Chapter 495: The Superstar Potential of Griezmann

Chapter 495: The Superstar Potential of Griezmann

"Let's take a look at that goal. Kroos's long pass is aimed at Lin Quan!" "Lin Quan beats the offside trap, and it's a one-on-one with the goalkeeper!" "The goalkeeper comes out, but he's too late. Lin Quan chips the ball... it's in!" "In the 15th minute of the match, Manchester City takes the lead. Number 10, Lin Quan, scores against Atlético Madrid, making it 1-0!" "There was a serious mistake in Atlético's defense. They didn't restrict Lin Quan enough, allowing him to break free and find space." "This was a critical error. However, Manchester City's coordination was excellent, especially Kroos. His long pass was of the highest quality, perfectly finding Lin Quan and giving him a great scoring opportunity!"

In the CCTV studio, commentators Duan Xuan and Xu Yang were thrilled by Lin Quan's goal. "Your King Lin, as unstoppable as ever!" "King Lin remains as consistent and efficient as always!" "That chip shot was beautiful. Did you see the look of despair on the goalkeeper's face? Hilarious!" "No wonder he's worth 250 million. Lin Quan's timing and positioning were perfect. Atlético tried to play the offside trap, but it backfired!" "Although Lin Quan performed excellently, I must say the main credit goes to Kroos for this goal!" "Absolutely, Kroos's pass was not only accurate but perfectly timed!" "Just for this pass alone, Kroos's value should increase by another 5 million!" "Real Madrid must be drooling with envy!" "Haha, Real Madrid always talks about buying Kroos every year. If they're really serious, they should just pay up. They spent 85 million euros on James Rodríguez, why not spend on Kroos?" "Exactly, Kroos is easily worth at least 70 million now. If Real Madrid offers 80 million or even 100 million, I don't believe Manchester City wouldn't consider it!"

Given that Manchester United bought Pogba from Juventus for 105 million euros, fans believed Kroos was worth 80 million. However, even if Real Madrid offered that amount, unless the player himself strongly desired the transfer, Manchester City probably wouldn't sell. Manchester City wasn't short on cash, and selling Kroos would create the headache of finding a replacement.

Beyond discussing individual performances, fans also speculated on the match's progression. "Against a team like Atlético, scoring first simplifies things. If the score stays tied for too long, it gets harder as the match progresses." "Not necessarily. This is a two-legged tie. If Atlético only loses by one, they can accept that." "I disagree. Given their own offensive struggles, they might not be able to score against Manchester City at home. They need to score today, or they'll be in trouble in the return leg." "But if Atlético pushes forward, their defense might open up more, giving Manchester City more chances to score."

Manchester City was one of the most lethal attacking teams in the Premier League and Europe. Any defensive lapses against them were likely to be punished.

Simeone understood this, opting for localized pressing and quick counterattacks to avoid exposing his defense too much. In Atlético's forward line, Torres served as the focal point, able to hold up play and create opportunities for teammates. Griezmann, with his excellent support play and movement, was the main attacking force, operating over a large area of the pitch.

Simeone had two strategies: If the counterattack started centrally, Torres would shield the ball for Griezmann to move forward and shoot. If the counter started from the flanks, Torres would attack the box to either shoot or set up teammates.

Torres played with great determination, risking injury in 50-50 challenges, which earned Atlético some chances. In the 23rd minute of the first half, Atlético intercepted the ball in midfield, and Griezmann quickly passed to Torres. Torres, marked by Van Dijk, couldn't turn but used his experience to protect the ball and draw multiple defenders, creating space for teammates. Just before being fully surrounded, Torres managed to pass to Griezmann.

"Griezmann!" the commentators exclaimed as Torres's pass reached the advancing Griezmann. Despite Manchester City's defensive coverage, Griezmann's feint fooled the defenders, allowing him to break into the box and take a powerful shot. The ball flew at high speed, and Navas barely saw its trajectory, instinctively raising his arm but missing the ball.

Atlético fans, ready to celebrate, were stopped short by a loud clang as the ball struck the post and bounced out. The goalpost had saved Manchester City!

Relieved City fans clutched their chests, breathing heavily. Close call! Griezmann proved his worth, showing why he was Atlético's star. Although not on Lin Quan's level, he was a formidable player.

In that moment, Griezmann earned the respect of Manchester City fans, but he was filled with regret. Such a golden opportunity, wasted! If only his finishing were better, if it were that man, it would have been a goal.

Watching from afar, Lin Quan felt a bit sorry for Griezmann. The shot was meant to avoid the keeper and hit the corner, but the angle was too tight, and the post rejected it. There was no need for such precision as Navas couldn't have blocked it. Nonetheless, Griezmann's game intelligence, positioning, and spatial awareness were impressive.

This guy has a bright future, Lin Quan thought, as long as he doesn't waste his talents at Barcelona...

On the sidelines, Guardiola broke into a cold sweat. Atlético's number 7 was indeed impressive.

When you first look at Griezmann, he seems quite ordinary. He's not very fast, not very tall, not physically strong, and his technical skills aren't particularly outstanding. Overall, he looks quite average.

But when Guardiola saw his movement, ball control, and decision-making on the field, his impression of Griezmann changed immediately. This guy has a high football IQ, excellent vision, and handles the ball with the skill of a seasoned veteran, not a young player.

Realizing this, Guardiola quickly made some defensive adjustments. He instructed Kanté to focus on marking Griezmann, restricting his space. This strategy quickly paid off. Griezmann's lack of physicality and slower speed made it difficult for him to shake off Kanté's relentless marking. More importantly, with Kanté close by, Griezmann never had enough safe space around him, causing his teammates to hesitate in passing to him.

Even though using Kanté to neutralize Griezmann slightly weakened Manchester City's midfield defense, it gave Atlético's other players, like Koke, more opportunities. Without Kanté's interceptions, Koke became more active, making several forward runs.

Despite this, Guardiola didn't change his tactics. Using Kanté to neutralize Griezmann was a good trade-off, especially since they were playing with three defensive midfielders. If necessary, Kroos could drop deeper to take on more defensive responsibilities.

This shift in Manchester City's strategy made Kroos much more visible on the field. Previously, he was seldom seen on camera, but now he frequently appeared in the frame.

"Tony Kroos is so busy! He's involved in both attack and defense!" "No choice. Atlético's counter-attacks are fierce, and with Kanté marking Griezmann, Kroos and Fernandinho have to take on more responsibilities." "I've heard that if you don't see Kroos on camera during a Manchester City game, it means they are playing smoothly and are likely to win big." "If you see Kroos occasionally, it means City has the upper hand and a good chance of winning." "But if you see Kroos a lot, it means City is struggling and might lose." "Based on that logic, City is in trouble now!" "Yeah, without Kroos organizing, City's counter-attacks are less effective." "I didn't expect Atlético to have such strong offensive capabilities. I thought they were only good at defense."

Atlético's intense counter-attacks had City fans on edge. They knew City couldn't keep absorbing pressure; they needed to counter-attack soon. Who knew if Atlético might suddenly score?

While the fans were anxious, the coaches had a different perspective. Guardiola sat relaxed in the dugout, enjoying a cup of tea.

His assistant coach reassured the nervous substitutes, "Don't worry. Their attacks are not very threatening. It looks like we're under pressure, but our defense is solid. They haven't had any clear chances, mostly taking long shots from outside the box, which aren't very dangerous."

The substitutes looked closely and realized it was true. Atlético's attacks rarely penetrated the box and were often blocked or deflected.

Simeone, observing all this, grew frustrated. Guardiola was too cunning! Deploying three defensive midfielders at home against Atlético, and using Kanté to neutralize Griezmann!

Manchester City could afford to lose Kanté, but Atlético couldn't afford to lose Griezmann. Without him, their offensive power was halved. Though they appeared aggressive and took many shots, none were truly threatening.

Simeone was aware that Atlético couldn't maintain their intense pressing and tackling indefinitely. Once their energy waned, they would have to retreat, making it hard to launch similar attacks before halftime.

Worse, Simeone had planned localized counter-attacks to avoid committing too many players forward. But with Griezmann marked out of the game, more players had to push forward, leaving their defense vulnerable.

With their backline pushed up, a successful Manchester City counter-attack could lead to a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Aguero, once an Atlético player, was well-known for his finishing skills.

And, even more worrying, City also had an even more formidable threat in Lin Quan.

Just as Simeone thought about these risks, City launched their counter-attack.

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