Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 574: Surrounded by Five Defenders, Stunned the World!

When Allegri saw Manchester City's goal, he showed no visible reaction, his face indifferent.

But deep down, he knew something was terribly wrong.

Tactically, he felt he had done everything possible.

This Juventus squad had nearly reached its full potential.

Even a 34-year-old Dani Alves, nearing the end of his career, had become a key player in their wide attack under his coaching.

Could this team improve any further?

It seemed unlikely—very unlikely.

Manchester City's goal wasn't the result of some brilliant tactical play; it was a simple trick: feinting one way while attacking from another.

Even relegation-threatened teams could pull off such a move, but the difference in execution between a top team and a weaker one was vast.

This straightforward tactic, in the hands of City's talented players, became far more potent.

Their ability to pass in tight spaces, quickly switch the ball, and manipulate Juventus' defense was something that most teams couldn't replicate.

Facing such an opponent, Allegri had no solution.

Tactically, they had reached their limit. The players couldn't elevate their individual skills any further, and this strategy was as effective as it could get.

But City's attacking power surpassed Juventus' defensive capabilities, leaving Allegri helpless.

With this defensive strategy, Juventus could neutralize 90% of Manchester City's attacks. Only plays like the one before—difficult even for City's star players—could break through their defense.

Thus, Allegri didn't make any major changes to their defense after the goal. He was satisfied with his players' performance.

If Khedira hadn't been injured and subbed off, perhaps they would have done even better.

Marchisio, unfamiliar with the defensive midfielder role, made an error during the defense, and if Khedira had been on the field, the situation might have been different.

But it wasn't time to despair just yet. There was still time left in the match, and Juventus needed just one more goal!

So, now the key was their attack.

If they couldn't score again, no matter how well they defended, it would be meaningless.

As the game resumed, Dani Alves poured all his energy into the attack, determined to make a difference.

In reality, he didn't need to prove himself. As one of the best right-backs the world had ever seen, few doubted his talent.

At most, people might think his age had caught up with him, making him less effective than in his prime.

But perhaps because of the earlier goal, Alves felt a bit embarrassed, or maybe he just really wanted to win a battle against Lin Quan.

On the field, he played with everything he had, sprinting up and down the wing, fiercely contesting every 50-50 ball.

Seeing such effort from a veteran, the rest of the Juventus squad seemed inspired.

They too played with more passion and determination.

Juventus launched a fierce counterattack after City's equalizer, but City's defense wasn't easily broken.

After a season of playing together, Van Dijk and Stones had developed a strong understanding.

The two were clear in their roles, complementing each other perfectly, repeatedly thwarting Juventus' attempts to penetrate the danger zones.

Coupled with City's goalkeeper, who was in top form, Manchester successfully withstood Juventus' offensive surge without conceding again.

After exhausting themselves in this wave of attack, Juventus had to slow down and let their players catch their breath.

But that was exactly what Manchester City had been waiting for.

As Juventus tried to control the pace, City's forwards suddenly accelerated, pressing the ball aggressively, cutting off passing lanes, and forcing Juventus to pass back.

Juventus was caught off guard by this sudden burst of pressure, and their ball carrier struggled to avoid losing possession.

With no other option, he had to pass the ball back to his teammate.

As soon as the pass was made, City's forwards abandoned him and pressed the deeper-lying players.

At the same time, City's formation pushed forward, forcing Juventus' defenders to keep passing backward until they finally had to send the ball to their goalkeeper.

Seeing City's forwards charging at him like mad dogs, the Juventus goalkeeper had no choice but to kick the ball long.

Kicking long was no longer encouraged in modern football.

The reason was simple: long kicks often handed possession to the opponent, essentially gifting them the ball.

And that's exactly what happened. Buffon's long kick went upfield, but Juventus' players were still retreating and couldn't contest for the ball.

City regained possession easily and quickly moved the ball along the wing to Lin Quan.

Alves hadn't even returned to his defensive position before he saw Lin Quan storming toward him.

Although his teammates rushed over to help, Lin was too fast, and Alves had no choice but to face him one-on-one before his teammates could get into position.

Last time, Lin Quan had cut inside to beat Alves. This time, Alves was prepared, guarding the inside lane.

But Lin faked an inside move, only to shift outside and leave Alves trailing behind once again.

Alves looked up to the sky in frustration.

With Lin Quan's relentless dribbling, it didn't matter if Alves was at his current age or 10 years younger at his peak—he still wouldn't have been able to stop him.

It was impossible, absolutely impossible!

Seeing Alves beaten, the rest of the Juventus players started to panic.

They were rushing to help, but Alves had been beaten so cleanly before they could even reach him, making their task much harder.

If it had been any other player, they might have been able to delay him, waiting for reinforcements to arrive and completely surround him.

But against Lin Quan, this tactic was useless.

You couldn't afford to hesitate, because if you didn't come for him, he would come for you!

Balzaretti, who was rushing over to help, saw Alves get beaten and quickly stopped in his tracks, preparing to retreat.

He had been beaten by Lin before and didn't want to face him again. He knew just how dangerous Lin Quan was and didn't want to take that risk.

But as soon as Balzaretti stepped back, Lin charged forward.

Balzaretti had no choice but to lower his center of gravity and brace for Lin's attack.

Meanwhile, Marchisio, Pjanić, Bonucci, and even the pursuing Alves closed in.

Just a second longer—maybe even half a second—and they could recreate the famous moment from the 2012 European Championship when Italy surrounded and dispossessed Iniesta with five defenders.

To prevent Lin from passing, Chiellini didn't even join the effort to block him, focusing instead on marking Agüero tightly, denying him any chance to receive the ball.

Juventus' midfielders, having learned their lesson from before, paid extra attention to City's players making late runs into the box.

A huge net was ready to trap Lin, and Juventus fans in the stands, having gotten over their initial fear, now waited eagerly to see what would happen.

"Manchester City's star player, right?"

"The best player in the world, huh?"

"Let's see how you escape from a five-man surround!"

Lin Quan knew he was surrounded, but he wasn't afraid.

He had come this far—there was no point in giving up now.

He knew his chances of success weren't high, but he had to try.

So, he sped up, heading straight for Balzaretti, using a feint to try and force him to lose his balance.

Balzaretti, a seasoned defender, didn't fall for the trick. But with Lin Quan, it was impossible to tell what was real and what was fake.

If you thought it was a fake, it might be real. And if you thought it was real, it could very well be a fake.

Seeing that Balzaretti wasn't biting, Lin decided to push forward anyway, accelerating to burst past him on the left side.

Before he could fully get past Balzaretti, Bonucci rushed over, grabbing Lin's shirt while trying to kick the ball away.

Although Lin was quicker, managing to nudge the ball ahead, Bonucci's hand and foot made Lin stumble, almost falling to the ground.

Despite the bumps, Lin managed to charge into the box.

Bonucci couldn't stop him but was now too scared to make a move.

Tackling him outside the box was one thing, but a foul inside the penalty area would result in a spot-kick.

Bonucci used his body to try and shove Lin off balance, while staying ready to block any shot.

On the other side, Balzaretti closed in, forming a pincer movement with Bonucci, like two doors shutting Lin in and preventing him from advancing further.

At the same time, Buffon rushed out to close down Lin's shooting angle.

Facing this double-team, Lin knew he needed to shoot quickly.

Any further delay, and he might not even have a chance to pull the trigger.

Lin didn't wait any longer but also didn't follow the script Juventus had expected.

Seeing Buffon rushing out, Lin used a sudden change of pace, stopping abruptly.

Both Balzaretti and Bonucci overshot slightly, giving Lin just enough space to glance at the goal and send in a shot.

Buffon's vision was partially blocked by his own defenders, and he didn't see Lin's shot right away.

But with his vast experience, Buffon knew exactly what had happened.

Even though he hadn't seen it, he was certain Lin had taken the shot.

If it had been any other player, Buffon wouldn't have believed they could stop on a dime and shoot in this situation.

But this was Lin Quan—there wasn't a shred of doubt in Buffon's mind.

Buffon's eyes widened as he prepared to make a save.

As soon as he spotted the ball, he felt a chill down his spine.

Damn it, this kid was trying to nutmeg him!

Buffon couldn't help but feel angry.

Getting nutmegged on the field was embarrassing, especially for a goalkeeper.

He did everything he could to close his legs, but his vision had been blocked for just a moment, making his reaction a split second too slow.

By the time Buffon moved, the ball had already rolled through his legs and into the back of the net.

Lin Quan's shot was faster than Buffon had anticipated.

It hugged the grass, rolling smoothly across the goal line and into the net.

Juventus Stadium fell silent, as if someone had pressed the mute button.

The silence was almost eerie.

In the stands, Juventus fans stared in disbelief at their own goal.

The ball...

It actually...

Went in?

How was this possible?

Five players...

A five-man surround, and they still couldn't stop him?

Was this football, or magic?

For the first time, they questioned what their eyes were seeing.

It was as if they had witnessed something beyond understanding.

Even Manchester City's fans were stunned for a moment before breaking out in applause and cheers.

This kind of goal—if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed it.

Did someone really just score such a wonder goal?

Around the world, fans watching this match were all equally stunned.

Even the TV broadcasters couldn't believe it, replaying the goal over and over again.

On the sidelines, Guardiola couldn't stay seated the moment Lin charged into the box.

When he saw Lin nutmeg Buffon and send the ball into the net, he jumped up in excitement, clasping his bald head in disbelief.

He looked around as if asking others to confirm what he had just seen—hoping someone could assure him this was real, not a dream!

Even though Guardiola had coached two other football prodigies, occasionally witnessing their moments of brilliance on the pitch, today's play was on a different level.

This moment was too shocking, too unbelievable.

Guardiola's mind couldn't process it.

This goal had to be the best in this season's Champions League, he thought to himself.

Even if City didn't win the trophy, Lin Quan would be remembered for this goal alone.

Of course, Lin was already world-famous—this just pushed him even higher.

Allegri's reaction was the same as his players and assistants—from shock to confusion to anger, and finally, to a deep sigh.

All he could feel now was a sense of helplessness.

That goal made no sense at all.

It was just raw individual talent breaking through Juventus' defense.

What could he do about that?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Manchester City could score through precise teamwork or a moment of genius from a superstar like Lin Quan.

Now it was clear why the top football clubs all fought over the three superstars of today's game.

The answer was simple: superstars significantly raised a team's ceiling.

Even when tactics failed, you could rely on a superstar's individual brilliance to win matches.

The score now stood at 2-1, and City had completed their comeback, making the aggregate score 5-3.

Juventus' two away goals were now matched, and with City up by two goals, their hopes of advancing were rapidly fading.

The situation was slipping away.

Although Higuaín scored again in the 88th minute to narrow the gap,

City's substitute winger, 18-year-old Mbappé, sealed the deal with a goal in the last minute of injury time, hammering the final nail in Juventus' coffin.

Manchester City successfully knocked out Juventus, reaching the Champions League final for the fourth year in a row.

(End of Chapter)

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