I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 949: Chapter 33: Champions League Final! Kickoff!

Wembley Stadium

Both teams have reached the final step, and neither will give up the chance to lift the Champions League trophy.

Guardiola’s expression is very serious, and even before the match, he expressed that Chen Zhong is a very good midfielder in his opinion, and he will fully prepare for the match against Chen Zhong.

Meanwhile, Alonso also expressed his respect for Guardiola and Manchester City. In the pre-match press conference, he bluntly said that reaching this stage means they definitely hope for the team to win the championship.

Manchester City and Real Madrid are not meeting for the first time, and the team crafted by Guardiola is especially impressed by Chen Zhong.

In fact, the English media have reported multiple times that Guardiola often uses Messi and Chen Zhong to motivate his players. Rodri often gets compared to Chen Zhong by Guardiola, who points out areas where he falls short.

At Wembley Stadium, Real Madrid fans are quite calm, considering they have won many Champions League trophies before. The topic they discuss most is whether Chen Zhong will stay with the team next season.

To be honest, Chen Zhong is still very popular among them.

After all, he is already the legendary captain of the team and a product of their own youth system. Apart from not being Spanish, he is nearly the perfect captain in the hearts of Real Madrid fans.

This season, although his appearances decreased, he had many outstanding performances in matches.

Most importantly, he is the key man of the team, saving the team on several occasions.

For instance, in crucial Champions League matches against Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, Chen Zhong played a pivotal role.

Thanks to these performances, Chen Zhong has regained much affection from Real Madrid fans.

Everyone thinks that it would be such a waste if such an excellent player leaves just like that.

Maybe he can stay for another season?

Chen Zhong has long been the darling of Real Madrid fans.

If anyone could truly retire at Real Madrid, then Chen Zhong is the best answer.

...

The match has started, Manchester City and Real Madrid’s game has caught the attention of many. Now three minutes have passed, and some fans who arrived late are still looking for their seats.

Real Madrid has already launched one attack.

Those searching for their seats just glanced over the field and continued to find their places.

First attacks are often probing in nature; no one thinks the first attack can pose any real threat.

So nobody paid much attention to this attack.

In the media area, many reporters have set up their equipment to observe the match, among them quite a few Chinese journalists. In the five major leagues, the presence of Chinese journalists has become increasingly common because more and more Chinese players are appearing.

The first attack at the start of the game is often mutual probing.

Manchester City has probed, and now it’s Real Madrid’s turn to probe.

Such an attack does not need much attention, and most fans are still chatting with friends or taking photos to show off on social media about where they are watching the match.

Guardiola stands on the sidelines, his expression stern. He hasn’t done anything special for this final, just worriedly looking at the sky, as if concerned about something.

Alonso is also looking at the sky, but their concerns might be different. If Guardiola hopes it won’t rain, Alonso hopes it does rain soon.

Everyone knows that for a team with ball control, or for any team that requires control over the game, a slippery field and rainy weather can be very problematic.

Chen Zhong is on the field directing his teammates, his vast experience helping the team plug the gaps. This is something learned from Inter Milan, which has reached the Champions League final twice in recent years by leveraging the combination of veterans and rookies.

The balance of veterans’ experience and rookies’ physical energy addresses the issues of technique and body.

Alonso also tries to use this tactic to make Real Madrid more threatening.

...

Chen Zhong gets the ball in the front, despite media attention on players like Bellingham and Valverde, he is the actual core of Real Madrid’s attacking organization.

During an attack, the ball always goes to him for organization.

Chen Zhong’s experience is extremely rich, and he is very clear that the first attack is just to test the opponent, so there’s no need to be overly concerned with gains and losses.

The important thing is to use this attack to gauge the opponent’s defensive toughness and reaction.

To prepare for the upcoming match.

He passes the ball to Mbappe.

He wants to see how Manchester City will choose between Real Madrid’s two speedy horses. They absolutely cannot focus heavily on both, whether in the coach’s tactical arrangements or the defensive players’ match mentality; there will be priorities.

Is it Mbappe?

Or is it Vinicius?

In his own understanding, Mbappe will be the one heavily marked.

Manchester City has to play against Real Madrid, after all, this is the man who can score a hat trick in a World Cup final.

Sure enough, as soon as Mbappe gets the ball, he is closely marked by Manchester City players, so tight that he can barely turn his body.