The Prince of Inter Milan starts with Brother Xiaosa

Chapter 256 Do you want to break the scoring record?

Although defending champion Inter Milan won at home, the promotion situation is still difficult to judge.

Mainly because Bayern took away an away goal, which made Inter Milan uncomfortable.

As long as they can beat Inter Milan 1-0 after returning to home in the second round, the team that will eventually advance to the next round will be Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich.

Of course, those are things that will happen twenty days later. What the Nerazzurri have to consider now is the Serie A game that is only three days away.

On February 2, Inter Milan went to Genoa to face Sampdoria in the away game for the twenty-seventh round of Serie A.

After Leo scored his 30th league goal, he has not scored in two consecutive Serie A games.

Although it is said that he scored a goal in the last Champions League game against Bayern, some people are still looking forward to Inter Milan's No. 10 breaking the "scoring drought" in the league as soon as possible.

Pazzini, who was not eligible to play in the Champions League, returned to the Estadio Ferraris. After losing his strike partner with Cassano, Sampdoria only scored three goals in six league rounds.

The Mariners, who finished in the top four of the league last season, have taken a turn for the worse this season.

First, they were eliminated from the Champions League group, and then they also had a poor record in Serie A. Now they are only ranked 14th, only one step away from the relegation zone.

If they want to avoid relegation, Sampdoria must do their best in every remaining game.

After the midweek game, Ranocchia, Cambiasso and Motta were all absent due to injuries.

It can also be seen from this how difficult it is to have a hard battle with Bayern under a dense schedule.

Chivu started the game and appeared in the midfield position together with Zanetti.

Maicon accumulated yellow cards and was suspended, and David Thornton also got a chance to start.

For the home team, the three arrows of Maccarone, Gubeti and Mannini came forward.

Andrepoli, Desena and Palombo formed a midfield three.

Left back Ziegler, right back Volta, Gastardello and Lucchini partnered as central defender and goalkeeper Curci.

"This game is the last game on our devil's schedule. After this game with Sampdoria, we can finally take a breather.

If you can win this game and perform to everyone's satisfaction, I will give you a day off after returning to Milan! "

"Oh yeah!"

"This is awesome!"

"Definitely!"

Head coach Leonardo used the holiday to encourage the team before the game started because he also knew that what Inter Milan's players needed most now was rest.

At the same time, he was very satisfied with the players' reaction, and this was the effect he wanted.

January and February with double matches a week are coming to an end, and Inter Milan will also briefly return to a relaxed schedule of only playing one game a week.

Sampdoria, playing at home, kicked off first.

Today, the Nerazzurri, wearing a white away jersey, actively launched an attack in just one minute.

David Thornton dribbled the ball from the right to the frontcourt and then crossed the ball. Gastaldeiro pulled down Eto'o, and the referee blew the whistle in time to award a free kick.

Leo's long-range free kick on the right side was not suitable for direct attack, so he hoisted it directly into the penalty area.

Inter Milan central defender Lucio pushed Volta during a contention in the penalty area and was called for a foul.

Ziegler passed a long free kick from the left, and Gastardello nodded the ball into the near corner but was confiscated by Cesar!
  Leo received a pass from his teammate near the center circle, and Sampdoria's midfielder Poli came over first.

In a daze, Leo seemed to have returned to four years ago, when he was still in the youth team.

Time flies so fast, and they have "grown up" in the blink of an eye.

Faced with Andre Poli's pressing, Leo did not use a simple and efficient breakthrough, but deliberately slowed down to meet him.

The moment Polly stepped forward to grab the ball, Leo cleverly lifted the ball over the opponent's head with his heel, and with a simple acceleration, it was over!

The rainbow was exactly the same as before, and Polly seemed to instantly recall the countless nights he had been awakened by nightmares in the past four years.

If looks could kill, Leo must have been cut to pieces by a thousand cuts at this moment.

No matter when they met, it was so easy for Leo to pass Polly.

Ignoring the fierce glare from Poli behind him, Leo dribbled the ball and accelerated his direction, forcefully passing Palombo's defense and reaching the edge of the penalty area.

Pazzini's movement was very essential, and Leo passed the ball into the penalty area without hesitation.

Facing his old club, the Italian striker fired a powerful, unmarked volley from close range, but it bizarrely went over the crossbar!

Leo's eyes widened. You can also hit this ball?
  "Could it be that this guy has feelings for his old club and deliberately failed to score?"

Having some doubts about Pazzini, Leo decided to wait until there was a chance to pass the ball to others.

Thornton made a cross pass from the right, and Leo gently tapped his heel back to his teammates!

Zanetti's right-footed long shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by Sampdoria's defender.

A minute later, it was Leo's pass again. Eto'o shook off Gastardello's marker in front of the goal and stretched his legs to volley the shot slightly wide.

Inter Milan, which already has the upper hand, was in high spirits today, and everyone was working hard just for tomorrow's holiday.

The home team, which has lost its main force and is currently in a bad situation, seems to be no match at all. It can only parry but not fight back.

In the twelfth minute, it was still Leo's offensive. He ran to the right and sent a 45-degree diagonal pass!
  After entering, Chivu followed up with a header that was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper Kurci and then missed the far post!
  Leo's corner kick went to the front point, and Pazzini actually grabbed the header. His header flew out of the penalty area.

Kolarov fired a left-footed shot from the front of the penalty area!

The ball hit teammate Pazzini and bounced off the baseline.

Leo:......

No matter how you look at it, Pazzini looks like an undercover agent for the home team today. Of course, this is just a joke, but Leo still feels that it is better to pass the ball less to Pazzini in this game.

Central defender Lucio, who has a strong desire to attack, dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, but was intercepted by the opponent and counterattacked!

Gubeti passed the ball over the top, and Maccarone's right-footed low shot in front of the goal was confiscated by Cesar as he fell to the ground.

Sampdoria finally withstood the Nerazzurri's previous wave of offensives and began a threatening counterattack.

Ziegler crossed the ball, and Poli's powerful volley from outside the left penalty area was blocked by the defensive player and then missed the far post.

The home team took a corner kick from the left, and there was chaos in Inter Milan's penalty area!
  The defensive player failed to clear the ball in time. Desena's follow-up shot in front of the goal was blocked by teammate Maccarone. Mannini's peripheral shot missed the left post!

Gastardello kicked Eto'o down, and Leo took the free kick with his right foot in an excellent position in front of the penalty area, but Curchi flew to save and blocked it.

Then Eto'o's left-footed low shot from a small angle near the left baseline of the penalty area was confiscated by Curchi.

Leo dunked the defensive player and hit it outside the arc of the penalty area. Chivu's long shot with his right foot missed.

The home team responded quickly. After Ziegler's left-footed long shot was blocked by Lucio, Cesar struck out and confiscated the ball.

Gubetti made a diagonal pass from the left. After Chivu made a header to clear the ball, Gubetti passed again. Unfortunately, Maccarone missed the chance to shoot in the middle.

Sampdoria's momentum actually gradually picked up, and they once suppressed Inter Milan in the half.

But then again, sometimes people still can't get carried away, otherwise things will easily happen.

Leo noticed that the home team was pressing too high, with both Lucchini and Gastaldello near the center circle.

It may be that Inter Milan's weakness during this period has made them unable to recognize themselves.

Leo suddenly grabbed the ball, and Zanetti formed a tacit understanding with him. The two successfully stole the ball from the feet of Sampdoria midfielder Desena!

After stealing the ball, Leo didn't hesitate for a moment, and directly hit a long pass into the large gap behind the opponent's defender!
  Eto'o also moved forward in time and quickly broke through to the opponent's penalty area to receive the ball directly towards the goalkeeper!

The Mariners supporters in the stands of Ferraris Stadium tried their best to make noise to interfere with the Inter Milan forward who had a solo opportunity.

Eto'o showed his true nature as a Cameroon cheetah at this time. With a sudden acceleration, he got past the attacking Kurci and succeeded in scoring an empty goal!
  One to zero!

Inter Milan, playing away from home, finally broke the deadlock on the field!

Eto'o's breakthroughs and shots were certainly wonderful, but Leo accurately seized the perfect opportunity for his opponents to relax their vigilance, completing steals and long pass assists, which played a decisive role.

There was not much time left in the first half, and Sampdoria had to work harder if they wanted to equalize the score.

Because the Nerazzurri played more calmly after taking the lead, Leo deliberately slowed down the pace of the game.

Desena made a cross pass from the right, Maccarone missed the point, and Ziegler got the ball in the penalty area and his low shot was blocked by Bonucci!
  Poli's second penalty shot from outside the penalty area still failed to pass the Inter Milan defender.

Lucio cleared the ball to the frontcourt with one big kick!

As soon as Pazzini got the ball and failed to stop it, he was tackled by Gastardello.

The home team counterattacked quickly, Gubeti made a direct pass, and Poli got the ball past Zanetti and broke into the penalty area before hitting the far post with a low shot with his right foot.

In fact, Leo feels that Poli's level is really acceptable, especially among young players.

Although Poli's performance when defending Leo was still as good as ever, judging from his performance in today's game alone, his overall ability is still remarkable.

Both dribbling and passing are pretty good, and even defense can't be said to be particularly bad.

He is a technical offensive player to begin with, so there is no need to criticize him too much.

How many midfield stars are there who are truly capable of both offense and defense?

Twenty-year-old Andre Poli played the main role for Sampdoria last season. On the contrary, his playing time was significantly reduced after the coaching change this season.

The current Sampdoria head coach Di Carlo is not much worse than his predecessor in terms of technical and tactical abilities, at least he is far inferior in terms of employment.

It's no wonder the Mariners' record is so bad this season.

In the stoppage time of the first half, Pazzini grabbed the opportunity in front of the penalty area, Leo took advantage of the opportunity to send a through ball, and Eto'o's right-footed shot in the penalty area was confiscated by Curchi.

Unable to seize the good opportunity to score twice, Eto'o waved his legs on the spot and was a little annoyed.

At the end of the half, Inter Milan led Sampdoria 1-0. At the beginning of the second half, neither side made any personnel adjustments.

The home team, which was lagging behind, actively launched an attack amid the cheers of the fans.

Ziegler took a corner kick from the right, and Desena's header was touched by a defensive player and missed the near post.

It was Samp's corner kick opportunity. Mannini sent the ball to the center of the penalty area, and Poli's header from the top went slightly wide.

Oh, this kid can also header the ball?

Of course, headers are not what Poli is good at, otherwise he would have headed the ball into the goal without being marked.

Speaking of headers, this has been Leo's shortcoming for a long time.

Even after he improved his defensive abilities, he was still not very good at heading the ball.

But as Leo, who is determined to become a true all-around midfielder, how can they have such obvious shortcomings?

After strengthening his header, his ability to score in the frontcourt and interception and clearance during defense will be strengthened to a certain extent.

It’s very simple, just one word and you’re done!

Although Leo does not often need to header the ball during the game, because many times he is the one responsible for passing the ball to his teammates.

But at the critical moment, being able to take out a header that the opponent did not expect is very effective.

After all, Leo is also a big man of 1.85 meters, rounding up to 1.9 meters. With this height, it is not easy to practice heading.

In the 62nd minute, Gastardello tackled Pazzini while fighting for a header and was called for a foul.

Originally, the referee Gvasoni thought about it and awarded a free kick, but there was no need to take out the card.

As a result, the Sampdoria defender was very dissatisfied with the referee's decision, which was okay. Gervasoni decisively took out a yellow card as a warning.

Leo took a free kick in the middle of the penalty area, and he shot directly with his right foot!

The ball bypassed the wall and went directly into the lower right corner of the goal!
  Two to zero!
  Leo's free kick scores directly!

Nerazzurri, who traveled with the team, stood up and cheered excitedly. It seemed that they had not seen Leo score a wonderful free kick for a long time.

Chivu's direct pass was intercepted by Palombo, and then Palombo sent a through ball!

Maccarone broke into the right side of the penalty area and his low shot with his left foot was blocked by Cesar who struck out in time.

In the 73rd minute, Lucio kicked down Poli in the backcourt, and Palumbo's free kick from the left side of the penalty area was directly over the crossbar.

Ziegler passed a low ball across the right side of the penalty area, and Gubeti's right-footed volley shot in front of the penalty area was ridiculously high.

Eto'o made a cross from the left, and Pazzini's header from the middle of the penalty area was confiscated by Curchi.

The game was coming to an end, and Sampdoria, which was two goals behind, was anxious, but there was no good solution.

Even if they hadn't frequently used fouls in the midfield to stop Inter Milan's offense, they might have conceded a few more goals.

Volta and Poli were also given yellow cards by the referee.

The players of the Nerazzurri do not want to get injured, so they can only try to avoid unnecessary physical confrontation with their opponents.

As long as they wait for the referee's whistle to end the game, they can return to Milan with three points and enjoy a day off.

Why bother fighting against the home team at this time?

Di Carlo made substitution adjustments at this time. Inter Milan's old player Biabiani came on the bench to replace Desena. Sampdoria strengthened its attack!
  But how can I put it, as long as Biabiani is of some use, Inter Milan will not sell him at a low price when there is a shortage of forward personnel.

Due to the good relationship between Inter Milan and Samp, the personnel exchanges between the two teams have always been close.

At that time, Inter Milan could be said to have lost Biabiani to the Mariners half-sold and half-given.

Sampdoria thought they had gotten a big bargain.

Biabiani accelerated on the court and broke through David Thornton's defense!
  Did you see that they are so awesome!
  Anyone who sees this speed should give a thumbs up?
  But after passing the ball, his pass went directly to Cesar's arms.

Those who didn't know better thought he was returning the pass to his own goalkeeper.

Leo made two consecutive direct passes. Pandev and Eto'o successively hit the goal from the left and right sides of the penalty area, but they were saved by the opponent's goalkeeper Curchi.

The game was coming to an end. David Thornton received Leo's pass from the right and broke through to the bottom line and passed the ball!

Pazzini, who was in the front, feinted a shot, and Leo, who was in the back, jumped and headed the ball towards the top!
  Kurci flew up and fought hard to save, but his fingertips touched the ball, but he still couldn't prevent Leo's header from hitting the net!

Three to zero!
  At the end of the game, Inter Milan defeated Sampdoria 3-0 away from home!
  The last game in February came to an end, and Inter Milan successfully completed this devilish schedule with an outstanding record of victory!
  After the game, Leo, who had two goals and one assist, was undoubtedly named the best player of the game.

Leo also had a smile on his face during the interview.

"You scored two wonderful goals in the game today, and also broke the goal drought that lasted two league games. Is there anything you want to say at this moment?"

“I never felt that I had a scoring drought. I didn’t score before because I didn’t need to score, so we won the game smoothly.

Of course, a free kick, a header, and two goals today are not common ways of scoring. I am quite satisfied with my performance. "

“The league has only played twenty-seven rounds so far, and you have already scored thirty-two league goals, and you are only three goals away from the season goal record.

Do you think you can break the record? Or how many goals do you think you can score this season? "

Leo took a closer look and saw that it was a reporter from Sky Sports Italy. He nodded, organized his language a little and replied:
  “I actually didn’t have many goals for this season because we already created history last season.

But after the season started, I found that I still prefer the feeling of winning.

I hate the feeling of reluctance after losing a game. I just like to share with everyone the joy of defeating one opponent after another.

As the season progressed, our team suffered serious injury problems, and there were not enough forwards for a while. At that time, scoring did become a problem.

It was after the head coach discussed and communicated with me that he decided to let me appear more near the goal to help the team end the game.

After I got used to scoring goals, I have to say that goals and assists are different. I also enjoy the satisfaction of constantly scoring goals for the team.

To be honest, the goalscoring record was just an added bonus.

Of course, in the following games, I will still do the same as before, never miss any scoring opportunity and strive to score more goals.

As for whether the record is broken or not, it doesn't matter. Of course, you also said it. Now I am only three goals away. It can happen in the blink of an eye, right?

Maybe I will break the record in the next game?

If I have to give a number, I hope to break through 40 goals in the league this season. This is the goal I have set for myself, and I think this number is not out of reach. "

As the saying goes, the first shot will lead to the first bird. In fact, Leo didn't want reporters to chase him all the time.

But there is nothing that can be done. After all, he is now the number one player in Serie A, and there is nothing he can do about becoming the focus of everyone's pursuit.

It's just that in this way, it is inevitable that every opponent will receive special treatment in the following games.

Your name is Leo, right? You want to break the scoring record, right? Just wait, there will be something good for you!
  Leonardo did not break his promise and gave the team a day off after returning to Milan after playing Sampdoria.

As for what the players do with this day off, he has no control over it. As the head coach, he just hopes that everyone can have a good rest and return to the training ground in a more energetic state the next day.

A week after the match against Sampdoria, Inter Milan welcomed another team from Genoa at Meazza.

In the 28th round of Serie A, the defending champion faced Genoa at home.

What Leo said in an interview before that maybe he can break the record in the next game is not nonsense.

He had seen the schedule and knew their next game was at home against Genoa.

Leo feels that with his current state, a hat trick against Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo shouldn't be too much.

But beyond Leo's expectation, Genoa really didn't give him face at the Meazza Stadium.

Kutska and Rafinha made their attitudes clear from the beginning of the game. Others walked over casually, but they had to stop Leo.

Leo, who was heavily targeted, was surrounded by more than two defensive players as soon as he got the ball, not to mention the chance to shoot.

Maicon's pass assisted Pazzini to open the scoring, and then Pandev passed the ball directly to Eto'o and easily pushed the goal to expand the score.

Before the first half was over, Inter Milan, playing at home, led its opponent 2-0.

However, Leo was not happy at all. What's the matter?
  Before halftime, Leo received a diagonal pass from his teammate and he was forced to the wing to get the ball.

But even so, Genoa's defensive players still refused to let him go. As soon as Leo caught the ball on the right, he was double-teamed by Moretti and Kaladze!
  Okay, that’s how you play, right?

Leo continued to dribble the ball near the right sideline. In addition to Moretti and Kaladze, Kutzka also chased after him.

Leo alone attracted the attention of three players!
  This is also the reason why it was so easy for Inter Milan to score in the first half. Genoa's defensive players focused all their energy on Leo, and naturally they could not take into account other Inter Milan offensive players.

Leo still didn't want to admit defeat. He moved around in the circle of three people and didn't lose the ball. He also found a gap and forced a pass!
  Eto'o penetrated into the right side of the penalty area at high speed and was unmarked. He volleyed with his right foot and succeeded in the near corner of the goal!
  Three to zero!
  At the beginning of the second half of the game, Leo originally thought that Genoa's tactics would be adjusted, but the result was still the same!
  Forget it, that's it for today, Leo decided to lie down.

In the 57th minute, Eto'o actively counterattacked in the penalty area and stole the ball from Genoa defender Mesto!

Then the Cameroon Cheetahs dribbled the ball into the middle and passed Kaladze who was rushing forward!
  Facing goalkeeper Eto'o, he first faked a shot with his right foot and deceived Eduardo, and finally bounced the ball into the goal with the outside of his left foot!
  Four to zero!
  Eto'o scored a hat trick!

Leo's prediction was wrong but not entirely wrong.

Someone did wear a hat when Inter Milan played against Genoa, but the person wearing the hat was not him.

Genoa fell behind by four goals and the game completely lost suspense.

In the 90th minute, Konco made a direct pass and Palacio scored with a powerful volley. The visiting team scored a face-saving goal.

Just when everyone thought the game would end with four to one, Leo became restless again.

After stealing in the backcourt, Leo dribbled the ball straight in!
  After running for more than 40 meters and breaking through to the front of the opponent's penalty area, facing many defensive players, he had no choice but to give the ball to his teammates.

David Thornton, who came on as a substitute in the second half, received the ball and broke into the penalty area. He bypassed the defensive player in front of the small penalty area and shot low with his left foot into the near corner!

Five to one!

In the end, the defending champion defeated Genoa at home. Leo failed to score but received two assists.

　I just discovered that Neuer was still at Schalke and not Bayern at this time. I made a mistake earlier. I'm sorry. I tend to get dizzy when I write a lot every day. I can't change it. I'm really sorry.
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)