Lionel Messi Was Dumbfounded! This ball's speed was estimated to be over 150km/h!
Number 9, Tang Long, scored a powerful Tiger Shot!
The football, like a tiger descending the mountain, leaps over the towering jungle, charging straight at its prey in the penalty area, headbutting the goalkeeper, and crashing into the net!
"Call--"
Tang Long felt a thunderous tiger roar ring in his ears, so much so that he couldn't hear what his teammates surrounding him were excitedly shouting.
The moment the ball went in, an eerie atmosphere enveloped Celtic Park.
Originally, the Celtic fans were all livid and glaring angrily.
They watched helplessly as their team was besieged by the opponents for almost the entire first half.
On their own home turf, the team behaved so cowardly, offering absolutely no resistance!
This enraged the fans like a volcano about to erupt, and they booed loudly and deafeningly, as if to rip the roof off the stadium.
They were hoping the boos would spur on the Celtic, get the players moving, and give them the home-court advantage.
However, the moment Tang Long's long-range shot, as sharp as a cannonball, swished through the net, the entire stadium fell into a deathly silence, like that of a library.
The once boisterous fans were now gaping, speechless, their faces filled with astonishment and disbelief.
"This... how is this possible!"
The fans fell silent; the silence was eerily quiet.
Their hearts were filled with mixed feelings.
Previously, although they were extremely dissatisfied with the team's performance and were grumbling, they were actually secretly surprised and secretly delighted.
Unexpectedly, manager Rodgers proved to be quite capable defensively, managing to keep the formidable Manchester City scoreless in the first half.
They were secretly relieved, thinking that the team could hold onto this hard-won draw, and even fantasized about a comeback in the second half.
Unexpectedly, in the 43rd minute of the first half, just when everyone thought the halftime whistle was about to blow and the tense atmosphere was about to ease for a moment, the team conceded such a long-range shot!
This sudden goal conceded was like a heavy hammer blow, striking everyone's heart hard.
How exactly was that goal scored?
Such a long-range shot at such a straight angle, it shouldn't be like that!
This question, like a huge mystery, lingers in the minds of every Celtic fan.
Not only were the Celtic fans puzzled, but the Celtic players themselves were also frowning, completely baffled, their minds filled with a jumble of questions.
The players in the middle, Rogic, Bitton, and Brown, were filled with resentment and confusion.
They had clearly taken their positions with complete focus, setting up a defense as tight as an impenetrable wall, with a full five players closely linked on the back line.
Looking around, the defensive line was densely packed with people, with almost no flaws!
But how exactly did Tang Long manage to find that almost non-existent gap from such a distance, like a ghost?
No one could explain it, which left them feeling incredibly frustrated and confused.
Even more frustrated was undoubtedly Celtic goalkeeper Gordon!
He stood in front of the goal, his eyes filled with pain and self-blame.
Tang Long's Tiger Shot, while incredibly fast, also covered a great distance and was perfectly straight.
As the ball flew towards him, Gordon secretly rejoiced, thinking he had secured the best position and there was no way the ball could go in!
He saw it clearly; the ball was like a bullet whistling through the air, flying straight toward his face.
Without hesitation, he stretched out both hands, confidently attempting to push the ball over the crossbar.
He had performed this move countless times in his daily training and had never made a mistake.
For a goalkeeper of his caliber, even a powerful shot from such a straight angle can be easily cleared thanks to his experience and skill.
But to Gordon's utter bewilderment and shock, the instant his hands touched the ball, his wrists inexplicably deformed!
The ball, like a wild beast struggling wildly, forcefully broke free from the enormous restraints of his hands, and he watched helplessly as he actually swatted the ball into the goal.
At that moment, his mind went blank, and his heart was filled with despair.
Despite playing in the Scottish Premiership, Gordon has always firmly believed that he is definitely a Premier League- level goalkeeper.
From 2007 to 2012, he played for Sunderland for four seasons. As the team's starting goalkeeper, he made countless crucial saves in front of the goal, rescuing the team from dire situations.
He felt that a goalkeeper of his caliber coming to play in the Scottish Premiership would be a game-changer, a complete and utter defeat.
However, he made such a basic mistake in the face of Tang Long's shot, which made him feel extremely humiliated and guilty!
His teammates glared at him angrily, their gazes like sharp blades piercing Gordon's heart.
Gordon was about to defend himself when he suddenly felt a sharp pain spreading rapidly along the web between his thumb and forefinger.
A burning sensation, like an electric current, spread throughout his entire arm; not only his arm, but even his arm was numb from the shock.
"Hiss..."
Gordon gasped and couldn't help but shake his hands violently.
Although the soft goalkeeper gloves protected his palms, he could still clearly feel his palms swelling rapidly inside the gloves, and the pain made him wince.
"My view is blocked, what can I do!"
In a moment of panic, Gordon hastily made up an excuse to appease his teammates.
In fact, Gordon knew better than anyone else that despite the large number of people, he clearly saw the ball's trajectory; his vision was flawless.
The throbbing pain in his hand made him realize that Tang Long's shot was only possible because of its immense power, far exceeding his expectations, and because he had been unprepared and underestimated his opponent.
Meanwhile, at Lionel Messi's home, footage of the match was being played on a large screen.
When Celtic conceded such a bizarre goal near the end of the first half due to a goalkeeper's mistake, Suarez and Neymar were instantly furious!
"What kind of goalkeeper is this? Can he even play in the UEFA Champions League? It's ridiculous!" Suarez's face was flushed, and his eyes flashed with anger.
"The angle of that shot on replay was perfect, it was aimed right at the goalkeeper. I could have blocked it with a simple raise of my hand!" Neymar stomped his feet in frustration.
Suarez and Neymar were indignant and very dissatisfied, as if it was their beloved Barcelona who conceded the goal, not Celtic.
Lionel Messi remained silent, his gaze focused and deep, fixed on the screen, his heart filled with shock!
Everyone was focused on the fact that the Celtic goalkeeper had managed to put the ball into the net, considering it a basic mistake.
But Lionel Messi's attention was focused on Tang Long's shot in SportMediaset.
His eyes revealed a hint of curiosity and surprise; he noticed that Tang Long's shooting motion was very exaggerated, with a very large forward lean.
Especially the step he took before the final shot was incredibly sharp and swift. It didn't look like a supporting leg preparing for a shot, but rather like he was about to crash into someone and engage in a physical confrontation!
In Lionel Messi's more than ten-year career, he has seen countless players and all kinds of shooting techniques, but he has never seen a player with such an exaggerated body posture when shooting.
Although there was no accurate data, Lionel Messi was thinking to himself, "Don's long-range shot, judging by the speed, was at least 150 kilometers per hour. With such terrifying speed, it's no wonder the goalkeeper couldn't block the ball!"
Guardiola's celebratory shouts echoed in his ears. Celtic manager Rodgers was under immense pressure, as if a mountain was pressing down on his head.
He put his hands on his hips, felt a sharp pain in his back, and involuntarily looked down at the leather shoes on his toes.
"What happened? We still couldn't hold on, and Tang Long succeeded again!" Rodgers was extremely frustrated.
If Celtic lose this match, they will be out of European competition altogether. With 0 points from 5 games, their final match against Monchengladbach is unlikely to yield any points given their poor form.
Six games, zero points, finishing last and heading home. With this performance, Rodgers might be fired!
What to do?
Should we launch an attack?
Let's fight Manchester City with our backs against the wall. Even if we die, we'll die standing!
At that moment, the Celtic fans at home suddenly erupted in a burst of enthusiastic cheers, singing their team anthem.
Loud singing echoed through Celtic Park, the greatest support fans could offer their team when they were in trouble.
Yes, Celtic fans were very unhappy with the team's defensive performance at home, and the boos never stopped from the start;
But when the team was truly in dire straits, they showed their support without reservation.
That's what makes fans so endearing!
With four or five minutes left including stoppage time, should we launch a fierce attack and try to pull one back?
The Celtic players all looked expectantly at Rodgers on the sidelines, anticipating his powerful response, just as he had displayed the lion-like fury when Celtic were trailing in the Scottish Premiership.
"Don't push all the way in! Continue to reclaim your positions!"
However, the Celtic players were wrong; Rodgers continued to give them the same instructions as before.
But this time it's even stricter than before.
"Anyone who doesn't do as I say will be substituted at halftime!"