Chapter 173: December 5th, Five Matches, Five Wins: Europa League Knockout Stage Draw!

Although Huang Huang Qian's momentum was strong, Sporting Gijón in the second half truly delivered.

Only at the 51st minute of the second half, Atman played a low long pass from midfield to the right flank's baseline, whereupon forward Carmona used the touch to muskle past Costa outright.

Costa made a mistake!

After reaching the byline, Carmona immediately crossed the ball into the penalty area!

From the far post, Moi Gómez leaped up and scored directly with a header!

"Wow!!"

A rapid attack, and Sporting Gijón seized one of their few opportunities!

This goal made Escribá on the substitutes' bench furrow his brow; he stood up and shouted instructions to several defenders on the pitch.

They've gotten cocky!

With a two-goal lead, these Huang Huang Qian defenders have already started getting cocky!

"Focus!"

Bruno pressed his index finger against his temple and roared at Musacchio and Ruiz: "Didn't you notice such an obvious forward run?"

In truth, Bruno had warned them when Gómez charged into the box, but by the time Musacchio reacted, it was already too late.

Sporting Gijón pulled one back!

"Clap clap clap!"

Captain Bruno clapped continuously, reminding the players on the field: "Focus, we only lead by one now!"

The sudden goal left Huang Huang Qian's players somewhat panicked; naturally, Tang Ye felt nervous too.

Though he hadn't experienced it often, he had experienced it before.

That feeling of having a lead equalized is extremely unpleasant.

One can imagine what Huang Huang Qian's locker room would be like after the match if the score truly got equalized.

They must hold steady!

Or find a way to extend the lead further!

However, right then, an unfavorable situation occurred: Bakambu received González's through ball on the right flank and prepared to break through, only for Amorebieta to rush over and tackle.

A tackle itself was nothing, but Amorebieta's tackle stepped directly onto Bakambu's ankle.

"Beep!"

The referee quickly ran over and showed a yellow card to the offending Amorebieta.

In the camera shot, Huang Huang Qian's team doctor could be seen standing by the sideline.

They could tell this was a relatively serious injury!

"Damn..."

Tang Ye, who had run over, stopped beside Bakambu; although Bakambu wore thick socks and cleats, Tang Ye couldn't see the exact condition of his ankle.

But judging from the team doctor's reaction, Bakambu's situation didn't seem too good...

One team doctor untied Bakambu's shoelaces and removed his cleat, while another team doctor took one look before signaling to the substitutes' bench for a substitution.

Bakambu couldn't continue!

Damn it.

Tang Ye frowned, looking at Amorebieta nearby, his mood clearly not good.

He could have eased off upon contacting Bakambu, but he didn't do that!

"Boooo——!!!"

Amorebieta's foul drew some dissatisfaction from the away fans, but their boos were quickly drowned out by the home fans chanting their team's name.

"Gijón! (Sporting Gijón)"

"Gijón!"

Escribá substituted Pato for the injured Bakambu, who was helped off the field by the team doctors.

Tang Ye and Rodri ran over, tapped Pato's hand, then ran back to their positions to resume play.

At the 78th minute, Bruno passed the ball to Tang Ye and immediately moved toward the center, while Tang Ye dribbled directly to the right flank.

Move forward!

Execute a one-two with Pato!

Shake off Amorebieta directly!

Tang Ye surged forward to receive the ball, simultaneously glancing into the penalty area.

What a pity; since it was a counterattack, teammates on the far side hadn't yet arrived.

Tang Ye had no opportunity to cut inside directly, so he stopped on the flank.

He needed to wait for his teammates!

Amorebieta repositioned himself in front of Tang Ye.

Fans in the live broadcast room began to feel tense.

A one-on-one duel between Tang Ye and the opposing defender!

Full of highlights!

Just as fans expected Tang Ye to use his imagination to complete a flashy dribble, he cushioned the ball with the inside of his right foot and began spinning on the spot.

Amorebieta:?

After one full rotation with his right foot, Tang Ye transferred the ball to his left foot.

Another rotation!

Utilizing the speed generated by the spin, Tang Ye pushed the ball with his left foot to González, who was rushing up to support, then sprinted directly toward the byline.

Snap!

González plays the through ball!

Straight to the right-wing byline!

Tang Ye sprints forward!

To preserve his first touch, Tang Ye didn't rush to control the ball; instead, he shifted his right foot aside and lifted it, letting the ball roll naturally to meet him.

At the same time, he scanned the penalty area!

OK, this time his good friend has arrived in position!

Slap!

【De Bruyne's Low Cross to Byline Lv3: Simulation】

Proficiency: 10/400

"Wow!"

Fans in the stands rose to their feet as Tang Ye's cross soared toward the top of the penalty area, beginning its descent just as it neared the far post.

Take a closer look...

This ball carries topspin!

"Watch out for the header!"

Goalkeeper Cuéllar shouted, and Ale, the player most likely to head the ball in the box, was quickly surrounded.

Nevertheless, Ale still managed to win the first point thanks to his individual ability.

What to do when there's no angle for a headed shot?

Bang!

Ale flicked the ball to Rodrigo at the top of the arc, who immediately passed it to Pato on the right.

Pato crossed it back horizontally into the penalty area!

Ale shifted his right foot sideways, cupped the ball with his instep, and gently pushed it.

"GGGG——OOOO——LLLLL!!!"

"Goal!"

Escrivá raised both arms simultaneously.

A goal at this moment; Ale's push-shot could be said to have sealed the victory outright.

After scoring, Ale moved with great speed, dragging Pato directly toward the corner flag on the right.

Tang Ye was already waiting there!

"Together, Tom!"

Hiss—

A deep breath!

One huge, deep breath!

"VAMOS!!!!"

The Yellow Submarine players on the field had avenged Bacambu on the substitutes' bench!

Especially Tom!

With consecutive stationary spins using both feet followed by a one-two pass, he completely outmaneuvered Amorebieta, the very player who had tackled Bacambu to the ground!

This was fury from Tom!

"Clap clap clap! Well done!"

Escrivá offered applause, then waved toward the away fans' stand at the far end.

"Wow!!"

Seeing Escrivá's gesture, the Yellow Submarine fans immediately erupted in cheers.

That was Saint Escrivá!

Saint Escrivá was waving at them!

"Fran!"

"Villarreal!"

Bang bang!

"Villarreal!"

Bang bang!

Due to the silence from the home fans' stand, the away supporters' voices dominated the stadium for a short while.

Head coach Abelardo silently returned to his seat on the substitutes' bench.

He knew they had already lost this match!

And lost it thoroughly!

"Beep, beep-beep——!!!"

"Alright, the full-time whistle has blown!"

"In the end, for Round 16 of La Liga, Sporting Gijón lost this home match against Villarreal with a score of 3:1. And due to this defeat, Sporting Gijón will temporarily remain in the relegation zone before Round 17 begins!"

"As for Villarreal!"

He Wei took a deep breath, composing his excited emotions.

"Thanks to this victory, their current ranking on the league table has surpassed Real Madrid, moving them into second place!"

Although early in the season the Yellow Submarine had played an away match against Real Madrid, that game ended in a draw.

But now, with a record of 13 wins in 16 rounds, the Yellow Submarine has surged straight to second place on the standings!

In a certain sense, they could be said to have taken down Real Madrid!

Oh, no!

It was Tom who, together with his good friends, took down Real Madrid!

Stepping out of the locker room, Tang Ye took the match MVP trophy from the host's hands.

With only one assist, compared to Ale and Rodri who had scored goals, Tang Ye's statistic was not particularly dazzling.

But the MVP trophy is not awarded based solely on the number of goals and assists.

In this match, Tang Ye created a total of 14 scoring opportunities and 4 clear-cut chances, which was the sum total of the other ten starting players of Yellow Submarine!

"This is your last league match of December."

The reporter smiled at Tang Ye before him; the latter, hugging his trophy, beamed happily: "There's still the Copa del Rey match against Toledo ahead, and we'll be playing at home too."

"Oh, let's just discuss the league for now."

The reporter reminded him: "Tom, you played three league matches in December: against Leganés, Sporting Gijón, and the mighty Atlético Madrid. You won all three, and you claimed the MVP trophy in two of them. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"Oh, I'm very happy because we kept winning throughout December, so yes, I am very happy."

Tang Ye spoke slowly: "Hmm... but to be honest, I don't think any of the opponents in those three matches were weak, especially Atlético. I found the match against Atlético very difficult, extremely difficult. But fortunately, my teammates gave me great support; they made me realize that Atlético is not entirely unbeatable."

Hearing Tang Ye's words, Bruno, who was attending the post-match interview alongside him, reached out and gently patted Tang Ye on the back.

"Your points total has now surpassed Real Madrid's; after round 16 of the league, you rank second in the standings. This is the best result in Villarreal's history since the club's founding. Have you ever thought about defeating Barcelona to challenge for first place in the league?"

Defeat Barcelona...

Tang Ye closed his mouth and said nothing.

When the reporter uttered the word "Barcelona," Tang Ye immediately thought of the star players within that La Liga giant, and involuntarily shivered.

Knowing that Tang Ye was not skilled at answering such questions, Bruno stepped forward diagonally, positioning himself in front of Tang Ye: "Hmm, this question is hard to answer. Our form is good, but Barcelona is strong; we are very much looking forward to a direct confrontation with Barcelona."

"Do you think you have a chance?"

"Of course, we have a chance."

Bruno answered quickly.

Defeat Barcelona and challenge for the top spot in the standings?

We can try!

No, we must try!

If Tom leaves next season, there won't be another chance to try!

Spain's Channel Six: Yellow Submarine defeats Sporting Gijón 3-1 away; after 16 rounds with 13 wins, they rise to second in the standings. Has the Galactic Fleet, after losing at home to Atlético, entered a weakening phase?

Attached: La Liga Standings (Round 16)

1. Barcelona, 42 points

2. Villarreal, 41 points

3. Real Madrid, 38 points.

4. Sevilla, 36 points.

5. Atlético Madrid, 34 points.

6. Real Sociedad, 33 points.

As headline secondary story in As: Influenced by public opinion regarding "doing homework," Villarreal's official Twitter account has unfollowed Marca. "Relations between the club and Marca are deteriorating."

As headline secondary story in Marca: Influenced by public opinion regarding "doing homework," Villarreal's official Twitter account has unfollowed As. "They have already cut ties with As."

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: Champions League and Europa League draws are both approaching; what kind of opponent do you hope your team will face?

The Champions League teams dropping into this Europa League are: Ludogorets, Beşiktaş, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Tottenham Hotspur, Legia Warsaw, Copenhagen, and Lyon.

Check Dongqiu Di officially launched an event to predict which opponents a certain team might encounter in the knockout stage; this event began 48 hours before the draw started.

Two hours before the draw commenced in the early morning, the officials released the so-called "European Competition Team Popularity Chart."

1. Villarreal (Europa League), votes (7821)

2. Manchester United (Europa League), votes (5311)

3. Real Madrid (Champions League/Defending Champions), votes (3812)

4. Barcelona (Champions League), votes (3671)

5. Arsenal (Champions League), votes (3129)

Villarreal and Manchester United were the only two Europa League teams whose vote counts entered the top 12, and Villarreal was also the number one on the entire popularity chart.

Although Yellow Submarine has not yet overtaken Barcelona in the standings.

But in terms of traffic, they have already completely crushed this La Liga super-giant!

【7821 > 3812 + 3671; brothers, don't even talk about Messi and Ronaldo combining forces—even Real Madrid and Barcelona combined can't beat Tang Tang Qiuwang now】

【So the top two in popularity are both playing in the Europa League, huh?】

【Manchester United is riding on our Tang Tang Qiuwang's traffic; otherwise, they wouldn't have climbed up here.】

【Don't talk nonsense, okay? Isn't the traffic generated by our Saint Ten Hag also traffic?】

【Awesome; I hope Tang Tang Qiuwang gets a favorable draw.】

【No more nonsense; just draw Manchester United directly. Strong teams should play against strong teams!】

【A life-or-death battle between master and disciple, huh? But Manchester United is still very strong; Yellow Submarine isn't necessarily guaranteed to win.】

【Yellow Submarine can't win? But with Tang Ye holding the fort, isn't beating Manchester United an easy task for Yellow Submarine?】

Fans on the APP argued endlessly about the draw and the King of Traffic, but no matter how much they debated, it was useless; ultimately, everything depended on the draw results.

By that evening, the Yellow Submarine players gathered in the canteen as agreed.

Tang Ye sat directly on the table.

This was because Escrivá wasn't here today; right after the match ended, he had flown to the draw venue.

As the team's head coach, he needed to attend the draw ceremony as a guest!

Just half an hour ago, the Champions League draw had concluded, with Bayern directly drawn against Arsenal, one of the Premier League's Big Six, creating the most anticipated match of the Round of 16.

Then came the La Liga teams.

Real Madrid drew Napoli, Atlético Madrid drew Bayer Leverkusen, and Barcelona drew Paris Saint-Germain; these were all absolute clashes of titans.

Of course, there was also Sevilla, who were extremely unlucky to draw Leicester City, last season's Premier League champions!

Naturally, none of this was what Tang Ye needed to pay attention to.

The screen image shifted, and then a string of long text popped up.

【UEFA Europa League (Union of European Football Associations Europa League)】

"It's here!"

Tang Ye jumped up from the table, and all the Villarreal players who were playing cards nearby gathered around.

"Tom, here you go!"

Ale handed Tang Ye a bottle of ice-cold cola.

Although Christmas was approaching soon and the weather was cold, the players still never tired of ice-cold soda.

Tang Ye gripped the cola bottle tightly, then slammed it forcefully against the corner of the table; with a "Crack!", the cola was opened.

He walked toward the television while drinking the cola.

Hiss—

The room had a little heating turned on, but when the cold cola entered his stomach, Tang Ye still felt a bit uncomfortable and shivered his body.

"Haha!"

Bruno looked at Tang Ye as he approached: "How do you feel right now, Tom?"

"Hmm... it's like suddenly having an ice cube installed in my brain, but it's better now, quite comfortable."

Tang Ye sat down on the sofa.

"No, no, that's not what I'm asking."

Bruno shook his head quickly: "The draw is about to start; are you nervous right now?"

This...

Tang Ye placed the ice-cold cola in his hand on the coffee table, his eyes staring fixedly at the television in front of him: "It's alright; I feel we're quite strong, so we shouldn't fear drawing most teams."

"Haha!"

Tang Ye's words made the teammates around him laugh; Musacchio, sitting at the drink counter, raised the beer in his hand high: "I completely agree with what Tom said."

Just then, Tang Ye suddenly pointed at the television in front of him: "Mr. Ferran!"

Oh?

The players' attention returned to the television; the live camera focused on the guests below, where Escrivá was sitting in the second row, his expression serious.

Ten Hag was sitting in the second seat right next to him!

Just then, a strange thing happened: Escrivá patted Pochettino, the Tottenham head coach on his right hand side, and after a brief exchange, the two quickly swapped seats.

It didn't end there; Escrivá soon found Weinzierl, the Schalke 04 head coach in the next seat to the right.

It was the same procedure again; after a brief exchange, the two quickly swapped seats.

What are they doing?

Tang Ye widened his eyes, only to see Escrivá pat Ten Hag, the Manchester United head coach, on his right hand side again.

He thought the two would swap seats as well, but as a result...

Escrivá started chatting with Ten Hag.

Hmm?

(End of Chapter)