So You're All Picking on Me, Huh? Tang Long Takes a Quick Free Kick and Links Up with Icardi Again!

"Oh dear, how could Icardi clear that ball like that?"

"To put it bluntly, his entire defensive retreat from the attacking third to the penalty area was a complete hindrance to Manchester United!"

"Look at De Gea's expression, he looks like he wants to kill this kid!"

"It's good that young people are energetic, but they still need to be a little smarter."

In the studio, Zhan Jun pinched his thigh hard, suppressing a laugh as he finished his commentary on Icardi.

Even the well-informed Zhan Jun found this play bizarre.

What made it even more entertaining was that Tang Long was the one who passed the ball!

Although both have left Inter Milan to play for Manchester City and Manchester United respectively, could they still be connected by fate? Otherwise, how could they have orchestrated this spectacular performance together on the pitch?

Sterling was definitely the happiest!

He swayed his hips, deliberately circling around Icardi before running towards Tang Long to celebrate.

Although Icardi scored the goal, Sterling believes he also deserves credit. Without my quick movement, Icardi probably wouldn't have been able to score such a beautiful goal!

The first half ended with a score of 2-1.

As he left the field, Icardi pulled his jersey up over his stomach and covered his head, looking ashamed to be seen.

Manchester United captain Rooney rushed over, straightened his jersey, and said to him earnestly:

"Mauro, don't blame yourself. This goal wasn't your fault. If I had chased the ball in the attacking third, I would have chased it all the way back into the penalty area. You were just a little unlucky. It's okay, it's just one goal. You can come back to win it in the second half!"

After receiving comfort from Rooney, Icardi recalled his bold words at the pre-match press conference, and his previously dejected heart was rekindled with fighting spirit.

"Don't worry, Captain, I'll score a hat trick in the second half and wipe them out!"

The flames of revenge burned ever brighter in Icardi's heart.

Pellegrini felt the first half was a bit chaotic.

The chaos wasn't due to the game's rhythm being disrupted, but rather because all three goals were beyond his expectations.

In the opening 10 minutes, both sides scored a goal each, but neither managed to find the net again for the remainder of the game.

Just before the end of the first half, striker Icardi inexplicably scored an own goal inside his own penalty area!

The 60-something Pellegrini was both surprised and amused.

He simply adopted a wait-and-see approach, making no tactical adjustments and proceeding methodically.

Van Gaal also believed that Manchester United played quite well in the first half, putting up a good fight against Manchester City, and the only thing they lacked was luck.

He gave Icardi a big hug, praised his sense of responsibility in tracking back in the attacking third, and then gave a speech in the locker room to boost morale.

"Whether you want to be a hero or a coward, we'll see in the second half!"

Icardi's wife, Wanda, was also watching the match from the stands as a family member.

During halftime, he was constantly on his phone, because many fans were sending him abusive messages on his social media.

Look at your wonderful husband! What did he do in the entire first half besides that own goal?

Icardi was indeed practically sidelined in the first half, with his former teammate Ranocchia effectively marking him. Aside from that own goal, Icardi didn't get many opportunities to appear on camera.

Wanda's face contorted in rage as she furiously tapped her phone screen with both thumbs, shoving them back one by one.

"The own goal was just bad luck, but it doesn't overshadow my husband's efforts on the field!"

"Let's see in the second half, he can definitely contribute to Manchester United!"

The two teams regrouped and faced off again!

Trailing 1-2 at home, the situation made Manchester United's players even more anxious.

This restlessness doesn't mean the players' technique has become sloppy; rather, it means they've deliberately increased the pace of their passing.

In many situations, after receiving the ball, Jones, the center-back, no longer chooses to pass it to his center-back partner Smalling, but instead quickly passes the ball to the flanks;

They even launched long passes from the center-back position, directly targeting De Bruyne and Icardi.

Valencia, the main attacking force on the right flank, either makes a strong run down the wing after receiving the ball or passes it directly from the 45-degree angle on the wing.

This also led to a stark difference in Manchester United's tactical style in the second half compared to the first half.

Upon seeing this, Ferguson, inside the VIP box, couldn't help but frown.

In his view, Manchester United were extremely careful in the first half, trying to keep the ball under their control as much as possible. However, in the second half, the style of play changed drastically, and they started playing the traditional English long ball and cross style again.

It's only a one-goal deficit, so why did Van Gaal suddenly change his opening tactics?

That won't do.

However, what Ferguson didn't know was that the current Manchester United was far from the Manchester United of his time.

Sir Ferguson was a totem for Manchester United back in the day; his name was even as famous as the club itself!

It's fair to say that Manchester United is Ferguson's team; no matter who the biggest name is in the team, the manager is the biggest name.

After Ferguson left, both Moyes and Van Gaal, who succeeded him, had significantly less control over the locker room.

Van Gaal did not suddenly change the players' playing style to focus on long passes; he simply instructed them to speed up the pace of the game slightly and avoid unnecessary short passes in the backfield to waste time.

But perhaps the players lacked ability, or perhaps they misunderstood the situation, or perhaps their desire to defeat their historically noisy neighbors, Manchester City, clouded their judgment, and the game just didn't look right.

However, Manchester United's long balls and crosses did have some effect, mainly because the wingers and center forward Icardi finally connected.

Although Icardi is only 1.81 meters tall, he is considered weak in physique among center forwards in the entire Premier League.

Even against the towering center-back Ranocchia, who knows him intimately, Icardi still manages to deliver some high-quality headers through his unpredictable runs, powerful leaping ability, and accurate anticipation of the ball's trajectory.

Within the first 10 minutes of the second half, Valencia delivered the ball to Icardi's head three times from the wing!

Icardi headed two high-quality headers, both within the goal area, but unfortunately, Caballero, who was thwarted by De Bruyne's powerful shot at the start of the game, regained his form.

With a single punch, he sent the ball flying into the stands!

Caballero's brilliant save earned him a resounding high-five from Ranocchia and Kompany.

Seeing Manchester City's confident defense, Icardi was so angry he was practically grinding his teeth to powder.

"When your goalkeeper is out of form, I don't have any shooting opportunities. I just headed a high-quality header, and then Caballero suddenly goes on a scoring spree. What, is your whole team deliberately targeting me?"

That's right, it's targeting you!

Icardi's arrogant remarks before the match sparked discontent among many Manchester City players.

These players, whether they came from the French-speaking Faction, Spanish-speaking Faction, English-speaking Faction, Italian-speaking Faction, or Portuguese-speaking Faction, all united closely in the face of the Manchester Derby.

Internally, they may have disagreements with each other.

They maintain a high degree of consistency when it comes to external relations, especially in important matches like the derby!

Regardless of the outcome, winning the match and securing three points is beneficial for everyone.

"We have two goals for this match: beat our opponent and shut out that kid Icardi!"

This was Kompany's advice to everyone before the match.

With everyone united in their efforts, Manchester City quickly extended their lead!

In just 62 minutes, a beautiful combination emerged that could easily be voted Premier League Goal of the Week.

Facing De Gea's long goal kick, the 195cm tall Ranocchia outjumped Icardi in front of his own penalty area and headed the ball directly to the center circle;

Manchester City's second tallest player, the 190cm Yaya Toure, headed the ball forward, outjumping Schneiderlin, and flicked it on with his head, continuing to glide the ball backward.

"This ball can't escape!"

Another Manchester United defensive midfielder Schweinsteiger, gave a sharp shout and closed in on Tang Long.

The veteran observed in the first half that Tang Long's passing vision and anticipation were top-notch in the Premier League, but his heading ability and physicality were inferior to his own!

Therefore, Schweinsteiger was full of confidence when it came to winning the second penalty.

He considers himself the most experienced midfielder in the entire Manchester United squad and is quite confident in his control of the backfield.

Then he was tricked by Tang Long.

If Tang Long were to go toe-to-toe with Schweinsteiger, he might not be able to win.

So Tang Long pretended to jump to contest the high ball as it fell, then feinted and turned to run!

Schweinsteiger never expected Tang Long to pull this stunt.

He had already started to jump, but Tang Long had vanished!

He was in a complete panic in mid-air, watching helplessly as the ball grazed his ear and bounced backward.

There's an Agüero lying in ambush behind us!

"Haha, awesome!"

Tang Long's feint not only fooled Schweinsteiger but also Agüero, but the Argentina striker reacted quickly and controlled the ball at his feet.

Without any hesitation, cut towards the middle lane!

[Cross-position switching, goal probability 88.97%]

Almost the instant the predicted brainwaves appeared, Tang Long had already stepped out with his right foot and Agüero.

In the forward position, Agüero is definitely the player that all Manchester United defenders fear the most; he is more threatening than Tang Long.

Both Smalling and Jones were drawn to the imposing Agüero, and the two of them began to approach him without prior arrangement!

"Keep a close eye on his shooting trajectory!"

"Stop it if it needs to be blocked!"

Just as Jones and Smalling were both drawn to Agüero didn't shoot, but instead flicked his left foot and sent the ball back to where he had originally run from;

At that spot, a figure in light blue appeared immediately!

It's Tang Long!

Agüero and Tang Long predicted the exact same thing!

In a flash, Tang Long had already calculated the timing of his adjustments. After taking two quick steps, he swiftly placed his supporting foot about two fist-widths away from the left side of the ball, with the toe of his left foot aimed at the upper left corner where he intended to shoot.

His body twisted instantly, his lower leg driving his thigh, and his right foot struck the middle of the soccer ball with the inside of his foot. The moment the ball was sent out, Tang Long's body was propelled into the air by the momentum of his right foot's whip!

In mid-air, he saw the ball sail over De Gea's long arm and into the top left corner!

3 to 1!

Tang Long also got his first win!

The moment he landed, a sense of pride welled up inside him; this was his first goal in Manchester Derby!

The thrill of scoring in a derby far surpasses that of a regular match.

Tang Long's brilliant performance in the Inter Milan Derby della Madonnina shattered AC Milan's hopes;

This time, his combination with Agüero once again threw Manchester United's defense into complete disarray!

At this moment, the director deliberately provided a broadcast angle.

Behind the goal, thousands of Manchester United fans were burying their faces in their hands and sighing in despair, while right under their noses, Manchester City players were celebrating passionately!

"Well done, Tang!"

Trailing by two goals, Van Gaal had no way out, so he immediately made substitutions to strengthen the attack.

Mata was substituted off and Depay came on.

Schneiderlin was substituted off, Fellaini came on.

When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.

Just two minutes after Manchester United made their substitution, Pellegrini also made a corresponding tactical adjustment, replacing the fatigued veteran Yaya Toure with the young England midfielder Delph to further strengthen the team's sweeping ability in the defensive midfield position.

Subsequently, starting center forward Agüero was also substituted.

However, this was a forced substitution, because Agüero, who had just provided the assist, clutched his thigh and indicated in frustration that he had pulled a muscle.

So Bony, who has been in excellent form lately, appeared at the derby.

"You're here?" Tang Long asked.

"Haha, here we are!" Bony replied!

Ranocchia decided to take Icardi for another spin.

His coordination with Caballero in the backfield is becoming increasingly skillful.

After bringing on two players in quick succession, Manchester United's attack improved.

As the target man on the front line, Icardi believes that scoring goals is now his inescapable responsibility!

He used the last of his strength to launch a frantic high-pressing attack.

However, Caballero and Ranocchia seemed to be two midfielders who came from a possession-based style, allowing him to outmaneuver them completely.

Icardi went to challenge for the ball, Ranocchia passed it back to Caballero, Icardi missed.

I thought Caballero would kick the ball long, but to my Caballero, he flicked it back with the outside of his foot to Ranocchia was trying to get to the center.

Icardi immediately turned back to press and win the ball!

Ranocchia a Xavi -like spin, flipping Icardi over him and sticking out his tongue with a smile.

Enraged, Icardi launched a counterattack, continuing to try and steal the ball!

Ranocchia didn't pass the ball to the wing, but instead gave it back to Caballero.

"Mauro, maintain formation and don't rush in!"

The experienced captain Rooney had already seen that Icardi was trapped in Manchester City's possession-based defense.

However, with his mind completely blank, Icardi couldn't hear his teammates' reminders.

As expected, Caballero remained calm and composed under Icardi's pressure, flicking the ball with his toe so that it flew over Icardi, who was three meters in front of him, and landed at Ranocchia's feet.

This move left Manchester United manager Van Gaal stunned on the sidelines!

Holy crap, when did Manchester City's backline passing and control become so amazing?

Playing like that inside the penalty area is incredibly skillful and daring.

Ranocchia seized an opening and began to advance with the ball.

Logically, after this charade, it was already the second half, and Icardi shouldn't have had the stamina to chase back;

But as if he were on drugs, he recklessly chased after Ranocchia with bloodshot eyes, all the way from the penalty area to midfield. Even when the ball was passed to Tang Long, Icardi was still chasing back!

He had chased back for a full 50 meters before tripping Tang Long from the side.

Perhaps it was the encouraging applause coming from Old Trafford, or perhaps it was the pity that Icardi scored an own goal in the first half;

The referee in this match took pity on Icardi and instead of giving him a yellow card, awarded him a free kick.

The Manchester City players started to get upset, and several of them surrounded the referee demanding yellow cards.

Icardi didn't dare say a word and obediently retreated to form a human wall.

But in those few seconds of dead ball possession, Bony glanced back at Tang Long, and Tang Long caught Bony's look. He quickly slammed the ball to the ground and delivered a lobbed pass!

The football soared high into the air, heading towards Manchester United's penalty area!

This is a quick free kick!

At this point, Manchester United's defenders hadn't even reacted yet. The only one who had retreated to form a wall was Icardi, who watched as the ball was about to fly over his head.

Icardi thought to himself, "I can't let this ball get past me, otherwise 4-1 would be a complete disaster..."

He leaped high, using his powerful core strength to jump incredibly high, attempting to head the ball away.

But the physical fatigue from the long-distance chase finally erupted at this moment.

Due to extreme fatigue, his technique became somewhat distorted, and his arm involuntarily rose up.

The ball was indeed blocked, but it was blocked by a powerful elbow!

The Manchester City players, who had been surrounding the referee demanding yellow cards, were stunned for a moment, then turned around and surrounded the referee again. "Penalty! Handball in the penalty area, penalty!"

This time, the referee showed no mercy and pointed directly to the penalty spot.

De Gea is about to cry...

Bro, if you can't defend, then you should just stand at the front and stop wandering around in front of me and causing trouble, okay?

Icardi stood there dumbfounded.

My heart is breaking.

He couldn't understand why, despite his hard work on offense, he couldn't score. His efforts on defense, on the other hand, only made things worse.

"Oh!!!"

Enraged, Icardi stomped his foot hard, then slapped his thigh hard, leaving a bright red handprint.

Wanda, sitting in the stands, had no interest in watching the game. Since halftime, she had been glued to her phone, typing away and responding to fans on social media who said her husband was useless and only scored own goals.

"Just you wait and see, Mauro will definitely make his own contribution in the second half!"

Wanda had just finished arguing with the last fan, put her phone down, and let out a long, tired sigh. Then she heard her phone ringing incessantly again, with countless private messages flooding in.

"My dear Wanda, I was wrong. Your husband did indeed make other contributions!"

"Icardi will score an own goal, and he'll also provide an own-goal assist!"

"My God, look what your husband has done! Manchester United is looking for a mole, and the first one they've arrested is Icardi!"

"Please, take your little sweetheart and leave Manchester United! Even my grandma in a wheelchair, who doesn't move an inch on the field, is better than Icardi. At least she won't cause any trouble!"

Van Gaal was furious!

If you can't defend, you don't have to. Just stand still and don't reach out your hands.

Before Manchester City could even take the penalty, Van Gaal made his final substitution in the 70th minute, replacing striker Icardi with veteran midfielder Carrick.

Icardi stood on the Old Trafford pitch, surrounded by a deafening chorus of boos.

He was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to leave the field, and even went to argue with the referee, saying that the ball didn't touch his arm, but only his shoulder.

Several Manchester United players tried to reason with him, but Icardi retorted with a barrage of insults.

In the end, it was Ranocchia who forcibly pulled Icardi's clothes and dragged him off the field.

Icardi walked along reluctantly, exchanging verbal sparring with Ranocchia.

"Let's go, let's go down, Mauro!"

"The referee is blind? I don't know if he's blind or not, but your performance on the defensive end today was pretty blind."

"What? You mean you want to score seven goals at Etihad next year?"

"If you score seven own goals, De Gea might have to retire on the spot. Think about your teammates, if not yourself!"

With Agüero out, Tang Long became the second penalty taker.

They fooled De Gea and steadily pushed into the mid lane!

In the 72nd minute, Manchester City took a 4-1 lead away from home!