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Chapter 395 Mission Impossible
Just when Hoffenheim defeated Lyon and their fans were celebrating happily, Rangnick got a bad news.

The tenacious Alkmaar was not discouraged at home, and their efforts paid off. The mighty Newcastle also failed to retreat at the DSB Stadium. In the end, relying on the goal of Brazilian striker Ali No. 803 minutes, Alkmaar drew Newcastle [-]-[-] at home.

After four rounds, Newcastle is still at the top of the group with [-] points. In the remaining games, as long as they win one more game, they will be able to rank first in the group. Hoffenheim is ranked second with [-] points after two consecutive victories. In theory, they even have a chance to overtake Newcastle to occupy the first place in the group, but their goal difference is the least, with two losses, as many as Lyon with three points.

The fifth round matchup of the group stage is like this. Lyon will challenge Newcastle in the away game, and Hoffenheim will sit at home against Alkmaar. They are at a disadvantage in the relationship between each other, and they still cannot surpass Hoffenheim's ranking.

If they draw with Alkmaar, then Hoffenheim will be in danger. They will only lead Alkmaar by two points. If Alkmaar can beat Lyon in the last round, then Hoffenheim will not be able to qualify even if they draw with Newcastle in the away game-because they are at a disadvantage in the direct confrontation with Alkmaar.

In short, with two rounds left, Hoffenheim, Lyon and Alkmaar all have a chance to qualify. Among them, Hoffenheim has the best chance, and Lyon has the slimmest hope, because they lost two consecutive games to Hoffenheim.

Before the fifth round of the group stage, there are two league rounds. The No.12 round will face Hertha Berlin at home, and the No.13 round will challenge Wolfsburg away. These two opponents are not weak. The eighth goal, but failed to help the team win.

Hoffenheim doesn't really care about this. If they lose in the league, they can come back in the next game. The next Champions League group match is the most important game at this stage. Otherwise, Rangnick would not have rotated the four main players in the game. Eduardo, Salihovic, Ibisevic, and Kolarov.

Temporarily sacrifice a little interest in the league to accumulate physical fitness for the Champions League. As long as they can qualify in the group, then Hoffenheim can focus on the league. The knockout round of the Champions League will not start until March next year. After the winter break, the Hoffenheim players will be able to appear on the field with the fullest physical fitness and state.

Lannick had a good idea, but...

On November [-]th, Rhein-Neckar Stadium, the fifth round of the Champions League group stage, Hoffenheim vs. Alkmaar at home.

Before the start of the game, the Rhein-Neckar Stadium, which can accommodate [-] fans, was packed full of enthusiastic fans. Hundreds of Alkmaar fans who came from afar could only be surrounded by a small stand. As soon as their voices came out, they were immediately suppressed by the crazy Hoffenheim fans with louder voices.

120 minutes later.

The Hoffenheim fans in the stands have gradually disappeared, and Rangnick is still sitting on the coach's bench, unwilling to get up for a long time.

The score of the game was displayed on the big screen above the stands, two to two, no one won, no one lost.But Lannick knew that he had already lost.

Hoffenheim got off to a bad start. Only 13 minutes into the game, Alkmaar, who had been in a passive situation, got a free kick from the right side of the penalty area and nearly 40 meters from the goal. Such a free kick was originally not threatening, but the ball from the opposing player hit Kolarov’s leg and bounced into the penalty area, just in front of the opponent’s midfielder, the Belgian Masten. Hildebrand's saves were just futile.

This is Masten's first goal this season. He is not a midfielder with strong scoring ability. The shot was just a subconscious move, but it flew into the goal of Hoffenheim. Who can say anything about such an unexpected goal?

In the following games, Hoffenheim launched a crazy attack. In the previous games, they have found their own rhythm of victory. They must not allow the opponent to be so arrogant on their home court.

Before the end of the first half, Hoffenheim's unremitting efforts finally paid off. In a wonderful quick counterattack, Long Bisheng made the ball to Eduardo who was plugging in, and then Eduardo passed a beautiful cross from the edge of the penalty area.

Twenty minutes after the start of the second half, Long Bisheng made all the Hoffenheim fans in the stands excited - he overtook the score with an irregular header in front of the goal - Salihovic took a corner kick, Long Bisheng jumped far away from the goal, but the ball he pushed out drew an irregular arc and flew into the far corner of the goal. Alkmaar's goalkeeper made a misjudgment. But when he was about to retreat, it was too late, and the ball flew into the goal along the junction of the post and the crossbar.

But 5 minutes later, Hoffenheim also missed a weird goal while defending a corner kick. The opponent's striker shook his head and hit the goal and bounced off the crossbar, but hit the back of Hildebrand's head in the air and flew into the goal.

In the last 10 minutes of the game, Hoffenheim launched a frenzied attack, but Alkmaar, who returned to the defense, tenaciously maintained the tie until the final whistle, just like their tenacious draw with Newcastle in the last game. The Dutch team behaved as tenaciously as the German team at this moment.

At St. James' Park, although Lyon performed equally tenaciously, their strength was still far behind that of Newcastle. Newcastle, who was bound to win, relied on Messi's goal in No.70 in two minutes to beat Lyon three-to-two.

Now the situation in this group is like this. Newcastle has four wins, one draw and 32 points far ahead of other teams. It has already won the first place in the group, Hoffenheim is second with seven points, Alkmaar is third with five points, and Lyon has been eliminated in advance with three points, but they still have a chance to participate in the Europa League.

This situation is of course what Hoffenheim wants to see. If Lyon beats Alkmaar, then Hoffenheim will qualify as second in the group no matter how they play away, but if Alkmaar wins...

Then they have to win Newcastle at St. James' Park Stadium-you must know that after Mourinho became the head coach of Newcastle, he maintained a terrifying record-unbeaten at home in all official games!So far, this record has reached nearly [-] games. No matter whether it is Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool in the Premier League, or Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus...etc.Can Hoffenheim do it?

That is almost an impossible task...

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However, no matter how difficult the task is, it must be completed. If it is not completed, it will have to wait for death. It is impossible for Hoffenheim to pin their hopes on Lyon, who has already been eliminated early. Although they still have the goal of the Europa League, Alkmaar’s goal is the Champions League.

The only thing that makes Hoffenheim fans feel relieved is that in the next league, Hoffenheim was not affected by the draw of the Champions League and the bleak prospects. They performed well in the two league games before the start of the sixth round of the Champions Cup. Only when they are thoroughly stimulated in continuous battles and their state reaches a peak can they have a chance of victory!

Note that it is an opportunity, not a grasp.

Fate is in the hands of Hoffenheim, they can grasp their own destiny, but not many people are optimistic about them.

In this way, Hoffenheim embarked on a journey to Newcastle.

(End of this chapter)