Sky Sports even gave extensive coverage to the match before it started.

Previously, Asian qualifiers might have been relegated to a corner to fill space with match results.

Now, all because of Zhao Gang, Sky Sports went to great lengths to learn about the rest of China's unknown football players.

This is because Zhao Gang still has a considerable fan base in England, especially in Manchester and Norfolk.

Due to Lippi's influence, Italy's Milan Sports also made considerable publicity and analysis.

Sky Sports' view is quite objective. Compared to the Chinese team, whose tactical level is not very high, the Qatari players have stronger individual abilities, smoother teamwork, and more experience.

Qatari players know better how to handle the game.

Of course, this does not mean that Qatar has a greater chance of winning the game.

This time, the Chinese team has the advantage of playing at home, and the front line is reasonably matched, one tall and one fast. Originally, they lacked a world-class midfielder to deliver ammunition for them, but now they have one.

The Chinese team's attacking power is even stronger than Qatar's. Once they fail to limit Zhao Gang's performance, the Chinese team's front line will have a lot of opportunities.

Fans might even be able to see Zhao Gang single-handedly devour the entire Qatari team at the Míng Kūn Stadium.

After all, Qatar is much worse than Real Madrid or even Sevilla.

The Chinese team has Zhao Gang. Facing Qatar, the midfield advantage will be obvious. Even Real Madrid cannot stop him, let alone a national team like Qatar?

Zhao Gang has very strong finishing ability, but he never hesitates to share the ball. Once the Chinese team's two forwards can stand up, Qatar will suffer a lot.

Many media outlets in England have followed suit in predicting this game, with particularly fierce discussions in Manchester and Norwich.

Many Manchester City celebrities have come forward, and this is the best opportunity to earn traffic in Manchester.

"China had one draw and three losses in the previous games. There was no offense, and the defense was terrible. They scored three goals in three games and conceded ten goals! One Zhao Gang can't save this team."

"Football is a team sport. We have seen Zhao break through the entire team alone and score wonderful goals more than once, but we have ignored his teammates. It is the Manchester City players who create space, which allows Zhao to have those highlight moments. Will the players in China really create space?

Or will Qatari players swarm to Zhao and not care about his teammates at all? How could Zhao break through the entire team alone at that time?"

"I think the Chinese team will still not be able to defeat Qatar, whose overall strength is stronger. Zhao will be strictly restricted."

Apart from Sky Sports' prediction, which believes that China has a better chance of winning, other celebrities are not optimistic about the Chinese team.

The competitiveness of China in Asia is really too poor. The previous few games were played like an amateur team, miserable.

One Zhao Gang and one Lippi cannot transform this team.

In fact, no matter what the point of view, the focus of everyone is not on the two teams at all, but on Zhao Gang.

Without Zhao Gang's existence, these two national teams would not be discussed by European football media celebrities.

This is not a discussion of nuclear weapons or military power.

Most of the people who discussed it looked at some historical records and the results of the national team's games. They couldn't even name a second player, whether it was China or Qatar, they only knew Zhao Gang.

English media football people actually don't care much about this game, but because of Zhao Gang's existence, they can get more traffic, so they specially brought it up for discussion.

Especially the celebrities of Manchester City, taking this opportunity, can maintain a certain exposure among Manchester City fans.

In Zhao Gang's view, Manchester City has no celebrities at all, only some old players who rely on their seniority, but he won't say it.

On November 15th, that afternoon, countless fans poured into Míng Kūn City.

Tickets for the stadium were sold out long in advance.

In fact, the Chinese national team's games have always had a good market. There are still a considerable number of players who are willing to support their national team because of their patriotism.

It's just that the national team's performance has always been heartbreaking, so there are always more scolding than praise.

This time, because Zhao Gang was selected for the national team for the first time and made his debut, the market was particularly hot.

Fans' hearts are filled with more hope than ever before.

Lippi's appointment and Zhao Gang's joining have rekindled these pure fans' confidence in the Football Association and the national team.

The huge losses in the previous four games and the terrible public opinion have disappeared with Lippi's appointment and Zhao Gang's joining.

In the eyes of some people in the Football Association, these fans are too easy to fool.

……

At this time, the players of both sides have changed their equipment in the locker room, waiting for the game to start.

Zhao Gang could hear the cheers in the stadium. He sat there, took two deep breaths, and reached out to touch the team logo on his chest.

This game is much worse than the Premier League, the Champions League, and even the Championship in terms of competitiveness and tactics, but he felt unprecedented tension and pressure.

Facing those fans in England, he was still uncontrollably excited. Facing these compatriots with blood ties, it was even more difficult for him to control his emotions.

If, if he fails, or performs abnormally, how should he face these people?

If these people he cares about very much criticize, attack, or even curse because of his abnormal performance, what should he do?

Zhao Gang sat there, even feeling a little short of breath. The familiar shouts outside put pressure on him that he hadn't expected.

He clenched his fists, his palms full of sweat. He felt that if he went out and faced the fans in the entire stadium, his legs might not obey him.

The Chinese players sat aside. During these days of getting along, their attitude towards Zhao Gang, this young man, has changed.

At first, many players were full of exclusion towards Zhao Gang because of jealousy. They didn't dare to say anything on the surface due to Lippi's pressure, but they were actually very resistant in their hearts.

But Zhao Gang's handling of the ball in the training match made them have to admire him. Outside the training ground, Zhao Gang's personality was very low-key. He never showed off how awesome he was or how many achievements he had made.

He would never look down on these players in the slightest.

This kind of personality made these teammates at least less resentful of him.

In fact, Zhao Gang never took these teammates' impressions of him seriously. He is like this to everyone.

However, Wu Lei was indeed an exception. Wu Lei's personality is very similar to Zhao Gang's.

From the day Zhao Gang reported, Wu Lei wanted to take the initiative to get close to Zhao Gang, but he was a little embarrassed, worried that he would be snubbed, so his performance was very unnatural when facing Zhao Gang several times.

Zhao Gang immediately saw Wu Lei's thoughts, because he used to be this kind of person, wanting to handle some relationships well, but he was embarrassed.

It was Zhao Gang who took the initiative to hug Wu Lei after assisting Wu Lei to score a goal during training, which relieved Wu Lei's pressure.

The relationship between the two progressed quickly, and at this time, only Wu Lei noticed Zhao Gang's unusualness.

Even Lippi didn't notice.

After all, in Lippi's heart, Zhao Gang is not very old, but he has experienced big storms, the Europa League final, the attacking core of Manchester City in the Premier League, facing teams of the level of Manchester United, Arsenal, and even Real Madrid.

He usually plays with world-class players such as Aguero, Silva, and De Bruyne, and he is relentless even when facing C Ronaldo, the most outstanding forward in the world, scoring hat-tricks in consecutive games.

He should be the player with the strongest psychological quality among all the players. How could he be nervous when facing a Qatar?

Wu Lei just wanted to ask a question, but there were national team members all around. He felt it might not be appropriate, so he could only shut his mouth again.

Zhao Gang saw his hesitant look, shook his head, it's okay, he was just worried that he wouldn't perform well.

This was the first time he had such a worry.

Even when he played for Norwich for the first time, which was related to his future career, he had never worried.

The worst result, he wouldn't play football, and he would go home to inherit Zhao Ziyou's considerable family property.

Now, he was worried that he would disappoint those enthusiastic, hopeful, and eager fans.

He knew what kind of vision those fans came with.

The national football team has disappointed people for too long. Once this rekindled hope is broken again, he really cannot face those heartbroken fans.

Heart-wrenching roars, tearful silence, wooden and confused eyes.

Just thinking about it a little made his back feel cold.

"I'll go out for a while, I'll be right back." Zhao Gang took out his phone and left the locker room.

A group of players looked at me and I looked at you, not knowing what happened.

Lippi didn't take it seriously at all. He couldn't imagine that a player like Zhao Gang would be nervous because of playing a game.

Standing outside, Zhao Gang took out his phone and looked at the address book, Zhao Ziyou, Jiang Ping, Oly…

In the end, he still chose international roaming and dialed Oly's phone.

"Hey, darling, I'm watching your broadcast, good luck!" Oly's excited and sweet voice came over, Zhao Gang opened his mouth, but didn't speak.

Oly heard Zhao Gang's silence and felt that something was wrong.

"What happened???" Oly still didn't hear Zhao Gang's response. She was extremely nervous and tried to steady her voice so that Zhao Gang wouldn't be more upset, "You've always known that you can tell me anything, and I'll always be on your side. Right?"

"Yes…" Zhao Gang leaned against the wall. When he faced Southgate's enticement and deception, Oly gave him very, very big help and strengthened his determination to join the national team.

So, this time, when Zhao Gang felt that he might have a big problem when he played, he still looked for Oly.

"Then tell me, what's wrong? We've always been together, and we can overcome any problem." Oly's warm voice came over, Zhao Gang slowly sat on the ground and took a deep breath, "I feel like I'm going to disappoint those people, and I think my condition may not allow me to play."

Oly had a moment of bewilderment. Like Lippi, she never thought that one day Zhao Gang would feel that he was disappointing in the field of football, and would be so nervous that something went wrong with his condition.

Soon, she realized what the problem was.

It was the Chinese fans.

It was Zhao Gang's persistent patriotism in his bones.

She found it difficult to understand this kind of thing.

"Hey!"

"Hmm?"

"I really can't understand your current situation…"

Zhao Gang clenched his phone tightly, feeling an unspeakable discomfort in his heart.

"You're under a lot of pressure, I really wish I could be by your side…

I've experienced things that made me nervous and full of pressure, but those things definitely can't compare with what you're experiencing now, so I can't understand your situation and I don't know how to comfort you.

I can only tell you what I've experienced. When I was about to walk on the runway for the first time, I was in the backstage, thinking that countless cameras would be pointed at me, and I would become the focus of many people. I thought that I would definitely have weak legs after I went on stage, and then cry and cry, and finally escape in embarrassment.

At that time, I thought I was finished, and I would definitely become the object of everyone's ridicule.

But do you know what?

When I walked up, when I really faced those cameras, when I saw my friends, relatives, and strangers off stage, I realized that I wasn't nervous at all.

I thought I was finished, but only when I really went on stage did I know that I was not only not finished, but I also became the most dazzling one!

In this world, no matter how terrible or even despairing things you think are, when you really face them, when you really experience them, you will find that there is nothing to worry about at all."

"You're very scared, you're very nervous, but when you stand on the field, facing those fans, facing those opponents, you'll know that your moment has come.

All your worries will disappear."

"Believe me, the current tension and worry are normal, and when you play, you will know how ridiculous your current tension is."