Chapter 712: Unexpected Disparity in Strength; Ten Hag is a Rat

Live match report: In the 21st minute, Rodri's long-range shot was saved by Meret, and Tang Ye's follow-up shot went high.

"Fuck!"

Tang Ye stood before the Napoli penalty area, regretting his failure to convert the scoring chance.

This is precisely when the importance of a friendly match becomes apparent.

By playing a match against Napoli, the players within the Manchester United squad can determine whether they are in peak condition.

"Well, we can actually see that Tang Ye's competitive form displayed in this match is somewhat lacking."

"Of course, we don't mean to say Tang Ye played badly, but rather that he played relatively poorly."

"Correct, because after more than a month of vacation, professional players still need some time to regain their form from last season; comparing Tang Ye's current performance with his displays for Dortmund last season reveals the difference."

"Besides, other Manchester United players, including those few Napoli players you mentioned, are essentially the same; everyone is in the same boat."

"Clearly, neither Manchester United nor Napoli is prepared for the upcoming new season," was the conclusion reached by the two Bilibili commentators after their discussion.

Although the discussion took place during the live broadcast, in reality, the two had made their preparations before the stream even began.

Since the actual match situation closely matched their predictions, the preparations they made could now be put to use!

Ptui!

Tang Ye spat a mouthful of saliva onto the grass.

Even though it was clearly a friendly match, it felt like an official game.

But there was no other choice; he might as well face this friendly with the same attitude he would reserve for an official match.

Regardless of whether the result matters, let's secure the victory first.

Damn it, if playing against Napoli is this difficult, what hope does Manchester United have for the new season?

"..."

"... Wan-Bissaka, beautiful!"

"That dribble doesn't seem to have been Wan-Bissaka's intention, but Rui clearly made a mistake!"

"Hey, he's gifted us an opportunity!"

"On Manchester United's side..."

Wan-Bissaka dribbled the ball toward the center.

As the team's offensive core, Tang Ye was currently surrounded by Lobotka and Zielinski, leaving him absolutely no chance to receive the ball.

"Don't pass yet!"

De Jong shouted.

What Wan-Bissaka should have done at this moment was to continue dribbling, but this guy clearly didn't possess that level of football intelligence.

Slap!

Wan-Bissaka passed back to De Jong!

"I've got it, I've got it!"

Upon receiving the ball, De Jong suddenly accelerated, shaking off Zielinski directly.

The number of defenders dropped from two to one, freeing Tang Ye.

At this moment, De Jong, who had originally been moving toward the right-wing baseline, changed direction and ran left, while Tang Ye pulled from the center toward the right.

A crossing run executed by Tang Ye and De Jong!

"Ready!"

After shouting once, Tang Ye immediately received De Jong's pass the next second and came to an abrupt stop on the spot.

Osimhen, having tracked back, found Tang Ye.

Ahead, Wan-Bissaka was gesturing with his hand, but Tang Ye did not rush.

"Here!"

Pretending to play a through-ball to Wan-Bissaka, Tang Ye used a single move to deceive both Wan-Bissaka and Osimhen.

He tucked his right foot behind his left!

Slap!

"Wow!!"

An unexpected rainbow flick delivered the ball; at the far post, Allé charged into the penalty area, leaping up despite Mallas's physical challenge.

Boom!

"Goooo——aaaa———llllll!!!!"

A rainbow-flick cross combined with a striker's forward run and header; Manchester United's series of attacking moves was executed with excessive violence.

It was so violent that the Napoli goalkeeper could only watch helplessly as his team conceded a goal.

【That feels good.】

【Holy crap, how did a friendly match end up feeling like a Champions League knockout game?】

【Napoli wanted to get serious with Manchester United, but realized they probably couldn't handle them.】

Some sharp-eyed fans had already discovered the true essence of this match.

Napoli's opening attacks were clearly intended to suppress Manchester United.

They intended to use Manchester United as a sacrificial offering before the new season began, using the blood of the Red Devils to boost their players' morale for the upcoming campaign.

But the result...

The result was the current situation.

Manchester United had also started getting serious against Napoli.

After going 1-0 up, Manchester United held only a slight advantage, but after the second goal was scored, Manchester United was almost unilaterally pressing Napoli down.

"..."

Bang!

A long pass from De Gea in the backfield targets Dembélé up front.

While the ball was still airborne, Tang Ye began observing.

Lobotka, Politano, Koulibaly, Dembélé, Rashford...

Based on the positioning of players from both sides, Tang Ye quickly calculated several possible passing lanes.

From among them, he identified the most suitable one!

"Here!"

Hearing Tang Ye's call, Dembélé decisively controlled the ball with his chest and delivered it precisely to Tang Ye.

Before the ball even touched the ground, Tang Ye lifted his right leg and fiercely struck it with the outside of his foot.

Crack!

The ball struck Rashford!

The chance has arrived!

"Wow!!!"

"Rashford!"

"Get past him, get past him!"

"Run! Run!"

Manchester United accelerated their attacking rhythm, which created this opportunity for them.

Rashford dribbled toward the penalty area, showcasing excellent changes of pace against Napoli's defense.

He entered the penalty box!

Bang!

A shot was unleashed.

Rashford's strike hit Manolas, and the ball rebounded out.

The second ball!

Rodri took control, suddenly accelerating into the penalty area.

Seeing this, Rashford immediately shifted sideways to set a screen.

Rodri...

Bang!

The Manchester United defensive midfielder unleashed a thunderous shot straight toward the top corner of the goal.

The third goal of the match had been scored!

"Oh my god, haha!"

"3-0! Manchester United's lead is now quite substantial!"

After scoring, Rodri raised his hand and high-fived Rashford: "Nice, nice! Let's go!"

The camera cut to Koulibaly and Meret in the penalty area; the Napoli defender and goalkeeper exchanged bewildered glances, as if hoping the other would admit fault.

But in reality, both men's minds were already somewhat confused.

To put it plainly, Koulibaly felt somewhat stunned.

The pre-match objective had been to use Manchester United as a sacrificial lamb, yet they ended up beaten like this; this stark contrast delivered a massive shock to the Napoli players, especially the younger ones.

The 39th minute!

"Osimhen!"

"A header!"

"Eh!"

"So close!"

"... Rodri committed a foul!"

"A clear foul; this should be a penalty!"

This was Osimhen's third wasted scoring opportunity of the match, but in the subsequent scramble, Rodri seemed to have gifted Napoli a penalty.

Of course, it still depended on the referee's decision!

"Beep!"

There was no VAR in this match, and the referee very decisively awarded Napoli a penalty.

"Insigne..."

Bang!

The score shifted from 3-0 to 3-1, allowing Napoli to slightly salvage the situation.

And this was precisely the final score of the first half.