Football: Invincible starting from krypton gold

Chapter 89 The Second UEFA Cup Group Match

Bundesliga No.16 round is all over with the end of the match between Mainz and Hertha Berlin. Mainz defeated Hertha Berlin 2-1 in the away game, and Bayern also won the match against Schalke 04 at home in another focus match. Although these two focus matches in this round did not bring changes to the current top three standings, they gave Mainz fans some hope. These hopes were never imagined by everyone in Mainz. turning point.

After sixteen rounds, Schalke 04 still occupies the top spot, followed by Hertha Berlin, Mainz is still third, and Bayern Munich has been placed fourth.

At the post-match press conference between Mainz and Hertha Berlin, Klopp solemnly issued Mainz’s championship declaration to reporters for the first time: “There are still two more games before the winter break. Based on our current points, I think we should be able to say that we have achieved the goals we set before, but what should we do with half the season left? People can’t live without pursuit. In the second half of the season, I hope that we can become second in Kaiserslautern. We also hope that we can be written in the history of the Bundesliga. When I mentioned the 04-05 season, I would think of a team like Mainz, they were united, they were young, and they had a fearless heart, so once again I want to tell everyone that if Mainz still has a goal in the second half of the season, it will be the Bundesliga champion."

Klopp's declaration of winning the championship immediately caused an uproar in Germany. Although Mainz has already ranked third after the [-]th round, most media reporters still can't accept the idea of ​​Mainz winning the championship. A dark horse is a dark horse, and a strong team is a strong team.

Therefore, on the second day after the game, many media regarded Klopp's declaration of winning the championship as an expression of arrogance and arrogance, thinking that Mainz would definitely fall into the mundane world, with insufficient background and insufficient bench thickness. These shortcomings of Mainz were once again magnified by the media in front of the public.

However, these voices of criticism have not affected Mainz’s preparations at all. There are still two rounds of the Bundesliga before the winter break, but Mainz has two UEFA Cup group matches to play. Klopp is now very fortunate to be eliminated early on his side in the German Cup, otherwise the team really can’t cope with the current configuration.

During this period of time, Klopp has found some objects through scouts to enrich the team's bench thickness.

The No.17 round of the league was postponed to November 11 due to the international match day, and Mainz's second UEFA Cup group match will start on November 17. This time Mainz will play against Alkmaar in the Eredivisie at home.For the fans of Mainz, this will be the first UEFA Cup group match at their home stadium, so the match day is no less than a festival for the fans of Mainz, because every step forward in the UEFA Cup now is making history.

Soon time came to the day of the game, and there were still nearly three hours before the start of the game, but the fans of Mainz had already appeared in the square in front of the stadium impatiently. Looking around, they were basically all home team fans wearing red jerseys.

Alkmaar was established in 1965, referred to as AZ. The current head coach is the famous Dutch coach Van Gaal. Since Van Gaal took office, Alkmaar has gradually surpassed the Big Three in the Eredivisie.

As the official start of the game is approaching, fans have begun to enter the stadium. Since the fans started to enter the stadium, the singing and cheering in the stadium have not stopped. At this time, there is still half an hour before the start of the game. In the locker rooms of the two teams, the two head coaches are making the final arrangement and mobilization.

"Guys, this is our first Uefa Cup group match at home. Our fans treat today as a festival. Now is the time to tell our fans that their choice is correct. Today is our festival. You should be able to understand that if we can win this game, then for us, we have an absolute advantage in this group. We are still the same as before. After the opening, we will attack first, and after 10 minutes, no matter what the result is, we must withdraw. The opponent is a veteran player in the Eredivisie. They have a lot of experience in the game, but they have a shortcoming, that is, they will be very slow in the away game. If we can advance one in front, then the game will be easier to play. In the end, Demi, you and Knight must pay attention to the opponent's counterattack. Come on, boys, kill them!"

"Kill them!"

Under the urging of the referee, the players of the two teams stood in the player tunnel and waited to play. Under the leadership of the referee, the two teams entered the stadium. The Mainz fans at the scene immediately stood up and gave every player applause and cheers. Among them, Chen Xiao's cheers were the highest in the audience.

After a brief entrance ceremony, the two sides exchanged team flags, shook hands, guessed sides, and finally stood in their own positions, waiting for the referee's whistle.

Today Mainz still chose their strongest main lineup as the starting lineup, and Alkmaar's lineup is: goalkeeper Timur, four defenders are Jelliens, Opdamm, Dezeu, and De Claire, three midfielders are Van Galen, Lanzat, and Shas, and three forwards are Perez, Averazer, and Sekdioyu.

Alkmaar under Van Gaal's coaching is a typical 433 formation. The core of the team is the connection between the two midfielders, Lanzat and Perez.Therefore, Klopp attaches great importance to Alkmaar. He only gave the team 10 minutes to attack, because he was worried about being successfully counterattacked by the opponent.

After confirmation by the referee and the fourth official on the sidelines, the referee finally blew the whistle in his mouth to signal the official start of the game.

From the very beginning of the game, Klopp stood on the sidelines and watched the game nervously.

(End of this chapter)