Chapter 291: Li Kang vs Messi (Part 3)

A divine ball!

Li Kang again!

He scored twice!

Scorpion Tail!

A brilliant play!

Absolutely splendid!

A shot that leaves one in awe!

We have witnessed a legendary moment with our own eyes!

He withstood MSN's attack, led the ten-man Arsenal remnant, and once again took the lead over Barcelona.

Now, let's look at Welbeck's brilliant assist pass...

Duan Xuan quickly recovered his composure, and, looking at the replay, began muttering something like 'unbelievable, inconceivable'...

This match was too dramatic.

Both sides went back and forth, each receiving a red card.

How will the match develop next?

Can Barcelona still press Arsenal's head and beat them violently?

On the green field.

Barcelona players frenziedly surrounded the referee.

They cannot accept the fact that Umtiti was sent off!

Isn't it just a holding obstruction foul?

Back then, Puyol waist-tackled and brought down Robben in a one-on-one break, and didn't even get a yellow card!

Messi's figure was nowhere to be seen in the crowd.

He didn't know when he had walked to the sideline, bent over with his head down, looking pained... it was another bout of dry heaves.

The camera switched to the other side.

Arsenal players excitedly surrounded Li Kang, celebrating wildly.

"Li, this shooting move is simply handsome to the extreme!"

"I thought you were going to knock the ball backwards!"

Morata said to Welbeck: "Your pass quality is too poor, kid... I find it hard to receive."

Xiao Heidan quickly interrupted, earnestly saying: "If you find my pass hard to receive, that means it wasn't meant for you..."

"I was trying to pass to Li!"

Everyone fell silent, unable to find any reason to refute for a moment.

Li Kang squatted down to retie his shoelaces, and with the support of the Perpetual Motion Heart module, his fatigue gradually faded.

CTV5 livestream room.

-【Li Mingdeng is too handsome, godlike performance.】

-【Skilled in both attack and defense, he single-handedly pulled Arsenal back from the brink of collapse.】

-【And his golden partner: Welbeck.】

-【The Arsenal's overall strength is not bad; Cazorla's long pass after receiving and breaking free in the backfield is very crucial.】

-【Professor avenges his past shame!】

-【What is Barcelona playing at? They can't even beat a ten-man Arsenal with eleven men? And they're behind again!】

-【Let's see how Enrique changes formation; Umtiti was sent off with a red card, Barcelona now has only two defenders left, trailing by one goal, how should they substitute? This decision is actually difficult,】

-【At 29, Messi can't make many runs in a match; he has to start playing a conservative, health-preserving style.】

-【Trivia: In a recent La Liga match, Messi ran over 7,500 meters in 90 minutes, contributing two goals and one assist!】

-【Messi's only weakness is his stamina.】

-【No, that's not right; Messi's stamina is a mystery, sometimes good, sometimes bad; on the other hand, Li Mingdeng is practically out of fuel, isn't he? Constant lateral interceptions, plus two long-distance runs.】

At the sideline.

Enrique's gaze was vacant.

He seemed unwilling to believe the fact unfolding before his eyes.

Clearly holding a great advantage, yet Li Kang that kid broke through the goal... and also caused a red card.

In a haze.

He recalled many things.

Various sounds from his coaching career echoed in his ears: the curses of Rome City, the rebukes of Bigo City... Barcelona's leash-hound champion.

Even his own words: "When the dog is hungry, it will return home."

On the other side.

Boerde excitedly shook Wenger's shoulder.

The red tie fluttered in the wind.

"Boss! Li is too amazing! I never dreamed he would score such a goal! We're ahead again!"

"How should we adjust next? Oh! We need to first see how Enrique sets up!"

"We should ask Li's opinion."

Enrique didn't set up anything.

The match resumed.

Ten-man Barcelona still maintained an aggressive offense.

However, they were more focused on advancing down the left flank.

What about the right flank?

Messi was strolling.

"Messi, due to nausea and physical factors, has temporarily reduced his running; fans call this behavior: the big... health‑preserving style of play!"

"The causes of nausea are varied; the Argentine national team and Barcelona club give inconsistent explanations to the outside!"

"It's hard to imagine; if Messi's fitness returned to the 2011‑2012 season, how many records would he still create!"

Morata roamed Barcelona's high defensive line.

Busquets dared not push too far up, and could not support Yinniesita.

If Barcelona lose the ball in the front, the Spanish forward is very likely to create a threat.

After all, Barcelona had one of their three centre‑backs sent off, leaving them with a "two‑centre‑back" setup.

Ten‑man Barcelona versus ten‑man Arsenal.

The degree to which numbers are tilted between attack and defense will decide the match's situation.

Arsenal's half, the forty‑meter zone.

Under interference from Xhaka and Cazorla, Yinniesita temporarily could not find a forward passing lane.

He is still "old".

He can no longer stroll leisurely as he did in his youth, effortlessly tearing apart defenses.

Behind him, there is no Busquets.

Messi is also waiting for his skill cooldown.

Barcelona lost their numerical advantage in midfield pressing.

Under the Arsenal's pressing net, he could only choose to pass back...

Enrique rested his chin on his hand, his face grim.

"No matter how aggressive the offense, we must still respect objective reality."

"If we replaced him with the younger Yinniesita, this ball would have gone through."

"Rakitic received the ball."

"Barcelona needs to reorganize the attack!"

"The match has become a bit dull... hey! Li Kang snatched the ball!"

"His coverage is too wide!"

"Beautiful, a precision through‑ball as sharp as a scalpel!"

"Morata!"

"What a pity—Morata couldn't get on that through‑ball, and Mascherano cleared it out of bounds!"

Busquets let out a sigh, his expression still grim.

Piqué poked his own eyes with his fingers, smiling as he slapped Morata's butt.

Morata ignored it, giving Li Kang a thumbs‑up from afar.

It's a bit difficult.

Piqué is still okay.

Busquets is a bit slow.

But to get past Mascherano, ordinary through‑balls and long passes are hard to break through.

Time passed second by second.

Ten‑man Barcelona is just awful.

Having lost their numerical edge in midfield, they could not possibly advance against Li Kang, whose defensive and tackling attributes are off the charts.

Even pulling Neymar back wouldn't help.

That damned Welbeck is like a softened piece of toffee, sticking tightly to Barcelona's midfield.

At the back, if it weren't for Piqué, Mascherano, and Busquets triple‑marking Morata... Barcelona would have been torn apart long ago.

Passive.

Barcelona's situation is very passive.

Emirates Stadium, gradually enveloped by the cheers of the Gunners' fans.

The 45th minute of the match.

Messi moved.

The thirty‑meter zone.

He got the jump, cleanly settling Mascherano's long pass.

Li Kang quickly tracked back, not closing in but trying to block his link‑up with Suarez.

In God's perspective.

The runs of Barcelona's other players, the overall attacking direction, the context is clear.

In a brief instant.

Li Kang found the optimal solution: slow down Barcelona's attacking tempo.

VIP box.

Cruyff smiled and raised a finger: "Li is up against Messi again."

Bartomeu hurriedly echoed: "Exactly, exactly, exactly, nobody in the world can single‑handedly defend..."

He was cut off mid‑sentence.

His words were suddenly interrupted by the crowd's exclamations!

In Li Kang's field of vision.

Countless phantoms continually overlapped.

Nesta, Bobby Moore, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Carlos, True Eye!

He deliberately maintained his defensive distance.

But his emotions were infected by waves of fantastical murmurs.

"Don't you want to try marking the world's strongest attacker one-on-one?"

"That's Messi!"

"One-on-one against Messi?"

"Li Kang's forward press is a bit impulsive!"

"That's Messi!"

"Impossible..."

Facing the oncoming Li Kang.

Messi remained expressionless, once again displaying his unmatched footwork cadence.

Likewise, there was no passing option.

He had to break through!

A dreamlike, ethereal touch upon landing.

An unpredictable rhythm of shifting weight.

Accelerate.

Decelerate.

Accelerate.

Within just two or three seconds, Li Kang couldn't even see how many times Messi touched the ball.

The legendary phantoms gradually dissipated.

The True Eye fled in panic.

Standing proudly... only Nesta!

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two number-ten players on the pitch, forgetting to breathe.

No one wanted to miss any detail of their duel, yet they saw nothing clearly.

With a smack.

The ball broke free of their control and flew backward.

Messi lay helpless on the grass, pounding it twice in frustration.

Li Kang wasn't doing any better.

At the final moment, he too was shaken by the opponent and lost his balance.

"Huh?"

"What happened?"

"Messi couldn't break through."

"Li Kang also failed to complete the tackle!"

"The two collapsed in a heap."

-【Invincible Li!】

-【Damn, did Li Kang and Messi both go down together?】

-【What do you mean 'both go down'? Neither could do anything to the other!】

-【In this era, is anyone still able to successfully shut down Messi one-on-one?】

-【Unlike before, this time Li Mingdeng accomplished the destruction alone, without teammate support.】

-【That doesn't count as a successful shut-down, does it? Li Kang was also shaken off, and Barcelona still had possession.】

-【Compared to Boateng, Li Kang performed much better against Messi!】

"Rakitic's timely forward run got the ball under control!"

"Cazorla."

"One wave hasn't settled, another rises."

Li Kang's thoughts returned to calm.

Nesta's phantom faded with the wind... conveying a hint of reluctance and despair.

Compared to the first encounter with Messi, having to pay the price of a shattered module is much better.

As he climbed to his feet.

Cazorla also intercepted Rakitic.

It's not that Barcelona's all-around midfield is terrible, right?

Just that in the chaos, no suitable passing lane could be found.

Rakitic, such a hardworking engineer, is naturally restrained by Cazorla's balanced-footed Latin-style play.

"Arsenal's transition attack!"

"It's surging forward!"

"Cazorla passed the ball to Li Kang!"

From God's perspective.

The spacing between Barcelona's defensive players' runs is widening.

Morata made a cutting run, shaking off Piqué and Busquets.

This is the moment.

Li Kang lightly pushes the ball forward.

Three-step run-up.

His calf exerts force.

He pushes hard!

99 points of foot strength!

In an instant.

Barcelona's half is like a whole pane of glass, shattered by a cannonball.

Emirates Stadium.

The song rings loud and clear.

Arsenal fans are beside themselves with excitement.

Hey!

Is Li Kang shooting or passing?

The ball speed is too fast!

This pass isn't great... it actually lets Mascherano not catch up!

Barcelona's back line is completely empty!

Morata's timing is perfect, no offside!

Busquets feels awful.

This kind of unconventional through-ball, even if you let Cruyff, Rijkaard, Guardiola, Harvey... themselves return to youth and be present on site, could not break the general line!

Still a defensive numbers disadvantage.

Missing one Umtiti.

Barcelona's defense line is thus easily pierced!

Pique dislikes his current self.

Why is he so much slower than Morata!

Slow to turn.

Slow to start.

Wrong.

It seems that after Morata joined Arsenal, he became faster!

Goalkeeper Ter Stegen's position is very far forward.

He hesitates not at all, decisively rushing out.

His sprinting speed is very fast!

But still not as fast as Arsenal's forward!

Morata received Li Kang's pass in the thirty-meter zone!

He was double-teamed!

In front of him is Ter Stegen.

Behind him is Mascherano.

What to do?

Chip shot!

Can Morata seize the opportunity?

Beautiful!

Smack!

Arsenal forward's right foot lightly flicks the ball.

The ball lightly leaps over Ter Stegen's head.

Its speed is too slow.

Barcelona's goalkeeper, outside the penalty area, dare not use his hands, can only leap high and bump with his head.

Smack!

An unexpected scene unfolds.

The ball wasn't brushed away, and falls again onto Morata's head!

Thud!

Arsenal's godlike forward, body slightly leans back, waist and abdomen exert force, fiercely throws head!

Like a catapult!

His forehead heavily strikes the ball!

The whole crowd is dumbfounded.

Barcelona fans find it hard to accept the reality before them.

Enrique's gaze is dazed, lost soul.

Arsenal fans haven't reacted yet.

Wenger and Boerde also haven't reacted yet.

Another goal coming?

All eyes on the field are watching the ball's trajectory.

Barcelona, will they be broken through?

Yes.

It was punched through.

The ball once again lifted Barcelona's net.

3:1!

!

"So exciting!"

"Morata headed a heavy cannon shot!"

"Ter Stegen made a stupid mistake!"

"Arsenal extended their lead!"

"It's Li Kang again!"

"Li Kang fired a heavy cannon through-pass, breaking Barcelona's defensive line!"

"Unbelievable."

"With the first half about to end, he alone created three goals, helping a depleted Arsenal crush Barcelona!"

Beep! Beep-beep~

The referee then blew the whistle signaling the end of the first half.

Ter Stegen angrily slapped himself...

Mascherano didn't know how to comfort his teammates: judging from Morata's initial chip... the ball's trajectory deviated too far from the goal; if nothing was done...

Morata didn't just celebrate himself.

He excitedly patted his forehead, turned and ran toward the midfield line!

"Li!"

"I knew you could pass the ball over!"

"It's fine if you pass with a bit more force next time! I'll definitely catch it!"

CTV5 live stream.

Danmu flying everywhere.

-【What a joke, Ter Stegen, just let the ball go past and it's over? Morata shooting with his foot... definitely won't go in!】

-【Silly goalkeeper, still having to create a header chance for old Mo!】

-【Li Mingdeng's ultra-long through-pass... when did it also become a heavy cannon? Scary! Too terrifying!】

-【You need that kind of foot strength to get past Mascherano!】

-【Is Barcelona really going to be slaughtered?】

-【If Enrique doesn't change tactics, they're doomed to be slaughtered!】

-【Li Kang tonight is invincible!】