Chapter 49: Is the Champions League group stage coming?

After the match ended.

Henrikss returned to the locker room and was scolded head-to-toe by Coach Tuop.

"You're wasting all your strength on a chicken's belly? In one match you wasted seven sure-goal chances! Don't play forward anymore—go play defender!"

Henrikss exclaimed, "Boss! Really? The new youth team coach also said I'm better suited to play full-back!"

Tuopu Laotou stamped his feet in anger, muttered a couple of remarks, then turned and headed to the post-match press conference.

Havertz changed clothes, took a watch from the locker, and slipped it into Li Kang's pants pocket.

He gave him a big hug.

"Li, is this a dream? You helped me score my first Bundesliga goal!"

Scoring on one's Bundesliga debut is the dream of every youth academy prospect.

Only Li Kang, that monster, wouldn't have too much emotional fluctuation.

Kramer pulled out the watch, had a look, and muttered, "Tsk tsk, if you pawned this watch you could buy a car!"

Li Kang laughed, shook his head, and quickly returned it to Havertz.

Even without me, the first half of their career would be smooth sailing.

Henrikss suggested everyone go to May 9 Park for an outing, but everyone refused.

Captain Bender wore a solemn expression and said:

"No, the Champions League group stage opener is coming up... we need to conserve our energy!"

"The Italian girls on Via Marca in Rome are fierce!"

Henrikss looked disappointed.

As for playing in the Champions League, he can't even make the squad.

They didn't chat for long.

Li Kang returned to the first-team dormitory.

The system notification sounded softly.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on winning a Bundesliga match!】

【Rewards being distributed...】

【Congratulations, Host, you obtained: Golden Treasure Chest!】

Defeating a team of Darmstadt's level didn't trigger any extra rewards.

The prize pool of the Golden Treasure Chest doesn't even include skill modules of famous stars.

They're all players Li Kang doesn't know.

No matter what, any reward before the Champions League group stage is important!

【Golden Treasure Chest opening...】

【Congratulations, Host, you obtained: Green Tangerine Fizzy Candy!】

【Green Tangerine Fizzy Candy: Take one before the match, it keeps you energized throughout the game! No attribute bonuses!】

【This consumable is visible and usable only by the Host, with a shelf life of six months.】

What the heck is this?

Li Kang: "..."

On the Leverkusen training ground.

Dino dragged over two large speakers.

Kiessling curiously asked, "Are you planning to let us relax a bit?"

No one from the coaching staff answered.

Beep!

Tuopu Laotou blew the whistle and waved his hand vigorously.

Indicating that the scrimmage officially began.

Dino placed the speakers on the sideline and pressed the start button.

"VamosBarca!!!"

"VamosBarca!!!"

"VamosBarca!!!"

The Barcelona cheer echoed over the Leverkusen training base!

The players were dumbfounded.

"Keep going! Don't stop!"

Tuopu Laotou waved his hand to indicate the match should continue.

"Don't forget we conceded seven goals to Barcelona in a single Champions League match a few years ago!"

"Leverkusen wants to wash away the shame at Camp Nou!"

"Guys! We must seize this opportunity and defend Leverkusen's honor!"

That piercing voice seemed to drown out the speaker's sound, echoing in every Leverkusen player's ear!

The night at Camp Nou three years ago...

Barcelona's terrifying dominance was simply...

Clap clap clap!

Dino clapped loudly, then interjected, "Boss! Well said! But our first match is against Roma..."

Leverkusen and Roma's previous Champions League encounter.

It dates back to 2004.

Back then, the front-page headline figure was Berbatov vs. Totti.

Eleven years later.

Roma's front-page figure remained Totti.

Lewokusen's front-page figure changed to Li Kang.

Everyone worldwide believed Barcelona would surely advance as the first-place team in Group E.

The remaining two powerhouses, Roma and Lewokusen, competed for second place.

Some even thought that BATE Borisov of the Belarusian Premier League could pull off an upset advance thanks to the "icy snow environment BUFF".

Fans from both sides, using translation software, argued fiercely on European online platforms.

Roma fans' fighting strength was clearly greater; despite decades of effort by the Italian Football Federation and FIFA, various fines could not solve the racial discrimination problem at the Olympic Stadium.

-【Don't steal the spotlight; we never even considered Lewokusen an opponent—only Barcelona is worthy of being our rival.】

-【We admit Li Kang is excellent, but Totti was even more stunning at age 17!】

-【Enrique is just a dog; he set the team's worst losing streak record while coaching Roma! If he comes to the Olympic Stadium, don't even think about leaving alive! What? Lewokusen's head coach is Tuop? I've never even heard of him!】

-【Lewokusen is just an appetizer; the main course is Barcelona!】

Wednesday.

The Champions League group stage opener has arrived.

Li Kang finished his morning warm-up training and then boarded a plane with his teammates to Rome.

After settling into his seat,

He popped a Green Tangerine Fizzy Candy, opened the system panel, and observed his attribute changes.

【Ball control: 76; Passing: 82.】

【Shooting: 71; Heading: 68; Set pieces:??.】

【Curve: 70; Speed: 79+5↑; Leg strength: 78↑.】

【Jump: 70; Physical contact: 84↑; Stamina: 82↑.】

【Defense: 78; Tackles: 81↑; Goalkeeping: 40.】

Holding the fizzy candy, his attribute values showed no fluctuation.

As for the small arrows, they were still the buff from the Destroying-type Midfielder template.

Once a single attribute exceeds 80, improvements become very slow.

Even benefiting from the template bonus, there was no exaggerated increase, except for physical contact.

He couldn't help wondering: if Drogba had an attribute panel, his physical contact stat would surely be off the charts.

Two and a half hours later.

The plane flew through thick clouds.

It landed at Fiumicino Airport.

The Lewokusen players walked out of the arrival gate.

Asians filled the area around the security line!

「Son!!! 」

「Lee!!! 」

「Li Kang!!! 」

The players were dumbfounded.

How come there are so many languages!

Son Heung-min looked embarrassed and said: "When I returned to my country to participate in a friendly match and saw the news, some Korean experts said... that Li's girlfriend is a member of a Korean girl group, they thought Li must understand Korean, so they judged that Li also has Korean heritage..."

Kiesslin couldn't help laughing: "Son, I still remember your compatriots saying Messi is also Korean! The article had a long string of detailed analysis—I almost believed it at the time!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Son Heung-min's face turned red; unable to rebut, he could only wave and greet the fans.

Li Kang shook hands with the Chinese fans, then, urged by Dino, boarded the club bus.

Along the way.

They saw no Baroque-style ancient magnificent buildings.

They saw no church sanctuary.

Li Kang gazed out the window at the skyscrapers and neon lights, feeling a slight regret.

Bendel patted his shoulder: "After the match, let's go with us to Via Margutta Street to stroll! That area preserves the Renaissance charm!"

Bellalabi excitedly said: "Bring me along!"

Kramer frowned: "Sorry, I can't bring you; the big white girls there don't do business with black people! Rome's residents have a strong sense of superiority! Even vagrants discriminate against black people! Have you heard that joke? Even the black players of Lazio and Roma are discriminated against by their own fans."

Son Heung-min asked: "Why don't they discriminate against East Asians?"

Kramer shook his head: "They do, but it's not as severe, because Hidetoshi Nakata once was a hero of Rome."

One hour later.

Pre-match press conference.

Roma's head coach Garcia stood up, greeting Tuopu Laotou.

His enthusiastic, humble attitude was just short of offering a hand-kiss!

Tuopu Laotou was a bit unaccustomed to it.

Isn't the Roma coach known for being arrogant? Why is he so servile in front of me?

The reporters on site broke into applause.

Someone suddenly shouted: "This is the etiquette of the Double Crown Champion Mr. toward Coach Sanya Wang!"

Garcia hastily waved his hand, walked back to his seat, adjusted the microphone, and said: "I could win the Ligue 1 title, but that doesn't mean I have the same competitiveness in the Bundesliga. When I was studying for my coaching license, I watched many match cases of Mr. Tuop! He is one of my idols!"

Personally, I think Lewokusen is harder to deal with than Enrique's Barcelona!

Holy cow, this French guy can really brag!

Tuop straightened his suit tie and sat upright on the small podium.

Garcia is an excellent coach; he led Rome to create the club's consecutive win record, the team... that Enrique had messed up... he brought back to the Champions League stage! I'm very optimistic about him!

For a moment.

The reporters all recalled Enrique's coaching experience at Rome back then.

That was in 2011, when Rome's new owner hired Enrique at a high salary, hoping this legendary star with both Real Madrid and Barcelona lineage would bring tactical reform to Rome.

Too bad.

Enrique's series of shady moves brought this Serie A powerhouse into the gutter...

He became the person that Rome's city fans... will never forgive.

Even though he led Barcelona to win the Champions League last season, many European media also likened him to a 'leashed dog champion'!

The player tunnel of Rome Olympic Stadium.

It is the most spacious and most modern-feeling that Li Kang has ever seen.

It can't even be called a 'tunnel'.

Even the blue carpet underfoot transmits waves of warmth.

No wonder it's a stadium built for the Olympics.

Li! Thanks to Maldini's luck, we've reunited so quickly!

Pjanic patted Li Kang on the shoulder, grinning: 'Hope we can meet again in the round-of-16 draw ceremony; Miss Melanie recently replied to my message!'

For a moment.

Players from both sides were amused by this remark.

Originally solemn tunnel, the atmosphere suddenly lightened a bit.

CTV5! CTV5! Good evening, viewers!

Welcome to watch the first matchday of the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League Group E!

Rome hosts Lewokusen!

This will be a clash of titans; both teams have produced many talented youngsters in recent years! What sparks will they create? Let's wait and see!

I am the commentator for this match, Duan Xuan!

I am He Wei!

Dragon Kingdom livestream.

The barrage gradually increased.

-【Sparks? What the hell sparks does Rome's match have? Wake up and it's another draw! The nickname 'Rome Draw' isn't for nothing!】

-【Last season Rome had nine consecutive draws in matches, scary! It's either 0-0 or 1-1! Even in clashes of titans, Rome only ever gets those two scores!】

-【Don't want to watch Barcelona and Real Madrid bully minors separately; this match is more entertaining, full of suspense!】

Olympic Stadium.

The stirring Champions League theme abruptly stopped.

The referee squad led the players of both sides out of the tunnel.

Tens of thousands of Rome fans suddenly erupted in a shout like a landslide and tsunami!

The huge banners shook like flames as the fans jumped.

"Roma!!! Roma!!!"

"Roma!!! Roma!!!"

"Roma!!! Roma!!!"

Li Kang stepped onto the pitch at that instant.

The system prompt sounded softly.

【Ding! Random treasure chest task triggered: Conquer the Olympic!】

【Mission reward: Rome Legend-Platinum Treasure Chest!】

What is the accio tactical system?

Early football translators of the Dragon Kingdom mistakenly translated this word as: chain defense.

Who could have thought that in 2015, a tactic discarded by Serie A domestic masters would be glorified in the hands of a French coach?

The first formidable opponent?

Li Kang lifted his head and gazed at Rome's night sky.

The stars sparkled.

"Next, let me introduce the starting lineups of both sides!"

"Rome lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, quite unexpected!"

"Goalkeeper: Szczesny!"

"Left back: Florenzi!"

"Center backs: Manolas partner Rudiger!"

"Right back: Digne!"

"Double defensive midfielders: De Rossi partner Nainggolan!"

"Central midfielder: Keita!"

"Forwards: Pjanic, Dzeko, Salah!"

Lewokusen also lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation!

Goalkeeper: Lai Nuo!

Left back: Hilbert!

Center backs: Jonathan Ta, Papadopoulos!

Right back: Borges!

Defensive midfielders: Bender and Kramer!

Central midfielders: Son Heung-min, Li Kang, Brandt!

Striker: Kiernan!

Dragon Kingdom live broadcast room.

Netizens laughed.

-【Sure enough, it's a spear vs shield showdown! Result: Roma attacks, Lewokusen defends?】

-【It's 2015 now; you can't rely on formation to judge both coaches' tactical tendencies, as Garcia and Tuop frequently change formation in-game, so the starting lineup is only for reference!】

-【Personally, I think the young players in both teams' lineups will become mainstays of top clubs in a few years...】

-【Totti is too old to make the starting lineup! De Rossi has been the backup for how many years; he'll likely have to wait until retirement!】

-【The Milan giants have declined recently, while Napoli and Lazio's form fluctuates too much; in the Champions League, only Juventus and Roma are holding up! Come on, Serie A teams!】

Beep!

Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The Champions League Group E opening match has officially kicked off.