Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

News of Sporting Lisbon's resounding victory over Kaiserslautern in the first leg of their European campaign quickly spread throughout Europe.

New dark horses have wiped out old dark horses, and each generation is darker than the last.

Deng Kai's performance in that match was remarkable, and he played the role of an absolute midfield core.

Many people have started paying attention to Deng Kai because of this.

Some of them support Deng Kai.

Another group came to inspect the goods.

They wanted to see for themselves if this Deng Kai was as awesome as Viana.

On March 19th, the 26th round of the Portuguese Super League kicked off.

Triguera made a very bold move by using an all-substitute lineup.

None of the key players or important rotation players will be playing.

The meaning is simple: prioritize European competitions, and let the domestic leagues take the lead!

This approach is not understood by many people.

Maxi was one of them from the beginning. He believed that as the team was second in the league, they could definitely compete for the league title, and there was no reason to give up at this time.

Conversely, European competitions are more unpredictable, and diligent preparation does not guarantee a good result.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

However, Deng Kai expressed his support for Triglav.

"The next round is Kaiserslautern's home game. Their home atmosphere is great; it's one of the birthplaces of miracles, and anything can happen there."

"By being in top form and giving the Germans no illusions, we can not only secure our place in the UEFA Cup semi-finals, but also prepare for the upcoming European competitions."

"Otherwise, if we really get into a close battle, even if we win, we'll run out of steam afterward."

"As for the league... well, we still have one more chance to face Porto directly, so even if the difference is as big as three to five points, we still have a chance. There's no need to be in such a hurry right now."

After Deng Kai finished speaking, Maxa immediately applauded: "He truly has foresight! If we want to qualify for European competition, we can't just aim to defeat Kaiserslautern. Young Master Kai's vision is already focused on the next round's outcome. His foresight is something we should all learn from!"

Deng Kai's face darkened. Those words were definitely not auspicious.

Maxa noticed that Deng Kai wasn't very happy and wondered to himself what he had said wrong.

Could it be that the idiom "高瞻远瞩" was used incorrectly?

Does it make you look old-fashioned?

Indeed, the Chinese language is profound and complex; I am still too shallow in my knowledge.

As a result, Sporting Lisbon, with an all-reserve squad, lost in the league. Although their opponent this round was not strong, they were struggling in the relegation zone and their fighting spirit could potentially explode.

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At the very least, it is very easy to cause injuries.

Sporting Lisbon's decision to lay low and avoid the limelight is a wise one.

Fortunately, their direct rivals Porto fought back tenaciously to tie the game, bringing the point difference to three.

It hasn't reached the worst-case scenario yet.

On the other hand, Benfica and Boavista, who are behind Sporting Lisbon, met this round and, after a fierce battle, barely managed a draw.

This caused them to miss the best opportunity to catch up, and the gap between them and Sporting Lisbon grew to seven and eight points respectively.

They have essentially dropped out of the race for the league title and Champions League qualification.

From a strategic perspective, Trigra's move, while not exactly brilliant, was at least a positive one.

However, in the eyes of ordinary fans, especially fans of other teams, this move was extremely idiotic.

If we win the league, wouldn't we be back at the top?

If you miss this opportunity, Sporting Lisbon might miss out on the final championship.

"Is Sporting Lisbon stupid? It's so easy for a relegation-threatened team to get points, why are they fielding a completely reserve team?"

"It's not easy for relegation-threatened teams to get points. Porto got tied too, and to make matters worse, a key midfielder is injured. Who knows what will happen next!"

"Hey, even Sporting Lisbon lost, so don't keep saying it's not certain."

"To be honest, Sporting Lisbon really can't afford any more injuries. Especially Duncan, who is now carrying the team single-handedly."

"Pah! Another Keanu Reeves fan? Why are you taking the blame all by yourself? Do you think Ballon d'Or winner Matthäus is a pushover? Or do you think Deschamps is a slacker in the national team? These are all top national team players!"

"Exactly, these Keppelin fans are really annoying. It's one thing to play dirty tricks on Viana, but now they're completely disregarding the other Sporting Lisbon midfielders. If I were Deschamps, I'd give those Keppelin fans a piece of my mind!"

"Isn't Matthäus so arrogant at Bayern Munich and with the national team? Why doesn't he teach Deng Kai a lesson?"

"They've lost the league match, and people are still praising Deng Kai? I watched the league game; Deng Kai was invisible the entire time, completely lacking the flair of Viana!"

"The Inter Milan fan upstairs really deserves credit, but next time you slander my Kai, please do your research first. Sporting Lisbon fielded a completely reserve squad this round. It would be strange if my Kai didn't disappear, because he didn't even play!"

"They can't hold back anymore. Inter Milan fans have gone mad. They don't need to worry about being eliminated in the Champions League group stage next year. Because they will most likely start directly from the UEFA Cup next year."

"The comment upstairs is a bit sarcastic. But it seems like Sporting Lisbon has a high chance of qualifying for the Champions League next year. The Portuguese league has two spots, and Sporting Lisbon is seven points ahead of Benfica, so they're pretty much guaranteed a spot."

"Not necessarily. This round of league matches also shows that Sporting Lisbon is investing heavily in the UEFA Cup. If they advance to the semi-finals, they will definitely go all out. In that case, there will be scheduling conflicts, and they will most likely be forced to give up the league."

"Yes, don't forget they've already reached the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup. If they really make it to the final, they'll have no choice but to give it their all."

"If I were Sporting Lisbon, I would have let Moreirense go in the last round of the Portuguese Cup. It would have saved face for the reserve team and gotten rid of a burden. At this point, letting them go would have been a loss for either side."

"Seriously, are you all so spineless? Only children make choices; can't adults have it all?"

"Hahaha, the comment upstairs made me laugh. All of them? A mini treble? Do you think that's possible? How many years has it been since the Portuguese league had a European treble winner? There aren't many in all of Europe. The pressure of the schedule is no joke. You guys who don't play football wouldn't understand how terrifying the physical crisis at the end of the season is."

"I heard that the fans in Kaiserslautern have prepared a devilish home atmosphere to help their team turn the game around. Sporting Lisbon is in for a tough time after they get there."

"In the last round, Kaiserslautern's strategy against Viana was very good. However, when Viana retreated, Duncan's style was completely different from Viana's, which was like a surprise attack. Duncan performed well because there were fewer restrictions on him."

"Rehhagel has studied this carefully for a week and must have come up with a plan to limit Deng Kai. Sporting Lisbon is likely to face huge trouble in this match!"

"Bet against the favorite in football, and you'll own a villa by the sea. Although the score is lopsided, the gap in strength between the two sides is actually not that big. Rehhagel's late surge has been decisive; Sporting Lisbon, having lost their midfield, will likely be at the mercy of their opponents. Klose and Djorkaeff are not the type of strikers to waste opportunities; I believe they can stage a comeback and continue their dark horse legend, reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals for the second consecutive season!"

The fans argue with each other and never agree on anything.

On March 22, the entire Sporting Lisbon team flew to Germany and arrived in Kaiserslautern.

On March 23, the second leg of the UEFA Cup quarter-finals officially kicked off.

Apart from Viana's injury absence for Sporting Lisbon, there were almost no changes to the personnel of either side.

I like playing football on the ground: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him.