The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1 Chapter 197

How to deal with Gao.

This is the defensive problem for every coaching staff in Ligue 1 right now.

However,

The situation is that Gao hasn’t even played, and Bastia’s offense is already unstoppable.

“Go Nice, oh hey!

Eagles soar above the Allianz Riviera

Riding the winds of the Maritime Alps

We will raise glory to the sky…”

Down by two goals, Nice fans weren’t overly disappointed. Like Bastia fans in the previous two seasons, when they had seen a deeper night, a glimmer of light was also dawn.

Beep!

The halftime whistle blew.

Both teams returned to their locker rooms to prepare for the second half.

The Bastia players looked relatively relaxed.

The Nice players, however, looked quite grim.

No one wants to lose at home.

Gao greeted his starting teammates one by one in the player tunnel.

When he saw De Bruyne, his smile grew wider, “You’re a bit over the top tonight, one goal and one assist.”

De Bruyne wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled as well, “Not bad, but if Romelu could seize opportunities better, I could have two more assists.”

Haha.

Both of them laughed.

Lukaku, at some crucial moments, indeed had a problem with efficiency, but when facing weaker teams, he was simply a master of bullying.

In the past six rounds, Lukaku scored five goals, only failing to score in the match against Paris.

It must be said that after De Bruyne and Lukaku came to Ligue 1, their stats were quite impressive.

However, some media also said that this was because Ligue 1 lacked competitiveness.

Indeed,

Due to poor European performance last season, Ligue 1’s European coefficient has been surpassed by the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Many fans say that Ligue 1 no longer deserves to be one of the top five leagues.

Especially fans of the Premier League and La Liga, they feel very superior when facing Ligue 1.

In the eyes of some extreme English and Spanish fans, even relegation teams from England and Spain could qualify for the Champions League in Ligue 1.

“We scored two goals, which looks good, but as long as we are on the field, we can never relax. We must put ourselves in a losing position to play! Always be prepared for the worst-case scenario to defend!”

In the locker room, Hatzibegic repeatedly emphasized defense, as the offense didn’t worry him much.

“Kante, you’re doing well, but after you get the ball, don’t always clear it with a long kick. Learn from Rothen and Kevin how to better control the tempo. Of course, this is a requirement for your training; on the field, it’s safer to play it safe…”

Kante nodded. He was currently a pure defensive sweeper in the midfield.

The delicate work in the midfield was handled by Rothen and De Bruyne.

“And Ilan, don’t hold onto the ball. Play simple and efficient! I’ll give you the last twenty minutes. Use all your energy to relentlessly attack the opponent!”

“Okay!”

Ilan replied firmly.

But while he said it, he felt a bit helpless. Gao held onto the ball so much, and Hatzibegic wouldn’t say anything, but he finally got a chance to play, and if he dribbled a bit more, he’d be told he was holding onto the ball…

In fact, Hatzibegic didn’t have much expectation for him.

Ilan was a typical old hand on the field, the kind who would just coast through the day.

He was also a typical Brazilian player.

He had skills with his feet, but his team cooperation was average, and his discipline was very weak, resisting high-intensity training.

Ilan had previously played for Sochaux, Saint-Étienne, and Ajaccio in Ligue 1.

He also played for West Ham United in the Premier League.

It can only be said that he was mediocre.

However, Bastia spent too much money this summer, and he was only brought in as a substitute for Gao, plus he was a free transfer, so Hatzibegic didn’t care much.

After explaining the second half, Hatzibegic found Gao alone.

“I’m only confident with you on the right wing. You’ll probably come on around the 70th minute, I’ll give you twenty minutes. This time, be careful. Deschamps has called the club many times, hoping we ensure your health.

He cares about you, and so do we.”

Gao nodded and replied, “I will be careful and try to avoid it.”

Hatzibegic patted Gao, “Last season you only played less than half a season. Now you have a full season. I think you understand that a long season with so many games is a challenge for everyone. The moment you embark on your professional path, you have to get used to it.”

After a pause, Hatzibegic continued, “And, you are now a star player. Deschamps wants to use you, we want to use you, the fans want to see you. Everyone wishes you could play ninety minutes every game. This is the price of strength.”

Halftime ended.

Both teams returned to the field.

Nice coach Claude Puel must have boosted morale at halftime. Gao could clearly see that the Nice players’ spirit was completely different from when the half ended.

Beep!

The match continued.

Nice players showed great enthusiasm at the start, continuously pressing Bastia.

Both sides attacked and defended, back and forth.

But the score on the field remained unchanged.

The TF 1 commentator said, “Puel’s approach is correct, using fierce attacks to impact Bastia’s defense. Currently, Bastia’s lineup has obvious top-heaviness. Their offensive ability in the midfield and front is very strong, but their defense is relatively weak.

Bastia’s strongest defensive area is Rothen and Kante, this old and new defensive midfield duo.

If it weren’t for them neutralizing most of the attacks, with Bastia’s Ligue 2-era defense, plus Bastia’s goalkeeper Noves often not being very reliable, they would concede more goals.

Currently, Bastia already has the strongest attacking firepower in Ligue 1, and one of the top three in terms of goals conceded…”

Clap clap clap!

At 60 minutes, in the away section of the Allianz Riviera, Bastia fans applauded wildly.

Gao, wearing a training vest, was warming up on the sidelines!

Modoso was very excited and turned to shout at everyone behind him, “Gao is here! Roar!”

The voices of five hundred people suddenly rose – “Gao!!”

This sound,

startled many Nice fans, who turned to look at the away section, a surge of blue.

Gao waved to the away section in response.

This drew even more enthusiastic cheers.

The Ligue 1 broadcast camera even gave a special close-up to Gao and the excited Bastia fans.

The commentator laughed, “Today’s Gao is undoubtedly Bastia’s top star. Just hearing his name, Bastia fans automatically conjure up those shining moments and become hot-blooded.

Gao’s appearance is a good thing for Bastia, but for Nice, it’s definitely not good news.

Nice can still stop Ilan’s breakthroughs with one-on-one defense, allowing more manpower to be put into the offense.

With Gao on the field, Nice must send more people to defend him.

So, what about the offense?”