Chapter 310 The first step of the Triple Crown!
February 27th.
That is the day before the League Cup final.
After completing the tactical movement training, the Blue Fox generals came to the dining hall talking and laughing, preparing to have lunch.
When he came to the chef, Ling Feng directly ordered:
"Andy, have a Riad Pasta!"
Riyad Pasta, as the name suggests, is a pasta named after Mahrez.
One day last year, Mahrez wanted to eat some pasta with a different taste.
So he asked the team chef to make him a pasta with tender chicken, cheese, caramelized onions, and then added a little salt and black pepper.
This is the pasta he made according to his personal taste.
After Ling Feng, Vardy and other teammates tried this flavor, they all said it was very good.
Since then, every time the Blue Fox generals want to eat, they will say to the chef, "Have a pasta like the ones eaten in Riad!"
Slowly, " Riad Pasta" has been included in the regular menu in the canteen of Belvoir Base, and it is also one of the most popular types of pasta among players!
"Thank you."
Taking the pasta from the chef and grabbing a glass of fresh orange juice, Ling Feng went straight to a table by the window, facing the window. At the training ground, start enjoying your own lunch.
That's his own table.
Generally speaking, he would sit at this table to eat, every day.
After a while, Mahrez was also carrying a "Riyad Pasta" and sat down opposite Ling Feng very naturally.
The two became partners two years ago.
At that time, Mahrez had just joined Leicester City and Ling Feng had just been promoted from the youth team.
The two made their debut in the FA Cup and have since become good friends, sparring partners and food partners.
Under normal circumstances, whether it is breakfast or lunch, two people will sit at this table.
Eating and chatting together can not only enhance the relationship between teammates, but also make the two of them understand each other better on the court.
You know, among the 20 assists Ling Feng has sent this season, eight of them have been to Mahrez.
Of Mahrez's nine assists, six were for Ling Feng!
It is the close relationship of good friends off the court that allows the two people to reach the same frequency of thinking and tacit understanding on the court, so that each other
Of course, Vardy will also join the conversation between the two from time to time.
But Vardy has been in the team for a longer time, and he is not the kind of character who likes to sit at the same table.
He is like a scumbag who is messing around with women. He can sit wherever he wants and can chat with any teammate.
No, this time he was sitting next to Schmeichel, and the two were talking and laughing.
The atmosphere in the entire dining hall is very relaxed and pleasant.
After all, the players must be very happy to see the three-tiered league, League Cup and Europa League, with brilliant results.
This season, due to multi-line operations and Ranieri's reasonable lineup rotation, most players in the first team have received sufficient playing time.
The harmonious locker room atmosphere is also one of the important reasons why the Blue Fox can achieve good results!
If the team cannot unite and work together internally, how can it be able to act unanimously on the court? !
Mahrez heard Ling Feng's voice ringing in his ears:
"Would you like to go to my house to fight the landlords together tonight?"
Hearing this, Mahrez made a move with his hands. Then he asked: "Your girlfriend is not here?"
"No, she is filming a movie in the United States these two days"
Since dating Ling Feng, Barbara has not only been a model His status in the industry is rising steadily, and his advertising endorsements are getting softer.
Some Hollywood directors even took a fancy to her fame and popularity and invited her to shoot supporting roles in movies.
Although they are all vase characters with little role.
However, it is also a new experience for Barbara.
"Just in time, the guy at my house said he was going out to play with his girlfriend, but he wasn't at home. Did you call Jamie?"
"Yes, but he said he wanted to stay at home with his wife, so did you I know he is a person who listens to his wife the most”
As soon as he finished speaking, Mahrez glanced at Vardy not far away, and then nodded at the same time:
"Indeed!"
"But, I called N'Golo."
"It's okay, but that guy N'Golo, I don't dare to bet too much, it's not interesting to play."
Since he came to France to play football at the age of eighteen, Mahrez His French is considered his second mother tongue.
Therefore, he is also the teammate in the entire team, other than Ling Feng, who has the most exchanges with N'Golo, a Frenchman.
This also allowed the two to establish a good relationship.
"It's okay, just relax. Anyway, we have to play the final tomorrow. It's not good to be too nervous or excited."
"Speaking of tomorrow"
The words stopped. , Mahrez's expression suddenly became a little more serious: "Ling, do you think we have a chance to win the Triple Crown this season?"
As one of the strongest trio in the Premier League, Mahrez this season is more adaptable to the pace and fierce confrontation of the Premier League, and his performance is even better than last season.
Although there is a dazzling existence like Ling Feng around him, it does not cover up his light.
On the contrary, it is precisely because of Ling Feng that more people have paid attention to the Leicester City team and this outstanding Algerian Eagle!
So far this season, Mahrez has played 25 games in the Premier League, scoring 11 goals and nine assists.
With only one assist left, he can become the second player in the Premier League to achieve a double-double in the league after teammate Ling Feng!
His performance in the league and the Europa League has caused his value to skyrocket. From 15 million euros before the start of the game, it doubled in the winter window to 30 million euros!
If Leicester City wins the first Premier League championship in team history this season as planned, the value of the Blue Fox players, including Mahrez, will definitely increase to a certain extent.
You know, when Mahrez joined the team in January 2014, he only spent half a million euros!
Fifty thousand euros rose to 30 million euros, a full 60-fold increase!
This deal can even lock in the most valuable transfer in the history of Leicester City in advance!
Of course, as professional players, their net worth and transfer fees are just numbers to measure their value.
Championship and honor are the ultimate goals they pursue!
This season, as the league is singing all the way, the League Cup has reached the final, and the Europa League has also reached the top 16, Mahrez has certainly thought about whether the team can win the shocking treble. .
The first one to bear the brunt is naturally the League Cup final tomorrow!
Facing Mahrez's curious and searching eyes, Ling Feng just smiled and answered with great confidence:
"I can't guarantee the Triple Crown. But I firmly believe that as long as we perform normally tomorrow, the League Cup championship will be the first step for us to win the Triple Crown!"
. .
February 28th.
London.
Wembley Stadium ushered in the annual League Cup final!
The two sides are the "Blue Fox" Leicester City and the "Red Army" Liverpool! This is the first time Leicester City has reached the League Cup final after 16 years since the 1999-2000 season!
In the history of the League Cup, Leicester City has won the title three times.
And their opponent, Liverpool, is the team that has won the most League Cups!
A full eight times!
Even starting in 1980, the Red Army dominated the League Cup for four consecutive years!
Liverpool was at its peak at that time!
However, after more than thirty years, Liverpool has once again hit a trough.
After experiencing the important event of missing out on the Premier League title within reach and the departure of the team's soul, Gerrard, Liverpool has been declining for two consecutive seasons.
This season, after the coaching change, the arrival of German coach Klopp gave fans hope of the Red Army's re-emergence.
Although the team only ranked eighth in the league,
but it also played many exciting classic games in the league.
For example, in the 3-3 draw with Arsenal, Firmino and Giroud both scored twice;
For example, in the 4-5 goal battle with Norwich , the Red Army took the lead to score but was beaten by their opponents to score 3 goals in a row. They activated the "Miracle of Istanbul" DNA passive skills to catch up and finally Lallana scored the winning goal and got the precious three points!
In the League Cup, they went all the way, even defeating Manchester City and reaching the final!
Due to the huge hole dug in the opening stage of the league, coupled with the amazing performance of Southampton and West Ham United, the competition in the European Theater will be extremely fierce.
But as long as they win the League Cup, even if the second half of the league fails to enter the European theater, they can still get a guaranteed ticket to the Europa League next season.
So, Klopp attaches great importance to this game and will send all his main players!
Goalkeeper Mignolet, the Belgian goalkeeper, and the four defenders from left to right are Albert Moreno, Sakho, Lucas, and Klein.
The two defensive midfielders are Emre Can and captain Henderson.
Three offensive midfielders, with Coutinho and Milner on the left and right, and Firmino in the middle.
The one at the front is Sturridge, who is returning from injury!
Seeing this starting lineup, Ling Feng was full of confidence.
Although Liverpool is the team that has won the most League Cups, it is also one of the most successful teams in the history of English football.
But that is all in the past tense.
The current Liverpool lineup cannot be called good.
Moreover, Klopp’s time in charge is still short, the staffing is average, and the team’s tactical system has not yet been fully constructed.
Looking at Leicester City, this Blue Fox may be the best eleven in Leicester City history!
If it were Liverpool after gathering the three heroes of the Red Arrows, Ling Feng might be afraid of three points.
But such a Liverpool team with no superstars and no team spirit also wants to prevent them from winning the championship?
It’s simply a fool’s dream!
This season, Leicester City and Liverpool met twice in the league, with one win and one draw, and no defeat.
Their record against Liverpool last season was one draw and one loss, with no victory.
It can be seen that the arrival of Ranieri, Kante, Fuchs, Huth and others has improved this team.
The progress of veteran players such as Vardy and Mahrez has finally shown how strong this Blue Fox has become!
Perhaps only Ranieri, as the head coach, can deeply understand what this team can do.
He also knows that these foxes who are invincible in the Premier League and Europa League do not need to drink chicken blood or drink chicken soup.
So, in the locker room before the game, he didn’t talk too much, but said very sincerely:
“Guys, I 100% believe that you can perform in the ninety minutes. Then, be the winner who finally holds the trophy. So, go out and beat them!”
This may seem like an understatement, but it is very contagious.
After working with Ranieri for seven months, they all know what their boss's personality is like and how he speaks.
So, they also felt that Ranieri did not lie, but truly felt that they could win the game and win the championship!
And trust makes everyone in the locker room more confident!
The next second, under the leadership of captain Morgan, all the players in the locker room stood up suddenly and began to raise their arms and shout:
"Let us kill them!"
"Blue Fox, move forward!!!"
. . .
“Welcome to watch the 2015~16 League Cup Final brought to you by Sky Sports.”
As players from both sides lined up to enter the stadium, the packed Wembley began to shake. of noise.
With the cheers and applause echoing in his ears, and the League Cup championship trophy placed at the entrance to the stadium, Ling Feng suddenly began to feel excited!
This is the second cup final of his career.
Although it is just a small domestic cup.
However, such a final to determine the championship still makes people feel the cruelty and charm of football more than the long league.
If you win, you will win the championship!
If you lose, go home!
However, this is the final after all.
A slight difference will determine the final champion.
So, in the first fifteen minutes after the game started, both sides played more cautiously.
The Blue Fox's defensive counterattack tactics are destined to focus on defense.
However, Liverpool, who gained possession of the ball, did not rush to attack. Instead, they continued to test Leicester City's defensive formation through small strikes, looking for flaws and weaknesses.
However, such a small fight is like scratching an itch for Leicester City, which has completed the construction of its defensive system.
On the contrary, the blue fox's counterattack was like an indestructible sharp blade!
"Fifteen minutes have passed since the game. Both Leicester City and Liverpool are very different. However, when there will be a ripple on the calm lake. You never know."
"Oh no! Emre Can's pass made a mistake and was intercepted by Kante!"
"Kante handed the ball to Ling Feng in front. Is the Blue Fox's counterattack coming? ! ”
With the cheers of the Blue Fox fans in the stands, Ling Feng caught the ball at the top of the center circle, turned around, and then advanced with the ball without hesitation.
What came up was Henderson, the current captain of the Red Army!
Faced with his national team teammates who looked like they were facing a formidable enemy, Ling Feng was not polite at all and just made soup!
Even though he was mentally prepared, Ling Feng's speed was too fast, and Henderson was still half a beat slower.
Fortunately, the moment he turned around, he subconsciously reached out and grabbed the corner of Ling Feng's jersey to prevent him from getting rid of him directly.
Feeling the pull from behind, Ling Feng didn't fall to the ground, but passed the ball directly.
Seeing him pass the ball out, Henderson quickly let go of his hand.
However, the moment he let go, Ling Feng suddenly accelerated and rushed forward at high speed!
"Fake!"
Cursing secretly in his heart, Henderson immediately followed up with all his strength.
At this time, Mahrez, who received the ball from the right, faced Emre Can's defense and passed the ball directly to the space where Ling Feng moved forward.
Immediately afterwards, the two people, who had a perfect tacit understanding, played a continuous wall-to-wall cooperation on the right rib, successfully allowing Mahrez to take the ball and break through the bottom, and then completed a very high-quality inverted triangle. Cross pass.
And Ling Feng in the middle followed up with a push and a low shot!
Bang!
The ball clung to the green turf, flew past Sakho's feet, and then went straight into the near corner of the goal!
As the ball came into close contact with the net, Mignolet made a save and belatedly fell on the goal line.
And that was of no avail
(End of Chapter)