Chapter 9 The Hot Madrid Derby

High-position pressing places very high physical demands on players, while full-court pressing places demanding physical demands on players. Even if Atletico Madrid players have outstanding physical fitness, they cannot support their long-term continuous pressure.

Twenty minutes into the first half, the running coverage area of ​​Atletico Madrid players dropped significantly. Tang Zheng, who has a strong ability to read the game, realized something.

As the midfield commander of Real Madrid's tactics, Tang Zheng has a high degree of freedom, but he did not directly participate in the team's offense immediately. Instead, he slowly moved forward as the football penetrated forward, giving people a sense of freedom. The feeling of being a pass receiving point.

Despite this, Atletico Madrid captain Gabi is still eyeing Tang Zheng.

Through continuous passes, Atletico Madrid players had a short defensive gap period on the right side of their own defense. That is to say, as the football moved, Gabby's attention to Tang Zheng decreased.

Tang Zheng, who has a strong ability to read the game, has a broad vision. He does not stop the ball and directly makes a long pass to find the right back Arbeloa who is widening the offensive width on the right.

Atletico Madrid limited Real Madrid's overall offense by compressing the space, and the far-end defense naturally had to shrink towards the middle. Arbeloa unloaded the football without pressure, and then still had time to pause on the spot and look up to observe his teammates in the penalty area. Movement situation.

Left back Siqueira returned to defend the left wing, but Arbeloa did not give him time to get closer and directly raised his right foot.

Siqueira thought Arbeloa was going to hit the ball directly into the penalty area at a 45-degree angle on the right side of the attack, so he subconsciously jumped up and prepared to use his body to expand the defensive area to block Arbeloa's cross.

But he regretted it as soon as he took off. Arbeloa prepared to pass the ball but chose to kick the football quickly horizontally to the top of the penalty area.

Everyone's attention followed the rolling football to the top of the penalty area. Suddenly, Real Madrid fans subconsciously let out a burst of cheers.

"Hold him!"

At the same time, Atletico Madrid coach Simeone waved his arms excitedly and shouted at Gabi who was pulling and pulling him.

Gabby was half a body behind Tang Zheng when he started. When Tang Zheng fully started, he was already stuck. He had no choice but to pull and pull from behind.

But Tang Zheng, who rushed forward, had a lot of strength and inertia. He stretched his long legs forward, stopped the football passed by Arbeloa, and then quickly handed it to Cristiano Ronaldo, who stopped suddenly and turned his back to the goal.

Because Gabi's hand movements were too obvious, referee Velakos kept the whistle in his mouth, but the football rolled towards Cristiano Ronaldo, so the whistle was not blown.

The football was no longer at Tang Zheng's feet, so Gabi quickly let go.

However, the sudden change in the game situation made him very regretful. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had room to turn around to meet the ball, actually knocked the ball back to Tang Zheng who continued to run forward without stopping.

Tang Zheng is tall and has long legs. He used his right foot to lead the ball into the penalty area while running and entered the penalty area.

Godin stepped forward and saw Tang Zheng dunk the ball to the left with his right foot. It was like he was trying to open up the passing space and pass the ball to Benzema who was diagonally crossing the space behind him. He made a prompt decision without any extra time to think. , trying to reach out to poke the football that had temporarily left Tang Zheng's right foot.

Tang Zheng had a foot frequency beyond his height. He pushed the ball to the right with the outer instep of his right foot. It was too late for Godin to close his foot. The inner instep of his extended right foot just hit Tang Zheng's right foot.

"Beep~"

The referee on duty, Bellakos, decisively blew his whistle and pointed his right index finger at the penalty spot.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch -"

Suddenly, the sky above the Bernabeu Stadium was filled with deafening shouts from Real Madrid fans, cheering for Real Madrid who won the penalty kick!

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Atletico Madrid players immediately surrounded the referee Veracos and signaled that Godin did not touch Tang Zheng and it was Tang Zheng who dived.

Godin, who had committed the foul, stood up and spread his hands with an innocent face, indicating that he had not kicked Tang Zheng.

Of course, the Real Madrid players would not give the Atletico Madrid players a chance to convince the referee, so the two sides naturally had verbal quarrels and physical contact.

At this time, the first assistant referee's timely intervention played a key role. The players on both sides quickly calmed down under the sharp whistle of the referee Velakos.

At the same time, Simeone excitedly walked to the fourth official and complained about the referee's misjudgment.

But his complaint had no effect. The fourth official shrugged his shoulders and looked helpless.

Ancelotti, on the other hand, looked like a superior, with his hands in his pockets and looking up towards the Atletico Madrid penalty area.

Immediately, the on-site director restored the truth. It could be clearly seen from the broadcast that the outer instep of Tang Zheng's right foot took the ball away first. Godin's movement was slightly slower by half a beat, so he kicked Tang Zheng's right foot.

Tang Zheng fell in the penalty area because his center of gravity was destroyed by Godin's defensive action. There was no problem with the penalty kick.

The Atletico Madrid players saw referee Velakos's firm attitude and said nothing more.

In a high-level event like this, everyone knows whether a foul is committed, and the referee is very decisive in making decisions. Endless dissatisfaction will only make things worse.

Tang Zheng helped Real Madrid win a valuable penalty kick. Cristiano Ronaldo, the team's top penalty kicker, stood at the penalty spot and was very calm when facing goalkeeper Moya. He fired a low shot into the lower left corner of the goal to help Real Madrid. equalize the score.

The Real Madrid fans in the stands were very excited. They once thought that Atletico Madrid's defense was impregnable and it would take time to equalize. However, the equalizer less than fifteen minutes after conceding the goal also meant that the team had more time to equalize. score!

Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the goal, was particularly excited in the fanatical atmosphere of the game. He excitedly ran to the corner flag area on the right side of the attack and made his trademark celebration.

Of course, he did not forget Tang Zheng, who created the penalty kick. After completing his personal celebration, he vented with his teammates to release the pressure caused by the equalizer.

The game restarted, and Real Madrid, who had equalized the score, were full of momentum in the fanatical home atmosphere, and once held Atletico Madrid in their own defensive half for friction.

Fortunately, Atletico Madrid head coach Simeone is very capable of on-the-spot planning. He quickly solved the defensive pressure the team is currently experiencing through complex tactical gesture changes on the sidelines.

In the 31st minute, Tang Zheng intercepted the ball from Koke in the backcourt, and then passed the ball past Thiago to get a long pass opportunity. The football accurately found Cristiano Ronaldo who was cutting in at high speed from the left.

Cristiano Ronaldo seemed a little impatient under Godin's defensive strategy of fighting and retreating. He chose a low shot from the left rib of the penalty area.

The football passed Moya's ten fingers, but it also missed the right post of the goal.

"Cristiano Ronaldo's condition is getting better and better!"

Central 5 commentator He Wei said excitedly.

Two minutes later, Tang Zheng received a cross pass from Modric in the half circle of Atletico Madrid's defense and then attacked the right side of his team. It was obvious that he was going to pass a long pass to the right, but he unexpectedly passed a In the opposite direction, the football was accurately passed to the feet of Coentrao, who came at high speed from the left.

It's a pity that Coentrao's quick low pass from the left was kicked out of the baseline by Godin who was defending from the front, and he only got a corner kick.

Although there was no direct threat to goalkeeper Moya guarding the goal, the Real Madrid fans at the scene were very excited and they made waves of cheers.

Atletico Madrid continued to defend passively, and Simeone had new worries in his heart.

He really didn't expect that Tang Zheng would be in such good condition. He could play with ease despite being heavily guarded. Except that he didn't personally send the final pass, his offensive planning and key transfer of the ball were both fast and accurate. The missed opportunities are extremely well controlled.

"We must limit Tang's performance!"

Simeone murmured as he looked at Tang Zheng who was running towards the penalty area for a corner kick.

The problem is that Tang Zheng is positioned very far back. If he is heavily defended, a huge gap will appear between the back line and the forward line.

After much deliberation, he had no choice but to focus on Tang Zheng's passing route.

Although there is no way to completely curb Tang Zheng's performance, if the connection between Tang Zheng and other Real Madrid players can be cut off, I believe the effect will be good.

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"Beep~"

The referee Velakos blew his whistle, signaling the end of the first half of the Madrid derby in the third round of La Liga in the 2014-2015 season. The score displayed on the scoreboard did not change at all, and was still 1:1.

A close-up shot of the live broadcast showed Atletico Madrid coach Simeone walking towards the tunnel. He was smiling and no longer felt nervous after losing the ball.

Obviously, cutting off the passing routes of Tang Zheng and other Real Madrid players was very effective. In addition to a wide range of long pass transfers and return passes, the fifteen-meter-wide pass reception point, including cross passes, was completely cut open.

It is said that Tang Zheng can only play a role in stabilizing the rhythm and transition. It is difficult to directly launch an attack to create a threat.

Therefore, the score did not change until the end of the first half, and the two sides entered the locker room with a score of 1:1.

The frenetic atmosphere at the Bernabeu Stadium has declined somewhat. Many fans left their seats and went to the stadium store to buy food and drinks to replenish the energy consumed in the past 45 minutes.

While the players from both sides entered the locker room, commentators from TV stations around the world who had the rights to broadcast this round of La Liga were commenting on the first half that had just ended.

British Sky commentator Andy Gray looked at the highlights of the first half and said: "The first half of the game was extremely technical and tactical. Can Real Madrid equalize the score or Tang will rely on his outstanding personal ability to open the exit, but with Diego... Due to Simeone’s adjustments to defensive tactics, Don’s performance has become mediocre, but I believe the game will be more exciting in the second half.”

"Don's position is very deep, even deeper than Luka Modric, which also prevents him from participating in the offense unscrupulously." Speaking guest Martin Taylor nodded lightly, and suddenly changed the topic: "I feel Karl Lo Ancelotti should be bolder. When Real Madrid sits at the Bernabeu Stadium, they are thinking about winning rather than pursuing unbeaten, because Real Madrid is now five points behind Barcelona, ​​which played the first game, and winning has become urgent! Liberating Don's offensive attributes will be the only way for Real Madrid to open the door to victory!"

Central 5 commentator He Wei focused on the intensity of the Madrid derby in the first round of the 2014-2015 season. He said: "The iron-blooded Atletico Madrid tried to conquer the Bernabeu with their actual actions, but the defensive actions of Atletico Madrid players were too big. There were 12 fouls in the 45 minutes of the first half, while Real Madrid only had four. The referee Velascos also had a relatively soft whistle and only gave Atletico Madrid player Godin a yellow card. Perhaps his standards were too soft. It will pave the way for the fierce competition in the second half..."

In the first half of the game, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid each played good football for half of the time, so the score of 1:1 is very fair to both sides.

Time passed quickly, and the fifteen-minute intermission ended. Players from both teams went from their respective locker rooms to the tunnel, and then entered the stadium from the tunnel to fight for the 45 minutes of the second half.

Whether it's a draw, a win, or a loss depends on the performance of the second half.

After changing sides, neither side made any adjustments to the starting lineup at the beginning of the game.

But the head coaches of both sides were very nervous. They stood in their respective command areas and stared at the field with frowning eyes.

The fans from both sides in the stands were full of passion and shouted loudly like mountains and tsunamis.

The players on the court seemed to be affected by the fanatical atmosphere and were very excited to play.

The excitement of an ordinary match goes a long way towards making it enjoyable to watch, but the Madrid derby is a different matter.

The original intention of players to be excited when playing football is to perform at their best level, or even to perform beyond their level. However, sometimes excitement means that it is difficult to control their movements.

The defensive actions of both sides became more and more intense, and the atmosphere of the game became more and more intense and tense.

The game was tense for a while in the first half, and the game escalated in the second half as Cork tackled Modric from behind.

Real Madrid vice-captain Ramos, who was closest to the scene of the incident, questioned national team teammate Koke and spattered him in the face.

Naturally, Gabi would not let Ramos bully his younger brother Koke, and immediately pushed Ramos away with both hands.

The force was so strong that Ramos almost lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Pepe and Abeloa are not good people either, and they used to push Gabi.

Seeing that the physical conflict was about to escalate further, the referee Velakos's urgent whistle sounded, and the two assistant referees also ran onto the court and intervened.

Players on both sides are not all hot-headed and looking for trouble for the other side. Players like Tang Zheng, James Rodriguez, Isco, Koke, Thiago and other players are very calm and act as peacemakers to prevent both sides from getting into trouble. The physical conflict escalated.

After all, they all know that they are not here to cause trouble for each other, but to win the game!

Since you are pursuing victory in the game, there is no need to focus on hurting the opponent.

The conflict between the two sides soon eased, and the players who made physical movements also left the place where Cork tackled Modric.

Of course, the referee Velakos did not forget which players behaved excessively and will settle the score later.

Koke who committed the foul, Ramos and Gabi who caused the conflict each received a yellow card, and the emotional Pepe, Arbeloa and Raul Garcia each received a warning.

Despite this, the Real Madrid fans in the stands still booed loudly and sent it to the referee on duty: "Woooooooo-"

In the hearts of Real Madrid fans, Real Madrid players are sacred and inviolable. Atletico Madrid players who violate their players will get red cards, especially Koke!