At the same time, Leverkusen drew with Wolfsburg at home!
Moreover, Leverkusen played very poorly in this game. Schürrle scored the first goal in the first 12 minutes but was quickly equalized by Wolfsburg. In the end, it was only through the heroic performance of goalkeeper Leno that they managed to draw the opponent. .
Perhaps it is now the most critical moment to compete for the Champions League seats. On the one hand, Leverkusen wants to get as close to the top as possible. After all, they do not want to play in the Champions League play-offs; on the other hand, they are afraid that Schalke 04 will catch up behind them. .
Under the influence of such worries about gains and losses, the performance of the pharmaceutical players was indeed unsatisfactory.
On the one hand, there was a hearty victory, and on the other hand, it was a frustrating draw. In comparison, Hamburg's momentum of directly entering the Champions League group stage is obviously unstoppable.
The points gap between them and Leverkusen has further widened and is now 14 points!
Schalke 04, ranked fifth, also won this round. They defeated Werder Bremen 2:0 away from home, and the point gap between them and Bayer Leverkusen narrowed to 4 points.
In other words, Hamburg is already 18 points ahead of fifth place. With only 6 rounds left in the league, Hamburg has 99% locked in the top four positions, and can at least enter the play-offs of next season's Champions League!
According to the rules of the Bundesliga, if there is a tie, the total goal difference is calculated.
Now Hamburg has scored 60 goals and conceded 24, with a goal difference of 36;
Schalke 04 scored 48 goals and conceded 43 goals, with a poor goal difference of 5 goals.
Therefore, even if Hamburg loses all six remaining games and Schalke 04 wins all six... forget it, this probability is smaller than being caught up on goal difference.
Therefore, Hamburg actually only needs to keep an eye on Leverkusen now.
Due to the huge point difference between them, the German media also agreed that it was impossible for Leverkusen to catch up with Hamburg.
In other words, it is almost certain that Hamburg will enter the Champions League.
Of course, Dortmund cannot be left aside at this time.
They are 8 points behind Hamburg and are trying to catch up.
There is really not much difference between second place or third place in a practical sense, and Hamburg doesn't care much about it, but there is still a difference for Dortmund head coach Klopp.
He can accept losing the league championship he has held for two consecutive years, or he can accept this championship being snatched away by Bayern, which is in full form, but it is still difficult for him to accept being suppressed by Hamburg!
This is like the psychology of many people. If their girlfriend is snatched away by a rich and handsome man, they can comfort themselves, but if their girlfriend is snatched away by some string, they will start to doubt their life...
So he still wants to catch up in the last few games and surpass Hamburg to get second place in the league.
Rumors about Dortmund's recent coaching change are even more rampant. Many people also believe that Klopp also wants to bid farewell to his old club with the best possible record in the league.
Of course, if Dortmund does change coaches, it will not be because of Klopp's poor record.
After all, although they lost the league championship this year, they should still be able to keep their Champions League spot, and they have also reached the semi-finals in the Champions League. The results are actually very good.
On the contrary, it is precisely because Klopp has performed well in leading the team in recent years and his playing style is extremely aggressive and entertaining that he is favored by many foreign teams.
A down-and-out giant like Liverpool, which is in a bad situation, has always wanted to find Klopp to revive its glory.
So by the way, there are also rumors that if Klopp really leaves Dortmund, the person who will replace him as the new owner of the Wittersfalen Stadium may be Pan Yi, who can lead Hamburg to beat Dortmund in second place.
This rumor also attracted widespread media attention.
But "Kicker" analyzed that Pan Yi has worked hard in Hamburg for a season and is about to get results. How could Pan Yi give up Hamburg and choose Dortmund under such circumstances?
There are also rumors that Pan Yi has reached an agreement with club chairman Yachov and will increase investment in the team next season and strive to make a difference in major stadiums.
In order to calm down this meaningless discussion and reassure Hamburg fans, Pan Yi personally came forward to clarify.
He stated that he had no substantial contact of any kind with Dortmund or any other team.
"I still have a contract with Hamburg for more than one year. Now I am still the head coach of Hamburg. I will not consider other things."
Pan Yi also said that he was very grateful to the Hamburg Club for its trust and support in him at critical moments.
This is the reason why he chose to coach Hamburg before this season, and now, he has brought out a Hamburg team that is competitive in the Bundesliga. This is the reward he has given to the club.
"But I want more! I will definitely not leave Hamburg until I have achieved enough honors."
Pan Yi also publicly promised that he would personally put Hamburg on the championship podium.
Since he has said such bold words in the locker room before, of course he is not afraid to say it again in front of the media.
"At the start of the season a lot of people thought our goal was to avoid relegation, but I said we wanted to get into the Champions League and now it looks like we've done that."
"So next season, do you think I just want to keep my place in the Champions League? No, what I want is more wins and championships!"
"Not only do I want the Bundesliga title, I also want the German Cup title! Even the Champions League, I also want Hamburg to regain its glory in such the top European competition!"
"So, once again, I will stay in Hamburg to accomplish this and bring continued joy to the fans..."
Pan Yi's words greatly boosted Hamburg's morale and made Hamburg fans feel reassured and inspired.
Like a double act, Hamburg officials also came forward.
Chairman Yakhov blasted rumors about Pan Yi's departure, claiming it was a conspiracy by rivals.
"I know that Hamburg has become the target of public criticism now. Many teams can't beat us on the court, so they want to use some off-the-grid tactics."
"And if someone really wants to poach our most important person, I just say to them: You're thinking of peaches!"
"Pan Yi is the most important person in Hamburg. He will not leave Hamburg. He will continue to stay in the team!"
Yachov also said that Pan Yi has outlined to him a blueprint for participating in the Champions League next season, and it is obvious that both the club's senior management, coaches and players want to make a difference in the Champions League.
"I feel his ambition, he will not leave us!"
Yachov's statement echoed Pan Yi's statement and once again publicly expressed support for the head coach.
The statements of these two people have indeed quelled recent transfer rumors to a certain extent.
However, some media still pointed out that if Pan Yi really gets better and better in Hamburg, will the club's senior management really have the confidence to retain this young talented coach?
After all, Hamburg is not a wealthy club. Regardless of the team's heritage or financial resources, it may not be able to maintain such competitiveness for a long time.
If nothing else, just say that Dortmund next door is not much better than your hamburger?
But once the Hornets achieve results, the outstanding players on the team, including the coach, will face poaching.
From last season’s half-time MVP Shinji Kagawa, to Lewandowski who has been rumored to be involved with Bayern this season, and even Gotze, Gundogan and others, not to mention being involved in transfer scandals Klopp's.
In other words, even Dortmund, which has always been a strong Bundesliga team, was unable to retain its main players due to various reasons, and eventually became a "star processing factory" or a "star black shop." A hamburger that has been weak for so long dares to pat its breasts and retain its players. people?
Even if Pan Yi really has feelings for Hamburg and wants to stay in the team, if Hamburg sells its main force every now and then, will this match Pan Yi's ambition?
In the end, this Dragon Kingdom coach will become disheartened and eventually run away from home.
Therefore, you can only listen to what the senior management says. What will happen then depends on the final direction of the plot...
Pan Yi declined to comment on such reports.
He also understands that such a thing may happen, but the future will be discussed in the future.
Due to the 50+1 policy of Bundesliga teams, their football culture is very pure, and their commercial atmosphere is very weak compared to the other four leagues.
However, this will inevitably make it difficult for the Bundesliga to gain an advantage in the competition with the wealthy Premier League and La Liga.
The 50+1 policy restricts the enthusiasm of investors to invest in Bundesliga clubs because they cannot truly become the owners of the club and have real decision-making power.
Therefore, almost no investors are willing to spend huge sums of money on Bundesliga clubs.
Therefore, although the operating conditions of Bundesliga clubs are healthier than those of other leagues, they are often short of money.
They can indeed train Xiaoyao in the league and then play them, but after Xiaoyao grows up, his salary will inevitably increase significantly to match their strength.
This makes it difficult for Bundesliga teams to retain stars in the end.
Not to mention other teams, even Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich sometimes faces such problems.
Therefore, Bayern Munich, which aspires to compete for hegemony across Europe, has always been an opponent of this system.
Over the years, Bayern's top management has repeatedly expressed opposition to "50+1" on various occasions. However, in the Bundesliga environment, Bayern is obviously alone.
Their calls were never heeded by most German clubs.
Therefore, in fact, it is difficult to build a sustained dynasty in the Bundesliga.
Bayern is an exception because it is the top team in the Bundesliga.
He has unparalleled appeal to all Bundesliga players. He also has the best economic situation in Germany and can offer the highest salary in the Bundesliga.
But that's it, Bayern has always been against "50+1", which shows that this policy restricts them.
It's because Bayern still can't compare to some teams in La Liga and the Premier League when it comes to competing for some key stars.
So for Pan Yi, he doesn't actually have to worry about that much now. The focus is to play the game well, including playing well in the Champions League next season.
The Bundesliga is a good place for players to improve, and it is also a training ground for coaches. How many good coaches came from the Bundesliga?
You still need to be tough in order to make iron. As long as Pan Yi truly achieves a world-class reputation in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, why don't you worry that no one wants him?
At least today, there are fewer and fewer people who dare to doubt Pan Yi's coaching ability.
The series of correct decisions he made after last season are laying a solid foundation for his future coaching path!
…
On April 13, in the 29th round of the Bundesliga, Hamburg challenged Mainz away from home.
This is an important game for both sides.
Mainz has been wandering in the middle of the league this season, and has been able to reach the European competition from time to time, and then fell down again.
Before this round, Mainz was ranked 9th in the standings with 10 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses and 39 points. Frankfurt and Freiburg, which were in sixth and seventh place with 42 points, were actually not far behind. The difference is only 3 points.
3 points, that is, one game!
Although Mainz lost to Hamburg 0:2 in the first round, this time it was a home game. Of course they wanted to get back a victory and then pave the way to the European war.
But burgers also take this game seriously!
They have a chance to lock in a spot in the Champions League after this game.
This determines whether Pan Yi can show his style at the highest level of European competition next season, and also determines whether Hamburg can really have that much money to stir up the transfer market!
Therefore, Pan Yi sent all his main players in the game, just to compete with the opponent.
Of course, he also deployed the 343 tactics used by the opponent's head coach Thomas Tuchel.
In this period of 343, Tuchel invested more players in the midfield and the frontcourt, and the arrangement was relatively tight and thick. Therefore, it was easy for the team to implement a pressing style in the front position. The team's center, winger, midfielder and The wide midfielders can link up to force the opponent to the wing, block their passing routes, and implement steals.
However, if the high-pressing style of play is once cracked by the opponent, the team can easily fall into a dangerous situation.
Because there are only three central defenders and one defensive midfielder left in the backfield to intercept and defend, the team's defensive end appears to be weak in the face of a sudden attack.
Moreover, since the two full-backs will greatly press forward when the team attacks, the full-back is equivalent to a winger when attacking. If the team is intercepted by the opponent when attacking in the frontcourt, the two full-backs will be forced to attack when attacking. The wide midfielder has no time to quickly return to defense.
Therefore, the pressure on the three central defenders at this time can be imagined. They must not only retreat and delay the opponent's attack speed, but also take into account the space behind the full-backs.
Therefore, the area behind the two full-backs on the left and right of the 3-4-3 formation is bound to become the target of the opponent's attack, and this space behind is also a "natural" disadvantage of the 3-back system.
Therefore, in this game, Pan Yi arranged for three extremely fast forwards, Sun Xingmin, Wu Lei and Vardy, to constantly look for openings on the wings of the frontcourt, and with the help of the full-backs, he sought to attack Main. The attack in the area behind the two full-backs.
Obviously, Pan Yi's plan succeeded.
Following the first round, this game became a performance stage for South Korean star Son Heung-min.
Neither side achieved anything in the first half of the game.
But in the 61st minute of the second half, Robertson dribbled forward from Hamburg's left wing and scored the ball. De Bruyne made a cross pass. Son Heung-min turned around to get rid of the defense and hit a long-range shot into the far corner of the goal, helping Hamburg take the lead!
In the 81st minute, Carvajal cut into the penalty area from the right and passed back. Casemiro shot from the top of the arc. Son Heung-min stretched his legs and sent the ball into the goal. 2:0, Hamburg expanded its lead.
Mainz then recovered a goal.
In the 86th minute, Mainz forward Shaloi cut in from the right and shot. After the ball bounced, Navas flew to save the ball. Mainz substitute winger Sean Parker made a long shot that was refracted and scored, closing the score. Tied 1:2.
In the end, Hamburg defeated Mainz 2:1 away from home.
Obviously, Mainz has also become Son Heung-min's favorite opponent. He scored four goals in two rounds with them!
In the post-match interview, Mainz’s head coach Tuchel also said helplessly:
"We played pretty well in this game, but it's a pity that we ran into an opponent who performed better."
"My defenders seemed completely unable to guard against Hamburg's forwards. Son Heung-min is too fast and can shoot beautifully with both feet, which makes it even harder for us to guard against him."
"I don't know what kind of arrangements coach Pan Yi made for us, but what I want to say is that he did a really good job."
"It can also be seen from this game that my coaching journey has just begun, and there are still many things to learn..."
Pan Yi said in the interview:
"The first half was a little anxious. That's because the defensive system created by Tuchel was still very good and we couldn't find any points that we could exploit."
"But their physical fitness dropped in the second half. After Son Heung-min scored a goal, everyone released themselves and performed very well."
"It's a pity to concede the goal at the end, but this is football, and no one can guarantee not to concede the goal in such a fierce game."
"Everyone is talking about qualifying for the Champions League and I'm happy that we are the dominant side now."
"Now that our game is over, let's see what happens next!"
…
Leverkusen's game is later than Hamburg's.
Their opponent in this round is the most direct competitor for the Champions League seats, Schalke 04!
That is a direct dialogue between the fourth and fifth place in the Bundesliga.
Therefore, this game was extremely intense.
Leverkusen turned away and scored two goals in a row from Kiessling and Rolfs, taking a 2:0 lead in the away game.
But the tenacious Schalke 04 finally equalized the score.
Goals from Pukki in the 71st minute and Rafael in the 87th minute sealed the result of the game at 2:2.
This score left the points gap between the two sides unchanged, but it further widened the gap between Hamburg and Leverkusen.
One has two consecutive wins and the other has two consecutive draws. Now one of the two sides has 66 points and the other has 50 points. The gap is as high as 16 points!
There are only 5 games left in this season's Bundesliga.
In other words, Leverkusen cannot surpass Hamburg's ranking no matter what.
In other words, Hamburg has locked in the top three in the Bundesliga this season and has also locked in the qualification to participate in the Champions League next season!
…
"Oh yeah!!!!"
The moment the whistle sounded at the end of the match between Leverkusen and Schalke 04, bursts of cheers rang out on the Hamburg team's return bus.
They are truly in the Champions League next season!
Although all coaches and players had psychological expectations for such a result, everyone was still very excited when this day actually arrived early.
Some people sang passionate songs, while others waved their jerseys and vented their happiness.
Even though the bus was a little crowded, Pan Yi walked over from seat to seat, hugging and celebrating with the players one by one.
Finally entered the Champions League!
The team that was relegated last season entered the Champions League next season five rounds ahead of schedule. Who would have thought of this before the season?
Not to mention outsiders, even Hamburg's coaches and players never thought it could be so easy.
Even when they were ranked second in the first half of the season, due to the strength of the chasing troops behind them, the points gap was not widened. Everyone still had doubts about when they would be caught up.
But what is unexpected is that Hamburg turned on full steam in the second half of the season, making Pan Yi's rhetoric before the season become a reality!
Now Pan Yi began to hug his assistants one by one.
He clearly knows where his strengths and weaknesses are, so he needs to rely on this group of outstanding assistants.
Nagelsmann, Inzaghi, and Pintus, who joined in the winter, all helped him a lot.
This is actually an accumulation of Pan Yi's coaching career, a kind of wealth.
No matter where he goes in the future, as long as he can bring this coaching team with him, he can quickly start excellent and effective work.
"Everyone!"
After everyone had vented their anger, Pan Yi shouted loudly.
The bus suddenly became quiet, and the players all looked at Pan Yi with smiles on their faces.
"First of all, I want to congratulate you, we are going to the Champions League soon!"
Before Pan Yi finished speaking, thunderous cheers and strange screams erupted from the scene.
This forced Pan Yi to stretch out his hands to signal them all to calm down and regain their senses.
"I would say it was a good season, but it was far from a perfect season because we didn't win the championship."
This time the players didn't shout. They looked at Pan Yi and knew what he was going to say.
"We are a young team, even a newly formed team, including me. So, if we are required to compete with strong teams like Bayern and Dortmund in the first season, The league championship is definitely unrealistic."
"But, next season, I dare say, we can have such strength!"
"On the night we lost to Bayern, I said we must take the Bundesliga title away from them. Do you remember that?"
"I can tell you with absolute certainty that we will not only win the Bundesliga championship and the German Cup championship, but we will also stun everyone in the Champions League!"
When Pan Yi mentioned the Champions League, everyone's eyes lit up.
In the current Hamburg team, no one has played in the Champions League.
That is the stage that many professional players long for!
Although Pan Yi did not clearly state his goal in the Champions League, it is obvious that his goal is definitely not as simple as playing six group matches.
"Finally, I hope you can continue to be diligent and hardworking and continue to improve."
"Your outstanding performance this season has introduced the whole of Germany to the new Hamburg team."
"Then, next we want the whole of Europe to remember the Hamburg team that dominated the Champions League in the 1980s!"
The players were immediately excited and shouted:
"good!"
"come on!"
"Fight!"
The warm atmosphere was so intense that the roof of the bus was almost blown off!
(End of chapter)
