When Paths Cross, the Brave Prevail! A Shocking Blow, Tang Long's Unwavering Victory Over Hummels!
Seeing Ranocchia finally pass the ball out, Chivu, whose heart had been in his throat on the sidelines, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He was just about to discuss Ranocchia's recklessness with Guardiola when he heard Guardiola shout, pointing to the far end and yelling:
"Christian, look!"
Chivu was taken aback. Following the direction Guardiola pointed, he looked up and his eyes widened instantly. The words he was about to say were swallowed back down.
He looked up and saw the ball flying in the sky, spinning intensely as it began to fall.
Tang Long is charging forward!
Hummels and Martinez both rushed towards the ball!
Bayern used the same 4-2-3-1 formation as Manchester City in this match. Boateng, who performed poorly in the last round, was dropped this round, and the two starting center-backs were Hummels and Martinez.
"Great pass! Excellent pass!" Chivu shouted in his heart.
However, he didn't shout those words out loud. By this time, he had realized that Ranocchia's series of seemingly reckless actions, which had put him in danger, were all just a prelude to this pass.
However, whether Ranocchia's plan will succeed depends on whether Tang Long can handle this extremely difficult ball in front of two tall center-backs.
Chivu felt this was really difficult!
Because Ranocchia used his left foot to sweep the ball, which had a strong sidespin and dropped sharply;
Tang Long cut inside from the wing, and theoretically, the ball would fly further and further away from him.
Meanwhile, center-backs Martinez and Hummels were well-rested and ready to pounce. Although they also rushed towards the ball, they went straight at it and were closer to the ball than Tang Long.
"That's too fast!"
Guardiola couldn't help but bend over and pound his chest with his two clenched fists.
When he shouted "Too fast!", he wasn't referring to how fast the ball dropped with Ranocchia's foot, but rather the speed at which Tang Long charged forward!
While Tang Long's absolute speed may not be considered top-tier in football, and he still lags behind players like Bale, his AI System grants him maxed-out anticipation. His accurate prediction of the ball's trajectory and his ability to get ahead of the game, along with his ability to seize key moments, far surpass those of top center-backs Martinez and Hummels.
He always manages to seize the initiative!
But Hummels and Martinez are no pushovers either; they're definitely skilled enough to be regular starters at Bayern.
Hummels, in particular, moved from Bayern to Dortmund in 2009 and subsequently helped the team win two consecutive league titles.
Bayern spent a hefty €35 million to bring him back last summer, which shows that the center-back's level has been absolutely recognized by Bayern.
Hummels' anticipation of the ball's trajectory was better than Martinez's, and the ball flew intentionally towards that side.
He took a step forward and saw Tang Long also charging forward. He was immediately startled and quickly calculated in his mind:
"I'm not sure I can beat him on this ball. It's a 50/50 chance. Even if he gets the ball, I'll just take a good position. Even if he stops the ball, we're so close, there's no space, so he can't do much to me. He'll most likely receive the ball with his back to me. If he doesn't stop it properly, I'll just clear it with one kick."
So, facing this evenly matched ball, Hummels, to be conservative, didn't go forward to fight. Instead, he took his position, got into position, and waited for Tang Long.
Bang!
Hummels didn't get to see Tang Long control the ball, nor did he get to hope that Tang Long would make a mistake and clear the ball himself.
He only felt a deafening sound, a gust of wind flashed past his eyes, and with a whoosh, the football grazed his face like lightning. His instinct for self-preservation drove him to turn his back sharply, just in time to see Neuer lying on the ground in a sorry state.
The soccer ball hit the top left corner of the goal, and the net trembled violently from the impact!
"Ah, this!" Hummels felt as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer, and it was buzzing.
Why did he shoot directly at the goal?
That doesn't make sense!
Tang Long's right leg, which he had swung out, slowly landed on the ground only after the ball slammed into the net.
Tang Long initially wanted to stop the ball before making a decision.
Whether to stop and shoot, dribble past Hummels and Martinez, or receive the ball with your back to goal and then request a combination play, all these decisions depend on the opponent's subsequent reactions and on-the-spot adjustments.
But just as Tang Long jumped up to control the ball, he saw Hummels suddenly step back, and he knew that Hummels was waiting for him to stop the ball.
In a split second, Tang Long made a bold decision that seemed incredibly daring to everyone—he would burst into the air and launch himself into the air!
Tang Long himself felt it was risky to take that shot.
After all, he changed his move at the last minute, from stopping the ball to shooting, which resulted in insufficient swing of his lower leg. In addition, he was running from the side from a distance and was aiming for a volley, so he wasn't entirely confident in judging the ball's trajectory.
But as the saying goes, when two people meet on a narrow path, the brave will prevail!
In the UEFA Champions League knockout stage, when two teams clash, retreating at crucial moments can lead to disastrous consequences.
In this evenly matched goal, Tang Long, representing the braver side, defeated Hummels!
Everyone thought he was going to stop the ball, but he insisted on shooting!
He scored!
A howling night wind swept in, the strong winds of Munich making Tang Long's light blue Manchester City jersey flutter wildly.
Looking up at the stars in the night sky, I immediately felt a sense of peace and joy.
A year ago at this very stadium, he led Manchester City home in defeat;
But he absolutely will not allow such a scene to happen again today!
Tang Long's teammates rushed towards Tang Long, roaring and shouting, trying to pin him down in the center and create a satisfying human pyramid. They were all captivated by Tang Long's astonishing aerial volley.
Tang Long, however, moved with a nimble, serpentine gait, like a dancer gliding along the edge of the penalty area. He dodged the encirclement of Agüero, Gündoğan, and Thiago, then broke through Kompany's pincer-like hands, sprinting to Ranocchia's side and giving him a resounding high five!
This slap turned both of their palms bright red.
After Ranocchia made the pass under extremely difficult circumstances, he himself fell to the ground.
I witnessed Tang Long's aerial explosion almost while I was sitting on the ground.
"Ah... that's amazing!" Ranocchia, who had been standing up, suddenly reddened and sat back down on the ground.
He was both happy for Tang Long's goal and thrilled that he had provided such a wonderful assist.
At the beginning of this season, when Guardiola changed him from a center-back to a defensive midfielder, there was a lot of skepticism from the outside world.
After all, the Italy is already 28 years old. At his age, most of his technical skills and tactical thinking are already set.
If he changes position again, especially to defensive midfield, one of the most difficult positions on the field, can he handle it?
Ranocchia was determined to deliver a few spectacular assists to not disappoint Guardiola and to give a resounding rebuke to the media that questioned him.
He has indeed delivered a few through balls this season.
However, Guardiola positioned him as Busquets -style defensive midfielder, with Ranocchia primarily controlling the tempo of the backfield, while the forward passes were mostly handled by teammates such as Gündoğan, Mkhitaryan, and Thiago.
In Guardiola's view, these players are shorter, lighter, and more agile, making them capable of evolving into the style of Xavi and Iniesta.
But now it seems that Guardiola underestimated the Italy's strength!
"This isn't Busquets, this is Pirlo, oh, a stronger version of Pirlo with his weaker foot." Guardiola patted the stunned Chivu and said with a laugh.
Bonazzoli, who was on the bench, couldn't sit still any longer. He rushed to the sideline and jumped around.
"That's a great message, Captain! You really scared me!"
If it were anyone else, such as Gündoğan or Thiago, who delivered such a beautiful pass to assist Tang Long's goal, no matter how beautiful the pass was, Bonazzoli would definitely cheer for his good friend Tang Long first.
But at this moment, he wanted to give all his surging emotions to Ranocchia, the captain who was still carefully comforting him at 2:30 a. m. last night.
"Captain, keep it up!" Bonazzoli shouted again before reluctantly turning back to sit on the bench.
He noticed that his teammates on the bench were looking at him with amused expressions.
Chivu quickly walked over to Bonazzoli, pulled him aside, and whispered to him:
"Be careful, there's only one captain here, Kompany. Don't shout."
Guardiola heard this, his ears twitched slightly, and he thought:
"The players who came from Inter Milan are all very good: Dom, Ranocchia, Bonazzoli, and Chivu —yes, they're all good lads!"