Hart's Nightmare Night: Toyed with by the Opposition for Three Goals, While the Substitute Keeper Grinned?

The Juventus Stadium was packed with 41,507 people today!

The stadium was packed to capacity, inside and out.

The 2,000 Expeditionary Army Blue Moon, who had flown in from Manchester, were crammed into a small corner in the northeast, shivering in fear.

Although they were waving flags, their shouts were quickly drowned out by the incessant, torrential roar of the Juventus fans.

Exclusive commentary booth for Sky Sport.

The commentator, Juventus legend Trezeguet, glanced at the scene through the large glass window and couldn't help but smile smugly.

He turned to Inter Milan legend Materazzi, who was also a commentator, and said:

"We were in great spirits today! If I remember correctly, this is the only game this season so far that has sold out completely!"

Materazzi chuckled coldly, "Maybe it's because Don plays for Manchester City. Juventus suffered a setback against him last season, so they're definitely looking to get their revenge in this match!"

As a broadcasting network, Sky Sport knows how to create entertaining programming!

They deliberately invited Materazzi and Trezeguet, two legends from Inter Milan and Juventus, to commentate on the match.

One of them was a defender and the other was a forward; they faced off against each other many times in the league back in the day.

One player is on the Italy National Team, and the other is on the France national team; they are facing off against each other on the international stage!

The 2006 World Cup final was especially exciting!

Plus, both of them have naturally sharp tongues; putting them together would definitely create a fantastic show.

But that's not enough!

To further enhance the program's appeal, Sky Sport also assigned Diletta to fly from London to Turin to serve as the commentator and host for the match.

Diletta was extremely unwilling!

Because of the paparazzi incident by the Sun, she and Tang Long were caught in the eye of a media storm.

Tang Long was therefore removed from the starting lineup and placed on the bench.

Diletta didn't care; she was a media professional and knew how hard her colleagues worked to make a living.

However, she felt extremely guilty towards Tang Long, feeling that she had let Tang Long down and affected his career.

So how could she possibly have the nerve to fly all the way to Turin to commentate on this Manchester City vs. Juventus match?

However, as a working person, she had no choice but to come because she was pressured by the station.

Trezeguet and Materazzi sat on either side of Diletta.

Across the distance, their eyes met like two laser beams, the air thick with the tension of gunpowder.

"But where is Tang now? Why couldn't Inter Milan keep such a good player? He went to Manchester City instead. It's such a pity, and it's strange that he was even on the bench in this game!"

"A player brought in with the club's record-breaking transfer fee is not even allowed to start in a crucial UEFA Champions League match against Juventus. Strange, strange, really strange!"

Trezeguet exclaimed "Strange!" three times in a row, and even gave Diletta a special look.

Diletta blushed immediately, lowered her head, and completely lost the confidence and composure she usually displayed as Sky Sport' top anchor.

However, she quickly adjusted her tone and shifted the topic to introducing the starting lineups for both sides, getting back to work.

Manchester City manager Pellegrini stood on the sidelines listening to the rousing UEFA Champions League anthem, remaining relatively calm.

Removing Tang Long from the starting lineup was a reluctant move made after the player pressured him to resign;

However, Pellegrini is still quite confident about this match against Juventus!

Otherwise, even if everyone pressured him, let alone Toure and Silva, he wouldn't be able to remove Tang Long.

The Chile coach's confidence stems from the team's recent outstanding performance.

Since suffering their first defeat of the season in the fifth round of the Premier League, when they lost 0-1 away to Southampton;

Manchester City's entire team is spurred to action by their shame!

Not only did they come back from behind to defeat Liverpool in the 6th round, but they also won two consecutive 3-0 matches against Sunderland and Monchengladbach!

The team is in high spirits and riding high!

What pleased Pellegrini even more, besides the team's three-game winning streak, was the team's excellent performance in defense.

In these three consecutive victories, they conceded only one goal in total across all three matches!

In their previous five matches, Manchester City conceded a total of five goals, averaging one goal conceded per game.

The team's improved defense has made Pellegrini quite optimistic about Manchester City's prospects in the UEFA Champions League.

He even discussed tactics with assistant coach Rayne before the match, and made plans to keep a clean sheet against Juventus away from home.

"Juventus has undergone a major overhaul in their attacking line Juventus season. Tevez and Llorente have both left, and the newly acquired Dybala and Mandzukic still have issues with integration. More importantly, Pirlo is not here! This makes me feel much more at ease!"

However, Pellegrini's plan clearly backfired.

To his surprise, Juventus launched a devastating attack right from the start!

The bombshell was Juventus's acquisition of Croatia striker Mandzukic from Atlético Madrid this summer for a "cheap" €19 million.

Atlético Madrid players are known for their tenacious spirit.

As a warrior who grew up immersed in a spirit of iron will, Mandzukic perfectly brought his fighting spirit from La Liga to Juventus!

Just 30 seconds into the game, Bonucci, facing an advancing opponent, feigned a back pass;

With a final, powerful step, he effortlessly shook off the onrushing attacking midfielder Silva!

Then, a precise long pass was made, the ball traveled 60 meters, from the edge of his own penalty area, directly into the front of Manchester City's penalty area!

This was a long pass by Bonucci, who capitalized on Manchester City's sudden change in rhythm as their formation was pushing forward.

Therefore, when the ball came down, Kompany and Mandzukic, who were the last two players to leave the field, were both turning sideways to chase the ball!

The only difference is that Mandzukic kept charging forward, while Kompany turned around and charged backward.

Both men are 1.90 meters tall and weigh close to 90 kilograms, making them evenly matched in terms of strength and impact.

But Mandzukic, with a bit of ruthlessness, managed to push Kompany aside by a full body length in that evenly matched contest!

"They're here!"

Morata, who was making a high-speed run, arrived just in time, Mandzukic's pass just cleared Ranocchia's path;

Morata unleashed a powerful shot that struck goalkeeper Joe Hart in the groin!

Morata rushed up to Hart, pointed to his crotch, and then turned to celebrate with Mandzukic.

Hart looked completely bewildered.

He never expected that his very first touch of the ball in this match would result in him being groined!

Ranocchia nearby, also realized that Morata actually had many options with that shot;

However, he used the instep of his foot to pass the ball into Joe Hart's groin, clearly recognizing the goalkeeper's weakness and wanting to deliberately humiliate him at the start of the game.

Everyone says Hart's shot was a fluke, but Morata's goal was no fluke!

"Juventus!"

"Juventus!"

"Juventus!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from the Juventus Stadium.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this stadium can only hold a mere 40,000 people; its capacity is nothing compared to other stadiums in Europe.

However, as the only stadium owned solely by the club, the Agnelli family has poured a great deal of effort into this stadium!

The stadium is specially designed with excellent sound focusing; the combined roar of 40,000 people can create an effect equivalent to that of over 70,000 people!

"Oh my, it's in already?" Materazzi was stunned.

"Yes, it's in!" Trezeguet laughed.

However, this was merely an appetizer that Juventus offered to the fans at the stadium.

As early as one day ago.

After Allegri secretly learned through his informant in UK that Tang Long would be excluded from the starting lineup for this match, he made a plan in his mind.

The shrewd Allegri knew that Manchester City could do without anyone, but they couldn't do without Tang Long!

As a team that relies on possession-based football, Manchester City's midfield is actually far inferior to that of Barcelona's peak era of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets.

The biggest fear in possession-based football is being pressed, and right now, only Tang Long in Manchester City's midfield possesses the ability to counter-press.

As long as someone pressures him, even if it's not too intense, he can dribble and break through the encirclement.

When the pressure is intense and the player is drawn in, he immediately passes the ball far away, looking for an opening behind the pressing player!

Who could stand this?

Look at Manchester City's starting lineup now. When Toure was young, he might have been able to achieve about 80% of Tang Long's skill level.

The other defensive midfielder Fernandinho, is purely a defensive player and doesn't possess strong passing ability.

However, Silva, the attacking Silva, is too physically weak, and when pressed and tackled, he doesn't have many options when physically challenged.

After Pirlo left Serie A to play in Major League Soccer, the original midfield trio of Pogba, Marchisio, and Pirlo became Pogba, Marchisio, and Sturaro.

Sturaro's footwork and overall game awareness are far inferior to Pirlo's;

However, his running ability, interception ability, and the fighting spirit he shows on the field far surpass those of the 36-year-old Pirlo!

As a result, the three midfielders in Juventus' 4-3-3 formation gradually shifted from a technical to a physical style.

With the addition of forwards like Mandzukic, Morata, Cuadrado, who possess both speed and stamina, Juventus' pressing tactics effectively stifled Manchester City's passing and possession from the very first minute!

In the 25th minute, facing Pogba's tall and long-legged back-to-goal pressing, Toure held his ground and passed the ball to Fernandinho who came to receive it.

Then, instinctively, I ran forward.

He runs like this out of habit, because in the first two games, when he partnered with Tang Long in the defensive midfield, if Tang Long were there, he would pass the ball with one touch and play a one-two pass.

However, Fernandinho seemed less confident in his footwork, as he was closely marked by another midfielder, Sturaro.

After hesitating for a moment, he didn't pass the ball forward, but instead passed it back to center-back Kompany.

Just as the ball was rolling toward Kompany, Mandzukic had already charged forward aggressively.

Captain Kompany didn't rush to launch a long ball, but instead passed it back to Joe Hart, signaling him to try and disrupt the opponent's formation.

His original intention was to maintain possession of the ball and avoid blindly sending long balls to the opponent, but unexpectedly, his pass led to a huge mistake!

During his three-match suspension, Hart carefully observed Argentina goalkeeper Caballero, who replaced him in the starting lineup, and his passing and control of the ball between the defenders and the backfield.

This made Joe Hart feel a sense of threat!

After all, since the Mancini era, Manchester City has transformed into a team that primarily relies on passing and possession;

Footwork has never been Hart's forte; he established himself at Manchester City through his goalkeeping skills.

But Joe Hart thought to himself, "Caballero, born in '83, is over 30 and can still control the ball. I'm only 28, born in '87. How can I not be as good as him?"

Besides, I've been practicing my footwork a lot this season, and the goalkeeper coach even praised my rapid improvement in footwork!

So after receiving Kompany's pass back, Joe Hart didn't immediately launch a long ball forward as he usually would; instead, he stomped the ball under his feet.

"Hart, over here!"

Ranocchia quickly created an opening, ready to receive the ball.

Joe Hart knew that Ranocchia, as a center-back who plays out from the backfield, possessed superb footwork and was a crucial part of Manchester City's defense.

He did hear Ranocchia's call and saw the opening in his path, so he prepared to pass the ball to him.

Joe Hart's vision and thinking are not problematic.

However, the difference between him and Caballero lies in the fact that he is just a tiny bit slower!

If it were a regular Premier League opponent, Hart would have passed the ball, but he was up against Mandzukic!

The instant Hart touched the ball, Mandzukic charged in from the side like a wild boar.

A dark shadow flashed by, Hart was startled. Then he heard a "thud".

"Oops!"

Hart knew that it was the sound of his pass hitting Mandzukic's boots as he pressed forward.

"Mandzukic, Mandzukic!"

"Hart's pass is too slow!"

"Mandzukic unexpectedly sprinted out and stole the ball from Hart!"

"Hahaha, an open goal!"

"Hart was thrown to the ground, and he watched helplessly as Mandzukic scored!"

After intercepting Hart, Mandzukic dribbled to the front of the goal and unleashed a powerful shot with the instep of his foot over the wide-open net!

If it weren't for the good quality of the net, they would have really punched a hole in it.

This goal ignited the passion of the 40,000 home fans at the Juventus Stadium.

"That's Juventus for you! They not only score goals, but they score them in a thrilling way!"

In the Sky Sport studio, Juventus legend Trezeguet practically roared as he commentated on the goal, while Materazzi's face turned ashen.

Although the result of this UEFA Champions League match has nothing to do with Inter Milan are in a different group.

However, Materazzi was still unhappy to see Juventus score.

Manchester City were down by two goals within the first 25 minutes, a result that surprised not only Manchester City themselves but also Juventus.

A mixture of surprise and delight was evident on the faces of every Juventus player on the field.

Their manager, Allegri, stood with his hands in his pockets and a toothpick dangling from his mouth, exuding a roguish yet confident air.

Hey! Everything's under my control. I knew this would happen. I'll make sure you don't go to Tang!

At this moment, the live broadcast camera deliberately focused on Tang Long, who was sitting on the bench, giving him a close-up of his face.

The footage shows Tang Long talking to substitute goalkeeper Caballero, who is sitting next to him. Clearly, both of them are baffled by Hart's foolish mistake.

Pellegrini, standing on the sidelines, was quite surprised. Although he was astonished, he kept pressing his hands down to signal his players to stay calm and composed.

However, Juventus's immediate offensive only worsened the situation!

Despite being two goals down, Manchester City still dominated possession.

Toure made a long run, beating two players before passing the ball to Silva, then panted in his own half.

He's already 32; after a long sprint past someone, he needs to slow down.

Silva, positioned as an attacking midfielder, had already observed Agüero and Sterling's runs after receiving the ball;

He fiddled with the buttons, hoping for an opening.

An opening has arrived!

The Spain midfielder used the outside of his foot to gently brush the ball against the side.

The approach was correct, and the control of footwork, both light and heavy, was also very good.

But the problem was that he was a step behind Tang Long in terms of timing!

Too late!

Agüero had already run past, Silva had just passed the ball when Chiellini easily intercepted it.

In the studio, Diletta's heart skipped a beat.

She understands football; she knew that Juventus was about to launch a counterattack at this moment.

Juventus has now been transformed into a team known for its strength and speed.

However, the forwards still possess a considerable level of technical skill.

Even from a technical standpoint, they remain a top team in Serie A!

Pogba pulled back from the attacking third to the defensive midfield position to receive the ball passed to him by Chiellini;

The France star effortlessly faked out Fernandinho, who had pulled close to him, with a graceful Marseille Turn.

Amid the cheers of 40,000 fans at the Juventus Stadium, Pogba took a long stride forward and sprinted with the ball.

His sprint dribbling was just as impressive as Yaya Toure's previous feat of dribbling past two players, and Pogba was even younger and faster!

He outpaced Toure in just three steps!

Desperate, Toure tried to draw a tactical foul, which resulted in a sliding tackle from behind.

But Pogba seemed unusually excited today.

He leaped into the air and miraculously dodged Toure's sliding tackle from behind!

You want a yellow card? I won't even give you the chance!

Sturaro and Morata's cross-positional switching created a good opportunity for Pogba to advance.

After crossing the center circle, he followed the gaps created by his teammates' overlapping runs, broke through to a position 25 or 26 meters in front of the penalty area, and unleashed a powerful shot!

Hart was already prepared to make a save as Pogba dribbled forward, and when he saw Pogba swing his leg, Hart's legs tensed as well.

He immediately crouched down, spread his arms, and made the classic goalkeeper's save move.

"That was a powerful shot with the instep!"

The ball had barely left Pogba's boots when Hart, positioned on the goal line, confidently predicted the trajectory of the shot.

He took a step to his left, following the ball's trajectory, just as he was about to leap up to make a save;

The ball flew to the penalty spot, then suddenly dipped in the air and changed direction to the right.

This was a knuckleball, not just a simple instep shot!

"Ah???"

Hart's weight had already shifted to the left, and seeing the ball suddenly curve to the right in the air, he quickly adjusted his weight and stretched out his right hand to reach for the ball. But in that instant of movement and jump, how could he keep up with the change in the ball's speed?

In a disheveled state, Hart managed only a standing hook shot, but like a blind man groping in the dark, he couldn't even touch the ball.

Then I heard the sound of the net and the soccer ball making contact behind me.

Behind Hart was the Juventus die-hard fan section.

Pogba long-range shot from 26 meters out sent all the fans in this section of the stands to their feet, cheering and shouting!

"Hart, Hart, Hart!"

That shout chilled Hart to the bone!

Although Caballero on the bench looked stern on the surface, he was secretly overjoyed.

"Oh my god, that's hilarious!"

Although the position of starting goalkeeper is generally secure in most teams;

However, as Manchester City's backup goalkeeper, Caballero, who had started three consecutive games and played better each time, was constantly eyeing Hart's position!

In less than 30 minutes, Hart conceded three goals.

In Caballero's eyes, these three goals were all very basic mistakes!

One ball was a groin-piercing egg;

One of the balls was actually stolen from the opponent's striker;

Then Pogba's stunning long-range shot was completely misjudged by Hart, who made the wrong save!

What kind of protection is this?

(Hart became a background character three times in a row!)