Chapter 590: Real Madrid Drew the Strongest Team from the First Pot

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: Manchester United vs. Real Madrid, Champions League Round of 16 second leg in progress, current score 0:1, Manchester United trailing.

Live match report: Tang Ye's direct free-kick shot was headed clear by Varane, Manchester United awarded a corner.

Another corner opportunity!

This time Manchester United became much more cautious, specifically leaving Wan-Bissaka and Bailly in relatively deeper positions while giving Vinicius extra attention.

Having just learned a harsh lesson, Manchester United must adjust immediately!

"Beep!"

Corner kick opportunity, Luke Shaw raises his left hand.

Pa!

A corner is delivered, targeting De Ligt at the far post.

Bang!

The Manchester United defender won the first header this time, but his headed shot was punched away by Courtois.

The first attempt didn't go in, but the second-ball rebound was secured by Dembélé!

!!!

"Don't shoot!"

Hearing Tang Ye's voice, Dembélé feinted a cutback, stopping Ramos who was rushing to steal the ball.

Bang!

Dembélé was knocked down by Ramos.

Seems like a penalty?

But there's no rush to judge, because before hitting the ground Dembélé passed the ball out; possession still belongs to Manchester United.

De Jong passes to Tang Ye!

"Go inside, go inside!"

Standing still with his foot on the ball, Tang Ye signaled for De Jong to run past him.

Valverde rushed up to challenge; Tang Ye pulled the ball in a V-shape, then executed a one-two with Rashford, finally succeeding in entering the penalty area.

Real Madrid's penalty area is now extremely chaotic!

Swish swish!

Executing a nutmeg, Tang Ye evaded the defending player's upward challenge.

"Set it up!"

Tang Ye pushed the ball to De Jong, who then played it back.

De Jong was bumped and nearly fell.

This is Real Madrid's second foul inside the penalty area!

Swing the left leg!

A feigned shot forced Varane to dive.

Just as the Real Madrid players thought Tang Ye was going to switch to his right foot to shoot, Dembélé surged forward from who knows where.

Tang Ye and Dembélé made eye contact; the latter immediately understood what Tang Ye intended to do.

Pa!

Tang Ye cut the ball with his left foot for a pass, while Dembélé jumped on the spot to let the ball go through to De Ligt behind him.

"Hey!"

Pa!

From the right side of the penalty area, De Ligt delivered a cross.

It was aimed at the left post!

It looked like it must go out of bounds, but just before crossing the line McTominay charged up and unleashed a powerful header.

Bang!

"Goooo——aaaaaa——lllllll!!!!"

"Goal!"

"Goal!"

"Oh my god, a goal for Manchester United, McTominay!!!!"

Without any hesitation, after scoring McTominay immediately sprinted toward the corner flag.

Knee slide!

"Wow!!!!"

"Wow!!!!!"

Fans stretched their hands toward McTominay's direction while shouting his name.

"Here I come!"

Just as McTominay stood up, Tang Ye took a running start and jumped, successfully landing on his teammate.

"Haha!! Scott!!!"

Tightly hugging McTominay's head with both hands, Tang Ye planted a loud kiss on his teammate's hair.

"Damn, ptui!"

"Haha, Scott!!!"

From a goal by Scott McTominay, Manchester United equalized the score to 1:1.

McTominay's face was completely red, his right fist raised high, seemingly proclaiming his great achievement to the fans in the stands.

Does McTominay have a great achievement?

Of course he has!

Because of this goal, the momentum Real Madrid had just built up was suppressed once again.

Recalling Vinícius's earlier provocation, McTominay and Bailly walked deliberately past Vinícius, adding a reminder: "Keep a low profile!"

"United!"

Boom! Boom!

"United!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

After the restart, the fans' morale surged; a red wave swept across the stands, and this was the truest face of Old Trafford.

"We are Manchester United, and we are on our way to Wembley!"

"Red Devils! Glorious Red Devils!"

"We are the invincible Red Devils!"

"..."

Clap! Clap!

Passing alternately with his left and right feet, Tang Ye temporarily shook off Modrić on the right flank.

Cutting inside!

Modrić tracked him; Tang Ye feigned continuing his inward cut, but his peripheral vision kept monitoring the nearby defenders.

Now!

Seizing the chance, Tang Ye suddenly hooked the ball with his left foot.

By the time Modrić saw the ball again, it was already between his legs.

That was a nutmeg!

"Oh!"

He accelerated to change direction and surge past, but the next second, Modrić brought Tang Ye down.

Yellow card: Modrić.

Modrić stood still, pinching his own nose.

It was clear he felt some regret over his foul just now.

"Hey, actually, there was no need to pull him down for that ball."

"Right, because there weren't any great passing options ahead, so they could have let Tang Ye go. But there was no reaction time; getting nutmegged definitely makes you panic."

Fans find it hard to grasp what players feel on the pitch, so they might think Modrić's foul was nonsensical.

The reality is that every player out there is tense to death.

As a defender, if you get nutmegged in a do-or-die Champions League match, wouldn't you panic right now?

How could anyone stay calm?

"Come on."

Modrić pulled Tang Ye up; the latter pressed his right hand over his left.

"Hmm?"

"Tang Ye, this... it looks a bit injured."

In the frame, Tang Ye's left elbow was visibly red; he must have scraped the skin.

"Are you okay?"

The referee approached; Tang Ye signaled it was nothing, but the referee still called the team doctor onto the pitch.

This was due to a new FIFA rule introduced last year: if a player bleeds on the field, they must leave for treatment, aimed at preventing the spread of bloodborne diseases during matches.

"Boooo!!!"

Modrić immediately received special treatment from the Manchester United fans.

"Trash!"

"Fuck you!"

"..."

Play resumed; Tang Ye stood on the sideline while the team doctor dabbed iodine on his wound, and after cleaning it, they would wrap it with a waterproof bandage.

Tang Ye had no mind to attend to his left hand, because Fan Fan Dejiahe was holding a small notebook and speaking to him: "Mainly attack the right side; let Dembélé make the runs, and you must ensure Allé is in position before passing, otherwise Dembélé's run will be wasted."

"Watch your stamina; we might end up in a penalty shootout."

"No, no, no."

Tang Ye shook his head quickly: "There won't be a penalty shootout; trust me, Michel."

"Haha."

Fan Fan Dejiahe tapped Tang Ye on the chest: "Good luck!"

After washing his hands with water, Tang Ye returned to the pitch once given permission.

"Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye!"

"..."

"Kroos! Hey, great ball!"

Kroos pointed the way with a sublime through pass that precisely found Vinícius up front; once Vinícius controlled the ball, he unleashed his speed, leaving McTominay with absolutely no chance to defend.

Then he passed to Benzema near the byline!

Benzema trapped the ball under his foot, paused to think for a moment, then delivered a high cross.

Watch Mendy!

Jump!

Mendy jumped, but Bailly leaped a step earlier, heading the ball away.

"Ooh! Bailly, a very timely clearance, Manchester United out of danger and..."

The commentator hadn't finished speaking when suddenly a crisp "Crack!" rang out; from five or six meters outside the arc, Modrić struck an airborne shot with the outside of his foot.

!

"Ah!"

De Gea dove, but the angle of Modrić's world-class strike was simply too perfect.

Absolutely no way to stop it!

"Goal!"

"Haha, what was that!"

"Modrić, a godly goal!"

Arms spread wide, Modrić, wearing a headband, ran into his teammates' embrace.

"Luka!"

Vinícius held his head in his hands, his mind filled only with Modrić's long-range shot from moments ago.

【?????】

【Awesome, Magic Flute (Modrić)!】

【Wait? This... alright, nothing to say about this one, not De Gea's fault】

【This one is clearly McTominay's fault, okay? Why didn't he mark Vinícius?】

【Holy crap, this is exploding】

From 1:1 to 1:2, separated by a nearly unstoppable outside-of-the-foot world-class strike.

"Beep beep beep!!!!"

Tang Ye stood still, shook his head, then communicated with his teammates: "It's fine, it's fine, that goal is given, nothing we can do."

"Just play well, it's okay!"

Tang Ye placed his hand on Bailly's shoulder, then signaled for everyone to lift their spirits.

Raising both hands upward: "We can win, we can win!"

Check Dongqiu Di halftime report: First half Manchester United trails 1:2; McTominay equalized with a header, Modrić regained the lead with an outside-of-the-foot world-class strike.

In just five short minutes, the halftime report already had 9,000 comments beneath it.

Keep in mind it is currently 4 AM in China!

Nevertheless, one must admit this match is full of highlights: on one side, the cursed Premier League king; on the other, the team with the most Champions League titles.

"..."

The home team's locker room was very quiet; the players were in terrible spirits.

Let alone the damage that world-class strike inflicted on the Manchester United players.

With Real Madrid scoring their second goal, the advantage Manchester United had built in the first leg vanished completely.

Both sides now have two away goals!

"We performed well; don't think about that goal anymore!"

Ten Hag shouted.

Although he usually scolded people often, he knew that in this situation he had to boost the players' confidence: "They mainly rely on Vinícius for attacks; you actually don't need to focus too much on Benzema—the key is cutting off the connection between their two wingers and Benzema!" "..."

Tactics were one aspect; as captain, Tang Ye also needed to say a few words now.

Clap clap!

"Come on, come on!"

"Come on, Frenkie (De Jong), quickly!"

The players gathered in the center; Tang Ye first pressed his palms together and whispered a brief prayer.

He never believed in the existence of God or immortals, but if doing this could make him feel a bit more at ease.

"This is the last match of the month; if we lose, we'll remain miserable for what follows."

"I still want to play in the Champions League; getting eliminated this early is too soon."

"Three, two, one..."

The players took deep breaths, ramping their momentum to the limit.

"Let's go!"

"China Media Group, welcome back; this is the Manchester United versus Real Madrid Champions League..."

"In the first half, Real Madrid took the lead thanks to Modrić's world-class strike, but in a Gao Shuiping matchup like this, you must watch the entire match to know the final result."

Both substitute benches were crowded with people standing; the head coaches stood ready to respond to any sudden developments on the field.

McTominay intercepted Courtois's long pass in the defensive third and headed the ball away.

The one controlling the ball was Luke Shaw!

"Forward, forward, pass!"

With Ten Hag's urging in his ears, Luke Shaw took a few simple touches before delivering the pass.

He was looking for De Jong!

A classic receive-and-turn; after completing his turn, De Jong immediately sought out Tang Ye.

But Tang Ye was already almost completely locked down by Kroos and Vinícius; there was simply no passing lane to be found.

That means the only choice is to pass to Rashford!

Rashford takes the ball himself!

"Get past him, get past him!"

"Faster, Marcus, charge!"

The fans are shouting encouragement; cutting inside, Rashford sends a cross that strikes a defender's hand.

"Fuck!"

Rashford clutches his head with both hands.

The passing route had been planned perfectly, yet they somehow lost such a golden opportunity!

"United!"

"Man United!"

A set piece in the attacking third; let's see how Manchester United handles it.

This time, the choice is for Tang Ye and De Jong to stand together.

So there are two possibilities for this ball: a direct shot or a cross.

"Come on."

Tang Ye pulls De Jong to his left, and the two cover their mouths to communicate.

Positions set; before them stands the wall and the Real Madrid goal guarded by Courtois.

Thump-thump!

Tang Ye can clearly hear his own heartbeat.

"Beep!!!"

"De Jong makes his run!"

It is De Jong who runs out first, and De Jong chooses to strike the ball.

But De Jong doesn't cross; instead, he plants his foot on the ball and flicks it backward.

He's setting up the ball for Tang Ye!

Tang Ye!

Facing a chaotic wall, Tang Ye thinks as he runs.

There are seven routes in total: two for direct shots and five for crosses...

Both Varane and Ramos are players with exceptional heading ability, while Varane's jumping speed is slightly higher than Ramos's...

Got it!

His eyes suddenly light up, for Tang Ye has found the most suitable route.

Snap!

The pass comes out with a slight topspin.

Dembélé!

Tang Ye's cross nearly grazes the right post.

Dembélé suddenly appears, leaping up to deliver a header.

Many people assume Dembélé lacks heading ability, but this is mistaken.

Goal!

A goal from Ousmane Dembélé!

Manchester United equalizes once again!

"Dembélé!!!"

"What an amazing cooperation from Man United!"

De Jong feints a setup, Tang Ye delivers a precise cross, and then there's the ghost-like appearance of Dembélé.

A very simple set piece, yet in reality, every position at Manchester United has performed to the utmost limit.

La la la!

Bouncing and jumping, they leap into the air together once they are face-to-face and completely close.

Bang!

Tang Ye and Dembélé collide.

"Woohoo!"

【You have obtained Counterattack Points *15】

"No one expected that header from Dembélé."

"Haha, both of Manchester United's goals today were headers!"

The score is now 2:2; Manchester United's aggregate total over the two legs has now reached four goals.

Having taken the lead, McTominay and Dembélé run over to Vinícius again, making a "4" gesture with their hands, after which they are reported by Vinícius.

Fortunately, nothing comes of it in the end; it would have been truly terrible if a foul had been called.

"Come on, come on!"

Preparing for the kickoff, Tang Ye exhorts his teammates.

They already have the advantage; in these final moments, they must absolutely not make any mistakes.

Having played nearly three seasons in the Premier League, Tang Ye understands this principle all too well.

As the clock hits the 70th minute, both sides make substitutions simultaneously.

Real Madrid substitutes a forward, and Manchester United does the same.

Greenwood replaces Rashford, simply refreshing the stamina of the wingers.

Additionally, Ye He was warming up on the sideline, prepared to substitute for Haller.

However, there was no rush yet, because if Real Madrid strengthened their attack after making a substitution, Ten Hag would need to save the substitution slot for the defense.

【Let me, Ashley Young, come up and have some fun!】

【Brothers, I feel we can substitute Tang Ye; anyway, Tang Ye hasn't been tracking back in the second half.】

【Has the private message function for the person above exploded?】

【Come on, come on! Zidane, hurry up and substitute a forward!】

The match had entered its most critical phase; logically, this was the time when both sides' stamina should be nearly exhausted.

But today's match was very different; after the 75th minute, both sides even played more fiercely.

As the top teams in their respective leagues, their ability to fight a war of attrition was naturally unquestionable!

Bang!

It was now the 89th minute of the second half; a significant portion of Manchester United fans had already begun celebrating, because for today's Manchester United, a 2:2 draw was already a victory.

Valverde cleared the ball away, and at this moment, the fourth official finally raised the board displaying the stoppage time.

【4:00】

Four minutes of stoppage time.

"Eh!"

The Real Madrid staff naturally did not stand idly by; once the stoppage time was announced, they surrounded the fourth official: "So many yellow cards, and only 4 minutes of stoppage time? Only 4 minutes?"

"Hey, at least 5 minutes!"

At this very moment, every single minute was extremely important for Real Madrid.

On the field!

Finding a good opportunity and executing a cross run with Ye He, Tang Ye had reached the left byline by the time he regained possession.

Slap!

He delivered a low cross from the byline!

The ball struck the ground inside the penalty area, bounced up, and landed precisely between Courtois and Haller.

!

Haller charged forward; to reach the ball with his head, he dropped straight to both knees.

Bang!

The header was flicked out, hitting Courtois's knee squarely, then rebounding off to strike Haller again.

Haller hadn't even reacted before the ball rebounded once more, successfully rolling into the net.

Goal!

"Goooo——aaaaa——llllll!!!"

"Haller!"

"3:2!"

"3:2!"

Shouting it twice consecutively was enough to show just how excited the commentator was.

Manchester United was truly formidable; what should have been Real Madrid's counter-attack time had somehow been turned by Manchester United into their own goal-scoring opportunity.

Haller's knees hurt intensely, yet as the goal was scored, the rapidly secreted adrenaline suppressed his pain.

"Haha!"

Tang Ye ran over from outside the penalty area, wrapping both arms around Haller's head.

"Tom!"

"Haha, Sébastien, it's a last-minute winner!"

Both kneeling inside Real Madrid's six-yard box, Tang Ye kissed the top of Haller's head.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Manchester United!"

"We are the red Manchester United!"

"We are on our way to Wembley!"

"Manchester United! The red Manchester United! The legendary Manchester United!"

"..."

"Beep, beep-beep——!!!"

The full-time whistle blew; ultimately, relying on an aggregate score of 5:3 across the two legs, Manchester United slew Real Madrid at Old Trafford.

The large screen displayed the away supporters' stand.

Although they had lost the match, at least 80% of Real Madrid fans did not leave immediately; they stood motionless in place with solemn expressions, and many among them shed tears.

They were eliminated!

And eliminated in the Round of 16!

For Real Madrid fans, this was completely unacceptable, yet it was nevertheless the truth.

"Wow!"

Tang Ye jumped up on the grass, gathering with his teammates in the center of the pitch.

"Ousmane, I led you to victory!"

"No, I led you to victory!"

"It was me who led you, stop talking."

Tang Ye pushed Dembélé toward the tunnel.

……

Click-clack!

"Yes, I am very happy to have this victory, but in fact, my players and I anticipated this result long ago."

"Our draw was unfavorable because Real Madrid is almost the strongest among the second-seeded teams (the group runners-up advancing to the knockout stage)."

Ten Hag extended his right hand and, under the gaze of the reporters, turned his palm over.

"But we must look at the problem from another angle; in fact, compared to Real Madrid, our luck has been quite good."

"Hmm? Why?"

The reporters were astonished.

"Because we drew the strongest team from the second seed pot, while Real Madrid drew the strongest team from the first seed pot."

Click!

Click-clack-click-clack-click!

……

(End of Chapter)