Chapter 455: Final battle

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Chapter 455: Final battle

In the history of La Liga, only Real Madrid and Barcelona have achieved three consecutive league titles. The last time the Galacticos achieved this feat was in the 1990s, and now the glory has been revived.

But at this moment, the players cannot relax because they still have one final battle to fight, aiming for the goal of winning the Champions League for the third consecutive time!

Before the restructuring, Real Madrid was the king of the Champions League, achieving a great feat of winning five consecutive titles. Since the restructuring, no team has been able to win the title three times in a row. Naturally, they want to be the first to do so.

To this end, Florentino offered huge bonuses to inspire the team. As long as they win the Champions League, each player's share of the money will be no less than seven figures. "This season, we have defeated Barcelona three times already, and considering their internal unrest, victory will surely belong to us!"

Indeed, there is a lot of tension within the Catalan team, as if a powder keg is about to explode, affecting not only the players and coaching staff but also the management.

According to "AS" reports, the Champions League will be Barcelona's last chance. If they fail, significant changes will occur. Elections may be called early, and many people will be dismissed, especially Laporta's various confidants.

After the final round of La Liga matches, Guardiola gave an interview to the media. He admitted the team's loss in the league and considered it very unfortunate. "We won almost every game, except for the most crucial El Clásico."

But he emphasized that Barcelona will give their all in the Champions League final. "The players are full of fighting spirit, and this is our last chance for revenge. I believe anyone with courage will want to seize it."

When asked about his conflict with Eto'o and whether he would arrange for him to play in the final, the Spaniard refused to answer the question with a straight face. "Tactical arrangements will not be revealed before the match."

Speaking of their opponents Real Madrid and Wang Feng, Guardiola sighed, "Their overall strength is very strong, and more importantly, they have been consistently stable from start to finish, with Wang Feng's performance being crucial."

"The Chinese superstar has become the backbone of the team, and I rarely see players maintain such a good form for a long time."

As for Cristiano Ronaldo, he was flamboyant and always full of confidence. In interviews, he often stated astonishing goals, but even if he failed to achieve them, the fans wouldn't blame him. Who wouldn't want to see a player who was always energetic and competitive?

"Perhaps failure is also a kind of tempering for Leo; I hope he can step forward for the team in the face of adversity in the future." Puyol silently thought to himself.

After the final warm-up training before the match, both sides submitted their starting line-ups. Real Madrid continued to use the 4-4-2 formation, with Casillas in goal.

The defense consisted of Pepe, Ramos, Ashley Cole, and Marcelo. Fortunately, several injured players had recovered and would not miss the final battle.

The midfield included Diarra, Gago, Robben, and Sneijder.

The forward line was led by Wang Feng and Raúl.

Barcelona, on the other hand, changed their style from the usual three-pronged attack to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Valdés in goal.

The defense line consisted of Puyol, Yaya Touré, Piqué, and Márquez.

The two defensive midfielders were Xavi and Alves, while the three attacking midfielders were Iniesta, Busquets, and Messi.

Henry was pushed to the front as the lone striker. With Eto'o gone, Guardiola could only have Messi drop back to organize and Henry act as a pivot.

This lineup was somewhat unexpected for Real Madrid coach Schuster. When he learned that the Cameroonian had no room for negotiation with Barcelona at the moment, he thought the Spanish coach would use Pedro or Bojan as substitutes instead.

Unexpectedly, Guardiola chose to stick to the midfield, going all out both defensively and offensively, relying on the single forward pillar with Messi hidden behind as the killer.

This setup made the attack more concealed and versatile, also in line with Messi's comprehensive technical characteristics. However, such a tactic was rarely seen from Barcelona before.

To be able to change tactics on the stage of the Champions League final, Guardiola was taking a desperate gamble, but Schuster was equally confident in his team's lineup. Making history by defeating Barcelona was happening today.