Chapter 377

Juventus penalty area, the image froze.

Buffon leapt high, straining every muscle to raise his right palm to its limit, yet still could not reach that streak of rainbow.

The beautiful arc ultimately grazed the junction of crossbar and post, ending in Juventus' net.

2:1!

!

A flood of cheers shook the Emirates Stadium to a slight tremor.

"Night of the comeback!"

"North London's rainbow!"

"Unbelievable arc!"

"Under interference from two defenders, he kicked out this goal as if it were a work of art!"

"Turn the tide!"

"Brace!"

"Li Kang defended the Emirates Stadium's dignity with two different scoring methods, defended Arsenal's Champions League dream!"

"A great moment!"

"Undisputed goal!"

"Mustafi assisted, Li Kang chipped and scored, Arsenal completed the comeback!"

Live stream.

Bullet comments flew.

-【My 4:1, haha!】

-【Why is Li Mingdeng trying so hard tonight? My Juventus.】

-【The first leg was so tough... or was it luck that let Morata's goal slip in, resulting in three goals before halftime in the second leg?】

-【They turned tragedy into comedy outright.】

-【Mustafi redeemed himself with his assist, his pass was decisive.】

-【I still favor Juventus, football is a team sport, Li Kang playing like this... his stamina won't last 70 minutes.】

Li Kang shoved off Barzagli and Alves pressing on him.

He struggled to his feet.

Night wind swept through the net, lifting his jersey.

His whole-body fatigue seemed instantly blown away.

【Comprehensive bonus: Perpetual Motion Heart (Legendary).】

Pirlo's phantom hovered with guilt, turning into specks of golden starlight that sank into Li Kang's feet.

In God's perspective, the left side of the penalty area was occupied by red, lingering long.

The shot value in the attribute panel still had not returned to normal.

No time to think deeply.

Teammates swarmed, lifting him high, rushing toward the corner flag area in a crush.

Mustafi's eye sockets reddened slightly.

He very much wanted to apologize for the opening own goal.

Cazorla saw his thoughts, encouraging: "You played too brilliantly, great assist!"

Distance.

Buffon helplessly shook his head.

Bonucci kept apologizing to his defensive partners.

Barzagli shoved aside the chattering Alves.

Only those who had personally marked Li Kang tonight could feel his terror.

Commentary booth.

Pirlo's gaze was deep, fixed on Arsenal's No. 10 rising and falling near the corner flag.

His thoughts drifted unbidden.

The constantly turning pen, unknown when it fell to the ground.

He noticed nothing.

He shook his head, finally coming to.

"A talented youngster."

"A shot that astonished all."

Endlessly savored, a paragon of green-field artistry in its arc.

"A modest, introverted darling of the pitch."

"Hope his career doesn't endure too many regrets..."

The assistant looked dazed.

Pirlo quickly adjusted his emotions.

"The match isn't as difficult as imagined!"

"There's still plenty of time; if Juventus scores two more away goals, they can reach the final!"

"The zebra army's warriors can achieve all this."

Sideline.

After Boerde's wild celebration, he rubbed his eyes again, focusing intently on the LED scoreboard hanging in midair.

"Boss, it's like a dream—we're ahead."

"This summer transfer window, let's sign a superstar—stop obsessing over cheap little shrimps!"

Wenger smiled and shook his head.

On the other side.

Allegri sat on the bench, silent.

His tactical deployment had no flaws.

It's just that in individual duels... Li Kang's form was too good.

London suburbs, a private vineyard.

Neymar wore a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, watching the Champions League semifinal live on his phone.

His father, Santos, was chatting and laughing with Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis.

They just couldn't understand each other's sense of humor.

After all, Santos only cared about young models and money.

In this era, the "Football World's Three Big Child-Schemers": Neymar's dad, Pogba's brother, and Rabiot's mom.

"We don't want to stay at Barça, but many clubs are interested in us."

"If Arsenal can't offer Premier League top wages, then there's nothing to talk about!"

"Dreams? You damn well invited us to London just to talk about dreams?"

Santos jabbed the table with his index finger, tone resolute: "Premier League top wage and core position! If you can't offer it, forget it."

Gazidis had a black line across his face.

He originally invited Neymar's agent, but didn't expect the father and son duo to show up together.

Damn it.

The Arsenal board's bunch of bastards... shouldn't have fired Wenger's gold medal scout, the chief transfer negotiator.

He rubbed his bald head.

Gazidis could only force a smile, though he'd already lined up his next job: Serie A giants—AC Milan.

This guy's professional attitude is still proper.

Maintaining the positive mindset of "doing a good job for one day on duty."

At parting.

The Arsenal CEO squeezed out: "Do you crave the Ballon d'Or?"

Santos shook his head, about to speak, but was cut off by his son raising a hand.

Neymar took a deep breath.

Gazidis seized the moment:

"Your style fits Arsenal perfectly."

"Which forward in the world wouldn't want to play alongside a genius midfielder like Li?"

"Look at Welbeck and Morata..."

Emirates Stadium.

Time passed unnoticed.

Juventus, trailing in score, maintained steady morale.

The experienced Zebras weren't easily discouraged or impatient; despite repeated setbacks, they still patiently probed Arsenal's defense.

The Gunners' fans' hearts unconsciously rose again.

A section of Islington fans were dissatisfied with the team's conservative tactics.

Last season.

Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League, often faced boos even when leading.

Criticized by local fans: lacking the aesthetic appeal of beautiful football.

"Li Kang's running distance is exaggerated."

"This should be one of Wenger's strategies—temporarily patching the squad's weaknesses."

"Arsenal will likely sub him off around the 70th minute of the second half..."

"Beautiful!"

"Sandro's pass was a mistake."

"Arsenal's counterattack is coming again!"

47th minute of the match, injury time.

Bellerin intercepted the ball.

His explosive speed is abnormal.

After bursting forward several meters, he carved out a safe passing lane.

He decisively played a diagonal through-ball!

The red-and-white wave surged again, sweeping across Juventus' half.

Morata, while running, flicked the ball with his heel.

He happened to avoid Chiellini's frontal tackle.

Where are Khedira and Pjanic? These two guys pushed forward to attack and couldn't get back in time!

The ball rolled to Welbeck's feet on the right flank.

Xiao Heidan's speed isn't slow either.

He seized the "corridor" left by Sandro after he joined the attack.

After receiving the ball, he began to sprint fiercely.

"The biggest difference between the two teams is still overall speed."

"Even a depleted Arsenal still possesses a formidable attacking pace!"

"See how this ball is handled!"

Welbeck, swaying his head and body, dribbled the ball into the right side of the penalty area.

He came to an abrupt stop.

He had no intention of getting past Bonucci!

Juventus' defensive backline remains very strong.

Arsenal teammates had already stretched the attacking width.

Welbeck was on the far left, Morata in the center, and Cazorla diagonally behind.

Without hesitation.

Welbeck accelerated again, pushing the ball toward the byline.

After creating a safer passing lane,

he unleashed a powerful kick with his left foot.

Thwack!

Not a cross sweeping across the front of the goal.

But an inverted triangle pass.

The target was not Cazorla at the top of the penalty arc.

But Li Kang, who arrived late and surged into the left side of Juventus' penalty area!

Little Black Egg's eyes were full of anticipation: only Li would make one feel that an assist is a simple matter.

"Broad vision."

"Excellent game-reading ability."

"He found the perfect timing for Li Kang's forward run!"

"Beautiful!"

The "Piero Zone" from God's perspective blazed with light.

Li Kang raised his right leg high.

Meeting the ball.

Volleyed strike!

Thwack!

A rainbow-like arc reappeared!

Buffon's pupils contracted, as if facing a great enemy!

Still coming?

Again kicking such a high-difficulty arc shot from the left side of the penalty area?

This time, he remained helpless against Turin's rainbow...

In despair.

The Italian goalkeeper heard a chorus of regretful sounds.

He turned his head.

The football had already flown into the stands...

Li Kang thought for a moment, imitating his teammates' familiar gesture: he gave Welbeck a thumbs-up.

Little Black Egg looked guilty.

"Li, sorry, it must be my fault for not passing well."

"What a pity."

"Li Kang just missed killing off the qualification suspense!"

"Missed the hat-trick by a whisker."

"But this shot was too beautiful."

"A high-difficulty volley!"

"Arsenal once again sounded the alarm for Juventus."

"Oh! At this moment, the referee blew the whistle for halftime."

"Let us take a brief rest..."

Commentary booth.

Piero's mouth twitched:

"This kid's shot conversion rate... is actually not much different from when I was young."

Before his cruciate ligament tear, the Bianconeri Prince, when shooting, often pursued excessive arc and angle, frequently drawing criticism from media and fans.

Clearly, a simple tap-in would have sufficed.

Yet he insisted on curling the ball.

Li Kang walked off the pitch slowly.

Boerde and the logistics staff immediately gathered around him.

They handed him a dry towel to wipe his sweat.

Gave him a sports drink.

Peeling a banana, they brought it to his lips...

Dybala watched this scene from afar, surprised: "Li is enjoying the treatment of a boxer!"

Pjanic scratched his buttocks, looking envious.

"Li is too tired; in the first half he was basically running for his life."

"He didn't conserve any energy, no matter at what point in time."

A moment later.

Arsenal locker room.

The coaching staff reviewed the tactical details of the first half.

No chicken soup.

The Gunners spent most of the first half in a low defensive posture.

Energy consumption was huge.

Boerde urged the players to seize the time to rest and replenish energy.

Wenger felt a bit guilty.

After repeatedly confirming Li Kang's physical condition, he overturned his own halftime substitution adjustment.

Cannot substitute Li off.

Substituting him would cause collapse.

The Zebra Army will fight desperately in the second half.

Thus.

Wenger found Cech, handed him a small note, and repeated three times the shooting habits of Juventus attacking players.

Years of experience with dropped chains.

Made the Arsenal coaching staff uneasy.

Juventus locker room.

Alves and Bonucci had another argument.

The cause was still samba music.

"I won three Champions Leagues at Barcelona; even in the final I played music and danced like this."

"Conceding a goal isn't my fault."

"Who the hell doesn't want to win?"

Seeing that the two were about to fight.

Chiellini and Buffon rushed to separate them.

Mandzukic had a complex expression: with these two idiots, does the team still have a chance to turn things around?

If Juventus loses, the blunt-speaking Croatian striker will definitely expose this internal conflict in front of media reporters.

Amid the chaos.

Bang!

Allegri kicked the tactical board hard.

The locker room instantly fell silent.

Barzagli quickly picked up the tactical board.

Juventus head coach shook his head; in his philosophy: precious fifteen minutes of rest time is not for resolving conflicts.

Flicking the magnetic flag.

Began explaining tactical adjustments.

A moment later.

He called Bonucci, Dybala, and Mandzukic to one side.

Halftime break ended.

The referee team led both teams' players back onto the green field.

The Emirates Stadium soon resumed its noise.

"Dear viewers, welcome back."

"Now broadcasting live is the second leg of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League semi-final."

"Arsenal home versus Juventus."

"The current score is 2:1!"

"The Old Lady still has 45 minutes left."

"The qualification suspense remains!"

"Juventus made the first substitution adjustment."

"Cuadrado substituted for Alves!"

"This substitution is hard to understand; could it be that the samba winger is injured?"

"No big deal; Cuadrado is one of the few speed guarantees in the Zebra Army."

Allegri's expression was stern.

Cannot resolve the internal conflict in a short time.

Then first resolve the player causing the internal conflict.

Beep!

Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The second half officially began.

Arsenal possession.

Verbeek passed the ball back to Li Kang.

No soft backheel.

The arsenal planned to seize the opening of the second half!

The football was quickly passed between the red and white jerseys.

Yin Wobi easily shook off Cuadrado's pressing... without Alves' interception, the Arsenal youngster on the left flank was in his element.

But he soon realized something was off: Cuadrado's tracking back ability is strong.

"Don't hold onto the ball."

"Good thing, Li Kang provided timely support!"

"One touch, played to Casola in the middle!"

"Casola is that kind of 'looks average on paper, but truly indispensable without him' key figure."

"In past matches, if he didn't play, Li Kang would be forced to play very passively on his own."

"Fried meatballs!"

"Shaken off Pjanic!"

"Now the timing for a pass is just right!"

"Arsenal again has a chance to threaten the opponent's penalty area!"

Arsenal ultimately failed to complete this full attack.

Without Sanchez this super explosive point, it's hard to tear apart the defense.

After all, it's impossible to let Li Kang do two people's work in different spaces.

The Zebra Army's back line won't suffer a third loss.

Hediira dropped back, strengthening the three-center-back's depth defensive layer, then coordinating with teammates, he ruthlessly crushed the weakest Yin Wobi and Verbeek.

Under the premise of cutting off passing connections.

Morata will also indirectly "passive invisibility".

55th minute of the match.

"Chiellini's perfect tackle!"

"Passed the ball to Bonucci."

"Direct dribble advance?"

"Bon forward!"

Bonucci is very smart.

After Arsenal lost possession, the first priority is not to counter-press, but to quickly retreat and defend.

Juventus center-back skilled in advancing and distributing the ball, easily shook off Verbeek, then dribbled forward!

Buffon raised both hands, directing his frontline teammates to press forward quickly.

Boom!

In the sky above the Emirates Stadium, a large arc was traced.

"Bonucci's long pass, was taught hand-in-hand by a group of Italian midfield veterans."

"He doesn't pursue precision, but he grasps the weak zones very accurately!"

"Mandzukic!"

"Header flick-on!"

"Played to Dybala!"

"Should have done this long ago, directly long ball over the top to hit the space behind, how simple!"

Maguire and Musatifi's turning speed is slow.

Dybala is like a little fish, threading through Arsenal's back line parallel line.

His speed is not fast either.

But the first three touches are world-class.

Receiving the ball.

Adjusting.

Shooting.

A seamless connection process with no flaws to pick out.

The speed of the movement is so fast that the goalkeeper finds it hard to make an accurate prediction in a short time.

Pa!

Ground shot!

The football skimmed the turf, racing toward the near corner!

Cech quickly dived sideways, steadily securing the football.

"God save!"

"That black tank cap of his, continuing his Champions League legend."

"In this season, we often overlook Arsenal's goalkeeper god!"

"Cech's save opportunities are too few."

Dybala clutched his head with both hands.

The Argentine youngster couldn't help but daydream: if Messi were me, what way would I choose to score?

Too bad he forgot.

Even if it were Messi, over nine years of facing Cech eight times... he never managed to break through the opponent's goal.

Manzhukeqi clapped his hands, encouraging his teammates.

The tenacious Croatian striker was unwilling to admit defeat so easily.

A fierce battle.

The match returned to the style of the first leg.

Li Kang led the depleted Arsenal squad into a war of attrition against Juventus.

Time passed.

The hearts of the Juventus fans gradually rose to their throats.

The commentary booth.

Piero was also boosting morale.

"Any team will have weaknesses."

"Football is a game of eleven players."

"No matter how outstanding Li's performance is, it cannot make up for..."

"Cuadrado is too sticky with the ball; he lacks that steady composure."

68th minute of the match.

The youngster Yin Wobi made a mark.

He did so in the process of intercepting Cuadrado.

Without considering any balance of power...

Taking advantage of the opponent twisting his waist and hips.

He flicked it with his foot.

Smack!

The ball bounced off Cuadrado's heel and flew out of bounds.

The ball boy at the Emirates Stadium wanted to delay the game a bit: Arsenal was leading.

Boerde quickly threw the ball to Montreál, signaling him to take it quickly.

Their movements had no hesitation whatsoever.

Throw-in from outside the field—catch outside the field—throw the ball onto the pitch!

The Juventus players were dazed.

When they came to their senses.

The ball had already crossed the midfield circle and arrived at Li Kang's feet.

"A surprise quick throw-in!"

"The timing was seized perfectly."

"Arsenal meant no mercy on their home ground!"

"Momentum!"

"An unstoppable momentum!"

Li Kang's sprinting speed kept increasing.

As long as he had possession and space.

All the buffs on his body could be perfectly realized.

Pass, trap, shoot—nothing was beyond him.

Juventus' backline defenders dared not recklessly lose position to press forward; instead, they maintained distance and steadily retreated and contracted.

Midfield and forward players frenziedly tracked back.

Morata, Welbeck, and Yin Wobi also exerted every ounce of strength, sprinting desperately.

The opportunity to kill the qualification suspense.

Was right before their eyes.

Li Kang's speed kept increasing, as if entering a land with no one.

Cutting in from the left flank into the penalty area!

In God's perspective, Piero's area lit up with white radiance again.

Barzagli and Bonucci could retreat no further.

They decisively closed in to double-team.

In Li Kang's vision, another black-and-white number 10 phantom suddenly appeared.

It was not Piero.

But the zebra Baggio.

His stance froze instantly.

The True Eye burst forth.

Consecutive ball control.

Two changes of direction.

Creating space.

A slight swing of the right foot.

Strike the near corner!

Without violent power.

Without a light arc.

The football resembled a scalpel, directly piercing through Bonucci's crotch.

Lunging toward the near corner.

Buffon's heart was like dead ashes.

What feeling.

Rock-paper-scissors, Li, this honest guy, threw rock twice in a row, and on the third throw he actually threw scissors!

Not all are magic rainbows.

But a nimble, ground-hugging scalpel overflowing with ball sense!

Clang!

The football slammed heavily into the post.

Rebounds toward the center of the penalty area, and when it touched a pink football shoe, it underwent another refraction.

Even if there were two Buffons, in the blink of an eye they could not guard the goal...

Juventus' net was lifted again.

3:1!

!

Welbeck lowered his head to look at his pink football shoes, his expression somewhat dazed.

When he heard the deafening roar of cheers.

He quickly reacted, impatiently lunging toward Li Kang.

The commentator swallowed the words "hat trick" hard.

"Penalty area black fox!"

"Welbeck!"

"Top-class poacher!"

"Naturally born finishing touch..."

"No offside!"

"The greatest credit for this goal still belongs to Li Kang."

"He dances in Juventus' penalty area!"

"Elegant, carefree!"

"Unfortunately hit the post."

Live broadcast room.

Danmu flying everywhere.

-【My 4:1.】

-【Welbeck this guy isn't just standing still? Stepped in dog shit luck, the football just happened to hit his foot.】

-【Juventus conceded only three goals in all their previous Champions League matches, but now they've conceded three in one night...】

-【Who can calculate how many more goals Juventus need to score to qualify?】

-【Li Mingdeng, super killer weapon.】

-【I want to go all-in on Arsenal winning the Champions League title.】

Li Kang bent down to adjust his shin guard.

Two crisp sounds came from beside his ear.

Crystal Palace mascot - two little eagles, belatedly arriving.

【Crystal Palace totem: Pete and Alice, effect unknown.】

Emirates Stadium, the scarves and team flags on the bowl-shaped stands formed a vast red-and-white ocean.

Eleven years later.

The Gunners are about to enter the Champions League final again.

Wenger struggled to suppress his inner joy.

Boerde and the substitute players celebrated by clutching their heads.

The injured on the stands waved their arms and shouted loudly.

Commentary desk.

Piero took off his tie.

"There's still time."

"Juventus won't give up easily..."

Helpless.

The zebra army might lose to a young man very similar to themselves.

Allegri felt lost and dejected.

He couldn't figure it out.

Why.

Why would a depleted Arsenal give birth to a super Li?

Is it because of the problem of ball possession distribution and defensive resource utilization?

No time to think about these.

Juventus head coach made another substitution adjustment.

The upcoming match.

The zebra army lacked the expected tenacious counterattack.

They are too old.

The backline of the Heavenly Team, aside from Bonucci, the remaining Barzagli, Chiellini, Buffon... were all old enough to be the fathers of Yin Wobi and Li Kang.

Surprisingly, Li Kang was still running all over the field.

"Won't he get tired?"

"What terrifying stamina!"

"Strong physique, astonishing speed, precise defensive positioning, decisive tackling!"

"Juventus' midfield and forward attacks... are becoming harder and harder to link together."

"Li Kang and his teammates, with this rough approach, forced Juventus' weaknesses into the open."

"Mandzukic is old."

"Yin Guain is too fat."

"Pjanic's feet are too hot."

"..."

Finally.

The head referee blew the whistle signaling the end of the match.

Arsenal 3:1 Juventus.

Carrying glory and dreams.

After an eleven-year hiatus, Arsenal once again stepped onto the decisive stage atop Europe.