Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 566: Barcelona's 0-4 Humiliation Shocks the Football World

Throughout January, Manchester City took a more relaxed approach, using the time to rotate players and develop their squad.

Guardiola kept his promise by boldly rotating the squad, ensuring ample rest for his key players while giving substitutes and young talents plenty of game time.

Of course, this strategy came at a cost.

In Premier League Matchweek 21, due to heavy squad rotation and facing an opponent in peak form, Manchester City suffered a 0-2 away defeat to Everton.

However, just a few days later, this same rotated squad managed to hold Tottenham to a draw in a tough battle.

It's worth noting that in the previous two rounds, Tottenham had ended Chelsea's 13-match winning streak, making them a formidable opponent.

These matches highlighted that City's second-string squad wasn't weak—they just lacked consistency. On a good day, they could go toe-to-toe with top teams, but on a bad day, losing to mid-table clubs wasn't surprising.

Perhaps it was due to the intense competitiveness of the Premier League, where every match was a high-stakes battle.

Interestingly, these players performed much better in the FA Cup.

In two FA Cup matches in January, City won 5-0 and 3-0, with the backup players dominating as if they were the first team.

City Finds Their Rhythm in February

As February rolled in, City's form significantly improved.

They thrashed West Ham 4-0 away.

Then, at home, they eased past Swansea 2-0.

In Matchweek 25, they secured a 2-0 away victory over Bournemouth, making it three wins in a row.

These matches were comfortable victories, with key players barely playing beyond halftime, keeping them fresh.

Meanwhile, the young players gained more experience, and with increased confidence, they played with greater composure and courage, attempting moves they previously wouldn't have dared to try.

As a result, their performances steadily improved.

Ironically, Letting Go of the Title Race Improved City's Form

Earlier in the season, when the entire squad was burdened by title expectations, they frequently encountered setbacks—

Defensive errors.

Opponents scoring stunning wonder goals.

Winning felt incredibly difficult.

Yet, ever since City let go of their title ambitions, their performances only got better.

Meanwhile, league leaders Chelsea were starting to struggle.

Chelsea's Stumbling Form Raises Questions

In this round, Chelsea shockingly drew 1-1 with Burnley, a result that stunned the football world.

But in reality, this wasn't surprising.

As the second half of the season progressed, Chelsea started suffering from injuries and fatigue, leading to a noticeable dip in form.

Their recent results tell the story:

6 matches

3 wins

1 loss

2 draws

A huge drop from their earlier dominance.

If other top teams had capitalized on this dip in form, Chelsea's lead at the top might have already vanished.

City Surprisingly Rises to Second Place

What's even more unexpected is that the team in second place isn't Liverpool, nor Tottenham, but Manchester City—the team that had supposedly "given up" on the title race.

Manchester City: 52 points (2nd place)

Chelsea: 60 points (1st place, 8 points ahead)

Realistically, 8 points is a big gap.

But if Chelsea continues their inconsistency, their title could still be at risk.

Chelsea's Advantage: City's Upcoming Champions League Clash

However, Chelsea had one reason to be optimistic—City was about to play in the Champions League knockout rounds.

Since City only finished second in their group, many group winners feared drawing them in the Round of 16.

In the end, they dodged a bullet, and the "unlucky" team drawn against City was Monaco.

When the camera panned to Monaco's representatives during the draw, it was clear they were miserable inside—yet they still forced a smile for the cameras.

The awkwardness of their forced grin had many fans laughing.

Monaco's Misfortune? PSG Might Have It Worse

If Monaco was unlucky, then PSG was truly doomed.

Once again, they were drawn against Barcelona—as if it was scripted by UEFA.

"Is this because we have Neymar, a former Barcelona player? Are they just messing with us?"

But fans loved it.

A pre-match poll on social media showed that PSG vs. Barcelona was the most anticipated match of the Round of 16.

It was the closest contest in terms of squad strength, promising an epic battle.

And the match did not disappoint—

February 15 – First Leg at Parc des Princes

At home, PSG obliterated Barcelona 4-0.

Neymar, Di María, and Cavani all scored, demolishing the Spanish giants.

No one saw this coming.

This was Barcelona—the same team that had recently defeated defending champions Manchester City at home.

Yet they were annihilated so easily by PSG?

The result shocked European football.

Barcelona & Messi Fans in Disbelief

Many, especially Barcelona and Messi's fans, struggled to accept the outcome.

Messi had a terrible game:

No goals.

Multiple mistakes.

Far below expectations.

After the match, Messi vowed to stage a miraculous comeback at home.

But honestly, few people believed it was possible.

History Was Against Barcelona

In Champions League history, no team had ever overturned a 4-0 deficit in the knockout rounds.

Barcelona needed at least 5 goals to progress.

If PSG scored once, that number would rise to 6.

Could they do it?

Impossible.

Following this historic defeat, the general consensus was that Barcelona was eliminated.

The second leg was seen as nothing more than a formality.

Arsenal's Misery – Another Humiliation in Europe

Barcelona wasn't the only team humiliated in this round.

Arsenal was also annihilated by Bayern Munich.

Bayern dominated 5-1.

Arsenal looked completely lost, like their spirit had been crushed.

Even Alexis Sánchez missed a penalty.

Though Arsenal scored an away goal, they were still down four goals—technically a slightly better situation than Barcelona.

But there was one major problem—

The gap between Barcelona and PSG wasn't nearly as big as the gap between Arsenal and Bayern.

Arsenal simply had no chance.

Once again, facing "Three-Year Barcelona, Five-Year Bayern", Arsenal was completely powerless.

They tried their best—but it just wasn't enough.

If Arsenal wanted to score four goals at home, it wasn't entirely impossible. But stopping Bayern from scoring even once? That was completely out of the question.

So, as soon as the first-leg result was confirmed, Arsenal fans knew their fate—the team was once again crashing out in the Round of 16.

It was almost comical at this point.

Every year, Arsenal secured a top-four finish, every year they qualified for the Champions League, and every year they managed to get out of the group stage—even in last season's difficult circumstances, they still pulled through.

Inspiring? Maybe. But predictable? Absolutely.

The problem was, Arsenal's ceiling was painfully low—they could never break past the Round of 16.

Other Results – Real Madrid and Benfica Secure Wins

Compared to Bayern and PSG, who crushed their opponents, the wins for Benfica and Real Madrid were more measured.

Benfica edged Dortmund 1-0 at home, a small advantage, but not enough to feel safe ahead of the second leg in Signal Iduna Park.

Real Madrid secured a comfortable 3-1 win over Napoli, putting one foot into the quarter-finals.

Interestingly, in the first week of knockout matches, all the home teams won.

Second Week – The Tables Turn

When the second batch of matches kicked off, the pattern completely changed.

Leverkusen suffered a humiliating 2-4 defeat at home to Atlético Madrid—practically sealing their exit.

Porto lost 0-2 to Juventus, and with a red card in the mix, their second-leg hopes were slim at best.

After seeing two home teams lose in a row, Leicester City—the Champions League newcomers—were eager to break the trend.

Instead, they got schooled by Sevilla, losing 1-2.

Leicester Outclassed by Sevilla

The scoreline didn't fully reflect Leicester's struggles.

Shots: Leicester 8, Sevilla 26

Corners: Leicester 1, Sevilla 8

Passes: Leicester 251, Sevilla 655—more than double

Possession: Leicester 27%, Sevilla 73%

Leicester were completely outplayed.

English Clubs Struggle in Europe

With:

Tottenham failing to get out of the group stage,

Arsenal getting destroyed by Bayern,

Leicester dominated by Sevilla...

The Premier League's Champions League hopes now rested solely on Manchester City.

Again.

"Why is it always you?"

City thought: "We don't want this pressure either!"

If any other English team had stepped up, City wouldn't always find themselves as the last remaining hope for the league.

Adding to the concern, City hadn't been at their best this season—they had already lost more matches than last year, making some Premier League fans nervous about their chances.

Manchester City vs. Monaco – A Thrilling First Leg

Fortunately for English football, City did not disappoint.

At the Etihad, they obliterated Monaco 5-2, securing a three-goal advantage.

As long as they didn't lose by three goals in the second leg, they were likely to progress.

Monaco Proves Their Strength

However, this match also showed that Monaco was no pushover.

Unlike most teams that struggled at the Etihad, Monaco didn't sit back—instead, they played an all-out attacking game against City.

Although they ultimately lost, they earned the respect of City fans.

Not many teams in Europe had the courage to play like this.

Monaco's Mindset for the Second Leg

From their perspective, if they could score twice away, they had a real chance at home.

With two away goals, any additional goal they scored in the return leg would be extremely valuable.

Premier League Fans & Manchester United's Reaction

City's dominant win relieved Premier League fans, who had been worried about another disastrous round of 16.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans were also relieved—but for a different reason.

No, they weren't celebrating City's win—that would be ridiculous.

They were happy because City had exerted so much energy in the Champions League.

Manchester Derby Approaching – A Golden Opportunity for United

Just three days later, City would host Manchester United in the second Manchester Derby of the season.

If City were at full strength, United would have very little chance at the Etihad.

However, this season, City's form hadn't been as dominant.

And now, after a physically exhausting Champions League match, United saw a golden opportunity.

Mourinho's Tactical Plan

After analyzing City's current state, Mourinho concluded:

City would attack aggressively in the first half, trying to secure a lead early while their energy levels were still high.

In the second half, their fatigue would show, making them more vulnerable.

United's strategy was simple:

Defend deep

Wait for City to make mistakes

Hit them on the counterattack

Mourinho never cared about possession stats or passing numbers—his philosophy was:

"You don't need many chances. You just need to finish the few you get."

Mourinho Predicts Guardiola's Plan – And He's 100% Right

Everything happened exactly as Mourinho expected.

City launched wave after wave of attacks in the first half, relentlessly pressuring United's defense.

They took 18 shots in the first half alone.

But United's defensive unity held firm—City couldn't find a breakthrough.

City's Best Chance – A Missed Opportunity

35th minute: Lin Quan crossed from the wing to Agüero.

Under tight marking, Agüero couldn't shoot and passed it back.

Lin Quan unleashed a sudden long-range shot—

The ball struck the crossbar and bounced out!

This was City's closest chance to scoring, but aside from this, they had no other clear-cut opportunities.

Second Half – United's Plan Nearly Works

As the match progressed, City's energy levels dropped—just as Mourinho predicted.

It looked like United's counterattack plan was about to pay off...

Unexpected Twist – Fellaini Sees Red!

Out of nowhere, United's Marouane Fellaini committed a reckless foul and was sent off.

This completely disrupted Mourinho's game plan.

With a numerical disadvantage, United struggled to launch effective counterattacks.

City, now regaining control, brought on fresh legs and resumed attacking.

However, despite renewed efforts, they couldn't break through United's defense.

Final Score: 0-0 – A Frustrating Draw for Both Sides

Both teams ended up frustrated with the result.

City dominated but couldn't score.

United had a solid plan, but the red card ruined their counterattacking threat.

In the end, the Manchester Derby ended in a goalless draw, leaving both sides unsatisfied.

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10