Chapter 137: Europa League Match Against Inter Milan!

A midfielder valued at 18 million euros?

Tang Ye didn't quite react at first, until he saw his own head at the very beginning of the video.

"..."

Good heavens, this is talking about me!

He quickly turned his phone horizontally to see exactly what was going on!

【Tang~~Ye↑ in the backfield, plays↑ an over-the-top pass, passes the ball~ to the opponent, loses possession!】

Huh?

Tang Ye frowned tightly, observing the screen carefully.

Judging by the jersey, this must be from the previous match against Real Madrid; his intended lofted pass into the penalty area was headed away by Varane.

This was indeed a mistake.

Mistakes deserve criticism, but for some reason, Tang Ye just really disliked this person's way of speaking.

This was undoubtedly an anti-fan!

"Damn it..."

Tang Ye chewed the gum in his mouth.

He had been cursed at on Instagram, cursed at on Twitter.

Now, even when opening Bilibili, he encountered videos of himself being cursed at.

Was this what they called big data?

"Why aren't you watching anymore?"

Rodri looked into Tang Ye's eyes; before Tang Ye hit the pause button, Rodri had been watching Tang Ye's phone the whole time.

Rodri didn't understand Chinese, but judging by the edited content, he knew the creator of this video must be trying to embarrass Tang Ye.

"..."

Tang Ye shook his head and continued playing the video.

【A precise through-ball from a teammate, Tang Ye! Stops the ball too far, has to stretch to kick it! Another first-touch mistake, loses possession~】

【Tang~~Ye, controlling the ball on the spot, seven↑ seconds, the opponent moves forward to challenge, Tang Ye, pan~icked and at a loss, passes the ball to the opponent, loses possession~】

【Tang~~Ye, in the backfield, plays↑ an over-the-top pass, the follow-through motion↑ is too large, surprisingly it didn't even clear the front point? Loses possession!】

"..."

Tang Ye lifted his head and glanced at Rodri beside him; the latter was stifling laughter.

Of course, Rodri's stifled laughter wasn't because of what this uploader said, but simply because the match footage of Tang Ye he had edited was quite comical.

"Your fans really like you; I didn't even know you had this kind of highlight reel."

"..."

Tang Ye felt a bit annoyed, but since the video was nearly over, he might as well let it finish.

【Seeing this, regarding the midfielder valued at 18 million euros, everyone must now be ~~fully aware~ of what level his ball control is at~】

"..."

The video ended; this account had currently posted only this one video, yet it had already garnered 52,000 followers.

In other words, this uploader named "Football Elements" had gained over 50,000 fans with just a single video bashing him!

Damn it!

Tang Ye, furious and flustered, opened the comments section.

【Holy crap, you actually dare to bash my Tang Tang Qiuwang, buddy, are you really not afraid of death?】

【Haha, I knew some little Tang Ren would come to the comments section seeking comfort.】

【How bold! Is Meng-ge someone you can talk about like that?】

【Clown uploader, must have spent quite some time gathering these materials, my Tang Tang Qiuwang always performs perfectly, already reported.】

【Controlling the ball on the spot, seven↑ seconds, kicks the uploader's head away, loses possession~~】

After returning to the base by bus, the players received professional massages in the therapy room; by 9 PM, the team dispersed at the base, and Tang Ye and Rodri rode their bicycles back to their apartment together.

Regrettably, after today's match ended, Escrivá had not schedule holidays for the players.

The reason was simple: in four days, they would be traveling to Italy to face Inter Milan.

Inter Milan, the Champions League winners of the 2009-10 season!

Tang Ye was so excited that night he couldn't sleep, so he opened Check Dongqiu Di, intending to check on Inter Milan's situation this season.

"Serie A, Serie A league table..."

Finding the Serie A icon, he clicked in to see the league standings.

1. Juventus

2. Napoli

3. Roma

4. Lazio

???

Something felt slightly off; Tang Ye continued scrolling down.

8. AC Milan

9. Fiorentina

10. Inter Milan

"..."

Hiss—

Taking a deep breath, Tang Ye began to doubt whether he had misread something.

So he carefully double-checked twice more.

Alright, he indeed had not misread it.

Scrolling through Inter Milan's community forums, Tang Ye only then realized that Inter's form this season was absurdly poor.

This...

Could it be that Yellow Submarine has a chance in next week's match?

The mere thought of having an opportunity to defeat Inter Milan made Tang Ye's heart race with even greater excitement.

At the same time, at the Villarreal training base.

It was already very late, yet head coach Escrivá and assistant coach Martí had not left.

They were discussing matters regarding the next round of Europa League matches.

Originally, this matter should have been postponed until tomorrow, but the two fellows, chatting away, suddenly got carried away.

Escrivá now faced a dilemma.

Against Inter Milan, should Yellow Submarine stick with their current 4-4-2 formation, or attempt a 4-2-3-1?

In the second half of the match against Osasuna, Yellow Submarine had actually played in a similar 4-2-3-1 formation; this was an experiment by Escrivá.

Based on his judgment, the 4-2-3-1 should be the tactic most suitable for Yellow Submarine.

"I think we can play a 4-2-3-1; I just watched Inter's match footage, and their defensive line is terrible,"

Martí said, simultaneously operating his laptop to show Escrivá.

In the first round of the Europa League group stage against Ajax, the Serie A giants Inter Milan conceded a full four goals!

They were beaten 2-0 by Ajax!

"But..."

Escrivá clasped his head with both hands.

If the opponent's defensive line spreads wide, then we should strengthen our offensive end.

Martí's logic was simple, yet the reasoning was quite correct.

However, Escrivá had his own worries: "Every time we position Tom further forward, you know, he always insists on impersonating a striker; how do we handle that?"

"This..."

Martí fell silent.

Tang Ye himself loved impersonating a striker; if playing a 4-2-3-1 pulled his positioning further forward, that troublemaking fellow certainly would not behave!

Lacking a midfielder in the back to organize passing would have a massive impact on Villarreal's overall tactics!

The discussion yielded no result; Martí drove home first.

Escrivá sat alone in his office chair, opened his phone, and saw the lock screen he had set not long ago.

It was a photo of Erik ten Hag, the famous manager of Utrecht.

He was also currently the idol of Villarreal's head coach, Escrivá!

Having last season's Utrecht and last season's Tang Ye play a 4-2-3-1 was the tactic designed by Ten Hag.

Erik must have had his reasons for doing so!

The day before the match, the Villarreal players, having disembarked from the plane, boarded the bus that had been waiting for them.

Escrivá stood in the middle of the aisle, emphasizing to the players the arrangements for checking into the hotel today.

"We are heading to the hotel now; after resting well, we will have a training session this afternoon. Once we return to the hotel afterward, we will not go out again. I know many of you are visiting Milan for the first time, but sightseeing cannot be rushed; we must prioritize tomorrow's match."

"Also, tonight, before sleeping, each person must collect a soundproof ear mask from the equipment manager; this is crucial, so remember to remind each other tonight."

After finishing his emphasis, Escrivá sat back down in his seat.

Tang Ye poked his head out: "Can we not wear the ear masks? I might not be able to fall asleep wearing those."

"I also find it hard to sleep, but this is necessary,"

Bruno explained to Tang Ye.

For away matches requiring the team to stay collectively in a hotel, it is very common to encounter home fans setting off firecrackers around the hotel perimeter.

If players are woken up at two or three in the morning, tomorrow's match would be disastrous.

"This..."

Tang Ye's eyes lit up; he remembered seeing news related to this when he was younger, where home fans also set off firecrackers to disrupt the away team's mentality.

He never expected such a thing would now be happening to him.

"Aren't we going out for training this afternoon?"

Tang Ye suddenly said: "After training, let the bus return to the hotel, then we switch to another bus to go to a different hotel; wouldn't they then not know where we are staying?"

???

Escrivá suddenly turned his head around.

Damn.

It seems... we actually could do that?

You kid really have a lot of ideas!

Although this would increase the team's budget, if it is for the sake of defeating Inter Milan, having the club spend a few tens of thousands of euros more is perfectly acceptable.

"Bang!"

"Bang bang bang!"

Around 3:20 in the morning, firecrackers suddenly erupted outside the first hotel where the Yellow Submarine players were staying.

More and more firecrackers were set off; the deafening roar of massive amounts of gunpowder exploding simultaneously was loud enough to wake anyone fast asleep.

But it didn't matter, for at that moment the Yellow Submarine players were sleeping in a hotel fourteen kilometers away from the firecrackers.

……

Check Dongqiu Di: Local Inter Milan fans concentrated their firecracker displays around the Yellow Submarine's lodging; police have already arrested two of them.

Check Dongqiu Di Match Preview: In the early hours of September 29, Inter Milan, in poor form, will host the Yellow Submarine at home. Can the Nerazzurri, who lost their opening match to Ajax, redeem their honor? Will Tang Ye start in the match against Inter?

"China Media Group! Good evening, dear viewers! You are watching the live broadcast of the UEFA Europa League Group L match between Inter Milan and Villarreal!"

"As we can see, the starting lineups for both sides are already ready in the player tunnel!"

The camera focused on Bruno, the captain of the Yellow Submarine, then on the goalkeeper Asenjo and defender Musacchio behind him; Tang Ye was standing right behind Musacchio.

Chewing gum, he occasionally shook his two legs.

He also rubbed his wrists.

Seeing this scene, the fans in the live stream room broke into smiles.

Our Tang Tang Qiuwang is still in great form today!

"Let's go!"

Rodri reached out and patted Tang Ye on the buttocks.

This was his first start since being promoted to the Yellow Submarine's first team; to be honest, Rodri was still a bit excited.

"Let's go!"

Tang Ye took a deep breath and followed Musacchio up the steps.

"Eunsognocheho (I have a dream)"

"Euncorochesaleasognare (A choir moving uniformly toward the dream)"

"SuegiudallaNord (Right there in the North)"

As soon as they walked out of the tunnel, the sound of the home fans singing their team anthem in unison reached Tang Ye's ears.

Although Inter's results this season had been poor, the stadium attendance remained as high as ever.

Today, there were nearly eighty thousand fans in the stands!

Although he had already played once at the Bernabéu, stepping into another eighty-thousand-seat stadium still left Tang Ye somewhat awestruck.

Perhaps one day such a super-large stadium could become his own home ground?

Shaking his head, he went to his position and stood ready.

That was not what Tang Ye needed to be thinking about right now.

What he should be thinking about now was how to win this match!

"Beep!"

【You have purchased Vardy's Red Bull】

"China Media Group..."

"Now I will introduce the starting lineups for both teams in this match, starting with the home side, Inter Milan!"

Inter (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Handanović

Defenders: Nagatomo, Miranda, Murillo, Santon

Midfielders: Biabiany, Medel, Brozović

Forwards: Candreva, Icardi, Éder

Head Coach: De Boer

It was clear that Inter attached great importance to this Europa League match; apart from Perišić, who remained on the bench, all other starters were on the field.

Their league campaign this season was nearly ruined, and head coach De Boer urgently needed results in the Europa League to prove himself!

"Currently, there is a significant gap between the two sides' domestic league records: Inter has won only two matches so far in Serie A, whereas Villarreal has drawn just once and won all their other matches."

"Although Villarreal's results are superior, Inter holds a massive advantage in terms of player market value!"

"Currently, Inter's most valuable player is forward Icardi, with a Transfermarkt valuation of forty million euros; for Villarreal, the most valuable player is Tang Ye."

"In the Transfermarkt update just one month ago, his estimated market value reached eighteen million euros!"

While neither side had yet launched an attack, He Wei briefly introduced the situations of both teams.

【Wait, I thought Inter was very strong; why are they playing in the Europa League?】

【Then you should ask Manchester United; they're in the Europa League too.】

【Doesn't matter; whether it's Inter or Manchester United, they can't beat the Yellow Submarine.】

【The post above reeks of a little Tang Ren; we've already said there's nothing worth boasting about regarding Tang Ye.】

【Tang Ye isn't worth boasting about?】

【Tang Tang Qiuwang! Go get them, screw Inter Milan, long live AC Milan!】

Many fans had just turned on their TVs and entered the live stream when the Yellow Submarine suddenly launched an attack.

Escriba was standing on the sideline shouting instructions; on the bench, Martí held a small notebook titled: "Number of times Tom impersonated a forward."

As an attacking midfielder, Tang Ye's constant impersonation of a forward was undoubtedly harming the team.

Escriba intended to have Martí record the number of times Tang Ye harmed the team.

Then, after the match, he would have a good talk with him!

The Yellow Submarine's attack developed down the left flank; Cheryshev dribbled forward, and Rodri moved over to provide support.

"I've got it,"

Tang Ye shouted.

Wow?

Although he didn't know when Tang Ye had moved up, since he wanted the ball, Rodri would certainly yield it.

Cheryshev tapped the ball sideways with his left foot, passing it to Tang Ye beside him.

Here it comes!

Tang Ye spun his body, clearing his position, as Cheryshev's pass rolled slowly toward the center in front of him.

Rather than stopping the ball directly, Tang Ye chose to let it pass before following it.

This was experience Tang Ye had gained from playing matches.

He needed to preserve his first touch; only then could he maximize the effect of the 【Fernandes First Touch Template】!

This was the supreme wisdom of Tang Tang Qiuwang!

He ran over and delivered a small curved pass with the outside of his foot to the right flank!

"A very flexible pass; Tang Ye hands it to Bacca."

"Tang Ye passed quickly; Inter's defenders are clearly flustered."

"Bacca dribbles to the byline!"

Head coach De Boer shouted from the sidelines; Inter's defensive line contracted rapidly. As Bacca advanced toward the penalty area from the byline, he encountered Santon.

Santon retreated step by step.

In this situation, mistakes were unforgivable, so Santon did not stretch out his foot to tackle.

Bacca attempted to charge straight into the penalty area!

Bacca was showing off too much; his attempt to knock the ball past the opponent turned into a separation of man and ball.

Under Aleix's pressing, Murillo kicked the ball out.

Since it was a hurried clearance, Murillo's kick was somewhat abstract.

It struck Rodri directly!

Wow!

Rodri's heart leaped with joy.

This was a chance for a long-range shot!

He cushioned the ball at his feet; Rodri had already prepared to shoot, but then Tang Ye suddenly shouted.

"Quick, to me!"

"..."

Rodri felt reluctant, but alas, he was merely a substitute player; his status could not compare to that of a starter like Tang Ye.

Changing from a long-range shot to a short pass, Rodri sent the ball to Tang Ye.

He dragged the ball and turned.

Tang Ye's eyes stared fixedly at the ball.

He didn't need to look into the penalty area, because he had already completed that task before receiving the pass.

The positions of both his own teammates and the opponents were now all in Tang Ye's mind.

Pa!

【De Bruyne Curved Through Ball Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 31/1000

Unlike the curved through balls Tang Ye had played before, this one was very short, its arc barely perceptible.

But its penetrating power against the defensive line was not diminished thereby!

Aleix controlled the ball.

"Aleix is in a great position!"

"This goal is certain!"

"Golllllll!!!! (Italian for 'Goal')"

"My God! (Italian)"

"Inter's goal has been breached in the 6th minute of the match! (Italian)"

The Italian TV commentator, sitting in the studio, held the back of his head in his hands.

Although he knew Inter was somewhat lackluster this season.

Wasn't this goal scored a bit too quickly?

"Wowhoo!"

Tang Ye and Rodri rushed toward the sideline together, with Aleix chasing after them from behind.

Soon, the players hugged each other near the corner flag; then Bruno remembered something and called on the players to face the home stand together.

The Yellow Submarine players brought the sound of Spain to Milan, Italy.

"VAMOS!"

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Tang Ye assists Aleix, who scores with a push shot; in the 7th minute, Yellow Submarine leads 1:0.

(End of Chapter)