The strength is not bad, the draw is also exciting
The first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals staged a goal battle
With 10 goals in two games, the Champions League quarter-finals in the early morning of the 10th Beijing time gave fans around the world a perfect answer. Although the four participating teams are unwilling to give up, Real Madrid 3:3 Manchester City and Arsenal 2:2 Bayern best reflect the strength between them.
The four major giants are all hard-core and difficult to deal with. Just two draws brought the suspense of promotion to the second round a week later. The Champions League must be so fascinating.
Bayern shows sophistication in front of the “Gunner”
Among these four teams, Bayern is actually the most depressed. Because although they are still second in the Bundesliga, all the limelight has been stolen by Bayer Leverkusen, and they have gained nothing. Before the start of this Champions League game, Bayern had just experienced two consecutive losses and their morale was very low. Most people are optimistic that Arsenal will completely subdue Bayern at home.
Arsenal, who were high-spirited after the start, played very proactively, and young player Saka opened the scoring in the 12th minute. In the following minutes, the “Gunners” pursued the victory and continuously created dangers in front of Bayern’s gate. Fortunately, Neuer I stabilized my position and did not let the score expand further.
Arsenal’s defense was not impeccable. They ignored their own defense while attacking frantically. The experienced Bayern seized the slightest opportunity and Gnabry equalized the score five minutes after Saka scored.
In the 31st minute of the first half, Arsenal’s defense failed again. Bayern midfielder Sane was kicked down by Saliba when he broke through with the ball, and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Kane, who is very familiar with the “Gunners”, kicked the penalty kick in one fell swoop, making Bayern the leading side. Kane personally took his championship dream into his arms.
The subsequent game began to become slightly dull. Facing the extremely experienced Bundesliga giants, the young and immature “gunners” seemed at a loss. Yes, they haven’t shown off in the European arena for a long time. The glory of Wenger’s era has long gone, and now the “gunners” need to prove everything with their own strength.
The opportunity finally came. In the 76th minute, two substitute forwards saved the “Gunners”. Jesus assisted Trossard, equalizing the score 2:2 at the critical moment and keeping the promotion flame alive until the next round.
Arsenal originally had a chance to turn defeat into a victory. At the last moment of the game, Saka and Neuer collided, and the latter seemed to trip the former with his foot. However, the referee still did not award a penalty kick after reviewing it through VAR, and the game ended. Deafening boos echoed throughout the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners are still too immature in the European arena. They have only conceded two goals in 10 games in the Premier League. However, facing Bayern, they conceded two goals in a row in fifteen minutes. The big loopholes in the defense are their Achilles’ heel. With the offensive strength guaranteed, the defenders should be energetic.
“Demon” misfires Manchester City and has a back-up plan
In another game, Manchester City tenaciously drew with Real Madrid 3:3 on the road. However, these three goals had nothing to do with Manchester City’s top scorer Haaland. “The Devil” is still in the downturn of his career. , hasn’t scored a goal for a while.
The reason why Manchester City is strong is that Guardiola worked hard and allowed the team to gather almost two sets of main lineups. In the Premier League last week, Guardiola deliberately rested De Bruyne and Haaland just for this century battle with Real Madrid. De Bruyne, the absolute main player, suffered from gastrointestinal discomfort before the game and could only watch. The pressure on Real Madrid’s midfield was actually reduced a lot.
On the defensive end of Manchester City, Walker is still out due to injury. He is the only defender in the Manchester City team who can compete with Vinicius and Rodrigo for speed. However, the east is not bright and the west is bright. After Manchester City sacrificed part of the speed of returning to defense, what it gained was a smooth offensive end. Among them, the “knife defender” Gvardiol made frequent assists and eventually became a key figure in Manchester City’s draw with Real Madrid.
Looking back at Real Madrid, coach Carlo Ancelotti’s composure is vividly demonstrated. He never changes formation unless absolutely necessary, and every link is step-by-step and meticulous. The passionate collision of the two famous coaches also created this unforgettable classic battle.
Six goals, five of which are world waves that can be recorded in history. But the meaning behind the “World Wave” is that no one can score goals by conventional means. They can only rely on the player’s personal ability to knock on the opponent’s door with long shots and free kicks. Behind the six goals, what highlights is the inability of the centers of both teams.
Manchester City has the most powerful “Demon” center in the world. However, Haaland’s condition has declined rapidly after recovering from injury recently. Especially in strong matchups, he has been very firmly suppressed by his opponents. The same is true in this game.
Real Madrid simply did not have a capable center. After Benzema left, Ancelotti also gave up the center tactic with peace of mind. He let the “Trident” Vinicius, Rodrigo and Bellingham take turns. The suddenness relieved the embarrassment to a certain extent. However, in doing so, the three superstars lost their own characteristics. I don’t know if Real Madrid’s offensive end will undergo radical changes after Mbappe joins next season.
If the leaders are tied, they will be more cautious in the next round.
In the two games, the four teams all got draws. They all seemed to be on the same starting line, but their respective situations were different. If they rely on strength and experience, the two established giants Real Madrid and Bayern have the advantage, but with passion and courage, the two top teams in the Premier League, Manchester City and Arsenal, dominate.
In recent years, the knockout rounds of the Champions League have eliminated the away goal advantage, so the first round has been exciting and the second round has been conservative. The showdowns between Real Madrid and Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayern are expected to be no exception.
In the first round, the four giants tried their best to make the fans happy and give the players room to play. After having enough fun, the ball was scored. When the second round is played next week, they will definitely defend tightly and would rather not score than concede.
In this situation, passion and vitality do not seem to be so important. Sophistication and caution are the keys to victory. In this regard, the more sophisticated Real Madrid and Bayern will undoubtedly do better.
Arsenal and Manchester City did not complete the victory in the first round, which is a bit regretful. If they want to break into the semi-finals, they have to work hard on defense. Whoever can grind to the end will be the ultimate king.
Qilu Evening News reporter Yin Chengjun
2024-04-12 07:17:54
#goal #battle #place #leg #Champions #League #quarterfinalsChina #News #chinanews.com.cn
