What Are You Doing, Guardiola!?

"CSKA Moscow is very bold, choosing to go head-to-head with Manchester City at the Etihad. This choice might actually work out for them!"

No sooner had He Wei finished speaking than Manchester City scored. In just the third minute, Lin dribbled into the box, dodged the goalkeeper, and scored with his first shot.

He Wei's expression turned awkward; the turnaround was too quick. Couldn't CSKA Moscow put up a bit of a struggle? Conceding so early, the match seemed lost already.

Xu Yang chuckled, "It seems their choice wasn't wise. They must not have watched City's last match."

"CSKA Moscow had no other choice. If they want to keep their qualification hopes alive, they had to go all out against City. If they lose this match, they can't realistically hope to beat Bayern Munich next time, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. Facing both City and Bayern is indeed too tough for the Russian champions!"

That's the plight of teams outside the top five European leagues; they often get grouped with powerhouse teams from those leagues. Against these top-tier teams, their chances of winning are very slim. In such cases, they can only go all out!

After falling behind, CSKA Moscow did not give up. Their players continued to fight hard, but against superior opponents, their efforts seemed futile. In the 20th minute, Aguero scored City's second goal, extending the lead. Ten minutes later, Yaya Touré scored, putting City up 3-0. This game felt much like their previous match against Norwich, except they scored even earlier!

Seeing their team dominate the Russian champions, the City fans in attendance were ecstatic. With the score at 3-0 in just thirty minutes, they were confident of a win, which would mean securing qualification two rounds early. After failing to progress from the group stage twice in a row, they were finally breaking through!

In the VIP box, Mansour was also feeling emotional. When he first bought City, he thought his financial strength would quickly lead to success in football. But reality soon humbled him. Despite their wealth, top players didn't want to join City. They had to pay above market prices for non-top-tier players, leading to a lot of wasted money. Initially, the stars they bought, like Robinho, either didn't fit in or were simply not good enough. In the first three years of the Abu Dhabi group's ownership, City spent a lot but saw slow progress in their results. It wasn't until the fourth year, thanks to Aguero's last-minute goal, that they narrowly won a league title from Manchester United.

By then, Mansour had already invested over £1 billion in City. Winning a title for a certain amount of money would be acceptable, but City's repeated failures in the Champions League group stage showed him that winning the Champions League isn't just about money. You need the best players, the best coach, and the right tactics. Even then, it's only a chance. There are too many strong teams in Europe, and football isn't just about strength on paper; luck and form also play significant roles, which are uncontrollable factors. In these circumstances, money's effectiveness diminishes.

"I hope we can go further in the Champions League this year!"

Mansour didn't expect to win the Champions League this year; he knew his team's capabilities. City lacked the champion's aura. They needed to establish themselves as a powerhouse in the Premier League before they could aim for the Champions League title. This year, just breaking out of the group stage and achieving a historic breakthrough would be enough. If they could reach the quarter-finals, that would be even better.

He planned to buy more players during the winter break. With David Silva's injury leaving Lin to handle all the creative work upfront, though Lin managed it well, it limited his attacking abilities. With Messi and Ronaldo racking up stats, Mansour didn't want Lin to be held back by the team's platform. He wanted to provide Lin with a better platform to fully showcase his potential. So, he aimed to bring in a good playmaker to provide service to Lin. He had a few targets in mind: Cesc Fàbregas from Barcelona, Luka Modrić from Real Madrid, and Toni Kroos from Bayern. Of the three, Mansour preferred Fàbregas because he had proven himself in the Premier League and would need less time to adapt. Also, Fàbregas's position at Barcelona was unstable, making him the easiest to buy. If he could bring Fàbregas to the Etihad, once David Silva returned from injury, City would have four Spanish players in their midfield, creating an unstoppable force in the Premier League, if not Europe.

Despite trailing by three goals, CSKA Moscow showed real grit. Instead of crumbling, they played even more decisively. In the last minute of the first half, they caught City off guard, and Ivorian striker Doumbia scored, making it 3-1. While this goal didn't change the outcome of the match, it was significant for City's goal difference.

Pellegrini was furious about the goal and vented his anger in the locker room, directing it at Fernandinho. The Brazilian had lost his man in the crucial moment and was slow to track back, making him the main culprit for the goal. If Pellegrini had criticized him privately, Fernandinho might have accepted it. But being criticized in front of the entire team made him feel humiliated, leading him to argue back, which only angered Pellegrini more. Feeling his authority was being challenged, Pellegrini immediately substituted Fernandinho with Milner.

Such a substitution can be a huge blow to a player. Typically, a mid-game substitution indicates dissatisfaction with tactics or a player's performance. At first, the outside world didn't know what was happening at City, but seeing Milner come on without a change in formation or tactics, they realized Pellegrini was upset with Fernandinho. 

"What's going on with City? Why are they making a change so early?"

"I don't know. I don't see Fernandinho on the bench. Could he have had a dispute with Pellegrini?"

"Very likely. Let's go check outside the stadium. If we can interview Fernandinho, we'll have the headline for tomorrow!"

Some sharp reporters, sensing something unusual, ran out to find Fernandinho instead of watching the game.

...

Fernandinho's substitution didn't affect City much; in fact, Milner's energy helped them dominate the right flank. In the 55th minute, City extended their lead again. Lin, dribbling down the left, exchanged passes with Aguero several times. Noticing only one defender marking Aguero, he began to make a run. Lin was still far from the goal, and Aguero's smart movement didn't draw much attention, with only one defender marking him. Spotting the defensive gap, Lin delivered a trademark low, 45-degree pass across the ground, bypassing the defenders and reaching Aguero's feet.

"Great pass!"

Seeing Lin's brilliant assist, He Wei couldn't help but shout, startling Xu Yang beside him.

"Here it is, Lin's signature 45-degree diagonal pass. He used this kind of pass many times to assist his teammates in the Bundesliga. In the Premier League, teams familiar with Lin usually don't give him space for such passes, but CSKA Moscow seems unaware, giving Lin too much space. It's a huge mistake!"

Aguero comfortably received Lin's pass. The ball's unusual trajectory caught the defenders off guard, leaving Aguero unmarked. He calmly tapped the ball past the goalkeeper, completing his brace. As Aguero celebrated, he pointed to Lin and ran towards him. Lin thought Aguero wanted a hug but was surprised when Aguero knelt in front of him in a mock bow.

"You don't have to go that far!"

Lin laughed, pulling Aguero up.

"How did you make that pass? It was amazing!"

Aguero asked, putting his arm around Lin's shoulder.

"It's like taking a free kick, keeping the ball at a certain height off the ground."

Lin made it sound simple, but Aguero found it difficult. The ball tends to drop due to gravity, so to maintain such a low height, the initial kick height must be carefully controlled. Yet, Lin's pass wasn't that high to begin with!

Some players pick up this skill quickly, like De Bruyne, while others, like Werder Bremen teammates, struggled. Lin shared the technique, but only De Bruyne mastered it, highlighting the role of natural talent. If a player can't replicate the pass, there's nothing Lin can do.

City's attack continued because the goal conceded in the first half meant they needed more goals. The score was only 4-1, and they needed a bigger goal difference!

"What's the score in Bayern's game?"

Pellegrini asked his assistant out of curiosity. This round's matches were all played simultaneously, and while City seemed to have secured their win, he wondered if Bayern had faced any surprises. If Bayern lost, City could secure the group's top spot early! However, expecting a team that recently beat Bayern 5-0 to defeat them was unrealistic.

"Uh, it's 0-0!"

The assistant coach called Manchester City's scouts in the Czech Republic, who provided the latest information.

"0-0?"

Pellegrini couldn't believe his ears.

What was going on with Bayern? Despite playing away, they shouldn't be unable to score for over fifty minutes! They had stars like Ribery, Robben, and Götze!

"Yes, it seems Guardiola used a strange formation, and the other team set up a tight defense. Bayern can't find a way to score, and the game is still at a stalemate

."

Hearing this, Pellegrini was momentarily speechless.

So, while City was working hard on goal difference, Bayern wasn't even scoring? Guardiola, what are you doing? Do you think Bayern can definitely beat City in the last game? Even if they win the last game, if they draw or lose to Viktoria Plzeň, how will they compete with City for the top spot?

"Could it be that Guardiola thinks finishing top isn't important and wants to test new tactics before the knockout stages?"

Someone speculated, and everyone agreed.

"Sounds reasonable. Let's get more details from our people!"

...

At the Doosan Arena in Plzeň, Guardiola scratched his head as he looked at the 0-0 scoreline. The strikerless formation seemed not to be working for Bayern. Götze and Müller couldn't replicate Messi's role at Barcelona, making Bayern's attack look awkward.

On Bayern Munich's bench, Mario Mandzukic sat with a disgruntled look. He couldn't understand why, despite his good performances in the league and Champions League, Guardiola kept benching him. Bayern had no striker on the field! How could a team play without a forward? Mandzukic felt his position in the team had plummeted. Last season, he was a key player in Bayern's title win, and Heynckes valued him highly. Mandzukic felt great in his first season at Bayern. His excellent performances made him think he could end his career at Allianz Arena. But after being benched repeatedly, he was having second thoughts. He wanted to serve Bayern, but Guardiola wasn't using him! Did they expect him to sit on the bench forever, becoming a club legend by staying on the sidelines? Maybe it was time to find a team where he could play regularly after the World Cup.

Lost in thought, Mandzukic was jolted back by Boateng's nudge.

"Mario, the coach is calling you!"

Boateng, also benched, saw Guardiola calling and nudged Mandzukic.

"Huh? What's up?"

Mandzukic looked towards Boateng, confused.

Boateng saw Guardiola looking their way and quickly signaled to Mandzukic.

"Mario, go warm up. The team needs you!"

Only then did Mandzukic hear Guardiola calling his name. Hearing the last part, he quickly stood up, took off his jacket, and ran to warm up.

Finally, he was getting a chance to play! There were still 55 minutes left, plenty of time! After sending Mandzukic to warm up, Guardiola also called up Martínez, indicating a double substitution. Seeing this, Bayern's players on the field felt the pressure. Under Guardiola, except for Neuer, no one's starting position was guaranteed. Guardiola loved to change formations, leaving players unsure of their roles in each game.

Four minutes later, the substitutions were made. Mandzukic came on for the underperforming Thomas Müller, and Martínez replaced the similarly lost Kroos. The substitutions didn't sit well with Bayern fans, who had a soft spot for Müller and Kroos, both homegrown talents. They didn't mind substitutions but felt Guardiola was targeting their own youth players.

Mandzukic didn't care about this. After high-fiving the dejected Müller, he eagerly took the field, seizing every attacking opportunity, running, pressing, and challenging in the front line. With the game over 60 minutes and Viktoria Plzeň's players tiring under Bayern's pressure, Mandzukic's physical strength, energy, and strong mentality gave Bayern a much-needed boost. His impact was felt quickly. In the 64th minute, he outjumped the defenders to head the ball into the net.

Just five minutes after coming on, Mandzukic had scored. The commentators, Bayern fans, and many players thought Guardiola's substitution was a masterstroke. However, Guardiola himself smiled wryly, feeling his reforms at Bayern had half-failed!