Chapter 508: Thick Fog at the Allianz Stadium in Turin: Tang Ye and Senior Ronaldo

Tang Ye rolled one and a half times on the ground, then sat up.

"Hey!"

He spread his hands toward Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was clear Cristiano Ronaldo had kicked in a bit of a rush; after hesitating for a moment, he walked over and extended a hand to Tang Ye.

"... Hoo."

Tang Ye also hesitated for a moment, but ultimately grabbed Cristiano Ronaldo's hand and got up.

"Eh."

"That foul by Cristiano Ronaldo was a bit unnecessary."

"Yes, he seemed to kick in a bit of a rush, but in the end, both sides calmed down."

Perhaps because the fouler was Cristiano Ronaldo, Tang Ye's mood shifted slightly after getting up from this fall.

Of course, he still showed sufficient respect to the Manchester United senior.

The match continued; this was a direct free-kick opportunity for Manchester United.

It was still left to Tang Ye to take it.

"Hoo..."

Placing the ball on the white line, Tang Ye exchanged glances with his teammates.

Tang Ye pointed at the grass beneath his feet, wanting Martial to give him a thumbs-up in response.

But Martial did not give a thumbs-up; this meant he didn't understand what Tang Ye wanted to do.

Well, it seemed GG Bond's ability to communicate through eye contact still needed some practice.

Smalling came out of the penalty area, found Tang Ye, and the two covered their mouths to whisper.

"You have Anthony 【Martial】 make a run forward, and I'll find a gap in the middle to pass."

Tang Ye patted Smalling on the back.

Manchester United's free-kick was ready!

"Thump-thump, thump-thump-thump."

His heart beat faster and faster; Tang Ye, having already found the passing lane, got ready.

Beep!

Running up...

Smack!

He chipped the ball into the penalty area; Martial turned sideways to prepare.

Smack!

A volley was struck, sending the ball straight into the far corner.

"Goal!"

"Goal!"

"A goal for Manchester United!"

"Manchester United's set-piece tactic succeeded! Hmm, this was indeed a very perfect combination!"

The second goal was finally not offside; an excited Martial sprinted out and delivered another knee slide.

The Manchester United striker made a celebration gesture with his hand, which was covered by a black glove.

The power of the Gloved Rat!

"Nice!"

Tang Ye came up from behind, preparing to jump onto Martial.

But since Rashford had already hugged Martial, Tang Ye's jump landed directly on Rashford instead.

It's all the same!

"Marcus!!!"

"Haha!"

【Awesome!】

【This time Cristiano Ronaldo is the criminal.】

【If Cristiano Ronaldo hadn't fouled, wouldn't Tang Ye's direct long-range shot have gone in anyway?】

【So it's the Goal Transfer Technique, huh? Just not letting Tang Ye score because Cristiano Ronaldo wants to pad his own stats.】

【Barca fans, stop yelling; the sour grape smell is too strong.】

Whether it's Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi, as long as the match includes either one of them, the comment section on Dongqiu Di can never be friendly.

The conflict between Cristiano Ronaldo fans and Messi fans is class-based; class contradictions cannot be eased.

As long as fans of these two camps meet, conflict is inevitably unavoidable.

"Boooo!!!"

The celebrating Manchester United players quickly received boos from the home fans.

But the Manchester United players were in good spirits and simply ignored it.

The match entered the 55th minute of the second half; Ten Hag made a substitution adjustment.

Haller replaced Rashford.

After coming on, Haller played as the center forward, while Martial filled in at left winger for Rashford.

This was experience Ten Hag had gleaned from previous matches.

Rashford would explode in the first half, but always fade in the second.

What could be done about this?

It's very simple: just substitute him off when Rashford's desire to attack diminishes.

The 4-2-3-1 shifts to a 4-3-3, with Tang Ye's position remaining unchanged.

"Come on, come on!"

Signaling for his teammates to pass him the ball, Tang Ye begins his maneuver.

A drag-back turn instantly shakes off Pjanic, followed by a driving run with the ball.

"Wow!!!"

"Take a look!"

The opponent suddenly launches an attack, and the pressure mounts on the Juventus players.

The defenders close in!

Someone steps up to press, but Tang Ye remains relatively calm.

He slows down.

One-on-one!

A feint, attempting to nutmeg the defender.

However, Tang Ye fails to find a good opportunity.

With Pjanic closing in fast from behind, Tang Ye has no choice but to quickly pass the ball to Martial.

Martial drives toward the byline!

Slap!

A cross is delivered, but it's blocked by the opponent's full-back using his body.

The ball doesn't go out of play; Martial successfully controls it near the corner flag.

Seizing the chance, the defender immediately sticks to Martial.

"Martial can't turn now..."

The attack seems forced to halt, and teammates rush over to provide support.

Tang Ye and Luke Shaw both move in.

The central arc is left to Rodri for now!

Luke Shaw presses directly to help Martial clear the danger, while Tang Ye secretly slips behind the defender.

Seizing the opportunity, Martial executes a nutmeg, passing the ball to Tang Ye!

"Oh!!!!"

After turning, Cancelo falls to the ground.

"Get back!"

Bonucci and Chiellini retreat rapidly; Tang Ye controls the ball, turns, and then advances toward the penalty area.

Take it step by step!

Bonucci prepares his defense, focusing intently on the ball at Tang Ye's feet.

Go!

Bonucci tries to stop Tang Ye from entering the box, but Tang Ye drags the ball back to shield it.

Then he pushes the ball forward again!

Knowing the ball has already passed him, Bonucci smartly chooses to body-check Tang Ye, preventing him from gaining immediate control.

Bang!

Tang Ye and Bonucci collide.

This would be a sideways free-kick opportunity, but Rodri, making a forward run, takes possession of the ball.

Advantage to Manchester United; the referee does not call a foul!

Rodri controls and adjusts the ball inside the box, but soon faces interference from Pjanic.

Pass it to Tang Ye!

Now Tang Ye has the ball again!

With an 88 dribbling attribute plus a host of dribbling skills, Tang Ye knows this is the moment to showcase his strength.

A step-over feint first, then a drive toward the byline!

Bonucci catches up.

This Juventus defender reacts incredibly fast; no matter what move Tang Ye makes, he always finds the most suitable response.

A touch with the left foot!

At the exact moment Bonucci comes to an abrupt halt, Tang Ye pokes the ball out with the toe of his left foot, sending it slipping under Bonucci's feet.

!!!

Bonucci twists his head to look behind him.

The instinct of a center-back tells him the goal is in grave danger now.

Slap!

Ziyech fires a low shot, but the goalkeeper's save attempt proves futile.

"Goal!"

"Manchester United's second goal!"

It's still an assist from Tang Ye, but this time the scorer has changed from Martial to Ziyech.

2:0!

Manchester United extends their lead!

"Roar!!!"

Qi Ye He charged toward the corner flag to celebrate, while Sitting Like raised both arms at the same moment.

The Manchester United manager now felt certain of victory.

The players were happy, but Sitting Like was even happier.

Since Juventus had Cristiano Ronaldo, a former son of Manchester United, in their lineup, this match held extraordinary significance for Sitting Like.

To revive Manchester United right in front of Cristiano Ronaldo and slap the Portuguese hard across the face.

This was the terrifying Sitting Like.

The terrifying Erik Sitting Like!

"Wow!"

Tang Ye exchanged high-fives with Qi Ye He and Rodri respectively.

【Assist brace achieved; you receive an additional Counterattack Point*30】

Leading Juventus by two goals, Manchester United had essentially secured their advantage in this match.

The match resumed!

It was now the 71st minute of the second half, and the weather in the stadium was slowly changing.

A noticeable fog drifted across the pitch.

It started off manageable, but soon the camera's field of view became severely obstructed.

"Oh my god, this thick fog... haha."

"The situation for the players on the field should be similar to what we're seeing; visibility at this level has dropped below fifty meters, which will indeed have a serious impact on the match."

"However, I think this might actually be good news for Juventus?"

The commentator briefly analyzed his reasoning.

Manchester United's greatest strength was their long-ball counterattacks, and long-ball execution was precisely what suffered most from the heavy fog.

It would no longer be as easy for Manchester United to launch counterattacks from their own half as it had been before.

"Hiss!!!"

"Hiss-lala-lala!!!!"

Seemingly aware of this, the Juventus fans in the stands ignited fireworks they had hidden on their persons.

The fog mixed with the smoke, causing visibility in the stadium to drop even further.

"Juveohhh!"

"Juveohhh!!"

Though the view of the stands was obscured, the roaring cheers of the fans could still be heard; this was the current perspective from the CCTV broadcast booth.

The players on the field were in much the same situation.

Come!

Taking the ball from a teammate, Tang Ye turned to look toward the attacking end.

Tang Ye was currently positioned in Manchester United's defensive half.

From here, seeing the area near the center circle posed no problem for Tang Ye.

But if he wanted to look deeper and observe the situation in Juventus's half...

then apologies were in order, as the dense white fog successfully blocked Tang Ye's line of sight.

Attempting a long pass while seeing absolutely nothing was obviously impossible, so Tang Ye dribbled forward himself.

Catching a vague glimpse of a black-clad lower leg ahead, Tang Ye seized the opportunity.

Bang!

He played a through ball.

"Eh!"

"Tang Ye, a long pass directly finds Martial cutting inside!"

"Is it even possible to see from that distance?"

The commentator's eyes widened; Martial hadn't even seen who had passed him the ball.

But judging by the feel when receiving the pass...

hmm, barring any surprises, this ball came from a player with the surname GG.

Cutting inside and accelerating, Martial shook off Pjanic immediately.

Thanks to that long pass, Manchester United had instantly turned the foggy battle to their advantage.

The attack had been launched; now, this fog was actually beneficial for Manchester United.

Martial knew where the goal was.

But the goalkeeper could no longer clearly discern Martial's exact position.

Cutting inside!

Snap!

He shifted the ball to the right flank, passing it to Qi Ye He, who was making a run forward.

Qi Ye He drove down the baseline!

Then came the cross!

One kick into the penalty area, where Alex and a defender prepared to contest the landing point.

Snap!

In the end, Szczesny punched the ball away.

This sortie was quite simply perfect.

The cleared ball landed right at Pjanic's feet, and Juventus seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack.

Pjanić passes first to Cancelo.

Cancelo dribbles forward along the right touchline, beginning his advance.

Pjanić's ball handling here is very clever; by keeping the ball on the wing, the Manchester United players positioned on the opposite flank and deeper back cannot track Cancelo's position.

"Get back, get back!"

Tang Ye signals his teammates to drop back, while he himself retreats and shifts toward Cancelo's position.

There is less fog near the center circle; if they want to defend successfully, this should be an opportunity.

Rodri moves over.

Eh!

Rodri stretches out his foot attempting a tackle, but Cancelo passes the ball into the center beforehand.

Now Mandžukić has the ball!

Not daring to relax, Tang Ye immediately runs toward Mandžukić, applying tight marking on the Juventus striker.

At the same time, he must also anticipate the situation on the wing.

"Left side, get back, get back!"

Cancelo will surely continue down the line; Manchester United cannot allow the opponent to easily create a receiving point.

With Cancelo marked by Luke Shaw, Mandžukić can only look for a teammate on the other side.

But his intention is predicted by Tang Ye, who immediately executes a sliding tackle.

Boom!

Mandžukić loses possession!

Tang Ye lies on the ground preparing to get up and claim the ball, only for Pjanić to reach it one step earlier.

"Damn!"

The interception succeeded, but possession remains with the opponent.

Pjanić passes the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo makes a diagonal run intending to enter the penalty area, but finds himself marked by De Jong.

He performs a step-over on the spot, then accelerates directly toward the goal line.

"Ohhhh!!!"

Cristiano Ronaldo's impact near the goal line is incredibly formidable; De Jong fails to keep up immediately.

While going down the line, he angles toward the goal.

Just before the ball goes out over the goal line, Cristiano Ronaldo strikes a shot with his left foot.

Boom!

The ball hits the side netting outside the goal.

"Shit!"

Falling to the ground, Cristiano Ronaldo feels unwilling to accept it but can do nothing.

The angle for that shot was simply too extreme!

"It's fine!"

"Come on, Ronaldo!"

"Ronaldo!"

When a team encounters difficulties, fans instinctively hope their star players will deliver strong performances and help the team turn the situation around.

Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo's form in this match has not been very good!

Time reaches the 83rd minute of the second half; the score on the field remains 2-0, with Manchester United controlling the situation amidst the heavy fog.

"Cristiano Ronaldo"

"Cut inside"

"Take a long-range shot directly!"

Crack!

A very handsome long-range shot, but De Gea punches it away!

"Hiss..."

In the camera shot, Cristiano Ronaldo tightly bites his lower teeth with his upper teeth, his fists clenched firmly; it is clear he is indeed having a very difficult time playing.

"..."

"Beep, beep-beep!!!"

The full-time whistle blows; in the second leg of the Round of 16, Manchester United successfully keeps a clean sheet against Juventus with a 2-0 scoreline, establishing an advantage for advancement.

Tang Ye stands on the grass, turning his head to look at Cristiano Ronaldo not far away.

He feels that Cristiano does not possess the same explosive dribbling ability as when they met during his time at Real Madrid.

Is it because he has grown older?

"Hiss..."

Shaking his head, Tang Ye shifts his gaze away from Cristiano Ronaldo.

He knows Cristiano Ronaldo's personality; if he were to speak like this in front of the Portuguese man, he would definitely get angry!

Tang Ye prepares to go over and chat with Rodri; as the two walk toward the player tunnel, surprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo actively walks over to Tang Ye from the side.

"Tom"

Cristiano Ronaldo claps hands with Tang Ye: "About that foul earlier... sorry"

Although they have never been teammates, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tang Ye share quite a bit of fate, having known each other for quite a long time.

If letting their relationship become strained over just a few matches, that would truly not be a wise choice.

"Oh, it's nothing, Cristiano, it's nothing."

Tang Ye and Cristiano Ronaldo shared an embrace: "Good luck in the second leg."

"Good luck in the second leg."

Just as Cristiano Ronaldo was about to walk into the tunnel, he remembered something and turned his head back.

"But..."

"I want to tell you something in advance, Tom."

"You won't have it so easy in the second leg."

"Haha, alright."

Tang Ye shrugged his shoulders: "I'm already looking forward to the second-leg match. Zhu Ni Cheng Gong, Cristiano. Hmm... and I wish myself success too."

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Manchester United defeats Juventus 2-0 away; Tang Ye secures his first career victory over Cristiano Ronaldo—is the inevitable generational shift in professional football imminent? (47,231 comments)

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