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Chapter 509: Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, Champions League Final Begins, Zidane's Panic!
🕑 Added 2024-12-25 21:07:52 +0000 UTCChapter 509: Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, Champions League Final Begins, Zidane's Panic!
Even though the match hadn't started yet, the fans at the stadium couldn't contain their excitement when they saw the players from both teams warming up. The atmosphere was electric as they began chanting the names of their favorite players loudly.
On Manchester City's side, over 20,000 fans had traveled to support their team. All of them wore the iconic sky-blue jerseys, creating an impressive visual. Real Madrid's fans were also out in force, even outnumbering the City fans slightly, matching their energy. The atmosphere was as intense as if each team was playing at their home ground.
Real Madrid fans quickly started singing their team's anthem in unison. Meanwhile, City's fans took turns chanting the names of their players, interrupting the Real Madrid supporters whenever their singing reached a climax, much to their frustration.
However, Real Madrid's fans were not easily outdone. They soon learned to retaliate, singing their own songs whenever the Manchester City fans began chanting, trying to annoy them in return.
It was clear that everyone knew the big focus of this match was the duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lin Quan. When Real Madrid fans chanted the names of their players, Ronaldo's name was repeated three times in a row! The noise was so overwhelming that the players warming up on the pitch couldn't pretend they didn't hear it.
When Ronaldo heard the fans calling his name, he paused his training and waved toward the stands where the Real Madrid fans were seated. He thrived on being the center of attention, and the fans' admiration gave him extra motivation and confidence to defeat Lin Quan.
On the other side of the field, Lin Quan was a bit surprised. Ronaldo had been with Real Madrid for six years, but he hadn't won that many trophies for the club, with the only major one being a La Liga title. Even so, the fans clearly adored and respected him, as if he were a legend.
Thinking about it, Lin Quan realized it made sense. Ronaldo had given the best years of his career to Real Madrid, and that alone earned him the love and respect of the fans. Besides, Ronaldo was the perfect player for Real Madrid's demanding fanbase—he had the talent, skills, and charisma that the fans craved. At that time, the Real Madrid fans were particularly concerned with how their players looked and carried themselves.
...
The warm-up session lasted about 30 minutes, after which the players began heading back to their dressing rooms. Neither team's coach focused much on tactics anymore. Instead, they concentrated on motivating their players, helping them manage the pressure before such a significant match.
Compared to Real Madrid, Manchester City's players felt less pressure. Having reached the Champions League final several times before, and winning the last two, they had a great deal of confidence. Their previous success allowed them to approach this final with a calm mindset.
For Real Madrid, however, it was their first time reaching the final in 14 years. Apart from Ronaldo and a few other veterans, most of the players had no experience in a Champions League final, making them more nervous.
It wasn't just the players who were feeling anxious; Zidane himself was on edge. Reaching the final had been an incredibly tough journey, and he didn't want to miss this golden opportunity. If they lost today, he might never get another chance like this in his entire career. He would likely live in regret for decades.
"Hey, guys, listen up!" Zidane clapped his hands, interrupting the murmurs in the dressing room.
"I don't think I need to remind you how important this match is!"
The players' expressions grew more serious upon hearing this.
"Yes, our opponents are strong. They're the defending champions, but so what?"
"We are Real Madrid— the only club in Champions League history to win five consecutive titles! We have won nine Champions League trophies!" Zidane wanted to remind his players of the club's rich history. Real Madrid wasn't a nouveau-riche club like City, but one of Europe's most storied clubs.
Zidane's message was clear: they shouldn't approach the match as the challengers. Instead, they were the ones defending their legacy, and every other team in Europe, including Manchester City, was simply challenging them.
With just one more victory, they would become the first club to win 10 Champions League titles—an achievement that no other team was even close to matching.
Zidane's words had a powerful effect. As the players thought about the proud history and legacy of their club, they couldn't help but stand a little taller, filled with pride.
Seeing the positive effect of his speech, Zidane continued:
"So forget about the opponent. Focus on us. Play without any psychological burden and perform the way we've trained."
"Can you do that?"
"Yes!" the players shouted.
"Great! Keep this feeling, and in 90 minutes, I want to lift the trophy with you—our 10th Champions League trophy!"
...
While Zidane was rallying his team, Guardiola was advising his players to stay calm:
"Real Madrid's defense isn't as strong as Atlético's, but don't expect to break them down too easily."
"At the start, stabilize the tempo. Figure out their tactics, then look for chances to attack. Be careful with the wings; don't leave too much space behind, because Real Madrid is excellent at counterattacking down the flanks!"
The City players nodded, eager to get started.
"Real Madrid, huh? Let's see what you're made of," some of them thought to themselves.
...
Both teams were ready. The players gathered in the tunnel, waiting to walk out onto the pitch. Even though many of the players knew each other, no one exchanged greetings. They didn't even glance at each other.
However, Ronaldo shot a look at Lin Quan, his eyes brimming with determination. Sensing Ronaldo's gaze, Lin Quan looked back at him. Their eyes locked for a moment, and both could see the seriousness and determination in the other's eyes.
They were ready to give everything in this match.
The head referee glanced at his watch before leading the players out onto the field, holding the match ball in his hand.
Click! Click!
A swarm of photographers gathered at the entrance to the tunnel, snapping photos of both teams as they emerged. The fans, sensing the match was about to begin, erupted in cheers. Many had been in their seats for hours, their energy drained from chanting and competing with the opposing fans. But as soon as the players stepped onto the pitch, it was as if they had been recharged, their voices rising once again to fever pitch.
"Wow, the fans here are really fired up!" one of the commentators said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, according to the official numbers, more than 80,000 people are in the stadium today!"
"An 80,000-strong crowd—this is definitely a rare and spectacular event!" added another commentator.
"Of course! For fans of these two teams, missing a match like this is unthinkable. If there were 20,000 more tickets, I'm sure they would have sold out in a heartbeat!"
In Europe, football is more than just a sport. For many, it's a way of life. No matter how expensive the final's tickets were or how far they had to travel, fans would never miss the opportunity to see their teams play.
As the referee blew the whistle, the match officially began.
"The match is underway! Let's quickly remind our viewers who's playing. In blue, attacking from left to right, we have Manchester City. In white, attacking from right to left, it's Real Madrid."
During the coin toss, Manchester City had won possession, while Real Madrid chose their side of the field. Lin Quan passed the ball to Sergio Agüero, who then quickly sent it back to N'Golo Kanté.
Real Madrid's Benzema and Ronaldo immediately pressed forward, trying to pressure Kanté. Unfazed, Kanté passed the ball back to Toni Kroos, who was positioned deeper. Kroos took a few steps forward, but seeing no good passing options, returned the ball to Virgil van Dijk.
By now, Benzema was sprinting toward van Dijk, seemingly aiming to steal the ball from his feet. The crowd gasped, and City fans grew nervous.
Real Madrid was starting aggressively, taking the initiative. Weren't they afraid of Manchester City's counterattack?
While City fans felt uneasy, Real Madrid's fans were thrilled to see their team play with such confidence. They had feared that their team might approach the match timidly, cowed by City's reputation. But so far, they had shown no signs of backing down.
Although van Dijk was young, his experience was undeniable. Instead of passing to Vincent Kompany, who was closer, he calmly sent the ball back to the goalkeeper.
Seeing van Dijk's decision, Ronaldo, who had been sprinting toward Kompany, sighed in frustration and slowed down. Benzema, meanwhile, continued charging toward the goal. Although the chances of getting the ball were slim, he knew that sometimes pressuring the goalkeeper could lead to a mistake.
Unfortunately for Benzema, City's goalkeeper, Navas, didn't make any mistakes. After receiving the ball, Navas passed it back to van Dijk, who had already moved to a safer position.
Although Real Madrid had started aggressively, they simply didn't have enough players in City's half to block all the passing lanes. After receiving the ball from Navas, van Dijk moved a few steps to the side before passing to Kroos again.
Kroos took the ball and spotted De Bruyne dropping back to help. He passed it to him, and De Bruyne, sensing a defender behind him, didn't risk holding the ball for too long. He slowed down and passed it back to Kroos.
Manchester City was playing very patiently, not rushing to attack. Instead, they kept passing the ball around in their own half, pulling Real Madrid's formation apart and testing their defensive strength.
During this time, City maintained full control of the ball, not allowing Real Madrid to touch it even once.
As the ball continuously moved between City's players, Real Madrid's fans started to express their frustration with loud boos. Three minutes had passed, and the ball had stayed in City's possession the entire time. Despite their efforts, Madrid's players couldn't get close to the ball.
The attacking trio of Ronaldo, Benzema, and Bale had been running around like headless chickens, trying to press City but failing at every turn.
Real Madrid's fans were furious. To them, it felt like City was just wasting time with meaningless passes, preparing for a penalty shootout from the very start.
Meanwhile, Manchester City's fans couldn't help but laugh.
"Haha! Keep playing like this! Show them the power of our possession football!"
"Weren't they supposed to be the famous 'Galacticos'? Why can't they even touch the ball?"
"Honestly, I think Real Madrid is all hype. I mean, it's been 14 years since they last made it to a Champions League final. If they were really that great, how come they've been so irrelevant for so long?"
"Exactly! Even Atlético Madrid is better than them. At least Atlético made it to a final and didn't get played like this!"
On the sidelines, Guardiola sat calmly, clearly pleased with his team's performance so far.
On the other side, Zidane was visibly more tense. Watching City's tactics unfold, he frowned. Was Guardiola baiting them into pressing too hard?
As the creator of possession-based football, Zidane knew this was one of Guardiola's specialties. He had expected City to dominate possession. After all, they were coached by the same man who had built Barcelona's famous passing machine.
Zidane had also prepared strategies for dealing with a possession-based team. After all, Real Madrid had faced Guardiola's Barcelona many times before. But something about City's style felt different from Barça's.
Barcelona's possession game involved pushing high up the field, creating immense pressure in the opponent's half. Any mistake in the opposing defense could quickly lead to a goal.
However, City wasn't pressing up the field as much. Instead, they were staying back and forcing Real Madrid to come to them.
Wait a second…
We're pushing up too far!
Suddenly, it hit Zidane like a ton of bricks, and his eyes widened in panic.
(End of Chapter)
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