Chapter 202 I Want to Keep a Low Profile, but My Strength Doesn’t Allow It.

Bruno's departure left Udinese without a midfield commander and also caused them to lose control of the game.

In the last nearly twenty minutes of the game, Juventus launched a crazy offensive against Udinese's goal. Udinese could only retreat to its own half and use an iron barrel formation to deal with Juventus' counterattack.

Even so, Udinese's defense is still in crisis frequently. The Bianconeri's wave after wave of offensives made the more than 40,000 Udinese fans present on tenterhooks, worried that the team's city would be lost in the next moment.

However, fortunately, Udinese's defensive strength is sufficient and the back line is solid enough. Until the referee blew the whistle for the end of the game, they still maintained a 1:0 advantage.

In the end, Udinese relied on Salah's goal to defeat Juventus 1:0, temporarily expanding their advantage in the standings to 9 points.

In Serie A, Udinese's winning streak has extended to 11 games.

Since Udinese unfortunately lost 3:4 to Genoa at home in the 10th round of Serie A on November 1st, Udinese has won all the next 11 league games.

In these 11 league games, Udinese scored 26 goals and conceded 11 goals.

This is the second-longest winning streak in Serie A history!

………………

It is difficult to win consecutively, and it is even more difficult to win consecutively in Serie A. As a league in the world that insists on defense to the end, in the 18 seasons from the 1996-1997 season to the present, the probability of 0:0 in Serie A is the highest among the four major European leagues. was the highest, with so many "peace fights" often bringing the winning streak to an abrupt end.

Therefore, although Serie A has a history of more than a hundred years and has many teams that are good at attacking and fighting, Serie A's winning streak is not everywhere.

The first team to achieve 10 consecutive victories was Juventus in the 1931-1932 season. They scored 30 goals and conceded 10 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. Then came AC Milan in the 1950-1957 season, scoring 38 goals and conceding 6 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. Next was Bologna in the 1963-1964 season, which scored 25 goals and conceded 6 goals in 10 consecutive victories.

The record will eventually be broken. When the years came to the 2005-2006 season, the Roma team finally rewrote this 42-year-old record. They created a new Serie A milestone of 11 consecutive victories.

The Nerazzurri, which ended Roma's 11-game winning streak, set a new Serie A winning streak record in the following 2006-2007 season, starting with a 4:1 victory over Catania in the 8th round of Serie A on October 26, 2006. In the following four months, Inter Milan won consecutive games and achieved the longest winning streak in the five major European leagues so far: 17 games!

It is worth mentioning that Inter Milan’s winning streak started after being tied 0:0 by Udinese at the Friuli Stadium, and then was defeated by Udinese in Meia in the 26th round of Serie A. The game ended with a 1:1 draw against the Cha team.

Now, Udinese has also created his own Serie A winning streak record.

………………

A week later, Udinese lost 1:3 away to Naples in the 22nd round of Serie A. The winning streak ended and was fixed at the number 11.

In this game, Udinese's core midfielder Bruno was absent due to injury, which had a considerable impact on Udinese. In addition, team captain Di Natale was also suspended due to accumulation of yellow cards, and a defeat was expected by Guidolin.

At the post-match press conference, Udinese head coach Guidolin answered a reporter's question whether he was disappointed with the defeat. He said: "No. When the team ushered in consecutive victories, , I knew this record would be ended one day. Napoli is a strong opponent, and we lost two of the most important players. This defeat does not surprise me. In fact, we can beat Juventus. , extending the winning streak to eleven games is already beyond my expectations.”

Guidolin also took the initiative to bring up a previous topic: "Udinese is just a small team, and there is a big problem with the thickness of our lineup. The injury of any main player will cause the team to encounter difficulties. So, our goal is just to get a Champions League spot, which is already a good result.”

The "Gazzetta dello Sport" reporter looked at Guidolin and said with a bit of toothache: "But, Mr. Guidolin, after this defeat, you are still first in the league and 6 points ahead of Juventus!"

The day before the match between Udinese and Naples, Juventus defeated AC Milan 3:1 at home, which also brought the Bianconeri's points to 50 points after 22 league rounds.

Now, with Udinese losing to Naples on the road, the point difference between the two teams has narrowed to 6 points.

However, for the teams at the top of the standings, a 6-point difference is already very large.

………………

"No, no, no, the league is very long, and the current results can't explain anything." Guidolin said, "The favorites to win the championship are Juventus, Roma, Napoli, Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Lazio and many other teams, but Not Udinese!”

The reporters were stunned by Guidolin's remarks!

Well, you'd be forgiven for saying Juventus would be the favourites. With the strength of Juventus, it is not difficult to reverse the 6-point difference.

Well, the two teams Roma and Naples are third and fourth in the league respectively, only 13 points and 14 points behind Udinese respectively, and they can barely be included in the championship.

However, you have the nerve to mention Sampdoria, Fiorentina and Lazio, but these teams now have no shame in saying that they are still favorites for promotion!

Sampdoria ranked fifth with 34 points.

Lazio also scored 34 points and ranked sixth with a goal difference disadvantage.

Fiorentina has scored 33 points and is temporarily ranked seventh in the standings.

These three teams are 22 points, 22 points and 23 points behind Udinese respectively!

If they hadn't seen Guidolin's sincere expression and humble attitude, they would have thought that this guy was deliberately mocking these teams.

………………

"The Times" reporter Smith couldn't stand it anymore and said: "However, the real situation is that your team is first in Serie A, with 18 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, and in the middle it also achieved the second longest 11-game streak in Serie A history. Win!”

"These are temporary, and this does not change the fact that our goal is to compete for a Champions League spot." Guidolin said with a serious expression.

"A team that has scored 56 points in 22 league games and is 6 points ahead of the second place competing for the Champions League?" a reporter from "Corriere dello Sport" asked rhetorically.

"Yes. Our final ranking last season was third in the league, when we got 76 points, and we are now 20 points short. The season is still long, and I don't know when we will get a guaranteed Champions League spot. The required points!" Guidolin said, spreading his hands.

"You can take a look. The third place in Serie A in the 2009-2010 season was AC Milan. They scored 70 points at that time."

"In the 2010-2011 season, Napoli, third in Serie A, scored 70 points!"

"We were third in Serie A in the 2011-2012 season. We only scored 64 points at that time. This was a surprise!"

"In the 2012-2013 season, AC Milan, third in Serie A, scored 72 points!"

"We were third last season, with 76 points!"

Then, he said seriously: "After five seasons of third place in Serie A, the highest point is 76 points. This is also normal. I want to ensure the top three points in the league!"

………………

The reporters were stunned, and then they had to admit that Guidolin's words made sense.

After all, whether it is 64 points, 70 points or 72 points, it is difficult to guarantee ranking in the top three in the league. And if they get 76 points, the top three in the league will basically be in control.

After all, even since the beginning of the new century, no team has failed to rank among the top three in Serie A with 76 points.

Seeing Guidolin with a serious look on his face, the reporters were speechless.

Let’s not talk about whether Serie A really needs to score 76 points to ensure the top three, but you scored 56 points in 22 games and are considered the best team in Europe. Now tell me, the rest In the 16 rounds of the league, your goal is to get 20 points?

"Whether you believe it or not, this is how I think about it. Our task of competing for a Champions League spot is really serious and the pressure is high." Guidolin said, showing his hands.

………………

Guidolin's post-match interview attracted attention across Europe.

In the latest issue of Gazzetta dello Sport, it was reported: “Although I think the Udinese coach lacks greater ambition and confidence in the prospects of his team, I have to admire Guidolin’s humility. He is very low-key, and although his team is now six points clear at the top of the Serie A standings, he still insists that the team's primary goal is to secure a Champions League spot. This is, in my opinion, rigorous and humble. Quality, the Udinese head coach has not been dazzled by the current good situation. Of course, I still think coach Guidolin and his team can be more bold and hope for higher goals..."

"In the new season of Serie A, a dark horse team has appeared, and their head coach is even more interesting. The man who is about to turn 60 said that his team is still 20 points away from ensuring the top three in Serie A. They Still working hard to secure a Champions League spot, although we think he is too modest, we have to admit that this gentleman is indeed right. Since entering the 21st century, the third highest score in Serie A That’s 76 points.” This was reported by the famous English media “The Times”.

Germany's "Bild" listed the data of the current top teams in the five major leagues. Chelsea, the top team in the Premier League, has 56 points in 24 rounds, Real Madrid, the top team in La Liga, has 54 points in 22 rounds, and Bayern Munich, the top team in the Bundesliga, has 20 rounds. With 49 points, Lyon, the first in Ligue 1, has 50 points in 24 rounds, and then Udinese, the first in Serie A, has 56 points in 22 rounds.

Obviously, Udinese is the team with the best record in the five major European leagues!

Finally, "Bild" reported in a joking tone: "Coach Guidolin is very low-key and humble. He seems to not want his team to be the focus of attention, but the team's record is too good. This is not what you want to keep low-key." Just be low-key.”