Who Can Be the Key Savior, Muller, Robben, Lewandowski, or Tang Long?

Robben pretended to be nonchalant, enduring the pain, and ran past Tang Long with his head held high and chest out.

But as soon as he reached the corner of the Allianz Arena players' tunnel, he reverted to his previous state of excruciating pain, leaning against the wall and limping with difficulty to reach the locker room.

Sure enough, when he sat down and took off his shoes and socks, he saw that his toes were bruised, black blood had congealed between his toes, and his entire nail was ruined.

Muller, Neuer, Vidal, and others gathered around in surprise, asking him what had happened.

Robben grinned and said, "That Tang guy is really ruthless. Those who know him will know that I kicked his foot, but those who don't will think I kicked a rock. That guy's bones are hard!"

Upon hearing this, the Bayern players were filled with worry.

Everyone watched as the team doctor continuously tried to relieve Robben's pain, first gently applying an ice pack to try and reduce the swelling, and then using a cooling spray to spray the injured area. However, no one knew how effective it would be.

After all, throughout the first half, Robben was Bayern's most threatening attacking weapon on the wing and their most dangerous scoring point on the front line.

If Robben is substituted due to injury, the second half will be much more difficult.

Although they equalized, they are still a goal behind Manchester City on aggregate!

Vidal, recalling Tang Long's tackle that dispossessed Robben, couldn't help but sigh:

"To be honest, that tackle was flawless—fast, accurate, and ruthless. It was a very successful defensive play. Looks like we underestimated this guy."

Vidal previously played for Juventus in Serie A. In Italy, where defense is highly valued, every coach has extremely high requirements for the defensive abilities of their players. Whether they are forwards or defenders, their primary task is to defend.

Vidal possesses superb defensive skills, and Tang Long's defensive prowess was evident in this match.

However, when faced with Ancelotti's question, Robben's attitude was unusually firm, and he resolutely refused to be substituted.

"What's a little injury? Minor injuries don't keep me from the front lines! I may be in pain, but that Tang kid got a good beating from me. It's worth it, one for one!"

The 15-minute halftime break passed in the blink of an eye.

Tang Long and Robben walked out of the players' tunnel at the same time, and coincidentally, they bumped into each other.

"Is your foot alright?" Robben asked, a slight, almost imperceptible hint of provocation in his smile.

He even jumped around a few times to stretch his limbs, trying to show Tang Long that he was still full of energy.

Tang Long understood Robben's intention, smiled slightly, and calmly replied, "I'm fine too, in good shape."

In fact, he also received emergency treatment from the team doctor in the locker room, and the excruciating pain was slightly relieved.

"Alright, let's keep it up in the second half!" Robben gritted his teeth, turned around first, and strode onto the field, his back view carrying an indomitable spirit.

Tang Long felt a surge of anger and blood rush to his head.

"Good, very resilient. I enjoy playing against opponents like that."

The second half of the game became even more intense.

Robben has a strong will. Although he has lost all his hair, his desire for honor is as strong as the hair of an 18-year-old boy.

He was practically holding his breath, enduring the excruciating pain in his fingernails, as he sprinted across the field step by step.

However, what troubled him was that Tang Long and Robertson were keeping a close eye on him at all times.

Especially Tang Long. Although Robben was able to break through Robertson with his experience and dribbling skills, when he cut inside from the wing and wanted to continue dribbling towards the center, Tang Long was like an insurmountable Great Wall, always standing in his way.

Snap!

In the 53rd minute, Robben made a strong cut inside, but Tang Long closed in on him, blocking his path, and with a powerful shoulder bump, he actually knocked Robben off course.

Just three minutes later, Robben launched another attack down the wing.

This time, Tang Long responded even more decisively, taking the initiative and clearing the ball with a single kick.

The ball was kicked high and far, even flying directly over Bayern's byline.

This highly insulting and lethal defensive tackle sent a chill down Robben's spine.

He couldn't help but think that if Tang's kick hadn't hit the ball but instead struck his own foot, the injury wouldn't have been just the toenail from the first half.

Robben looked at Tang Long's youthful face, his mind filled with doubts and his face full of confusion.

"My inside cut has worked for me for many years in the football world, almost always against the strongest defense. Why is it that I keep failing against him?"

Robben discovered that Tang Long's defense against his breakthroughs was completely different from that of other famous defenders he had faced before, such as Ramos, Bonucci, and Chivu.

These players, when facing them, could also anticipate Robben's intention to cut inside and shoot.

However, the reason Robben is Robben, and the reason why his inside cut and shot are so famous, is definitely not because of brute force.

If you replay the footage at 0.1x speed, you'll see that Robben's inside cut was actually full of feints and deceptive maneuvers.

These feints might come from arm swings, changes in dribbling frequency, misleading body language, or even darts of eye contact. Meanwhile, Bayern players will follow Robben's runs and move forward.

Often, after Robben cuts inside, he doesn't just shoot; he also passes the ball!

But Tang Long seemed unaffected by Robben's deceptive tactics; he always managed to block Robben's next move with his feet and body.

On the sidelines, Chivu witnessed all of this, his face filled with shock.

His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the 2010 UEFA Champions League final, when he, playing at left-back, was repeatedly outmaneuvered by Robben.

(2010 UEFA Champions League Final, Robben vs. Chivu)

Motta's red card suspension forced Zanetti to move to defensive midfield, leaving Zanetti to fill in at left-back.

In that match, Robben was like a whirlwind, rushing past him time and time again, leaving him scrambling and tumbling in a sorry state.

If it weren't for Inter Milan's goalkeeper Cesar's miraculous performance, Bayern would likely have won that match decisively.

When Tang Long once again brought Robben down, ball and man, Chivu on the sidelines could no longer contain himself and applauded loudly.

"Well done, Tang!"

When Tang Long brought Robben down again, ball and man at the same time, Chivu could no longer contain his excitement and cheered loudly from the sidelines, clapping his hands vigorously.

Looking at Robben, he couldn't help but sigh, "Robben, time waits for no one. No matter how good you are, you can't help but feel powerless against the young Tang Long!"

However, the foul that Tang Long committed, bringing down both the ball and the player, was debatable, and the referee awarded Bayern a free kick in the attacking third.

All players are on high alert.

When positional warfare fails to break the deadlock, set pieces can often break the deadlock.

"I'll do it!"

Robben was furious; he refused Douglas Costa's request to take the penalty and sent the ball into the penalty area himself.

The ball followed an extremely unpredictable arc, just like Robben's shots, making it impossible to anticipate.

"Hi!!!"

Inside the penalty area, Kompany and Lewandowski both jumped to contest for the ball.

With both sides interfering, neither could get a header. In the middle, Muller, like a nimble the Cheetah, spotted the ball and suddenly launched a diving header!

Goal!

The distance was too close; Bravo didn't even have time to make any save attempt.

"Muller!!"

Robben took the lead, ignoring the pain in his toes, and in a 100-meter sprint, he leaped high onto Muller's back, pounding his teammate's head so hard that Muller was stunned.

Although Muller scored the goal, it was assisted by Robben.

This assist allowed Robben to vent all the anger he had been holding back against Tang Long.

- [Muller, I knew Muller would step up!]

- [Muller is always the kind of player who doesn't show off, but his goals are always crucial!]

-[His football IQ is really high! When Lewandowski and Kompany were vying for the header, he was already prepared to intercept the ball!]

-[That seems to be Muller's first shot of the game, right?]

- [Mr. Biggest, that's his ability. No wonder he's been able to play for Bayern for so many years.]

-[I've said it before, Bayern can do without anyone, but they can't do without Muller. He's the soul of our Bayern team!]