Chapter 96 — A Replica Ceremony Midfield at Halftime, a Counterattack from Bayern
At halftime, after three minutes of commercials, the livestream reviewed the first half.
"Tonight Bayern actually played quite well. If you ignore the scoreline and just look at the play, Bayern held absolute advantage for most of the time.
Jérôme Boateng and Mario Mandžukić's shots were both just a hair away from finding the net.
At the break Bayern trail 0-2.
If you say Jupp Heynckes' tactics had problems — if it weren't for Emiliano Martínez's miraculous save and Thomas Vermaelen's goal-line clearance, Bayern would already be leading.
If you say Heynckes' tactics were fine, then his side is the one trailing at halftime.
All in all, Arsenal have performed well across the three lines tonight — the veteran Thomas Vermaelen, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, Xia Qi, Santi Cazorla… all have shown excellent form.
Bayern certainly won't give up in the second half. I expect Thomas Müller to come on; with Müller behind Mandžukić, Bayern can stir things up in the box and gain the upper hand in second balls."
Zhang Lu's commentary sparked heated debate online.
"What are you scared of, kid? Technically rough — he knows a bit of this and a bit of that, but nothing is top level. Just a jack-of-all-trades."
"Müller a jack-of-all-trades? Do you even know football? If Müller comes on, his sly movement will force Arsenal's defense into trouble."
"Müller not only causes havoc in the box but links up Bayern's attacks from outside the area. Toni Kroos can do this too, but Kroos playing as an advanced midfielder is rigid — Müller slips and slides."
"…"
...
In Bayern's dressing room Jupp Heynckes was explaining the new tactics.
Zhang Lu's livestream prediction had guessed the opening right but not the ending.
At the start of the second half Heynckes planned to bring on Thomas Müller for Bastian Schweinsteiger, not Toni Kroos.
He would drop Toni Kroos back into a defensive midfield role to organize from there.
Unwittingly he opened Kroos's "Pandora's box."
At this stage no one knew Kroos's best position was actually as a defensive midfielder.
Like Andrea Pirlo, Kroos had reached his peak by playing from a withdrawn position. Strong as Kroos is as an advanced midfielder, he is even stronger deeper.
But Heynckes didn't know that — he was just making a targeted change based on the first half.
He hoped Müller in the advanced midfield, combined with Kroos and Javi Martínez at the base, would form a strong middle — essentially a simplified version of a classic midfield.
Heynckes drew several offensive and defensive schemes on the board; the simplified 'classic midfield' line-up listened enraptured.
The others nodded frequently.
Franck Ribéry slapped his thigh in excitement: "Boss, we should have been playing like this all along."
Heynckes smiled helplessly — who would leave their comfort zone unless forced.
He looked at Kroos: "Toni, your performance will decide whether we win."
"Boss, I like this challenge."
Kroos, straightforward, after hearing Heynckes' plan could hardly wait to try it out. He felt the system was tailor-made for him.
In Arsenal's dressing room there was laughter and chatter; everyone wanted Xia Qi to confess whether those "two consecutive shots" were deliberate.
"No. The Bayern defenders were lined up in a wall; I had no shooting angle."
"Hoo hoo… Boss isn't here, what are you afraid of?"
"I really had no choice, that's why I did it!"
"Then why didn't you pass?"
"Pass? That gets me mad." Xia Qi rolled up his sleeves and walked over to Mario Balotelli. "Mario, bend over and stick your butt out so I can give two punches. You were offside twice, did you know?"
"Xia, if I shoot three in a row, wouldn't that be cooler than your two?"
"No! Don't even joke! Boss will kill us."
Xia Qi saw Balotelli's thoughtful expression and felt a chill. His voice trembled slightly, "Mario, don't be reckless. You'll really get sent to the reserves."
"Then will you still hit me?"
"What, you threatening me?"
Balotelli turned to Theo Walcott: "Help draw the defenders…"
"Hold on, you win."
"Shouldn't we celebrate knocking out Bayern? This…"
"What, you still want me to treat you all?"
"Theo, let's talk…"
"I'll pay! Brothers, tonight's celebration is on me."
"Wow… hooray."
"Xia, I love you!"
Xia Qi wasn't being blackmailed; he played along. He and Balotelli were friends, joking with each other — through this joke Balotelli gave a tacit promise not to waste shots.
In the team there's an unwritten custom about who treats whom.
Unless it's a formal party invitation, such gatherings are men's romance — usually split the bill. On this point foreigners are worth learning from.
Although teammates cheered, they were mainly after atmosphere.
"Quiet!"
Arsène Wenger walked in from outside. "Champagne at halftime? Is this Milan's dressing room?"
The room fell silent… even the air felt cold.
"Xia, you must be proud, right? Those two consecutive strikes were definite Puskás Award material."
"No, boss, listen to my excuses — cough cough, let me explain…"
"Mario, you still want to try for three in a row?"
"Boss, rest assured, I would never treat a teammate-created chance like a trifle. I respect others' work and will cherish every opportunity…"
Holy crap!
You big-eyed guy — to say that so earnestly…
"Heh heh…"
Seeing Mario serious and righteous, the teammates couldn't hold back laughter. Where there's a hidden dragon there's bound to be a phoenix… such joyful football is a pleasure.
"Quiet!"
"In the second half, we play on the counter…"
...
"Dear viewers, the second half begins. Bayern have made personnel changes — Müller is on, and it's Schweinsteiger who's been replaced. Look at Bayern's current positioning.
Kroos seems to be playing as a deep-lying midfielder — organizing from deep. This change is very interesting; we'll wait and see how it goes.
Arsenal have made no substitutions — sticking with a winning lineup is the right call. The referee has blown the whistle…"
Arsenal kick off the second half.
Balotelli passed the ball to Kevin De Bruyne and surged forward.
Mandžukić, Ribéry, Robben and Müller, the four-pronged front of Bayern, swept menacingly over the halfway line to press.
De Bruyne's escape and pass are world-class — he deftly shifted the ball to create a narrow space and released it quickly to Theo Walcott.
Walcott was careless. He only watched Kroos, who was dropped into defensive midfield, but forgot Bayern's full-back was the shadow assassin!
David Alaba burst from Walcott's right flank in a diagonal run while Walcott and Kroos were engaged.
"Alaba!"
"Beautiful two-on-one, Bayern on the attack."
Alaba sped down Bayern's left and, before De Bruyne and Mikel Arteta could double-team, fed the ball to Thomas Müller.
Alaba didn't stop his run after the pass.
He recovered the ball thirty meters from goal.
Arsenal's defense tightened quickly. Arteta and Cazorla crossed in their runs — Cazorla took on Alaba, Arteta dropped to guard Ribéry's left flank.
But the anticipated left-wing inside-cut combination didn't happen.
Alaba chose a long-range pass — flat, fast, and unexpected. Even Xia Qi at the center didn't anticipate it and couldn't stop it.
"Robben!"
"Right flank with the ball."
Robben started his show, dribbling past Lukas Podolski and cutting inside past De Bruyne.
Arsenal's three defenders in the box trembled!
At this point, eagle-eyed fans could see Müller's role.
He was deeper than Kroos — after all Müller's specialty is the half-nine; advanced midfield is a side job.
Don't underestimate that half-position.
The deeper he drifts, the more interplay he can create with Mandžukić and Robben, making the whole attack more three-dimensional.
With Müller's inclusion Bayern's attack immediately picked up.
Of course AI wouldn't allow that. It controlled Xia Qi's body to physically challenge Müller.
Müller's physicality among forwards is relatively weak. He usually has powerful center-forwards like Mandžukić or Gómez in front of him and doesn't need to bulldoze defenses himself.
Müller was shrewd; seeing Xia Qi charging at him, he quickly moved aside.
He avoided embarrassment, but Bayern's right-side attack slipped back into mediocrity.
Heynckes sighed, secretly impressed by Wenger — he thought it was Wenger's plan.
But he didn't know it was AI reading the match.
AI thought that if Müller was neutralized, Bayern's attacking firepower would drop considerably.
Though Robben and Ribéry could still combine with Mandžukić, the variations were fewer; they would pose less threat to Arsenal.
On the touchline Wenger and Pat Rice exchanged a look and both saw surprise in the other's eyes.
On the pitch Xia Qi's football IQ had risen beyond player level; it had reached the thinking of a coach — an excellent head coach's level.
"Maybe you should carry a box of emergency heart pills in your pocket," one said. "Such a useful player — you'd be wasting him not using him to the fullest."
"If we hadn't failed to send him to the reserves last time, we wouldn't have had those two consecutive shots. If we don't teach him properly, I fear he might become like Cassano — a brilliant talent who goes astray because no one can manage him...
If the price to correct him is one Premier League title, though I don't relish it, I can accept it. In football there are things more important than a title — like these kids' futures. Since they chose us, we should give them a grand future."
"Alright, tonight I'll issue the punishment notice. But Arsène, have you considered maybe we've wronged Xia Qi? The kid is serious about the match; maybe he wasn't showing off but truly believed that was the best choice."
"You think so?"
"No. I can't accept his explanation. His passing is so precise he should have had a better option."
"Hmm! I'm glad we stand together again. It's my honor…"
On the pitch Xia Qi had no idea he might be disciplined precisely because he was too excellent.
He glued himself onto Müller like an adhesive. With one less active Müller, Bayern still produced fine combinations, but Arsenal's stubborn defense resolved them.
Müller tried multiple times but couldn't shake Xia Qi, and in desperation called teammates to set picks and screens.
But AI exploited football rules to manufacture a blocking — an off-the-ball foul for Bayern, making Müller furious…
Bayern's attacks languished and Arsenal's midfield began to gain ascendancy.
Football swings — either the east wind presses down the west, or vice versa.
After weathering Bayern's opening three strikes, De Bruyne signaled Xia Qi to push the defensive line higher and press in Bayern's half.
This high press philosophy hadn't yet become global vogue, but Arsenal were already applying it.
On Arsenal's left Vermaelen + Cazorla handled Bayern's right winger Robben; on the right Umtiti + Arteta defended Ribéry.
To be frank both flanks were stretched, because Bayern's wingers and overlapping full-backs meant Arsenal didn't have numerical superiority.
So Xia Qi and De Bruyne bore huge pressure — they had to sweep away over ninety percent of danger up front so the backline could be "rock-solid."
Only with defense secure could Arsenal launch counters.
But ideals are perfect; reality is lean.
Schweinsteiger is a recognized organizing defensive midfielder.
Kroos, moved back from an advanced role, plays as an organizational defensive midfielder. So the question: why would Heynckes use the inexperienced over the seasoned? In most fields the rule is to use the experienced hand. Why did Heynckes go the other way?
Kroos's broad vision and match reading allow him to control the game's rhythm better than Schweinsteiger — that's crucial.
Add to that Kroos's top-level long-passing distribution.
It's what makes him a world-class defensive midfielder.
But that's for later.
On the pitch:
"Arsenal press up all over and pin Bayern into their half."
"Kroos's defensive work has been impressive; who'd have thought Kroos would be so comfortable at the base?"
"He seems to show up in the right place every time. Kroos in a new role is like his meridians opening."
"Tonight both managers have tweaked Kroos and Xia Qi's positions and both have succeeded. Both coaches are tactically balanced."
As Zhang Lu commented,
Kroos and Javi Martínez swarmed Xia Qi; AI calculated that Xia Qi could escape the tight space, but he hadn't accounted for Javi Martínez pulling at the hem of Xia Qi's shirt.
When top players clash it's about seizing the tiniest chance.
Kroos took the opportunity to cut off the ball at Xia Qi's feet.
Kroos didn't pass immediately; he pushed forward at pace, though speed wasn't his advantage.
Kroos pressed up through the middle; Arsenal's defensive shape altered because of him.
Arteta shouted and charged to alert teammates, then rushed at Kroos.
Kroos wasn't satisfied.
Seeing Arteta slightly off balance, he slipped the ball behind Arteta and shimmied past on the other side.
"Beautiful give-and-go."
"Xia Qi has recovered back."
Kroos, who received the ball behind Arteta, was stunned — he didn't expect Xia Qi to be so fast.
But by now the moment had nearly passed.
Kroos dared not push deeper; he struck the ball under it with his right foot.
The ball spun wildly and flew toward the edge of Arsenal's box.
Mandžukić and Per Mertesacker both sprinted in that direction.
The ball was intended for Mandžukić — provided with the right lead time.
Mandžukić reached the ball a step earlier than Mertesacker, brushed past him and burst into the box, one-on-one with the keeper.
Vermaelen and Umtiti abandoned their markers and sprinted toward Mandžukić.
As Mandžukić surged he laid the ball off behind him; Müller ghosted in and took the pass, pushing it toward goal.
The ball skimmed the post, lightning-fast, slicing through Martínez's ten-finger hold and nestling in the net.
2–1!
Kroos orchestrated it, Mandžukić assisted, Müller timed the run to beat the offside trap — Bayern valiantly pulled one back.
Bayern's tactical reshuffle was a great success.
(END CHAPTER)
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