6 Goals in a Single Game to Defy Fate! Tang Long Steps on Cristiano Ronaldo, Solely Owning the European Golden Shoe!

In fact, Cristiano Ronaldo's phone kept ringing during the Manchester City vs. Sunderland match.

In the Real Madrid players' private group chat, the players are enthusiastically discussing how to celebrate winning the league title.

Although the UEFA Champions League final has not yet started, for Real Madrid, being able to overturn a deficit against Barca this season to win the league title and dominate La Liga is definitely a glorious moment worth remembering.

The title race between Real Madrid and Barca, in particular, didn't end until the 38th round of La Liga.

For players like Benzema, Bale, Modric, Ramos, Marcelo, this is both a tremendous joy and a mental relief!

Real Madrid also took this very seriously, and immediately after the match, they began planning the route for the bus parade in Madrid.

"Cristiano, tell me, what do you think of the championship parade? I'm going to buy a mask of Lionel Messi crying and wear it, haha, the fans will definitely love it!"

Marcelo chatted freely in the group chat while occasionally tagging Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, little did the Real Madrid players know that although the league season had ended, Cristiano Ronaldo's mind was not on the La Liga title parade celebrations at all.

He watched Manchester City's game intently, keeping a close eye on Tang Long's goal tally.

Every time Tang Long scored a goal, Cristiano Ronaldo's heart sank!

After Tang Long scored a hat-trick in the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo felt like a million ants were crawling inside him, and he felt like a Sword of Damocles was hanging over his head, not knowing when it would fall.

Frustrated, he simply silenced his phone, not wanting to deal with his excited Real Madrid teammates.

"What's there to celebrate about winning a league title? The struggle is far from over!" Cristiano Ronaldo thought with surging emotions.

During halftime, fans noticed something unusual.

Betting companies have reopened betting on who will win the European Golden Shoe!

Before the match, betting companies had already closed the odds for the European Golden Shoe because Cristiano Ronaldo was in the lead. Cristiano Ronaldo finished the match first, was leading Tang Long by a full five goals. In the eyes of the bookmakers' actuaries, such a huge lead would make Cristiano Ronaldo win the European Golden Shoe this season without any suspense, and reopening the odds would be meaningless.

However, the situation changed dramatically. When Tang Long scored a hat-trick in the first half, the fans' calls for who would win the European Golden Shoe grew even louder.

The betting company decided to urgently open betting to meet the needs of the fans.

[The betting market is open! Quick, check out the odds!]

-[Cristiano Ronaldo 1:1.72, Tang Long 1:2.01!]

[Very close! It seems Tang Long has a very good chance of overturning Cristiano Ronaldo!]

-[Haha, the betting market was supposed to be closed but then suddenly opened. It seems Tang Long's outstanding performance caught these betting companies off guard!]

Why didn't they do this sooner? This betting company is so unprofessional.

-[It's not that they're unprofessional, it's just that Tang Long is just too awesome, hahaha!]

- [Don't get too excited yet, everyone. At least according to the odds, Cristiano Ronaldo has a better chance of winning the Golden Boot, and he currently has a two-goal lead over Tang Long.]

[It remains to be seen whether Guardiola will substitute Tang Long early. After this match, there's the FA Cup final and the UEFA Champions League final. Compared to Real Madrid, Manchester City has even less rest time.]

"You did a great job. His grasp of the character is spot on. We're like walking on ice right now, trying to get to the other side quickly while making sure we don't fall. I think you understand what I mean."

Inside the locker room, Guardiola spoke to Tang Long.

This Spain coach's linguistic artistry lies in his fondness for using vivid metaphors to convey his ideas to the players.

For players who are naturally dull and have low football intelligence, communicating with Guardiola is sometimes not an easy task, but for young talents like Tang Long, there is always a tacit understanding between Guardiola.

"Of course I understand what you mean, but unlike ordinary people, they walk on ice, they really walk. But we will know how to use sleds," Tang Long said with a smile.

This idea immediately caught Guardiola's eye.

He touched his bald head, smiled and nodded at Tang Long, then went back to strategizing.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Gracie quietly slipped into the locker room, pulled Tang Long aside, and said with a worried expression:

"Be careful, your back injury hasn't fully healed yet. You absolutely can't get injured again, otherwise the FA Cup final and the UEFA Champions League..."

Before Gracie could finish speaking, Tang Long covered Gracie's pink lips with two fingers.

"Don't worry, I know how to take control of myself."

As expected, Tang Long remained on the court in the second half.

When Tang Long strode out of the players' tunnel, the more than 60,000 fans at Etihad erupted in enthusiastic cheers, with thunderous applause that surged like a tidal wave!

"Tang! He's won the European Golden Shoe!"

"The King of Etihad!"

"The Premier League will always be the best!"

Sitting in the second row of the stands, Diletta joined the fans around him in shouting loudly.

As a veteran sports journalist, he has watched hundreds of matches live throughout his career, but never has a match made him feel so excited as today.

"Three more tries, just three more and you'll succeed! Keep going, Tang!" Diletta's eyes were even filled with tears.

"Huh, they can let us in here?"

"Is this Sunderland bunch of trash even Premier League team? They probably couldn't even avoid relegation in the EFL Championship!"

An enraged Cristiano Ronaldo raised a glass of orange juice high on the table, as if to smash it on the ground.

After hesitating for a moment, he gently put the cup down and then gulped down all the chilled orange juice in a few mouthfuls.

Even so, it was difficult to conceal the restlessness and unease in his heart.

Just seven minutes into the second half, Tang Long broke through Sunderland's defense again!

The protagonist of this attack was not Tang Long but Agüero. After dribbling past two defenders in a tight area inside the penalty area, he shot towards the far corner. The goalkeeper made a last-ditch save to block the shot. Just when everyone was feeling sorry for the goal, Tang Long rushed in and unleashed a powerful shot from a tight angle into the near corner of the goal!

Cristiano Ronaldo found incomprehensible was that from the goalkeeper's save to Tang Long's final follow-up shot, a full three seconds passed, and the Sunderland players stood by and watched, seemingly unaware of Tang Long's presence.

But little did Cristiano Ronaldo know that it wasn't that Sunderland's players were unfocused; rather, Tang Long had already anticipated it. Agüero's body language indicated that his shot lacked power and was likely to be saved, and Tang Long had already positioned himself at the far post based on the angle of his shot.

This side was a vacuum created by Sunderland's defense, allowing Tang Long to easily score on the rebound!

As soon as the ball went in, even the DJ at the Manchester City stadium couldn't contain his excitement and started to set the pace.

"Goal scorer, No. 9, Tang!"

"Tang's Premier League goal tally has now climbed to 55!"

"Only one goal away from Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo!"

"If he scores just one more goal, he'll win the European Golden Shoe this season!"

"Dear audience members, all Blue Moon fans, and those watching this game on TV, please start shouting, jumping, and clapping! Send all your encouragement and support to our number 9 player!"

When the real-time European Golden Shoe rankings appeared on the big screen at the Etihad and on the television sets broadcasting the game, every fan watching the match had their heart in their throat!

They were eagerly anticipating whether Tang Long could score another goal!

He only needs to score one goal to secure a share of the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Since La Liga has ended, even with Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible abilities, his goal tally is now permanently frozen, while Tang Long still has time to change it.

After Tang Long scored his fourth goal of the match, a large number of fans began placing bets.

Bookmakers had to quickly adjust the odds for Tang Long to win the European Golden Shoe; the latest odds are updated below.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 56th goal, 1:2.1

Tang Long scored 55 goals, 1:1.9!

Tang Long has successfully overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo in the odds, and it seems that both fans and bookmakers believe that Tang Long has a high chance of scoring another goal in the next 40 minutes!

Amidst the clamor, even Gracie, who had been worried about Tang Long's back injury on the sidelines, began to cheer him on.

Despite her petite stature, she even placed both feet on the medical kit to stand taller, gazing at the situation on the field with her large, bright blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.

This scene was captured by the live broadcast cameras and displayed on two huge screens at the Etihad Stadium, eliciting laughter from the fans.

Diletta, watching from the stands, also witnessed this scene. He immediately burst into laughter, cupped his hands to his lips, and shouted loudly at Tang Long, who was dribbling the ball past him six or seven meters away:

"See that? The mayor's daughter is cheering you on! Go in another one!"

At the same time.

Besides Cristiano Ronaldo, there is another football legend in Spain who is also watching this match: Argentina Lionel Messi.

Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi was watching the game purely for entertainment.

This season has been an unacceptable one for Barcelona, ending in a trophyless season. They lost to Real Madrid in the league, failed to advance from the UEFA Champions League group stage, were eliminated from the UEFA Europa League, and did not reach the Copa del Rey final. For Lionel Messi, it has indeed been a failed season.

He was simply a fan who wanted to see the match between Manchester City and Sunderland, and to see who would win the European Golden Shoe between Cristiano Ronaldo and Tang Long.

Lionel Messi lay sprawled on the bed, watching the TV in his bedroom half-heartedly, while also chatting with his teammates in the Barca group chat.

"Hey, I'm watching the Manchester City vs. Sunderland game. What do you guys think, Cristiano Ronaldo or Tang, will win the European Golden Shoe?" Lionel Messi sent a message.

Busquets: "European Golden Shoe? Cristiano Ronaldo has already scored 56 goals, which is many more than Donovan."

Lionel Messi: "That's in the past. Tang has already scored 4 goals, and he's only one goal behind Cristiano Ronaldo."

Iniesta: "??? Four goals in a single game, wow, looks like this is going to be a comeback."

Neymar: "Really? I'm having a blast at the bar, I didn't watch the game, haha. In that case, I definitely hope Ronaldo wins the Golden Boot, we can't let Cristiano Ronaldo win it, we just can't let him win it!"

Suarez: "That's right, Neymar is right. It has to be either Leonardo or someone else, just not Cristiano Ronaldo."

Rakitic: "Compared to the European Golden Shoe, I care more about the UEFA Champions League final. I really hope Manchester City can pull through and beat Real Madrid, otherwise who knows how arrogant Cristiano Ronaldo will become!"

Lionel Messi's reminder prompted many Barca players who were resting at home and had already ended their season early to prepare for vacation to turn on their televisions and focus their attention on the Premier League match between Manchester City and Sunderland.

The Barca players and Manchester City players, who used to be rivals in the UEFA Champions League group stage, have now all become Manchester City fans and supporters of Tang.

No Barca player wants to see Cristiano Ronaldo showing off!

The tide turned again in the 65th minute of the second half.

Manchester City, in the middle, with Gündoğan, Thiago, Ranocchia, Navas and other players, played a fluid attacking football through more than 20 passes, constantly changing possession like a three-dimensional pinball, but always managing to advance with their feet, and in the blink of an eye they had reached the edge of Sunderland's penalty area.

By now, Sunderland's players are showing signs of fatigue.

Having secured their survival in the league with a round to spare, the players' minds were no longer on the field; how could they possibly withstand Manchester City's relentless and fluid attack?

The moment Thiago received the ball, he looked up and saw Tang Long leisurely walking back from the offside line.

Without any hesitation, Thiago passed the ball before Tang Long could even get back inside the offside line!

Just as he made the leg swing motion, Tang Long suddenly took a step back and rushed in front of the last defender.

When the ball was passed out, Tang Long suddenly made another diagonal turn, and this time he instantly broke the offside trap!

Connection successful!

"Thiago! Thiago has delivered a through ball!"

"Tang Long has moved into the penalty area!"

"Hmm, does this seem a bit offside?"

"Tang Long's left foot cut past the onrushing goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the empty net!"

"My goodness, he's scored 56 goals! He's equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's record! Congratulations to him, a historic moment!"

"But was this ball offside? The linesman didn't raise his flag, he didn't raise his flag, this ball wasn't offside!"

Sunderland's players had lost all interest in arguing for offside with the linesman. More importantly, when they saw the replay of the attack on the pitch screen, the last defender who had been beaten by Tang Long suddenly realized that the ball was indeed not offside, because Tang Long had fooled him with a step-back.

Everyone in the stands, stand up!

A series of sharp, rhythmic sounds erupted, and a beautiful sound echoed throughout the entire stadium.

Everyone was cheering for Tang Long, the number 9 player on the field, because he had secured the European Golden Shoe for this season!

Even if he doesn't score a single goal now, his five goals in a single game bring his league goal tally to 56, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo's record.

The European Golden Shoe is not determined by penalty kicks, so if the season ends here, Tang Long and Cristiano Ronaldo will share the European Golden Shoe. This is not the first time such a thing has happened in Europe football.

"You did it! You did it!"

Gracie jumped off the medicine box in excitement, welcoming Tang Long's embrace as he rushed towards her.

The Manchester City players on the bench also smiled and applauded for Tang Long, watching the two of them with smiles.

Realizing that everyone was watching them, Gracie blushed, broke free from Tang Long's embrace, and retreated to the sidelines.

Although Tang Long has already secured the European Golden Shoe for this season, the match is still ongoing, so Tang Long didn't celebrate much. After a brief high-five with Tang Long, the Manchester City players dispersed, waiting for Sunderland to kick off.

"One more, one more! The European Golden Shoe! You can't share this honor with anyone else! This honor can only belong to you!" In the stands, Diletta clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and began to pray for Tang Long.

Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't sit still on the sofa at all.

He placed his hands on his knees, squatted in a horse stance in front of the television, and stretched his head forward. His eyes were less than 50 centimeters away from the television screen, yet he could already see the clear pixels on the screen.

"We can't go any further! We can't go any further! We absolutely can't go any further!"

The broadcast camera then focused on Guardiola on the sidelines.

What is Guardiola doing?

He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, chatting and laughing with Chivu beside him, seemingly engrossed in their conversation.

This relaxed scene infuriated Cristiano Ronaldo.

Back when Guardiola was still at Barcelona, he disliked the bald guy very much because Barca always managed to beat Real Madrid, and there were even humiliating defeats with 5 goals.

"Damn you, bald Spain guy, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up and substitute this kid! Don't you want to play in the FA Cup final? Don't you want to play in the UEFA Champions League final anymore?"

Cristiano Ronaldo practically roared in front of the television, his shout so loud that the television screen in front of him even shook twice.

However, Tang Long continued to play on the court, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

Guardiola then made a bold move, substituting Thiago, who had provided three assists, with Mkhitaryan.

This was Guardiola's intention to bring on Mkhitaryan to continue supporting Tang Long, seeing that Thiago was somewhat fatigued.

"I've provided three assists, my mission is accomplished. Let me tell you, Armenia, if you don't give Tang a single assist the moment you step onto the court, I'll..."

During the substitution, Mkhitaryan gently patted Thiago's cheek, signaling him to shut up.

"Just watch how I play on the field, stop nagging and get some rest!"

Tang Long continued running, and the Manchester City players around him focused on him, constantly supplying him with firepower.

This scene also sparked a strange thought in Cristiano Ronaldo's mind.

"Are Manchester City really that confident? Aren't they afraid of Real Madrid?"

In Cristiano Ronaldo's subconscious, Guardiola and the rest of the Manchester City team must have thought that the European Golden Shoe was just a personal honor for Tang Long, while the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League final were more important to the club.

From a macro perspective, Guardiola should have substituted Tang Long early in this match, but there's still no sign of that.

But Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't understand is that for Manchester City's players, or for the club as a whole, Tang Long winning the European Golden Shoe is not just his personal honor, but also the glory of all the players and the entire club!

Manchester City is not Real Madrid; in their history, they have never had a player who has won the European Golden Shoe.

The club also doesn't want Tang Long and Cristiano Ronaldo to share the European Golden Shoe. There can only be one best striker in the world!

Mkhitaryan's introduction of the game quickly yielded results.

Although Armenia are not particularly fast or tall, they possess excellent dribbling skills, delicate technique, and a high frequency of footwork.

Compared to Thiago, who has a wider field of vision and stronger on-field scheduling, Mkhitaryan is better at maneuvering in tight spaces.

In the 75th minute of the second half, Tang Long and Mkhitaryan combined effectively.

The pass was a bit too heavy; Mkhitaryan barely managed to control it, and just as he was about to pass it again, two Sunderland players swarmed around him.

Mkhitaryan made a quick move, shielding the ball with his body. Although he didn't pass the ball, he was knocked down from behind, and the referee awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area.

All eyes turned to Tang Long!

Even Lionel Messi, watching on TV, was immediately impressed, thinking, "The left side, about 24 meters from the goal, is perfect for a right-footed player like Tang to take the shot."

Tang Long took the ball from Mkhitaryan. The two exchanged glances, without exchanging any words, but their hearts were filled with mutual affirmation.

Mkhitaryan patted Tang Long on the shoulder, said nothing, and walked into the penalty area.

Tang Long positioned the ball, then spun the lion with the Premier League logo around to face him.

As he was setting up the ball, the once noisy Etihad Stadium fell silent instantly, as if everyone's mouths had been temporarily paused.

Everyone held their breath, afraid of making the slightest noise that might affect Tang Long's judgment.

Meanwhile, Diletta, who was sitting in the front of the stands, covered her mouth with her hand.

When she heard her heart pounding, she immediately covered her chest with both hands, afraid that the sound of her heartbeat was too loud and would reach Tang Long's ears.

In the utter silence, the Referee Wu's whistle sounded particularly jarring, like the cry of a crane piercing the sky!

"JU--"

Tang Long didn't rush to take a running start. Instead, he took a deep breath, paused for three seconds, and then slowly moved his feet.

He didn't run fast; the first two steps were almost like walking, but the last three steps suddenly accelerated, and with the last step, he took a sharp step forward with his left foot, slamming it heavily onto the ground.

The stomp was so heavy that the soccer ball on the ground bounced up slightly by one centimeter!

"Bang!"

Tang Long shoots!

The goalkeeper thought Tang Long was going to curl the ball towards the near post, so the moment Tang Long touched the ball, the goalkeeper took a step to his right – but it was this step that helped Tang Long score his 6th goal of the game!

Tang Long did the opposite!

Instead of using a curved shot to target the near corner as would be expected by goalkeepers, he used the instep of his foot to powerfully strike the middle of the ball, aiming straight for the far corner!

If the goalkeeper stays in position, even with a powerful shot, he has a chance to reach out and touch it. But if he moves prematurely and loses his balance, how can he possibly defend against the shot when it comes?

With a loud thud, the football, accompanied by a whooshing sound, struck the intersection of the goalpost and the crossbar, then bounced into the net!

May everything go smoothly!

Tang Long scored six goals in his final Premier League match!

Tang Long looked up at the Manchester starry sky and opened his arms.

All around him, the shouts of fans, which had gone from silence to volcanic eruption, filled the air.

The rain in Manchester was pouring down, the rain mingling with sweat, white steam rising from his head—all of it enveloping him in the center of the stadium...