Chapter 434: Guardiola Starts Innovating Again
Chapter 434: Guardiola Starts Innovating Again
On the field, Mandzukic stood with his hands on his hips, glancing anxiously at the clock. The match was in its final minutes, and with stoppage time added, there wasn't much time left. For Mandzukic, this wasn't just any Champions League group stage match; it was his chance to exact revenge on Guardiola.
Last summer, after a fallout with Guardiola, the Bayern star was sold to Atletico Madrid at a low price. Their feud started then. Fate, or maybe destiny, had him join Juventus this summer, only to be drawn into the same group as Guardiola's Manchester City. Since learning about the match schedule, Mandzukic had been meticulously preparing, determined to show the world that Guardiola was wrong to let him go.
Mandzukic gave his all during the game, but City's defense was formidable. Their two central defenders were like towering walls, and he couldn't gain any advantage. Despite his efforts, he struggled to create scoring opportunities. The assist he provided to Morata was a stroke of luck. However, his hopes of becoming the hero by scoring himself seemed increasingly unlikely. Yet, the thought of leaving empty-handed was unacceptable, so he kept pushing, hoping for one last chance.
In the dying minutes, Mandzukic once again charged into City's penalty area, ready to battle their defenders. Dybala, showing great awareness, positioned himself at the edge of the box, waiting for a pass. As his teammates struggled to pass the ball forward, City's midfielders continuously intercepted their efforts. With time running out, Dybala had to drop deeper to receive the ball.
Finally, Cuadrado managed to deliver the ball to Dybala. Instantly, Fernandinho rushed towards him, and Kante blocked his path. Dybala, having seen his teammates repeatedly dispossessed by Kante, didn't dare challenge him directly. Before he was fully surrounded, Dybala quickly passed the ball.
Morata, using his sharp instincts, reached the ball before the defenders and headed it into the box. Seeing the ball fly into the penalty area, Mandzukic knew this was his last chance. He broke free from Van Dijk's marking and leapt towards the ball.
"Block him!" Navas shouted to his defenders, knowing Mandzukic's aerial threat. Van Dijk, aware of the danger, jumped with Mandzukic, ensuring physical contact to disrupt his balance without committing a foul. Mandzukic's header, under pressure from Van Dijk, lacked power and precision. Navas easily caught the ball, nullifying Juventus's attack.
Frustrated, Mandzukic appealed to the referee, claiming a foul, while Van Dijk, maintaining an innocent expression, gestured it was a clean play. The referee, having a clear view of the incident, saw no foul and dismissed Mandzukic's protest.
With time almost up, the referee blew the final whistle. Manchester City emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Juventus. Both teams demonstrated high tactical discipline and skill, providing an entertaining match for fans both in the stadium and watching on television.
City secured a strong start to their Champions League campaign, while Juventus, despite the loss, showed enough quality to be optimistic about their chances of advancing from the group stage. Fans speculated about a potential rematch in the knockout stages, perhaps even in the final, where Juventus could seek redemption.
Elsewhere in the group, Sevilla, the previous Europa League champions, convincingly defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0 at home.
They also temporarily topped the group standings, thanks to their three-goal advantage over Manchester City.
In other groups, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain easily defeated their opponents. Cristiano Ronaldo once again scored a hat-trick in the Champions League, although two of the goals were penalties, slightly reducing the hat-trick's value.
Compared to Real Madrid's dominant performance, Barcelona had less luck. In their away match against Roma, despite taking the lead, they were eventually overtaken. Adding to their woes, substitute Rafinha suffered a severe knee injury just one minute after entering the field due to a brutal tackle from Roma's Nainggolan, forcing him to be carried off on a stretcher. This blow to their morale, combined with Neymar's departure, left Barcelona's attack weakened, and they couldn't score again, settling for a draw. Last season's invincible Barcelona seemed to face a series of troubles early this season, causing many to doubt their prospects in the Champions League.
While Spanish media fretted over Barcelona's future, English media were also downcast. Arsenal and Manchester United both suffered surprising defeats to theoretically weaker teams in their first-round matches.
"Mourinho seems to have forgotten how to attack again. His team lost due to insufficient firepower. As for Arsenal, Wenger had terrible luck. Chamberlain's early own goal and Giroud's reckless red card in the first half turned their away game upside down. Even so, against the weakest team in the group, the Gunners should not have surrendered so easily. Failing to secure an away win puts their qualification hopes in jeopardy."
"Maybe this season, we can only rely on Manchester City again!"
Although Chelsea also won their first match with a resounding 4-0 victory, the English media seemed reluctant to mention them. The reasons were simple:
First, Chelsea's opponent was very weak, an Israeli team with no presence in Europe, so beating such a minnow was nothing to boast about. Second, Chelsea's league situation was precarious. If they wanted to secure their Champions League spot for next season, they would have to make tough choices between the league and the Champions League. They could abandon the league to focus on the Champions League, but given their current form, they probably wouldn't get far even if they made it out of the group stage. Hence, no one was willing to pin their hopes on the Blues.
Given this context, the reliable and strong Manchester City seemed to be the only team worth trusting.
"Thankfully, we have Manchester City!"
This sentiment offered a small consolation to the British media. But if City were to be eliminated one day, the collective mourning would be inevitable.
After the Champions League match, Guardiola felt a temporary sense of relief. He then began experimenting again. In the sixth round of the Premier League, he moved Kante to an advanced midfield position to test his offensive capabilities. This adjustment proved costly, as Manchester City trailed 1-2 by halftime at home, leaving the fans in disbelief. Was this post-Champions League syndrome?
While City fans were puzzled, West Ham United fans were thrilled. West Ham had a strong start to the season, especially against top teams. In the Premier League opener, they stunned Arsenal with a 2-0 away victory. In the second round, they battled fiercely against Leicester City, eventually losing but showing great resilience. In the fourth round, they defeated Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield, sending a shockwave through the league.
If West Ham could win this match, they would have defeated three of the top five teams, earning the title of "giant killers." However, Manchester City was not a team to be easily defeated. Realizing Kante's discomfort in an advanced role, Guardiola quickly reverted him to his usual defensive midfield position and brought on Aguero in the 65th minute.
Aguero's return energized City's attack. Alongside Lin Quan, De Bruyne, and David Silva, Aguero posed significant threats to West Ham's defense. In the 72nd and 78th minutes, Aguero and Lin Quan scored, turning the game around for a 3-2 victory, extending City's winning streak to six games.
Despite the win, Guardiola was not pleased. He was still preoccupied with his failed experiment with Kante.
"Did it really not work?" Guardiola lamented, wishing he could unlock Kante's offensive potential.
"Why try to change Kante? You had Yaya Toure, a player of similar style, but you didn't seem to favor him," Lin Quan questioned Guardiola's persistence. People have their strengths, and if Kante excels defensively, why force him into an unfamiliar role?
(End of the Chapter)