The Prince of Inter Milan starts with Brother Xiaosa

Chapter 273 Dublin Cup (7k+)

The players played very relaxedly, but Ancelotti and his assistants were not relaxed at all.

Throughout the game, I could see them writing and drawing on the sidelines, recording something.

This time coaching Inter Milan, Ancelotti not only brought his old partner Giovanni Mauri into the coaching staff, but also invited Paolo Benetti, who previously served as technical coach in Rome, and Genoa assistant coach Caneo to join.

Bruno Caneo will serve as Ancelotti's assistant coach alongside Baresi.

In fact, Ancelotti also wanted to summon Tassotti and Maldini to the Nerazzurri, but unfortunately they were rejected by these two AC Milan stars.

It’s 2011, professional things are left to professionals.

As head coach, Ancelotti only needs to lead the overall situation and then assign specific matters to other members of the coaching staff.

There is no need to ask him to make decisions and judge everything down to the smallest detail.

Not only is it unnecessary, it's less efficient.

Although there are still a few days until the official start of the season, Inter Milan really needs to determine one or two starting lineups as soon as possible.

Without staying too much in Brazil, the entire Inter Milan team returned to Milan immediately after the game with Santos.

After a short break in Milan, they will head to Dublin, Ireland, for the next two friendly matches.

The 2011 Dublin Super Cup invited Scotland's dominant team Celtic, Premier League upstart Manchester City and Serie A giant Inter Milan.

"Did you see it? This time, this time and this time, your teammates passed the ball to you, but what was the result?

You are too committed to expressing yourself. Football is about teamwork.

Did you notice at that time that there were already teammates around you to help you?
  If you can pass the ball out in time, or seek cooperation with your teammates, you have a chance to create a greater threat.

Instead of a flashy dribbling pass and finally a kick shot to send the player to the opponent! "

Ancelotti is also very passionate about talent, which is why he is so attentive in coaching Neymar.

He also changed his previous "affable" image and showed the sternness that a head coach should have.

But soon Ancelotti also realized that the Brazilian genius in front of him was the Brazilian genius who had been held in the palm of his hand for so many years, and he could not be blindly harsh.

So he changed the subject, smiled and comforted the nineteen-year-old Neymar:

"Of course I'm not criticizing you, you are a very talented young man.

As the head coach of the team, I hope more than anyone else that you can adapt to the European game rhythm as soon as possible and help the team conquer the city.

So you have to know that playing in Europe is different from playing in Brazil, and you need to make changes to integrate into the team's overall tactics. "

The football environment in Italy is completely different from that in Brazil.

Even without comparing it to South America, Italy is unique in the whole of Europe.

Italy is the one that pays the most attention to tactics among the five major leagues. This is also an important reason why there are many famous Italian coaches and the most tactical masters, but almost all Italian players have difficulty adapting to foreign leagues.

Because compared to the technical level and personal performance of the players, the Italian team pays more attention to tactical execution.

This makes it difficult for Italian players to perform at their original level as long as they leave the Serie A environment.

Once experienced the training of Serie A, both players and coaches will have an improved understanding of football.

If you really get into it.

There is nothing to say. Under the watchful eye of Ancelotti, all Inter Milan first-team players are working hard for a starting position.

On the afternoon of July 7, a Dublin Cup match was held at Aviva Stadium.

Triple Crown winner Inter Milan faces Scottish Premiership hegemon Celtic.

The schedule for this Dublin Super Cup is hard to describe.

Inter Milan will compete with Celtic in the Scottish Premier League and Manchester City in the Premier League within two days. These are also the two most important warm-up matches for the Nerazzurri before the Italian Super Cup.

It can be said that after these two games, Inter Milan must initially determine what tactics to use this season.

Ancelotti continued to spare no effort in making tactical attempts.

Today the Nerazzurri adopted a 4321 "Christmas tree" formation, which was also a tactic used by Ancelotti to achieve success in AC Milan.

In the past, this formation was more common next door. Inter Milan fans couldn't help but feel a little emotional when they saw today's starting lineup.

Balotelli is the lone forward, Leo and Modric are the two attacking midfielders, and behind them are Pirlo, De Rossi and Thiago Motta.

The left and right backs today are still Kolarov and David Thornton, Bonucci and Ranocchia partner as central defenders, and goalkeeper Handanovic.

If there is any shortcoming in this lineup, it is that the flying wings of Bell and Neymar are not easy to insert.

During this period, Gareth Bale had not yet experienced the transformation of Villas-Boas, and had never played as a free agent in the frontcourt, let alone an attacking midfielder. He could only play the left wing position.

Not to mention Neymar, he can indeed play as an attacking midfielder, but for the time being, the winger position in the Inter Milan team is more suitable for him.

However, Ancelotti is still very confident about the players on the field.

Balotelli's fulcrum score at the front end, Modric's continuous support, Pirlo's organization and scheduling, and so on.

They can all meet Ancelotti's requirements for players in various positions.

More importantly, Leo has enough ability to connect them all together to form a strong whole!
  When attacking, the two full-backs Kolarov and Thornton have enough space to assist.

When defending, start from the attacking midfielder... No, now it has been upgraded. Starting with Balotelli, the forward, is the first line of defense.

Leo and Modric are the second line of defense.

This layer-by-layer deployment can effectively defuse the opponent's counterattack in the budding stage.

Five midfielders with different styles but outstanding abilities can firmly control the midfield.

The idea is wonderful, but the actual results will have to be seen on the field.

The Celtics took the lead in the first half.

De Rossi steals the ball in the frontcourt and Pirlo passes the ball in the midfield.

Balotelli turned his back, and Leo and Modric calmly passed and cooperated in front of the opponent's penalty area.

In the end, it was Leo's direct pass into the right side of the penalty area, and Thiago Motta followed up with a low shot that missed slightly!
  How can I put it, although the ball was not scored, the offensive cooperation was indeed pleasing to the eye.

Ancelotti is indeed well-deserved and has two brushes.

And it is different from the previous Inter Milan coaches.

Nerazzurri, who watched the game through various methods, began to look forward to watching the home team's mercury-like offense next.

In the third minute, Celtic dropped a free kick from the right into the penalty area, and Samaras' header from the penalty spot went over the goal crossbar.

Although it was only a friendly match, the level of commitment from both sides and the excitement on the field were no less than those in a formal match.

In the fifth minute, there was a conflict for the first time on the court. Brown fouled Balotelli twice. Balotelli was somewhat dissatisfied with this.

The smell of gunpowder gradually began to appear on the field.

Then there was some altercation between David Thornton and Che Duli.

However, the referee didn't care at all and had no intention of taking out the cards.

In the sixth minute, Inter Milan played exquisite cooperation on the right.

David Thornton first cooperated with Pirlo in a one-two and then passed forward from the right side of the frontcourt. Balotelli cut into the penalty area at high speed along the right side and formed a single!

Facing the goalkeeper Bashen, he performed normally and calmly took a low shot into the lower right corner of the goal!

One to zero!

Inter Milan takes the lead!

After Balotelli scored, he and Thornton happily ran to the sidelines to celebrate. The two shrugged and made faces together, like two naughty children.

However, the smile on Thornton's face soon disappeared. He injured his shoulder in a collision with a Celtics player during a scramble.

After a short period of treatment by the team doctor, David Thornton still could not persist. According to the preliminary diagnosis, it is likely that his right shoulder was dislocated.

Zanetti comes on as an emergency substitute.

But Leo still watched with concern as Thornton was carried off the field on a stretcher. He suffered a dislocated injury in Western countries and could easily miss several months due to serious injuries.

Because their main treatment methods are surgery and steel nails, which require long-term rehabilitation and physical therapy.

Thornton, who couldn't care less about the end of the game for the time being, had to wait until the end of the game to talk about anything else.

Modric stole the ball in the frontcourt. The Croatian was always said to have no defense before, so he was determined to strengthen his defensive capabilities with the encouragement of Leo.

Of course, this does not happen overnight. As long as he can see a little progress, Modric will be very happy.

After stealing the ball, the Croatian quickly handed the ball to Leo's feet.

He also cooperated with Pirlo on the outside of the penalty area to get rid of the defense and pass into the penalty area.

Balotelli stopped the ball under the guard of the Celtic defender, turned around and forced a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper Saluka struggled to block it!
  As soon as Leo was about to grab a shot, De Rossi grabbed two penalties from outside the penalty area and followed up with a powerful volley to score!
  Two to zero!
  Wow, not bad.

It was rare for Leo to feel that his teammates were so reliable that he had no place to perform.

But he also knew that De Rossi was just lucky, and his shooting rate in such opportunities was not actually high.

Leo still applauded and gave De Rossi a thumbs up, "Well done!"

In just ten minutes, the Celtics were already two goals behind.

It's not that they don't work hard, but their opponents are too strong.

The Nerazzurri, who were leading the score, had no intention of stopping and continued to strengthen their attack.

Because everyone wants to perform well in front of Ancelotti, this may be related to who can take it seriously as the main candidate for the new season.

Kolarov made continuous passes on the left and suddenly cut in and hit the left side of the penalty area and hit the center!
  Thiago Motta volleyed an angry shot from outside the penalty area, and the ball was slightly higher.

In the 23rd minute, the Celtics passed a long diagonal pass from the left past the defensive player. Greek forward Samaras volleyed from behind at close range, but Handanovic flew over and lifted it out of the far post!
  This is the closest the Celtics have come to scoring so far in the first half.

Later, Inter Milan did not give their opponents such a chance and controlled the ball on the court.

Ancelotti sat on the sidelines, holding his chin thoughtfully.

Near the end of the first half, it was Leo and Modric's continuous passing that broke through the opponent's defense.

Balotelli turned his back and Leo caught the ball, turned around and broke into the small penalty area. He volleyed with his right foot straight into the upper right corner of the goal!
  Three to zero!
  Inter Milan once again expanded its lead!

The Celtics were beaten and had no power to fight back.

The Nerazzurri coach finally nodded with half satisfaction.

"Everyone performed well in the first half, but we changed our lineup in the second half..."

In the second half, Inter Milan's starting players were basically changed.

Ancelotti changed to a 442 or 424 lineup again.

On the front line are Pazzini and Berbatov. The two midfield partners are captain Zanetti who replaced the injured Thornton in the first half. Bale and Neymar are on the wings.

Chivu and youth team player Biraghi served as full-backs on both sides.

The central defenders are Samuel and Lucio, and even the goalkeeper was replaced by Castellachi.

Right midfielder or even right winger is not Neymar's best position. Brazilian talents are more comfortable playing midfielder or left winger.

But Bell has always only played on the left and is unlikely to give up his position.

So Ancelotti ordered the two of them to change positions frequently on the court.

Although Inter Milan's offense is still more focused on the left, there are still changes that can prevent opponents from adapting quickly and respond accordingly.

This lineup looked a bit sloppy in the second half, but it was still a downgrade for the Celtics.

Except for the opportunity that was almost seized by the opponent in the early stages, the Nerazzurri quickly found its own rhythm.

Bell and Neymar took turns launching attacks from the wing, and the opponent's defensive players were completely unable to stop their sharp breakthroughs.

That is to say, Pazzini lacked the ability to seize opportunities on several occasions, otherwise the score would be expanded.

Verratti fought too hard and sprained his right foot, so Coutinho came on as a substitute.

Leo suddenly realized that these players on the team were a little too young?
  Leo is only in his early twenties, Balotelli and Bale are about the same age as him, and Thornton, Neymar, and Coutinho are all younger than Leo.

Even at the center back position, Bonucci and Ranocchia are only 23 or 24 years old.

And almost all of them have a unique level of strength.

This is all without counting Verratti's youth team brats. Now Inter Milan can really be called a youth team. Being young means having hope and unlimited possibilities for the future!
  In the 92nd minute of the game, Bell broke through from the left and then moved in a wide range. Neymar received the ball from the back and passed the defender with a low shot and scored!

Neymar scored easily but froze in place. He seemed to have understood what Ancelotti had said to him before.

He did not agree with it at the time. Neymar firmly believed that he could create a world in Europe with his outstanding abilities.

There is no need to wrong yourself to "cater" to others.

Neymar was shaken when he saw that Bale created an excellent opportunity with his personal ability but did not score the goal himself but provided an assist for himself.

Maybe what the coach said is not wrong. The tacit cooperation with my teammates will not affect my performance, but will allow me to achieve better performance.

Ancelotti accepted interviews with media from various European countries after the game for the first time since taking office.

“I feel very good at Inter Milan, it’s a good team full of motivation and a good atmosphere.

And everyone on the team believes they can contribute to the team!

I'm happy to be able to work hard for a championship with so many great players.

Of course we have to focus on the game in front of us now and do our best.

In fact, before I decided to sign, I communicated with Mourinho, and he dispelled my worries.

Yes, I have a very good relationship with José and he has provided me with a lot of help.

It's just that the team's lineup is almost completely different from when he was at Inter Milan, and the information he gave me is not of much use hahaha. "

Ancelotti is very sophisticated and did not reveal any news about who will be the main player in the new season and who will sit on the bench.

Instead, he used the breaking news of his personal contact with Mourinho to successfully change the topic.

Of course, he didn't lie. Ancelotti does have a better relationship with Mourinho among coaches.

The night view of Dublin was completely unattractive. Leo and his party hurried back to the hotel after dinner.

"I don't know which genius made the schedule. Two games in two consecutive days. I'm speechless."

"Then you still have the energy to complain, why not rest early and save some energy for tomorrow's performance."

Listening to the bickering between teammates Bale and Balotelli, Leo shook his head helplessly.

How did these two guys become enemies?

Wait, Leo seemed to have forgotten something after the game, what on earth was it.

It seems like something is missing, oh yes! It's Thornton!
  The shoulder dislocation was not a minor injury and he was immediately sent back to Milan for diagnosis.

Leo hurriedly made a call. If it was later, it might be too late.

"David, how is the situation now?"

"Oh, it's really bad. I took a X-ray and confirmed that it was a dislocation. They said they would arrange surgery for me as soon as possible."

Li Ao was a little speechless when he heard that he was really going to have surgery, but fortunately he made it in time.

"Listen to me, don't rush into surgery yet. You can find a way to send the films to my email, and I will contact the experts in China to try to avoid the need for surgery."

Surgery would be more painful and, in the best case scenario, would require several months of sideline work.

If he can find a reliable old Chinese medicine practitioner to reset his condition, he will be able to return to the competition in a few weeks if everything goes well.

After all, it’s easy to press it in just two clicks. Why charge more money? How much money can a surgery hospital make?
  The doctor will calculate this in his mind, and of course he will recommend surgery whether it is possible or not.

Therefore, many of them prefer to rest instead of bone setting by traditional Chinese medicine. If the problem is serious and it is not possible, they can only undergo surgery.

The above is Leo's previous view.

"Huh? Oh good!"

Thornton was surprised and delighted to hear that there was a better treatment.

Out of trust in Leo, David had no doubts at all.

Because every time I had doubts about Leo before, it was finally proven that the clown was himself.

It would be better to just listen to the boss in everything, which would save trouble and provide peace of mind.

Soon Leo received an email from Thornton, and he sent the email to a famous doctor he had met in China before.

"The injury is serious. Come here as soon as possible so that I can formulate a surgical plan."

ah? After fussing for a long time, I still need surgery?

After asking about it, I found out that for ordinary people, in most cases, it would be better to seek treatment from a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

Because they do not exercise strenuously often, they can recover slowly.

But athletes are different, because they don’t have that long to recover after the connection, so it is better to perform surgery directly to cure it.

Even if a serious traditional Chinese medicine hospital fixes the problem, it will require you to rest for more than two months. If you don’t practice it after the reset, it will cause habitual dislocation, which will make things worse.

There was no advantage in time now, and with Thornton's temperament, it was unlikely that he would rest as the doctor ordered.

Forget it, let him have the surgery in Milan.

Fortunately, there is still more than a month before the start of the season. If I recover quickly, I will not miss too many games.

"What? Still having surgery in Milan?"

David Thornton felt like he was on a roller coaster, and he suddenly became suspicious of Leo again.

It seems that the boss is not so reliable sometimes.

The next day, Inter Milan continued to face its second opponent, Manchester City, at the Aviva Stadium.

In yesterday's Dublin Cup match, Inter Milan defeated the Scottish Celtics and Manchester City also defeated the Irish League Stars 3-0.

Today's match between the two teams will determine the winner of this event.

This is also the first time Manchester City coach Mancini has led his team to face his old club.

Ancelotti adjusted the formation to 4-2-3-1 today.

Berbatov, who previously played for Manchester City's rivals, started the game.

Leo is flanked by Bale and Neymar, with De Rossi and Thiago Motta behind him.

Left back Kolarov, right back Zanetti, Samuel and Lucio started today, and the goalkeeper was Handanovic.

For Manchester City, Mancini also arranged a four-two-three-one.

Dzeko's single arrow, David Silva, Aguero and Wright-Phillips lined up.

De Jong and Yaya Toure double as defensive midfielders.

Left back Clichy, right back Richards, Lescott and Kompany partnered as central defender and goalkeeper Joe Hart.

This summer, Inter Milan has made big signings one after another, and Manchester City has not been idle either.

Blue Moon has learned to be smarter this year and make a fortune quietly.

Aguero was bought for 40 million, Nasri was bought for 27 million, Savic joined with a transfer fee of 12 million, and Clichy only spent more than 7 million.

Then Hargreaves was exempted from the visa. The "oil tycoon" who had always been wealthy actually learned to be prudent.

Not much money was spent but the strength in each position was well reinforced.

Sure enough, at the beginning of the game, Silva received a pass from Clichy on the left and broke into the left side of the penalty area.

David Silva's left-footed shot from a small angle was blocked by Aguero!
  However, the referee disallowed Balotelli's goal for offside.

Manchester City's strength is still much stronger than yesterday's Celtics. Inter Milan finally ushered in a threatening opponent.

A minute later, Clichy sent a precise cross from the left, and Dzeko headed the ball over the crossbar from the line of the small penalty area!

Then came Manchester City's attack again. Yaya Toure passed the ball straight from the middle. After getting the ball, Aguero continued to break forward.

De Rossi quit, and he hit Aguero with a vicious scissor kick in the backcourt!
  The Argentine fell to the ground in pain, and De Rossi received a yellow card.

Then David Silva's free kick was firmly saved by Handanovic!
  The Inter goalkeeper took the kick and Leo moved to the left.

Kolarov saw that the opponent's left back Clichy had performed well before, and he was a little unwilling to be outdone.

He ignored Bell who ran to the open space and raised his hand to ask for the ball. He dribbled the ball to the left front corner of the penalty area and started to cut inside.

After easily passing Richards, Kolarov knocked his left foot in front of the goal. Berbatov got rid of the defense from the penalty spot and followed up with a push shot!
  One to zero!

Inter Milan scored first!
  Then Leo worked with Motta in the frontcourt to steal the ball again, this time passing it to the left and passing it to Bell.

Facing a familiar opponent, Bell continuously controlled the ball in the frontcourt and accelerated through three defensive players before cutting into the penalty area!
  Facing Joe Hart's attack, Bell's low shot with his left foot slightly missed the left post.

On the free kick opportunity on the left wing, Yaya Toure directly hit the goal with heavy artillery from a long distance!
  Still, Handanovic flew over and picked the ball off!

In the 18th minute, Yaya Toure cleverly passed the ball to the left. Clichy made a low pass from the left, and Dzeko pushed the ball into the net with his right foot!
  The referee's whistle sounded again. The moment Clichy passed the ball, he was indeed in an offside position, and the goal was invalid.

In the 30th minute, Manchester City's efforts were not in vain.

Blue Moon made a long pass from the backcourt to instigate a counterattack, and Silva controlled the ball and sent a through ball with ease under the double-team of three defensive players!

Dzeko used his speed advantage to surpass Samuel and form a single shot. Facing Handanovic's defense, Dzeko calmly scored with a low shot!
  One to one!

Mancini waved his arm vigorously, and Manchester City equalized the score!

In the stoppage time of the first half, Leo made a precise long pass of more than 50 meters from the backcourt. Berbatov volleyed from the sideline of the penalty area past the attacking goalkeeper Joe Hart and flew into the net!

Leo and Berba still have such a tacit understanding.

Brother Xiaosha, who just saw the opportunity, didn't say he was unwilling to run or anything. Instead, he sprinted with all his strength and finally got a chance to score.

It seems that after joining Inter Milan, the pressure on the Bulgarian Footballer is not small.

The first half ended with a score of two to one.

When he came off the field, Leo was still surprised and Berbatov received his pass. He passed the ball in advance according to the pass to Bale.

As a result, the two faster young men Bale and Neymar failed to grab this opportunity, and were seized by Berbatov.

So, opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared.

At the beginning of the second half, Berbatov, who scored twice, was replaced by Balotelli.

For Ancelotti, Berbatov no longer needs to be inspected. No matter where he goes, he is a "chic brother" who can plug and play.

Generally speaking, his performance will not be too bad, but it is not easy for him to play more actively and score more goals for the team.

Neymar's long shot after continuous breakthroughs from the right was saved by Joe Hart!
  Inter corner kick opportunity.

Leo's corner kick went into the penalty area. Balotelli jumped high from the front and beat Lescott with a header to score!

Three to one!

The Nerazzurri expanded their lead!

But after scoring the goal, Bashen did not celebrate excessively to show respect for his old club.

Both Manchester City and Balotelli's "godfather" Mancini are good to him.

Ba Shen's move can be considered to be kind and righteous, much better than many white-eyed wolves.

It can be seen that Balotelli has indeed learned good things from being with Leo.

The two teams began to make substitutions and adjustments.

Manchester City, who were lagging behind, took the lead in making substitutions. Mancini replaced Milner, Barry, Adam Johnson and other players one after another, and the midfield and frontcourt offensive lines were almost changed.

Inter Milan also made corresponding adjustments, and players such as Coutinho, Pandev, Pirlo, Modric and others were replaced one after another.

Towards the end of the game, Barry midfielder passed the ball. Wright-Phillips passed Ranocchia on the left side of the penalty area and scored with a low shot with his right foot.

Three to two!
  Manchester City got another goal back!
  After the substitutions, Inter Milan's midfield hardness indeed dropped significantly, and Manchester City seized an opportunity.

However, neither side could score a goal afterwards, and Inter Milan still defeated Manchester City 3-2.

At the same time, Ancelotti also won his first "Championship" trophy after taking office.

The Dublin Cup trophy is somewhat similar to the Hercules Cup. Zanetti also raised the trophy with a smile on his face and surrounded by his teammates!

"I'm very happy to see such an outstanding performance from the players. I also hope that this is just the beginning. I hope that we can gain something on all fronts in the new season that is about to begin!"

(End of this chapter)