The Father-Son Battle with Guardiola (Part 2)

The Audi Cup schedule was very tight, so as not to affect the teams' preparations. Four teams played four matches in just two days. The advantage was saving time; the disadvantage was significantly increasing the players' workload.

After the first day's matches, the final took place the next day, giving the main players little rest time. However, Manchester City seemed to have a slight advantage. Their match ended a few hours earlier than Bayern's, giving them extra rest.

First up was the third-place match between AC Milan and São Paulo. With a goal from Kevin-Prince Boateng, AC Milan narrowly won, securing third place in the Audi Cup.

After that match, it was time for Bayern Munich versus Manchester City.

Guardiola made significant changes to Bayern's lineup. Götze and new summer signing Thiago started, with Schweinsteiger on the bench. Both wingers, Robben and Ribéry, also started, and last season's main defensive midfielder, Javi Martínez, was moved to center back.

This bold move raised expectations for the adjustments' effectiveness.

The result...

After 25 minutes of the first half, the score was 0-1, with Manchester City leading.

Martínez performed well as a center back, and his excellent passing ability improved Bayern's attack. Neuer no longer had to kick long; he could pass to Martínez, who would advance the ball to the midfielders. This freed the defensive midfielders from dropping back to receive the ball, allowing them to push forward and increase the number of players attacking in the opponent's half, putting more pressure on the opposition.

However, Manchester City played a counter-attacking strategy. Their three front players were small, fast, and skillful in dribbling and passing. When Bayern's midfielders pressed forward, City could exploit the space left behind.

In the 25th minute, Manchester City seized the opportunity with a textbook counterattack, ending with Lin scoring to change the score.

This goal didn't surprise many. Lin had often scored against Bayern while at Werder Bremen, and now at Manchester City, he was on a higher platform. But they didn't expect Bayern to concede first, which was contrary to many pre-match predictions.

"What is Guardiola doing? Experimenting? Why put Martínez in defense? Isn't that foolish?"

"Yeah, Martínez performs well in defense, but his physical strength and wide coverage make him more effective as a defensive midfielder!"

"Did Guardiola get cocky after beating São Paulo? If this continues, Manchester City will win!"

Online criticism of Guardiola's new strategy began to emerge. People could accept new things but not failure. If Guardiola's new strategy showed clear results and helped Bayern easily defeat their opponents, the critics would turn into supporters.

Guardiola clapped for Lin's goal but stopped when he noticed the shocked Bayern fans around him. Realizing he was Bayern's head coach, he quickly adjusted.

"Ahem, adjust the formation. Move Martínez back to defensive midfield, let Götze organize the attack, and Müller make forward runs!"

After the initial failure, Guardiola wasn't stubborn. He realized his experiment hadn't achieved the desired effect.

"It seems this idea is still immature. It's a bit risky to try it now."

Guardiola thought quickly. He believed his idea was correct, but the execution needed work. After the match, he planned to research further and test it against weaker Bundesliga teams to gather data before using it against stronger opponents.

Asking him not to experiment and stick to successful tactics wasn't an option. If he didn't experiment, he wouldn't be Guardiola!

After adjusting the tactics, Bayern's players sighed in relief. They were not used to Guardiola's pressing style and felt uncomfortable with the new tactics. Returning to familiar strategies, they quickly regained their form.

In the 42nd minute, Thomas Müller seized an opportunity from a forward run, scoring to equalize.

The Bayern fans at Allianz Arena were relieved to see their team back to normal. But seeing Guardiola using Heynckes' tactics made them wonder why they hired Guardiola if he only followed the old ways.

Fans are hard to please. They complain about tactical reforms but are also unhappy with no changes.

Bayern's European champion status was still imposing. Manchester City, despite their improvements, showed many flaws against such a strong team. Lin hadn't spent much time at City, so he wasn't fully familiar with his teammates' playing styles, leading to mistakes in their cooperation.

Against weaker teams, these issues wouldn't be exposed, as they could rely on individual skills. But facing a team like Bayern, individual strength wasn't enough. Bayern's unchanged core lineup from their championship season meant their combat power remained high.

Bayern's defense had withstood Champions League tests, so breaking through was no easy task. City's players struggled to cooperate, failing to penetrate Bayern's defense. Bayern's wing attack, especially Robben and Ribéry, posed a significant challenge to City's defense.

Robben's inside cuts were unstoppable despite defenders knowing his move. Luckily, his shots today weren't on target, or City might have been trailing.

While Robben struggled, Ribéry was on fire. His breakthroughs on the right wreaked havoc on City's defense, causing their formation to split.

In the 67th minute, Ribéry's high-quality cross found Mandzukic, who headed the ball in, turning the score to 2-1 in Bayern's favor.

Seeing Bayern's increasing wing threat, Pellegrini adjusted City's defense to intercept wing plays better, reducing crossing chances.

But this left the middle vulnerable. Götze, who had been quiet for most of the game, became active in the 75th minute. In the 82nd minute, Götze's through ball found Mandzukic, who passed back to the advancing Müller. Müller's shot was saved by Hart but fell to Robben, whose low-quality shot still managed to find the net, increasing the lead to 3-1.

Even Robben was surprised it went in, celebrating his goal with a jump and fist pump.

City's players were frustrated. Their defense was to blame for leaving Müller unmarked, but Hart's mistake in not saving Robben's weak shot compounded the problem.

Lin, standing near the center circle with his hands on his hips, remembered a joke about Hart in Chinese football circles: "Even heaven would age, seeing Hart takes a shot." Hart seemed cursed when facing long shots, often conceding unexpected goals.

With little time left, City intensified their attack. Lin, realizing the lack of teamwork, decided to only cooperate with his national teammate David Silva. Their high mutual understanding allowed them to create significant pressure on Bayern's defense.

With Bayern focusing on Lin, Silva found opportunities. Guardiola had expected Lin's threat and planned to mark Silva closely, knowing his physical weakness compared to Lin.

Guardiola felt confident with his arrangements, but Lin's quick passing and Silva's awareness caught Bayern off guard.

In the 89th minute, after a series of wall passes with Silva, Lin reached the 30-meter danger zone. This was within his shooting range, and Bayern's players knew not to underestimate him. As four defenders closed in, Lin feigned a breakthrough, drawing them in before passing to Silva.

As Bayern's Alaba moved to intercept Silva, Silva let the ball go to Agüero, who struck it into the net, making it 3-2 and reigniting the match's suspense.