Chapter 446: vs Bundesliga Dominators, but United

"Ow, so painful, so painful!"

He was receiving a massage from the team physio in the treatment room.

Though his body ached, Tang Ye was in an excellent mood.

This was because the new Mr. Denis was a very kind man.

Mr. Denis knew when Tom was tired and would let him rest.

Coaches this good are rare nowadays!

"Why do you look so relaxed?"

Tang Ye's smile puzzled Ma Ta.

"We're playing Bayern the day after tomorrow, Tom. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten."

Tang Ye lay on the bed, propping his head up to look at Ashley Young across from him: "Last season we didn't lose—this season won't be any different, right?"

"Hahaha!"

Ashley Young let out a hearty laugh: "You're too confident, Tom."

"Hey hey hey, Young, you forgot—you've definitely forgotten!"

Ma Ta sat cross-legged on the bed, pointing his index finger at Ashley Young: "Tom's the Germany killer—don't you remember? The World Cup, 2-1!"

"Haha."

Ashley Young, of course, knew exactly what Ma Ta meant.

Earlier this summer, Tom's Chinese team defeated defending champions Germany 2-1—that match was one of the most thrilling of this World Cup!

"Hey Ma Ta, stop it!"

Tang Ye felt embarrassed, having been lying down but now standing up.

"No no no, it's true, Tom."

Ashley Young raised his hands: "Go on, Killer!"

Sigh…

Tang Ye let out a long breath.

He never expected his terrifying "Killer" identity would eventually be exposed.

But at least those who knew his identity were trustworthy friends—so it wasn't a big deal.

Looking at his teammates in the room, Tang Ye truly envied Ma Ta and Young.

To have a Killer friend secretly protecting them—what a rare privilege not everyone could enjoy!

…

The night before the match, the Deutsche Vormarsch newspaper featured a promotional poster for the next round of the Champions League on its front page.

The Southern King, Bayern Munich, faces Red Mi United!

"Both Bayern and United have delivered outstanding performances in their respective leagues; their current form guarantees a thrilling contest. But there's another point: Bayern's German players now have a chance to avenge Tom."

Not just United players, but reporters and fans alike still remembered what happened months ago.

German fans were under heavy pressure, while Russian fans of Tang Ye had begun to rally.

Recently, a photo surged to the top of Twitter trends.

On the left was Tang Ye in the Chinese national team jersey, beside German players sitting defeated on the ground.

On the right was Joseph Stalin gazing at distant German troops, his beard prominently visible.

Below it ran a line of Russian text, translating to: "A great legacy spanning half a century."

Saying "half a century" was an understatement—it was far longer than that.

The Sun reported: "An estimated 1,200 Russian fans will arrive at Old Trafford for the United-Bayern match—all loyal followers of Tom."

The red United bus arrived at Old Trafford.

"Stalin!"

"Stalin Ura!!!"

"Stalin!"

There were two kinds of people on site: Russians overcome with emotion and tears, and local Britons watching and joining in the spectacle.

Then there was Tom, sitting inside the bus.

"…."

He rubbed his head and turned to look at Rodri—little Luo De seemed to be stifling a laugh.

"What's wrong, Luo De?"

"Cough cough, nothing, nothing."

Rodri kept stifling his laugh; helpless, Tang Ye turned his head forward again.

【German Report】

"Behind me is Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium—three and a half hours from now, Bayern will face United in a pivotal clash."

"Stalin!"

Two Russians rushed into the camera frame.

"Uh, yeah, the fans here are very enthusiastic…"

"Ura!!!"

Surrounded by over a dozen Russian fans, the German reporter grew flustered: "I think fans really don't need to get this worked up—our match hasn't even started yet."

A blond English youth dashed forward, pointing at the German reporter and shouting.

"He's a Nazi!"

"Oh!!!"

The scene suddenly erupted into chaos!

"Damn…"

Tang Ye watched the commotion outside through a gap in the curtain.

"That English guy is terrible!"

…

【Stage Two Task Progress: Goals + Assists (4/8)】

Putting the Stalin business aside, Tang Ye checked his system, then joined his teammates in shouting "Let's go!"

This was a crucial match—United had to defend their position as group leaders!

"China Central Television! This is live coverage…"

The camera focused on Tang Ye—the great GGBond walking out of the tunnel, holding a child's hand.

"Viva Tom Tom!"

"Viva Tom Tom!"

Few players earn such cheers in their second season at United—but the great GGBond had done exactly that.

"And now the away team, Bayern—currently undefeated in the group stage."

Bayern (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Neuer

Defenders: Alaba, Hummels, Boateng, Rafinha

Midfielders: Goretzka, Thomas Müller, Gnabry

Forwards: Ribéry, Lewandowski, Gnabry

Head Coach: Kovac

Before the kickoff, Tang Ye exchanged glances with Rashford and Rodri.

It was a habit he'd always had.

This was already recorded in Pokémon.

Before a battle, you must first trigger a bond evolution to unleash your strongest form!

The match had begun. Following the pre-match plan, Tang Ye first controlled possession in the center.

United had been a slow-starting team this season, so Tang Ye hadn't planned to push hard at the outset.

But Bayern had ideas—Müller and Kimmich chased after Tang Ye relentlessly.

Oh my god oh my god!

Like being chased by ghosts, Tang Ye swung his arms and sprinted quickly toward the flank.

"Pass it! Pass it!"

Ten Hag shouted—Valencia cut diagonally into the center.

Tang Ye feinted and turned!

Thud!

A horizontal pass completed the switch—United successfully escaped Bayern's high press!

"Xuuuu!!!"

Home fans booed Bayern's players.

Fans were tense—Bayern had started the match with ferocious intensity.

Just imagine—if a United player lost the ball in the front third, Ribéry and Gnabry's speed could spell disaster for United's goal.

"Come on, hold on!"

Tang Ye pulled De Rong over, and together with Ye He, the three of them pressed down on Kimmich.

Coordinating a multi-person defensive setup was still difficult, because it was hard to choose your positioning.

But the Manchester United players had no reason to worry.

Because De Rong and Ye He's positions had both been calculated by Tang Ye.

Three men pressing two, Tang Ye and Ye He coordinated reasonably well, and finally Ye He dispossessed Müller.

Quick reaction—Tang Ye immediately pretended to be a forward and sprinted forward.

Ye He played a through ball!

Manchester United's attack began!

Rashford and Alare started moving forward, and Rodri was also coming over to support.

"Tang Ye is dribbling down the right flank—he's already reached his maximum speed!"

He ran incredibly fast, but then Tang Ye began to slow down.

Snap!

【De Bruyne 45-degree cross Lv. 5: Replication】

Proficiency: 621/3500

He used the 45-degree cross technique, but his real aim was to deliver the ball to Rashford on the left flank.

The ball traveled fast, but the difficulty of controlling it increased accordingly.

Rashford!

Thud!

Rashford's chest control was extremely stable!

But the defender reacted quickly—after Rashford controlled the ball, he was blocked and couldn't make a run forward.

Tang Ye cut inside to support!

"Hey!!"

Shouted for the ball!

Rashford prepared to pass sideways!

A Boateng suddenly charged out in front of Tang Ye and glued himself to him.

"..."

It was frustrating—Tang Ye shifted left and right but couldn't shake off Boateng.

Hmm, try pushing with his hand.

Well, can't move him.

Tang Ye's position was restricted; Rashford could only look to combine with his teammates.

Snap-snap!

Luke Shaw played the ball out, and Rashford suddenly accelerated straight into the penalty area.

Rashford!

Thud!

A powerful shot struck the goalkeeper's chest.

"Oh!"

"Rashford wasted a great opportunity!"

Bayern prepared for a counterattack, while Tuchel shook his head on the sideline.

Rashford's problems near the penalty area were still too big!

There was no need to force a shot!

The match reached the 17th minute of the first half!

Their opponent was Manchester United, but Bayern hadn't dominated possession as fans imagined.

"Huh… Bayern's tactics today are unusual."

"Yes, fans who watch the Bundesliga should know—this season Bayern has emphasized possession, but today they've done the opposite."

"Using the speed of their wingers to attack Manchester United's backline—I think Bayern's choice is excellent."

Knowing Manchester United didn't play possession football, Bayern deliberately gave up possession themselves.

Gnabry and Ribéry's runs put immense pressure on Manchester United's defense!

Thud!

Alaba launched a long pass behind the defense, followed by Ribéry and Müller's coordinated run forward.

"Back! Back!"

Manchester United's backline descended into chaos!

Tang Ye moved to the flank to mark Goretzka, but his tight marking achieved no real effect.

From back to front, Bayern's attack bypassed their midfield line entirely!

Control + short-range combination—Ribéry reached the edge of the penalty area.

One-on-one with Valencia!

Ribéry was fast; Valencia had to keep moving constantly to prevent the opponent from cutting inside.

Pass back to Müller!

Müller lofted a high ball into the penalty area!

Find Lewandowski!

Hiss—!

It felt like a goal was imminent; Tang Ye held his breath.

Thud!

Baily won the first touch!

"Beautiful! Baily!"

Bayern's attack was fluid and fast, but Baily's outstanding performance helped the team escape the crisis.

"Vamos!"

De Gea bumped into Baily's chest.

Tang Ye jogged back from the front to prepare for the corner kick defense: "We need to watch the flanks—the defense must stretch out, they keep attacking down the wings."

By now, Tang Ye could see a few things clearly.

Wing threats—that's how Bayern were playing this match.

Manchester United pushed their fullbacks high during attacks, so Bayern's players wanted to exploit that gap.

After briefly sharing his thoughts with his teammates, Tang Ye prepared for the corner kick defense.

Still waiting outside the penalty area…

Snap!

The corner kick was taken!

Thud!

Müller headed the ball into the six-yard box, then De Gea calmly caught it.

"Go! Go! Go!"

"Tang Ye! Tang Ye!"

De Gea shouted Tang Ye's name, and Tang Ye was already sprinting forward.

Ah!

He shouted, and De Gea launched a precise hand-pass straight to De Rong.

"Wow!!!"

Manchester United's counterattack began!

"Dribble! Dribble yourself!"

After communicating with De Rong, Tang Ye sprinted forward at top speed.

De Rong was equally impressive—he controlled the ball, shook off the defender, then carried it past the halfway line.

Tang Ye slowed down, turning his head left and right to track the movement of players on the pitch.

During a counterattack, player positioning becomes chaotic—this was where Tang Ye's CPU advantage showed.

He signaled to refuse De Rong's pass, then sprinted forward with Rashford.

"Bayern's defenders are recovering quickly—Tang Ye is facing a small problem now."

"De Rong, keep dribbling? Still dribbling!"

After advancing nearly sixty meters, De Rong finally passed.

Tang Ye came over with Kimmich.

It was risky, but Tang Ye's demand for the ball was decisive—so De Rong passed.

The ball rolled toward him; Kimmich saw his chance and prepared to shove Tang Ye aside.

First, push back!

But couldn't push him off!

Hmm, GGBond was standing solidly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Kimmich's foot—then, just as the ball neared, Tang Ye leapt up.

Thud!

He kicked the ball through Kimmich's legs with his heel.

"Wow!!!"

A textbook nutmeg.

Tang Ye hit it with so much power that the ball bounced straight into Rashford's path.

"Shoot! Shoot now!"

He signaled for Rashford to cut into the box while Tang Ye pressed forward through the center.

Alare is still on the way; Tang Ye and De Jong's job is to draw the defense away from Rashford.

Rashford!

Cross it into the box, change the rhythm.

Shoot!

Thud!

He unleashed a long-range strike, but Grealish blocked it with his body.

"Hey, that ball looked…"

The commentator squinted; nearly every Manchester United player was shouting.

"Handball!"

"It was a handball!"

With his right hand resting on his left, Tang Ye and Rodri walked together to the referee.

"Sir, listen to me—I'm certain he handled it."

"I'm not lying, believe me, please, believe me!"

Tang Ye and his teammates applied pressure.

The handball was fairly obvious, so the referee didn't hesitate.

Penalty!

"Confirmed—penalty!"

"In the 24th minute of the first half, Manchester United are awarded a penalty!"

Ten Hag raised both arms, celebrating with the fans in the stands.

A penalty at 0-0 could very well decide the course of the match!

"... Phew"

Tang Ye took the ball from Neuer and stepped back to the penalty spot.

"It's fine, it's fine—breathe deep."

Rodri hugged Tang Ye from behind, murmuring words of reassurance nonstop.

Swish! Swish!

He spun the ball a few times in his hands, blinking rapidly.

He bit down on his gum with his teeth—he was ready!

"Beeeeep!!"

"Tang Ye..."

"Run-up..."

"Shoot!"

Snap!

Neuer guessed the direction and parried the shot, but Tang Ye reacted instantly and followed up with another kick.

Thud!

He struck the ball perfectly into the top corner.

"Gooo—aaaa—llll!!!"

"Goal!"

"1-0!"

"Manchester United lead!"

PS: Another two updates coming later.

I should hit 20,000 words today, no surprises.

(End of chapter)