Chapter 684: Still Losing the Bet
"The starting lineup for Atletico Madrid is out!"
On May 24th, just before the start of the Champions League final, as the players completed their pre-match preparations and returned to the dressing room to wait for the kick-off, the starting eleven for both sides were finally announced.
On the Bed Sheet Brigade's side, they lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Courtois in goal.
The four defenders were Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, and Felipe.
The four midfielders were Raul Garcia, Tiago, Gabi, and Koke.
The forwards were Diego Costa and Villa.
"They've still put Diego Costa in the lineup." Ancelotti couldn't help but sigh, "This is definitely a risky move."
"I just observed that the Brazilian did not train with the other teammates, but instead followed the team doctor and assistant coach to adapt to the venue."
"This indicates that his injury still has a significant impact. Atletico Madrid is also unsure whether he can play the full game. After all, according to the team's tactics, Costa needs to undertake a lot of sprinting and physical tasks."
"If problems arise, the Bed Sheet Brigade will have to waste a substitution slot. When physical exhaustion sets in during the second half, they won't be able to make more effective adjustments."
Zidane agreed, but he also understood Simeone's dilemma: "Just like how we can't abandon Wang Feng to devise our game plan, Simeone can't abandon Diego Costa."
"Even if there's a slim chance, he still hopes that Costa can make an impact. But I believe he also has a backup plan in mind."
"You're right. Anyway, let's stick to our plan. Expend all our energy in the first half and then strike decisively in the second half!"
Real Madrid lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Casillas in goal.
The four defenders were Ramos, Carvajal, Arbeloa, and Coentrao.
The three midfielders were Modric, Khedira, and Isco.
The three forwards were Wang Feng, Higuain, and Morata.
Ancelotti intentionally kept Marcelo and Bale on the bench to deliver a lethal blow in the second half. Both players' ability to attack and penetrate from the flanks was outstanding, and with ample energy, they could disrupt Atletico's defense.
The first half began with Atletico kicking off. Villa and Costa stood at the center circle, the Spaniards waiting for the referee's whistle while silently making the sign of the cross, hoping that Costa could play the entire game with them and lift the coveted Champions League trophy together!
When the Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers blew the whistle to start the match, Villa quickly passed the ball to Costa, who then passed it back to the backfield.
Soon, Atletico organized their push into the frontcourt. Before they could create a good shooting opportunity, Coentrao seized the chance to tackle and intercepted the ball, passing it to Modric.
As expected by the coaching staff, Atletico immediately chose to press high. Two players came together to surround Modric.
The Croatian calmly dealt with it, dribbling past Raul Garcia and then passing to Khedira. Ancelotti's tactical arrangement was to fully mobilize the opponent's movement and engage them in a war of attrition.
The midfield battle was intense, with frequent transitions between attack and defense, resulting in no effective shots for nearly 10 minutes.
During this period, Costa underwent more than five sprints and abrupt stops. He felt his leg muscles twitching.
Approaching Arbeloa once again, in a strong confrontation, the Brazilian felt a sharp pain in his thigh. As he fell, he also brought down the Real Madrid defender.
"Whistle!" Kuipers blew his whistle, indicating a foul by Atletico.
Arbeloa got up reluctantly and placed the ball at the spot of the foul, waiting for Costa to stand up and take the free-kick. However, the latter tried twice to stand up with the help of his hands but failed.
"Are you okay?" Seeing Costa sweating profusely, the Spanish defender immediately called the referee to check the situation, and other Atletico players also crowded around.
"I might not be able to continue!" The Brazilian said to Villa with a sad face, now finding it difficult even to stand up.
Finally, with the help of the medical stretcher, Costa was carried off the field and sent to the hospital for treatment. Simeone substituted him with Adrian.
The match had only been going on for 9 minutes, making it the earliest substitution in Champions League final history.
Simeone still lost the bet!
Although extremely frustrated, the Argentine coach still managed to keep his composure. During the break, he gathered the players and instructed them to continue executing the planned tactics.
He knew he couldn't show any signs of disappointment or panic on his face; instead, he had to remain calm and composed. Otherwise, it would seriously affect the players' state on the field.
As the match resumed, Atletico managed to suppress their inner turmoil and firmly executed the previous tactics, relentlessly chasing and attacking Real Madrid.
In the 13th minute, they had the first shot, with Raul Garcia attempting a long-range shot from the right flank, but the ball went over the crossbar.
Subsequently, there were numerous confrontations between the two sides, with the referee Kuipers tending to be lenient in his refereeing, coupled with the inconvenience of handing out cards in the Champions League final, often relying on verbal warnings instead. Therefore, the situation became increasingly tense.
Especially during a rapid counterattack by Real Madrid, Raul Garcia made a tactical foul, diving to tackle Isco, with his actions being quite exaggerated, which aroused strong dissatisfaction among the Galaxy Warship players.
Kuipers only showed a yellow card to Garcia, prompting Ramos to immediately approach and demand an explanation, his tone and demeanor extremely agitated, resulting in him also receiving a yellow card warning.
Wang Feng, seeing the situation wasn't favorable, quickly held back the Spanish defender, knowing that getting sent off for a confrontation with the referee at this time would be more detrimental than beneficial.
Subsequently, both teams had their chances. The Chinese superstar took a long shot from 25 meters in front of the goal, and the ball bounced near the edge of the penalty area, but was firmly held by Courtois.
Atletico defender Juanfran sped up along the sideline to join the attack, approaching the penalty area and sending a cross. Ramos headed the ball out, and Felipe's long-range shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by Arbeloa.
Then, Tiago made a mistake in passing back to the defense. Morata intercepted and rushed into the penalty area, shooting with his left foot from 12 meters in front of the goal, but it missed the post. This was the best chance the Galaxy Warship had in the first half.
Regardless of whether it was Atletico or Real Madrid, both teams experienced significant energy consumption. As the first half gradually approached its end, the players' physical strength inevitably declined, and the pace of the game slowly slowed down.
Just as the Galaxy Warship thought they were about to complete the coach's tasks, and with a slight relaxation of their minds, the Bed Sheet Brigade dealt them a fatal blow.
In the 42nd minute, Gabi took a corner from the right side. Ramos cleared the ball to the first point, but failed to protect the second point. Juanfran headed it back into the penalty area.
Casillas, in a rush of blood to the head, chose to come out to catch the ball, but he was positioned a bit too far away. Godin stepped forward and jumped high ahead of him, heading the ball over the Spanish goalkeeper.
A surprised Saint Iker desperately tried to turn back and save it, but it was too late. The ball bounced and rolled into the right side of the net.
"The ball's in! Atletico takes the lead with a corner kick opportunity, breaking the deadlock first!"
"It's unbelievable. Casillas made a misjudgment in handling the ball. He shouldn't have chosen to come out at this time."
"Not only was the distance too far, but there were also his own defensive players obstructing the landing spot. Even if he managed to get there, it would have been difficult to secure the ball."
"We originally thought that the Bed Sheet Brigade would be at a disadvantage without Diego Costa, but they unexpectedly took the lead first. Now the Galaxy Warship is in trouble."
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