Chapter 25 The Sprint Journey in April(1/2)
After the game against Mainz, Wolfsburg will not play its next game until April 4.
These ten days are enough for the exhausted Wolfsburg team to find their best form.
At the post-match press conference of this game, although Zhao Jinge came to attend the press conference, he was still the focus of the media.
But the questions they raised were all focused on Karius, who had just made a major mistake.
Faced with these questions raised by the media, Zhao Jinge could only say that everyone may make mistakes, and everyone should be more tolerant of Karius.
We call on everyone not to make personal attacks on players, as this will greatly affect the players' careers.
After finishing this press conference that had little to do with them, Zhao Jinge and Dieter Heijing, who had just returned to the locker room, learned a piece of great news.
Bayern Munich lost to their old rival Monchengladbach in the game later today!
As expected of Borussia Mönchengladbach, who eats and sleeps to beat Bayern, he was able to defeat the Bundesliga giant at Bayern Munich's home court.
After the 26th round of the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg finally climbed to the top of the standings, one point ahead of Bayern Munich!
After receiving the news, the Wolfsburg players sang and danced in the locker room. Zhao Jinge and Dieter Heijing, who had just finished the press conference, also joined the happy crowd.
Because there was enough time and the good news that Bayern Munich lost, Dieter Heijing made a big move so that the players did not have to rush back to Wolfsburg overnight.
After staying in Mainz for a night and having a good rest, we will return to our home stadium the next day.
Of course, the players agreed and directly booked a local restaurant and held a celebration dinner.
Wolfsburg was in high spirits, but Bayern Munich, which had just lost at home, was not happy at all.
When Guardiola was interviewed by major media after the game, he could only regretfully say that Bayern Munich gave up the initiative to Wolfsburg.
Although Bayern Munich currently has a strong lineup, too many injuries have begun to slow them down.
After returning to Wolfsburg, Dieter Heijing gave the players a few days off.
Zhao Jinge, who had hardly had any rest since last year, finally stopped practicing and rested at home honestly.
One day at the end of March, Zhao Jinge, who was relaxing at home, received an invitation from De Bruyne.
De Bruyne invited him to his home as a guest. Zhao Jinge, who happened to have nothing to do, of course agreed to De Bruyne's invitation.
That afternoon, Zhao Jinge came to De Bruyne's mansion on the outskirts of Wolfsburg with gifts.
Received a warm reception from De Bruyne and his current girlfriend Michelle.
After a while of greetings, Michelle left the living room, leaving the space to the two of them.
Only then did Zhao Jinge realize that De Bruyne had something to discuss with him.
"Zhao, I should go to play for Manchester City in the Premier League after this season!"
De Bruyne told Zhao Jinge his plans for this summer.
Looking at De Bruyne who had already made his decision, Zhao Jinge was not surprised. After all, this was something he had known for a long time.
"Congratulations on being able to play for the best club in the Premier League right now"
Zhao Jinge sent his blessings.
"Zhao, I invited you here today not only to tell you the news, but I was also entrusted by the club to send you an invitation."
"How about we go to the Premier League and play football in Manchester City together? You will definitely shine there, and we can continue to fight side by side."
Zhao Jinge was certainly a little moved when faced with De Bruyne's invitation.
As a reborn person, Zhao Jinge certainly knows how powerful Manchester City will be in the future!
When Guardiola also joined Manchester City, except for Klopp's Liverpool, almost no team in the Premier League could rival Manchester City.
Manchester City has also won the Premier League championship for many consecutive years, and has only missed the goal many times in the Champions League!
As a championship chaser, joining Manchester City will not only easily win the Premier League championship, but with Manchester City joining, there is also a great possibility of making a breakthrough and winning the Champions League championship.
Although he was a little moved, Zhao Jinge did not give any substantive reply.
Faced with De Bruyne's invitation, Zhao Jinge finally replied that he had not yet considered whether to leave Wolfsburg.
Moreover, he has decided to listen to Mendes’ opinion on the transfer matter.
Faced with Zhao Jinge's answer, De Bruyne was not surprised.
After all, it is a major matter related to his career. It is impossible for Zhao Jinge to make a hasty decision in the face of an invitation.
Anyway, I was entrusted by the Manchester City Club to ask. It doesn't matter whether there is any substantial progress.
Then the two talked about Wolfsburg's team goals for this year.
"Zhao, I still remember last year, when we were on our way to Westphalia, you asked us what championship we could win this year."
When De Bruyne said this, a smile appeared on his face.
"I really didn't expect that we would be the leader in the standings now!"
"I have dreamed several times in the past few days that we won the league championship."
"I feel very happy. If I can really leave with the honor of the championship, it will be a huge affirmation for me and the team."
De Bruyne is too eager to win a championship of sufficient importance to prove himself.
He wants to join Manchester City with championship honors.
"Kevin, we will do it, not only the league championship, but also the German Cup and Europa League championships!"
De Bruyne was stunned by Zhao Jinge's words.
"Zhao, I didn't expect that you are more confident than me, and you actually want to win the German Cup and the Europa League!"
"I'm not as greedy as you. If I can win the league steadily, I will be very satisfied."
The two of them talked until dinner time, and then Michelle, who had prepared dinner, came over and asked them to have dinner.
After a dinner in which all guests enjoyed themselves, Zhao Jinge, who returned home, also communicated with Mendes on the phone.
April is about to enter, summer will arrive soon, and Mendes will also take action on Zhao Jinge's transfer.
Holidays are always short, and the Wolfsburg team quickly entered into daily training.
On April 4th, they will face Stuttgart, their opponent in the 27th round of the Bundesliga, at their home court.
The game against Stuttgart was also nicknamed the Bundesliga car war by fans.
Although it is not a strong showdown, it has attracted widespread attention.
Stuttgart is a member of the Bundesliga relegation team. Facing the powerful Wolfsburg, they have almost no choice but to use intensive defense in an attempt to bring themselves a glimmer of hope.
Dieter Heijing looked at the bus opposite and felt helpless in his heart. Nowadays, for teams in the middle and lower reaches of the Bundesliga, encountering Wolfsburg is like encountering Bayern Munich.
If Wolfsburg continues to fight tough battles like this every day, Wolfsburg, which has finally regained some form, may have problems again before long.
When it comes to sprinting towards the end of the season, Dieter Heijing really doesn’t want to face these tough opponents.
Looking at the opponent in front of him, Wolfsburg had no choice but to take out the three axes he used when facing intensive defense.
Cross from both sides to find Dost, the high point. First, try to see if Dost can grab the first point in the opposite penalty area.
If you can, head the ball towards the goal. If you can't, just head it over and let the midfielder take a long shot.
The breakthroughs from the wing are also determined. If you really can't break through, you can create more opportunities for set pieces.
Zhao Jinge, who had a taste of long-range shots in the last game, also took a kick from time to time while breaking through.
He gave full play to his ability to shoot left and right, shooting cold arrows again and again, constantly testing Stuttgart goalkeeper Ulreich's fingers.
Ulreich is worthy of being a frequent visitor to goalkeeper mistakes collections. After the unlucky Karius, Ulreich also gave Zhao Jinge a big gift.
In the 31st minute of the game, after Zhao Jinge broke into the penalty area and pulled horizontally, he suddenly kicked off a powerful volley, catching Ulreich by surprise.
He was a little panicked. Although he tried his best to block the flying football from the goal, the football bounced out at high speed and hit the Stuttgart defender and bounced into the goal.
Own goal!
Although it was not a long shot, the goal still made the entire Wolfsburg team rejoice.
The most difficult thing about breaking through a dense defense is to score the first goal. Once a goal is scored, the weak defender will have a headache.
"Zhao, your recent long-range shot was blessed by the goddess of luck! Last time it was Karius, this time it's Ulreich! Your recent luck is so good!"
"You guys really can't talk! Is that just luck? It's obviously my long-range shooting skills that are good!"
Zhao Jinge has now adopted long-range shots as his regular offensive method. He does not want his teammates to regard his long-range shots as luck.
Stuttgart fell behind and began to gradually strengthen their offensive in the second half.
Facing Stuttgart who no longer defended, Wolfsburg played more calmly and fought against each other. I, Wolfsburg, are not just bragging about being in the Bundesliga.
With the expansion of Stuttgart's formation, Wolfsburg gained more space for passing and cutting.
Various tactics that combine the wings and center gave them many good opportunities on the offensive end. They frequently used positional warfare to tear apart the opponent's defense.
In the 57th minute of the game, Schürrle organized an offensive in the frontcourt. Zhao Jinge and Perisic followed up from the wing, and De Bruyne ambushed behind Dost.
Wolfsburg's mercury-laden offensive in the frontcourt was once again staged in the hinterland of Stuttgart. Zhao Jinge rushed forward from the right to provide tactical support, and Dost actively responded and acted as a fulcrum to knock the ball back.
After De Bruyne followed up, he sent a perfect overhead pass. After Perisic entered the penalty area, he dropped close to the baseline and passed the ball.
To be continued...