Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
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"After a loss, Bayern secured three consecutive wins, ending the first half of the season with a dominant four-goal victory, clinching the Bundesliga winter championship and becoming the first Bundesliga team to win the half-season title for four consecutive seasons…"
"Lance scored again, leading the Bundesliga top scorers with 23 goals. Bayer Leverkusen won 1-0 at home, maintaining a strong winning streak to catch up with Bayern and keep the title race alive…"
"Evra scored his first goal for the Bianconeri, but Juventus was held to a draw at home; Roma's win narrowed the gap to one point, and the Serie A title race intensified…"
"Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, and Casillas saved a crucial penalty, giving Real Madrid a four-point lead over Barcelona and solidifying their position at the top of La Liga…"
"Zhang Xizhe embarked on his overseas journey, watching from the stands at Wolfsburg. The Bundesliga might soon see a 'Chinese Derby.' Our front-line reporter brings an exclusive interview, capturing Zhang Xizhe's initial Bundesliga experience…"
"Football World, the purest football, the highest enjoyment!"
Every Monday evening at 7:30 PM, the moment fans eagerly awaited arrived.
Many fans who couldn't watch the matches or didn't have the energy to watch the full games relied on "Football World" to provide updates on recent European league news.
This was the spiritual sustenance for domestic fans.
When Lance played for Belgium in the World Cup, he not only appeared on "News Broadcast," but also had a special segment on "Football World."
However, at that time, it was just a simple interview, lasting only about 10 minutes.
Fortunately, fans could see Lance's presence on the show every week, mostly in Bundesliga recaps or in the Top 10 best goals.
As a sophomore, Li Xin didn't even bother studying, despite the upcoming CET-4 exam. Instead, he sat in front of his computer, clicked on the CCTV live stream link, and watched it immediately.
Upon hearing the classic opening theme of "Football World," the other lads in the dorm couldn't resist and gathered behind Li Xin.
"Ma Fanshu is so beautiful…"
"My goddess!"
The show used to be hosted by the earnest Duan Xuan, and after watching him for a long time, it was easy to get tired of it.
Starting in November, the sudden appearance of a female host was a refreshing change for everyone.
The young and beautiful Ma Fanshu had a strong impact on these hormone-fuelled college lads.
"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to 'Football World,' broadcasting live. I'm Duan Xuan."
"Hello everyone, I'm Ma Fanshu, and I'm delighted to meet you on a Monday evening."
"Before the programme begins, we have a breaking news update for you."
"Just 10 minutes ago, the draw results for this season's Champions League Round of 16 were revealed."
"Now, I'd like to ask Brother Xuan to explain the Champions League matchups…"
"What?! The Champions League draw happened?"
"Yeah, you're just finding out? It was today."
"So who did Bayer Leverkusen draw? As group winners, they should get a good draw, right?"
"They should, but Bayer Leverkusen's luck has been terrible these past two years…"
Last year, they continuously drew Arsenal, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, facing strong opponents all the way.
This year, they were in a group of death, fighting their way out of a group with Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Roma.
Despite Bayer Leverkusen's bad luck, they were tough enough.
When the Champions League draw was mentioned, the lads who were discussing Ma Fanshu forgot about her beauty, and their attention shifted to the draw.
Li Xin was equally concerned, listening intently to Duan Xuan's explanation:
"Let's look at the Round of 16 matchups."
"In my personal opinion, this draw can be divided into difficult draws and favourable draws."
"As the name suggests, teams with a favourable draw will have a relatively easier path, with no major challenges in terms of paper strength."
"However, teams with a difficult draw will face more trouble."
"Two very strong teams might meet prematurely in the Round of 16, and the process of determining a winner will inevitably lead to regrets."
"Without further ado, let's look at the matchups."
Li Xin took a deep breath, nervously watching the special effects unfold on the screen, and quickly calculated the matchups in his mind.
After the 2014-2015 Champions League group stage results were released, he and his dorm mates had simulated the draw scenarios.
The group winners were:
Group A: Juventus, Atlético Madrid
Group B: Monaco, Zenit Saint Petersburg
Group C: Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid
Group D: Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund
Group E: Bayern Munich, Manchester City
Group F: Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain
Group G: Chelsea, Schalke 04
Group H: Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk
Aside from the unpredictable Group C, the outcomes of the other groups were mostly predictable after the draw.
There were no upsets.
The Round of 16 draw would avoid teams from the same group and the same league.
First, Real Madrid, Schalke 04, and Borussia Dortmund were excluded, meaning Bayer Leverkusen could potentially draw any of the other second-place teams.
Bayer Leverkusen's best draws would, of course, be Shakhtar Donetsk or Zenit Saint Petersburg; Paris Saint-Germain would also be decent.
The other draws, Atlético Madrid and Manchester City, would be quite bad.
Out of 5 possible teams, there were 3 good draws and 2 bad draws.
The probability of a good draw was slightly higher, so with a bit of luck, they could get a good draw and safely advance to the quarter-finals.
However, when the matchup results appeared on the screen, Li Xin and his friends behind him still gasped!
"Holy cow? This is just too unlucky."
"Well, in the Round of 16, they immediately play against the defending champions."
"Oh no, this looks a bit bad."
"Their style is a perfect counter to Bayer Leverkusen."
Although the opponent they drew wasn't an explosive giant, this opponent was one of the most difficult teams for Bayer Leverkusen to face right now!
The 2013-2014 Champions League champions in this timeline, the iron-blooded legion that defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the final — Atlético Madrid!
Manchester City vs Barcelona
Real Madrid vs Porto
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich
Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea
Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal vs Zenit Saint Petersburg
Monaco vs Schalke 04
First leg: February 17-18, 2015, February 24-25, 2015
Second leg: March 10-11, 2015, March 17-18, 2015
"As just mentioned, Real Madrid, Monaco, Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, Arsenal… these teams received relatively favourable draws, and their opponents' overall strength is currently below theirs, giving them a greater chance of advancing to the quarter-finals."
"Next are the difficult draws, which are also the highly anticipated clashes between strong teams that fans are looking forward to."
"For example, the showdown between Manchester City and Barcelona, the contest between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, and what we are most anticipating, the direct confrontation between Bayer Leverkusen and the defending champions, Atlético Madrid!"
A thought suddenly popped into Li Xin's mind.
For the past two seasons, Bayer Leverkusen had been dubbed the "La Liga bane."
Whether it was Real Sociedad, Barcelona, or Real Madrid, they all had a tough time against Bayer Leverkusen.
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona had lost to Bayer Leverkusen. Now, another of La Liga's top three teams, Atlético Madrid, was about to face Bayer Leverkusen.
It should be Atlético Madrid who is afraid!
"Lance, can he do it this year? Can he reach the final? Is it possible…?"
Li Xin didn't dare to think further.
Last season, Lance was regrettably eliminated in the semi-finals, just one step away from the final.
The image of the young man with his hands on his hips touched the hearts of countless fans.
This time, will Lance continue last season's miracle and charge all the way to the end?
Will he become the first Chinese player to appear in a Champions League final?
Lost in his dreams of the Champions League, Li Xin was already oblivious to Ma Fanshu's words on the screen.
"Besides the Champions League draw, there's another piece of news that is very exciting for Chinese fans."
"Chinese player Zhang Xizhe is about to sign with Bundesliga's Wolfsburg."
"We might soon see two Chinese players competing on the pitch in one of Europe's highest-level leagues, the Bundesliga…"