Chapter 514: The trump card to bring in Robben
On the evening of March 7, Allianz Arena, Munich.
When the Slovak referee Rubers blew the whistle to end the game, the entire Allianz Arena suddenly became boiling, and all the Bayern fans rushed to stand up and applaud the players on the field.
Su Dong, who was sitting in the stands with Wang Chuqing, also stood up and clapped loudly.
Compared to the first leg, Bayern's performance tonight was indeed better.
The final score was 2-1, with the two teams having the same total score, but Bayern eliminated Real Madrid with the advantage of away goals and secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
The biggest change for Bayern tonight is in defense.
Two months after Heynckes took over as Bayern's coach, the defense has finally begun to show results.
In the first leg, Van Buyten made two serious mistakes, both of which were caused by inattention. Coupled with Lucio, who was not very reliable, Bayern lost three goals at the Bernabeu.
But tonight at the Allianz Arena, Lucio suppressed Van Nistelrooy throughout the game, Van Buyten kept a close eye on Raul, and Lucio even scored a goal in the second half to secure the victory for Bayern.
However, Real Madrid launched a counterattack at the last minute of the game, and Bayern had to avoid the attack and retreat. The Bayern central defender who retreated into the penalty area made another mistake. When Lucio was defending Robinho, he made excessive fouls and was awarded a penalty by the referee. Van Nistelrooy took the shot and scored.
It can be said that apart from the mistake against Robinho, the Bayern center back performed well tonight.
…
"Su!"
When Su Dong finished watching the game and left the stands with Wang Chuqing, he met the Big Three of Bayern in the VIP lounge. When Beckenbauer saw him, he immediately raised his hand and called him.
The VIP lounge was filled with senior members of Bayern. As soon as they saw Su Dong, they immediately greeted him.
Su Dong had no choice but to deal with them and came in front of the three giants.
"You'll get used to it slowly." Seeing Su Dong's helpless expression, Hennes laughed and "persuaded" him.
It was as if it was saying, it's okay, just bear with it and it will pass, it will only hurt for a while, and then you will feel better.
Su Dong really wanted to say to him, No one is as persuasive as you, brother!
"How is it? What do you think after watching tonight's game?" Beckenbauer asked with concern.
The Big Three of Bayern are all former professional players and have excellent administrative management experience. The key is that they can balance football and management expertise very well. Although management occasionally intervenes in competitive affairs, it is very rare among the major giants in European football.
More importantly, they are constantly observing the trends in European football and considering their own pros and cons.
"There are still some problems in attack. On the one hand, there are the old problems on the wing, and on the other hand, the efficiency of seizing opportunities is still a little lacking."
As soon as Su Dong finished speaking, Beckenbauer and the other two all laughed.
"Only you can say this and make people convinced." Hennes said with a smile.
Who is Su Dong?
The goal-scoring devil who won the top scorer title in just six Bundesliga games said that Bayern was inefficient. Who dares to deny it? Of course, it is an indisputable fact that Makaay was not in his best form. Even though he scored at the beginning of the game, that goal was more like a gift from Carlos.
"What do you think about defense?" Beckenbauer asked with concern.
Looking at the defensive issues from the perspective of offensive players is still very valuable for reference.
"Real Madrid's offense was also poor. Beckham's absence had the biggest impact on them. If Beckham was there, we might not have made it to the quarterfinals. Lucio's foul was caused by excessive movement. If it was outside the penalty area, it would at most be a yellow card. I personally think it's not a big problem."
"But Van Buyten's problem was more serious. He was not focused and his position was also problematic. For example, Ramos' goal at the end actually went in, but it was called off because of handball. But anyway, that goal was quite dangerous."
Beckenbauer and other three giants also nodded.
Regardless of whether it was handball first or not, that ball was indeed a defensive mistake by Bayern.
"Van Buyten was near Ramos at the time, but he was a little far away and was obviously distracted, which prevented him from intercepting the ball immediately. This was a very troublesome problem, and the two goals conceded in the first leg were basically the same."
The central defender Van Buyten does have good physical conditions, but his problems are really serious.
He is slow and sluggish, and more importantly, lacks concentration and has problems with his positioning, which leads to him making mistakes frequently during games. As a central defender, any mistake he makes is often the most fatal.
At the age of 29, he should have been in his prime, but now it seems that it is really difficult for him to take another step forward.
"This is also the issue we were discussing just now." Beckenbauer sighed, "The next quarterfinals will not be easy."
If you want to win in the Champions League knockout stage, the most important thing is often not to enhance your strengths, but to improve your weaknesses.
Teams without obvious weaknesses can often go further in this more targeted elimination system.
Of course, there is another approach, which is when your strengths are great enough to cover up your weaknesses.
For example, in Su Dong's first Champions League with Barcelona, Barcelona's defense was extremely bad that season, but the team's offense was sharp and the midfield had obvious advantages in passing and controlling the ball. Xavi and Deco were both at their peak, and the team launched a tide of offensives. Coupled with the trident of Su Dong, Ronaldinho and Messi, they were naturally able to reverse their opponents repeatedly.
"What do you think of Pepe?" Hennes asked with concern.
Su Dong was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "He is my good friend, so my evaluation of him is not very objective."
"We just want to hear your opinion," Rummenigge said with a smile.
Su Dong pondered for a moment and said, "I have met many central defenders, including top players like Stam, Cannavaro and Nesta, and also players with superb personal abilities like Lucio and Puyol. To be honest, Pepe may not be one yet, but with time, he can become the second Lucio, or even stronger than Lucio, especially in terms of his body."
Su Dong still clearly remembers that when he first met Pepe, this guy knocked Ronnie away with one blow, which shows how good his physical confrontation is. Over the years, he has been strengthening his physical training.
"Purely speaking, he is like Lucio, with almost no weaknesses, a perfect central defender's body. His defensive skills have improved a lot in recent years. He studied defense for a long time with Andre Cruz, who came from Serie A. He is still a little rough now, but he is greatly underestimated in the Portuguese Super League."
The three giants of Bayern were a little surprised. They knew that Su Dong and Pepe were good friends, but they also believed in Su Dong's character. They just didn't expect that Su Dong would have such a high opinion of Pepe. This was beyond their expectations.
According to the feedback from Bayern scouts, they also believe that Pepe's level has exceeded that of the Portuguese Super League. They also pointed out Pepe's physical advantages and believed that he had almost ravaged all forwards in the Portuguese Super League.
"We are planning to bring in Pepe," Hoeness revealed.
Su Dong knew that Bayern was interested in Pepe before, but if they were to start signing him now, it would obviously be time to take action.
"I'm looking forward to it." Su Dong said with a smile.
For Su Dong, it is a pleasant experience to be able to play football in the same team with his good friends.
"What about the introduction of wingers?" Su Dong asked with concern.
The three giants smiled bitterly. "Ribery has been in contact with us. There are many teams interested in him. He has not made up his mind yet. We have clearly told him that Bayern will focus on the Champions League next. He is a little tempted, but he needs to think about it again."
"Robben is another target of our attention. He has made it clear to Chelsea that he will not renew his contract, but he is still worried about joining Bayern. I plan to find an opportunity to talk to Chelsea in person and meet his agent by the way." Hoeness said.
Robben played for Chelsea in the Premier League and must have some concerns about coming to the Bundesliga. If Bayern can convince Robben of their ambitions, things will be much easier, especially in the Champions League.
As for Chelsea, after introducing Malouda, they have given the green light to Robben's transfer.
"We have a trump card," Hennes said suddenly.
"Trump's weapon?" Su Dong was a little surprised.
"We have the miracle doctor Wolfart and Grant Downing, the best physiotherapist in world football."
Su Dong laughed out loud when he heard this.
This is indeed a killer feature.
Everyone knows that Robben is often injured. Bayern's team doctor Wolfart is second to none in European football, and Grant Downing in Su Dong's private coaching team is also a physiotherapist who has become famous in recent years.
This is still very attractive for recruiting Robben to join Bayern.
"Of course, we are also seriously considering other players, not only young wingers from the four major leagues. Our scouts in South America recommended Sanchez, a young winger on loan from Udinese in Chile, and Mendes also recommended Di Maria, an Argentine winger, to us. But we all think they are too young and need to be observed."
What Bayern wants now is immediate combat effectiveness rather than training young players, so famous stars like Ribery and Robben are Bayern's top priority. Even if these two wingers are not introduced, Bayern will definitely introduce famous wingers from other teams and supplement them with young and talented players.
It can be said that since Bayern decided to compete in the Champions League, they will recruit players like other top teams.
At best, the Big Three will consider the cost-effectiveness and will not invest blindly.
When it comes to signings, the Bundesliga teams do not have a high premium, unlike Real Madrid, Barcelona, and the wealthy Premier League teams, whose bids automatically increase by 10 million euros. Everyone knows that Bundesliga teams are not wealthy, and if the bids are too high, people will be scared away.
Su Dong is still very satisfied with Bayern's ambitions and the operational capabilities of the Big Three.
Bayern's midfield is well polished now. If wingers are introduced, especially wingers of the level of Ribery and Robben, Bayern's overall offensive firepower will definitely be taken to a higher level.
There is still a chance for us to make a bid for the Champions League next season.
At least from the current perspective, the decline of Serie A is a foregone conclusion. Real Madrid will definitely change its coach this summer, which will bring another wave of turmoil. Barcelona is now rapidly going downhill, and the Premier League is the strongest right now.
Manchester United has performed very strongly this season. After acquiring Hargreaves, their defense has been taken to a new level, which is worth looking forward to.
When Ronnie called Su Dong, he said that the whole team was ready to make a bid for the Champions League.
This is also the reason why Ferguson spent a lot of money to bring in Hargreaves during the winter break.
(End of this chapter)
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