MSN Gathers at Messi's Home to Cheer for the Celtic! Messi Worries...
The UEFA Champions League group stage has completed four rounds of matches.
Manchester City tops their group, ahead of Barca!
The next three teams in the standings are Barca, Monchengladbach, and Celtic.
Manchester City won all four of their group stage matches, accumulating 12 points, making them, like Real Madrid, one of only four teams to have won all four.
Barca have two wins, one draw, and one loss, totaling 7 points.
Monchengladbach has one win, one draw, and two losses, totaling 4 points.
The Celtic have lost four games and scored 0 points.
This match between Manchester City and Celtic is of great significance.
On the one hand, with Barca and Manchester City now separated by 5 points, if Manchester City wins against Celtic away from home, the Blue Moon can secure first place in the group with one round to spare!
After the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 is determined, the knockout stage (round of 16 to 8) is conducted by draw, with the group winner having a certain advantage in the draw.
If all goes well, Manchester City, playing at home, will be able to face Barca with ease and without pressure in the final group stage match, and it won't matter if they lose.
On the other hand, this match is Celtic's last chance to secure an UEFA Europa League spot!
The top two teams in each group advance to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage, while the third-placed team is relegated to the Europa League.
While their Europa League campaign remains uncertain, as the dominant force in the Scotland league, how can the club save face if they come out to compete in the UEFA Champions League with such arrogance only to finish bottom and go home empty-handed?
Therefore, both Manchester City and Celtic will go all out in their match, showing no mercy.
For both Barca and Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach, this round of clashes will be a fierce battle, especially for Monchengladbach, who are fighting for their lives. Only by defeating Barca can they keep the suspense of the race for second place in the group alive.
At 7 p. m. on the day of the match, at Lionel Messi's home.
Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Suarez all gathered together.
On the wall behind them, next to the sofa, hangs a photo of the three of them holding the treble together after Barca won the 2014-2015 season, recounting their glorious achievements at Barca.
Since the two group stage matches are staggered, with Barca's game against Monchengladbach Camp Nou tomorrow and both being played at Camp Nou, tonight is free.
The three members of MSN have a very good relationship and often get together at their respective homes, sometimes at Lionel Messi's home, and sometimes at Neymar's and Suarez's homes.
The three of them can talk about anything, from life and family to investments, brands, and advertising off the field, sharing information and resources with each other.
In particular, Suarez and Lionel Messi have a very close relationship; sometimes Suarez even helps Lionel Messi pick up his children from school.
However, when the three of them gathered at Lionel Messi's house that evening, they only talked about one topic: football.
Their eyes revealed a hint of tension and anticipation, eagerly hoping that Celtic could create a miracle and conquer the Etihad Stadium away from home!
In this way, Barca would still retain hope of finishing first in the group in the final round.
"It's time to reveal my identity as a 30-year Celtic die-hard fan!"
"Celtic, come on! Beat Manchester City!"
"The Celtic will win!"
Scotland defeats England!
A string of impassioned words burst from his mouth, his voice echoing in the living room.
Neymar, with his unconventional personality, has clearly prepared meticulously for this match;
He somehow found a jersey he'd exchanged with an opponent during a previous game against the Celtic, put it on, picked up a small megaphone, and started dancing the Brazil, shouting and yelling.
Compared to Neymar's energetic and adventurous play, his teammate Suarez appeared much quieter.
The Uruguay leaned back on the soft sofa, his hands behind his head, his eyes fixed on the match preview on TV, looking quite worried.
"Leo, I have a feeling things are going badly for them. In every way, Celtic is far inferior to Manchester City!" Suarez said slowly, his brows slightly furrowed.
"They were soundly defeated 0-3 at Manchester City's home ground, completely outmatched. Expecting them to beat Manchester City? I really don't believe it."
Previously, Lionel Messi invited Neymar and Suarez to his home to watch Manchester City's match. Neymar readily agreed, but Suarez seemed reluctant, Lionel Messi had to persuade him for a while before he came.
The reason is simple: Suarez simply didn't believe Celtic could beat Manchester City!
Suarez was unwilling to witness Barcelona completely lose their chance to compete for first place in the group after the fifth round, along with his two closest teammates.
Lionel Messi remained noncommittal regarding Suarez's pessimism.
The Argentina tilted his head back slightly, took a large sip of the mate tea he was holding, and let out a contented "ah" as the rich aroma filled his mouth, a satisfied expression on his face.
"Would you like some?" Lionel Messi handed the mate tea to Suarez.
"I won't drink it! There's your saliva on the straw." Suarez shook his head.
"You don't like me? Then change your straw." Lionel Messi stopped drinking, took out a new straw, inserted it into the cup, and handed it over.
"It's alright, we can each have a straw and drink together." Suarez's lips curled up slightly and his brows relaxed. He took the mate tea, and the two of them drank from one cup, each sucking on a straw.
Suarez took a sip of the delicious mate tea, thoroughly enjoying it, and then turned to look at Neymar, who was playing a game on his phone.
"Ney, why don't you have a bite too?"
Neymar saw Lionel Messi and Suarez huddled together around a cup of mate tea, each with a straw in their mouths, and the heartwarming scene made him laugh. He decided to stop playing the game altogether.
Neymar doesn't drink mate. Normally, even if Lionel Messi offered him a fresh cup of mate, he wouldn't drink it.
However, seeing this comical scene, Neymar, who loves to join in the fun, also came over and took out a straw, sticking it into the cup.
So the three heads huddled around a cup of mate tea, sucking hard through each other's straws, as if they were having a competition to see who could finish the tea first.
This is a huge cup of mate tea, with a capacity of a full liter. It's quite heavy when you hold it in your phone.
The three of them were all red-faced, glaring at each other, trying to see who could inhale the fastest.
Neymar was actually holding back laughter from the beginning. He saw Suarez straining to inhale, his eyes widening like a bull's, the veins in his neck bulging, and the muscles in his face contorting slightly from the effort.
Neymar couldn't help but laugh, choking slightly before slurping up a large mouthful of mate tea and spitting it back through the straw.
The cup churned violently, and the tea splashed out like a fountain, instantly splattering all three of them in the face!
Neymar waved his hand, laughing so hard he rolled on the ground. Suarez, furious, squatted down, grabbed Neymar by the neck, and started cursing loudly.
Lionel Messi wiped the water droplets from his beard, looked at the starting lineups being announced on TV, and thought:
"Celtic definitely can't beat Manchester City away from home, but they still have a chance at home. The key is to stay calm, be resilient, defend solidly, and wait for the opponent to make a mistake so they can launch a counter-attack or two. Maybe then they'll have a chance."
Seeing Tang Long stretching his neck in the players' tunnel, and recalling the first leg between Barca and Manchester City, Lionel Messi felt a chill run down his spine.
"No, there's one more crucial point! Tang can't perform too well today; that's the prerequisite..."