Chapter 346: Tang Ye and Ten Hag's First Champions League Knockout Match, Tompk Bruno!

Dongqiu Di Match Report: In the 5th round of the FA Cup, Manchester United defeated Huddersfield 1:0 to advance to the quarter-finals; Herrera scored, while Tang Ye and Rodri remained on the bench and did not play.

Successfully advancing to the FA Cup final also makes Manchester United the only team among the top five leagues competing for titles on four fronts.

It sounds impressive, but in reality, this poses a significant challenge for the Manchester United players.

There are simply too many matches!

Although he did not play, Tang Ye attended the post-match press conference.

Together with his Mr. Sitting Like!

"Tom, you are about to face the first Champions League knockout match of your career; with a market value of 140 million yet having never played a Champions League knockout game, do you have any comments on this?"

"Tom, the opponent in the next match is a club you once played for..."

"Psychology experts state that you highly value friendship; will the presence of former teammates affect your performance in the match?"

Barely having sat down on the chair, Tang Ye was immediately subjected to a barrage of questions from the reporters below.

In just three days, Tom will return to the place where he once played!

The Ceramic Stadium!

That stadium that is entirely yellow!

"Uh..."

Holding the microphone in his hand, Tang Ye glanced at Ten Hag beside him.

He was not seeking Ten Hag's opinion, but merely acting out of habit.

"Villarreal is very strong, that is certain; I am very familiar with them, and I have been teammates with many of their players, but... hmm, I will do my utmost."

Looking toward the camera, Tang Ye rubbed his nose.

Tom is not Mr. Sitting Like; he does not have so many words to share with the reporters.

Tang Ye had previously seen a news article on Baidu stating that the amount of speech a person can utter in a lifetime is limited, just as the number of heartbeats is finite.

Tom ought to speak less with the reporters.

Otherwise, it would be disastrous if he found himself unable to speak when together with friends later!

As the reporters' questions remained not fully answered and they sought to press Tang Ye further, Ten Hag picked up the microphone at this moment.

"Villarreal is a very strong team, and Escrivá is also a good coach; I have always acknowledged this. As for whether Tom will exert his full strength against his former teammates, you have absolutely no need to worry about that."

"He is now a Manchester United player; that is the reason."

Dongqiu Di Match Preview: At 3:45 AM on February 22, Manchester United faces Villarreal away, with opponents from the Europa League final meeting again at the Ceramic Stadium. (Comment count: 23,812)

【The phase of slaying one's former club has arrived】

【Needless to say, Yellow Submarine beat Manchester United last season; this season we must win it back】

【Yellow Submarine just bought a Lukaku; he feels very fierce】

【Do you guys understand football at all? The key is Tang Tang Qiuwang; have you forgotten how Yellow Submarine won the Europa League final?】

【Saint Ten vs. Saint E!】

Although there are still a full three days until the match begins, the number of fans participating in the discussion shows that everyone's anticipation for this game is extremely high.

Of course, it would be abnormal if this match did not generate high heat.

Good heavens, this is the Battle of the Two Saints!

They say that strong individuals attract one another; judging by current events, this statement is indeed correct.

Because the newly breakthrough Third Saint has also joined in.

Sky Sports commentator Dawson: The knockout match between Manchester United and Yellow Submarine is meaningless; looking at the Europa League final data, it is clear that Tom is the key to the match. Whichever team Tom is on will achieve victory.

"Therefore, in my view, Villarreal has already been eliminated."

As soon as Dawson's video was posted on YouTube, it was quickly besieged by Spanish fans.

But it was no big deal; English and Chinese fans stood together, almost effortlessly protecting Dawson.

Marca: Some Spanish fans believe that Tom and Ten Hag control Sky Sports, so they no longer trust this British media outlet.

Tom and Ten Hag controlling Sky Sports together?

Tom certainly did not do such a thing; right now, he is lying on his bed, deep in thought.

Previously, he dreamed of his senior C. Ronaldo at night, and now he wishes to have such a dream again.

Not the kind of dream about killing rats, but a different kind of dream.

When watching Armor Hero as a child, the male protagonist who summons the Fire Dragon Knight would, during his spiritual wandering, suddenly have his consciousness fly into the sky, where an old grandfather with a white beard would teach him some fighting moves.

Tang Ye's impression of this is very deep.

If he dreams of C. Ronaldo again, will Cristiano teach him techniques for positioning in the penalty area?

He also wants to learn techniques from experts just like the Fire Dragon Knight, and thereby become even stronger!

Snap!

Turning off the light, Tang Ye clamped his legs around the quilt and slowly fell asleep.

Clang clang!!

The bus door was opened, and the Manchester United players slowly disembarked.

"Let's go, Tom!"

Rodri patted Tang Ye, who was listening to music with headphones on; quickly removing his headphones, he began to pack his luggage.

Hiss—

He remembered that when leaving last year, the trip from the Villarreal city center to the train station should not have been this fast!

"Tom, hurry up!"

"Here they come, here they come!"

A crowd of Yellow Submarine fans had gathered at the hotel entrance, and the Manchester United players, having just disembarked, were quickly greeted with a "warm welcome."

"You British bastards, go home!"

"Haha, boooo!!!"

"Remember last season's Europa League? Remember how you got knocked out in stoppage time!"

"Ten Hag, where's your hair? How did you lose your hair? Was the pressure too great?"

The players kept their heads down as they walked forward; just then, Tang Ye and Rodri stepped out of the car.

"Wow! Tom!"

"Tom, look over here, Tom! Can I have your autograph? An autograph, please!"

Tang Ye raised his hand to acknowledge the fans.

He was very grateful for the Yellow Submarine fans' support.

But as for giving autographs...

Tang Ye hesitated slightly; since the fans surrounding them on both sides had insulted his friends, he wasn't very inclined to give out his signature.

Mata, who had emerged afterward, placed a hand on Tang Ye's shoulder: "What's wrong?"

Tang Ye said nothing, yet Rodri had already discerned what was on his mind.

"It's fine; heckling is perfectly normal. You need to separate these two matters."

Feeling that Rodri's words made perfect sense, Tang Ye walked toward the fans.

"Wow!! Tom!"

"Make sure to go easy on us, otherwise we'll lose."

Tang Ye shook his head with a smile: "No can do; I won't go easy on you. I can't do that."

"However..."

"I know Villarreal is strong, so you will have your chances."

But those chances won't be as great as ours.

This last sentence Tang Ye spoke only in his heart, for he knew it would not be right to say it directly to the Yellow Submarine fans.

After arriving at the hotel at noon, the players had been resting; during this time, Tang Ye asked Ten Hag if he could go out with Rodri to meet an old friend, but Ten Hag rejected the request outright.

"I told you Erik would definitely refuse."

Rodri looked at Tang Ye, whose expression was somewhat dejected: "But it's fine; we can go after the match ends. Anyway, we're not leaving until the day after the match."

Tang Ye suddenly lifted his head: "Then we'd better win; if we lose and Mr. Erik gets angry and forbids us from going out, that would be disastrous."

That evening, Tang Ye, Rodri, and Rashford played Dou Dizhu in his room. Soon afterward, Ten Hag summoned all the players to the conference hall.

This was the itinerary for tomorrow's match.

And, of course, the most important element: the tactics!

"Although it was a winter transfer, Lukaku is eligible to play, since his previous club did not have Champions League qualification."

This was not the first time Fan Fan Dejiahe had mentioned Lukaku to the players.

The Manchester United assistant coach was far too focused on that Belgian striker!

"He's only just transferred here; he hasn't even gelled with his teammates yet,"

Ashley Young suddenly remarked.

"I know, but we must be cautious; a striker over 1.9 meters tall will place immense pressure on our defensive box."

"Then there's the overall aspect: last season we played against the Yellow Submarine once; back then, they played counter-attacks—yes, at that time, both Tom and Rodri were still over there."

"Now I need you to forget your memories of facing the Yellow Submarine last season. Last season they played defensive counter-attacks, but this season they are not. Escrivá has changed their tactics, so last season's experience holds little value for us..."

While Fan Fan Dejiahe spoke from the front, Rashford, at some point, had sat down beside Tang Ye: "You haven't played FIFA at all today?"

"Weren't we playing cards? Besides, there really was no need to play FIFA today."

"Why?"

A smile graced Tang Ye's face.

His main reason for playing FIFA the night before a match was to familiarize himself with the characteristics of each opposing player.

But tomorrow Manchester United's opponent was Villarreal!

If it were Bruno and the others, there would be absolutely no need to rely on a game to get familiar, would there!

On the morning of match day, Manchester United released a teaser poster for the clash against Villarreal: a little red devil brandishing his trident at a yellow submarine.

Red Devils versus Yellow Submarine—that was today's match!

Manchester United's animated poster was fairly conventional, but Villarreal's poster carried a rather intriguing meaning.

Escrivá faced Tang Ye and Rodri, along with a blurred figure of Ale (who could not play).

Tears hung in Escrivá's eyes, yet ultimately he thrust his dagger forward.

"In the town where I was born lived a man who sailed to sea~"

"And he told us of his life in the land of submarines~"

"..."

As the bus drove into the stadium, Tang Ye stared blankly at the curtain; suddenly, Mata, sitting behind him, tapped Tang Ye on the head: "Tom, how does this song make you feel?" Tang Ye shook his head, his gaze utterly resolute: "No feeling."

"No feeling!?"

Mata put on an expression of disbelief.

"Alright, actually, there is a little."

Feeling his words weren't rigorous enough, Tang Ye used his right hand to make a "just a little bit" gesture.

"But it's only a tiny bit; I tap my legs when I hear this song, but I can control it."

The sound of Yellow Submarine, including the Ceramic Stadium, gave Tang Ye a special feeling.

But that didn't matter.

Tang Ye wouldn't let these things affect today's match!

About to disembark, Ten Hag walked down from the front, high-fiving and encouraging each seated player; when he reached Tang Ye, he paused for a while.

"Everything okay?"

!

"Of course, Mr. Sitting Like."

"Mm, good luck!"

Ten Hag and Tang Ye fist-bumped.

……

Manchester United released their starting lineup for the away match against Yellow Submarine; Rashford and Tang Ye faced their first Champions League knockout game, with Rodri and Herrera partnering as the double defensive midfielders.

"China Central Television! Here we are, broadcasting live for you the 2017-18 season..."

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

"Tang Ye and Rodri are greeting their former teammates."

The camera cut to the player tunnel, where Tang Ye successively embraced Bruno, Trigueros.

"Tom, remember to stay behind after the match."

Bruno squeezed Tang Ye's shoulder.

During the embrace just now, he had clearly felt that the flesh on Tang Ye's body had increased.

"But Bruno, if we eat together afterwards, you might not be happy."

"Why? Why would I be unhappy eating with you?"

"Because you'll lose; losing makes people unhappy."

"Hahaha!"

Bruno and Musacchio laughed wildly at Tang Ye, the gum in their mouths nearly getting stuck in their throats.

Just then, the referee blew the whistle; Musacchio pointed at Tang Ye while walking forward: "Just wait, Tom, just wait."

"..."

Haha!

Mateo (Musacchio) was still too naive.

Today's contest wasn't fishing; it was football.

So how could Mateo have any chance of defeating Tom?

This season's Tom was quite different compared to last season's!

Ten Hag and Escrivá shook hands, then each went to their respective benches.

The match began!

Villarreal (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Asenjo

Defenders: Gaspar, Musacchio, Ruiz, Costa

Midfielders: Bruno, Fornals, Trigueros

Forwards: Bakambu, Lukaku, Maxi Gómez

Head Coach: Escrivá

"As you can see, compared to last season, Villarreal's starting lineup this season has undergone some changes."

"The team's two new signings from the summer window, Fornals and Gómez, have both shown excellent form."

"Among them, the one attracting the most attention from fans is the number 10 midfielder Fornals; due to his outstanding performance in the first half of the league season, Spanish fans have dubbed him 'Little Tom'."

Many Chinese fans hadn't watched Yellow Submarine's matches since Tang Ye left, so naturally, they hadn't heard Fornals' name.

But judging from the nickname "Little Tom,"

this guy truly had skill!

"Huff, huff huff..."

The pressure was a bit high; Escrivá reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a piece of mint-flavored gum, and put it in his mouth to chew.

He then looked toward the away team's bench.

Escrivá and Ten Hag made eye contact, suddenly realizing that Ten Hag was also chewing gum.

Not knowing what to say, Escrivá could only nod to Ten Hag in acknowledgment.

He hadn't expected his idol, Sitting Like, to also be someone who liked gum!

The clock reached the 7th minute of the first half!

Relying on excellent passing and possession skills, Yellow Submarine successfully pinned the Manchester United players back onto their defensive line!

Bruno passed horizontally to Trigueros!

Trigueros then passed to Gómez on the wing!

As the attacking side, Yellow Submarine was passing consecutively, while Manchester United's defensive line moved tightly in pursuit.

Glancing back, Tang Ye actively ran toward Bruno, choosing to temporarily block the position of Yellow Submarine's captain.

Gómez attempted to go down the line himself!

Valencia was tracking him!

Slap!

From Gómez's run down the line, the cross precisely found Lukaku inside the penalty area.

"Lukaku with a header!"

"De Gea parried it away!"

Lukaku's header was fast, but De Gea's greatest strength is his reaction in front of the goal.

The Yellow Submarine registered their only shot on target of the match so far, but it didn't result in a goal.

"Damn!"

Escrivá angrily waved his hand on the sideline.

A chance to take the lead against Manchester United.

What a pity!

"Watch that number 9, watch that number 9!"

Herrera emphasized this to his teammates.

Lukaku posed far too great a threat to the Manchester United goal!

A corner kick for Villarreal!

Bruno is taking it!

Tang Ye surveyed the situation in the penalty area, then sprinted in to find Smalling: "It's probably for Bacca."

Tang Ye retreated to his position as Bruno took the corner.

"Villarreal's corner goes to the far post!"

"Smalling clears it with a header."

"Smalling reacted quickly; otherwise, Bacca would have had a chance to get the ball!"

Through continuous defense in the box, the Manchester United players were gradually finding their rhythm in the match.

The most crucial point was Tang Ye in the center.

Tom has already grasped the opponent's tempo!

All Manchester United needs to do now is capitalize on every counter-attack opportunity!

In the 15th minute, receiving Mata's long pass, Rashford launched his run down the left flank.

The move was quick, but the Yellow Submarine clearly intended to specifically target Rashford; the Manchester United winger had barely run a few steps before being surrounded.

Rodri ran up from the right side.

He received Rashford's pass!

Then passed to Tang Ye!

Beautiful play, Rodri!

Tang Ye faced Bruno with his back to him.

Pretending to stop the ball with his foot, he actually jumped and tapped it with his heel, directly nutmegging Bruno.

"Wow!!"

"A very imaginative dribble by Tang Ye!"

"Run forward to get the ball!"

!!

Bruno knew leaving the central position open for Tang Ye would be extremely dangerous, so he decisively reached out his hand.

At that moment, Tang Ye suddenly shrank his body.

Bruno's tactical foul missed Tang Ye!

Bang!

A through ball found Martial inside the penalty area!

Slap!

Martial's driven shot, but Musacchio successfully blocked it away!

Tang Ye, having barely managed to complete the pass, lost his balance and finally fell to the ground.

"Tom."

Bruno quickly pulled Tang Ye up, patted his back, and said: "Impressive, huh."

Tang Ye said nothing.

At this moment, he was regretting his earlier through ball.

He should have played it lighter; otherwise, Mateo wouldn't have had a chance to block it!

After the 20-minute mark, both teams' players reached their peak condition, and just then the broadcast displayed the possession statistics.

VCF: 64%

MUN: 36%

Just as the fans observed with their own eyes, the Yellow Submarine's possession rate was more than just slightly higher than Manchester United's.

Although Villarreal this season wasn't as exaggerated as last season, they were still the third-place team in La Liga!

The good news was that both sides currently had similar numbers of shots and shots on target; in fact, Manchester United had two more shots.

Both sides had chances, but as to who had the greater opportunity, no one could say for sure.

"At present, Villarreal should strengthen their central defense."

"Tang Ye keeps trying to find penetrating passes through the center..."

"Hmm, beautiful!"

"Tang Ye's long pass directly found Rashford making a run down the flank!"

……

(End of Chapter)