To prevent a potential confrontation, the referee hurried over to the two players.
Tang Long gave a disdainful smile and immediately turned away.
This was a rare chance to start, and he didn't want to get into a fight right at the beginning. It wasn't worth it.
Especially with Davis. Berni had already warned Tang Long about him on the team bus: he liked provoking opponents with words and little fouls, trying to bait them into losing their cool.
Davis watched Tang Long walk away and spat on the ground.
"An 18-year-old rookie in Serie A? Just watch how I make you cry!"
That tackle in the first minute set the tone for the match.
Tang Long's Inter Milan teammates were all fired up by him, and the intensity of their challenges went up.
Bologna, playing at home, naturally wasn't about to be outdone.
"According to the data I've got, Bologna had the most tackles in the entire league last season. And in the first 13 rounds this season, they rank third in tackles among all 20 teams!"
"Also, Bologna's registered players average 185.3 centimeters tall this season, the fourth-highest in Serie A!"
"This is a typical, physically strong and aggressive mid-to-lower-table Serie A side. Inter Milan need to be careful, and so does Tang Long!" Duan Xuan sounded a little tense.
Zhang Lu offered a calm analysis:
"Bologna have been in Serie A for four consecutive seasons. They don't spend much each year, but they always manage to avoid relegation. A team like that must have its own way of surviving. Inter Milan can't afford to underestimate them. Their away form this season hasn't been particularly good."
In fact, Bologna manager Lopez had carefully studied Inter Milan's starting lineup before the match.
He'd spotted a weakness in Inter Milan's midfield!
Inter Milan were playing a 4-3-1-2, with three holding midfielders.
They were Medel, Brozovic, and Kovacic.
All three were outstanding long-distance runners, with tremendous stamina.
They covered a lot of ground. The three of them could cover the area of four players!
But their trio in defensive midfield did have a weakness.
The biggest issue was their average height!
Medel was 172 centimeters, Kovacic 177, and the tallest, Brozovic, only 181.
The three-man midfield averaged just 176.7 centimeters.
That was on the short side for Serie A.
Mancini was well aware of the problem.
But given the players at his disposal, prioritizing their running meant sacrificing some height.
"Play more high balls, and have the forwards drop back a little!"
Following Lopez's instructions, Bologna's Italian center-forward, the 191-centimeter Borrelli, didn't wrestle with the 195-centimeter Ranocchia inside the box.
Instead, he dropped back to midfield to receive the long ball.
When he planted himself among Inter Milan's three holding midfielders, he towered over them like a skyscraper!
"Mine!"
As Bologna's goalkeeper sent the goal kick downfield, Borrelli held off Kovacic behind him and brought the ball down on his chest!
For any defender, being used as a shield while an opponent controlled a high ball like that was a tremendous humiliation.
Normally, players would compete for that sort of ball in the air.
Borrelli was making a point of bullying the young Kovacic, who was 14 centimeters shorter!
Kovacic panicked a little. With his physical disadvantage, he could only reach for Borrelli's arm, but the moment he did, he lost his balance.
Smack!
Borrelli, who wasn't quick to turn, spun around on the spot!
Relying on his overwhelming strength, he got past Kovacic and charged forward with the ball!
Watching the scene on television from his home in Milan, Guarin, who hadn't traveled with the team because of his weight, slapped his thigh in fury!
"Damn it, picking on him like that! If I were in midfield, would I let Borrelli get away with that? Hell!"
Bologna were playing a fairly modern 4-3-3.
Their other two forwards, Giaccherini and Destro, were on the move!
The three forwards were clearly working together smoothly. They must have practiced this routine many times, with Inter Milan specifically in mind.
After Borrelli played the ball to Giaccherini, he ran into Inter Milan's penalty area.
Giaccherini was a distinctive player too!
Among Bologna's collection of giants, his height stood out: just 167 centimeters!
He was single-handedly lowering the team's average by nearly two centimeters.
But every disadvantage had its advantage.
Giaccherini was small, with a low center of gravity. His nickname was Short-legged Tiger, and he was a budget version of Lionel Messi.
He made a few quick moves, dropping his shoulder, cutting the ball, dropping his shoulder again, then cutting the ball again. He left the left back, D'Ambrosio, completely dizzy.
Just as D'Ambrosio's footwork fell apart, Giaccherini nudged the ball—and it obediently zipped through the gap between D'Ambrosio's long legs~
Berni, watching from the bench, felt his heart lurch!
He jumped up and rushed to the touchline.
"That bastard nutmegged him! Watch Destro at the far post, watch the far post..."
Inter Milan's defenders on the pitch were extremely focused.
But their attention was all on Borrelli, the 191-centimeter center-forward in the box.
Borrelli had the 187-centimeter Andreolli hanging off his left arm and the 195-centimeter Ranocchia hanging off his right. He was sandwiched like the filling in a cookie, the flesh on his face squashed to one side, yet he kept yelling:
"Head it! Send it in!"
Whoosh—
Short-legged Tiger Giaccherini crossed the ball, just as expected!
But Tang Long, who had tracked back to the edge of the penalty arc, knew the instant Giaccherini touched it that this ball was dangerous!
The AI System analyzed its trajectory. It wasn't heading toward Borrelli, who was surrounded by defenders. It was going to the far post!
And waiting at the far post was Bologna's other striker, Destro!
"Damn it!"
The right back, Nagatomo Yuto, was alarmed and hurried over to Destro.
Nagatomo Yuto was 170 centimeters tall, and his strengths were speed and quick reactions.
He immediately stuck close to Destro!
But Destro was 182 centimeters tall and had the advantage in both size and weight.
Nagatomo Yuto grabbed and tugged at him, but Destro still managed to get a touch on the ball.
Thump!
The header was a little too close to the middle.
Handanovic saw a yellow blur flying toward him and instinctively batted the ball away with both hands!
It flew to the left side of the penalty area!
Center back Ranocchia breathed a sigh of relief, but still reminded his teammates to fight for the rebound, because the ball hadn't gone far.
No sooner had he spoken than another loud crack rang out!
This time it was louder, and it came even more suddenly!
It was Davis!
On the left side of the box, he hit the ball first time with a ferocious volley!
His form was magnificent. He launched himself into the air, his whole body rising and flying forward!
He caught the outside of the ball with his boot!
Like a refracted beam of light, the ball traced a bizarre arc through the air and, with a "whoosh," dropped into the net!
Every Inter Milan player was stunned!
Handanovic looked utterly incredulous. He hadn't even made a save!
He'd just watched it go in!
Davis was overjoyed. Even in his dreams, he hadn't imagined that charging in and taking a wild swing would get him such a world-class goal—pure dumb luck!
He bounced in place and slapped hands hard with his teammates, then deliberately circled around in front of Tang Long and taunted him:
"Hey! Rookie little boy, did that scare you silly too?"
Before you continue