Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Group Leaders



Chapter 266: Group Leaders

On the night of December 1st, Udinese played against Torino in the 17th round of Serie A. Originally scheduled for December 20th, the match was moved up due to Udinese's participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. This change was agreed upon by both clubs and approved by the Italian Football Federation.

In the match, Bruno scored the only goal late in the first half, assisted by veteran Francesco Lodi. This goal secured a 1-0 victory for Udinese, extending their lead at the top of the table to 12 points, with Bruno's tally for 2015 reaching 53 goals.

...

On the afternoon of December 5th, in the 15th round of Serie A, Udinese faced Fiorentina. This was Udinese's fourth consecutive away match. At the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Udinese performed poorly, conceding goals in the 26th, 62nd, and 85th minutes, falling behind 0-3. Despite late goals from Bruno and Di Natale, Udinese ultimately lost 2-3, marking their second league defeat of the season.

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On the night of December 8th, the final round of the Champions League group stage saw Udinese host CSKA Moscow. Having already secured first place in the group, Guidolin fielded an entirely reserve team, giving Bruno a rest. Surprisingly, Udinese's substitutes managed a 2-1 victory over CSKA Moscow, pulling off a minor upset.

Udinese finished the group stage with 5 wins and 1 loss, topping the "Group of Death" with 15 points. In the other match, Wolfsburg narrowly defeated Manchester United 3-2 at home, securing second place with a 3-3 record. Manchester United, relegated to the Europa League knockout stage, suffered a blow, with their stock price dropping 3% the next day.

A day later, the group stage concluded for the other four groups, with the sixteen teams advancing to the knockout stage identified. Real Madrid, Udinese, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Zenit St. Petersburg won their groups. Paris Saint-Germain, Wolfsburg, Benfica, Juventus, Roma, Arsenal, Dynamo Kyiv, and Gent advanced as runners-up.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the top scorer of the group stage, netting 11 goals in 6 matches, setting a new record. Real Madrid, unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw, accumulated the most points (16). Udinese, Bayern Munich, and Zenit St. Petersburg followed with 5 wins and 1 loss.

Roma, with the worst record among the qualifiers, advanced with 6 points (1 win, 3 draws, 2 losses). Despite conceding 16 goals and suffering a 1-6 defeat to Barcelona, Roma progressed due to favorable head-to-head results, marking the worst record for a team advancing since the Champions League format changed.

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Betting odds for the Champions League title saw Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid as the favorites. Barcelona led with 3.25:1 odds, followed by Bayern Munich at 3.75:1, and Real Madrid at 6.5:1.

Apart from these three giants, the second tier included defending champions Udinese, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, Arsenal, and Juventus. The draw for the Round of 16 would be held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on December 14th at noon CET.

According to tradition, group winners face group runners-up, avoiding teams from the same group and association. The Round of 16 begins on February 17th, with runners-up hosting the first leg. Notable second-place finishers like last year's runner-up Juventus, PSG, and Arsenal raised the potential for strong matchups.

For the elite clubs, the knockout stage marks the real start of their title pursuits, promising thrilling matches for football fans.

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On the afternoon of December 13th, a key Serie A match took place at the Stadio Friuli, with leaders Udinese facing second-placed Inter Milan. Heading into the match, Udinese led the table with 42 points from 14 wins and 2 losses in 16 matches, while Inter Milan had 33 points from 10 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in 15 matches.

Both teams were considered surprises this season. Despite losing several key players over the summer, Udinese defied expectations, leading the league largely thanks to retaining Bruno. Bruno scored 16 goals and provided 8 assists in 16 Serie A matches, topping both the scoring and assist charts.

Inter Milan, despite poor preseason results and multiple seasons without European football, performed consistently, emerging as a title contender.

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Despite Udinese's 9-point lead, media and bookmakers favored Inter Milan due to their lack of European commitments. Inter Milan's stamina advantage was evident, as fatigue can heavily influence football matches. In a recent match, Napoli led Inter Milan 2-0 at home, but the 10-man Inter nearly turned the game around in the second half, exposing Napoli's post-Europa League fatigue.

Although Udinese rested players in their midweek Champions League match, Inter Milan had played six fewer matches this season, giving their players a significant fitness advantage. Additionally, Inter Milan's summer signings, including Jovetić, Perišić, and Ljajić, bolstered their attack, while defensive additions like Murillo, Miranda, and Felipe Melo strengthened their backline.

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Inter Milan's solid defense, with only 9 goals conceded, was the best in Serie A, largely thanks to the impressive "MM" pairing of Murillo and Miranda. Midfielders like Melo and Medel provided additional protection. Goalkeeper Handanović had already kept 11 clean sheets in 16 matches, matching his total from 37 matches last season. However, Inter's 18 goals in 15 matches were significantly lower than Udinese's 37 goals.

Udinese's defensive shortcomings, with 17 goals conceded in 16 matches, were offset by their potent attack led by Bruno and Di Natale, who together accounted for 23 of the team's goals, or 62%.

(End of Chapter)

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