Football: What Happened To Going To The Nightclub? I Have To Score

"We shouted in the stadium!"

"We come from all directions!"

"Flags fly high! Blue and purple are his colors!"

"The team is brave and hardworking, let us shout his name!"

"Barça! Barça! Barça!"

Camp Nou, the sacred ground for Barcelona fans around the world.

Some say there are three of the most dangerous places in the world: Longtan, Hucheng, and Camp Nou!

This stadium has symbolized Barcelona's glory for over 60 years. From Cruyff to Koeman, from Rivaldo to Ronaldinho, and now Messi, countless legendary players have created unforgettable moments here.

To the Catalans, this is not just a stadium.

From the "Dream Team" era to the "MSN winning the Champions League," Barcelona has transitioned from glory to decline in recent years. Yet, the tens of thousands of fans here still hope their team will rise again and reach the pinnacle once more.

Rumors about Neymar's potential move to Paris are intensifying, and it seems likely that Barcelona will lose this Samba star over the summer. Messi's contract extension is also up in the air, and MSN's breakup feels inevitable.

If they don't win the Champions League this time, the chances of doing so in the next 10 years seem slim.

However, standing in their way is the most terrifying goal machine—Su Luo—and a complete Chelsea squad.

Conceding a goal in the first 5 minutes is a huge blow.

But so what?

Camp Nou is the place where miracles happen!

Not long ago, in the quarter-finals, Barcelona experienced the impossible. After losing 4-0 to Paris in the first leg, they came back to Camp Nou and triumphed 6-1, pulling off a historic reversal.

Chelsea has only scored one goal—what is that compared to the magic of MSN?

The upbeat Barcelona team song echoed through the stands, and the fans hoped their singing would energize the players on the field.

But for the Barcelona players, the crowd's support seemed to fall on deaf ears. Morale was inexplicably low.

"Chelsea is playing calmly after their dream start. Their high press is making Barcelona very uncomfortable," commented He Wei.

Another misplaced pass. Rakitic, trying to find Messi, handed the ball straight to Chelsea. The pass was baffling.

Twenty minutes in, and Barcelona hadn't posed any real threat to Chelsea's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.

With Barcelona's usual skills and coordination, they should have easily broken the press. But after conceding so early, they seemed rattled, even panicked.

Conte's aggressive defensive strategy had created a tight chain, separating Barcelona's three lines and leaving key players surrounded by "bodyguards." Their trademark tiki-taka style couldn't break through.

Without a strong target man up front, Barcelona struggled to send long passes forward. Suarez and Neymar aren't traditional tall center-forwards, so they had no advantage against Chelsea's physical defenders like Rudiger and David Luiz.

This forced Messi to drop deep to help with passing, drastically reducing Barcelona's attacking threat.

After 20 minutes, Barcelona, with the world's strongest front trio in MSN, had not managed a single shot on target.

Zero.

Messi and Suarez had both tried from outside the box, but neither hit the mark.

On the other hand, Chelsea frequently tested Ter Stegen's reflexes. Their approach was straightforward: hit long balls to Lukaku, who would either head it down to Ajar or Su Luo, both of whom would try to strike from near the penalty area.

Ajar's long-range shot had gone wide, but Su Luo broke into the penalty area twice, forcing Ter Stegen into two dramatic saves.

"How are they playing so well?" Messi thought, hands on his hips, looking bewildered in the midfield.

He could sense that this Barcelona team's mentality was nowhere near what it had been in 2015. It was nothing like the peak days of MSN.

Back then, everyone had the same goal. The focus was absolute. The 11 players moved as one. Now, it was different.

Everyone had their own agenda, and the hunger for the championship wasn't as intense. Neymar, especially, seemed distracted, perhaps already dreaming of Qatar's riches. His passing today had been erratic, almost careless. Messi didn't even feel like giving him the ball anymore.

On the opposite side, Su Luo was a constant threat every time he touched the ball.

The Barcelona players—and even their fans—seemed to experience a little PTSD whenever Su Luo gained possession. Hearts skipped a beat whenever he had the ball.

"Is this the pressure top players exert?" Messi wondered. He had always believed that if he worked hard enough, he could outplay anyone, even Su Luo.

But in today's direct contest, Messi could feel Su Luo's dominance. It was overwhelming. For the first time, Messi felt like an old wave being overtaken by a new, stronger one.

Barcelona's latest attack broke down, and Chelsea immediately launched a counter.

Courtois didn't hesitate, launching a long pass to Lukaku again.

In the midfield, no one could handle Lukaku at this point. Busquets tried desperately to outmuscle him, but at 200 pounds, Lukaku was an immovable force.

Busquets could only watch as Lukaku headed the ball down to Su Luo.

Uh-oh. The most dangerous player on the field now had the ball.

Rakitic rushed over to intercept, but Su Luo had already accelerated. He breezed past Rakitic with a brilliant touch, nutmegging him in the process.

"Beautiful! Su Luo has completely fooled Rakitic and passed him!" the commentator shouted.

"Barcelona's defense is in trouble!"

Alba, facing Su Luo, tried to force him out wide. Alba wasn't slow, and his plan was to grab Su Luo's jersey to slow him down.

But just as Alba reached out, Su Luo slammed on the brakes, executing a smooth change of direction. With a silky heel flick, he cut inside!

Alba stumbled forward a few steps, too late to recover.

"How is that possible?" Alba thought. "Dribbling at such high speed with that kind of flexibility? Even Messi can't do that!"

Su Luo was now unstoppable.

Umtiti moved forward to challenge him, but Su Luo easily dodged with a quick shoulder feint.

Su Luo dribbled past three defenders in a row!

"He's in the box! Su Luo!!!" shouted He Wei. "Is this going to be the second goal?"

Umtiti was struggling to catch up, and Piqué had raced over to block the shot.

Ter Stegen shuffled nervously, preparing to make a save.

But at the last second, Su Luo stopped abruptly, splitting Barcelona's defense wide open.

Then, he calmly slotted the ball into the near post.

Ter Stegen could only watch in despair as the ball smashed into the net.

2:0!!! Su Luo scores his second away goal, completing a brace!

"Camp Nou has fallen silent once again!"

In less than 40 minutes, Barcelona had conceded two goals, both to Chelsea's away tally.

The once-deafening chants of Barcelona fans began to fade. It wasn't that they didn't want to sing anymore; they simply couldn't. This situation was a heavy blow.

Barcelona's attack was sluggish, showing no sign of hope, while Chelsea grew more confident and dominant. Their high pressing completely disrupted Barcelona's rhythm and organization.

When you don't take them seriously, they seem harmless. But when you do—it's already too late.

Without Su Luo, Barcelona fans might not have been too worried. Even with players like Ajar and Lukaku, there would still be hope for an equalizer and maybe even a comeback.

But... Su Luo on the opposite side seemed possessed!

After watching Real Madrid fall to Union Berlin last season, Barcelona fans had stopped laughing at their rivals. Now, they couldn't help but think: Are we the clowns this time?

Without the fans' support, Barcelona's players seemed even more disjointed on the field.

But, after all, they are a storied club, and even in a weakened state, they still play instinctively, keeping ball control and minimizing turnovers.

The two sides battled in the midfield for what seemed like an eternity.

When the referee blew the halftime whistle, the Barcelona players felt a sense of relief—finally, a brief escape from the pressure.

At least for now...

"Well done, lads. But don't start celebrating yet."

In the Chelsea locker room, Conte praised the players but remained cautious.

"Remember AC Milan popping champagne at halftime?" he reminded them. "Even in 2055, people will still be talking about that."

The infamous collapse reminded players that a 3-goal lead is never safe.

"Barcelona's attack may not be firing on all cylinders, but don't forget—you're up against some of the top players in the world. Stay focused for the next 45 minutes, and once we finish this game, I'll personally take you all out to a nightclub in Barcelona!"

Going to celebrate at a disco after a win had become something of a Chelsea tradition.

While many teams have players who enjoy clubbing, there aren't many managers who lead the charge.

One reason Chelsea's squad has such a strong bond with Su Luo could be because he also liked to cut loose sometimes. But despite their post-match partying, no one allowed it to affect their form.

This is a team capable of winning a quadruple! Nobody wants to risk losing their starting spot.

Meanwhile, in Barcelona's locker room, the atmosphere was tense and bleak.

Luis Enrique, who usually had a good relationship with the players when things were going well, struggled to manage during adversity. Instead of helping ease the pressure, he let it get the best of him.

As the tension in the room built, Enrique exploded in frustration.

"We spent a whole month practicing defensive tactics for this game, and it's all gone to waste!"

"What kind of defense is this? A nightclub? How do you let that Chinese guy walk in and out at will?"

"It's easier for him to move around in our penalty area than it is for him to get back to his own house. Is this how you defend?"

"And what about our attack? Didn't I tell you all to be patient, to play with composure?"

"Instead, each of you is playing worse than the last!"

Though Enrique didn't call out any specific players by name, his eyes betrayed who he was blaming.

It was obvious he was looking at Umtiti, who had failed to put any pressure on Su Luo in two critical moments, allowing him to breeze past the defense.

He also seemed to be glaring at Neymar, who had been holding on to the ball too long and was sloppy in front of goal.

Suarez and Messi had worked hard, but they weren't in their best form, and their few chances on goal had been poorly executed.

As Enrique continued to rant, a cold voice suddenly cut through the air.

"Easy for you to say," someone muttered.

The Barcelona players turned in shock, only to find it was the usually good-natured Neymar who had spoken up.

"What did you just say?" Enrique barked, his face reddening. "You think it's easy to criticize my tactics?"

The two of them began arguing louder and louder, escalating into a full-blown confrontation.

Fortunately, their teammates and assistants intervened, quickly pulling them apart.

Messi sat nearby, shaking his head helplessly.

Is Barcelona about to fall from the top?

A rare sense of crisis crept into Messi's mind. The pressure from Su Luo was mounting, and Messi could feel it. If he stayed away from the Champions League for too long, Su Luo might surpass him before he even realized it.

Su Luo's progress was so rapid, it made Messi feel something unfamiliar—self-doubt.

Messi found himself thinking, Su Luo might truly be the best player in the world... and his era is just beginning.

But then, Messi clenched his fists.

"But!!!" he muttered through gritted teeth. "I'm not going to let you take the top spot so easily!"

"At the very least, I'll give you a real challenge!"

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