The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1 Chapter 202

“This way, Group B’s situation is actually clearer.”

The TF 1 commentator then briefly discussed the situations in the other groups from the previous round.

“Contrary to what most fans thought, where strong and weak teams are clearly divided, many of the strong teams in our eyes are actually struggling a bit in the Europa League. This also proves that every team that can play in European competitions is not weak.”

“Napoli, Atletico Madrid, and Liverpool all played well, winning by large margins.”

“However, Newcastle United, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Marseille, Tottenham, and Inter Milan all drew.”

“Especially Inter Milan, they drew 2- 2 at home with Rubin Kazan, which truly surprised many. Stramaccioni, who has never coached any first team, is causing this Serie A giant to lose its luster. He took over from Ranieri last season to lead the Nerazzurri, and their performance improved, eventually finishing sixth. However, this season their performance has started to decline. It’s hard to imagine that by the end of this season, Inter Milan might not have any European competitions to play in…”

Cesari Stadium.

De Bruyne took a free-kick, and in Hapoel Tel Aviv’s penalty area, it once again created chaos.

Lukaku signaled that the opponent might have committed a handball foul, but the referee ignored it.

The game continued.

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s offense mainly relied on possession and then wing attacks.

However,

Facing a midfield combination like De Bruyne, Kanté, and Rothen, Hapoel Tel Aviv couldn’t control the ball at all.

In the Israeli Premier League, they never played defensive counter-attacking football.

In fact,

Since Zahavi left Hapoel Tel Aviv, the team’s attacking imagination has been severely limited.

Dado’s tactics might still have some bright spots in offense, but the players’ limited abilities made them difficult to execute.

Especially the insufficient overall squad depth, the aging defensive system, and the fluctuating goalkeeper severely hampered their results.

This season in the Israeli Premier League, they have been surpassed by Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa, currently serving as a “championship group gatekeeper.”

This also marked the beginning of a traditional powerhouse’s decline into a mid-table team.

Now, playing away from home, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s players were clearly uncomfortable facing a team like Bastia, which was in high spirits.

Near the end of the half, a huge mistake occurred.

Mané pressed forward, and their veteran defender, Digard, made a passing error, passing the ball horizontally to Lukaku’s feet.

It even confused Lukaku.

He was a step slow, and his first touch was a bit heavy, allowing Enyeama to rush out and collect the ball.

Oh!

The fans in the stadium collectively held their heads in regret; it was a golden opportunity.

Lukaku was still in a daze, and by the time he realized what kind of opportunity he had missed,

He gave an awkward smile.

He gave Mané a thumbs-up, showing his appreciation.

Beep!

The half-time whistle blew, ending the first half.

Clap, clap, clap!

The fans in the stadium applauded vigorously for their team. Their performance in this half was completely dominant, overwhelming Hapoel Tel Aviv’s midfield, forcing the opponent to retreat and defend with difficulty.

The “MLG” trio of Mané, Lukaku, and Gaio severely impacted Hapoel Tel Aviv’s defense.

Especially on Gaio’s side, there were two yellow cards.

So, when Dado returned to the locker room, his brows were tightly furrowed. He was somewhat at a loss for what to say to the players.

Comeback?

He sighed, perhaps there was a possibility.

But when he truly stood in the center of the locker room, his expression was serious, his gaze like a hawk, sweeping over everyone.

“Listen! This is not the time to hang our heads. There are still 45 minutes left in the game. What’s a two-goal deficit? Please remember the team crest on your jersey; it doesn’t allow us to fall before the final whistle.”

“No matter how strong their winger is, he’s just one person! In the second half, the full-backs stick to him, and the defensive midfielder always provides cover. Don’t let him get up to speed. When they push up, their defense is full of holes—when we counter, be bold and attack behind them. Midfield passes must be as quick as a knife!”

“I don’t know if the final result will be as beautiful as we imagine, but with six group stage matches in the Europa League, we are now on the edge of a cliff. Losing this match basically means our elimination.”

“So don’t worry about the result. I need each of you to run 10% more, win one more second ball! Don’t worry about mistakes, just charge! We have nothing left to lose. If we can’t win, goal difference means nothing. Fight for the last forty-five minutes!”

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s players looked determined, but deep down, there was a hint of despondency.

Through the first half, they already knew what kind of team they were facing.

The gap objectively existed.

However,

They truly only had one path: to fight.

On the other side,

Hajibegic kept emphasizing the need to increase the speed of their attacks.

“The faster we are, the more we can disrupt their formation, and that will be an opportunity. Upfront, you need to be more decisive. If there’s space, shoot firmly, and always be ready to follow up on second balls.”

“Of course, the defensive line shouldn’t push up too high. To avoid being played through behind, Sidibé, don’t overlap too much. Your main job is to help defend. You have pace, so you can track back.”

The players nodded in agreement.

After speaking,

The players rested on their own, and the team doctor gave some players muscle relaxation.

Fabre took off Gaio’s muscle pressure and said, “You need to be careful, their actions are a bit rough, it feels like they’re playing with anger.”

Gaio nodded, “As a forward, isn’t it normal to get kicked? They say a forward’s career basically plummets after thirty, while a defender’s career, if disciplined enough, often reaches its true peak after thirty.”

Fabre agreed wholeheartedly, “That’s right, after all, one is getting kicked, and the other is kicking. There’s a big difference.”

In fact, Fabre was still thinking that if Gaio continued to play like this, he might decline significantly before thirty.

Gaio himself was prone to injuries, and his height combined with his brilliant footwork made him an easier target for opponents.

Frequent injuries seemed very likely to occur to him.

Genius was the greatest pain in the hearts of mediocrity; they did not hesitate to face genius with the greatest malice.

Fabre watched Gaio close his eyes and rest, not speaking, quietly loosening his muscles.

Gaio took the opportunity to glance at his panel.

Soon,

Halftime ended.

Both teams returned to the field.

Boom!

Boom! Boom!

The fans’ enthusiasm did not wane, and the roar of over twenty thousand people grew even louder.

Most of the twenty thousand people were Bastia supporters.

A small number came from other parts of France for Gaio, who was now the most closely watched star in the French national team.

He had no shortage of followers.

Beep!

The whistle blew, and the second half began.

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s players clearly became more active.

But it was useless.

De Bruyne controlled the ball in midfield, turned, and then feigned a change of direction, not only shaking off the defender but also, due to the opponent’s aggressive challenge, directly tripping De Bruyne.

The referee decisively gave Vermouth a yellow card warning.

Vermouth protested to the referee, but it couldn’t change the outcome. Many Hapoel Tel Aviv players looked at Dado on the sidelines.

The latter showed no expression.

Clearly,

He wanted them to continue playing this way.

In the stands,

Ilion and Leonardo both smiled as they watched De Bruyne’s escape.

Both were very satisfied with him.

Leonardo said to Ilion, “I think this number 17, Kevin De Bruyne, our two clubs could talk. He looks good.”

Ilion shook his head, “You won’t buy him. Pogba is playing well, you don’t lack midfielders. What you really need is a top-tier explosive player like Gaio. It depends on whether your team has the courage to sign him and build the team around him.”

Leonardo looked a bit dejected upon hearing this, “I can’t decide what happens in Turin. All I can do is report the situation here truthfully.”

Ilion nodded. As scouts working abroad, their ability to influence team decisions was indeed limited.

He said, “If Turin is willing to take a gamble on Gaio, I’m willing to introduce you, let Marotta come to France, and talk to Gaio’s father, who is also his agent.”

“You’ve seen Gaio’s playing style; he needs possession, and he needs a central role. The obstacle for Juventus to sign him is whether the team can give him these things.”

Leonardo remained silent.

A common problem for big clubs like Juventus was internal struggle.

Ilion continued, “You can look at Gaio’s current situation at Bastia and with the French national team. Bastia, needless to say, will definitely cling to Gaio. The French national team happened to be in a period of player transition, and Gaio’s emergence filled that gap, coupled with Blanc Deschamps’ bold promotion and a major overhaul. They are now building the team around Gaio.”

“And, do you see that number 13 player? N’Golo Kanté, last season he was a substitute in Ligue 2, but after coming to Gaio’s side this season, he’s already in the French national team squad. Gaio’s influence in France is greater than you and I imagine.”

“So, I’m really looking forward to Gaio joining Juventus, after all, Juventus has a tradition of French players. But, it still comes back to that question: can Juventus give Gaio the tactical and locker room status he has at Bastia and with the French national team?”

Leonardo remained silent.

Ilion continued to speak to himself, “So, don’t look at how fiercely the media is speculating right now, saying that Gaio might join Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Bayern. It’s actually impossible. Because such giants wouldn’t build around an eighteen-year-old kid. Barcelona has that tradition, but Gaio isn’t from La Masia, he’s not one of Barcelona’s own, so it’s also impossible.”

Leonardo finally couldn’t help but ask, “Then where do you think he’ll go?”

Ilion smiled, “Didn’t I tell you? A ‘Juventus’ that can give Gaio an absolute central role.”

Leonardo shrugged, noncommittal, and said, “These are all our guesses. What if Gaio has a dream of joining a big club?”

“You don’t understand Gaio.”

Ilion directly refuted him, “For a top genius like Gaio, they never need a team to achieve them; they achieve the team, they achieve an era.”

Leonardo frowned, “You think that highly of him?”

Ilion’s gaze focused on Gaio, who was dribbling and trying to break through on the field, and he replied, “I brought him to Chelsea.”

Leonardo didn’t understand the connection between the two, but it was clear they couldn’t continue their conversation.

Boom!

A roar erupted from the stadium as Gaio dribbled past three players!

Gordana and Antebi both had yellow cards, and with Vermouth’s earlier foul resulting in a yellow card, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s players knew the referee’s officiating was strict.

They dared not foul.

So, when Gaio had the ball and faced a double-team, he feigned an inside cut but suddenly changed direction, continuing to break out along the touchline.

The tracking winger, Ben Haim, slid in with a tackle from the side.

Gaio stopped the ball, flicked it behind him to his other foot, and after Ben Haim slid past, he quickly moved into the penalty area.

At this point, Haimovich came up to block Gaio’s path for an inside cut.

Gordana also caught up.

Gaio glanced at the support in the middle, didn’t cut inside, but suddenly went to the byline.

He sent in a cross with his right foot.

Bang!

But his shot didn’t open up the angle at all, and Haimovich, who had caught up, blocked the ball out for a goal kick.

The TF 1 commentator said, “Pass! Oh, Gaio didn’t handle that well. The main reason is that it came to Gaio’s right foot, and his right foot’s ball control is so much worse than his left. There’s nothing he could do when it was blocked…”

De Bruyne walked towards the corner flag.

He high-fived Gaio as he passed by, encouraging him.

Gaio himself walked to the edge of the penalty area, waiting for a second ball opportunity, and at the same time, he became even more determined to practice his right foot.

He had actually had this realization at the European Championship, but for various reasons, he hadn’t trained his right foot with high intensity.

In fact,

Gaio knew clearly that these various reasons were superficial; the true core reason was that he felt his left foot was sufficient.

He had developed “left-foot dominant” neuromuscular memory through long-term training.

Especially successful experiences in matches reinforced the left-foot-first behavior pattern, creating path dependence.

Positive feedback would continuously solidify the dominant foot’s usage habits.

Additionally, training his right foot would lead to a decrease in “self-efficacy”; people didn’t like to see their flaws.

Gaio scrutinized himself, and he knew he was avoiding it.

Training his right foot.

It wasn’t just about training his right foot; it was also a struggle against over a decade of physical path dependence and his own psychology.

Beep!

The referee’s whistle pulled his thoughts back to the game.

De Bruyne raised his hand.

Bang!

He kicked the ball out, and it flew towards the middle.

Chaos ensued.

Players from both sides jumped to contest the ball. Lukaku was once again squeezed in the crowd and didn’t jump.

Joplin didn’t win the header this time.

However,

He also affected the opponent’s defender, Digard’s clearance. The latter headed the ball outwards, grazing Joplin, and the ball changed direction.

Its speed slowed down considerably.

It flew towards the edge of the penalty area.

Gaio made a pre-judgment immediately, with Jemba defending him.

Gaio didn’t hesitate.

Activating his burst of speed, he quickly appeared in front of Jemba.

As the ball dropped, he was a full body length ahead of Jemba.

Gaio met the ball with a volley!

Bang!