England, City of Liverpool.
Liverpool club’s head coach office.
Outside the window, it’s a rare sunny day on the British Isles!
The blazing sunlight climbed onto the top of the walls of Rodgers’ office like vines.
However, learning that Inter had drawn 3-3 with Napoli away, Coach Rodgers looked grim, his mind complex, clouds of worry all over!
With a "snap," he crushed the empty beer can in his hand,
"Thursday’s match might be tough, Sean, we have to be ntally prepared for a hard battle." He said sinisterly to his assistant coach.
As an Englishman, Rodgers, whether in his player career or coaching years, was confined to the British Isles.
He rarely paid attention to Continental Europe’s football, and even less to Serie A matches.
However, he actually watched the entire Inter vs. Napoli Serie A match on TV with his assistant Sean.
There were two reasons. First, this Thursday early morning, Liverpool will be visiting azza Stadium for the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final against Inter.
Watching Inter’s last match was also a pre-match preparation requirent.
Second, Rodgers didn’t share this with the assistant, but both understood without saying.
They both hoped for Inter to beat Napoli!
That way, Inter wouldn’t have to fight hard in the UEFA Europa League, and Liverpool’s chances of winning the UEFA Europa League would be greater — a roundabout way to enter the Champions League.
Unlike Inter Milan, Liverpool’s plan this season is to win the league championship.
Last season, the 2013-2014 season,
Under Rodgers’ guidance, Liverpool played a pleasing attacking football admired by the entire Premier League.
The star striker Suarez was extraordinary!
He scored 31 league goals in a single season, not only winning the Premier League Golden Boot with an absolute advantage but also shared the European Golden Boot honor with Real Madrid’s C Luo, reaching the pinnacle of a forward.
Suarez’s frontline partner, English striker Sturridge, was also impressive.
Though not as dazzling as the Uruguayan, Sturridge also scored 21 league goals, ranking second in the Premier League scorer list, his best career achievent.
The two forwards scored a combined 52 goals in the league, with the team’s total goals exceeding a hundred! Terrifying!
Last sumr, Suarez transferred to Barça for 81.7 million euros.
With this huge sum, Liverpool made an overall renewal for the team.
Lovren, Emre Can, Markovic, Lambert, these strong players joined, greatly enhancing Liverpool’s squad depth like never before!
Notably, Balotelli, who transferred from AC Milan, brought high expectations!
Balotelli returned to the Premier League!
Landed at Liverpool!
Rember Rodgers’ ambitious speech at Balotelli’s joining press conference.
"Balotelli is a very smart guy, I liked him during his ti at Manchester City!"
"He’s tall with refined footwork, has three years of Premier League experience at Manchester City, and made 54 appearances for AC Milan, scoring 30 goals. His goal-scoring instinct has beco more acute, he’ll surely perfectly replace Suarez’s position, leading Liverpool to further glory!"
Sitting next to him, Balotelli was also full of ambition!
"Thank you for the coach’s encouragent. Compared to three years ago, I am more mature and stronger!"
"To the journalists present, please believe, this season, you’ll see a more mature and steady !"
Balotelli’s earnest words moved the journalists present.
He’s only 24, still very young. Suarez was also this age when he ca to Liverpool.
Balotelli, expecting you to beco a god at Liverpool!
Why always !
That omnipotent lad is back!
In the end, the Balotelli carrying countless expectations didn’t beco a god in a year, but beca a nerve.
This season, he appeared 15 tis, scoring only 1 league goal~
So joked that according to his transfer fee, every league goal Balotelli scores costs Liverpool 20 million euros.
Misfortunes never co singly.
Balotelli’s boast was unfulfilled, and Sturridge was plagued with injuries.
At this point in the season, he has only appeared 11 tis, scoring 3 goals.
Between the two, they scored just 4 goals.
While in the sa period last year, by this round, Suarez and Sturridge together had already scored 40 goals!
With the frontline’s performance lagging tenfold behind, even if other midfield and backfield players strive hard, it’s still inadequate.
So just after the winter break, sensing a lost hope of winning the league, the Liverpool managent decisively shifted their aim from contending for the championship to aiming for the top four.
"Anyway, playing in the Champions League next season is the minimum!"
Logically, the Premier League’s European War points are more ahead than Serie A. Here, the top four in the league can directly enter the Champions League.
We, Liverpool, no longer fight for the championship, but like Arsenal, aim for the top four, surely that should be okay!
On the surface, it seems entering the Champions League from the Premier League is easier for Liverpool than it is for Inter Milan from Serie A, since Serie A has only three spots available.
But actually it’s not!
Compared to Serie A, the Premier League is much more competitive!
Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton...
Seven teams vying for four spots!
As the league with the fastest pace and most matches in the world.
Against its rivals, Liverpool’s advantage isn’t obvious, and a little carelessness can lead to falling behind in the fight for the top four!
And that’s exactly the case.
After 34 rounds in the Premier League.
Forget about competing for the championship, even qualifying for the Champions League is just a theoretical possibility for Liverpool.
points, ranked sixth, a full 6 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.
Four rounds to chase six points; this difficulty is really significant, aning the opponents have to lose two matches while they must win all!
Moreover, there’s still Tottenham above them!
They’re very strong too, you know—Kane has already scored 19 league goals!
Does Liverpool have anyone who can match him? No!
Compared to Inter, which is only 3 points behind Napoli, Liverpool’s path to the Champions League is truly a one-way ticket through winning the UEFA Europa League!
...
UEFA Europa League semi-finals, first leg, Inter Milan hosts Liverpool at ho!
This is definitely the most anticipated match of this season’s UEFA Europa League.
Because both teams are powerhouses within their leagues, and their strength is evenly matched.
Placed ten years ago, if these two teams t in European competition, it wouldn’t be extravagant to call it a Champions League semi-final showdown!
At the news conference the day before the match, reporters were competing to ask questions, hoping to generate so traffic.
"Tang, like you, Balotelli was once directly promoted to the first team from Inter’s youth academy. Do you think there’s anything similar between you two?"
A reporter asked Tang Long this way at Inter Milan’s press conference.
"Similarities? Well, we’re both very young; Balotelli was part of Inter’s triple crown-winning team of 2010, and he has a lot of fans in China. Everyone really likes him."
"Balotelli is a very versatile player. I still rember his brace against Germany at the 2012 European Cup; he defeated his opponents single-handedly. That match left a deep impression on , especially that stunning shot from outside the box. It can be described as amazing, and even Neuer was dumbfounded!"
Tang Long now confidently responds to dia questions.
Knowing that Balotelli is likely to start, Tang Long deliberately showered him with praise~
First, let your head heat up a bit, and then aim to unleash your above-average neighborhood-level skills.
At Liverpool’s pre-match press conference.
The reporter relayed Tang Long’s words verbatim to Balotelli.
"Mario, do you have any response to Tang’s remarks?"
Balotelli, hearing Tang’s complints, felt quite pleased~
Haha, my powerful shot in 2012 shocked European football!
Since then, the na Mario is known and renowned throughout Europe.
Unexpectedly, even in the far Eastern Ancient Country of China, I have many fans.
It seems my na has spread all over the world!
Balotelli, without any modesty, first boasted about playing three years at Inter, fully understanding his old club’s tactics like the back of his hand.
"Since you know them so well, certainly Mr. Rodgers must have asked a lot about Inter, did you provide him tactical advice?"
Reporters began setting traps for him.
Balotelli was already carried away, jumping right into the pit without a second thought!
"Of course, I gave Mr. Rodgers plenty of advice. After all, whether playing or coaching, he’s spent his entire career in the Premier League, and his understanding of European mainland football isn’t as extensive as mine!"
Balotelli paused for a mont, then said with a serious face: "Strictly speaking, currently, in the whole Liverpool team, only I have experience in Serie A; I’m simply the perfect choice to start the match!"
Rodgers was sitting beside him, listening with a grim expression.
When did I ever ask you about Serie A?
You’re starting to stimulate your competitive drive against your old club, hoping that extraordinary efforts create unexpected results, not boasting to reporters before the match!
"Final question, Mario, do you have anything to say to your Chinese fans?"
Reporters still wouldn’t let it go, typing away on their keyboards while squeezing out newsworthy content from Balotelli.
Balotelli frowned.
"Hmm, I need to think carefully; such important words can’t be spoken incorrectly..."
He lowered his head, thought seriously for ten seconds, then suddenly raised it, eyes shining!
"Right, I just thought of sothing!"
"Last night, I watched a video with fireworks, my goodness, the night sky—they said it looked just like a Big Bang on Earth!"
"The video said these fireworks were produced in Liuyang, China; does this city exist?"
"Chinese fans, if you love , can you tell how to buy these amazing Liuyang fireworks? I plan to get so and fire them off during Christmas!"
(Balotelli: Hey! Brother, co to my house to set off fireworks; it’s super fun!)
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