Before the clash with Bayern, the Champions League draw results were announced. When the Champions League group stage draw results were released, a cheer erupted at Hoffenheim's training base. Nagelsmann stared at the big screen, unable to stop smiling. Hoffenheim was drawn into Group G, with Moscow Spartak, Sevilla, and Maribor as their opponents in the same group. This draw was absolutely the best possible outcome.
"Moscow Spartak, Sevilla, Maribor..." the assistant coach murmured, then smiled and patted Nagelsmann on the shoulder, "Coach, this is much better than we expected."
Nagelsmann nodded, his gaze sweeping over the players present, all of whom had relaxed smiles on their faces. Indeed, in this group, apart from Sevilla, who are Europa League regulars, the other two teams are not top-tier in strength. Although Moscow Spartak is a strong team in the Russian League, their performance in European competitions in recent years has not been outstanding; and Slovenia's Maribor is even a "rare guest" in the Champions League group stage, with a significant gap in overall strength compared to Hoffenheim.
To put it bluntly, such teams are used to boost Champions League statistics. To be drawn against such teams in their first Champions League appearance, it must be said that luck still favors Hoffenheim.
"Sevilla will be tough, but we have a complete chance to win against the other two opponents," Nagelsmann told the players. "This means we can at least aim for second place in the group to qualify."
In the locker room, the players' spirits were noticeably higher. Oliver, who had just finished an intense training session, wiped his sweat and also smiled upon hearing the news. The Champions League stage meant a bigger platform for him, and if he could advance from the group, it would be another milestone in his career.
"Coach, Moscow Spartak's home ground is not easy to play on; the weather is cold, and the fans are crazy," Captain Vogt reminded him.
Hübner interjected, "But their overall tactics aren't too complex; as long as we maintain our rhythm, it shouldn't be a big problem."
"As for Maribor..." Kramarić shrugged, "If we can't even beat them, then we shouldn't be playing in the Champions League."
"Hahahahaha..."
Everyone burst into laughter. Indeed, although Maribor is the dominant team in the Slovenian League, in the Champions League, they mostly play the role of "guests" In the past few seasons, their performance in European competitions has not been impressive, often being at a disadvantage when facing teams from the top five Leagues. The only team that made the Hoffenheim players slightly wary was Sevilla.
This team from Andalusia is known as the "King of the Europa League," having almost monopolized the competition in recent years. Although their Champions League performance is not as consistent as their League performance, their experience, tenacity, and home atmosphere are all highly threatening.
"Sevilla's playing style is very tough, especially their midfield pressing and wing attacks," Nagelsmann analyzed. "But with our quick counter-attacks and possession advantage, we might still have a chance."
As Oliver listened to the coach's tactical analysis, he already began to ponder how he could use his strengths to break through Sevilla's defense if they faced them. After all, Sevilla's full-backs are not known for their speed, and their central defensive pairing is not insurmountable. The optimistic mood brought by the draw even affected the upcoming Bundesliga match. Originally, facing Bayern, the Hoffenheim players felt some psychological pressure, but now, they were even more relaxed.
"We got a good draw in the Champions League, so we need to work harder in the League too!" Gnabry shouted on the training ground. "If we can beat Bayern, our momentum will be even stronger!"
Oliver heard him and teased Gnabry. "Hey, Gnabry, that's your former club!"
"What about my former club? I'm on loan from Bayern to Hoffenheim, so I only play for Hoffenheim. Defeating them is my duty."
Everyone was amused again. Nagelsmann looked at the players' state and felt much more at ease. He had initially worried that the Champions League pressure would affect the team's League performance, but now it seemed that this draw result had instead become a motivation.
He clapped his hands and said, "Alright, lads, don't think about the Champions League for now. The next League match is the real test!"
The players responded in unison, and the atmosphere on the training ground became even more lively. As night fell, the streets of Sinsheim quieted down, but the fighting spirit in the hearts of Hoffenheim's players had already ignited. The favorable Champions League draw allowed them to see a brighter future, and now, they had to prove their strength against Bayern first.
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With only two days left until the match against Bayern, a tense and focused atmosphere permeated Hoffenheim's training base. After completing the day's tactical drills, the first thing Oliver did upon returning to the locker room was not to rest, but to pick up his phone and skillfully open social media. He wasn't simply doing it for entertainment but had a more specific goal: player interaction. Since the last match against Liverpool, Oliver had successfully followed Mohamed Salah, which made him incredibly excited.
After all, Salah is not only one of the top wingers in football today but also someone he has always wanted to learn from. After exchanging jerseys with Salah last time, their interaction level had already reached 30%. With Oliver's sporadic online communication with Mohamed Salah these past few days, their interaction level continued to increase.
"It's already accumulated to 56%..." Oliver stared at the numbers on the system screen, letting out a soft breath.
During this time, he would comment on Salah's posts almost every day. Sometimes it was a simple like, sometimes a serious comment, and occasionally he would repost Mohamed Salah's match highlights, accompanied by a few sincere compliments. Salah also seemed to have a good impression of this young, outgoing guy; he not only replied a few times but even chatted with him in direct messages. Hearing Oliver say that Hoffenheim would play Bayern next, Mohamed Salah even offered some advice.
"Oliver, Bayern's full-backs are very fast, but their defensive habit is to press high. If you can use feints to trick them, you can create a lot of space." This was Salah's advice to Oliver in a private message, and Oliver read it repeatedly, even jotting it down in his tactical notes.
"Salah is really a good guy; not only is he humble, but he's also willing to share his experience. There's a reason he became a superstar," Oliver admired Mohamed Salah even more.
His teammates would occasionally tease him: "Oliver, why are you always on your phone lately? Are you in an online relationship, chatting with some female fan?"
Oliver repeatedly shook his head, denying it, "No, no. After Salah and I followed each other last time, we occasionally chat. You know, that's Salah, Liverpool's star player."
After training, Oliver habitually scrolled through Salah's homepage again and found that he had just updated a post: a photo of him training in the gym, with the caption "Always working."
Oliver immediately commented below: "Legend never stops!"
Not long after, Mohamed Salah actually replied with a 👍 emoji, and the interaction level increased by 1%.
"It really works!" Oliver was delighted and continued to scroll through Mohamed Salah's past posts, looking for suitable interaction opportunities.
However, he also knew that online interaction alone wasn't enough; the real test was still on the field. Salah's advice was valuable, but whether he could put it into practice against Bayern remained to be seen. In the afternoon, the final tactical meeting for the Bayern match was about to begin.
"Oliver, the coach is starting the meeting!" Gnabry called from the doorway.
"Alright, coming!" Oliver quickly put away his phone and hurried to the tactics room.
Nagelsmann was already standing in front of the whiteboard, with recent Bayern match footage playing on the screen.
"Their wing attacks are very strong, but they like to push up when defending," Nagelsmann said, pointing at the screen. "We need quick counter-attacks, especially the wingers, Gnabry, and also Oliver, you must seize the space behind them."
As Oliver listened, Salah's original words unconsciously surfaced in his mind: "Use feints to trick them."
Interacting with star players is truly useful, especially those who are kind, highly skilled, and experienced. Not only can it accumulate system interaction, but it can also teach you real things.