novelraw Chapter 613 - 420: Steal and shoot, Tang Long performs a solo dragon show! Guardiola is stunned!
Chapter 613 - 420: Steal and shoot, Tang Long performs a solo dragon show! Guardiola is stunned!
This is the first time in Guardiola’s life standing on the grass of Etihad Stadium.
On Wednesday night, the dazzling spotlights illuminate the entire stadium as bright as day, and make Guardiola’s bald head shine even brighter than a gleaming egg.
However, considering that the bald rate in the United Kingdom reaches half, Guardiola looked back at the stands behind him and felt a kind of kinship, "Oh, they are all just like me~"
Pre-match handshake stage for the coaches.
Guardiola was very enthusiastic, stepping forward to firmly shake Pellegrini’s hand.
"Ah, Manuel, how long has it been since we’ve met?"
The two had once faced off in La Liga as Barça and Real Madrid’s head coaches, in the distant 2009-2010 season, six years ago.
For Pellegrini, although coaching Real Madrid, such a super club, was a big leap in his career, the final result was really unsatisfying.
That season, from the first round of the league, Real Madrid and Barça were locked in a tight struggle on the points table;
After enduring a long 38-round league, Real Madrid lost to Barça by merely three points, with 96 points to 99, relegating to league runners-up!
In the Champions League, Real Madrid didn’t even make it to the quarter-finals, they suffered an unexpected defeat in the first round of the knockout stage against Lyon, becoming a laughingstock.
It is essential to know that during that summer transfer window, the Galaxy Battleship was ambitious, consecutively bringing in superstars like C Luo, Kaka, Benzema, intending to dominate European football.
The outcome, however, was empty-handed, gaining nothing.
What the Real Madrid top brass couldn’t accept was not winning the championship; after all, it was only his first season coaching Real Madrid, somewhat overstretching should be anticipated, but being double-defeated by Barça in the two rounds of the Spanish national derby, was simply an utmost disgrace, who could stomach that?
So, as the season ended, Pellegrini was fired, he had barely warmed the bench before packing up and leaving.
Six years later, meeting again, although in Guardiola’s mind, Pellegrini was just one unobtrusive passer-by among the many head coaches he had faced, to the Chilean it was as if fierce enemies reunite, exceedingly glaring!
Six years ago, you double-humbled Real Madrid forcing my dismissal;
Six years later, you still come to snatch my position at Manchester City!
Pep, are you deliberately giving me a hard time or what?
Facing Guardiola’s passionately extended hands, Pellegrini only politely touched them lightly, then turned and left, too lazy to speak a word.
CCTV!
CCTV!
Now you are watching the first leg of the Champions League semifinal in the 2015-2016 season, Manchester City’s home game against Bayern!
Both teams adhere to the tactics of passing and controlling play, and both are leaders in their respective league rankings!
Intense clash, we are both concerned about the final victory and similarly looking forward to the process –
Who will play more beautiful passing football tonight? Let’s wait and see!
With a whistle from the referee, the full match commences!
Manchester City’s head coach Pellegrini stands on the sideline, looking at the nearby Guardiola, his gaze filled with resentment.
He is unwilling, truly unwilling.
I haven’t even left, and everyone is saying you will replace me next season;
That could be tolerated, yet you edged in Gundogan in the winter transfer window, who can only play in the league, not even eligible for the Champions League, what is the meaning of this?
Is this a prearrangement of your personnel lineup for next season, huh.
Pellegrini secretly clenches his fists, swearing inwardly to fiercely attack Bayern at home, as long as he still stands in Manchester City’s coach area this position, it’s his team, no one controls it!
"Get moving, everyone move!"
Despite the Manchester City players demonstrating extreme positivity at the start, Tang Long, Sterling, Agüero and other forward players all enthusiastically carried out the high pressing tactic;
But Pellegrini seems dissatisfied, constantly urging them to keep pressing the opponent’s ball-controlling defenders.
He is so impatient that even when assistant coach Raymond attempts to reconfirm with him the substitutions planned for the second half, he is brushed aside by the Chilean deeply immersed in commanding the play.
Guardiola, hands in pockets, wearing a calm expression.
"You’re just aiming to intercept in my half, alright, let’s see if you can achieve that."
Guardiola’s conjecture, precisely aligns with the tactical intent Pellegrini had arranged pre-game.
This otherwise composed old coach, facing adversary Guardiola, inevitably led the team with emotional command.
Generally speaking, our forwards and midfielders give the opponent high pressing to make them fear ball control in the rear, hurriedly kick long clears, then our rear players regain ball possession, instantly launching attacks.
That already constitutes a very successful high pressing, to directly intercept the ball, however, is still not prevalent.
Yet Pellegrini deduced, Guardiola will definitely not permit players to kick long clears in the rear!
Even facing Manchester City’s pressure, Bayern players will certainly keep passing the ball.
In this situation, Manchester City, playing at home, cannot retreat. They must continuously apply pressure and fight relentlessly. You refuse to take long shots, insist on footwork—fine, I’ll force you into situations where you can’t make a pass and intercept the ball!
"Vidal! Get ready!"
Alonso, facing the double-team from Toure and Sterling, swiftly passes the ball to the midfielder Vidal, who’s coming to assist.
Vidal, sporting a Mohawk, notices Tang Long charging towards him as soon as he takes the ball.
"Huh? It’s you!"
Their eyes meet, sharp as swords, filled with tension.
There’s significant history between these two.
Chilean warrior Vidal just transferred to Bayern last season after spending four years at Juventus, having faced Tang Long multiple times in Serie A last season.
In the Coppa Italia final that year, Tang Long intercepted Vidal, then assisted Bonazzoli in scoring the winning goal to clinch the title!
Encountering Tang Long right at the start of this match stirred Vidal’s emotions and he got slightly carried away.
He didn’t follow his usual muscle memory developed during training to quickly pass to Alaba on the flank and shift the control of the pressing players but instead engaged in a one-on-one with Tang Long.
Vidal isn’t a player known for his dribbling skills; his footwork is average;
but his physical fitness, even when looking across the Bundesliga, is among the top.
Though he’s 184 cm tall, not particularly towering, Vidal’s muscle strength is exceptional, often capable of unleashing astonishing power to knock opponents away instantly.
Vidal leaned sideways towards Tang Long, neither attempting to dribble past him nor passing the ball but rather pressing his body heavily against Tang Long’s chest, pushing back against him!
Bang, bang, bang!
After three consecutive hits from Vidal, Tang Long feels like his body is being struck by a steel plate, aching all over,
Tang Long shifts his focus downward, attempting a sneaky foot maneuver to snatch the ball through Vidal’s legs;
but to his surprise, Vidal is no sitting duck, maintains control of his backward stance, keeping Tang Long distanced from the ball, even when stretching his foot can’t reach it.
Bayern’s teammates are calling for him to pass, but Vidal relishes the enjoyment of physically overpowering Tang Long~
Hey hey, I might not get past you, but you won’t take this ball from me either; come and try if you can.
After three hits, seeing Tang Long unable to thwart him, Vidal savors the moment, getting back for the interception in the Coppa Italia final last year on the Apennine Peninsula;
he decides to give Tang Long one more hard push and then passes the ball before taunting him.
The taunting script is ready in his mind: "Weak! With that thin body you’re playing in the Premier League, hahaha!"
Tang Long had already suffered silently, deliberately bumped three times by Vidal, unable to physically outmatch him, not even Toure could withstand him.
Watching Vidal’s body rhythm, preparing for a fourth hit?
"Damn, you’re coming again?"
Tang Long swiftly reacts, choosing not to stand and endure another clash. As Vidal’s body nearly touches his, he uses quick footwork to suddenly shift, shadow flickers as he steps backward.
Vidal is caught off guard when the close-bodied Tang Long suddenly dodges?
The fourth hit is much more forceful than the previous ones, using maximum strength, resulting in a hit on air. The immense inertia causes Vidal to utter a surprised "ouch" as he tumbles backward!
As he fell, his arm instinctively supported downward—
Had he not done this, rolling on the field to dissipate the impact would have worked, but instead, a brittle ’crack’ rings through Vidal’s wrist, sending chills down his spine, as if something broke.
Tang Long mercilessly leaps over him, snatches the ball, and charges forward!
This interception caught Bayern’s players off guard, Tang Long dribbles forward, racing like a fierce gust filled with sand granules, fans barely glimpse before he’s at the penalty area’s edge.
The greatest fear for a team is when a player holding the ball loses possession, especially in Vidal’s position as a defensive midfielder—where holding is one thing, losing the ball can be fatal.
Though Alonso and Diego quickly retreated to defend, they can only chase behind Tang Long.
Tang Long sprints while noticing Sterling and Agüero pulling swiftly along the sidelines, effortlessly drawing Bayern’s defenders away rather than cutting into the center.
They run while glancing back, sending him a knowing look, Tang Long instantly comprehends—it’s handing the firing power to him!
Now is the moment, to shoot!
Tang Long draws the bow, releasing a Ground Strike from the arc of the penalty area!
Whish, whish——
The ball whistles forward, skimming the grass like a sharp blade, lightly bouncing, scattering a tuft of grass, then, without losing momentum, darting past Neuer’s fully-stretched arm, stabbing precisely into the bottom-left corner!
The net violently shakes, sounding gleeful "wham wham," seemingly cheering for Tang Long’s intense shot!
Just 7 minutes into the game, Manchester City leads 1-0 at home!
(Another Chapter has over a thousand words unfinished, three Chapters will be released tomorrow)