Chapter 254: Entering the Champions League semi-finals
Atletico Madrid has an advantage in the league competition, but a one-point advantage is not enough to ensure that he can win the championship. The competition with Real Madrid will have to be directly played against the two teams to decide the outcome. Now there is one round left before that game.
Before the next round of the league starts, Atletico Madrid will first face the challenge of Marseille France in the second round of the Champions League quarterfinals.
In the first leg, Atletico Madrid defeated Marseille 1-0 away.
In the second round, in order to ensure that he can enter the semi-finals, Wansheng sent most of the main players, J-Rodriguez played continuously, his condition could not be guaranteed, and he was more mature. The stable Morris directly topped the top, making Atletico Madrid's lineup look more stable.
Wansheng attaches great importance to the Champions League.
The Champions League is the highest-level club event in Europe. This season, Atletico Madrid competes with Real Madrid in the league, the Copa del Rey and Barcelona compete. Both domestic events have hope of winning the championship, and the Champions League is also very promising to enter the minds, thus starting the competition for the championship.
If Atletico Madrid can compete for the championship in three events, there is hope of winning the "triple crown".
The ‘Triple Crown’ is a great honor!
In Spanish football, only Guardiola's Barcelona has won it. As long as you can win the "triple crown", Atletico Madrid's fame and influence will greatly increase, which is very beneficial to the club's development.
At that time, Atletico Madrid will not be just a "rising dark horse", but will be included in the ranks of real giants.
Wansheng is also looking forward to the "Triple Crown King".
A few years ago, Wan Sheng coached Manchester City and won the "Five Champions League" - the Community Shield Cup, the English League Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League and the European Champions League. Five championships pushed his name to the highest point.
After returning to the European League and coaching Atletico Madrid, he also hopes to embellish his reputation with the title of champion.
Still many people believe that Mourinho's coaching ability is completely stronger than that. The reason is that Mourinho has won two European Champions League titles, and there is only one win.
This is the only "sense of superiority" that Mourinho can talk about when facing Wan Sheng.
Wansheng doesn't want other head coaches to have any "superiority" in front of him, so he also hopes that he can win the second Champions League trophy.
Wan Sheng attaches great importance to the Champions League, and the whole team attaches great importance to the Champions League, so the match between Atletico Madrid and Marseille can be imagined.
In the first round, Marseille adopted a full defense tactic, making it difficult for Atletico Madrid to break through their defense line. It will be different in the second round. Marseille must score a goal to defeat Atletico Madrid.
The difference between one goal is actually not big. As long as Marseille can score one goal, it can tie the score. However, Atletico Madrid will not let them score easily. More importantly, after Marseille strengthens its offense, there are loopholes in their defense.
Atletico Madrid scored the first goal.
In the 38th minute, Isco seized the opportunity and transferred the cross from the wing to Morris. Morris passed the penalty area. Falcao squeezed the Marseille defender and pushed the ball into the ball with his head.
1 to 0.
Adding one goal from the previous round, Atletico Madrid led Marseille with two goals.
At this time, Marseille had reached a state of burning its boats. They had to continue to strengthen their offensive so that they could recover two goals.
Marseille also performed very well.
In the 61st minute of the game, forward Lauren used a free kick opportunity to help Marseille score a goal, and the score became 2-1, which gave Marseille hope for victory.
Marseille scored a goal and the situation became different.
If we only analyze it from the surface, Marseille is actually still the dominant one - they only need to score one goal to advance by the away goal advantage.
In order to ensure completeness, Atletico Madrid must score another goal.
But this is just an analysis.
It’s easy to say anything on paper. A real game is not a simple math problem. It can be said that Marseille can score a goal and it’s a big fortune. The game situation is completely in control of Atletico Madrid. It’s too difficult for Marseille to score a goal again.
Marseille continued to strengthen the offense, and their backcourt defense loopholes became bigger.
The next game gives people the feeling that Marseille may concede the ball at any time, and every time it is 'rely lucky' to not concede the ball.
Marseille coach Deschamps has realized the crisis.
But what can he do?
If you are one goal behind, you must strengthen the offense, otherwise they will have no chance.
In the 78th minute, the goal came again.
This goal belongs to Atletico Madrid and the center of the midfield Morris. Morris dribbled the ball from the middle, dribbled past the Marseille defensive player, and suddenly shot coldly, breaking the Marseille goal.
3 to 1!
Morris' goal directly made Marseille desperate!
Marseille's offense is difficult to threaten Atletico Madrid's goal. At this time, it is even more difficult to concede one more goal and recover two goals.
In the last ten minutes, Marseille launched a desperate attack.
Unfortunately, Atletico Madrid is best at leading the situation. Whether in the league, cup or Champions League, Atletico Madrid scores first goals, and then they can calmly deal with their opponents' various styles of play.
When the referee blew the whistle to the end of the game, Marseille still failed to score.
The final score of the two rounds was 3-1.
Atletico Madrid defeated Marseille and advanced to the Champions League semi-finals.
When the game ended, many Atletico Madrid fans breathed a sigh of relief. They were not as calm as Wan Sheng, especially Marseille's counterattack in the last time, which made people frightened. Fortunately, they were lucky and Marseille did not score in the end.
For Atletico Madrid players, it is absolutely unfair to say that they win by luck. Even at the end of the game, they play very calmly and do not think that their opponents have a chance to defeat them.
In the audience's view, Marseille's counterattack was very threatening, while in the eyes of Atletico Madrid players, victory was always in their hands.
Of course, victory is the most important thing.
Atletico Madrid defeated Marseille, and Marseille was directly eliminated, and it would make no sense to say anything.
Just like after the game, Wan Sheng did not talk about Marseille at the press conference, but instead directly talked about the opponent of the Champions League semi-finals. "Maybe it Real Madrid? Yes, most people think that the Greeks have no chance to compete, and I think so too. In the first leg, they went to the Bernabeu Stadium, and it was difficult for the Greeks to compete. That game was tomorrow, but I think I already know the result."
"It's very interesting to meet Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. We are all in the same city and are the mortal enemies in the city since history. But in fact, I don't have any prejudice against Real Madrid, but I admire many of them very much, such as C-Ro, Di Maria, and Casillas. They are all the world's top football players..."
"I also like playing against Mourinho's team because..."
Next, Wansheng stopped talking, then glanced at the media reporters below, and leisurely left the press conference.
Many reporters looked at each other.
But they all understood what Wansheng meant, which was a kind of ridicule and provocation of contempt, and they knew what to do next.
That is to interview Real Madrid coach Mourinho.
Chapter completed!