Zidane Sweats Cold from Tang Long's Divine Play, Real Madrid's Championship Is Likely in Doubt!

De Gea's own goal was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly plunging the Etihad Stadium into an unparalleled sea of celebration.

The Manchester City fans in the stadium beamed with satisfaction; in their eyes, the 1-0 scoreline seemed perfect enough.

They clasped their hands together and prayed silently, hoping that the score would remain unchanged, allowing Manchester City to secure a resounding victory over Manchester United at home with three rounds to spare, thus clinching the 2016-2017 Premier League title!

Chivu, beaming, enthusiastically raised his arm and affectionately embraced Guardiola, his tone as if sharing a tremendous surprise. "Hey, look at this, the luck at the start of the game today is absolutely incredible!"

Guardiola smiled and nodded in response, raising his arms high as well. The two embraced tightly on the sidelines of the pitch.

At this moment, they showed no trace of the hierarchical formality between head coach and assistant coach; instead, they resembled close brothers fighting side by side on the battlefield and sharing glory.

On the bench, the players were already buzzing with excitement.

They all jumped up, some clapping wildly, the applause like a dense raindrop;

Some shouted at the top of their lungs, while others simply grabbed a bottle of cold water and poured it over their heads without hesitation. Instantly, the cold water flowed freely down their hair and faces, soaking their jerseys.

In their hearts, nothing felt more incredibly lucky than breaking through Manchester United's solid defense just over a minute into the game!

Recalling the first leg between the two teams, even though Manchester City won by a huge margin of 5-1 at Old Trafford, the shock and surprise at the start of that match were far less than the dreamlike feeling today.

To everyone else, Tang Long's shot seemed to have a lot of luck involved.

The ball, which was about to bounce off the goal, seemed to be guided by an invisible hand, striking De Gea's leg precisely and then rebounding strangely, rolling straight into the goal.

This scene was so coincidental that it made one marvel at the wondrous arrangements of fate.

Everyone knows that if De Gea hadn't stretched out his leg, or if he had stretched it out even a fraction of a second slower, the ball would have bounced out obediently, and there would have been no way he could have dramatically scored an own goal.

Bravo, the league's substitute goalkeeper, stood to the side with a mocking smile on his face.

He skillfully put two fingers into his mouth, pointed towards De Gea in the distance, and blew a sharp, loud whistle that seemed to carry an invisible mockery, echoing in the air.

He yelled at De Gea, "Hey, little Spain, judging by this, your luck isn't so good today!"

For a moment, everyone seemed to believe that this goal was purely a matter of luck.

Everyone thought Tang Long was blessed by Lady Luck, while De Gea was extremely unlucky and became a victim of bad luck.

However, Zidane, far away in Madrid, Spain, had a furrowed brow and was filled with doubt.

He stared intently at the television screen, muttering to himself, "This ball... there's something strange about it."

At this moment, he was sitting upright in front of the television, watching the intense derby match between Manchester City and Manchester United with complete concentration.

During his playing days, Zidane was a complete football fanatic. He didn't want to miss a single exciting match in Serie A La Liga, the Premier League, Premier League Ligue 1, or the Bundesliga, whenever he had free time.

Moreover, this is a world-famous Manchester Derby, one of the most important matches in Europe football.

Even from a purely fan's perspective, Zidane was filled with curiosity. He was eager to know if the mighty Manchester City could overpower their opponents at home and lift the league title trophy three rounds early.

But today, Zidane isn't watching the game as an ordinary fan; he has an important mission!

Although the UEFA Champions League has only just determined the four semi-finalists and the final has not yet begun, the confident Zidane is already certain that the small Borussia Dortmund is no obstacle to Real Madrid's progress, and Juventus has no strength to keep Manchester City out of the UEFA Champions League final.

"The final UEFA Champions League showdown will undoubtedly be a clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City. I'm 120% certain!"

After the UEFA Champions League semi-finalists were determined, Zidane made these confident statements to Real Madrid president Florentino.

Since then, he has regarded Manchester City as Real Madrid's strongest and most formidable opponent in their quest for the UEFA Champions League title this season.

Therefore, his purpose in watching the game remotely tonight is to make full use of the latest live broadcast data to thoroughly analyze Manchester City's tactics and accurately study the technical and tactical characteristics and competitive state of each player.

Of all these, there was only one thing he was particularly interested in: Tang Long!

Zidane knew perfectly well that the UEFA Champions League final would most likely be a showdown between Real Madrid and Manchester City, and in the fierce competition between the two teams' 22 players, this contest would largely turn into a super showdown between Tang Long and Cristiano Ronaldo!

If Real Madrid wants to win the title, they must rack their brains and do everything they can to contain Tang Long. Conversely, if Manchester City wants to win the title, they must also keep a close eye on Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zidane's coaching career is indeed slightly less impressive compared to Guardiola's.

However, when it comes to his playing career, Zidane's is even more dazzling, making him a true legend in football.

His illustrious playing career has also profoundly shaped his unique coaching style.

He has a deep understanding of players' psychology and can always accurately see through their intentions on the field.

At that moment, he stared intently at the television screen, his mind racing. "No, no, this can't be just luck. There must be something more to it. Could it be...?"

Although Zidane's head is balding, his brain is like a finely tuned supercomputer, rapidly recalling the various complex scenarios he has encountered throughout his career.

He had once desperately wanted to sign the young China player Tang Long in the transfer market, but Tang Long ultimately chose to join Manchester City.

But this did not diminish Zidane's admiration for Tang Long in the slightest.

Zidane stood up, carefully considering Tang Long's intentions, while mimicking Tang Long's movements in his spacious living room.

He imagined the main sofa in the center of the living room as De Gea's position, while he himself moved his feet carefully on the smooth wooden floor, looking as if he were Tang Long dribbling the ball on the sideline.

After several simulations, Zidane suddenly froze, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Then, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped his bald head hard with a "smack".

The slap was so powerful that it made his head buzz, but he felt no pain at all. Instead, he excitedly raised his arm and shouted:

"That's right, that's exactly it! Tang meticulously planned all of this; he did it on purpose!"

"From that position, there wasn't enough time to adjust the ball to his left foot before shooting. In a split second, Tang Long had no choice but to use his right foot."

Zidane paced back and forth in the living room, talking to himself as he absorbed in his analysis.

"If he were to shoot with his right foot, shooting with the outside of his foot would be feasible, but after he dribbled into the penalty area, he was too close to the goal. It's unrealistic, both technically and in terms of distance, to execute a shot with the outside of his foot from such a short distance."

"So, he decisively took a flat shot, heading straight for the goalpost, and then cleverly used the rebound after hitting the post to make the ball hit De Gea precisely, before bouncing into the net!"

Zidane became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes turning red, as if he were there himself, as if he were Tang Long, who had made the exquisite shot.

"Everything was perfectly executed, down to the last detail, all within his meticulous plan. On the surface, it seemed like De Gea was just unlucky and caused a blunder, but in reality, De Gea fell into Tang Long's carefully laid trap from the very beginning, with no way to escape. Haha, brilliant!"

After a thorough analysis, Zidane felt as if a light had illuminated his football thinking, bringing him sudden enlightenment.

He couldn't help but imagine that even during the peak of his career playing for Juventus and Real Madrid, facing such rapidly changing situations, it would have been difficult for him to make such an ingenious design in such a short time as Tang Long.

Thinking of this, Zidane suddenly felt a chill run through his body, a coldness slowly rising from his spine.

It was late April in Madrid, the sun was shining brightly, and the outdoor temperature had already climbed above 25 degrees Celsius, but Zidane couldn't help but shiver!

A deep sense of fear, like an invisible net, began to slowly envelop his heart.

"Even Cristiano Ronaldo, under those circumstances, would probably find it difficult to come up with such a brilliant design. If Real Madrid really does face Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final, what are our chances of winning?" He couldn't help but wonder.

This is the first time since he took charge of Real Madrid that he has felt so lacking in confidence about defeating an opponent...

Let's return our attention to the competition venue.

As the saying goes, "A single punch can prevent a hundred more," Manchester City, having broken the deadlock on the field, seemed to have divine assistance in the following matches, playing smoothly and advancing triumphantly all the way.

25th minute of the first half.

Gündoğan, Ranocchia, and Diego cleverly formed a triangle, with the football moving back and forth among them like a joyful child.

This triangular formation is not static. The three players, like well-trained dancers, take turns advancing and cooperating with each other. In short passes, the ball has been smoothly passed eleven or twelve times—unbeknownst to them, it has once again reached the edge of Manchester United's penalty area!

In an instant, the three people, who had been moving around like rapidly spinning tops, suddenly stopped.

Thiago quickly passed the ball back to Gündoğan, Gündoğan, without even blinking, flicked the ball with his toe for a precise cross!

This time, Manchester City's striker Agüero unleashed his full potential like a drawn blade, showcasing the extraordinary skill of a Manchester City legend.

He moved with agility, weaving between Blind and Bailly in a zigzag pattern.

His figure moved rapidly, leaving the two Manchester United defenders dizzy and disoriented;

Just as Gündoğan lobbed the ball, Agüero seemed to receive a mysterious command, changing direction again and suddenly darting forward like lightning from Blind's side. His speed was so fast that he almost hugged the edge of the offside line, rushing into the penalty area like lightning!

And the football, as if telepathically connected to him, floated down from above his head at just the right moment and landed steadily at his feet.

When Agüero received the ball on the right wing, Manchester United's defense instantly tightened up as if under attack, with everyone swarming towards him like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey.

However, Agüero, without any selfishness, subtly flicked his ankle and cleverly passed the ball back to the left wing.

At that moment, Darmian was sprinting back from a distance, his gaze resolute, intending to use a clean and decisive sliding tackle to push the ball out of bounds.

But just as he slid in with a tackle, about a meter from the ball, a blue figure shot out from the middle like an arrow!

That's right, it's Tang Long!

He surged forward from behind and, with his astonishing speed, instantly killed Darmian.

He also executed a sliding tackle, and although he was originally positioned further back than Darmian, his extreme speed and agility allowed him to Darmian and precisely touch the ball with his toe!

This shovel strike was executed with perfect control of power; although the ball speed wasn't particularly fast, the angle was astonishingly tricky.

De Gea reacted quickly, falling to the ground instantly and stretching his long arms out to try to stop the ball, but it was all in vain. He could only watch helplessly as the ball grazed his goalkeeper's gloves and cleverly slipped into the left side of the net!

2-0!

Manchester City scores again!

This goal ignited the passion in the stadium and thoroughly enraged De Gea.

He leaped to his feet like an enraged lion, his face flushed, pointing at Darmian and shouting angrily:

"How come you scored an own goal just like me!"

Darmian sat there blankly, muttering to himself, "Own goal? What happened? How did I score an own goal? Impossible, I've never scored in my own goal before!"

Meanwhile, Tang Long was already tightly embracing his teammates, celebrating this crucial goal with all his might.

Agüero grinned from ear to ear, "Haha, look, they've scored another own goal! Their luck today is just unbelievable!"

Gündoğan joked from the side, "What's going on today? Is it an own goal party? First the goalkeeper scored one, now the defender has one, and who knows, maybe the striker will score an own goal to join the fun."

Tang Long smiled faintly and said:

"What own goal? You all saw it clearly, I touched the ball before Darmian, so the goal is mine. Don't try to take the credit for Darmian's goal."

Then, Tang Long showed his magnanimity and friendliness, and took the initiative to walk over to Darmian, who was still sitting on the ground in a daze, reached out and helped him up steadily, and gently comforted him.

"Darmian, don't take it too hard. It really wasn't an own goal. I did touch the ball before you. Don't be too upset."

Before joining Manchester United, Darmian played for Turin Serie A, where he had a fierce battle with Tang Long for half a season.

During that time, the two learned from each other, admired each other, and even exchanged jerseys after a match, showing a good relationship.

Darmian, whose mind was still somewhat confused, heard Tang Long's words and a glimmer of light instantly appeared on his previously dejected face.

He rushed up to De Gea and shouted, "Did you hear that? Don said it wasn't an own goal. I didn't score an own goal. I'm not like you, so don't talk nonsense!"

(Darmian: No, that wasn't an own goal, De Gea, don't slander me!)

De Gea, looking utterly helpless, could only cover his face with his goalkeeper's gloves, let out a deep sigh, and thought to himself, "So what? It's still a goal conceded, what's there to be happy about? Speechless!"

Darmian ran up to Pellegrini on the sidelines, his face grim, and shouted, ignoring the Chile's dark expression, "Coach, Don told me he touched the ball first! This isn't an own goal, it's clearly Don's goal!"

Pellegrini inwardly coughed up blood, raised his hand and slapped Darmian on the head. With a loud thud, Darmian covered his head and ran away in pain.

"You're so proud of yourself, aren't you! Even if it wasn't an own goal, it was still your fault for not guarding Tang. It was a clear defensive blunder. Get back to guarding him properly, or you're coming down here for a drink!"