Guardiola's Prediction
At the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich fans couldn't help but talk as they watched Manchester City play against the Italian giants.
"Didn't the media say Manchester City is just a team of mercenaries? Why do they look so strong?"
"Could it be that AC Milan is too weak?"
"AC Milan is still a top team in Serie A. Even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. How weak can they be?"
"True, AC Milan hasn't won the league in recent seasons, but they still perform well in Europe. If they hadn't been unlucky and faced Barcelona, they might have gone further."
Despite Bayern's dominance over Barcelona last season, Bayern fans still respected Barcelona's strength in recent Champions League seasons. AC Milan had been repeatedly eliminated by Barcelona, which was indeed unfortunate.
"So, does this mean we underestimated Manchester City's strength?"
If AC Milan wasn't too weak, then the only explanation was that Manchester City was very strong.
"It's possible. They were the runners-up in the Premier League last season, and with Lin joining them this season, their strength has further increased. They can't be underestimated!"
"If Manchester City wins this match, won't we face them in the final?"
Bayern fans began to worry, even though their match against São Paulo hadn't started yet. They were confident their team would win against the Brazilian side.
Once Bayern eliminated São Paulo, they would face the winner of this match in the Audi Cup final. With Manchester City holding a three-goal lead, it looked like they had a better chance of advancing to the final. So, it was likely that Bayern would face Manchester City in the final.
"Hey, I thought we wouldn't have to worry about how to defend against Lin after he transferred to the Premier League. But now, it looks like we'll face him in our second match of the new season!"
The Bayern fans on site remembered the fear Lin instilled in them last season, and they couldn't help but worry.
Last season, Lin led a much weaker Werder Bremen team to two victories over Bayern, snatching the Telekom Cup and the DFB-Pokal from them. If not for Werder Bremen taking the DFB-Pokal, Bayern would have been crowned treble winners last season. This left many Bayern fans with a huge regret.
Now, Lin was back, bringing with him a stronger team. Bayern fans couldn't help but worry that their team might fall to him again.
Guardiola was unaware of the 'fear of Lin' in the hearts of Bayern fans, but as Bayern's head coach, he was definitely there to watch this match. After all, studying the opponent's strength and form before a match is a basic duty of a head coach.
Moreover, there was another important reason: this was his first time facing Lin as an opponent, and Guardiola took it very seriously.
While watching the first thirty minutes of the match, Guardiola's face first showed a satisfied expression. Then his brow furrowed, and he looked worried.
Several assistant coaches looked at each other, not understanding what was going on with Guardiola.
"Pep, is there something to worry about?"
Torent, an assistant coach who had been with Guardiola for over ten years, asked.
Ten Hag and Grande perked up their ears, eager to hear what this world-renowned coach would say. They had chosen to join and stay with Bayern to learn from this world-renowned coach.
"Manchester City's attacking power in the front field has been fully activated because of Lin's arrival!"
Guardiola didn't hesitate to praise Lin.
"This kid plays much smarter than I imagined. Besides exerting a bit of effort for the first goal, he hasn't put in much effort for the rest."
Seeing the few assistant coaches with wide eyes, looking puzzled, Guardiola further explained:
"Pay attention to his passing and positioning. It looks like he's just looking for a comfortable position to play, but actually, he's constantly running to assess the strength of Manchester City's front players, directing and distributing the attack through his passes."
Seeing the thoughtful expressions of the Bayern assistant coaches, Guardiola smiled and said:
"If you don't believe me, keep watching. He has passed the ball to almost all the front players, but he hasn't yet coordinated with Manchester City's forward, Aguero. If he's not targeting Aguero, then he'll pass to him next."
Hearing Guardiola's words, the assistants stared at Lin's every move intently.
On the field, after completing another combination with David Silva, Lin dribbled into the box. AC Milan's defenders Abate and Zapata were attracted to him, creating a fleeting gap in the middle. Aguero, with his keen striker's sense, noticed the gap and prepared to receive the ball. But as he completed his run, he suddenly realized that it was Lin with the ball. Lin not only had the freedom to shoot but also hadn't passed to him once before.
Thinking this, Aguero felt a bit disheartened. What's the use of good positioning if no one passes to you?
But just as Aguero felt dejected, the ball slid past the defenders, landing precisely at his feet. Surprised, Aguero instinctively controlled the ball and shot, sending it past the outstretched leg of AC Milan's goalkeeper into the net. It was Aguero's first goal of the match, assisted by Lin – Lin's third assist of the game.
He actually passed to me!
After the shot and confirming the ball went into the net, Aguero still felt disbelief. Lin could have taken the shot himself, but he selflessly passed the opportunity to Aguero. Maybe he had misunderstood Lin?
Feeling a bit embarrassed about his earlier grievances towards Lin, Aguero gave him a thumbs-up for the excellent pass. Lin nodded back, acknowledging Aguero's talent. Despite momentarily losing focus, Aguero's instinctive reaction still sent the ball into the net. This natural instinct isn't something ordinary players possess.
However, Lin wanted to see if this goal was due to Aguero's skill or just luck. Five minutes later, after receiving a pass from Yaya Touré, Lin observed AC Milan's positioning and passed to Aguero. Aguero, holding off a defender, returned the ball to the advancing Lin, who then passed it to Nasri. Nasri took the ball to the byline and then made a cut-back pass to Lin, who passed it to Aguero in the box.
Manchester City executed a fluid combination, tearing apart AC Milan's defense with successive passes. Lin's pass had just the right lead, allowing Aguero to use his speed to reach the ball for a clear shot. This play tested Aguero's shooting, speed, and explosiveness.
Aguero didn't disappoint Lin, outpacing the defender and reaching the ball just before the goalkeeper, who had closed in. Despite the narrow angle and limited time, Aguero calmly chose to shoot between the goalkeeper's legs, scoring Manchester City's fifth goal of the match.
Within five minutes, Aguero had scored twice, both assisted by Lin. Any resentment Aguero had vanished. Delighted, he ran to Lin, placing Lin's foot on his knee in a gesture of gratitude. Without Lin's two assists, Aguero would still be in a goal drought.
"Nice shot!"
"Great pass!"
They smiled at each other, embracing with their teammates in celebration. After these two tests, Lin confirmed Aguero's potential as a top striker. His shooting was excellent, and he was calm and accurate under pressure. With steady support, Aguero could capitalize on every opportunity.
Seeing Lin assist Aguero twice in such a short time, Bayern's assistant coaches were stunned by Guardiola's prediction. It was like he could foresee the match's progression with uncanny accuracy.
"Is this like a father knowing his son best?" Torent jokingly said to Guardiola.
Guardiola nodded.
"Something like that. I wouldn't have made such a prediction about anyone else."
The assistants understood immediately. The more they realized this, the more incredible they found the relationship between Guardiola and Lin.
Grande, who had faced Lin multiple times under Heynckes, was particularly amazed, noting Lin's progress since their last encounter. Manchester City had scored five goals before the first half ended, almost destroying AC Milan.
"If we face Manchester City in the final..."
Ten Hag, concerned about the final match, couldn't help but worry.
Not just Ten Hag, but all Bayern's assistant coaches showed signs of concern. Could Bayern still win the championship against such a strong opponent?
Compared to them, Guardiola seemed confident:
"Manchester City's front-line attack has been activated, but their defense is still vulnerable. They have holes!"
Yaya Touré's frequent attempts to push forward disrupted their defense, leaving gaps that could be exploited. So far, AC Milan hadn't had a chance to counterattack because of Manchester City's relentless attack. But if they recovered in the second half, they might launch a powerful counterattack.
On AC Milan's bench, head coach Allegri watched the match calmly, showing no sign of worry even as his team trailed 0-5. For AC Milan, this Audi Cup was just a warm-up and a chance to test their tactics. Winning wasn't their priority.
Seeing his team's defensive and offensive issues, Allegri called over El Shaarawy, instructed him on Manchester City's defense, and substituted him in. El Shaarawy nodded and communicated the strategy to his teammates. Allegri's adjustment quickly showed results. In the 37th minute, capitalizing on Yaya Touré's forward movement and the gaps left in Manchester City's defense, AC Milan launched a quick counterattack. El Shaarawy, with his incredible speed, outran all pursuers and calmly shot into the far corner, scoring.
5-1! AC Milan pulled one back.
Just two minutes later, El Shaarawy scored again, exploiting another counterattack. Within four minutes of entering the field, he had scored twice. Allegri's substitution paid off immediately.
Seeing the match unfold as Guardiola predicted, Bayern's assistant coaches looked at their head coach in awe
. His ability to read the game was astonishing.
No wonder he was regarded as one of the world's best coaches. Learning from him over the next few years excited Bayern's assistants.
While Bayern's assistants were happy, Lin wasn't. Allowing two quick goals confirmed his concerns about their defense.