Chapter 373: Explosive Manchester Derby, Kante's Debut Shocks Everyone!
"Hard-won victory shows the world champion's decline!" "An honorable defeat, the uncrowned kings have a bright future!"
On the flight back to Manchester, Lin Quan read the media reports on the friendly match between Spain and the Netherlands. Just from these headlines, Lin Quan was already speechless. It seemed the victors were less praised than the losers. Although the headlines were exaggerated, they were not entirely without merit. They recognized that Spain's current lineup was strong, even as veteran players like Xavi, Alonso, and Villa had departed, not weakening Spain's combat effectiveness significantly.
However, the media were skeptical about Spain's future, especially for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Turnover is a fate no team can avoid, and Spain is no exception. Even if their current strength is formidable, it doesn't guarantee continued success. If the younger players can't effectively replace the older ones, Spain's decline could be imminent. Europe has many strong teams, like the Netherlands and France, which are packed with young talent. If Spain's young players cannot match those of these teams, even having a star like Lin Quan won't be enough—a single star cannot carry a team. This has been proven by Cristiano Ronaldo and the future star Haaland in their national teams, showing again that football is a team sport.
Lin Quan remembered that Spain's performance in the World Cup years later was indeed poor, even failing to advance from the group stage at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. However, the lack of talent in the national team was something he couldn't help with; after all, he couldn't just conjure up a group of Mbappes and Haalands for coach Bosque to use. So these issues were for Bosque to address.
On April 4th, the 31st round of the Premier League kicked off. Manchester City and Chelsea each overcame their opponents, keeping the gap in the standings unchanged. The most surprising match of the round was between Arsenal and Liverpool. In this strong clash, Arsenal secured a resounding 4-1 victory at home over Liverpool. Wenger's team showed some rare backbone and claimed a significant win in this tough matchup. Moreover, with this victory, Arsenal moved up a spot, overtaking Manchester United by one point for third place in the league. Considering their main rivals for the top four, Liverpool, were now nine points behind, this victory essentially guaranteed Arsenal's place in the top four.
"Not bad for the top four demon, Arsenal always explodes with unimaginable power when it's crunch time!" "Poor Liverpool, a dreadful season in both the league and Europe, and with captain Gerrard leaving, who knows when they'll rise again," worried Liverpool fans. After selling Suarez, Liverpool's attack suffered significantly this season, and the magic of coach Rodgers seemed to have faded. They became the easiest target among the traditional giants. This season, Liverpool had already lost nine matches, averaging a loss every three games, a record that simply couldn't be compared with other giants. Next season, with Rodgers likely leaving and Gerrard departing, it was uncertain who could fill such loyal boots or take over the coaching reins. Despair indeed!
Across the sea in another country, the fans of Borussia Dortmund also felt immense despair. In their home match against Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich, Dortmund suffered another defeat. The Yellow and Blacks, who had dominated Bayern and won the league title in previous seasons, saw their performance disastrously decline this season. After this defeat, they were perilously close to the relegation zone. Nobody could have imagined that Dortmund would struggle so much this season, potentially facing relegation. The magic of legendary coach Klopp seemed to have worn off. With rumors of key players like Hummels, Gundogan, and Reus leaving after the season, fans were incredibly worried. They feared these rumors might become reality. If stars like Reus were to leave, what would next season look like for Dortmund? Was this former champion going to be relegated to the second division?
However, at this critical moment, Reus stepped up, publicly stating his intention to stay and quickly arranging for his agent to negotiate a renewal with the club. His agent, Volker, urged him to think twice before leaving Dortmund, a sinking ship, for a better team. But Reus was determined, and Volker, unable to persuade him otherwise, represented him in the renewal talks with Dortmund. Reus's commitment gave Dortmund fans a glimmer of hope in these dark times.
Yet just as the fans were celebrating, Klopp approached the club chairman with his resignation letter. "Jurgen, are you leaving Dortmund?" asked chairman Reinhard in surprise. Despite the poor results this season, Klopp's contributions were undeniable. Since taking over Dortmund in 2008, he had tailored tactics that perfectly suited Dortmund's roster, creating a championship team known for its vibrant style. Under his leadership, this young team had won two Bundesliga titles, one German Cup, two German Super Cups, and even made it to the Champions League final in 2013. During this period, Dortmund could compete with Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich and often came out on top. This was a time of great excitement and pride for Dortmund fans, and it was largely thanks to Klopp. Now, he was resigning. "Yes, Mr. Chairman, this season's poor results and the team's low morale have worn me out. I think I need a rest and am not fit to continue coaching Dortmund for the time being," Klopp admitted honestly. His honesty left Reinhard momentarily speechless, unable to say the words he had prepared to persuade him to stay. "Alright, we will seriously consider your resignation request. May I ask one more thing—if you leave, will you stay in the Bundesliga?"
Dortmund is Klopp's creation; no one in the Bundesliga understands this team better than he does. If Klopp stays in the Bundesliga, it wouldn't be good news for Dortmund. Sensing the chairman's concern, Klopp smiled and said, "I plan to change the environment, to recharge and adopt some more advanced tactical concepts from football."
Reinhardt sighed in relief, understanding that Klopp would not be staying in the Bundesliga. "So, is your next destination La Liga?" In recent seasons, La Liga teams have not only been strong but have often been at the forefront of tactical innovation, setting trends in football.
However, to Reinhardt's surprise, Klopp's next stop was not La Liga. "Not La Liga, I plan to take a look at the Premier League!" Mentioning the Premier League sparked a gleam in Klopp's eyes. With top coaches like Guardiola and Mourinho in the Premier League, how could he miss out on such a gathering?
On April 12th, the 32nd round of the Premier League kicked off. This round featured Manchester City visiting Old Trafford to face their local rivals Manchester United in a fiercely contested Manchester derby. Such games always see both teams giving their all without any chances of holding back. However, while United could focus solely on the league, City had to prepare for an upcoming Champions League match against Juventus on April 15th, which would inevitably affect their team selection.
Guardiola hoped to use a fierce offensive in the first half to break the opponents quickly, ending the game's suspense early so he could rest key players for the Champions League match. Yet, the wily Van Gaal seemed to see through Guardiola's plans, setting up a five-defender formation at Old Trafford to staunchly defend till the end. After adjustments throughout the season, Van Gaal's control over United had improved, and their defense was much more solid than at the season's start. Throughout the first half, City exhausted all efforts but couldn't breach United's goal.
The second half began with the expectation that United would continue to defend deeply. If so, City might have settled for a draw to conserve energy. Although a draw would put them three points behind Chelsea, City had an advantage in goal difference. A Chelsea loss in subsequent games would allow City to overtake them using this advantage.
However, Van Gaal's tactics were once again unexpected. At the start of the second half, United frequently attacked, adopting an unusually aggressive stance. This surprised Guardiola on the sidelines; he hadn't expected United to come out and play an open game against City. Teams that attempted to play an open game against City often ended disastrously.
Since United was seeking confrontation, City was not about to show mercy. Guardiola signaled his team to engage fully, and Old Trafford, previously on the verge of boredom, erupted into excitement as fans cheered the sudden aggressive play.
Amid the heated derby atmosphere, the game's pace accelerated, and both teams fought fiercely. In the 51st minute, Lin Quan broke the deadlock with a goal, making it his fourth at Old Trafford. He had previously scored a hat-trick here and left an iconic image of him surveying the ground with his collar up. Lin Quan's goal revived painful memories for United fans from the previous year.
Yet this time, United didn't surrender quickly. In the 59th minute, Ashley Young scored, equalizing for United. The teams were back on equal footing, but neither was satisfied with the draw, and the offensive continued. In the 67th minute, City regained the lead with Aguero lifting a shot into the net from a direct pass by Kroos, making it 2:1. But United quickly responded, with Fellaini scoring a long shot just a minute later, tying the game at 2:2!
The rapid succession of goals had fans clutching their chests, overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of emotions. But the offensive onslaught wasn't over. In the 73rd minute, Smalling put United ahead for the first time, and in the 79th minute, Mata's goal extended the lead to 4:2. Old Trafford was ecstatic as United fans embraced, celebrating what seemed like a secured victory, avenging last year's defeat.
Not just ordinary fans but also former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, present at the game, stood up and applauded vigorously for Mata and the team's effort. However, celebrating too early sometimes backfires. City wasn't crushed; they hadn't planned to exert themselves too much in this match, but they had already expended significant energy. Unwilling to accept a loss, Guardiola made a strategic substitution, bringing on young talent Kante to strengthen midfield interceptions.
This change proved effective; Kante, underestimated by United, built an impregnable wall in midfield with his relentless interceptions, halting United's advances. Meanwhile, City's offense, fueled by constant regaining of possession, bombarded United's goal. In the 85th minute, Kante passed to De Bruyne, whose precise cross found Aguero, who narrowed the gap to 4:3. In the 89th minute, Kante, after another interception, passed to Lin Quan, who dodged defenders and equalized for City, leaving the score at 4:4 just before the match ended.
Though Aguero and Lin Quan scored, Kante was pivotal in both attacks. Old Trafford's United fans were in dismay: "Who is this demon? How can he intercept so effectively?"