That UEFA Champions League Final Night, What Exactly Happened in Extra Time?

Time flies like an arrow.

The young disciple has grown old in the martial world, and even the beautiful young woman has gray hairs at her temples.

According to traditional China sayings, Tang Long has reached the age of thirty this year.

At his home in Madrid, Real Madrid player Tang Long is sitting on a deck chair in the courtyard of his villa, reading a book.

Compared to the Apennine Peninsula, the Iberian Peninsula enjoys just as much sunshine, but it is not as harsh.

It was a gentle warmth that made Tang Long feel cozy all over; if his gaze hadn't been wandering over the books, he would have almost fallen asleep.

Today is match day.

The Real Madrid teammates have already traveled to Sevilla for their away game, and their season is about to come to a perfect end.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, a draw would be enough for them to defeat Barca and win the league title this season.

However, Tang Long did not go on the expedition with the team, but instead rested at home.

Strictly speaking, he hasn't appeared on the field for half a year.

Tang Long suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee during a Derby d'Italia against Barca and is still recovering.

At that moment, he only heard a cracking sound, his mind went completely blank for a second, and he was immediately taken off the field and dragged to the hospital.

Although he has been plagued by back injuries since his first season with Manchester City many years ago, this devastating injury to his knee anterior cruciate ligament is a first for him.

Tang Long felt alright, just a little unlucky, since that sudden stop landed right in an inconspicuous pothole outside the penalty area of Camp Nou;

However, his agent and friend, Brazil Ronaldo, completely lost control of his emotions in the hospital, lying on Tang Long's blanket and wailing loudly, his cries echoing throughout the hospital corridor.

"Why did you have to suffer the same pain as me? God is so unfair!"

Ronaldo's complete breakdown moved all the medical staff on site.

Many of the doctors, especially the elderly ones, were Ronaldo fans more than 20 years ago. They witnessed Ronaldo's fierce style on the field and also the difficult time he spent at Inter Milan, when he almost couldn't play for three years due to two cruciate ligament ruptures.

Who would have thought that Tang Long, widely regarded in the world of football as the most formidable striker in the post -Ronaldo era—even considered the sole successor to Ronaldo —would suffer the same injury?

Fortunately, Tang Long was in relatively good spirits. He stroked the bald head of Ronaldo, who was sobbing uncontrollably against him, and comforted him, saying:

"That's enough, stop wiping your snot all over me, okay?"

"Don't worry, I don't drink or go to bars. I'm much more disciplined than you were when you were playing football. An injury that took you three years to recover from, I recovered in just a few months."

Half a year of recovery time passed in the blink of an eye.

With the La Liga season coming to an end, Tang Long still hasn't been able to return to the pitch.

Fortunately, his recovery is progressing well, and the doctor said he will definitely be able to return to play next season.

However, no longer a young player, he needs more time to regain his form.

This recovery period has been quite peaceful.

Since turning professional in 2014, he has never been away from the field for such a long time in the past 11 years.

Tang Long played with his Labrador for a while with a tennis ball, then went back to reading his book.

<Tang Long's Autobiography: On Space and the Art of Prediction>

I wonder what it feels like for someone to read another person's autobiography;

However, the author of this autobiography will surely evoke many memories of the past in Tang Long's heart, because the author is Diletta.

By this time, Diletta was a senior executive at Sky Sport, stationed in United States New York for an extended period, responsible for Sky Sport's news coverage in North America.

Her work is still very busy, even busier than when she was in Manchester. Her life is completely filled with work, so much so that she hasn't left the United States for three years. This autobiography about Tang Long is a brand new book, written by Diletta over a Christmas and Easter holiday.

On the very first day the book went to print, Diletta mailed a copy to Tang Long.

Tang Long opened the book; on the title page was written, "A Gift to You"

"Dear Tang, thank you for your support of this book, providing interviews, videos, and photos. You are welcome to visit New York someday."

Tang Long's wife Gracie, was watching as he unwrapped the book from the courier.

Gracie's sharp eyes caught sight of the signature on the title page immediately. She exclaimed, "Diletta? Isn't that the reporter with the long legs and striking good looks? She actually wrote your 300,000-word autobiography!"

Tang Long laughed, "It's been so many years, you're still stuck on the 'long and beautiful legs' thing for the rest of your life, aren't you?"

Gracie: "Don't you have hands? You need someone to write your autobiography for you?"

Tang Long: "Players' autobiographies are all oral accounts that are then transcribed by others. Besides, I exclusively authorized her with my interview materials many years ago. Although she lives in New York, she has collected the most complete information about me over the years, so she is the perfect person to write my autobiography."

Gracie pursed her lips, wrapped her arms around Tang Long's neck from behind, and sighed.

"You should be content. You're so lucky to have the UK Prime Minister's daughter as your housewife, doing your laundry and cooking for you every day." Then she turned and went to the kitchen to cook noodles.

Tang Long smiled slightly, waved his hand behind him, and gestured for Gracie to stop disturbing him and continue reading.

This book was published a month ago.

Tang Long had already read it twice.

It must be said that Diletta, who graduated from the journalism department of the University of Bologna, is adept at organizing and processing information, and her writing is also very vivid.

Even first-time readers who know nothing about Tang Long's life will be drawn into the dramatic plot after flipping through a few pages, until they finish reading the book.

Among the scenes that Tang Long liked the most and watched more than ten times, it was the description of the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid in the 2016-2017 season.

At this moment, Tang Long was enjoying the pleasant afternoon sun in Madrid on a deck chair in the courtyard. His calloused fingers gently stroked the passionate words in his autobiography. As he read, his thoughts drifted back to that night eight years ago in Cardiff Millennium Stadium, Wales.

"Many years from now, when we talk about Tang as a player, what will we talk about?"

"They won seven league titles with Manchester City and Real Madrid, and three UEFA Champions League, including three treble wins."

"Still four Ballon d'Or and five Golden Boot awards, including four European Golden Shoe?"

Ten years ago, the football world was wondering who would be the third to break the deadlock in the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's dominance.

"The answer is now clear: China player Tang is the third person to break Messi and Ronaldo and Ronaldo's monopoly on football."

As the legendary Cruyff once said, football is an art of space.

"But Tang extended this statement to a new meaning—football is not just an art of space, but also an art of prediction."

"It all started with the 2016-2017 UEFA Champions League final."

"After that night, the landscape of football was rewritten, and the journey of a legendary superstar was marked by a milestone trophy!"

Cardiff Millennium Stadium, 2017.

Two bald men stood on the sidelines.

One is from Spain, and the other is from France.

The bald man from Spain, despite wearing short sleeves, was sweating profusely and kept touching his shiny bald head;

The bald man from France, dressed in an elegant suit, had his hands behind his back, yet exuded an air of unwavering determination.

How could Guardiola not be anxious?

Even if he were a god, he couldn't have predicted that Ranocchia would hit his head on the goalpost after scoring the equalizer and forcing the game into extra time, putting his ability to compete under severe scrutiny.

This is a defensive midfielder, the most important link in Manchester City's midfield passing and control system. He plays the role of the metronome, connecting the forwards and the backcourt.

"Hang in there, Andre! Hang in there! I can't make any more substitutions. If we drag the game to penalties, we'll win!" Guardiola put his hand to his chest, encouraging Ranocchia and praying for the team.

In contrast, the other bald Zidane looked much more relaxed and at ease!

He watched Ranocchia's disorganized and dazed appearance on the field, and secretly felt smug:

"Haha, so what if it goes into overtime? You guys are basically playing 10 against 11 now. Ranocchia is useless. I still have a substitution card in hand, and we have a complete advantage in stamina. I can't afford to lose this game!"

In the 2014 UEFA Champions League final, Real Madrid equalized against Atletico Atlético Madrid in the final moments thanks to Ramos's 92.48 header, forcing the game into extra time.

Atlético Madrid's stamina then collapsed, Bale, Marcelo, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals in quick succession, leading Real Madrid to a 4-1 victory and their 10th UEFA Champions League title. Real Madrid became the first team in football history to win double digits in the UEFA Champions League, becoming an instant sensation.

Real Madrid's squad has been very stable in recent years.

The same group of players who won the championship three years ago— Ramos, Varane, Carvajal, Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale, and Benzema —a total of seven, are still in the final three years later!

They are players with strong mental fortitude, who know how to quickly adjust their mindset and, more importantly, how to exploit their opponents' fatal weaknesses and deliver a crushing blow.

Five minutes before overtime.

Ranocchia became a target for Real Madrid players.

When Modric had the ball, he frequently used dribbling to lure Ranocchia into making a move, getting past him multiple times and delivering through balls that penetrated the defensive midfield position;

Center forward Benzema also frequently returned to receive the ball, deliberately guiding his teammates to pass it to Ranocchia's spot, using his physical advantage to fight against the Italy.

Poor Ranocchia, just being able to stay on the field was his limit; how could he withstand the relentless attacks from Real Madrid players?

"Andre, look behind you!"

Tang Long's urgent shout was only about twenty meters away from Ranocchia, but it was barely a whisper in his ears.

His head was spinning, his hearing was deteriorating, and his ability to perceive his surroundings as a professional athlete was also declining.

So much so that the diminutive Modric had already circled around to the side and hooked the ball, but the Italy defensive midfielder didn't even notice.

"Look at me!"

The instant Modric extended his leg, Cristiano Ronaldo quickly moved away from Benzema, shifting to the left wing;

The Portuguese superstar had complete faith in his teammates, and he was certain that Ranocchia was out of his mind and would be dispossessed!

Ranocchia was indeed dismantled!

Modric intercepted the ball!

But in the instant the football disappeared from his blurred vision, Ranocchia's mind suddenly cleared.

"Bow-step interception and take it back!"

Ranocchia, who is 195 cm tall, made a move that still excites him when he looks back on it many years later—his defensive signature move, the Bow-step interception!

He had clearly lost possession of the ball, but he pulled one leg back, like a farmer's long hoe, and slammed it heavily into Modric's path as he dribbled forward;

Modric was happily dribbling forward, having already spotted Cristiano Ronaldo waving at him from the left flank, and was preparing to launch a long pass when Ranocchia unexpectedly launched a surprise counter-attack.

With a thud, Modric fell to the ground, Ranocchia, having lost possession initially, hooked the ball back!

"Tang!!!"

A name exploded in Ranocchia's mind.

With a flick of his wrist, he struck the soccer ball with his ankle, sending it towards Tang Long, who was making a high-speed run down the left flank.

Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Tang Long also has his own way of making predictions in advance.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo only anticipated half of Modric's attempt to steal the Ranocchia.

However, Tang Long's prediction that Ranocchia would steal the ball from Modric was absolutely accurate!

[Bow-step interception is about to successfully intercept; at this moment, he moves behind Carvajal and can directly challenge the opposing center-back one-on-one.]

A streak of light blue jersey flashed past right- Carvajal, perfectly aligning with the route of Ranocchia's through ball.

"Here it comes, now!" Ranocchia shouted weakly as he delivered the through ball. A huge wave of dizziness hit him, his body went limp, and he finally collapsed to the ground, seeing stars before his eyes.

Facing Varane, who had pulled out of the penalty area to defend him one-on-one, Tang Long used the pendulum technique three times in a row!

Left!

Right!

Left!

The first half, with its combination of swaying and lower body movement, made him look like a replica of a 16th-century pendulum clock.

Varane was caught off guard and made a hasty kick, which was easily bypassed by Tang Long.

Ramos, who came to cover, had already returned to his position to the limit, but his diving sliding tackle was still too slow for Tang Long's powerful shot!

Call--

The football whistled through the air and slammed into the net past Navas' head at the near post!

3 to 2!

Manchester City, under extremely difficult circumstances, took the lead in the 6th minute of extra time!