Football: Starting from being abandoned by Barcelona

With a long whistle from the referee, the game officially ended.

2-1, Manchester City defeated Leicester City at home and won three valuable points!

Li Lei stood in the middle of the court, panting, sweat dripping from his forehead.

But his face was filled with the joy and pride of victory.

After looking around, he saw his teammates immersed in the celebration of victory, the fans cheering in the stands, and the whole stadium was shrouded in a blue ocean.

At this moment, De Bruyne came over and gave Li Lei a big hug.

"Well done, Li! Your goal is so crucial!" He said with a smile, his eyes full of praise and admiration.

Li Lei smiled modestly and patted De Bruyne on the shoulder.

"This is the credit of all of us, Kevin. Without your assist, there would be no goal for me. This is a victory for Manchester City!"

The next step was the routine post-match interview session. The reporters who had been impatient gathered around and pointed the microphone and camera at Li Lei.

"Li, congratulations on this crucial victory! Can you tell me how you evaluate your performance today?" a reporter asked.

Li Lei thought for a moment, then humbly replied: "I think my performance today is OK, but there is still a lot to improve."

"I am very happy to contribute a goal to the team, but this is inseparable from the support and cooperation of my teammates. This is a team victory, and everyone has given 100% effort."

"Your goal is undoubtedly the turning point of the game. What were you thinking at the time? Can you describe the process of that goal?" another reporter asked.

Li Lei recalled that wonderful moment and couldn't help but smile.

"At that time, I saw Kevin's through ball and knew it was a great opportunity."

"I only had one thought in my mind, that is, I must score the ball! When I broke into the penalty area and faced Schmeichel, I tried to stay calm and find the best shooting angle."

"Thank God, that lob finally flew over the goalkeeper and flew into the net. At that moment, I was ecstatic!"

After the interview, Li Lei and his teammates greeted the fans in the stadium.

They raised their arms together and bowed to the supporters in the stands to thank them. The fans responded with warm applause and cheers, which echoed in the stadium for a long time.

After the game, Li Lei hugged his good friend Vardy. Although the two are now playing for different teams, this does not affect their friendship.

"Hey! Li, sometimes I really envy your journey in the Premier League, as if you can win the championship every year!" After the hug, Vardy joked to his friend.

"Haha! Brother, you are joking. It's because we have such excellent teammates like you!" Li Lei took it with a smile. He couldn't really say that he was traveling from the future!

"How about it? Are you going back tonight? Let me treat you well tonight!" Li Lei happily invited his friends to meet after a long time.

"Forget it! You are also a professional player, you should know that we don't have time! Seeing that the season is about to end, time is limited!" Vardy said helplessly.

"Okay! Let's go back and have a good gathering after the season ends!" Hearing this, Li Lei did not force him, but said with understanding.

After a brief conversation with Vardy, Li Lei went to the locker room with his teammates, while head coach Guardiola was accepting interviews from various reporters in the media center.

Flashes came and went, reporters rushed to ask questions, and the venue was noisy.

"Mr. Guardiola, congratulations on leading the team to victory in today's game! Can you tell me what you think of the team's performance?"

Guardiola smiled and replied: "Thanks to all the players for their hard work on the field today. They showed the spirit and resilience of Manchester City."

"The game was not smooth sailing. Leicester City is a strong opponent. Their counterattack caused us a lot of trouble."

"But we always remained patient and finally broke the deadlock through ball control and penetration. This hard-won victory is the result of the joint efforts of the whole team."

"Li Lei and De Bruyne cooperated very well in the midfield. What do you think of their performance?"

"Li Lei and De Bruyne are both the backbone of the team. Their skills, vision and decision-making ability are very good."

"Today, their control and connection in the midfield played a key role, providing a steady stream of help for the team's offense. As a head coach, I am very pleased to have such excellent players like them." Guardiola praised sincerely.

"At present, Manchester City has a clear lead in the standings. Do you think the team can finally win this tournament?"We have achieved good results, but the Premier League has always been highly competitive and the situation is changing rapidly. "

"We must go all out every minute and every second and stay alert at all times. "

"We will play one game at a time and strive to defeat every opponent. "

"As for whether we can win the championship in the end, we will have to wait until the end of the season to see the result. It is too early to talk about it now. "

The press conference lasted for nearly half an hour. Guardiola patiently answered various questions. His cautious and confident words showed the style of an experienced coach.

Amidst the applause, Guardiola left the media center with a smile.

The flash lights were still flashing. Manchester City's victory and Guardiola's wise words will surely become the headlines of the sports edition.

On the surface, facing the media's praise, Manchester City is thriving, but in fact, Manchester City has many problems.

Manchester City's outstanding performance in various events this season has undoubtedly made the fans and the media shine. They seem to have regained their former dominance.

However, amid the praise, there are undercurrents within the club.

At the beginning of the season, no one expected Manchester City to be so brave.

They have been unstoppable in the Premier League, the Champions League and other events, showing an unprecedented momentum to compete for the championship.

The fans are intoxicated with the joy of victory after victory, and the media also praises Guardiola's coaching ability.

But behind the cheers, Manchester City's management is facing a difficult problem ——The team's bench is not deep enough.

Due to injuries and transfers, Manchester City's substitute lineup seems to be stretched, which is undoubtedly a huge hidden danger for a team that needs to fight in multiple competitions.

Frequent games make the main players exhausted.

Every step they run on the field seems to become heavy, and the team doctors are keenly aware of the seriousness of the problem.

They issued a serious warning to the club's top management: if the game rhythm is not adjusted and the playing time of the main players is not reduced, then large-scale muscle strain and injury may occur at any time.

This undoubtedly puts great pressure on the club's management.

On the one hand, they are eager to reap honors at the end of the season and bring joy to the fans; on the other hand, they have to face the hidden worries of the players' health.

Several executives held a meeting overnight to try to find a solution that has the best of both worlds.

"We must make some trade-offs. The health of the players is the first priority. If they are injured, then our dream of winning the championship will also be shattered. "An executive said at the meeting.

"But now it's the end of the season, what can we do?"

"The transfer window is closed, we can no longer bring in new players to share the pressure of the main players."

"Maybe we can use more young players and give them more opportunities."

"Although they lack experience, they have unlimited potential and energy."

The meeting lasted until late at night, and the executives discussed fiercely to try to find a way out. Even the wealthy club chairman felt unprecedented pressure at this moment.