Chapter 65: The Arrival of Bundesliga Giants
Before the match against Bayern, Lin Quan received a call from Guardiola.
October 1st was the day of his wedding with Cera. He needed to confirm when Lin Quan would return.
"After the match against Bayern, if there's a flight at night, I'll just take the plane back. You don't need to come pick me up. I'll find my way," Lin Quan said.
Hearing Lin Quan's plan, Guardiola thought for a moment and advised, "It's better to come back on the 30th in the morning. The security situation in Catalonia isn't good. I'm worried about your safety if you come back at night!"
Considering the high unemployment rate in Spain and separatists causing trouble in Catalonia, Lin Quan agreed with Guardiola's suggestion. "How about you? We're about to play against Bayern. Are you confident in defeating them?" After chatting about personal matters, the conversation naturally shifted to football-related topics.
The match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich garnered much attention not only in the Bundesliga but also in Spain and across Europe.
Out of the top five European leagues, only two teams maintained winning streaks: Bayern Munich and Barcelona. These two teams were at the pinnacle of European football, boasting numerous fans, leading to widespread discussions online.
People were curious which team's winning streak would last longer and who would be defeated first.
"To be honest, I don't have much confidence. Although the coach has set up some targeted tactics, facing top teams like Bayern, we might not be able to execute them effectively," Lin Quan confessed. The overall strength gap between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich was significant, and Lin Quan didn't believe his individual skills could bridge that gap.
Football wasn't an individual sport; it was a team sport. Any problem in any aspect could lead to a team's defeat.
As for the Bayern Munich of the 2012-2013 season? Could you find their flaws?
Lin Quan admitted he didn't have that insight. He believed that Bayern Munich this season was undoubtedly the strongest team in today's football world, without a doubt. The team that swept Juventus 4-0 and slaughtered Barcelona, the team that was invincible?
"Well, recognizing reality without being blindly arrogant just because you've played a few good games is good," Guardiola remarked, pleased with Lin Quan's words.
"But Bayern isn't invincible either," he added.
Lin Quan was startled for a moment, quickly regained his composure, and listened attentively.
A few minutes later, Guardiola hung up the phone.
Looking at the phone in his hand, he shook his head with a wry smile. "You rascal, I can only help you up to this point. Whether you can create a miracle or not depends on your performance!"
On the other end, after hanging up the phone, Lin Quan fell into contemplation.
As a transmigrator, he knew about Guardiola's appointment as Bayern Munich's coach after Heynckes retired. However, he didn't expect their interaction to happen so early, and Guardiola seemed to know a lot about the situation within the Bayern team.
Probably, the two sides had already signed an intention contract in private.
Honestly, Guardiola's coaching at Bayern wasn't considered successful. Heynckes' Bayern had already reached its peak, and Guardiola's radical reforms didn't yield better results on that foundation. Instead, it disrupted the team's super lineup, leading to a significant decline in Bayern's performance in the Champions League, failing to create a new dynasty.
With a sigh, Lin Quan thought, "Well, Bayern is Bayern. If worse comes to worst, I'll just go over and help him out, so he'll get less criticism!"
...
On September 29th, the highly anticipated sixth round of the Bundesliga officially kicked off.
At 3:30 pm, Werder Bremen, ranked third in the league, hosted the league-leading Bayern Munich at the Weser Stadium.
This was the most anticipated match of this round of the Bundesliga, with several media outlets, including German television channel one and German sports television, choosing to broadcast the match live.
The vast Weser Stadium was packed to capacity. Fifty thousand tickets were sold out a day before the match.
Among the fifty thousand spectators, there were 45,000 Werder Bremen fans and five thousand Bayern Munich fans who traveled with the team.
The enormous stadium seemed to turn into a green ocean. Werder Bremen fans used their loud chants to drown out the cheers from Bayern Munich fans.
"These noisy crows, do they think they can win just by being loud?"
"Don't worry, our team will definitely humiliate them on the field!"
"Absolutely, today we not only need to win the game, but also turn their goal into a sieve!"
"Heh, with Werder Bremen's defense level, our powerful attacking line should score at least five goals today!"
Although Bayern's fans were suppressed in terms of momentum, they weren't worried at all.
They all believed their team could win the game, and it would be a big win at that.
After all, whether it was in terms of strength or recent performance in the league, there was no comparison between the two teams.
In the pre-match predictions by various experts, everyone favored Bayern Munich, further boosting their confidence.
During the live commentary at the match venue, the renowned German football commentator Beckmann chatted with several invited guests during the pre-match break.
Since it was the match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich, the TV station invited legends from both teams as guest commentators.
Werder Bremen was represented by the legendary captain Marco Bode, who was the club's all-time leading scorer and served Werder Bremen for thirteen seasons, ultimately retiring at the club, representing the era when players only played for one team throughout their careers.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich was represented by the current world record holder and the club's all-time leading scorer, Gerd Müller, also known as the "Golden Bomber."
Given Müller's legendary status in German football and his relatively older age, Beckmann first asked him for his thoughts on the match:
"Without a doubt, Bayern Munich will win this match. The only suspense is, by how many goals they'll win?"
Müller's statement sounded confident, as if he didn't see any problem with his assertion.
Of course, Marco Bode wasn't pleased. While he respected Müller as a veteran in football, he couldn't let him be so arrogant and demean his own team at their home ground!
"I disagree with Mr. Müller's statement. Football is round, and even the strongest team can't guarantee a hundred percent victory against their opponents. While there is a gap in strength between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich, it doesn't mean there's no chance of winning. This is the Weser Stadium, and I believe Werder Bremen's boys can create miracles at their home ground!"
Beckmann sensed Bode's unease, especially since he used the word "miracle."
He knew many viewers weren't Bayern Munich fans, and people generally liked stories where the underdog defeated the favorite.
So, he chimed in to support Bode: "Bode is right. Werder Bremen is currently third in the Bundesliga this season, having lost only one of their five matches. Their midfield and forward line capabilities are not to be underestimated, especially with young talents like De Bruyne and Lin Quan, who have already contributed many splendid combinations and goals!"
"And, more than a month ago, in the Telekom Cup match, Werder Bremen defeated Bayern Munich. This shows that Bayern Munich is not invincible!"
Müller shrugged, "The Telekom Cup is just a warm-up match for clubs like Bayern. Apart from losing to Werder Bremen this year, they have often lost in the past few Telekom Cup editions, and they haven't even won the championship once. This is enough to show they don't take this tournament seriously."
"Therefore, using the Telekom Cup match as an example, I think it lacks persuasiveness!"
Müller's argument was logical and factual, leaving both Bode and Beckmann without a rebuttal.
However, he suddenly changed the subject and said, "But Werder Bremen's number 10 player is indeed a very promising young man. If Bayern's defense is careless, he might score."
Müller had long noticed the emergence of this young player at Werder Bremen and greatly admired Lin Quan's talent. He had praised Lin Quan several times in front of reporters.
However, every time he praised Lin Quan, he would add, "Excellent young players like him should come to Bayern Munich to play. This is where he belongs!"
Just like when Messi broke his historic record, he tried to recruit Messi.
This guy always wanted to lure the best players to the Allianz Arena!
(End of Chapter)