Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions

Chapter 598 - 405: Guardiola: Tang Long Has Everything to Become a Top Striker!

The match entered injury time, just as Ronaldo was smiling in the box and starting to take money.

A heartbreaking scene occurred on the field!

Inter’s striker Bonazzoli, who hadn’t given up, used the pendulum move again during a dribble at the front.

But this time, he couldn’t get past Kompany again;

On the last step, he slipped with a squeal, and fell to the ground clutching his knee in pain!

The scream was so intense that Kompany quickly kicked the ball out and signaled the referee to come over.

"Ah, Bonazzoli seems to be injured!"

Ad exclaimed, and the Inter legends who had been watching Ronaldo quietly taking money rushed to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Where’s the injury?" Ronaldo’s heart skipped a beat, throwing away the cash and rushing over.

He had been worried about Bonazzoli using the pendulum on such a terrible field, but couldn’t rush onto the field to warn him, so he could only pray silently in his mind.

Therefore, when he heard Ad mention the injury, an ominous feeling surged in his heart like dark clouds.

"I don’t know," Ad frowned, "he’s clutching his knee; seems like an injury from the pendulum move."

Ronaldo’s face pressed against the window, his features distorted.

Materazzi slapped his own head heavily and said to Ronaldo, "Oh, you big-mouthed fool, you really jinxed it!"

Bonazzoli was helped by two team doctors, hopping off the field on one foot.

Tears streaked across his cheeks.

At that moment, every bad thought flashed through his mind, and he even recalled his agent Ronar’s experiences on this very pitch years ago.

Tang Long ran to his side to offer some comfort, and Bonazzoli turned to him and asked:

"Tang, is it a torn ACL?"

"It’s fine; if it were really torn, you’d already be on a stretcher, don’t overthink it. Your mom’s still in Manchester, waiting for you to visit her this weekend."

Di Marco also came over, nodded to Tang Long, and joined in comforting Bonazzoli.

At this moment, the former Inter Youth Team trio finally appeared in the same frame.

In the final few minutes, Inter was distracted from fighting, and the match ended.

With Tang Long’s hat-trick in the second half, Manchester City made a comeback at Inter Milan’s home, winning 4-3 on aggregate and advancing to the quarter-finals!

Inter players looking dejected thanked the audience as Meazza Stadium erupted with boos!

The boos were aimed at the players, so loud they couldn’t lift their heads.

Jeers came flooding in like tides!

No team’s fans could remain calm after seeing their team come back from a three-goal deficit unless they didn’t love the team at all.

Manchester City’s players had already gone into the dressing room to celebrate early.

Only Tang Long remained on the field, alone.

In the drizzle, hands on his hips, he watched the north stand of Meazza towering like a mountain.

After Inter players finished their farewell,

He quickly ran to the stands, alone, to thank the fans.

Tang Long’s sudden arrival evoked three distinct reactions from the fans.

Some gave him the same intense boos, thinking he was deliberately mocking them by playing nice after winning.

Some remained silent, feeling complicated.

While others showered him with loud applause!

"Tang! Welcome home!" The banner was shaken again.

"Well done, Tang, you showed our new boss how rotten the team has become!"

"Tang, you’ll always be welcome back here!"

"Hero of Meazza, you brought two trophies here!"

The applause continued, growing louder, as the boos faded away, and most fans stood up to applaud Tang Long.

Tang Long’s eyes reddened.

He remembered the days he spent on this pitch with Icardi, Gualin, Ranocchia, Handanovic, and others, playing against Juventus and AC Milan.

The cheers of fans for his goals seemed like just yesterday, never far away...

...

"A draw to advance? No! No miracles at Meazza!"

"Manchester City doesn’t need a draw; they only want a win!"

"First career Champions League hat-trick, he conquered Meazza!"

"Departed and still the king upon return!"

"With a heart, Tang refrains from celebrating after scoring, voluntarily thanks the stand post-match."

"Bonazzoli’s injury is minor, expected recovery in three weeks."

"Ronaldo gives interview, strongly condemns Meazza’s problematic field."

In England and Italy, almost all media were extensively covering this match, generating considerable traffic and attention.

Meanwhile in Munich, Germany.

In Bayern’s office.

At the same time Inter’s match ended, Bayern brutally defeated Porto 6-1 away and smoothly advanced to the quarter-finals.

This match needs no review.

Whether it’s player strength comparison or coaching tactics, Bayern was overwhelmingly victorious.

Therefore, at the review meeting the next day.

Guardiola sat at the head seat, listening to the coaching staff speak, pretending to be focused on his notebook while actually watching the hidden phone below.

The phone was playing Tang Long’s goal highlights against Inter Milan.

"Great shot... How did he run to that position... Decisive shot, he nailed the timing and technique... This shot was taken without even looking, relying on intuition..." Guardiola mused quietly.

Since last night, he had watched the video over thirty times by the morning.

But the more Guardiola watched, the more satisfied he became, pondering deeply as a novel idea emerged in his mind.

He barely paid attention throughout the meeting, and some coaches seemed to sense something, sneaking glances at him curiously.

However, Guardiola remained immersed in his thoughts, his eyes sparkling, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

As soon as the meeting finished.

He called his trusted scout Raymond over to the side.

"I have a bold idea; next season, Tang will be up front!"

Raymond, who had been with Guardiola for over a decade, was practically like a worm in his stomach.

Seeing Guardiola constantly watching Tang Long’s hat-trick highlights since last night, Raymond knew his boss certainly had a new plan.

Sure enough, upon hearing Guardiola’s excited explanation of revolutionizing the 4-3-3 tactic at Manchester City and deploying Tang Long at the front as a left or right forward, akin to Messi’s role, Raymond wholeheartedly nodded.

"What, aren’t you surprised at all why I made this decision?" Guardiola asked.

"I’m not surprised; you forgot I’ve been tracking him for months. The materials I’ve seen about Tang are more than yours," Raymond chuckled, "But there’s one thing I don’t understand!"

"Where? Tell me."

Raymond attended the match at Meazza, witnessing the full 90 minutes of the clash between Inter and Manchester City.

Tang Long’s second goal, the one turning the score from 2-2 to 3-2 for Manchester City, was a game-changing play, tipping the balance towards Manchester’s favor.

"I just don’t get it; from what I know about Tang, he’s a composed and calm player. That ball could’ve been stopped steadily for a simple ground push shot, ensuring a safe goal! Yet, why did he choose to hit it mid-air without pausing, especially when Ranocchia’s pass came from behind, making it a blind volley? What if he missed? It was so risky."

Hearing this, Guardiola paused, then burst out laughing.

The laughter was so hearty that Raymond was bewildered.

What’s so funny about this?

"Raymond, you’re a good scout, but let me speak bluntly; your career has been spent in lower leagues, so you haven’t worked with top-tier players and don’t understand the fierceness and strength of their mentalities."

"Tang intentionally did it; he used the stunning volley to completely shatter Inter’s psychological barrier, break their morale, and declared to his old team: You won’t win at all!"

Raymond was struck with realization; indeed, he hadn’t considered this while watching live.

"If that’s the case, Tang’s volley indeed reminds me of Pirlo’s Panenka penalty against Hart in the 2012 European Cup quarter-finals. He said afterwards that Hart seemed very confident on the goal line, and he wanted to crush the English team’s confidence."

Guardiola nodded solemnly.

"An unempathetic killer like Tang should stand on the front line."

"He has all the qualities to be a top forward!"