Although Wenger strongly hoped that Qin Xiong could bring improvement to Arsenal's control style of play, Qin Xiong definitely had all the qualities of this style, and Qin Xiong also performed very well in some games. Arsenal showed stronger control than before.
But in higher-level games, where the competition between the strong and the weak was balanced, this kind of control style of play could not bring more obvious advantages to Arsenal.
Because Qin Xiong was alone and could not make a difference.
No matter how different Arsenal's style of play was from the traditional English team, Arsenal still existed in the English Premier League.
Compared to the English Premier League teams, Arsenal was more meticulous, more technical, and showed a certain control ability. But compared to the European powerhouses, it was too difficult for Arsenal to try to control the game!
For example, Pires, Ljungberg, Reyes, and even Henry and Vieira, their style of play was almost fixed, and their playing habits were difficult to change. In the English Premier League, they could cater to Qin Xiong and establish a control advantage with a stronger technical advantage. But in the Champions League, facing the European powerhouses, if Arsenal thought that they could shape the game with ball control, then Wenger was dreaming.
Although Sneijder and van der Vaart were not necessarily better than Pires and Ljungberg in terms of overall quality, they were easier to mold in terms of playing habits, football thinking, and personal ability. They were not as mature as Pires and Ljungberg, who had a strong sense of self-assertion.
Wenger also saw this point, and did not expect Qin Xiong to work with his teammates to control the game when the team needed to "hold on to the fruits of victory." He chose the most traditional approach, which was to strengthen the defensive strength.
"Qin Xiong, who scored a hat-trick of assists, was replaced by Flamini. The Arsenal fans who came from afar stood up and applauded. They cheered for the Arsenal's hero! Qin Xiong's performance in this game is absolutely dazzling! The King of European football's newcomers used practical actions to prove that he is worthy of the honor of being the top new talent of the generation! "
When Qin Xiong walked onto the stage, Wenger smiled and walked up to him to pat Qin Xiong on the back.
Qin Xiong took the mineral water from the assistant coach and sat on the bench to watch the game.
Bayern Munich lacked the creativity to break down Arsenal's defensive line.
It could be said that Arsenal had switched to a 4-4-2 formation after Qin Xiong left the field.
The forwards were Reyes and Henry, two speedy players who only seized the opportunity to counterattack.
As for the midfield behind them, Ljungberg, Vieira, Silva, and Flamini all had sufficient defensive capabilities. Together with the defensive line, they formed two blockades to restrain Bayern Munich's offense and keep Bayern Munich at a distance of a thousand miles.
Before the end of the game, Arsenal almost had a chance to expand their lead.
Reyes, who was full of energy, had a one-on-one opportunity. Unfortunately, in front of the imposing Kahn, he did not take advantage of the opportunity. His shot was blocked by Kahn's leg.
Arsenal almost ended the suspense in the away game. Fortunately, when the final whistle sounded, the score of 3: 2 was enough to satisfy Arsenal.
"In the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 18 finals, Arsenal unexpectedly defeated the Bundesliga's top team, Bayern Munich, in an away game! This result is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Bayern Munich. Their players and fans are very disappointed with this result. Arsenal now has the advantage. What will be the result of the battle at Highbury two weeks later? Let's wait and see! "
With the rise of Qin Xiong's status in the team, the club now asked him to be interviewed after the game. After all, the players could not always appear in front of the camera.
Qin Xiong came to the sidelines in a tight singlet and stood in front of the UEFA billboard to be interviewed by a slightly plump male reporter.
"First of all, congratulations to Arsenal for winning this game. In the game, you scored a hat-trick of assists and won the game at Munich's Olympic Stadium. How do you feel now?"
Qin Xiong shrugged and smiled faintly. "It was not easy to win, but we relied on unity and hard work, as well as an even more outstanding performance to win the game. This feeling is wonderful. After all, this is the knockout stage of the Champions League. Our opponent is the powerful and great Bayern Munich. This is my first time playing against them and beating them. The excitement is special, but I will control it."
"Why? Why do you have to control it? You look like you have already won the ticket to the Champions League quarter-finals. "
"No, this view is wrong. Bayern Munich is very strong. We have to be alert. Who wins and who loses depends on who plays better in the game. If we underestimate our opponent, we will lose miserably today. It will be the same in the next round. Football is played, not decided before the game."
"Do you think Arsenal has the ability to win the Champions League this season? In the history of Arsenal, we have never touched this great honor. "
Qin Xiong immediately nodded and said, "Of course, we have the ability to beat all of our opponents. But like I said, the game is played. We have to be alert at all times. We have the ability to win the final championship. Don't other teams have it? The other teams have it too. The key is how they play in the game. If we let down our guard and arrogantly think that we can easily win the Champions League, then we may be eliminated by Bayern Munich in the next round. "
.....
Qin Xiong knew that beating Bayern Munich 3: 2 in the away game was not enough to let Arsenal rest easy.
If Bayern Munich were to beat Arsenal 2: 0 in the next round at Highbury, was it impossible?
Football was played. No one was blindly confident and optimistic, especially when the opponent was strong enough.
Arsenal made a triumphant return to London. Fleet Street sang the praises of Arsenal's great victory. Qin Xiong and Henry were hailed as the "Dream Combination"!
The Times published the battle report with the title: "The Two Kings of the Arsenal Combine to Destroy the German Chariot!"
"The total number of assists in the Premier League and Champions League combined is 27. Qin Xiong is undoubtedly the leader in Europe in terms of assists this season, while Henry has scored 30 goals in all competitions. He is aiming for the European Golden Boot, the Premier League and Champions League's best scorer this season! Wenger is blessed. He has the best player in Europe in terms of assists and the best player in terms of scoring! Arsenal's fans can look forward to the arrival of the first ever Champions League title. They have the right to fantasize, because Arsenal is approaching perfection! "
The 'Star Newspaper's' report focused on analyzing Qin Xiong's style of play. "If we carefully observe the footwork that Qin Xiong has been using recently in his assists, we can see that he is trying to make an improvised passing style into his own style. That is, he will kick a straight curveball from the outside of his instep to the inside of his body, creating a preemptive interference and confusion for the defenders. He knows the Marseille Roundabout, but 99% of the world's football fans will think of Zidane when they hear the Marseille Roundabout. His curveball passes are also very impressive, but Beckham's Full Moon Scimitar is already unparalleled. He also knows the Elevator Ball free kick, but Juninho Jr., Pirlo, Albertini and other football stars have all reached the pinnacle of perfection in this Kung Fu. I believe that Qin Xiong is trying to create his own unique skill! Will it be this kind of frontal curveball with a curveball inside? He has the passing skills of a scalpel, and his grasp of timing is also amazing. Now, it's up to him to polish this skill and then brand it with his own name. If that's the case, he will no longer have the shadow of a master. He will be a master in the Grassi world with his own unique skill!
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