Football’s First Defender

Chapter 527: Opener

In the 1415 season's Premier League opener, Manchester United faced Swansea at Old Trafford.

   Before the game, countless people were optimistic about the Galaxy battleship that Manchester United spent heavily to build and set sail again. As a result, the opening game was overturned in the gutter.

   Under the attention of the whole world, in this season’s Premier League opener, Manchester United fans looked forward to the team’s return to the right track for a whole summer, and it showed a defeat to the fans.

   Van Gaal did not directly list many signings, but mainly based on the original team players, with some new aids, but did not play the all-attack and all-defense style that Van Gaal wanted.

   Manchester United do have the advantage on the field, with a ball possession rate close to 60%, but in front of Swansea's defense, Manchester United did not taste too much cheap.

   There are no underdogs in the Premier League, and this season's opener is so cruel.

   Manchester United's offensive is not smooth, making Swansea's counterattack threat increased sharply.

   The South Korean international sent Seong-yong's counterattack to help Swansea score the first Premier League goal in the 1415 season at Old Trafford.

   Although Van Gaal signaled the team to press the offense, the offensive effect achieved by Manchester United is extremely limited.

   Instead, in the second half, Iceland was attacked by Sigurdsson, a world wave once again penetrated De Gea's ten fingers, helping Swansea to take the lead 2-0.

After   , Van Gaal had no choice but to replace Fellaini, playing Moyes last season, in the final moments of the game wing cross tactics.

   At the end of the game, it really relied on Fellaini's header to barely score a face-saving goal.

   1 to 2, Manchester United lost the game directly in the opener, and it also reminded all the giants to take every opponent seriously and never take it lightly.

   With Manchester United's negative teaching materials ahead, other giants naturally dare not relax their vigilance and go all out.

   Tottenham beat West Ham 1-0 away, while Manchester City captured Newcastle 3-0 away.

   As the defending champion Liverpool’s opener, it was arranged in the backcourt on Sunday.

   After Chelsea and Arsenal defeated their opponents on the second day, the four strong teams won their first show, in sharp contrast with the defeat of Manchester United.

   And Liverpool, as the defending champion against Southampton, has been given more attention.

   The Southampton "supermarket" opened in the summer, and Liverpool became a major purchaser. After most of the teams were sold, Southampton was very realistic in setting the goal of the new season as relegation.

   But this opening game is more like Southampton's after-sales gift to the gold owner. There is not much resistance, Southampton lost to Anfield.

   In the season opener, Liverpool did not risk using too many new aids.

   In addition to the introduction of full-back Moreno, he directly put on the starting line to replace the injured Flanagan.

   All other positions are Liverpool's champions last season.

   In the rear defense position, Moreno replaced Flanagan on the left, center defender Yang Feng added Scotter, and right back is still Glen Johnson unchanged.

   After Suarez left, Sturridge returned to the center position in this game, and Coutinho and Sterling were the offensive supplements on the left and right sides behind him.

   Three midfielders, Henderson continued to be in the midfield and used his b2b midfield strength, while Gerrard and Lucas continued to be the team's double midfielders, responsible for midfield defense and scheduling.

   Although Liverpool’s problems have been exposed in the previous Community Shield, the opportunities that Manchester City can create and seize do not mean that teams like Southampton can be created.

   At Anfield, Southampton relied on the active running of the players, which really made the team's defense very good.

   And Liverpool, without Suarez's support ball, still struggled in the positional attack.

   However, Liverpool still have an absolute advantage on the field.

   Although there are not many threats to attack, Liverpool players are strong enough. When opportunities are in front of them, they have a better ability to grasp opportunities than Southampton players.

   In the 21st minute of the game, Coutinho's breakthrough created an offensive threat for Liverpool.

   After attracting two defenders on the left wing, Coutinho dribbled the ball and passed it concealedly and quickly into the away team's penalty area.

   Sterling, who was trained by Rogers in the direction of an all-around free attack shooter in the summer, swiftly moved to the passing position, and volleyed after receiving the ball, creating a sufficiently large threat.

  Although the opponent goalkeeper got it due to the angle of the shot being too straight, Liverpool's attack did not end like this.

   A long pass from the away team’s goalkeeper went straight to the Liverpool half, but was directly cut off by the aggressive Henderson from Wanyama’s feet, and then near the center circle, Henderson immediately sent a long pass.

   The football passed through the slightly loose defense line of Southampton's two central defenders after defensive. Sterling relied on speed and succeeded against offside. He received the ball directly in the penalty area and had a single chance to face the goalkeeper.

   very calmly pushed the bottom right corner of the goal.

   1 to 0!

   Sterling scored Liverpool's first goal of the season.

After    took the lead, Liverpool can play more easily in the subsequent games.

   The team organized the offense patiently, disintegrating Southampton's defense little by little.

   Especially after the lack of Suarez, Liverpool could not pursue a small pass in the midfield like last season, so wing breakthroughs and crosses have become Liverpool's more dependent offensive weapons.

   Soon after the start of the second half, Liverpool attacked from the right, Glen Johnson added an assist and sent a wing pass.

   Southampton’s new central defender combination is really not high~lightnovelpub.net~ the defense is not in place, so Sturridge has a 1v1 opportunity with central defender Fangte in front of the goal.

   Although Sturridge did not have much advantage this time, under the physical confrontation between the two, the ball was only re-topped by Fangte, and the clearance was not completed.

The second drop point of the ball was still in the penalty area, and the visiting team's defensive inconsistency was once again revealed. The dominant midfielder didn't pay attention to the surrounding situation and waited to make a clearance, but Sterling was one. Accelerate and jump in, and use the height of the jump to hit the ball first.

   Sterling pushed the ball to the front area, and Sturridge just reached out and swept it in the air.

   The ball changed direction and flew to the other side of the goal, making the away team goalkeeper pounce.

   2 to 0!

   Sturridge's goal, pound Liverpool further expanded the score.

   After the game, more of Liverpool's defense and counterattack demonstrated.

  The line of defense led by Yang Feng has remained stable as always.

   Before the game, Southampton actually played an excellent offensive coordination.

Pele pulled the heel of the ball out of the penalty area and delivered a wonderful semi-single shot to Klein, but Yang Feng from the other side directly slid and shoveled to make up the defense, and Klein's shot was directly shot. Blocked, defended the zero seal of this game for Liverpool.

   2 to 0, Liverpool won the opening game easily, and a good start for the new season.