Football: Starting from being abandoned by Barcelona

Although Manchester City won the game against Melbourne City, the game also exposed some problems, especially the problem of new players' integration.

Guardiola knows that this is one of the key problems he must solve before the start of the new season.

In the game, the tacit cooperation between Li Lei and De Bruyne is undoubtedly a highlight.

The two seem to have a telepathic tacit understanding. Li Lei's running position and De Bruyne's passing can always create threats at the most critical moments.

But Guardiola also knows that this tacit understanding comes more from the personal talents and personal relationships of the two, rather than the team's tactical system.

"We can't always rely on personal ability," Guardiola said in the locker room after the game.

"Football is a team sport. Everyone must integrate into the entire tactical system. Only in this way can we play the strongest strength."

In addition, the status and injury problems of some old players also give Guardiola a headache.

Kompany, Yaya Toure and others are no longer young. Whether they can maintain stable performance in the new season is an unknown.

"We need to arrange their playing time reasonably," Guardiola continued to say to the assistants.

"At the same time, we should also give young players more opportunities. Only by replacing the old with the new can the team remain vibrant."

Time soon came to July 21, when Manchester City welcomed Roma, the final opponent of the International Champions Cup Australia.

This will be a tough battle. Roma is a strong team in Serie A, and the team has many world-class stars.

Before the game, Guardiola specifically found Li Lei and gave him some special tactical instructions.

"Li Lei, you have to run more today, especially on the wing," Guardiola said, "Roma's defense is very strong, we need to use your speed advantage to create trouble for them."

Li Lei nodded, his eyes full of fighting spirit: "Don't worry, coach, I will go all out to win for the team!"

The game kicked off at the Melbourne Stadium, and both teams sent out their strongest lineups.

In the first half, the two sides were evenly matched, with offense and defense. Li Lei created threats on the wing several times, but they were all resolved by Roma's defenders.

In the end, neither side could do anything to the other, and the two sides entered the halftime break with a score of 1:1.

In the second half, Guardiola made some tactical adjustments.

First, he asked Silva to retreat and form a double defensive midfielder with Fernandinho, while giving De Bruyne more offensive freedom.

This adjustment quickly took effect, and Manchester City's offense became more fluent and began to gain the upper hand.

In the 70th minute of the game, De Bruyne sent a fine through pass, and Li Lei inserted in time and used a beautiful lob to rewrite the score to 2:1!

"Li Lei! Li Lei! He is the hero of Manchester City again!" The commentator shouted excitedly.

Li Lei's goal completely ignited Roma's fighting spirit.

The Italian giants have obviously strengthened their offensive and defensive strength, vowing to win back a game.

Facing Roma's fierce offensive, Manchester City's defense began to have some loopholes.

Captain Kompany and Stones had to do their best to resolve crises again and again.

But as the game went on, Manchester City players' physical fitness began to decline and their mistakes gradually increased.

In the 85th minute of the game, Roma's midfielder De Rossi sent a precise through ball.

Edin Dzeko made a timely insertion and made an unsolvable low shot 10 meters in front of the goal, tying the score to 2:2!

"Incredible! Manchester City was equalized by Roma at the last moment!" The commentator could not hide his excitement.

Guardiola walked around anxiously on the sidelines, constantly giving instructions to the players on the field, trying to stabilize the situation.

But Roma's morale had been completely ignited, they attacked frantically, and Manchester City could only defend hard.

Li Lei and De Bruyne also joined forces again to try to create a miracle.

But Roma's defense was too tight, and every attempt they made was resolved invisibly.

The final whistle blew, the two sides tied 2:2, and the game entered a penalty shootout.

In the penalty shootout, both teams performed well.

On the Manchester City side, De Bruyne, Aguero, Sterling and others all scored their penalties steadily.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart saved a penalty from Roma, winning a valuable advantage for Manchester City.

In the end, when Li Lei also calmly scored the penalty and the score became 5:4, Manchester City's victory was settled! The Blue Moon players cheered and hugged each other to celebrate this hard-won victory.

"We did it! We won the championship!" Li Lei shouted excitedly, tears flashing in his eyes.

With Li Lei's final penalty kick, Manchester City won the International Champions CupChampion of the Australian region!

Guardiola could not hide his joy. He rushed into the field and hugged every player to celebrate.

"You are all heroes," Guardiola said, "This championship belongs to every Manchester City player!"

Captain Kompany raised the championship trophy, which stood high in the night sky. The light of the blue moon was particularly dazzling at this moment.

This was a difficult victory. Manchester City exposed some problems in the game, especially on the defensive end.

But winning the championship through a penalty shootout undoubtedly gave the team great confidence.

After the game, Guardiola's face was filled with a satisfied smile.

"This is just the beginning," Guardiola said at the press conference after the game.

"We still have a long way to go, but as long as we unite and forge ahead, nothing is impossible!"

At this time, Li Lei looked at the medal in his hand, his face filled with a happy smile.

This is his first championship in Manchester City under Guardiola, but it will never be the last.

Manchester City's game in Australia had just ended, and the players had no time to rest before they had to rush to the next stop: Shenzhen, China.

There, they will compete with Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup China.

When Manchester City's plane landed at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, a shocking scene appeared.

Thousands of fans gathered at the airport to warmly welcome their idols.

The fans waved Manchester City flags and shouted the names of the players, and the whole airport was boiling.

When Li Lei appeared in the crowd's field of vision, the cheers reached a peak.

As a new player for Manchester City and also a Chinese player, Li Lei's popularity in his home country can be said to be unprecedented.