Tang Long's Green Field Intelligence Engine System was currently at the intermediate level. Its main functions were judging the ball's trajectory and his teammates' runs.
But against this sinister presence closing in from behind, no AI brainwave gave him any hint about what to do next.
Relying on instinct, Tang Long didn't have time to think. He had to get the ball away first!
The ball had barely left his foot when a sharp pain shot through his knee. The impact sent him crashing hard to the ground.
And that wasn't all. Before he'd even been down for a second, something slammed into his back—Davis had gone down too, landing right on top of Tang Long.
The referee blew for a foul, but still didn't show a card.
Pinned beneath him, Tang Long caught a wave of disgusting, foul breath by his face. "Kid, can you handle Serie A-level physicality?"
Tang Long said nothing. He silently pushed Davis away.
Captain Ranocchia grabbed the referee and demanded an explanation, while several Inter Milan teammates rushed to Tang Long's defense.
"You're not giving him a card for that? Ref, did you forget to bring your cards?"
On the sidelines, Mancini's heart clenched at the sight!
He clearly remembered that Tang Long was rather fragile. One hard tackle against Genoa had already injured his ankle.
He just hoped nothing would go wrong this time.
At Mancini's instruction, the team doctor hurried onto the pitch and helped Tang Long off the field for treatment.
Inter Milan also won a free kick.
It was just right of center, in a decent position. The two tall men, Ranocchia and Andreolli, both moved into the opponents' penalty area.
Davis rubbed his chest as he joined the defense.
On the surface, he'd fouled Tang Long—but he'd taken a hit himself!
After Tang Long had been brought down and pinned to the ground, he'd shoved Davis away from an angle the referee couldn't see—and slipped an elbow into his chest as he did.
The elbow had come incredibly fast, catching Davis completely off guard.
It had landed squarely on his ribs!
The blow had knocked the wind out of Davis. His vision had gone dark and dizzy, and he was still rubbing his chest, panting heavily.
"Damn, this kid's sneaky too. I underestimated him!"
The elbow had clearly affected Davis, leaving him unable to focus properly.
Brozovic's free kick was already almost upon him before Davis saw where the ball was headed.
"Mine!"
He jolted and leaped up, ready to clear it.
Suddenly, a dark figure bore down on him!
Davis felt as if he'd slammed into a concrete wall. With a thud, a heavy blow struck his temple, and it felt like his brain was about to burst out of his skull!
"Ah—"
Clutching his head, he fell to the ground, stars flashing before his eyes.
Through the flicker of light and darkness, Davis finally made out who it was: Ranocchia.
The referee stopped play and showed Ranocchia a yellow card!
"Elbowing. Dangerous play. That's a yellow!"
Ranocchia put on an innocent look, drew his hands back toward his chest in an aggrieved gesture, and bent toward the referee.
"My arm moved naturally. I didn't do it on purpose. And Davis didn't get a card for fouling Tang just now, so I shouldn't get one either!"
Even a Canadian tough guy raised in a land of bitter cold had trouble coping with two elbows in quick succession.
The first elbow from Tang Long had hit him in the chest. It had hurt, but he'd still been clear-headed.
Then Ranocchia's second elbow had struck him in the temple!
The man was huge, and his elbow was like an iron cudgel. It had left Davis's head ringing and his vision wavering.
Bologna's team doctor came onto the field and helped Davis to the sidelines for an examination.
As luck would have it, Tang Long was standing on the same side of the pitch. The team doctor checked him over and found no serious injuries.
His current strength rating was 78, already around the lower end of the Serie A average. He might not be able to withstand this kind of physical challenge, but even if he got knocked over, his body wouldn't suffer serious damage.
The referee beckoned to Tang Long, signaling that he could return to the field.
Tang Long looked at Davis, whose temple had a large, swollen lump, and smiled as he returned the same words:
"Can you handle Serie A-level physicality?"
The match remained a tense battle.
Inter Milan had the advantage in both market value and the players' actual ability.
But their three-match winning streak had been interrupted by the winter break, and after returning from vacation, the players still hadn't regained their best form.
On top of that, two of the starters, Brozovic and Podolski, were new signings, and their understanding with their veteran teammates was still a little rusty.
Bologna, by contrast, had long since settled on their plan to secure a point at home.
They kept breaking up the flow with fouls, making the match disjointed and leaving Inter Milan's players frustrated!
The referee's home-field bias was also rather obvious. He had given Inter Milan three yellow cards, but Bologna only one.
In the 78th minute, Mancini made a substitution.
He took off defensive midfielder Medel and brought on Swiss newcomer Shaqiri, switching to a three-man attack.
Bologna made changes of their own, bringing on several young players to keep up the physical pressure!
As soon as the clock ticked into the 80th minute, they even began flopping to the ground and pretending to have cramps to waste time.
"This can't go on, boss. We're going to get dragged into their rhythm!" Assistant coach Herrera was frantic with worry.
"I haven't found a good solution," Mancini said, frowning deeply. "We're paying for an undisciplined winter break with dropped points."
Two minutes later, Tang Long was brought down by Davis while carrying the ball through the middle.
Davis had a bandage wrapped around his head, but his gaze was still sharp. He was stubbornly hanging on.
This free kick was in a better position than the previous one, out on the wing at a 45-degree angle, with a better crossing angle!
Brozovic stood over the ball, deep in thought.
Just then, the fourth official on the sideline held up the substitution board. Davis was coming off.
Bologna manager Lopez had no doubts about Davis's fighting spirit, but he was still worried that the head injury might affect his performance.
To everyone's surprise, Davis didn't leave the field. He shouted toward the bench instead:
"Let me finish this play before you sub me! You don't make a change right before the other team takes a free kick. Don't panic!"
Davis was right.
When defending a set piece, the worst thing the defending team could do was make a substitution at that moment.
A player coming on needed to get used to the pace and find the man he was supposed to mark. But fresh off the bench, players often felt awkward, making defensive mistakes more likely.
Brozovic ran up and struck the center of the ball with the inside of his foot. His body tilted sideways as he sent it curling through the air!
"Near post!"
This time, the Croatian and the Argentine striker seemed to read each other's minds. One sent the ball toward the near post, while the other suddenly sprinted forward from the middle!
"Defend the near post!"
This time, Davis, with his head bandaged, reacted faster because he was better positioned!
He immediately charged toward the near post, tracking Icardi's run in front of him.
All the key players had gone to the near post!
At the edge of the penalty arc, a brainwave flashed through Tang Long's mind—
"AI scan: 65.38% chance the ball will be cleared at the near post; 34.62% chance it will fall to the far post!"
Without drawing anyone's attention, Tang Long darted into the far side of the penalty area...
Before you continue