Chapter 279: Unlucky Courtois!
De Bruyne's shot was completely unexpected! If not for the loud "plotting" and Lin's distracting run, Atlético might not have been so surprised by the direct shot.
The position wasn't great, but not impossible for a direct shot.
However, after seeing the "plotting," Atlético expected a tactical play, making the normal choice seem surprising.
Courtois reacted swiftly. Though he initially focused on Lin, he adjusted immediately upon seeing the shot and dove towards it.
Courtois, fully stretched, flew towards the ball, resembling an acrobat.
Fans from both teams watched Courtois intently, knowing this save could decide the match's outcome.
Despite his young age, Courtois had a stellar reputation in the Champions League, making crucial saves against Bayern in the previous match.
He had also consistently performed in La Liga, often making critical saves against top teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona.
This time, Courtois excelled again.
His fingertips slightly altered the ball's path, sending it just past the post!
City fans sighed, realizing they were inches away from a goal.
Atlético fans clutched their hearts, nearly having a heart attack.
Thank God for Courtois, they thought, otherwise, that shot would have gone in!
De Bruyne shook his head, regretting not hitting the corner more precisely.
"It was a great shot. They just got lucky!" Lin comforted De Bruyne, who nodded, shaking off his frustration.
Then he realized Lin, who was younger, was speaking like a senior, which amused him.
De Bruyne playfully tried to grab Lin in retaliation, but Lin, expecting it, dodged with a laugh.
Courtois, surrounded by celebrating teammates, felt relieved. Such an ordinary shot became a huge threat due to their psychological play.
Was this tactic De Bruyne's idea or City's number ten's?
On the sidelines, Simeone pondered the match, concerned that City might use set-pieces to break through Atlético's defense.
A few minutes later, a City corner kick deepened his concern.
Again, Lin and De Bruyne had a loud "plotting" session, with Atlético players watching their show skeptically.
This time, City executed a tactical corner. De Bruyne didn't cross into the box but passed to Lin outside the left.
Lin then lobbed it into the box, precisely finding captain Kompany, who headed it towards the goal
Unfortunately, this header was too straight. Courtois didn't save the ball, but Kompany's header hit his nose and bounced back.
Atletico's defender Godin reacted first, kicking the ball out of bounds to clear it.
Kompany scratched his bald head, feeling a bit unlucky.
With such a big goal frame, how did it end up hitting the goalkeeper's face?
Courtois also felt unlucky!
With such a big goal frame, how did the ball hit his nose?
He smelled blood and touched his nose, seeing his fingers covered in blood.
Great, now he had a nosebleed.
Because Atletico's goalkeeper was injured, the game had to be temporarily stopped.
The medical team rushed in to treat Courtois and gave him a new jersey to replace the bloodstained one.
By the time Courtois was treated, there was little time left in the first half.
The referee soon blew the whistle to end the first half.
In the entire first half, both teams had a total of 11 shots, with Manchester City having 7 and Atletico 4.
In terms of shots, Manchester City had the advantage.
However, except for the last two set pieces that created some threat, the other shots didn't pose much danger.
Atletico's situation was similar, with only one of their four shots on target and the other three missing widely.
On the field, both teams had similar possession rates, with Manchester City leading 55% to Atletico's 45%.
This data shows that Atletico wasn't just sitting back and defending.
Overall, the first half was defensive, and both teams found it hard to create good attacking chances.
But as the game goes on, both teams will likely adjust their tactics in the second half.
Who will break the deadlock first?
...
"Brother, over here, over here!"
During halftime, Lin Quan had just reached the sideline, ready to enter the players' tunnel.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice from the stands!
He looked up and saw Guardiola and others sitting near the players' tunnel. His sister Maria was waving her arms, trying to get Lin Quan's attention.
Many fans near the tunnel were also trying to interact with the players.
Some were reaching out for handshakes or high-fives.
Some were loudly applauding and saying encouraging words to the players.
Others had paper and pens, hoping for autographs.
As Manchester City's star player, Lin Quan attracted the most attention.
He wouldn't usually stop, but hearing Maria's voice, he paused and walked up to the stands.
Fans were thrilled to see him come up.
Not only did the nearby fans rush towards him, but even those further back, seeing their star so close, surged forward excitedly.
Realizing it might get out of hand, Lin Quan quickly hugged his family and, escorted by security, hurriedly left.
With Lin Quan gone, Guardiola was now the target.
Being a celebrity himself, fans who couldn't get Lin Quan's autograph settled for Guardiola's.
Maria and the others were startled by the commotion. Seeing so many people rushing towards them was a bit scary.
After the initial fear passed, they were amazed:
Has brother's influence really grown this much?
He's even surpassing Dad!
...
In Manchester City's locker room, Pellegrini told the players to rest while he outlined the second-half tactics.
"At the start of the second half, we stick to our first-half tactics. By the 75th minute, if it's still 0-0, we'll make substitutions.
He pointed to Nasri and Navas, saying, "You two warm up every five minutes after the second half starts, ready to play anytime."
Nasri and Navas were excited. Playing as key substitutes in such a match showed the coach's trust in them.
"Lin, when Navas comes on, we'll play without a striker."
Lin Quan nodded. Atletico's defenders were tough, and playing too far forward would get him marked out of the game, reducing his threat.
But if he dropped back, he could help control the midfield.
If Manchester City dominated the midfield, they could organize more threatening attacks.
Pellegrini kept one substitution for emergencies.
If Diego Costa hadn't been injured in the first half, he might not have saved a substitution, as bringing on three players quickly can have the best tactical effect.
It would boost Manchester City's fighting power and threaten Atletico more.
However, such a change is risky, leaving no room for maneuver if a player gets injured.
Meanwhile, in Atletico's locker room.
Simeone also finished his tactics. Like Manchester City, Atletico would attack in the second half.
Dragging the game on wasn't an option, as their high pressing drained their energy. If Manchester City dragged it into extra time, they would be at a disadvantage.
Manchester City's defensive strategy suggested they wanted to drag the game into extra time.
So, Simeone couldn't let them succeed.
But breaking the deadlock was challenging without Diego Costa.
"Manchester City's defense isn't that strong. There are many gaps. In the second half, our attacks must be more decisive. Speed up, pass forward boldly. If we lose the ball, we'll fight to win it back!"
Losing the ball in the opponent's half is better than in their own half. If they can quickly suppress the opponent's key players and disrupt their counterattack, losing the ball won't threaten their goal too much.
"If our positional play doesn't work, use set pieces more. Manchester City had some good set pieces in the first half; we can learn from them!"
Atletico isn't a high-scoring team. They scored just over 70 goals in La Liga this season, far less than Real Madrid and Barcelona, who both scored over 100.
Defense can be disciplined and tactical, but attack needs talent. A striker's ability directly affects the team's goals.
For Atletico, their top scorer Diego Costa scored 27 goals in the league, over 35% of their total goals!
This percentage is higher than Messi's and Ronaldo's at Barcelona and Real Madrid!
Without Diego Costa, Atletico's attack lost at least a third of its firepower.
Villa's scoring rate is less than half of Costa's, and no other player has scored double digits. Counting on them to finish is unrealistic.
So, set pieces are their best option!
Hearing Simeone's plan, Villa felt a bit sad.
He knew he was getting old. When the team needed him most, he couldn't deliver.
Atletico had some good chances in the first half, but Villa and substitute Lopez missed them.
If they had taken one chance, the game wouldn't be so tense. Atletico might have been leading.
Villa resolved to leave after this World Cup and not renew with Atletico. He'd go to a lower league for a final payday.
He had won almost all the honors: the national team's grand slam, the club's six crowns, and only the Ballon d'Or remained out of reach.
No more regrets!
But before leaving, Villa decided to fight hard with his teammates for the Champions League trophy!
...
The second half began, and the teams switched sides.
At first, their tactics didn't change much.
But Manchester City soon noticed Atletico's more aggressive attack.
Atletico was passing forward more and reducing back and sideways passes.
This led to a lower pass completion rate, giving Manchester City more counterattack opportunities.
In the 47th minute, Zabaleta intercepted the ball and passed to his teammate before Atletico could press.
Fernandinho got the ball, but Atletico's players rushed him like mad dogs.
He quickly passed to De Bruyne.
It was a poor pass, and De Bruyne was fouled from behind by Gabi, stopping Manchester City's counterattack.
Despite missing the counterattack, Pellegrini saw a scoring opportunity!
If Atletico kept making mistakes, Manchester City might score soon!
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