Juventus's "Four Heavenly Kings" of defense become background props, Tang Long steps up to the 12-yard spot again!

Recalling his previous encounters with Tang Long's team, Allegri felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.

Before arriving at Etihad, he specifically asked his wife to rummage through the drawers and find a shirt made of exceptionally durable material, especially the few buttons on the collar, which she carefully sewed up with needle and thread.

This seemingly comical act actually stems from a helpless reason.

Previously, whether facing Inter Milan or Manchester City, Tang Long had always managed to thwart Allegri's carefully laid-out strategies, much to Allegri's frustration.

Allegri, who had a fiery temper during his playing days, carried that same temper into his coaching career without reservation.

Whenever he's directing from the sidelines, he loses his temper whenever the team is in trouble. He either throws his jacket or frantically tears at his shirt collar, revealing his chest hair.

Several times, he was so angry with Tang Long that he tore his shirt to shreds.

After the match, various media outlets took to the humor, joking that while other head coaches were wasting time and energy directing from the sidelines, Allegri was particularly prone to wasting shirts.

Less than 10 minutes into the game, Allegri's collar buttons had already come undone.

It felt as if a raging fire was burning in his chest, making him restless and unable to find an outlet for the heat radiating from his body.

Looking at the players' performance on the field, he shouted angrily, "What kind of crap are you playing? Get your formation set up!"

Juventus's pre-match drills revealed a tight formation and excellent teamwork between players, with detailed strategies for both attack and defense.

But once they got to the field, their intentions always seemed to be seen through by the opponent, especially on the defensive end, where they were put on the defensive end in a very passive position.

Juventus boasts a formidable defense, with Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, and Buffon forming what is known as the "Big Four" of the backline. They are also the golden trio for the Italy National Team, all of whom have delivered outstanding performances on the international stage.

Their defensive midfielder Marchisio is a legendary figure in the team, possessing rich experience and outstanding ability.

Logically speaking, such a defensive line should be like an impregnable fortress.

But tonight at the Etihad, Tang Long seemed to have X-ray vision, always able to accurately predict their intentions and catch Juventus off guard.

Bonucci dribbles forward, Marchisio immediately drops back, and Barzagli surges forward, switching positions.

At this moment, on the field, Bonucci is dribbling the ball and preparing to advance. According to the established tactics, Marchisio is about to drop back, while Barzagli will move forward to make a cross-position switch.

Just as the three Juventus players were executing the tactics methodically, Tang Long, after receiving a precise prediction from the AI System, suddenly made a forward run, perfectly blocking Marchisio's retreating path.

He used his strong body to hold Marchisio back tightly, preventing the experienced defensive midfielder from completing his drop-back maneuver smoothly.

"Huh??" Bonucci pushed the ball forward, glanced back casually, and a look of surprise instantly appeared on his face.

He found himself, incredulously, on the same level as Marchisio.

Meanwhile, right center-back Barzagli was still charging to the right without hesitation, following the established tactics.

This series of unexpected events has led to Bonucci, Marchisio, and Barzagli being strangely placed on the same parallel path.

In a football match, this is undoubtedly an extremely dangerous signal.

If Bonucci hadn't dribbled forward initially, the three players standing in a straight line in front of the penalty area might not have posed a significant problem.

But at this moment, Bonucci had already dribbled the ball 20 meters away from the penalty area!

At this moment, Juventus's backline, which consisted of a three-center-back system, had three players lined up in a straight line. Chiellini, who was far away, did not push forward but instead prepared to drop back, intending to temporarily form a center-back formation with Marchisio.

This completely disrupted the formation of Juventus' entire defensive line, throwing their defensive strategy into disarray.

"Ban him!"

Agüero sensed this golden opportunity and shouted it out.

In an instant, he and Bonazzoli pounced on Bonucci like hungry wolves, quickly closing in and forming a pincer movement against him.

On the other side, Navas also displayed astonishing speed, thrusting forward extremely deep, like a sharp blade, charging straight towards Chiellini.

The objective is very clear: to block his receiving routes!

Although Bonucci is known as a center-back with superb ball-playing skills, he is ultimately a defender at heart.

If you put him in a one-on-one match against a striker, given his physical attributes and defensive skills, he might be able to hold his own.

But now, with two Manchester City players flanking him, he felt unprecedented pressure.

In this desperate situation, he had no choice but to pass the ball.

In similar situations in the past, Bonucci would usually choose to pass the ball back to Marchisio to defuse the crisis and reorganize the attack.

But at this moment, Marchisio was on the same level as him, with no space between them. Moreover, on Marchisio's side, Ranocchia was already marking him like a leech, making it impossible for him to receive the ball.

Bonucci hesitated for a brief moment, while Barzagli on the right wing, having rushed too far ahead, had not yet managed to get back into position.

He knew that in this situation, a long pass was extremely risky and could easily be intercepted by the opponent.

After much deliberation, he was left with only one safe option: to pass it back to Chiellini.

With time running out, he had no time to hesitate and decisively passed the ball back to Chiellini on the left wing.

"Don't forward this to me!"

Before Chiellini could even shout, the ball flew straight towards him.

However, his cries for help came too late.

Bonucci received the ball with his back to goal, so he couldn't see what was happening behind him. He also didn't realize that on his side, Manchester City's right-back Navas had already made a high-speed run like a lurking the Cheetah, marking Chiellini closely!

The Juventus players all turned to look at Chiellini, and when they saw what was happening before them, they couldn't help but shout in unison, "Oh no!"

Chiellini's tall and strong physique gives him a natural advantage in defending high balls and making head-on interceptions.

But as he got older, his pace gradually slowed down, and what he feared most was facing those small, fast, and agile players head-on.

Navas is precisely this type of player; he possesses incredible speed, exquisite footwork, and elusive movements on the field, like a phantom.

Snap!

In the 50/50 tie against Chiellini, Navas lightly touched the ground with his foot, as light as a dragonfly skimming the water, and moved with the ball in one fluid motion, like a slippery eel, instantly slipping past Chiellini.

"Player and ball separated!"

"A truly spectacular dribble past the defender!"

Navas beat Chiellini and charged into the penalty area!

The Manchester City fans at the scene erupted in cheers and shouts, a cacophony of sounds like a surging ocean.

"A golden opportunity, a one-on-one chance!" the commentator exclaimed excitedly. "Navas, what will he choose? Shoot, as expected?"

At this moment, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on Navas.

"Don't hesitate, Navas!"

After gaining this valuable opportunity to steal the ball, Navas faced Buffon one-on-one, but at this crucial moment that would decide the outcome, a moment of hesitation arose in his heart.

This Spain winger has always been known for his passing ability; his accurate and creative passes often create excellent attacking opportunities for his teammates.

However, shooting has always been his weakness; his goal-scoring efficiency in front of goal is not high, even less than Sterling, who is not good at one-on-one situations.

At this moment, he was facing Buffon, one of the world's top goalkeepers.

Buffon's name is legendary in the football world. His tall stature stands like an iron tower in front of the goal, putting immense psychological pressure on the diminutive Navas.

The towering Buffon spread his arms wide, pressed his body down, and charged out swiftly from inside the penalty area.

Navas felt his palms sweating, and his previously firm steps unconsciously faltered.

In that moment of panic, Navas suddenly sensed a powerful energy rapidly approaching him from behind.

His subconscious told him that Tang Long must be there to meet him!

Although Navas didn't catch a glimpse of Tang Long out of the corner of his eye, he almost instinctively flicked the ball towards the middle.

As soon as the ball was passed, all the Manchester City players on the bench seemed to have been put on a whim, instantly standing up and excitedly rushing to the sidelines.

Tang Long's feet seemed to be on wheels of fire, and he rushed forward at lightning speed.

Behind him, Juventus defenders Marchisio, Barzagli, Chiellini, like a train, followed closely behind Tang Long.

Marchisio was relatively fast, kept reaching out to pull on Tang Long's arm, trying to stop him from moving forward.

However, Tang Long was like a fully powered war machine, completely unmoved.

With a wave of his hand, Marchisio was caught off guard and instantly fell flat on his face.

This scene drew cheers and applause from the Manchester City players on the sidelines!

Bang!

Tang Long met the ball and unleashed a powerful shot with the instep of his foot.

The football, like a cannonball, flew with tremendous force, whistling past Buffon's desperately trying-to-catch palm, and soared straight into the center of the goal.

1:0!

Manchester City took the lead after just 15 minutes!

Tang Long's shot was extremely inspiring.

He could have used a more conservative instep shot, but instead he opted for a powerful instep blast.

Moreover, he intentionally avoided hitting the ball too cleverly, instead cleverly placing it precisely within the reach of Buffon at the moment of his desperate save, aiming to showcase his strength and confidence in front of this legendary goalkeeper.

Buffon slammed his fist into the turf, his face full of frustration. After getting up, he stomped his right foot heavily, muttering to himself:

"Oh, so close! I almost touched the ball!"

This goal conceded instantly ignited tensions among the Juventus defenders.

Chiellini, his face flushed and furious, stormed up to Bonucci and loudly accused him:

"I'm already tightly marked by the opponent, why did you still pass the ball to me? What were you thinking?"

Bonucci stood there blankly, looking bewildered, opening his mouth but not knowing how to respond.

He was also suffering in silence; how could he have predicted Navas's high-speed run when he received the ball with his back to the goal?

Bonucci composed himself, suppressing his frustration, and turned his gaze to his teammate, defensive midfielder Marchisio.

"Why didn't you drop back then? When I made that forward run, you should have dropped back to cover my position and played center-back!" He tried to make his tone sound less angry, but he couldn't hide his dissatisfaction.

Marchisio was also filled with grievances, but he had no way to express his suffering.

The moment the ball was conceded, he rushed toward the referee in a panic, complaining that Tang Long had blocked his retreat route.

However, even if the referee sees this, they won't easily issue a penalty.

At that time, neither Tang Long nor his opponent had effective control of the ball.

Especially in top-level competitions like the UEFA Champions League, which emphasize both entertainment and commercial value, ensuring the smooth flow of the game is one of the important principles for referees.

The Manchester City players on the pitch had excitedly surrounded Tang Long, cheering and celebrating this brilliant goal.

The substitutes on the sidelines were equally excited.

Amidst this clamor.

Guardiola smiled and gently placed his hand on Chivu's body. The two began to discuss the brilliant goal in hushed tones.

Chivu is a man of keen insight; he immediately recognized Tang Long's crucial role in this attack.

"Pep, Tang's pick-and-roll was brilliant, a stroke of genius. He used a basketball-like strategy to successfully stop Marchisio's retreat, completely disrupting Juventus' defensive plan. It's truly intriguing how he came up with such a brilliant idea in that split second!"

Guardiola watched Tang Long's retreating figure on the field, a look of approval in his eyes. He nodded slightly, then smiled and said:

"You're right. Although Navas's marking of Chiellini was very timely, and Ranocchia, Gündoğan, Agüero, and others in the middle were all in position immediately and coordinated very well, it's undeniable that Dom was the real game-changer in this attack. He always manages to change the course of the game in unexpected ways at crucial moments."

One wave subsides, another rises.

Less than 10 minutes later, the situation on the field changed dramatically once again.

Tang Long received a pass from his teammate on the left wing and, like a whirlwind, dribbled the ball all the way inside, heading straight for the penalty area.

He first used Lionel Messi's signature low-shoulder, quick steps, nimbly swaying his body before suddenly dodging past Alves, Lionel Messi's former Barca teammate;

Then, facing Barzagli's quick comeback, Tang Long first pretended to shoot with great force to attract Barzagli's attention. He then flicked his ankle slightly and skillfully followed up with Iniesta's signature La Croqueta move, quickly cutting past Barzagli on the other side.

Bonucci is here!

He stretched out his long legs, trying to block Tang Long again.

However, Tang Long seemed to have anticipated this, as he suddenly stopped abruptly with clean and swift movements.

Immediately afterwards, he gently pushed the ball forward with the sole of his foot, and the football, as if by magic, obediently passed between Bonucci's legs, completing a brilliant nutmeg.

Just as Tang Long turned around, preparing to bypass Bonucci and directly challenge Buffon to a one-on-one opportunity to create an excellent shooting chance, an enraged Bonucci could no longer suppress his impatience and resentment.

He instinctively reached out from the ground and grabbed Tang Long's basketball sock hard.

With a snap, Tang Long's sock was torn instantly, and his body lost its balance due to the sudden external force, causing him to fall to the ground.

The entire audience erupted in an uproar!

In the stands, Manchester City's die-hard fans rose to their feet in unison, chanting a single word in unison. "Penalty!"

The sound reverberated throughout the entire Etihad Stadium!

The referee saw it clearly the moment it happened, and without hesitation, he rushed to the scene.

He raised his right hand high, pointing to the penalty spot in Juventus' penalty area with one hand, while simultaneously blowing his whistle loudly, making a clear and decisive ruling.

"Penalty!"

"Bonucci recklessly pulled down Tang Long in the penalty area! The referee awarded Manchester City a penalty!"

"Haha, dear viewers, the most anticipated scene is about to unfold. I'm sure you're all as eager as I am to see what happens next."

"Tang Long will step up to the penalty spot and face off against his old friend Buffon in a penalty shootout!"