Liverpool's recent form was unbelievably crazy.
Comain said half-jokingly at the post-match press conference, "I really hope the team's form can continue until the end of the season and not fluctuate. If that's the case, we'll suffer a big loss!"
The "loss" he was referring to was if the team's form slipped in the later key games, then the team's crazy form to defeat Manchester City would not be worth the loss.
Compared to Comain's relaxed side, Mancini's post-match press conference was like a memorial service.
Mancini took the initiative to take responsibility after the game. He admitted that he made a lot of mistakes, which led to Liverpool's easy home victory.
"We didn't get into the game in the first 20 minutes of the game, and Liverpool played very well during that time. I made a lot of mistakes tonight, and it's my fault. The players could have done better, but I made a mistake. I apologize to the fans because we only got into the rhythm of the game 20 minutes after the start of the game. "
"Liverpool got into the game very quickly. They were very strong at home, and we gave them a lot of chances early on. After that, we started to get into the game, but not in the first 20 minutes. This weekend, the other competitors won. For us, winning this game is very important, but now it's important that we forget this game and get ready for the FA Cup semi-final this weekend. "
Just 16 minutes after the start of the game, Manchester City's number one killer, Tevez, had to be replaced by Balotelli because of a ligament injury.
Mancini confirmed that unless a miracle happened, Tevez would definitely miss the FA Cup semi-final against his former club, Manchester United.
"That's his ligament problem. I think it'll be difficult for him to make it in time for Saturday's game. We only have five days to prepare before the semi-final. We hope Tevez can play, but he'll probably have to be out for two weeks. "
The other games in the same round ended early.
Manchester United won 2: 0 at home against Fulham.
Chelsea won 1: 0 at home against Wigan Athletic.
Arsenal defeated Blackpool 3: 1 in the away game.
After 32 rounds, the competition in the Champions League area changed.
Liverpool 78 points.
Manchester United 66 points.
Arsenal 62 points.
Chelsea 59 points.
Manchester City 57 points.
Tottenham 53 points.
There were six rounds left in the Premier League. The competition between Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur had become the biggest attraction in the closing stages of the Premier League.
Following Suárez's excellent form after integrating into Liverpool, Fleet Street exclaimed: Who is Torres?!
When Torres was sent away in the winter transfer window, the fans were still questioning the Liverpool board's decision. But more than three months later, people quickly forgot about Torres, who had almost disappeared from Stamford Bridge. Liverpool made a big profit from this deal!
The second leg of the UEFA Champions League 14 finals followed.
Comain led the team to Ukraine. At the pre-match press conference, due to Liverpool's huge lead, the total score of 6: 1 was definitely difficult for Shakhtar Donetsk to make a comeback. Comain did not avoid this point.
"We have a big lead, which makes it easier for us to face tomorrow's game. But we will still be vigilant to avoid becoming the biggest joke in the history of the Champions League."
If Liverpool were to make a comeback, it was bound to go down in history and would be mentioned repeatedly by the fans for a long time. It would be a humiliating event. Comain had to find ways to avoid this no matter what.
Therefore, he brought along the main players, Qin Xiong, Gerard and Alonso, to be ready to deploy in time to control the situation when the situation on the field showed signs of unfavorable signs.
Shakhtar Donetsk was very pessimistic. Although the manager said before the game that he would try his best to win and show the strength of Ukrainian football, the European media did not pay attention to Shakhtar Donetsk's fighting spirit. It was just a last-ditch struggle.
On the night of April 13, Shakhtar Donetsk's home stadium was not full.
Even if the opponent was the famous Red Army Liverpool in Europe, the Ukrainian fans appeared to be dispirited.
The fiasco in the first leg made the second leg lose its suspense. The pain from a week ago had not been healed. Only a few people still walked into the stadium with a firm New Year's spirit to cheer for their beloved team.
Shakhtar Donetsk's main force naturally came out in full force, while Liverpool's side held back.
Kuyt, who had recovered from his injury, was in the starting lineup and cooperated with Raúl to attack.
Young players Sterling, Tiote, Meireles and Mascherano formed the midfield.
Aurelio, Agger, Carragher and Kelly formed Liverpool's defensive line.
For today's game, Comain rotated most of the main players to rest.
At the start of the game, Shakhtar Donetsk attacked fiercely, while Liverpool played defensive counterattack honestly.
Perhaps because they were not used to the Eastern European climate, Liverpool did not perform well at the start of the game. There were many mistakes in passing and receiving. In the 21st minute of the game, Shakhtar Donetsk tore apart Liverpool's defense on the right flank.
Douglas Costa made a solo surprise attack. He cut inside and broke through Aurelio before cutting into the end line. He swept the ball to the front of the goal. Adriano, who was flanking in the middle, received the ball and shot, which was blocked by Reina. However, Judson, who followed up from behind, shot the ball into the goal.
Shakhtar Donetsk pulled a goal back at home. After breaking the goal, it seemed that Shakhtar Donetsk's morale was greatly boosted.
After the fierce attack, they did not expect Liverpool's young winger, Sterling, to have good personal ability. In a long-distance raid, Sterling pushed the attack almost 40 yards before he passed the ball back to the top of the penalty area arc. Meireles plugged in and sent a straight pass to Kuyt.
Kuyt's single shot diagonally to the goal was a selfless cross pass to assist.
Raúl broke the goal in the middle and hit the empty goal.
Liverpool equalized the score in the 30th minute of the game.
Shakhtar Donetsk felt a little powerless.
But they continued to attack wildly. In Anfield, they had been beaten black and blue. Even their dignity was left in England.
If they could not play with momentum back at home, then it would have a huge impact on their own self-esteem.
Before the end of the first half, Srna and Costa combined on the flank and passed the ball from the bottom. Adriano headed the ball in the penalty area and scored a goal!
Carragher's explosive power dropped and he could not keep up at the crucial moment. Agger's starting position was not good and he could not block it even if he wanted to.
During the halftime interval, Comain encouraged the team. At present, with a total score of 7: 3, Liverpool still had a huge advantage. As long as the opponent did not score four goals in a row in the second half, then Liverpool's advancement to the Champions League semi-finals was a sure thing.
In the second half, the two sides changed sides again. Liverpool paid more attention to defense, while Shakhtar Donetsk continued to strengthen their offense. They raced against time to create offense, trying to complete a miracle that everyone thought was impossible.
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