Chapter 378: The Terrifying Score of 81, The Terrifying Bayern!

Chapter 378: The Terrifying Score of 81, The Terrifying Bayern!

"Are the Middle Easterners planning to splash cash on players again?"

"Last summer they offered 200 million euros for Lin Quan, which Manchester City refused. If they're spending again this summer, the offer will definitely be higher than 200 million euros!"

"Higher than 200 million euros? Could it be 220 million or even 250 million?"

"That's crazy! The current highest transfer fee in football is around 100 million euros. If this transfer goes through, it would double the existing record!"

The soaring transfer fees in football make fans keenly feel the impact of inflation.

...

At Manchester City, as soon as they returned to Manchester, they learned of the rumors swirling around, which somewhat affected Guardiola's mood.

"No matter how much the outside offer is, all bids for Lin Quan are outright rejected!"

Lin Quan is irreplaceable in his tactical system; how could he continue to compete if Lin Quan were to be taken away?

However, the club's refusal might not be effective because they also have to consider the player's own wishes.

Thus, Guardiola planned to subtly probe Lin Quan in private to see if he had any intention of leaving Manchester City.

"Lin, you've lived in Manchester for a while now, are you satisfied with life here?"

During dinner, Guardiola asked casually.

"It's okay, but the weather in Manchester is terrible, and the food isn't great."

Lin Quan's response was strongly endorsed by his younger siblings, including Maria and Valentina, who all nodded in agreement and joined in the complaint.

They had only been in Manchester for four months and were already struggling.

The cold and damp climate here, compared to the bright sunshine and dry suitable climate of Catalonia, was simply no place for humans.

As for the food, the local British cuisine was really unpalatable, not only limited in variety but also hard to stomach, nowhere near as good as Spanish cuisine.

Hearing the children's complaints, Guardiola cringed, feeling a bit guilty:

The children hated life in Manchester so much, and he had been so busy with work that he had completely failed to notice.

"Ahem, if you don't like it here, then I could try to change jobs, find a place you'll enjoy more!"

Hearing Guardiola's words, Lin Quan knew he was overthinking.

Guardiola had just switched from Bayern to Manchester City, and leaving so soon would significantly impact his reputation.

Moreover, constantly changing teams would not be beneficial for Guardiola to continue refining his coaching experience and finding better tactical approaches.

In the long run, his coaching abilities might deteriorate, and the world would lose a great coach.

"There's no need for that; although the environment here is harsh, I've gotten used to it over time. As for the food, I know a few good Chinese and Mexican restaurants. Going there occasionally to improve the diet isn't too bad!"

Sera spoke up, smiling, "If you can't get used to the food outside, you can bring meals from home. The food I cook should suit your tastes, right?"

Everyone chimed in with suggestions to solve their problems.

Turns out, with collective wisdom, they really did come up with solutions.

Guardiola watched all this and felt deeply moved.

Having such a supportive family behind him made him feel incredibly blessed.

...

In the 33rd round of the Premier League, Manchester City, playing first, easily defeated West Ham United 2-0 at home, temporarily overtaking Chelsea at the top of the standings.

After the match, the Manchester City players didn't leave the locker room but instead focused on another match's score.

There was a spotlight match in this Premier League round—Chelsea hosting Manchester United.

Undoubtedly, it was a clash of titans!

Ever since Mourinho took over Chelsea a decade ago, the intensity and attention of the Red vs. Blue battle have grown.

Before Manchester City's rise, the clashes between these two teams were subtly becoming more significant than the Manchester derbies.

This game was crucial for both sides; Chelsea needed to maintain their lead over Manchester City to secure this season's Premier League title.

Manchester United, on the other hand, aimed to solidify their fourth place in the league to avoid being overtaken by Tottenham and Liverpool, risking missing out on next year's Champions League.

Manchester United's big signings at the start of the season targeted the championship, but now, their goal had shifted to securing a Champions League spot.

Manchester United was absent from the Champions League this year, and missing next year's would be dire.

Without the Champions League's revenue and shares, their income would likely suffer a significant deficit.

Moreover, lacking a Champions League stage could cause last year's high-priced signings to lose confidence in Manchester United and seek transfers.

These players, without playing a single Champions League match in a year, would see their market value plummet. If Manchester United let them transfer now, it would be a huge loss.

So, for both maintaining the club's operations and keeping the roster attractive to high-caliber players, they cannot miss next year's Champions League!

Thus, the match was fiercely contested.

Unfortunately, Chelsea, playing at home, proved to be more skilled and ultimately won with a goal from Hazard, defending their top spot.

"Manchester United is so useless, 70% possession and fewer shots than Chelsea!"

After watching the match between Manchester United and Chelsea, many Manchester City players showed disappointed faces.

They had hoped Manchester United would stall Chelsea, but instead, they failed and even handed their opponents three points.

With only five rounds left in the league, if Manchester City couldn't catch up to Chelsea, they would have to watch as their rivals claimed the championship.

"Don't rely on the mistakes of others; we just need to do our best in the remaining matches. As for the championship, if we don't win it this year, there's always next year!"

Guardiola calmed the players' emotions and encouraged them.

The closer it gets to the end, the more crucial it is not to rush.

Manchester City was already behind, and if they made mistakes due to anxiety at this stage, they would truly be out of options.

As for Chelsea, if they managed to continue their winning streak, Guardiola would have to accept it gracefully.

But if they dared to make mistakes, it would be Manchester City's opportunity.

...

On the night Manchester City and Chelsea won their matches, Arsenal, after 120 minutes of struggle, finally overcame their opponents and entered the FA Cup final again.

In the other FA Cup match the next day, Aston Villa defeated Liverpool 2:1 to meet Arsenal in the final.

For Wenger and his team, this was their best chance to win a championship in nearly a decade.

If they could seize this opportunity, they would lift their first trophy in ten years—the prestigious FA Cup.

As the 2014-2015 season draws to a close, the major European leagues are approaching their final stages.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich remains the dominant force. After the 29th round, Bayern is ahead of the second-place team by 12 points. If they win the next match, they can clinch the title four rounds early.

In Serie A, Juventus, despite losing to Manchester City in the Champions League, has an even more substantial lead. After 31 rounds, Juventus has 73 points, 15 more than second-place Lazio. With such a significant lead, Juventus has effectively secured the Serie A title for the fourth consecutive time, marking only the beginning of their dominance.

Unlike Serie A and the Bundesliga, the title races in La Liga, the Premier League, and Ligue 1 are still very competitive.

In the Premier League, Manchester City and Chelsea are neck and neck, and the title race might not be decided until the final round of the season.

In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is distracted by the Champions League, which has weakened their dominance in the league. They have drawn 11 times in 33 matches and lost 3 times, leaving them with 68 points, the lowest among the leaders of the top five leagues. They are only 3 points ahead of second-place Lyon, which is not a secure lead. A single loss could see them overtaken.

In La Liga, Atlético Madrid has struggled after losing key players across several positions. The title race is once again between Barcelona and Real Madrid. After 32 rounds, Barcelona leads by 2 points over Real Madrid. This small margin means that one draw could see Barcelona overtaken by Real Madrid. Whether Barcelona's MSN trio or Real Madrid's BBC trio will come out on top will depend on the performances in the last six rounds.

Apart from the Bundesliga and Serie A, teams in La Liga, the Premier League, and Ligue 1 not only face the title race but also the intense Champions League matches. For these teams, balancing the high demands of competing on both fronts will determine their success. Whichever team can maintain their form and has a deeper bench will likely prevail.

On April 23, the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals kicked off. Juventus visited the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Having lost 2-0 at home in the first leg, Juventus had no choice but to launch an all-out attack to try and level the score or even overturn the deficit.

From the start, Juventus attacked Manchester City fiercely. They needed at least two goals to level the aggregate score and three goals to advance to the semi-finals. This was a huge challenge, especially against the defending Champions League champions. However, Juventus believed they could create a miracle. About 3,000 Juventus fans traveled to the Etihad Stadium, holding banners and shouting slogans to support their team.

Guardiola anticipated Juventus's strategy and started Kanté, relying on his formidable midfield interception skills to limit Juventus's attacks. This strategy proved effective, with Kanté and Fernandinho forming an impenetrable barrier in midfield, thwarting Juventus's central attacks and nearly conceding more goals on counter-attacks.

Failing through the center, Juventus shifted to attacking from the flanks. However, Manchester City was prepared, and Juventus's flank attacks were ineffective, often leaving their defense exposed and vulnerable to counter-attacks. By halftime, despite their aggressive attacks, Juventus had failed to score, while Manchester City capitalized on counter-attacks to score twice more, making it 4-0 on aggregate.

When Lin Quan scored Manchester City's second goal, the traveling Juventus fans fell silent. Their vocal support had turned hoarse, but the team's performance only worsened, conceding goals instead of making a comeback. With 45 minutes left and a four-goal deficit, hope was gone. No one believed they could level the score in the remaining time.

In the second half, Manchester City scored another counter-attack goal, leading Juventus players to give up. Seeing the opposition surrender, Guardiola called off the attack, and both teams began making numerous substitutions, bringing on young players to experience the big game atmosphere. Among the substitutes, Manchester City's Iheanacho had a one-on-one chance but was thwarted by Buffon's heroic save, denying him a dream goal.

In the final moments, Morata capitalized on a Manchester City error to score a consolation goal for Juventus. The match ended with Manchester City winning 3-1 at home and 5-1 on aggregate, advancing proudly to the semi-finals.

In other matches, Real Madrid narrowly defeated Atlético Madrid 1-0 at home to advance 1-0 on aggregate. Barcelona won 2-0 at home against Paris Saint-Germain, advancing 5-1 on aggregate.

As for Bayern Munich, after a shocking 1-3 loss in the first leg, they staged a spectacular comeback at home. When the referee blew the final whistle, the Allianz Arena scoreboard read 8-1. Bayern had mercilessly demolished Porto, showcasing their terrifying offensive power by scoring five goals in the first half alone. Thiago, Boateng, Müller, and Lewandowski all scored, with Lewandowski even netting a brace. Bayern didn't let up in the second half, with Lewandowski adding two more to complete his four-goal haul, and Xabi Alonso scoring the eighth goal in the 88th minute. Porto managed only one consolation goal in the 77th minute.

After this dominant performance, no one doubted Bayern's strength anymore!