Chapter 290: Ten Hag's First Champions League Match: The Eagle Soaring Over the Stadium of Light

Liverpool legend Carragher: "Ten Hag's post-match remarks were inappropriate; even if Martial hadn't been injured, Manchester United had no chance of winning the match."

"I must admit Tom's individual ability is outstanding, but Manchester United lacks a sufficiently sound tactical system to support their new setup, which is fatal."

The Red Devils derby ended in a draw, and as expected, Manchester United fans and Liverpool fans immediately started arguing in the comments section.

It is worth noting that the results of the last three encounters between the two teams were all draws!

Regarding this, a Sky Sports commentator said: "As Manchester United's head coach, failing to achieve a victory against arch-rivals Liverpool means Ten Hag's performance is unqualified from this perspective."

"Mr. Erik got scolded."

On the return flight, Tang Ye, scrolling through his phone, whispered: "But Rod, we clearly didn't lose the match."

"Perhaps Erik said something not very nice."

Rodri laughed out loud.

Ten Hag was simply too famous; Rodri had already known the Dutchman's name when he was first promoted to the Villarreal first team last season.

This was the guy who, upon arriving in Manchester, immediately went head-to-head with football journalists across all of Europe!

"I think so too."

Tang Ye nodded: "Mr. Erik said something not very nice; if he and I weren't on the same team, I would crush him!"

Tang Ye didn't notice his voice was somewhat loud; halfway through his sentence, Ten Hag, sitting in the front row, suddenly turned his head around, startling Tang Ye.

"Er, Mr. Erik..."

Ten Hag gave Tang Ye a thumbs-up, then smiled and turned his head back.

"Damn, Rod, how did he hear me speaking?"

Recalling the scene of Ten Hag turning his head just now, Tang Ye felt a bit panicked.

Huff, huff!

Better take a couple of deep breaths first!

"Perhaps next time we can use Spanish; that way he won't understand."

In the front row, Fan Fan Dejiahe, sitting by the window, turned to look at Ten Hag: "What did he say?"

"Hmm, who?"

"Tom; I think I just heard him mentioning your name."

Recalling how Ten Hag had treated Tang Ye a few years ago, Fan Fan Dejiahe blinked rapidly: "He wouldn't be cursing you back there, would he?"

"No, no, no; how could he possibly curse me? You're thinking our relationship is far worse than it is."

Ten Hag shook his head, utterly speechless.

Clearly, Fan Fan Dejiahe had underestimated the master-disciple bond between him and Tom.

"Then what did he say?"

"He said that if we weren't on the same team, he would find a way to crush me."

"... Isn't that the same thing?"

Ten Hag shook his head: "This is obviously a joke, Michel; you're already over forty years old, and you still can't tell that?"

Alright.

Fan Fan Dejiahe rubbed his nose.

If it came to emotional intelligence, he stood no chance against Ten Hag.

From the same sentence, Erik could always discern far more.

"However, Tom is indeed formidable; I don't even know how to handle such a player, just like in the Europa League final."

Ten Hag nodded slightly, expressing agreement with Fan Fan Dejiahe's words.

"So I devised some countermeasures."

"What countermeasures?"

"I bought him over."

"..."

Dongqiu Di match preview: In the early hours of October 19, Manchester United travels to face Benfica; can Tang Ye secure three consecutive group stage victories in his first Champions League season?

The Sun front-page headline: UEFA's ban on Ten Hag has ended; the Manchester United head coach is eligible to appear in the match against Benfica. This will be the first time in coach Ten Hag's career leading a team in the Champions League.

Leading a team in the Champions League for the first time in his career!

Seeing this news, many fans finally realized that the middle-aged Dutch coach, who found fame later in life, had never participated in the Champions League before!

【Ten Hag: I will bring my talents to the Champions League】

【Manchester United has already won two consecutive matches; it feels like we don't even need a head coach】

【Don't mess around, bro; Benfica is different from the other two teams; they possess knockout-stage caliber】

Manchester United doesn't have many matches in October, which means there will be a relatively long gap between the two games.

Tang Ye's fans are currently feeling extremely uncomfortable!

【Brothers, I get numb all over and can't sleep if I don't watch Tang Ye's matches; what kind of situation is this?】

"Ready, David?"

Looking into De Gea's eyes, Tang Ye began his run-up after making eye contact with the goalkeeper.

Shoot!

Smack!

"Damn!"

Shaking his hand, his penalty kick had its direction correctly guessed by De Gea!

"Too obvious!"

De Gea stood up from the ground: "You focus too much on the rhythm during your run-up; the instant of kicking is what matters. Hide your intentions, then watch my center of gravity."

"Alright, but that's a bit difficult to do."

Standing in place to adjust himself, Tang Ye got ready again.

De Gea spread his arms on the goal line.

Run-up!

Accelerate, decelerate, then accelerate again!

Plant the supporting foot, keep your eyes on De Gea's center of gravity.

De Gea's center of gravity shifted!

Push to the other side!

Boom!

With a light pushed shot, Tang Ye steadily drove the ball in.

His form was good today; out of the six penalties taken afterward, five went in, which could be called a very high success rate.

Squatting on the grass to drink water, Tang Ye watched his teammates undergoing passing drills on the adjacent training pitch.

His 【45-Degree Cross】 was not far from level 5; originally, with a bit more effort, he could have maxed out its proficiency before playing Benfica, but Ten Hag had him divert part of his passing training time to practice penalties.

At the start of this training, Tang Ye was quite unhappy, but after feeling his significant improvement, his mood improved considerably.

Looking up at Fan Fan Dejiahe standing beside him: "Not bad, right, Mr. Michel?"

"Hmm?"

At that moment, Fan Fan Dejiahe was pondering Tang Ye's data; hearing Tang Ye's words, he turned his head: "Your rate of progress is very fast; you should be the fastest-improving player I've ever seen. Tom, you truly have a talent for penalties."

"But Mr. Eric didn't say that to me."

"Hmm? What did he say?"

"He just said my penalties weren't good, so I need to practice more."

Fan Fan Dejiahe nodded slightly.

Ten Hag was still too strict, and Tang Ye seemingly hadn't realized what he was about to gain.

"In any case, you do have great talent, but I need to remind you: David's penalty-saving ability isn't actually among the most outstanding; your high penalty success rate in training doesn't mean your success rate in matches will be high."

"David isn't that formidable? I feel he's already very formidable; he's always able to guess where I intend to shoot."

Fan Fan Dejiahe patted Tang Ye's hair: "This shows you still have considerable room for growth."

Snap!

Snap!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 427/500

Proficiency: 427.5/500

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 455/500

"Phew!"

Driven by his longing for an 89 passing attribute value, with only two days remaining before the match against Benfica, Tang Ye pushed the proficiency of his 【45-Degree Cross】 to 455.

He was only 45 proficiency points away from obtaining his next level-5 growth skill!

Actually, a level increase wasn't necessarily required; an increase in proficiency would also enhance Tang Ye's passing ability.

This also led to him now having an increasingly strong sensation.

The breakthrough of his passing attribute value was truly not far away!

As the final training session at Carrington ended, Ten Hag gathered the players together.

"I will inform you of the starting lineup via text message tonight; regardless of which players start, our tactics will not change."

While speaking, Ten Hag noticed Tang Ye being absent-minded.

Ten Hag looked at Tang Ye, and the players on the training pitch followed Ten Hag's gaze to look at Tang Ye.

Being stared at by more than twenty people, Tang Ye quickly reacted: "What's wrong, Mr. Eric?"

"Nothing, just tell me what I said a moment ago."

"..."

Asked like this by Ten Hag, Tang Ye suddenly felt as if he were attending a cultural class at the Shandong Luneng Football School, and his body involuntarily tensed: "You just mentioned the starting lineup."

Rodri and Rashford suppressed their laughter on the side; Ten Hag continued asking: "Then what did you hear? Are you in the starting lineup?"

Tang Ye looked into Ten Hag's eyes, wanting to make a judgment based on Ten Hag's expression.

But unfortunately, his expression-reading only worked against defensive players on the field.

He completely couldn't see through Mr. Eric!

Then he could only guess!

"Uh, sh-should I be?"

"Haha."

Ashley Young pushed Tang Ye forward toward Ten Hag; Ten Hag tried to reach out to pat Tang Ye's hand, but Tang Ye stepped back and easily dodged it.

Ten Hag pressed his lips together and thought carefully for a moment: "I wonder if you're a bit too nervous."

After observing Tang Ye's state, Ten Hag swept his gaze around the Manchester United players present.

"Yes, I know Benfica is strong; they were last season's Primeira Liga champions, but you should be more confident."

Ten Hag first handed his notebook to Fan Fan Dejiahe, explaining to the players while gesturing.

"We won the first two matches, so we will win the third match as well; that is the logic."

The players present did not dare to interrupt, but at this moment Tang Ye spoke up: "But Mr. Sitting Like... the opponents in the first two matches were not as strong as Benfica; Benfica is much stronger than Basel."

"True, but it is not only the opponents who have become stronger; we have also become stronger."

"You defeated Basel and Feyenoord without me; now that I am directing from the sidelines, wouldn't defeating Benfica be a very easy matter?"

Ten Hag spread his hands. "Hiss..."

Taking a deep breath, Tang Ye could not immediately find any flaw in Ten Hag's words.

One really has to hand it to Mr. Sitting Like!

OK, confidence restored!

Repost: Manchester United releases poster for away match against Benfica, featuring Ashley Young alone.

In this pre-match poster, besides Ashley Young's photo, Manchester United's match squad list is also included.

Head Coach: Ten Hag!

After being banned for two consecutive Champions League matches, Ten Hag has finally welcomed his first Champions League game.

Ten Hag is naturally the highlight of the squad list, but besides Ten Hag, another player has caught the fans' attention.

Number 39, McTominay!

A product of the orthodox Carrington youth academy, pure Red Devils DNA!

!

In July this year, he was promoted to the first team by Ten Hag; this is also the first time this young Manchester United player has entered the first-team match squad.

Regarding this, Manchester United legend Roy Keane expressed his views.

"Since Ten Hag took charge, the average age of players in Manchester United's squad has dropped significantly; this is a good thing for Manchester United."

As a Manchester United legend, Roy Keane naturally considers Manchester United's interests in every aspect.

Looking at the current squad list, there is 18-year-old Tang Ye, 20-year-old McTominay, and 21-year-old Rodri.

Ten Hag had previously stated he would lead Manchester United toward rejuvenation.

And what is the key to rejuvenation?

It is young people!

With two signings in the Piggy Xia Chuang transfer window and one promotion, Ten Hag once again demonstrated his determination to Manchester United fans.

His determination is the rejuvenation of Manchester United!

Lisbon, Estádio da Luz!

"Soudo Benfica~~"

"Eis some en vaidece~~"

"Enho agenica"

Standing in the player tunnel, Tang Ye heard the Benfica anthem coming from outside very clearly.

Due to his familiarity with Spanish, Tang Ye felt a sense of affinity toward the Benfica anthem.

However, the melody of the Benfica anthem was somewhat strange.

Other teams' anthems are passionate and lively, such as "Glory Glory Man United," but the Benfica anthem gives a heavy feeling right from the start.

Tang Ye, who loves listening to music and is very sensitive to melody and rhythm, covered his mouth and said to Rashford: "Their anthem gives me the feeling that they have existed for a very long time."

"Do you mean the anthem or the team has existed?"

"It should be the team."

Just then, the referee's whistle sounded; Tang Ye checked the mission hanging on him.

【Mission Progress: Goals (0/2), Threatening Passes (3/10)】

Benfica has a very long history.

But to use Mr. Sitting Like's words:

A long history does not represent great strength.

Walking out of the tunnel, the familiar Champions League anthem rang in Tang Ye's ears, and then he saw an eagle flying around the stadium in the air.

This is the special opening ceremony of the Eagle Benfica, visible only at the Estádio da Luz.

"Mata, look."

Tang Ye pointed in the direction of the eagle: "It's a real eagle, the kind with blood and flesh."

"So today we are playing against an eagle?"

"Best not to."

Tang Ye shook his head quickly: "Eagles can fly; we are no match for them."

"China Central Television! Here is the live broadcast bringing you..."

"As you can see, the stadium is very lively now; Benfica's signature eagle opening ceremony has concluded."

"The match has begun; now I will introduce the starting lineups for both sides in this game!"

"First, the home team Benfica, attacking from the left side of the screen to the right!"

Benfica (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Svilar

Defenders: Pereira, Luisão, Rúben Dias, Grimaldo

Midfielders: Fejsa, Pizzi, Augusto

Forwards: Salvio, Jiménez, Gonçalves.

Head Coach: Vitória.

Both sides are using a 4-2-3-1 attacking formation, which shows that whether it's Manchester United or Benfica, they both intend to play offensively.

The camera cuts to Ten Hag on the sideline.

"Many fans who only watch Champions League matches might think Manchester United suddenly changed coaches, but that's not the case."

"Correct, this is Manchester United's actual coach; he simply couldn't field in the previous two matches due to some issues with the team's number 10 player."

Is the head coach being suspended because of a player an internal conflict within Manchester United?

No, it is not.

This matter is simply too complicated!

【Tang Ye: This has nothing to do with me.】

【Damn, this Benfica Eagle is indeed handsome; I hope it doesn't fly off with my Ggbond.】

【Is Benfica going to trade attacks with Manchester United? They're bound to lose then.】

【Number 66 is quite handsome; let me check the name... Dias.】

【Not as good as my male god, Ggbond.】

"Over here!"

Receiving the ball on the right wing, Tang Ye signaled Mata to run ahead of him first, then proceeded to duel one-on-one with Gonçalves.

Pretending to be Sané, he first performed half a step-over.

But Gonçalves showed no reaction whatsoever!

Valencia ran past from behind Tang Ye, and Tang Ye immediately executed a blind backheel pass.

No joke, this time he truly didn't even look.

But Tang Ye had calculated it.

Valencia's running speed was constant, and combined with the timing, Tang Ye naturally knew exactly where he had run to.

"Successfully passed to Valencia! Beautiful!"

"Manchester United's attacking combination play on the right wing is executed extremely well!"

"Valencia goes down the line!"

Interference from Benfica fans came from the right, but Valencia was currently in a relatively focused state.

Slap!

A long pass from Valencia found Mkhitaryan in the striker position.

Seeing Mkhitaryan appear in this position, all Manchester United fans felt somewhat disheartened.

Ibrahimović's injury hadn't healed yet, and in the last match, Martial got injured again.

Manchester United had no strikers left to use!

Undoubtedly, lacking forward players would significantly weaken Manchester United's combat effectiveness.

Now it all depended on how the players would operate!

Facing Dias's pressing challenge, Mkhitaryan held the ball with his back to the goal.

But in terms of physical confrontation, Mkhitaryan was completely no match for Dias.

If support didn't arrive soon, they would lose possession!

Lin Lin Jiade originally intended to run over to help, but Herrera was one step faster than him.

Receiving Mkhitaryan's layoff in the central area, Herrera began searching for his teammates' positions.

Tang Ye cut diagonally from the right wing into the center.

Having already completed his observation of the front field upon initiating his run, Tang Ye pointed at the empty space in front of him.

Reacting immediately, Herrera delivered a diagonal through-ball.

Passing the ball right in front of Tang Ye!

Glancing at the penalty area with his peripheral vision.

He directly swung his left foot!

The high ball was lofted to the far post of the penalty area, where Rashford controlled it with his chest.

Then he shot again!

Bang!

"Fuck!"

Roaring in anger, Rashford spat a mouthful of saliva at his own feet.

He missed!

"It's okay, it's okay, fall back, fall back!"

Finding an attacking opportunity right at the start of the match is a good thing; Ashley Young clapped to encourage the players.

Ten Hag, however, shook his head on the sideline.

Rashford's ability to make runs was indeed outstanding, and his speed was good too; he could always create combinations with Tang Ye.

But his ability to adjust within small spaces in front of the goal was somewhat lacking!

He wasn't even as skilled as Tom, who plays in midfield!

Oh, but...

Ten Hag shook his head.

It was perfectly normal for Marcus to be inferior to Tom.

After all, not being a genius player developed at Utrecht, it seemed quite understandable that Rashford's football skills were slightly inferior.

"Full-backs, don't forget to make forward runs! Full-backs, don't forget to make forward runs!"

Ten Hag cupped both hands around his mouth and shouted loudly at the players on the field.

The coach was under considerable pressure, which was entirely normal.

Benfica is a classic powerhouse of the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

And powerhouse teams all share one characteristic: they are strong in every aspect, with no obvious weaknesses.

Simply put, trying to exploit Benfica's weaknesses to defeat them is an extremely difficult task!

Manchester United must find a way to exert comprehensive pressure!

……

(End of Chapter)