Chapter 92

**Preface: Thank you to book friend ngstone for the reward.**

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Is Villarreal a strong team?

The answer to this question is now a definite yes. This is not just because of the yellow submarine's outstanding performance in European competitions in recent years, but more importantly, because the yellow submarine last season managed to finish above Barcelona, achieving the highest La Liga ranking in the club's history: second place. The rise of Villarreal is undoubtedly largely due to the efforts of head coach Manuel Pellegrini. To put it bluntly, his status in the yellow submarine is almost second only to the club's founder.

This season is the fifth year of the engineer's tenure at Villarreal. It seems he has grown fond of this team, but Lin Sen knows that this will also be the engineer's last season here. After the end of this season, next summer, the "Old President" Florentino Perez, who will return to power at Real Madrid, will appoint him as the commander of the second phase of the Galacticos.

Lin Sen has always had a good impression of Pellegrini. No one dislikes a hardworking and low-key person, and the engineer spoke highly of him last season. Lin Sen almost wanted to hint to Pellegrini not to get involved with Real Madrid, but in the end, he chose to shake hands with the engineer in silence, knowing that it would be useless to say anything.

In this football world, there are not many clubs that can truly be called high, rich, and handsome. Some are high, but their families have fallen on hard times, like the historically rich Nottingham Forest. Some are rich, but they are not naturally high, like the current biggest tycoon, Manchester City. Some are handsome, but they are gradually running out of money, like the Milan duo, who claim to be the world's first derby. Therefore, the few clubs that can truly be called high, rich, and handsome include Real Madrid, and it is one of the more perfect ones.

From the past Zidane to Ronaldo, and then to the upcoming Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, whether you like or dislike Real Madrid, you cannot change the fact that for many players and coaches, Real Madrid is so attractive. As Lin Sen puts it, you can't help but admire it.

Which Cinderella doesn't look forward to her prince on a white horse? Unless you are destined to be enemies like Barcelona, few can resist his charm. Not to mention Pellegrini, even Lin Sen, the穿越者 (time traveler), if Real Madrid really calls, he can't be sure he would refuse. It's not that he is particularly vain, but he simply can't find a reason to refuse. Loyalty is the best reason, and lack of challenge is the worst excuse. So, why refuse?

Just like last season, Lin Sen and Pellegrini engaged in mutual flattery, but unlike last season, Pellegrini's flattery this time was undoubtedly much more sincere. This season, Villarreal has not shown much flair, and Pellegrini convinced the board to retain the main lineup from last season, making the team stronger than before. However, even so, Pellegrini's team still lags behind Malaga.

Currently, with seven wins, two draws, and one loss, Villarreal is temporarily in third place in the league, becoming the third team in the last three rounds that Malaga has faced while in third place. Interestingly, this is all thanks to Malaga's help.

For Lin Sen, how to defeat Villarreal has been a topic he has been studying since last season. At that time, he exploited the aging defense of the opponent, relentlessly attacking, and ultimately staged a comeback. This time, Pellegrini clearly won't let his team fall into the same trap twice.

Last season, Uruguayan defender Diego Godin and Spanish right-back Ángel replaced Fuentes and Venta to become the main defenders of Villarreal's defense. These two changes alone are enough to prevent Lin Sen from continuing to exploit the opponent's defense. However, Lin Sen certainly won't let Malaga suffer the same fate as Atlético Madrid last season, who gave away three goals in the first half.

However, there is one thing Lin Sen doesn't want to change: the mad dog mode.

To deal with a scholar, you either have to be at least a higher-level scholar, or you just have to be a thug. Malaga, which is defense-oriented, naturally cannot compete with the opponent in experience and coordination, so they have to lower their status and play to their strengths.

Fame is not as good as meeting in person.

Pellegrini watched countless videos of Malaga's matches this season, but only at this moment did he truly experience how difficult Malaga is to deal with.

In attack, they play exceptionally simply, not obsessed with possession, emphasizing one-touch passing, and each attack ends in the shortest time possible, whether successful or not. This is also one of the reasons why Malaga is rarely counterattacked, as it is difficult for opponents to intercept the ball from their feet during their attacks. In defense, Malaga's backline never rushes in recklessly, but their midfield is like a meat grinder, and Villarreal's new organizational core, the elegant Matías Fernández, quickly got lost in their defense...

This time, the first to break the deadlock was Malaga.

They used the most frustrating way for the coach: a free kick.

It was a perfect arc.

With this goal, Rosatto has already scored three goals this season, all from free kicks.

Lin Sen, standing on the sidelines, did not make any celebratory gestures, but he felt a sense of relief. The three-pronged attack of Villarreal last season was still vivid in his mind. Although times have changed, there are still some shadows. Now, scoring first, at least the pressure is on Pellegrini's side. Lin Sen glanced at the Chilean standing near the touchline.

Pellegrini was standing with one hand on his chest and the other on his chin, deep in thought. Compared to last season, the current Pellegrini is even more radiant. Lin Sen believes that the engineer's transformation is just one step away. However, Lin Sen himself doesn't know how to break through that final barrier.

Like Valencia's Unai Emery in the previous match, Pellegrini chose to hold his ground. However, this time, luck was not on Lin Sen's side. The new central defender partnership, which Lin Sen had entrusted with important responsibilities, finally made a mistake. Bonucci's reckless tackle allowed Cazorla to find an opportunity to send a through ball, and Mexican forward Franco scored with a low shot.

The 1-1 scoreline held until halftime. Before heading to the dressing room, Pellegrini noticed the steps of the Malaga players as they left the field, light and confident. This made Pellegrini a bit disappointed and curious. He was disappointed that Malaga seemed unaffected by the equalizer, and the second half would likely be just as tough. He was curious about how a promoted team like Malaga could remain unaffected.

Currently, there are two young coaches in La Liga who are the most in the spotlight, both of whom can be considered newcomers. One is Guardiola, and the other is Lin Sen. Pellegrini can't comment on Guardiola as they haven't faced each other, but he has a certain say on Lin Sen, as he is one of the few coaches who has faced him. Notably, the head coaches who faced him last season, regardless of whether they won or lost, have all fallen victim to Lin Sen this season. Pellegrini clearly doesn't want to be the next.

What impresses Pellegrini most about Lin Sen's coaching style is his ability to pinpoint weaknesses. Last season, Lin Sen turned a three-goal deficit into a draw by exploiting a well-known defensive issue of Villarreal. In the previous match against Valencia, they died from their own strength in the wings.

Once he identifies a weakness, Lin Sen will do everything to amplify it, which is a skill in itself. However, like a scholar's teacher, who often dislikes thugs, Pellegrini is not a fan of Lin Sen's football philosophy. Of course, he is different from those who shout "non-family members should be exterminated." He has more admiration for Lin Sen personally. Those who demand beautiful football without understanding the difficulties are just talking without feeling the pain.

However, Pellegrini is not envious of Lin Sen's current success. On the contrary, he feels a bit sorry for him. The honeymoon period for a dark horse is usually not long, and the real challenges lie ahead. Lin Sen is jumping high, and he will eventually fall. The higher he jumps, the harder he will fall. If Lin Sen mishandles it, a catastrophic collapse is not impossible.

In the second half, both teams retained their original lineups and continued the intense battle.

Villarreal maintained their style, organizing attacks at a steady pace and defending with precision. What troubled Lin Sen the most was a common point between Villarreal and Malaga: the emphasis on midfield protection of the defense. Last season, Pellegrini only had Senna as a defensive midfielder, but now, he has added another: Edmílson.

Unlike the two half-hearted midfielders set by Valencia, Pellegrini's addition of a defensive midfielder was not to increase creativity. In fact, this was a reluctant move. Last season, Pires, who was already past his prime, is even older this year, and a generational change is inevitable. However, compared to the Frenchman, Fernández is much less experienced, so the engineer had to add more support.

Therefore, compared to last season's Villarreal, the team Lin Sen faced this time has slightly weaker attacking capabilities but much stronger defensive capabilities. As a result, the midfield became the focal point of the battle between the two teams.

Lin Sen was scratching his head, and Pellegrini was doing the same. Lin Sen made substitutions, and Pellegrini followed suit.

Reus, Isco, and Rondón came on one by one, and Lin Sen almost played all his offensive cards, but he still couldn't break the deadlock. In the end, the match had to end in a draw.

However, despite the draw, when the main referee blew the final whistle, the Rosaleda Stadium erupted in enthusiastic applause. The fans showed their satisfaction with the match through their actions.

They indeed had reason to be satisfied. Malaga had survived the tough schedule.

Four matches, one win, two draws, and one loss. Optimistically speaking, they only lost one game.

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