Chapter 454: Kicking Ligue 1 Out of the Top Five Leagues?
Juventus' fierce attack made Manchester City's goal tremble at times, but they couldn't break through again. City's players held on until Guardiola brought on substitutes and adjusted the team's formation.
Kanté and Van Dijk were the first to come on. As for the last substitution, Guardiola held onto it to keep the pressure on Juventus. Without knowing if Lin Quan would be brought on, Juventus had to be cautious and couldn't play all their cards.
But without using all their cards, it seemed impossible to win this match. After Van Dijk and Kanté entered, City's defense significantly improved, especially with Kanté and Fernandinho forming an impenetrable barrier in front of the defense. This frustrated Juventus greatly.
As time ticked away, Juventus' players became increasingly anxious. Anxiousness led to mistakes, especially against a player like Kanté, who excelled at interceptions and tackles.
In the 82nd minute of the second half, Kanté intercepted a mistake from Juventus' midfield, sparking a quick counterattack for City. Son Heung-min, having given his all, mustered the last of his energy to sprint down the wing into Juventus' half. Juventus' players were shocked and all retreated, but it was too late.
Seeing his teammates unable to get back in time, Buffon had no choice but to come out of his goal to intercept. Son Heung-min showed the calmness and precision of a top striker. He quickly assessed the distance and angle to the goal, and instead of rushing the shot, he opted for a chip when Buffon was within three meters of him.
Buffon, being one of the world's top goalkeepers, anticipated this move and raised his arms to block the chip. But he underestimated the speed of the shot. The ball flew over his head before he could react.
With a swish, the ball rolled into Juventus' net. City had reversed the score to 2-1! Son Heung-min was in disbelief that he had scored against one of the best goalkeepers in the world. After confirming the goal, he joyously celebrated by taking off his shirt and waving it as he ran toward the Manchester City fans.
Scoring in the Champions League was already a massive achievement for Son Heung-min. Scoring against Buffon made it even more special. Buffon was a living legend, the best goalkeeper in the world.
City's fans in the stands were ecstatic. Seeing the initial lineup, they had expected a loss. But these substitutes gave them a delightful surprise, especially the newcomer Son Heung-min. His attacks from the wing troubled Juventus greatly, with two goals directly linked to his efforts.
Many longtime fans were reminded of a Chinese player who had played for City for five years. Unfortunately, Chinese football seemed to have declined in recent years. There used to be skilled Chinese players in the top leagues, but now they were almost nonexistent. If China could produce a few more skilled players, City, with its Chinese connection, wouldn't mind bringing in one or two to try out.
In South Korea, thousands of fans watched the live broadcast, knowing that Son Heung-min was starting. Playing for the world's best team, Manchester City, had greatly boosted his popularity in Korea. He had become a national icon for Korean football. Many eagerly awaited his standout performances in the Premier League and Champions League, and this match did not disappoint them.
With one goal created and one scored, Son Heung-min's MVP-worthy performance earned him the title of "King" in Korea. Many fans watching his winning goal couldn't contain their excitement: "Our Heung-min is incredible!" "He is definitely the pride of South Korea!"
Lin Quan and Manchester City's influence and fan base in China meant that many Chinese fans also watched this match. Seeing Son Heung-min's goal, some couldn't help but sigh:
"Sigh, players from Japan and Korea are increasingly going abroad. They're everywhere in the top leagues, while we..."
"Yeah, given our football level, we have few players who meet the standards for playing abroad. Domestic leagues throwing around money also keeps players from wanting to go abroad."
"True, players like Wu Lei and Zhang Linpeng should have gone abroad years ago. They've been delayed too long!"
"They don't want to leave because they make millions in salary domestically. Abroad, their salaries might be lower."
After China's national team was thrashed by Spain, the football association seemed to wake up and began encouraging capable players to go abroad and train in high-level European football. This summer, after pulling many strings and persuading many players, they finally sent some qualified young players abroad. Among them were Wu Lei and Zhang Linpeng, who were highly anticipated. Wu Lei, in particular, was seen as a standout forward in China.
Though they joined mid-tier teams in the top five leagues or lesser leagues like the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Eredivisie, and Belgian Pro League, it was still a positive step. Even in these secondary leagues, the level of play was not worse than the Chinese Super League. Training and playing there could significantly improve their skills more than staying in the domestic league.
However, financially, they would lose out. Domestic teams had been very generous, with international-level players earning millions annually. Abroad, they wouldn't make as much and could risk not playing enough, which might lower their skill level, making it hard to find a team back home.
So, many were reluctant to go abroad, and the Chinese Super League clubs weren't keen either. This summer, fewer players went abroad than the football association expected. Only about six or seven were true international-level players; most were under 18, sent abroad for development, with uncertain futures.
Son Heung-min's goal stunned Juventus, and in the final moments, they attacked desperately. Allegri used all his substitutions, but there wasn't enough time. After ten minutes of intense attacks, Juventus had to accept their defeat.
With this loss, Juventus remained at 5 points, teetering on the brink of elimination. As for Manchester City, already qualified, this victory was just icing on the cake.
After the match, Morata approached Lin Quan to swap jerseys. Lin Quan looked at him, puzzled. "Buddy, I didn't even play. Are you sure you want to swap jerseys with me?" Morata didn't care; he had seen Lin Quan warming up on the sidelines, and though he had put his jacket back on, he still wore his jersey underneath. Seeing Morata's insistence, Lin Quan reluctantly took off his jacket and threw his jersey to him.
As they exchanged jerseys, a cheer erupted from the Juventus fans. Both players looked towards the stands in confusion. "What's going on? Didn't Juventus lose? Why are their fans so happy?"
"Has the Sevilla vs. Monchengladbach match ended?" Lin Quan asked a teammate who had been following the other game.
"Yes, Monchengladbach won 4-2 at home against Sevilla!"
"What? Sevilla lost? Didn't they just beat Real Madrid? How did they lose to Monchengladbach?" David Silva was astonished. As a Spaniard, he knew Sevilla's strength well. As the Europa League champions, Sevilla was strong enough to defeat Real Madrid, so their loss to Monchengladbach, considered the weakest team in the group, was surprising.
"Yes, it's quite unexpected. Our group's standings are now a mess!" The situation in Group D was indeed chaotic. Apart from Manchester City, who had won all five matches and was already through, the other three teams were all struggling in the mud.
Juventus, with one win, two draws, and two losses, had 5 points, temporarily second. Monchengladbach, also with one win, two draws, and two losses, had 5 points but were third due to goal difference. Sevilla, with one win and four losses, had 3 points, at the bottom. However, even Sevilla still had a chance to advance if they won their final match at home against Juventus, as Monchengladbach was unlikely to beat Manchester City away.
Despite having more points, Monchengladbach's path to advancing was less favorable than Sevilla's. Yet, Juventus still had the best chance. With Sevilla's loss, the power was back in their hands. If City didn't lose, Juventus just needed a draw to advance.
Drawing to advance was a relatively easy condition, but it seemed to be a curse, with many teams failing in such scenarios. No wonder Juventus fans were so happy upon hearing the news; it was a glimmer of hope amidst the bad news.
After this round of the Champions League, the standings in each group became much clearer.
In Group A, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain both advanced early. In Group B, Wolfsburg qualified early, but the top spot was still up for grabs. Manchester United, after a disappointing home draw against PSV, faced an uncertain future and had to win their final match away against Wolfsburg to advance. A loss would mean hoping PSV lost at home to CSKA Moscow.
In Group C, Atletico Madrid and Benfica advanced together. In Group E, Messi marked his return from injury with a hat-trick, leading Barcelona to a big win and securing their advancement. In Group F, Bayern Munich, like Manchester City, won all five matches to advance early. Arsenal, after losing all four opening matches, finally won 3-0 at home against Dinamo Zagreb, keeping their slim hopes alive.
Compared to Arsenal and Manchester United, Chelsea performed much better in the Champions League. After another big win against Maccabi Tel Aviv, their advancement looked promising. Group G was still complex, with Dynamo Kyiv's win against Porto closing the gap, making the final round critical for all three teams.
Group H had a surprising twist, with Lyon and Valencia, from the top five leagues, being overwhelmed. Teams from other leagues topped the group, with Zenit St. Petersburg from the Russian Premier League winning all five matches, one of only three teams to do so. Lyon's performance was particularly shocking, losing four out of five matches and earning just one point.
Given Lyon's recent history of challenging Real Madrid, their current form in the Champions League was disappointing. As the second seed from Ligue 1, their performance was subpar, prompting calls from fans to demote Ligue 1 from the top five leagues, arguing that Portuguese Primeira Liga teams performed better and deserved the spot more.
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