Chapter 724: Chapter 18: Looking Up to Him
"Little Monster" Paul Pogba was initially compared to Chen Zhong, and his performance in various youth teams was indeed outstanding, showcasing dominance.
But when this "Little Monster" was compared to the "Monster," he seemed quite lacking.
Personality, diligence, comprehensiveness, physique...
Chen Zhong, who is gradually being mythologized in the Real Madrid youth training system, overwhelmingly surpasses Paul Pogba in all aspects.
Little Monster?
He can’t even be a little little monster, or a little little little monster!
When Paul Pogba began to emerge, the most common phrase he heard was.
"Are you Paul?"
"You’re too frail; you shouldn’t be called a Little Monster."
"What you can do, he can do, and even better, but what he can do, you can’t."
This is the most common saying after Paul Pogba’s "Little Monster" fame spread, and people saw his frail physique...
Actually, Paul Pogba’s physique wasn’t like a stick figure; some even thought he had the "elegance" of his French predecessor, Zinedine Zidane.
Yet compared to Chen Zhong’s monster-like physique, Paul Pogba was just a stick.
Moreover, the "flair" move Chen Zhong performed most often on the field was the "Marseille Turn," and even Paul Pogba had to stand behind Zinedine Zidane in this regard.
Today, for Paul Pogba, is a very special day.
Because at 17, not yet 18, Paul Pogba finally got the opportunity to join the first team, though most likely as a presence similar to Nacho, Morata, and Carvajal, and perhaps not as prominent as Granero, Parejo, Callejon, etc.
But for him, it’s clearly an important step in his life’s journey.
Monster?
16-year-old joining the first team?
Little Monster?
17-year-old joining the first team?
Paul Pogba had a serious expression; he really wanted to personally interact with that monster to see if that guy was truly that strong!
And this time, Paul Pogba got what he wanted.
He heard firsthand that he would be able to train with the first team.
"You have to seize the opportunity, Paul!"
"Maybe you will be the next Chen."
When the youth training director said this while patting Paul Pogba’s shoulder, Paul Pogba thought...
No, I won’t be the next Chen.
I am me, Paul Pogba!
...
On February 2nd, at 22:00 local time (February 3rd, 5:00 Beijing time), Real Madrid will face the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Sevilla.
The 0:0 draw between the two teams at the Pizjuan Stadium in the first leg surprised many fans, and recently, Real Madrid’s upset in the league also has many starting to worry about Real Madrid’s form.
In this match, everyone knows Sevilla will not easily surrender; they will certainly do their utmost.
Before the match, several newspapers also expressed their views.
Marca stated that Real Madrid needs to wholeheartedly focus on the cup competition.
If Mourinho can lead Real Madrid to defeat Barcelona in the final, it would surely satisfy the fans.
Compared to Real Madrid’s struggles, Barcelona showed extremely strong attacking prowess against Almeria in the semi-final, decisively defeating them with 5 goals.
The 5:0 score at Camp Nou almost has Barcelona with half a foot in the finals, and no one believes Almeria can achieve a miraculous comeback at their home stadium.
If Real Madrid doesn’t conquer Sevilla, they will also be at a media disadvantage.
Real Madrid general manager Valdano stated: "We are soon to face another important match, and the club still holds a 100% trust in the players. February will be very challenging for us, but midweek presents us the chance to enter the Copa del Rey final, which is very important."
Sevilla also desperately needs the Copa del Rey, as they are currently ranked sixth in La Liga, trailing the fourth-place team by 11 points, making it very difficult to reclaim a Champions League spot.
For them, the 0:0 score in the first leg represents a good "start."
However, some Real Madrid fans are worried that focusing too much on the Copa del Rey might negatively impact Real Madrid’s league performance.
After all, Mourinho admitted that Real Madrid players aren’t yet accustomed to the demands of two matches a week.
Fans now fear that this decline in physical fitness will affect Real Madrid.
Besides, Sevilla is skilled at playing life-or-death matches; they like to walk the high-pressure line and play survival games, and now they’re ready to cause havoc at Bernabeu.
But there is some good news; Sevilla’s main goalkeeper Palop was red-carded in their last match against Deportivo La Coruna, meaning Sevilla can only field backup goalkeeper Valas in this match.
Of course, there’s also bad news; Sevilla’s recent signings Rakitic and Medel have the chance to play, and Zokora and Romaric will start.
They could likely cause trouble for Real Madrid.
The time soon arrived for match day, and the starting line-ups for both teams were announced.
Real Madrid deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation.
