Chapter 275: Champions League Mission Activated, The First Champions League Match Is Coming!

Check Dongqiu Di's halftime report: Manchester United drew 1-1 away against Stoke City; Herrera and Mo Yan scored, Tang Ye substituted but did not play, yet he was not asleep.

【"But He Was Not Asleep"】

【"Suggest summoning Tang Ye's father; if Tang Ye falls asleep, knock him on the head."】

【"Not letting our great ggbond sleep, is it?"】

【"What's the word? Can he play in the second half? Even a few minutes would be good."】

Clap, clap, clap!

In the locker room, Ten Hag quickly rearranged the magnetic flags on his tactical board.

At the same time, his mind was racing.

Should he really put Tang Ye, who had only resumed training yesterday afternoon, into the match?

Actually... Ten Hag was not worried that Tang Ye would perform poorly immediately upon returning to play.

What he feared was the adverse effect of long-haul flight and jet lag on Tang Ye's body!

Tom must not get injured!

"The opponent's defense is playing quite well, but in the second half we still need to attack, still need to attack."

Moving the magnetic flags attached to the tactical board, Ten Hag said, "Carrick in the center must actively support attacks from the wings; this is because our opponent habitually concentrates their defense on the flanks, which is highly disadvantageous for our offense..."

Sitting beside Rashford and Rodri, Tang Ye chewed the gum in his mouth.

Both Tang Ye and Rodri were eager to get on the pitch, but their mindsets differed.

Tang Ye felt mostly anticipation, hoping that after substituting in he could help the team.

Rodri, however, felt pressure.

This was already Manchester United's fourth match since the start of the Premier League season.

Rodri had appeared in the squad list twice, yet he had not gotten a single chance to play!

"Thanks."

Taking the gum Tang Ye handed over, Rodri listened intently to Ten Hag's tactical instructions.

"It is now the 74th minute of the second half; we can see the score remains 2-2, with Stoke City's tactics effectively countering Manchester United."

"Hey, Rashford's long-range shot flies over the crossbar!"

"Manchester United failed to seize this opportunity to equalize."

While the commentators analyzed the situation on the field, the director switched cameras, showing Tang Ye removing his fluorescent yellow bib.

ggbond is leaving!

But Tom is coming!

"Wow!!"

The away-section fans erupted in thunderous cheers.

Tang Ye, bought for 200 million euros, has so far played only once for Manchester United.

But Manchester United fans are no fools; they remember Tang Ye's performance in the match against Swansea!

"Coming on now is number 10, Tang Ye; this is his second appearance in an official match since transferring to Manchester United, and in his last game he recorded three assists."

"That currently places him first on the Premier League assists table!"

Standing on the sideline, Tang Ye high-fived Ten Hag, then greeted Mata, who ran down to meet him.

"Mata!"

"Go get 'em, Tom!"

The two clapped hands, after which Tang Ye sprinted onto the pitch.

"Switch, switch!"

After entering the game, Tang Ye handed a note each to Herrera and Rashford.

The team's formation shifted from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1!

Standing in his position, ready to coordinate with the team, Tang Ye rubbed his hands together.

Hmm, let's make a purchase first.

【You purchased Vardy's Red Bull +5】

Red Bull +5 possesses an absurdly powerful stamina-boosting effect.

Most importantly, the price of items enhanced by the 【Viking Forge】 does not change.

At a cost of 5 Counterattack Points, Red Bull is already quite cheap for Tang Ye at this stage!

The match enters the 80th minute!

Snap!

【De Bruyne Curved Through Ball Lv. 4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 484/1000

A lightly weighted through ball!

The ball rolled past Stoke City's defensive midfielder, curved, and arrived at Martial's feet.

"Beautiful!"

"Tang Ye!"

"This is exactly what we mentioned earlier: Tang Ye's passing and chance-creation ability is absurdly outstanding even when compared to all midfielders in today's football world!"

After receiving the ball, Martial paused his rhythm slightly, deceiving the opposing defender who rushed in to tackle.

"Here!"

Mkhitaryan, drifting wide toward the baseline on the right flank, raised his hand!

Martial showcased his excellent ball control in the center.

After a series of twists and turns, he played a through ball!

Right in front of Mkhitaryan!

"Wow!"

That was a very threatening through ball.

After receiving the ball, Mkhitaryan took a few steps forward and reached Stoke City's byline!

Tang Ye moved right, then suddenly cut left once the defender followed.

Little Fletcher!

Shaken off directly!

"Tang Ye's speed... is a little bit fast!"

"Not making a run to support Mkhitaryan?"

Tang Ye did not go to support Mkhitaryan.

Because Martial had gone!

Martial had anticipated Tang Ye's position; upon receiving Mkhitaryan's cutback, he immediately flicked the ball back to Tang Ye behind him.

A perfect combination!

Tang Ye advanced with the ball.

Since there were no suitable receivers in the penalty area or at the far post on the right wing, he chose to dribble forward himself.

Wait a moment!

Okay, now there's a chance!

Slap!

【De Bruyne Underlap Cross Lv4: Deceptive】

The 【Underlap Cross】 skill that had only recently leveled up to Lv4.

Its accuracy had improved significantly!

Still passed to Mkhitaryan!

Passed back again!

Herrera's push shot!

"G——oooo——aaaa——lll!!!"

"Goal!"

"3:2!"

"Manchester United, who had failed to pull away, finally took the lead!"

"Herrera's second goal of the match!"

The moment Herrera scored from long range, every Manchester United player on the pitch ran toward his position.

Tom, of course, did too!

His second-to-last touch didn't count as an assist.

But it didn't matter.

The team was leading; that was more important!

"Beautiful!"

The Manchester United players huddled together near the corner flag, while Ten Hag raised both hands high.

This match against Stoke City was exceptionally difficult for Manchester United, but fortunately, they won in the end.

Facts proved that the tactical execution of other Premier League teams was inferior, or even far inferior, to that of Manchester United.

【Coaching Gap!】

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Manchester United won 3:2 away; Herrera's long-range shot prevented an upset, substitute Tang Ye delivered an outstanding performance.

"United! (Manchester United)"

"United!"

Walking off the pitch, Tang Ye could hear the away fans chanting the team name.

Of course, a few fans were also shouting Tang Ye's name!

He shook his head and sighed.

"You don't look very happy?"

"What?"

Rashford had suddenly leaned in close to Tang Ye to speak; when Tang Ye's attention was focused elsewhere, he might not hear others talking.

"I said, Tom, you seem a little unhappy?"

"Oh, oh."

Tang Ye nodded: "I feel like it ended before I'd played enough. I thought I'd get an assist or a goal, but I didn't."

"Haha!"

Rashford pushed Tang Ye toward the tunnel.

Stoke City's home press conference room wasn't large, so once the reporters and photographers entered, the scene felt slightly crowded.

However, order was well maintained; everyone sat obediently in their seats, patiently waiting for Ten Hag to appear.

Creak—

He's here!

Crack!

Crack crack!

"Sitting Like, do you have any thoughts on the result of this match? It seems Manchester United didn't win easily?"

"Sitting Like, you were suspended due to poor conduct in last season's Europa League final; how do you think the team should handle the upcoming Champions League matches?"

"Sitting Like!"

Sitting Like ignored the reporters' words and sat down in his seat on his own.

"I know we didn't win this match easily; I saw it clearly from the sidelines."

"Right, considering Manchester United's foundation, does playing so hard against Stoke City indicate that the players' form isn't at its best?"

The reporter cleverly picked up on Sitting Like's words.

"Well..."

Sitting Like shook his head: "In today's match, we tried a new tactic, so our opponent was lucky; I'm glad they weren't beaten by a large margin, but I think they'll only be lucky this once. If we meet them in the next match, they won't lose by just one goal."

Was Stoke City lucky?

Stoke City was certainly lucky.

Just as Sitting Like said, Manchester United did not bring out their strongest tactics in this match.

Stoke City gained a small advantage, but they still failed to win!

"Then, Sitting Like, who do you think performed better within the Manchester United team in this match?"

"Tom," Sitting Like answered quickly.

Hm?

The reporters below exchanged glances.

"Are you sure? Although Tom had two very good passes, he only played for 17 minutes in this match."

Sitting Like nodded: "If we disregard playing time, I think the best overall performance belonged to Tom."

"Uh, alright."

"Then can we talk about the Champions League? Your next Champions League match against Basel is about to begin, and due to UEFA's punishment, you cannot be present to direct the team."

Mentioning the Champions League, Sitting Like's face quickly darkened.

"The suspension punishment strikes me as incredible."

"Of course, I'm not someone who stubbornly refuses to admit things; I acknowledge this is a challenge for Manchester United."

Sitting Like rarely showed weakness, which made the reporters below involuntarily sit up straight.

!

"So does that mean Manchester United is very likely to lose the first Champions League match?"

"A challenge does not mean defeat."

Sitting Like corrected the reporter's mistake: "Manchester United is an invincible football club, but I will eventually leave; Manchester United players need to know how to play when I am not there. Only when they reach that level can Manchester United be considered to have embarked on revival."

"Some people (referring to UEFA and Manchester United haters) think that if you remove the most important person, me, Manchester United will lose key matches."

"But I won't let them achieve their purpose so easily; I will arrange all the tactics before the players go to the stadium; this is what I need to do."

Manchester United this season is too powerful.

The two most crucial figures from the Europa League champion and runner-up teams have come together in one club.

The Saint and the King unite.

Sitting Like could see that UEFA officials were extremely afraid.

So afraid that they needed to use despicable means to restrict the strongest person within the Manchester United team.

That's right!

That strongest person is Sitting Like himself!

Check Dongqiu Di hot discussion: In the early morning of the 13th, playing at home against Basel, can Manchester United secure a good start to this season's Champions League without their head coach?

【It should be very stable, after all, Basel isn't strong.】

【Hard to say; the head coach has too much influence on the team, especially someone of Saint Teng's caliber.】

【The Saint-King combination; even if the Saint is gone, there's still the King. Just wait for my Tang Tang Qiuwang to make his move.】

【Go Manchester United!】

"Slap!"

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 318/500

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 356/500

After two sessions of specialized 45-degree cross training, Tang Ye earned nearly 50 proficiency points for himself.

It has been almost half a month since the Underlapping Cross upgraded from Lv3 to Lv4.

Now his 45-Degree Cross is finally about to upgrade as well!

The moment he thought about soon possessing a new Lv5 skill, an indescribable excitement surged within Tang Ye's heart.

Rushing the Underlapping Cross to Lv4 hadn't helped him break through his current passing attribute of 88 points.

He wondered if the Lv5-level 45-Degree Cross could achieve that effect?

"Tom, your passing is very accurate."

Mata appeared beside Tang Ye at some unknown moment; the latter realized it and high-fived Mata.

"Mata, I feel I still have room for improvement,"

Tang Ye said seriously.

Right now, his 【Curved Through Ball】, 【Underline Cross】, 【Standard Long Pass】, and 【45-Degree Cross】 were all at level 4.

According to Tang Ye's deduction, if he upgraded all four growth templates to level 5: Replication tier, his passing attribute should break through 90!

The current Tang Ye was a passing expert.

If his attribute broke through 90, then he would become a passing master!

Master and expert!

Damn, those aren't even on the same level, okay!

"Of course, I think the most important thing is still your ball-distribution ability."

Looking at Tang Ye with eyes full of appreciation, Mata explained, "One-touch distribution is simply too outstanding; I feel this is why Erik wants you at Manchester United—you were born for fast-paced matches."

"Born for fast-paced matches?"

Tang Ye paused for a moment.

"Yeah, haven't you felt how quickly you adapted? I feel the pressing from those Premier League defenders doesn't work on you at all; your passing is damn fast!"

Mata patted Tang Ye on the back: "Believe me, once you raise your accuracy, you'll be one of the top midfielders in the world!"

Mata wanted to say a bit more to Tang Ye, but just then Fan Fan Dejiahe blew the whistle.

The players gathered in front of Ten Hag.

"Tomorrow is the match against Basel; this is our first Champions League game of the season."

Glancing at Tang Ye, he said, "Due to some unfavorable reasons, I won't be able to attend the match in person."

Under the gaze of his teammates, Tang Ye touched his nose, then instinctively took a step backward.

Mr. Erik's suspension shouldn't have anything to do with him, right...

"Haha."

Lin Lin Jiade chuckled softly and pushed Tang Ye, who had just stepped back, forward again.

"Jessie, don't be like that!"

Tang Ye said in a low voice.

Ten Hag ignored Tang Ye and Lin Lin Jiade, instead holding up his notebook to announce the starting lineup for tomorrow's match.

"Midfield: Herrera, Mata, and Tom."

"Forwards: Mata, Martial, and Marcus."

Slap!

Snapping the notebook shut, Ten Hag tapped Tang Ye's arm with it: "This should be your first Champions League match, right?"

"Uh, Mr. Erik, I played in the Champions League qualifiers before, but we were eliminated."

"Tomorrow you get to play in the real Champions League."

After fist-bumping Tang Ye, Ten Hag left the training ground with Fan Fan Dejiahe.

"Eliminated in the Champions League qualifiers?"

Rashford walked over; he had only just learned that Tang Ye had nearly played in the Champions League.

"Yeah, we played against Monaco before."

While speaking, Tang Ye glanced at Rodri beside him.

He could now even clearly recall the scenes on the pitch when they were defeated by Monaco in the second leg.

It was a feeling of helplessness.

If the current Tang Ye were to play that qualifier match, he felt he could lead Bruno and the others into the Champions League proper!

"Marcus, we must advance to the knockout stage."

Tang Ye's expression was serious.

"Because getting eliminated early feels terrible."

On match day, a football illustrator from Thailand posted a comic on his personal social media.

The comic was split into left and right halves; the left side depicted the Europa League final scene, where Manchester United manager Ten Hag threw a boomerang at Tang Ye.

Then came the right half of the comic.

The boomerang Ten Hag had thrown four months earlier smashed into his own head; the Manchester United manager, seriously injured and hospitalized, ultimately missed his first-ever Champions League match.

"Our opponent's attack is very strong; this is something Erik told you about yesterday, but I must emphasize it to you once again..."

Inside the Old Trafford locker room, the interim manager was in the center delivering the final tactical emphasis.

Tang Ye sat in his spot.

His seat in the Manchester United locker room was not in the corner.

However, with Marcus on his left and Rod on his right, Tang Ye still felt a great sense of security!

He shook his legs.

UEFA Champions League!

The football competition with the highest level of competition!

Today, Tom was going to see what this so-called Champions League was really all about!

【You have triggered a new mission】

Oh, here it comes!

The System always appears at the most critical moments!

【At 39 years old, you are participating in the UEFA Champions League for the first time; this can only be described as a miracle. You have obtained a chain mission.】

【Chain Quest (Stage One): Score your first UEFA Champions League goal or provide an assist】

【Quest Progress: Goals (0/1), Assists (0/1)】

Note: Stage Two will only unlock after completing Stage One; the Stage One quest has a time limit of two Champions League matches.

Huh, there's a time limit?

Raising his eyebrows, Tang Ye looked somewhat surprised, as this was the first time he had received a time-limited quest.

But thinking about it, it made sense; the Champions League was different from the domestic league, with only six group stage matches in total, so the System prioritizing efficiency was understandable.

Tang Ye needed to complete this quest within the span of two matches, and Ten Hag's suspension happened to last for exactly two matches as well.

This meant Tom had to complete his quest without the help of Mr. Sitting Like!

"China Media Group! Here we are, broadcasting live for you..."

"As you can see, players from both sides are already ready in the tunnel!"

Hopping lightly twice in the tunnel, Tang Ye walked out behind Rashford upon hearing the referee's whistle.

"Wow!!"

"United!"

"United!"

Tang Ye saw the team flags of Manchester United and Basel, as well as the Champions League banner.

"Deng deng deng deng, deng deng deng deng"

"Ce sont les meilleures équipes (French): They are the best teams"

"Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften (German): They are the ultimate teams"

"The main event (English): The most important tournament"

"Die Meister (German)! The victorious army"

"Die Besten (German)! The champion army"

Hiss—

Shaking his body, Tang Ye whispered quietly to Rashford on his right: "Marcus, this song is a little bit shocking."

Feeling his statement wasn't rigorous enough, Tang Ye added a clarification.

"Hmm, a shock that's a little bit more than just a little bit."

(End of Chapter)