Chapter 901 Real Madrid Hangs!

After the Copa del Rey drew out Atletico Madrid, the coaching staff held a meeting with the players in Valdebebas. The content of the discussion was about the team's plans for the second half. Benitez highlighted two cup matches.

This has basically revealed the coach's plan for the second half, which is to focus on the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

For Yang Yang, this is news that makes him feel uncomfortable.

"Barcelona is so stable this season!"

After leaving the conference room, Yang Yang stood in front of the corridor guardrail, facing the training ground opposite downstairs, with his hands firmly on the fence, he said reluctantly, his tone revealing helplessness.

Barcelona have been very stable this season. So far, they have only lost one game, that is, to Real Madrid. Other than that, no team has been able to beat Barcelona.

Since Yang Yang's comeback at the end of November, he has beaten Barcelona in the century derby to the present, and he has played five rounds of the league. A victory over Espanyol, a 2-1 home victory over Levante, and a 4-0 away victory over Deportivo Deportivo.

It can be said that all of Barcelona's performances so far this season have been a kind of hopeless stability.

What's worse is that Real Madrid lost too many points in the previous period, and now they are seven points behind Barcelona.

It stands to reason that there are still 20 rounds of the league, and it is only mid-January, and everything is still variable. However, Real Madrid has to make preparations in advance.

Affected by the Club World Cup, coupled with the interruption of Christmas and the winter break, Real Madrid has been in a continuous week of double games since entering January, but the team's bench lineup is obviously not strong.

In the second round of the game against Levante, Benitez tried to let Gago and Granero play the big role, but Real Madrid lost 0-2 on the road, which was a complete defeat.

Next is the league away game against Almeria, but next week will play Atletico Madrid in the middle of the week. This is the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, and one team is signed.

In contrast, Barcelona is much easier, they drew Real Betis in the La Liga.

"No way, the management is under the pressure of the management, and the coaching staff is also under the pressure of the coaching staff. For a team like Real Madrid, if they are empty-handed at the end of a season, it will definitely fail, so the pressure of the head coach is also very high. Big." Xavi Alonso walked beside Yang Yang and said helplessly.

If you think of a club as a business, the head coach is like a department head, the management is responsible for setting tasks, the head coach is responsible for completing, and now Real Madrid has no way to guarantee whether they can reverse Barcelona in the next La Liga, If you don't want to be empty-handed, you can only do your best to win the cup.

In the face of Barcelona, ​​the current Real Madrid is not strong enough to fight for everything.

When it comes to Benitez, Yang Yang is also a little sighed in his heart, and even a little bit remorseful.

The Spaniard did not dismiss the get out of class early during the winter break, as the outside media and fans had guessed, but his coaching position has indeed been shaken and is not firm. There have been rumors in the outside world that the Real Madrid management has secretly started to change handsome.

The main problem of Benitez is his adjustment of the team's offense. Everyone feels that with such a strong attacking lineup of Real Madrid, there is no reason to lose so many points in the first 18 rounds. This is unforgivable. .

Even as a die-hard supporter of Benitez, Yang Yang has to admit that tuning offense has never been Benitez's strength. From Liverpool to Real Madrid, he has always had this problem.

But as Benitez's most trusted and most reliant player, Yang Yang is still somewhat uncomfortable, because he was injured when Benitez needed him the most.

He knows it's not his fault, because no player is immune to injury, but he still feels a little guilty.

Benitez is doing his best to ensure the team's results within the scope of his authority, so in the meeting just now, he revealed that the team will do its best to ensure the results of the cup.

"You said, if you win the King's Cup and defend the Champions League, can you keep Benitez's coaching position?" Yang Yang asked suddenly.

After hearing this, Harvey Alonso and Kaka, who were beside them, looked at each other and shook their heads and smiled bitterly.

Yang Yang still hasn't given up on Benitez, which is normal, because he has always been a man of gratitude.

"Dude, in the 20 years since the Champions League was restructured, no team has successfully defended its title. The last team to successfully defend its title was Sacchi's AC Milan, which was already 21 years ago." Kaka said forcefully. Patting Yang Yang's shoulder, he reminded.

Yang Yang understood, "But no one has done it before, it doesn't mean we can't do it, does it?"

Both Kaka and Xavi Alonso were surprised. They found that Yang Yang was not joking, but serious.

The opponent Real Madrid drew in the Champions League round of 16 was Lyon in Ligue 1. Interestingly, the opponent in the Champions League round of 16 last season was also Lyon, and the possibility of promotion is still very high.

"Our head coach is known as the king of the cup, and our strength is definitely qualified to win the championship, isn't it?" Yang Yang asked again.

It was nearly 20 years ago that Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey once, and the last time a team defended the Champions League was 21 years ago. If Real Madrid can win these two cup championships this season, That was undoubtedly a success.

It can even be said that it is more successful than Barcelona who won La Liga.

Because what Guardiola's team wants most is the Champions League!

Thinking of this, Yang Yang suddenly rekindled his fighting spirit, and he found a new goal.

He believes that Benitez must think so too, and this is the only way to keep his post.

If it does come true, and Benitez is still dismissed from get out of class, then he can be regarded as a successful retirement, and Yang Yang has a clear conscience.

…………

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Real Madrid's opponent in the 19th round, Almeria, has also suffered many disasters this season.

Almeria, who was relegated in a thrilling way last season, has played 18 rounds so far, with two wins, seven draws and nine losses, and is currently ranked 19th in La Liga, followed by deputy squad leader Zaragoza and 18th. of Sporting Gijon.

The worst loss of the season was the twelfth round of La Liga's 0-8 home defeat to Barcelona, ​​which directly led to the dismissal of then coach Lillo and replaced by former Tenerife coach Oltra.

As the saying goes, changing coaches is like changing knives. After Oltra took office, although Almeria's performance still did not improve much, the overall mental outlook was still good, including a 3-1 away game against Sevilla. , but also greatly improved the morale of the team.

Facing Real Madrid at home in this game, Oltra said very clearly before the game that Real Madrid would not do his best in the game.

"They will have a crucial Madrid derby in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in midweek. This is a game Real Madrid can't give up, and it's a game they can't afford to lose."

Derby, the word is more convincing than anything else.

However, Oltra guessed half right.

Real Madrid did not do their best, but it does not mean that Real Madrid will give up the league.

Yang Yang took the initiative to ask Ying before the game, started the game, and in the 27th minute, after cooperating with Higuain, he assisted David Silva to score, breaking the deadlock for Real Madrid.

After that, in the face of Almeria, who was strictly guarded, Real Madrid did not give a good solution.

Yang Yang was substituted in the 60th minute and stayed on to play the King's Cup game in midweek, but in the 87th minute, the team's defense made a mistake.

Almeria's Piatti on the left flank dribbled the ball away from Abeloa's inner cut pass. Real Madrid's central defender Fermaelen and Ramos made mistakes and missed Ulloa. The latter found an opportunity. A low shot scored to level the score.

Three points turned into one point, and Real Madrid returned home with regret.

...

In this round, with Villa's brace and goals from Iniesta and Pedro, Barcelona beat Malaga 4-1 at home and scored a precious three-pointer, further placing themselves in the The league lead extended to nine points.

For this result, the Royal Horse was psychologically prepared, but it was not very pleasant.

In a subsequent interview with Real Madrid's official TV, Yang Yang called on his teammates not to give up, no matter what, they must continue to maintain this determination, continue to catch up with Barcelona, ​​and at the same time try their best to play the cup.

"The gap of nine points is indeed not small, but I believe we still have a chance. The most important thing now is that we must have enough confidence in ourselves."

Benitez will not admit that the team lost La Liga, still insist that Real Madrid still have a chance to reverse the opponent.

But the outside world generally believes that it is difficult for Real Madrid to catch up with Barcelona in La Liga this season. The words of Yang Yang and Benitez are more like a boost to morale.

Pep Guardiola's side have been significantly more consistent this season after the problems of last season, with a more mature passing and possession play even in the previous two seasons, reaching their peak, which has put them in the top spot in La Liga. The league has maintained a very stable performance.

As for Real Madrid, there is indeed a problem in attack, and Yang Yang's previous injury exposed this problem, plus the team really lacked some luck, such as drawing Atlético de Madrid, a rival in the same city.

And when Real Madrid was sniped by Almeria on the road, Atletico Madrid beat Real Mallorca 3-0 at home. Forlan and Reyes both performed very well.

Atletico Madrid coach Flores said in an interview with the media after the game that Real Madrid has lost the La Liga title race and Benitez's team is at its lowest morale. Opportunity.

"We will step on Real Madrid again at the Bernabeu!"

...

As a result, it seemed that Flores had guessed it. In the first round of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in midweek, Real Madrid took the opportunity to play a quick counterattack in the seventh minute of the game, and Reyes made a direct pass. After Aguero was single-handedly saved by Casillas, Fran calmly hit the shot.

Zero to one!

Real Madrid hangs!