Chapter 390: Defending the League Title, The European Football Storm!
"Battle of the Century Ends, Barcelona Advances to the Final!" "Once Again Misses Out on the Champions League Trophy, Ancelotti Might Be Sacked!" "Barcelona vs. Manchester City, Who Will Win the Champions League?" "Can Barcelona Avenge Their Defeat in the Champions League Final?" "The Ultimate Showdown: Lin Quan vs. Messi for the Title of the Best Player in the World!" "Guardiola's First Time Leading a Team Against Barcelona Since Leaving, Could He Be the One to End the Dream Team Era He Created?"
After Barcelona defeated Real Madrid and advanced to the final, various media outlets covered the event extensively. For the public, this year's final is full of exciting storylines.
For Barcelona, this is a revenge match. They were eliminated by Manchester City last year, and this year they are determined to avenge that loss in the Champions League final. For Manchester City, this is their best chance to break records and defend their Champions League title. For Guardiola, this is his first encounter with Barcelona on the European stage since leaving the club. For Lin Quan and Messi, this is the perfect stage to determine who is the best player in the world today.
With so many points of interest, the match has already generated immense hype even before it starts. Tickets for the final have been scalped to astronomical prices, and even at several times the original price, they are still hard to come by.
Fans of both teams have already started engaging in online and offline debates: "Our mighty Barcelona fears nothing and will crush Manchester City!" "The MSN trio is invincible; little Manchester City, prepare to be swept away!" "I observed the stars last night, and Barcelona will win the Champions League this year!" "That guy Lin Quan dares to compare himself to Messi. In the final, we'll show him the huge gap between him and Messi!"
Barcelona fans, having just eliminated Real Madrid, are full of confidence and arrogance. They believe their team is unbeatable, and defeating Manchester City should be a piece of cake. Over the years, Barcelona's performance in the league and European competitions has been excellent, and with a top star like Messi, they have garnered a massive global fanbase.
As for Manchester City, despite their meteoric rise in recent years that has stunned the world, their history is much shorter, and they lack the deep heritage of top clubs. This means they have far fewer fans compared to Barcelona, leading to Barcelona's support overshadowing Manchester City's both online and in real life.
Nevertheless, there are still many die-hard Manchester City fans who staunchly support their team and voice their opinions: "Haha, do Barcelona fans really think their team is unbeatable? Have you forgotten who defeated Barcelona both home and away last year?" "Defeated teams dare to bark here. Others might fear Barcelona, but Manchester City does not!" "You have Messi, and we have Lin Quan. I admit Messi is great, but Lin Quan is just as good, if not better!" "Manchester City not only has Lin Quan but also Guardiola. He built the Dream Team and knows tiki-taka football better than anyone. With him at Manchester City, there's no secret about Barcelona's tactics!"
Manchester City fans defended their team with reasoned arguments. Barcelona's recent victory over Real Madrid indeed showcased their strength, but Manchester City was not to be underestimated. Who else but Manchester City could stand firm at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich?
Neither side could convince the other, and the reasoned debate eventually turned into a shouting match, where numbers and volume determined the winner. Unsurprisingly, with fewer fans, Manchester City supporters were overwhelmed by Barcelona fans.
Neutral fans had little interest in the fan battles. However, with over a month to go until the final, they had time on their hands. Some football analysts compiled recent stats from both teams' performances in their leagues and the Champions League. The data shocked many:
"Barcelona's attack this season is truly terrifying. They have already scored 107 goals in La Liga, averaging 2.97 goals per game, the highest in La Liga!" After acquiring Suárez, Barcelona's offensive firepower surged. The MSN trio's effectiveness had been proven countless times in La Liga. Although Real Madrid's BBC trio was also strong, with 107 goals in 36 matches, they were evenly matched in attack. However, the difference in goals conceded was significant. Barcelona had only conceded 19 goals, while Real Madrid had conceded 34. This nearly doubled number of goals conceded put Real Madrid 4 points behind Barcelona, making their league title hopes slim.
Some said that even if a dog were managing Barcelona, with the MSN trio, they could win any championship. This statement might be a bit exaggerated. If a dog were in charge, Barcelona's goals conceded wouldn't be so low.
While everyone marveled at Barcelona's terrifying attack, Manchester City's stats were updated too: "Damn, I thought Barcelona's 107 goals were scary enough, but someone actually surpassed them."
Upon closer inspection, Manchester City had quietly reached 112 league goals! This averaged out to 3.11 goals per game, not only higher than Barcelona's but the highest in Europe. No wonder Guardiola dared to go head-to-head with Bayern at the Allianz Arena. Manchester City's attack was indeed formidable.
However, in terms of goals conceded, Manchester City wasn't as good as Barcelona. So far this season, Manchester City had conceded 32 goals, significantly more than Barcelona's 19. "Although Manchester City has conceded more goals, considering the intensity of the Premier League, this isn't surprising." "True, La Liga only has two or three strong teams. Barcelona only struggles against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Against other teams, as long as they don't make mistakes, they usually win. But in the Premier League, Manchester City faces challenges from Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and other top clubs. They play eight matches against top teams each season, double what Barcelona faces. Plus, the Premier League doesn't have a winter break and has a hectic Christmas schedule, so it's understandable they concede more."
Of course, the situations in the two leagues are different, making it impossible to be entirely objective and fair in such analyses. "Looking at the data, the teams are pretty evenly matched." "In terms of lineups, Manchester City's top stars are still fewer than Barcelona's." "Indeed, Barcelona's lineup is stronger. Lin Quan and Messi are on the same level, but De Bruyne can't compare to Iniesta. Suárez and Agüero are on par, but Agüero has been injured more recently, making him slightly less effective than Suárez. Considering current form, Agüero is probably half a step behind Suárez. As for Neymar, while David Silva is very strong, the gap between him and Neymar is clear. Neymar is at least half a step ahead." "Comparing like this, Barcelona's front line is much stronger than Manchester City's." "Yes, Barcelona's front line is currently the strongest in football!" "And the midfield and defense?" "In defensive midfield, Kroos is stronger than Xavi now, but neither Kanté nor Fernandinho are as good as Busquets and Rakitic." "I disagree. Don't underestimate Kanté just because he came from a lower league and isn't highly valued. I believe this kid has great potential and could become a top star with time!" "Guardiola doesn't like to use Yaya Touré; otherwise, the defensive midfield position could be a tie!" "As for the defense and goalkeeper, the two teams are evenly matched. Van Dijk has been excellent this season and might become a top defender in the future!"
Overall, the teams are evenly matched. Barcelona has a slight advantage in the front line, but this advantage isn't significant across the entire team. Moreover, some pointed out that equating Lin Quan and Messi directly was too simplistic. However, this opinion was quickly drowned out by the flood of comments.
Analyzing data on paper is just that—on paper. Many factors influence a team's performance, such as injuries, fitness, and players' form. To truly understand the current strength of the two teams, the best way is to buy a ticket and watch the match in person.
Both Barcelona and Manchester City did just that. With La Liga and the Premier League approaching the 37th round and the next round about to begin, neither team wanted to miss the chance to gather information. Therefore, upon learning their final opponent, both Guardiola and Enrique immediately sent scouts to each other's games to gather intel.
"Compared to La Liga, the Premier League is a mess when it comes to fair competition!"
Both leagues were entering the final stages of the title race. To ensure fairness, all 10 La Liga matches were scheduled to take place on the same day at the same time. In contrast, the Premier League, in pursuit of higher viewership and maximizing broadcast revenue, spread its matches over four days and six time slots. This allowed TV networks to broadcast different matches over several days, showcasing the commercial acumen of the Premier League.
Indeed, the Premier League is fundamentally different from other leagues. While other leagues are focused on winning titles, the Premier League is focused on making money.
"Chelsea and Manchester City both have a chance to win the league, yet their matches aren't scheduled at the same time. This kind of thing only happens in the Premier League!" "Manchester City's match is first. If they win, Chelsea will be under immense pressure in their last game." "But if Manchester City loses, Chelsea's players will be overjoyed!"
Manchester City's match was scheduled for May 17, while Chelsea's match was set for May 18, with a day's gap in between. This arrangement put significant pressure on both teams, especially Manchester City, who played first.
"Our opponent is a mid-table team with nothing to play for. At this stage of the season, such teams are not difficult to deal with. Play well, aim to win, and secure the title!"
Manchester City was leading Chelsea by 2 points. If they could beat Swansea, they would only need a draw in the final match to win the title because their goal difference was vastly superior to Chelsea's, making it nearly impossible for Chelsea to overtake them. However, they had to win this match first.
Given the importance of this match, everyone expected Guardiola to field his strongest lineup. But to everyone's surprise, Guardiola opted to use many substitutes and rotation players against Swansea. Yaya Touré, Milner, Navas, Lampard, Jovetić, and Demichelis were all given starting opportunities.
Especially notable was Yaya Touré, who had rarely been in the starting lineup since Guardiola's arrival at Manchester City. Part of the reason was Touré's long absence due to the Africa Cup of Nations. Another reason was that Touré wasn't the type of player Guardiola favored. Back when Guardiola was at Barcelona, he had replaced Touré with Busquets. Now at Manchester City, Guardiola still didn't prioritize Touré, much to the latter's displeasure. Touré had even stated that if Guardiola didn't guarantee his starting position, he would not renew his contract and would seek to leave during the summer transfer window. Guardiola didn't try to persuade him to stay.
Touré, at 32, was still in his prime and could play for another two or three years. If he was willing to retire at Manchester City, Guardiola wouldn't mind keeping him. But if he wanted to leave, he should do so while he was still at his peak and could negotiate a big contract elsewhere, which would benefit both parties.
After their confrontation, Touré thought he would spend the rest of the season on the bench. But to his surprise, Guardiola put him back in the starting lineup, which greatly motivated him. Determined to seize this opportunity and showcase his abilities, Touré aimed to impress potential future employers and prove his worth.
Touré's efforts quickly paid off. In the 21st minute of the first half, he scored with a long-range shot, making it 1-0. Ten minutes later, Milner scored another goal on a fast break. Early in the second half, Lampard scored a third goal, sealing the victory. Guardiola then made substitutions, giving some young players a chance to play. The opponent took advantage of this to score two goals, making the game suspenseful again.
In a crucial moment, Touré stepped up and scored another goal, making it 4:2. Manchester City ultimately won the match, securing their top position and temporarily extending their lead to 5 points. The pressure was now on Chelsea!
The next day, Chelsea played West Bromwich Albion. Perhaps due to the pressure from Manchester City's victory the previous day, Chelsea's players were off form and made frequent mistakes. Within just 9 minutes, West Brom had scored the first goal.
Trailing, Chelsea's players became increasingly anxious. Diego Costa and Fàbregas frequently committed fouls, with Fàbregas even receiving a red card in the 29th minute and being sent off.
This made things worse for Chelsea. Already trailing, they were now down to 10 men. West Brom capitalized on this advantage, scoring two more goals in the 47th and 60th minutes, setting the score at 3-0.
Chelsea, playing away, lost 3-0 to West Brom, thus missing out on the Premier League title. As a result, Manchester City secured the league title a round early, successfully defending their championship.
Unfortunately, since their match was already over, they couldn't celebrate with the trophy yet. However, the final match would be at their home ground, and lifting the trophy in front of their home fans would be even more special.
After this match, Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, lost patience with Mourinho and immediately announced his dismissal. Mourinho's second stint at Chelsea was far less successful than he had imagined.
At the end of each season, many coaches lose their jobs. Mourinho was not the first; Real Madrid had already sacked Ancelotti. Besides these top coaches, Borussia Dortmund's Jürgen Klopp also announced his departure. Adding Manchester United's Van Gaal, who was almost certain to be sacked, at least four top coaches would be jobless this summer. This presented a great opportunity for teams looking for high-quality coaches.
Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Manchester United, among others, started taking action, trying to contact these top coaches to invite them to lead their teams.
Chelsea and Real Madrid, having fired their coaches, also needed new managers. Real Madrid decided to trust their B team coach, Zinedine Zidane, promoting him to temporarily manage the first team. Florentino Pérez planned to observe Zidane's performance in the last two matches. If Zidane performed well and they couldn't find a better coach in the summer, Zidane would likely be Real Madrid's coach next season.
As for Chelsea, they weren't interested in hiring Ancelotti again, nor did they want Van Gaal. Like Liverpool, they were eyeing Klopp, who had left Dortmund. Klopp's energetic style was appealing to both teams in need of rebuilding. He had managed to elevate Dortmund, not a traditional powerhouse, to prominence.
For Liverpool and Chelsea, big clubs like them could only rise higher under Klopp's leadership.
Meanwhile, Manchester United was interested in Mourinho, who had been sacked by Chelsea. Despite Chelsea's mixed results this season, Mourinho had already proven himself in the top leagues and the Champions League. More importantly, he had Ferguson's approval. Eager to improve their results, Manchester United didn't want to gamble on a young coach like Klopp and instead chose the more reliable Mourinho.
Such significant changes in coaching would undoubtedly lead to a flurry of transfers in the market. This summer, the football world was bound to be anything but calm. (End of this chapter)