From Arsenal to the Ball God

Led by Ronaldo, the Portugal team could only start their European Cup journey with a loss, making the situation for advancing extremely difficult.

The Group B matches concluded on this day... Fans from around the world were buzzing with excitement, discussing these days’ matches on various platforms.

"Ronaldo, Ma’el, Mario Gomez, Lewandowski, Van Persie, Shevchenko, these top strikers from strong teams, who do you think is the best?" — United Kingdom "442"

"It must be Ronaldo, even though he didn’t perform well in the first game, but I believe he will lead Portugal to advance."

"Lewandowski, playing in Poland at his home ground, his motivation and spirit are unmatched by other players, I predict he’ll win the Golden Boot!"

"Ma’el and Van Persie, as Arsenal fans, we all know what kind of season they’ve had!"

"With so many upsets in the European Cup, it’s too early to say who will go further and score more goals, many strikers haven’t even debuted yet, let’s wait and see!"

"....."

"Ronaldo vs Ma’el? And Fabregas vs Ma’el? What match-up do you think is the highlight of this tournament?" — Spain "Marca"

"I think it’s Xiaofa and the Arsenal striker, their previous grudge has been talked about widely, this time there’s finally a chance to settle it."

"The clash with Fabregas is personal, nothing much to say about it, how can Fabregas’ stats compare to his?"

"Xiaofa’s stats can’t compare to his, but this time Xiaofa represents Spain, can it not compare to his France? The ceremonial six midfield must ensure the France team’s midfield won’t even touch the ball!"

"Yeah, as long as Spain beats France, isn’t it Xiaofa who wins?"

"The showdown on the top scorers’ list is more interesting, Ma’el had over 50 goals last season, he’s qualified to challenge Messi and Ronaldo, this tournament is a good opportunity.

"As for the France team and the Portugal team, I think they are about the same, neither strong nor weak, just depends on if they encounter each other."

"....."

It can be noted that even the debut-less Ma’el has already sparked a lot of excitement among fans, he could be described as the most anticipated newcomer of the tournament, without needing to add ’one of’.

As time eagerly marched into the 11th, two major battles in Group C kicked off.

The Spain vs Italy match, the first to be held, became the match with the highest viewership since the tournament’s start.

They were both regarded as the teams most likely to win the championship, and also the best at both possession football and counter-attacking tactics, representing the pinnacle of two football philosophies.

Their encounter in the first round of the group stage had the feel of a premature final.

"Beep!"

At 3:30, when the match officially began, Spain’s strikerless formation with six midfielders once again showed its dominance, as they firmly controlled possession, stretching Italy’s defense with their passing game.

Italy, however, was not flustered, maintaining tight distances and employing chain defense, making Spain’s passing game often powerless against their defense.

In the 60th minute, Pirlo’s long pass cut through Spain’s defense, allowing Di Natale to score.

One to zero!

Italy took the lead!

But their lead didn’t last long; just four minutes later, while they were still in celebration, Spain seized the opportunity, with David Silva assisting Fabregas to blast in a goal.

One to one!

In the remaining time, neither side managed to score again, and they ultimately shook hands on a draw.

At 7:30 pm, the match between Ireland and Croatia officially began, and this game had a bit of a one-sided trend.

Mandzukic scored early, and though Saint Leger quickly equalized, they were soon followed by goals from Jelavic and Mandzukic.

Three to one!

Croatia defeated Ireland, earning themselves a glimmer of hope to advance from this tough group.

Thus, all six matches of the first three groups were completed; 2 matches ended one to zero, and 2 ended one to one, most teams managed to score only one goal against equally matched opponents.

Now, all eyes were on the first round match of Group D at 3:30 pm on the 12th.

Because Arsenal striker Ma’el was about to make his debut for the France team!

"All four teams have only scored one goal, facing a team as strong as England, can Ma’el lead the France team to a spectacular goal fest?" — France "News Agency"

"With Fabregas already scoring, can this player, deemed by fans as Xiaofa’s rival, score an impressive debut goal?" — Spain "Asi Bao"

"As an 18-year-old captain of the France team, it might be tough for him to carry the momentum, betting on England to achieve a comprehensive victory!" — United Kingdom "The Guardian"

"So, what are the Arsenal fans in England thinking now? Who do you support?"

"Of course the England team, in this situation, would I wear a Ma’el jersey to support the France team? That’d be pure absurdity!"

"Hope Gilbert represents the England team on the field, if he plays, it means he has a shot at helping Arsenal next year."

"And don’t pin too much hope on Ma’el, strikers like Ronaldo and Van Persie haven’t scored either, he has to get used to the European Cup, scoring 2-3 goals later would be good enough."

"Go for it!!"

"....."

As time gently moved into the fourth day of the European Cup, all eyes were focused on the France team’s captain.

The Anglo-French War is coming!