Chapter 369

Beilai Lin is in a terrible state.

He isn't particularly afraid of ordinary explosive wingers; anyway, no matter how fast the opponent is, he's faster.

But now he happened to encounter Mandzukic, the "center-forward pulling out wide" who likes physical confrontations.

He can't hold on.

If this were a battlefield in the cold weapon era, the frail Beilai Lin would have already been slain seven or eight times by the wild Mandzukic.

"Mandzukic's wing technique was actually honed during his Wolfsburg days in the Bundesliga."

"Well... no technique needed at all; this time receiving the ball, he squeezed Beilai Lin aside again."

"Having played until now, we've found that Mandzukic, when receiving the ball on the wing, doesn't cut inside, nor does he choose to ground-cross... he's more like a wing pivot!"

"This forces Arsenal's defense to have to shift toward this side."

Live stream room.

-【Why isn't anyone helping Beilai Lin? Are they all just busy watching? Let me brainstorm a bit myself—Yinguain, Dybala, Alves, and Pjanic's attacking runs are too strong, not even counting Sandro occasionally supporting Mandzukic, which stretches the attacking width; in a top-team showdown, man-to-man is a bloody fight—any Arsenal player daring to lose position to help defend would see the backline torn apart in minutes.】

-【Trivia: When Allegri coached Milan, he also used Yinbu a few times like this; the opposing right back was abused to death, couldn't win the ball, teammates came to help defend, but Yinbu's footwork was agile and his vision good... combining with teammates' two-foot passes could create threatening goal opportunities.】

-【The ultimate goal is still to strengthen the front line's linking points, making the attack more three-dimensional and methods more diverse.】

-【So Juventus' positional attack is actually that strong?】

-【Mandzukic was also a European Cup Golden Boot winner back then, and the main striker of Bayern's treble-winning team; I thought such traditional center-forwards would be phased out, but after joining Juventus, he transformed.】

-【If a player wants to prolong his career, he must constantly adapt to tactical trends, adjust his traits—Mandzukic does this, and so does Juventus' defensive backline trio; let alone the young Buffon.】

Pressure is like an elastic band.

Beilai Lin gritted his teeth and stubbornly withstood the pressure.

As long as he can hold out until Arsenal gets a chance to launch a transition attack, Mandzukic and Sandro—both turtle-speed—will similarly fail to withstand his speed impact.

The "wing" Alex Sandro, hyped to the skies by Samba media... actually cannot reach European top-speed standards.

Juventus' whole team, the fastest is the 37-year-old veteran defender Barzali...

28th minute of the match.

The Zebra Corps again bombed the left flank.

Mandzukic's ball-releasing motion finally showed a slight error under the interference of the small guy.

Beilai Lin's short legs shot out from between his legs, a light poke, letting the ball escape the two's control radius.

Immediately afterward, he skirted past the burly Croatian, took possession, and sent out a diagonal pass!

Using skill to overcome strength out of necessity, redundant process, gave Juventus' midfield ample time to prepare.

"Finally won a one-on-one!"

"Thought very clear, passed to Li Kang!"

"Oh no, Pjanic and Dybala's blockade came just in time."

Dybala at this time is happy.

He can play in his most familiar central position, with a selfless elder brother—Yinguain—still ahead of him.

Juventus' midfield and forward lines have no superstars anymore.

Everyone is adjusting their combat style under Allegri's slightly traditional tactics.

The Serie A Golden Boot winner who scored 36 goals last season—Yinguain—after joining Juventus, no longer obsesses over firing rights; more often he becomes a suppressing pivot, serving as a super accessory for the national team's younger brother Dybala.

Dybala, shifted to midfield, often gets more shot attempts than the team's forwards.

But he isn't the type who waits to be fed chances.

Deep defensive withdrawal, withdrawal organization, withdrawal ball distribution, liberating the strong attacking desire of the defensive midfielder—Hedira.

Although he can't win individual honors, during his time at Juventus he enjoys the purest happiness.

The Zebra Corps' total goal count will also soon peak in future seasons.

The moment Li Kang received the ball.

In God's perspective, multiple Juventus strangling points had already appeared behind him.

The short-pass receiving point had already been cut off, losing connection with Zakaka, Cazorla, and Sanchez.

"Don't rush."

"Slow the tempo, first shake off... beautiful! Long pass from behind!"

"The magic of the 200-million-euro man."

The football traced a lovely arc in the sky above Turin's Allianz Stadium.

Descending toward the right side of the center circle.

Morata rode alone, shaking off the hard-chasing Hedira behind him.

At the football's landing point, however, appeared a tall black-and-white figure!

Juventus number 3.

Chiellini.

Two Chiellinis could hold down one Suarez's Chiellini.

"His pressing range is too large!"

"Chiellini plays more like a wing defensive midfielder!"

"He has broken away from the parallel defensive line of Barzali and Bonucci!"

"Hedira didn't stop his feet to assist in the challenge, but kept running, letting himself switch to a holding center-back to prevent Chiellini's pressing failure... no, he has confidence in Chiellini's single-man combat ability!"

"Juventus' positional rotation is terrifying!"

Pa!

Chiellini won the ball before Morata, heading it out of bounds.

The two collided in midair and both fell to the grass after landing.

Fortunately, both had durable physiques, pulling each other up to stand together.

In the distance.

Taking advantage of the dead-ball phase.

Pjanic patted Li Kang's buttocks and said, "When will you come fulfill your childhood dream?"

Li Kang shook his head, recalling that year's draw ceremony: Buffon's sign language translation.

In his vision, the figure in the blue-and-white number 10 jersey slowly emerged.

Ultimate Baggio.

Brescia's savior.

Complex emotions spread wildly.

Li Kang waved his hand and grabbed Baggio's phantom.

He almost couldn't resist provoking the Juventus ultras in the south stand.

Stands, commentary booth.

Pirlo wore a black suit, his white shirt unbuttoned at two buttons.

His fingers turned an Aurora steel pen.

After briefly explaining the current match situation,

he began a loose, rambling commentary full of personal flair:

"We don't need to envy Arsenal having their two-hundred-million-euro man."

"If Li joined Juventus now, it would only create a lose-lose situation."

"After selling Pogba, our attacking firepower surged, with no explosion in individual goal tallies, but total goals kept rising steadily."

"If Li joined Juventus, it would only disrupt the existing tactical ecosystem."

"Dybala and Pjanic would have to make resource concessions, play unfamiliar positions, and miss their peak years."

"Allegri might produce a goal-scoring machine like 'Divine Li' with record-breaking stats, but Juventus' few revival seeds might become wrecks, and total goals might even plummet significantly."

The commentator's partner furrowed his brow: "How do these lines sound so familiar? Isn't this just like the public opinion before Pirlo joined Juventus years ago?"

Impossible.

Arsenal couldn't possibly sell their two-hundred-million-euro man.

34th minute of the match.

Alves threw in a touchline ball.

Pjanic, pulled to the flank, lifted his foot and tapped.

The ball instantly returned to the feet of the Barça castoff.

Not giving nearby Monreal and Zakaria time to intercept.

This time Alves didn't make a wide switch to the left for a mismatched attack, but chose to break through himself!

"This time not left, but right!"

"No, it's the center!"

"Alves is simply a gift from Barça to Juventus — the old lady spent not a single penny on transfer fees and reaped a Champions League right-wing destroyer."

The Barça castoff's performance in Serie A was ordinary, but he excelled in the Champions League.

Reaching the thirty-meter zone.

Alves delivered a precise diagonal pass.

Higuain dragged Koschelney, then intentionally let the ball slip at the moment of contact!

"What a great layoff!"

"Koschelney had no choice."

"Dybala!"

Dybala's burst speed isn't fast.

Forward run.

Receiving the ball.

Kicking.

A series of moves left Mustafi feeling no threat, easily completing an early lateral shift to block the shooting angle.

Smack!

The football slammed hard into the two-meter giant's buttocks; after dissipating the force, Cech quickly booted it clear, clearing to the front.

At Turin's Allianz Stadium, waves of regretful sounds rose.

Alves couldn't help but want to punch the turf.

As Messi's longtime right-wing partner, he anxiously thought: 'If this ball were Messi's, he'd surely accelerate, change direction to beat the defender, then fake past the keeper and score into an empty net...'

The football floated aimlessly toward the right side of the midfield line.

Giroud and Khedira leapt simultaneously for the header, the ball was laid off to the advancing Li Kang.

"Cech's clearance actually turned into a high-quality counterattack long pass."

"Juventus' midfield reacted quickly, the killing net is back up!"

"Morata can't drop back to support now; if he returns, the front line lacks a finisher, and Arsenal's counterattack won't work."

Pjanic is a technical player, but he runs well and has exceptional situational judgment.

At this moment he had already braced... against Li Kang, who had just released the ball.

He decisively stabbed at the ball.

Li Kang pulled with his left foot, then brought his right foot in, adjusting his body's tendency while flipping Mr. Bosnia over!

The phantom of the blue-white Baggio recondensed, glowing with dazzling white light.

"Suave!"

"Is he playing the violin? His footwork is too exquisite."

"Signature ball-pull dribble!"

The stands erupted in waves of astonishment.

Piero in the commentary booth froze: How does he look somewhat familiar?

Hedira Bjirulo was a beat faster, rushing swiftly toward Li Kang.

The German midfielder in good condition is Europe's T0 tier.

While making a close interception, he also blocked Giroud as a passing point, killing the wall-pass combination.

Facing Li Kang dribbling toward him, Hedira confidently stepped out with his left leg.

An astonishing scene occurred.

Li Kang slowed his speed, his footwork strange and elusive.

Pa!

The football slid past the tip of Hedira's shoe.

The German midfielder stared blankly: What the hell is this precise footwork?

No time to turn around.

Li Kang lightly jumped, leaping over the top of the opponent's shoe.

Two seconds later.

He surged past the center circle line and received the ball passed to himself.

"Baggio?"

"Baggio!"

"Li Kang paid tribute to Baggio at Juventus' home ground!"

Juventus' backline heavenly squad stood ready.

Buffon began forming hand seals.

The "false defensive midfielder" Chiellini pressed forward, while Bonucci and Barzagli quickly contracted the midfield, wary of Morata.

Li Kang did not change direction.

Dribbling the ball, he charged straight toward Chiellini.

The latter remained calm, carefully observing the rhythm of Arsenal's number 10's charge.

Up close, one must not be trapped in footwork.

After closing in, it becomes a one-on-one balance of power struggle.

The forty thousand spectators in the stadium involuntarily grew tense.

Piero's gaze became dazed, his right hand gripping the Aurora steel pen tightly.

Forty-meter zone.

Arsenal's number 10 met Juventus' number 3.

Everyone awaited an artistic display of breakthrough and defense...

An unexpected event occurred.

Li Kang made a sudden stop.

His left leg swayed slightly.

The football instantly left the instep, rising swiftly.

Chiellini was caught off guard.

"Not a chip over the man!"

"It's a long pass!"

"Li Kang, in this high-speed state, still managed to stop and send out an instep-back arc long pass!"

"Morata, always in sync with Li Kang."

The blue-white phantom faded away helplessly with the wind.

Li Kang continued charging forward.

He did not continue the breakthrough following Baggio's mindset.

Because ahead there was still a shooter—Morata—whose attributes were nearly perfect except for shooting.

The football landed on the grass, bounced into a zigzag, and landed perfectly in front of Morata.

Bonucci and Barzagli one retreated, one pressed.

Morata accelerated!

In an instant, he displayed tremendous explosive speed, brutally breaking through Juventus' defensive line!

"Bonucci can't keep up in speed!"

"Barzagli only has straight-line speed!"

"The positional gap keeps widening!"

"One-on-one!"

"Morata! Can he break the deadlock?"

Buffon did not come out, calmly observing his old teammate's foot shape.

Before, he often practiced one-on-one shooting drills with Morata.

Understand the opponent's shooting habits.

And know that his preferred foot is the right foot...

However, judging from the rhythm of his steps, I truly can't tell which foot this kid will shoot with!

The Zebra Corps' goalkeeper, as if encountering the most difficult multiple-choice question of his career: Which foot will Morata shoot with!

Morata's eyes showed confidence.

One-on-one, he has never panicked; whether he scores or not is another matter.

Having been pressed by Juventus for so long, he cannot let down the opportunity Li created.

Thud!

Right foot!

Shoot to the far corner!

Morata's shooting posture was incredibly handsome.

The football whistled as it flew toward the far goalpost!

Buffon also made a diving save in the blink of an eye.

His body stretched to the extreme.

The blue gloves could not reach the football.

Because... with a clang!

"Goalpost!"

"Huh?"

The joys and sorrows of the two teams, as the football's deflection direction... were settled.

Juventus' net trembled.

The scoreboard on the large screen in mid-air changed: 0:1!

!

"Goal!"

"Li Kang's solo run! One touch, one pass! A leisurely stroll tearing apart Serie A's top defense!"

"The stronger he meets, the stronger Morata becomes, breaking through Juventus' gate."

"He didn't celebrate, out of respect for his former team... he turned to find Li Kang to celebrate!"

"Buffon unfortunately, he predicted the shot direction correctly, but the ball hit the post and deflected!"

"Too late!"

"Look at the replay again!"

"Elegant!"

"Light and agile footwork!"

"Mysterious step rhythm!"

"He used the elegant style of Apennine football to defeat the Apennine powerhouse!"

"Undisputed goal!"

"Li Kang assisted, Morata scored, the two joined hands to help Arsenal gain a leading advantage, a precious away goal as valuable as gold!"

The Arsenal fans' cheers were soon drowned out.

Extreme Juventus fans in the south stand burst into a chorus of boos.

Arsenal's number 10's left foot, his playing style, resembled exactly the person they hated.

Morata excitedly patted his own right thigh.

"Li, it's like a dream, I just felt I could see the deflection path of your pass after it landed... not neurasthenia!"

"Damn it, why does a curly-haired silhouette keep appearing in my mind!"

Teammates also arrived at this moment.

Sanchez shoved Morata hard to the ground.

Everyone piled on.

They stacked up into a high Arhat.

On the sidelines, Maguire, warming up anxiously: "Don't hurt Li by pressing him down!"

Someone was happy.

Someone was sad.

Pjanic brushed grass off his butt, wearing a helpless expression: Again knocked over by Li.

Hedi stared at the goal replay on the big screen, savoring the moment of his duel with Li Kang.

Chiellini looked apologetic.

Buffon kicked the goalpost twice, cursing, then picked up the ball and threw it to the most eager Mandzukic.

Live stream.

Bullet comments flew.

-【Li Mingdeng's kicking style is too cool, like Baggio but not like Baggio! I thought he'd break through all the way!】

-【Morata's shooting technique is too superb, exquisite to the finest detail!】

-【Still gotta praise Cech's long pass, Giroud's aerial duel!】

-【The highlight of this goal, never gets old no matter how many times you watch.】

-【Elegant.】

-【Dribble past, charge half-field, soul-stirring through pass!】

-【Pianici is in such a bad state, clearly Li Kang used technique to shake him off, yet he still had to endure a violent collision head-on.】

-【That's because he reacts quickly and can keep up with Xiao Li Zi's movements.】

-【Clearly Juventus controlled the situation, yet they conceded a goal from Arsenal's counterattack—who is the spear and who is the shield?】

-【Are the brothers in a draw doing okay? Is the wind strong on the rooftop?】

【Sideline.】

【After Boerde's passionate celebration, he scratched his head in confusion: "Captain, we haven't even made tactical adjustments yet... and we already scored?"】

【Our left flank was so heavily pressured in the first half!】

【Yet we still scored first?】

【Happiness came too suddenly...】

【Wenger excitedly nodded and grabbed Maguire, who had just returned from warming up.】

【"Do you remember what the coaching staff told you about Mandzukic's characteristics?"】

【Maguire nodded seriously, pulling out a small notebook from his training pants, filled with dense notes and messy sketches.】

【"Take off your pants! Get ready to go on the field!"】

【Facing a traditional Serie A powerhouse, Wenger is not inferior to anyone.】

【On the other side.】

【Allegri rubbed his forehead.】

【His expression twisted again into a "jiong" face.】

【He rubbed his face, and the Juventus head coach quickly returned to normal.】

【"Arsenal's left-wing defense won't hold for long."】

【Commentary bench.】

【Piero came back from his daze.】

【"That's right, Li's playing style is a bit like Baggio's."】

【"The key to Arsenal being able to launch a complete attack is still that soulful through-ball he delivered when facing Chiellini!"】

【"A genius's choice."】

【"Vision, timing, power, trajectory, and the ground-bending zigzag after landing—it can be called masterful."】

【"Very intelligent... team awareness is also extremely strong, without being overly sticky on the ball."】

【"He's only 19 this year; I and Ronaldo were just as excellent at his age..."】

【His knee was patted by his teammate.】

【The old zebra prince suddenly realized something was wrong and quickly corrected himself:】

【"This goal was merely swept away by the goddess of fortune—Arsenal had no chance to expand their lead!"】

【"Mandzukic is doing as he pleases on the left flank!"】

【"Juventus is very close to equalizing; we'll soon take the lead!"】

【"Look! Wenger is old, yet he made a substitution adjustment before halftime even ended!"】

【Maguire stood outside the center circle, lifted his jersey, and scratched his belly.】

【With a confident expression.】

【He also made several hand gestures indicating tactical adjustments.】

【The fourth official raised the LED number board.】

【After a few seconds of silence, the Juventus coaching staff immediately resumed busy activity, every face etched with anxiety.】

【CTV5 commentators also seemed a bit doubtful:】

【"Did Arsenal make a substitution adjustment at this time point?"】

【"Oh! Maguire substituted for Beirelin!"】

【"Is Wenger trying to give up attacking on the left flank?"】

【"Maguire is a heavy center-back and cannot provide the overlapping forward runs expected of a full-back."】

【The battered Beirelin, as if relieved of a burden,】

【walked slowly off the pitch amid Juventus fans' boos.】

【He even specially hugged Maguire for several seconds.】

【The match resumed.】

【Yin Guain passed the ball back to Pianici after kickoff.】

【Juventus continued to maintain their steady advancing rhythm.】

【The speed of ball passing was not fast.】

【When advancing past the forty-meter zone.】

【The football flew again toward the left flank!】

【Mandzukic quickly arrived at the landing point, adjusted his body, and his eyes were firm.】

【Even with a substitution, it cannot stop me.】

【At the moment of receiving the ball with his back to the goal, a huge force suddenly came from behind!】

【Turn!】

【Can't turn?】

【The Croatian forward felt as if he were being vigorously shoved by a pig!】

【What the hell is this?】

【How can an Arsenal substitute defender have such strong physical confrontation?】

The two were locked in a tight struggle.

Not just their bodies, but their thighs too!

The flank pivot couldn't smoothly pass the ball; even if Juventus widened their attack, it was useless!

"A clever move."

"Use a heavy center-back to counter the flank pivot!"

"Wenger's substitution adjustment is too brilliant!"

"Maguire poked the ball out of bounds... huh? From the direction the linesman raised his flag, it looks like Arsenal's throw-in?"

"Oh! During their tussle, Maguire poked the ball onto Mandžukić's knee! It deflected out for a throw-in!"

"A great adjustment!"

Mandžukić's face flushed as he slowly adjusted his breathing.

Maguire's clothes were disheveled, his expression complex... he looked somewhat unsatisfied.

He lacked Bellerín's agility and speed, but wasn't afraid of physical confrontations with opponents.

Moreover, the balls coming from the left flank were all high balls!

Contesting headers?

Maguire wasn't inferior in aerial duels.

The commentary booth.

Piero pondered for a long time, finally settling on a way to describe it.

"Wenger's substitution was foolish."

"He completely abandoned the full-backs' role in supporting the attack."

"Maguire left Arsenal's flank attack paralyzed."

His partner beside him twitched the corner of his mouth.

Arsenal had taken the lead with an away goal.

Wenger brought on a heavy center-back, completely neutralizing Mandžukić's role as a pivot on the left flank.

Play resumed.

Both sides exchanged attacks, but neither created anything significant.

Even the old workhorse Giroud didn't stay in midfield to support; he dropped back again to defend in front of the penalty area.

Maguire continued his tussle with Mandžukić, not aiming to win the ball, but to disrupt the opponent's passing speed, delay Juventus' overall attacking rhythm, and then release Li Kang.

Allegri had no choice but to shift the attacking direction to the right flank.

But Li Kang and Zakaria could always easily disrupt the connection between Alves and Dybala.

Accordingly.

Arsenal also couldn't easily threaten Juventus' penalty area.

Pjanić and Khedira no longer built any defensive layers; once they lost possession, they quickly withdrew to defend, no longer obsessing over marking Li Kang.

Chiellini dared not play as a "false holding midfielder" anymore, dropping deeper and forming a parallel defensive line with Bonucci and Barzagli.

At the Allianz Stadium in Turin, the dull scene gradually made even the boos almost disappear.

Beep! Beep-beep~

The main referee blew the whistle for halftime.

"A hard-fought battle, not lacking exciting moments!"

"Young Li Kang initiated the attack, leading the Gunners to take the lead!"

"Juventus must consider the stamina of their veterans; Allegri must make timely substitution adjustments!"

"Dear viewers, please take a short break; we'll now go to an advertisement segment..."

Welbeck approached Li Kang earnestly, holding a dry towel and sports drink.

Li Kang rubbed his eyes, the phantom of the Inter Milan number 10 in black and blue flickering faintly.

Inter's Baggio?

In Baggio's tragic career, he played for Fiorentina, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Brescia.

His deepest affection was for Fiorentina.

His happiest time was at Brescia.

His favorite club was the black-and-blue army...