"It's a pity that we lost two points at the last minute...Chelsea is too tenacious. Chelsea led by Mourinho is always so tenacious. It's better to get one point than to lose." Noriya said at the post-match press conference.
Said above.
His attitude seemed relatively natural, and Mourinho seemed relatively satisfied. After all, both teams were very strong, and no one was sure of defeating their opponent.
The next weekend's game was the third round of the FA Cup. Nolito rotated all the main players in this game, but facing the British Championship team Burnley, they still had the absolute upper hand. Nolito
, Vardy, Klose and Coutinho each scored a goal in the game. Southampton defeated their opponents 4-2 and entered the fourth round of the FA Cup.
For Southampton's substitutes, they know that their chance to play in the second half of the season may be in the FA Cup. If they play one more game, they will have more chances to compete.
After playing this game, Noriya flew to Zurich to participate in the draw ceremony for the knockout stage of the Champions League there.
"Avoiding the same group and avoiding the same league, then apart from Manchester United and Chelsea, our next opponents will appear in Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico, Paris and Bayern. To be honest, they are not easy to beat. The relatively easy to beat may be Atletico Madrid and Paris."
Benelli analyzed the draw.
"Paris is unlikely. Atletico Madrid is actually not easy to play. Their performance this season is outstanding." Noriya said.
"Really?" Benali was stunned.
"Their defense and full-court press are quite good. They also have Diego Costa in the frontcourt who is a comprehensive forward who can score goals. Their tactics are simple, but difficult to deal with," replied Noriya.
"Then this draw..." Benali said.
"Do you still have any illusions? We will definitely encounter a strong team, whether it is Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern. It is unlikely that we will be drawn to Paris. They are relatively easy to beat." Ji Ya said.
In this regard, Ji Ya's judgment is still very accurate.
At the lottery ceremony, the guest of the draw Zidane immediately picked Bayern for Southampton.
"We are very lucky to play last season's runner-up in the group stage and the defending champion in the knockout stage." Ji Ya said with a smile, and then extended his hand to Guardiola.
Guardiola smiled bitterly and held Ji Ya's hand. He knew that Southampton was not easy to play. Although they won the Super Cup, they also won quite a fluke.
Although it is said that if you want to win the Champions League, you have to defeat all the strong opponents, but it is always better to meet the strong teams later. Among the eight group second places, Manchester City and Southampton are the best.
It is difficult to deal with. Next is AC Milan. Under such circumstances, they were suddenly drawn to Southampton. Guardiola also knows that this is also a slap in the face from UEFA.
But now that the lottery results have come out, what else can we say?
These two games will be played at the end of February and March, and Southampton can now focus entirely on the league.
"The next league game is one where we need to grab points. I won't rotate if it's not necessary. Everyone, be prepared." Noriya said.
The players nodded one after another. It was obviously time to sprint now. If we don't work harder now, when will we have to wait?
Moreover, the schedule during this period is not too strict, it is the time to compete for points in the best condition.
At the same time, the opponents during this period are not strong. The strongest is Arsenal, and the others are mid-to-lower teams. On the contrary, after the knockout rounds begin, they encounter strong teams more often. That is the real test.
.
And during this period, Southampton had a schedule that was later talked about by fans and considered to be a great winning streak!
On January 11, in the twenty-first round of the league, Southampton faced West Bromwich Albion at home.
They didn't give West Bromwich Albion much chance to react. From the beginning of the game, they suppressed West Bromwich Albion and looked for opportunities to score.
West Bromwich Albion stayed in the penalty area, hoping to wait until Southampton's offense was tired before looking for a chance to score.
However, they only lasted twenty minutes. Suarez passed the ball to Lukaku, and Lukaku shot to create a corner kick. Mkhitaryan took a corner kick. Under the cover of Lukaku and Font, Otamendi
He scored a header from the back point to break the deadlock, one to zero.
Before the end of the first half, Southampton played a beautiful counterattack. De Bruyne sent a wonderful overhead ball. Suarez made a single shot and passed the opponent's goalkeeper to score and expand the score.
In the 66th minute of the second half, it was De Bruyne's pass again, and Ronaldo's long shot from the front of the penalty area, three to zero.
Arsenal defeated Villa and achieved two consecutive victories after the New Year, continuing to rank first, while Southampton has slipped to third place after drawing with Chelsea before. Manchester City ranked second with 47 points, and Southampton
Third with 45 points, Chelsea is fourth with 44 points, and Liverpool is fifth with 42 points.
"Arsenal is very strong after the New Year." Benally said with some sigh.
Ji Ya shrugged his shoulders.
After a week's rest, Southampton ushered in the 22nd round of the league on January 18. Sunderland, who was playing at home and fighting for relegation, broke out with extremely strong combat effectiveness. In the first half, Lukaku
With De Bruyne scoring a goal each, they tied the score abruptly in the second half. When Southampton was about to encounter Waterloo, Suarez stepped forward and made a beautiful move with Lukaku at the edge of the penalty area.
After a one-two match, he decisively took a shot in the penalty area and hit the ball into the dead center of the goal!
Three to two, Southampton defeated the opponent with difficulty and won again!
"I'm very happy that we won this game and Suarez gave us three points. Yes, he is worth it, I have said this many times... I am very happy to have such a striker and we
Now I can keep up and not fall behind, which is another thing that makes me feel even happier."
Only after watching the results of other teams did I know how important this victory was. In this round, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all won. Chelsea still defeated Manchester United. Liverpool was tied by their opponents and has already started to be left behind by the top four.
Open the gap.
If Southampton draws again in this round, it may fall to the fourth position and gradually be separated by the championship team!
The next weekend is the fourth round of the FA Cup. After the FA Cup, there will be two consecutive league matches. The Premier League schedule is so unconventional. The FA Cup has to be played on the weekend, so the league is postponed.
It has become inevitable that the competition will become more intensive when the Champions League comes.
"Just in time, the main players should adjust well and prepare for the next impact!" Ji Ya waved his fist at the players on the training ground.
