The Champions League semi-finals were coming!
Arsenal was prepared for the battle.
Wenger was full of confidence at the pre-match press conference. He said loudly, "After a long and arduous period of hard work, Arsenal has reached the most crucial moment in both the Premier League and the Champions League. I believe in my lads. They are ready to win glory for Arsenal and prove to the world Arsenal's strength. We will not underestimate any opponent. Our pursuit is to do our best!"
Wenger said what all the Arsenal players were thinking.
Perhaps at the end of the season, their feelings would be complicated. They were looking forward to it, excited, nervous and worried. But all these were normal. What they had to do now was to do their best!
Difficult times were easier to stimulate the team's cohesiveness. No matter what difficulties Arsenal experienced this season, the team was unprecedentedly united!
It was this unity that made the entire Arsenal team twist into a rope and work together to overcome the difficulties!
Ashley Cole and Campbell still had not returned to the starting lineup. Their condition was still recovering. The crucial match was right in front of them. Wenger would not rashly increase the pressure on the players and the entire team. Sometimes, he lacked the spirit to take risks. But now was not the time to take risks!
On the night of the match, Highbury was unprecedentedly grand. Countless fans held up homemade slogans and banners in the stands. There were memories of the star players, moments of great matches, and also support for the star players. But what made the fans feel the most was the fans' love for Highbury!
They were deeply attached to this stadium.
Arsenal had already announced that they would move to a new stadium next season!
The countdown to the farewell to Highbury began.
And in terms of the Champions League, today would be Arsenal's last European match at Highbury!
An era, a long memory, was coming to an end!
Qin Xiong followed behind Henry and entered the stadium. He had not reached the level of unforgettable feelings for Highbury. He had only been here for two years. To him, Highbury was still the Emirates Stadium next season. He had not yet condensed the impulse to "part forever".
However, when he looked around the stadium and saw that the Gunners' fans were nostalgic for Highbury, his heartstrings would be slightly tugged.
Highbury was his first step into the heart of European football.
Here, he was recognized and transformed from a superstar to a first-rate star. Perhaps in another two years, as long as he maintained the performance of these two seasons, he would be an undisputed superstar!
Retracting his gaze, Qin Xiong's fighting spirit was boundless, and his expression was dignified like a war god.
Arsenal naturally attached unprecedented importance to the Champions League semi-finals.
Their opponent, Villarreal, was playing in an away game today. They could not send out their strongest lineup because of their injury. This was an opportunity for Arsenal. It was a God-given opportunity for Arsenal to advance to the finals and take the lead!
They had to seize the opportunity. If they could not establish an advantage at home, who would dare to say that the battle at El Madrigal Stadium would be easier than the battle at Bernabéu?
"The first leg of the Champions League semi-finals is about to begin. Arsenal and Villarreal, who are making it to the semi-finals for the first time in history, are going head-to-head against each other. Both teams have never made it to the Champions League semi-finals before. No matter who is standing in the end and who is lying down, both teams have created club history and deserve our applause and our highest respect!
Such a breakthrough is an admirable achievement.
Arsenal had been plagued by injuries this season. The fans must have been deeply impressed by Qin Xiong and Henry's alternating performances in the early and middle stages of the season. It was the individual performances of the two key star players that allowed Arsenal to persist until the end of the season. Not only were they at the top of the league in the league, but they were also able to make a new breakthrough in the Champions League!
Now Arsenal's situation had improved. Campbell and Ashley Cole had recovered from their injuries, but for the sake of caution, Wenger still put the two main players on the substitute list.
Villarreal's situation was the opposite. They were playing in an away game with a broken lineup.
The goalkeeper, Viera, was suspended. Gonzalo, their preferred center back partner, had to retire for the season due to injury. Bolivia's national player, Pena, had injured his knee against Barcelona. The absence of these three defenders was fatal!
The only worry for Villarreal today was the problem of the defense. Could they withstand Arsenal's crazy and sharp attacks?
Arsenal started 4-5-1 today.
Goalkeeper: Lehmann.
Defenders: Eboue, Touré, Senderos, Flamini.
Midfielders: Ljungberg, Fàbregas, Qin Xiong, Silva, Pires.
Striker: Henry.
Villarreal started 4-4-2.
Goalkeeper: Barbosa.
Defenders: Venta, Álvarez, Arsu, Aruabarrena.
Midfielders: Tacchinardi, Senna, Riquelme, Sorin.
Strikers: José Mari, Forlan.
The game is about to start. Arsenal will kick off first! "
Villarreal could be said to have relied on the South American gang to go from a newly promoted team in La Liga to a stage that was one step away from the top of Europe in less than 10 years.
Riquelme was the core. Forlan, Senna, Sorin, Aruabarrena and the others were all born in South America, including their manager, the Chilean engineer, Pellegrini. This may have been a gamble by the Villarreal club, but it created an unprecedented glory!
Due to the problems in the rear defensive line in this game, Pellegrini's line-up was actually very focused on defense.
For example, the left midfielder, Sorin, was a winger who was good at both offense and defense. He also played as a full back in the Argentina national team.
Pellegrini obviously paid attention to the protection of the flanks. Senna was in the middle to defend, and Tacchinardi was next to him. They paid attention to the defense in the penalty area. In fact, they did not defend against Pires, but they held the main pass for the wingers to cut inside.
After the game started, Qin Xiong was opposite Riquelme.
Arsenal carried out a probing attack at the start of the game.
Qin Xiong was originally very concerned about Riquelme in the midfield. At least he would be very concerned when attacking.
Because in a frontal attack, his opponent was a defensive midfielder. But if the opponent like Lampard, Gerard, or Scholes, who focused on defense, or even attacking midfielders, came back to defend and harassed Qin Xiong from behind. This would certainly make it very difficult for him to attack head-on.
But what surprised Qin Xiong was that Riquelme almost did not interfere with him.
The other side would follow a few steps symbolically. After Qin Xiong ran nimbly, Riquelme simply stopped following.
Qin Xiong did not know that Riquelme was a classical attacking midfielder. He lacked speed and explosive power, and his physical fitness was not particularly strong. His enthusiasm for participating in the defense was pitifully limited.
This discovery made Qin Xiong even more confident about the game!
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