The Football Roars Through the Air! Shattering Tottenham, Aiming for Juventus! Tang Long Gives Buffon a Thumbs Up!

Inside the Manchester City manager's office.

"Although we didn't draw Borussia Dortmund, the weakest team, avoiding Real Madrid is already a pretty good result," assistant coach Chivu said with a relieved expression.

Guardiola nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the Juventus team logo on the screen, next to Chivu's tactical analysis done overnight.

"Juventus, well, it's a pretty good draw."

Last season, Manchester City and Juventus were in the same UEFA Champions League group stage, and the image of Manchester City defeating Juventus twice is still fresh in our minds.

These experiences gave Manchester City a thorough understanding of Juventus' playing style and tactics, and also provided them with a significant psychological advantage.

Meanwhile, at Manchester City's training ground, the players were conducting their daily training.

Winter transfer signing Onana was covered in sweat, having just finished a high-intensity goalkeeping reaction training session, when Tang Long was seen stretching on the side.

His eyes lit up as if he had discovered a treasure. He ran over quickly, grabbed Tang Long's arm, and said expectantly, "Tang, how about we practice penalty kicks together!"

Onana, the young goalkeeper who has just stepped into the stage of the Top Five Leagues, has not yet made his UEFA Champions League debut for Manchester City, but the stories in the football world have already planted countless aspirations in his heart.

The classic image of Tang Long outmaneuvering Buffon three times at the penalty spot often flashed through his mind.

Every young goalkeeper has their own idol; Casillas's steadiness and Cech's composure are role models for them to learn from.

But Onana has a special admiration for Buffon. Every brilliant save by Buffon and every steady command of the defense fascinates Onana.

Cameroon players aspire to become defensive commanders like Buffon.

But when he saw Tang Long on TV use clever feints to trick Buffon into losing his balance three times and easily score the penalty, he was deeply shocked and his admiration for Buffon quietly shifted to Tang Long!

Tang Long stopped what he was doing, waved his hand with a smile, and said, "Why practice this? It's a waste of time."

Tang Long knew very well that his skill in penalty kicks couldn't be improved through last-minute cramming.

That's a level of skill that can only be achieved through long-term analysis of large amounts of data, careful study of goalkeepers' habitual movements and attack directions, combined with the ability to instantly judge the opponent's psychology on the field, and one's own unique talent.

Is it even useful to kick around a dozen or twenty times on this training field?

It's useful, but not very useful.

Onana, however, refused to give up and continued to pester Tang Long, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture, "Just practice for a little while, Tang, please."

At that moment, Bravo walked over with a smile, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and pushed Onana aside.

"You big oaf, if anyone's going to train, it should be me and Tang Long. What are you going to train for? You won't even get to play in the UEFA Champions League."

Bravo's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering Onana up.

He then remembered that he had already played in the UEFA Champions League for Ajax in the first half of the season, but due to the rules of the competition and personnel arrangements, the team had not registered him for Manchester City's UEFA Champions League matches.

Onana's face flushed red to her ears. She scratched her head awkwardly, chuckled dryly, and turned to run back to her training area.

Bravo watched Onana's retreating figure, shook his head with a smile, then crossed his arms and walked to Tang Long's side.

Sunlight streamed onto the training field, casting shadows on the two figures.

"Don, you should be more confident facing Buffon this time, right?" Bravo asked.

In the two years since Tang Long joined Manchester City, his growth has been meteoric.

When he first arrived, although he had excellent passing and ball control skills in the midfield position and scored many goals, his goal-scoring threat was not as great as Agüero's.

Until Guardiola, with his keen eye, promoted him to the forward line.

This transformation fully unleashed Tang Long's offensive talent!

On the front line, he was like an incredibly sharp dagger, causing chaos and defeat for the opposing defense.

This season, he not only secured the Premier League Golden Boot early on, but he is also Cristiano Ronaldo's only contender for the European Golden Shoe!

With each crucial goal, his confidence soared, and his demeanor underwent a complete transformation.

Now, he can both attack from the front and drop back into midfield to control the tempo of the game, making him a fearsome presence for his opponents.

Tang Long looked up. A few white clouds floated in the azure sky, and a gentle breeze caressed his face.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the unique scent of Manchester's red bricks, and then slowly exhaled, a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Let's beat Juventus, I'm an expert at it. I loved beating them back when I was at Inter Milan."

"Back in Italy, every time Inter Milan faced Juventus, it was a fierce Juventus match."

"Since coming to the Premier League, I haven't had many opportunities to face them. This time, when I catch them in the UEFA Champions League, I'm going to beat them to a pulp! I'll give them a sound thrashing!"

Tang Long recalled the intense matches against Juventus during his time at Inter Milan; every physical confrontation and every struggle for possession was filled with tension.

Bravo listened to Tang Long's words, nodded, and deeply admired Tang Long's fighting spirit. He gave him a thumbs up.

"Well done, Tang, we all believe in you."

Bravo couldn't help but recall the deep-seated historical rivalry Inter Milan and Juventus on the Apennine Peninsula.

As a Chile goalkeeper who has played in the top Top Five Leagues for many years, although he has never stepped onto the Serie A pitch, the name of the "Derby d'Italia" between Inter Milan and Juventus is well-known.

While the Milan derby is certainly exciting, its status in Italy football can never compare to the rivalry between Inter Milan and Juventus.

The feud between the two teams has been going on for many years and is deeply rooted; it would not be an exaggeration to call it a blood feud.

Thinking of this, Bravo's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of sympathetic bitterness. He thought to himself, "Buffon, you're almost 40, the twilight of your career, and you still have to be repeatedly tormented by that kid, Tang. It's really a disgrace to Buffon career. You've suffered."

After training, Tang Long returned home.

He casually tossed his training bag onto the sofa, plopped down, picked up his phone from the coffee table, and started scrolling through social media.

As I swiped the screen, a familiar face came into view – a nine-grid photo of Buffon practicing penalty kicks, released by Juventus' official account.

In the photo, Buffon is wearing training clothes, his eyes focused on performing various saves, his back soaked with sweat.

Tang Long opened the picture with great interest, his eyes fixed on the screen, carefully observing Buffon's every move, as if trying to engrave every detail of Buffon in his mind.

After looking at the photos, he then opened up video footage of Buffon's past penalty saves, carefully studying Buffon's save habits, timing of his jumps, and direction of body extension.

Tang Long combined these actions and data into his AI training model, using his brain to rapidly calculate and find any possible flaws.

Then, as if playing a prank, he subtly gave Buffon a thumbs-up with a slight upturn of his lips.

Then he tossed his phone aside and walked into the AI Cloud Training Ground.

At this point, the Premier League schedule had entered a crucial stage, with five rounds of matches remaining.

Manchester City are far ahead in the standings, leading second-placed Chelsea by a full ten points.

Tang Long silently calculated in his mind that, given Manchester City's current form, they were very likely to defeat Chelsea several rounds in advance and win the league title.

He is also full of anticipation for the upcoming FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur.

He is eager to help his team secure the Premier League title with two consecutive wins three rounds to spare before the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Juventus, thus boosting morale for their UEFA Champions League campaign.

Just as Tang Long was fully immersed in the AI Cloud Training Ground and the simulated match scenario, the "like" he gave to Juventus' official account caused a huge stir on social media, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake!

Juventus released this nine-grid photo to cheer on Buffon and to declare to the world, "Our goalkeeper Buffon is not afraid of anyone's penalty kick, including Tang Long. As long as Buffon is in front of the goal, Juventus' defense is an impregnable wall!"

But no one expected that Tang Long, the attacking linchpin of Manchester City, Juventus' upcoming UEFA Champions League opponent, would actually like this post!

Moreover, several hours have passed, and the like is still firmly displayed there, clearly indicating that it was not a slip of the hand.

Social media platforms were abuzz with activity as fans flooded Juventus' post with comments.

[Did I read that right? Tang Long actually gave Juventus a thumbs up for their current form???]

- [What does this mean? Was it a good penalty save by Buffon?]

- [Haha, can't you see it? This is clearly a dig at Juventus, a dig at Buffon! This is blatant provocation!]

Tang Long's point is, he doesn't care how Buffon trains; bring it on!

- [I'll add a voiceover: Tang Long says, "Comrade Xiao Bu, you need to hurry up and train hard, time waits for no one~"] This comment received the most likes, and many fans agreed with this interpretation, feeling that Tang Long was declaring war on Juventus in this way.

- [No, no, no, I think Tang was implying that Manchester City should give him a raise, otherwise he'll have to join Juventus next season.]

-[Oh my god, Tang Long and Buffon as teammates, the scene is simply too beautiful to imagine!]

-[That's like Lionel Messi and Ramos being teammates, how is that possible? That only happens in a video game, hahaha!]

-[You know what, I put Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tang Long in the same team in the game, forming a team with the top three Ballon d'Or, it's so much fun~]

Under pressure from a deluge of comments and discussions, Juventus quietly deleted the post.

But the internet remembers, and fans had already snapped screenshots and were frantically sharing them on various forums and groups.

Comments like "Juventus must be scared, hahaha" and "Deleting it won't help, everyone saw it" are everywhere.

Tang Long was completely unaware of this at the time.

He remains focused on his simulation training in the AI Cloud Training Ground, making thorough preparations for the upcoming important competition.

London, White Hart Lane Stadium.

Sunlight streamed onto the lush green grass, casting a golden glow.

Today, Manchester City will face Tottenham Hotspur away in the FA Cup semi-final.

The stadium was packed, with Tottenham Hotspur fans dressed in white jerseys, forming a sea of white as they waved flags and chanted slogans to cheer on their team.

Manchester City fans were equally enthusiastic, with blue figures gathering in the away stands to express their support for the team through songs and shouts.

The match was extremely intense, with Tottenham Hotspur deploying a tight defensive formation that repeatedly thwarted Manchester City's attacks.

In the first half, Manchester City had 70% possession, but were unable to break through Tottenham Hotspur's defense.

Guardiola paced anxiously on the sidelines, occasionally making tactical adjustments to the players on the field.

In the 72nd minute of the second half, the situation on the field finally took a turn for the better!

Manchester City player Navas received a pass on the right wing, looked up to check his teammates' positions, and decisively crossed the ball!

A high arc streaked across the sky, flying towards the left side of the penalty area.

Tang Long understood immediately and rushed towards the landing point.

He met Navas' high cross from the left side of the penalty area, first feigning to stop the ball by slightly retreating his body as if to receive it.

Tottenham Hotspur's defender Guarin was fooled by his feint and lost his balance. At that critical moment, Tang Long suddenly jumped—

He stretched his body in the air, light and swift, then drew his bow and arrow, gathering all his strength in his right foot, and smashed the ball in the very center!

Whoosh whoosh--

The football whistled through the air and flew straight over goalkeeper Lloris's head into the net!

That powerful, fast shot, while perfectly angled, was incredibly sudden.

Despite being fully focused, Lloris felt a flash of light before his eyes the moment Tang Long kicked the ball, and before he could react, the ball had already whistled past.

The loud whooshing sound made his ears ring. He stood there, stunned, his eyes fixed on the football that had already gone into the net. His body seemed frozen in place, and he made no attempt to make a save, like a clay statue.

The expressions on the faces of Tottenham's two Tottenham Hotspur strikers, Kane and Son Heung-min, froze the moment the ball went in.

Kane bent over in frustration, hands on his knees, panting heavily, his eyes filled with resentment;

Son Heung-min knelt helplessly on the ground, his hands hanging limply over his chest.

"Why couldn't we hold on?" the two cried out in unison, their voices filled with despair.

Tottenham Hotspur made extremely meticulous preparations for this match.

They practiced defensive tactics repeatedly on the training ground and developed multiple countermeasures against Manchester City's attacking characteristics.

During the match, the players ran and fought tirelessly, using their tenacious defense to shut down Manchester City for a full 70 minutes.

Just when they thought they could drag the game into a stalemate, or even decide the winner through a penalty shootout, Tang Long's stunning long-range shot was like a sledgehammer, shattering the Tottenham Hotspur players' dreams to pieces!

"Tang Long!!!!"

"He finally broke the deadlock for Manchester City!"

"Manchester City has never lost a game this season in which Tang Long has scored!"

"And in all the matches where Manchester City scored first, they took all three points!"

"That was a perfect goal!"

"The power of the shot showcases unparalleled violent aesthetics!"

"His aerial leg swing technique also showcased Tang Long's superb shooting skills!"

"If I had to use a metaphor, it would be like being able to embroider on a giant iron hammer!"

Manchester City players rushed towards Tang Long, embracing, cheering, and jumping.

Tang Long gave each of them a high-five.

A faint, indifferent smile graced his face.

There was no raising of arms in celebration, no taking off clothes to celebrate, and naturally no sliding kneeling.

With his hands behind his back, he walked slowly toward the center circle, like a seasoned veteran.

After scoring difficult goals like the Winged Shot and the Tiger Shot, this volley, while spectacular, was nothing more than a piece of cake for Tang Long.

In his view, as long as his teammates can pass the ball accurately, it is not difficult for him to complete such a shot with his own ability.

After Tang Long scored that world-class goal, Tottenham Hotspur's mental defenses completely collapsed.

The players seemed somewhat lost on the field, and their defense showed obvious weaknesses.

Seeing the situation, Guardiola made a decisive substitution, replacing Tang Long with young player Bonazzoli.

Bonazzoli played very actively after coming on.

In the 85th minute of the match, he received a cross from his teammate, leaped high, overpowered the Tottenham Hotspur defenders, and scored a beautiful header to break through Tottenham Hotspur's goal once again.

Manchester City ultimately secured a comfortable 2-0 away victory against Tottenham Hotspur, advancing to the FA Cup final.

Their opponent was none other than Manchester United, who had defeated their rivals on another field.

The FA Cup final will once again feature a Manchester derby between Manchester City and Manchester United, a spectacle that has captivated the entire England football world – with Icardi gone, does Manchester United still have the strength to compete?

As the final whistle blew, Tang Long walked onto the field and chatted with his former Inter Milan teammates, Guarin and Nagatomo Yuto.

Hey, how have you two been lately?

Guarin's cheeks bulged out high, making him look like a big red frog, which was quite amusing.

When he saw Tang Long, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, a mixture of resentment at the team's loss and admiration for his former teammate.

He stepped forward and punched Tang Long in the chest. Tang Long pretended to be in pain, clutching his chest and squatting on the ground.

"Tang, I accept defeat to you, but the only thing I'm not convinced of is that when you were at Inter Milan, your shooting wasn't this good. How come you've become so much stronger since coming to the Premier League, to this abnormal level?"

Guarin was filled with doubt. He recalled that when Tang Long was at Inter Milan, although he had potential, he was far from having such a terrifying goal-scoring ability.

Nagatomo Yuto opened his arms and gave Tang Long a big hug.

"Fine, you've crushed Tottenham's only hope of Tottenham Hotspur the title this season. Well then, I wish you good luck, give Juventus a good beating, and then go to the final to win the UEFA Champions League!"

Although Nagatomo Yuto was disappointed with the team's loss, he also sincerely hoped that Tang Long and Manchester City would achieve good results in the subsequent matches.

After all, they've all played for Inter Milan and know how satisfying it is to beat up Juventus.

Guarin scratched his hair, which looked a little messy in the London wind. "It's not impossible for Nagatomo to say that. I'll just tell everyone that the reason Tottenham Hotspur didn't win the FA Cup this season is because we lost to the UEFA Champions League winner."

After saying that, he couldn't help but chuckle out loud.