ranieri load.

Then the two didn't talk about it, this kind of off-the-field thing, just keep it in mind.

Don't be cowered by respect, just don't play like a man on the field.

"Kick Barcelona...... Kick Barcelona...... Kick Bayern Munich ......!! ”

"I'm ......!!"

“Oh————！！”

Not long after, the Champions League theme song sounded, and the fans in the stadium shrouded in the song let out violent cheers.

Because they saw that their favorite group of players had walked out of the player tunnel and came to the field.

The big battle is about to be triggered, and this game may directly determine the situation of the final four matches.

You know, losing the first leg and reversing the second leg is a minority.

Although it can make everyone more impressed, remember it for a longer time, and even have the illusion of reversing a lot in the second leg.

However, the truth is that in most two-legged matches, the suspense ends in the first round.

Even if there is no finish, the team that wins in the first round has at least a 70% probability of qualifying.

How can there be so many reversals?

Is it really a bunch of fools on the other side, rushing to reverse it for you every day?

It's a big delusion.

"Beep!!"

As the clock ticked past two o'clock in the afternoon, the Danish whistle for the start of the game was blown.

The first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals officially kicked off at the Calderón Stadium.

…………

ps: I'll finish writing the game tomorrow, I'm sorry for the two days, I'm going to my relatives for the New Year, I've tried my best to shirk some things, but there are always some family matters, and I'll finish the first round tomorrow, believe me.

(End of chapter)