Inside Juventus Stadium.
Thirty thousand fans had gathered in the enormous stadium, which could hold forty thousand, to watch the match.
Juventus Stadium had once been Stadio delle Alpi, with a capacity of over sixty thousand.
But with Serie A in decline, attendance had remained below seventy percent for years. So when the stadium was renovated into Juventus Stadium, they reduced the number of seats to create a better home atmosphere.
The fans—or perhaps spectators was more fitting—who had come today had only needed to pay half the usual ticket price.
That was a decision made by the Star of Italy program crew.
They wouldn't make a profit from these matches. The ticket revenue would be split between the stadium owners and the participating teams.
Of course, the players on the Star of Italy Team would also receive a bonus after the match. For Lu Yang and Moric, it was no small sum.
The match was about to begin, and players from both sides were warming up on the pitch.
"Can we win?" Baizami asked doubtfully. The Millwall players on the other side looked far more muscular than he had imagined.
They were all hulking masses of muscle, and they were heavy, too. If one of them crashed into Baizami, he felt like he would fall apart.
"Of course we can," Lu Yang said with mock seriousness. "You know, English teams may look fierce, but over the past twenty years, they've had a win rate of less than fifteen percent against La Liga teams in knockout competitions and higher. Their win rate in finals is even lower—less than twelve percent!"
"Huh?" Baizami was astonished.
It wasn't just Baizami. The Star of Italy players all gathered around, wondering if they'd heard him wrong.
The Premier League was currently making a strong case for being the best of the Top Five Leagues. How could its teams fare so badly against La Liga sides?
Was that made up?
Even Lam frowned, unconvinced.
That was just too ridiculous.
Seeing everyone gather around, Lu Yang continued animatedly, "Listen carefully to the conditions: knockout competitions and higher. Think back carefully."
So everyone began to think back.
Lam was a Liverpool player, so he knew the records of Premier League teams especially well.
Before long, they realized that Lu Yang seemed to be telling the truth.
"Why?" Lam asked first.
"This proves that possession-based, technical teams often have an advantage over English-style teams in one-off or two-legged cup competitions," Lu Yang said.
"The latter may look like they're dominating on the pitch, but they don't score easily. Possession-based teams rarely make fatal mistakes, so they're more composed. English teams play an expansive, end-to-end game that looks inspiring, but they make more mistakes, which opponents can exploit."
"So if we're pinned back for a while when we play them, that's understandable. Don't panic."
"If our two wide midfielders can't get the attack going, don't force it. Come back and help the rest of us defend. The second half will be what really decides the result."
The cameras had obviously caught Lu Yang's words. Like a true captain, he had eased his teammates' nerves and started laying out a plan.
After all, their team looked younger and weaker.
Their opponents were an EFL Championship side, a level above Serie B.
Peep!
The match officially began with the referee's whistle.
The Star of Italy Team kicked off. Moric orchestrated the midfield as they gradually settled into a 3-5-2 formation.
Ceballos took possession and drove forward at speed.
It was the Star of Italy Team's first attack.
Bang!
Ceballos was still deciding whether to beat his man and cross from the baseline or pass to Versace in the middle when a wall slammed into him, knocking him down.
Peep!
The referee blew his whistle, signaling a defensive foul by a Millwall player.
Ceballos was stunned.
That was defending?
That was football?
Hadn't the guy just gone straight for him?
But from the referee's perspective, the incident had only just qualified as an ordinary foul under the rules. It hadn't been bad enough to warrant a card.
As for Ceballos's pain, all he could say was that the kid was too frail.
Undeterred, Ceballos tried twice more. Once, an opponent knocked him down without being called for a foul. The next time, he was hit so hard in a challenge that he nearly fell apart, and he lost the ball again.
When Ceballos got the ball once more, he hesitated.
Should he keep pushing forward?
He didn't quite dare.
His whole body was still aching.
This was no joke.
He seriously doubted he could last the full match if things continued like this.
Was this English football?
It was so different from France Football.
No wonder so many players who dominated in other leagues became flops after moving to England.
That level of physicality alone was enough to affect a player's performance.
For his own protection, Ceballos passed the ball back to Lu Yang.
The defender who had repeatedly fouled him wore a satisfied smile.
That smile stung Ceballos badly, but he couldn't do anything about it.
Lu Yang had seen the whole thing. He passed the ball to Moric, who launched an attack down the team's right flank.
Canyes drove forward with the ball.
But soon, Canyes ran into the same problem as Ceballos.
The opposition were targeting them.
If the key to the 3-5-2 was its pair of Devil Wings, then the Englishmen would break them with brute force and see if the Star of Italy could still take flight.
Their strategy was working. The Star of Italy Team was struggling badly to attack.
Fortunately, Ceballos and Canyes remembered Lu Yang's instructions before the match.
If they couldn't get the attack going, they should help the team defend and temporarily fill in as fullbacks.
So the wingers dropped back, becoming defensive wings.
A Millwall player on the right seemed to think Ceballos was an easy target and dribbled toward him, preparing to break through.
But the next moment...
Bang!
Lu Yang made a beautiful Slide Tackle, not only winning the ball but also taking the opponent down.
It had been a fine defensive play.
But the opponent wasn't having it. He got up and charged at Lu Yang.
He knew Lu Yang hadn't fouled him, but the Star of Italy players were all young and inexperienced. They looked so easy to bully that not taking advantage of them would have seemed like a waste.
Scaring them now would make it much easier to get past their defense next time. That was the mindset of a seasoned player.
"Are you trying to break my leg, you little punk?" Millwall's number eight had a fiery temper.
But he hadn't expected this.
Lu Yang walked over too, slamming his chest against the man's and pressing his forehead to his as he shouted, "If you foul my teammates like that again, you'll get a lot worse! I promise!"
Number eight was momentarily dumbfounded.
Had he just been threatened?
Who the hell was the seasoned player here?
The referee hurried over and broke up the confrontation.
That was par for the course in English football. Even if you were the referee, you had to learn to get used to it.
But the referee also glanced at Lu Yang in surprise.
That Asian player was tough!
Ceballos, standing nearby, was moved.
He had heard what Lu Yang said.
Lu Yang had stood up for him.
"Ceballos, take a break. Once you've recovered, start making those runs again. They won't dare do anything to you. Trust me." Lu Yang patted Ceballos on the shoulder, then returned to his position.
This was a kind of football Ceballos had never experienced at that young team in Monaco.
His confidence came back.
But soon, the Star of Italy Team suffered a setback.
Canyes was knocked aside and lost the ball.
The opposition seized the chance and charged down the baseline. Moric tried to stop them, but he was knocked aside too. He failed to halt the attack and ended up on the ground himself.
Millwall's players were good at using their physical advantages, especially their strength.
Bang!
A Cross from the Baseline!
The opposing center-forward outmuscled Lam and struck a powerful Lion's Header to break the deadlock!
Lam looked at the opponent's height of one meter ninety-three. He was nearly ten centimeters taller, and Lam simply couldn't defend against him in the air.
The Star of Italy's right center-back was tall enough, but too slow to keep up with the opposing center-forward.
That was also why Lam struggled to get a real chance at Liverpool. With his height, he could find opportunities in La Liga, Ligue 1, or the Bundesliga, but it was much harder in the Premier League and Serie A.
The former had too many towering center-forwards and favored aerial tactics. Lam couldn't defend against them.
As for the latter, there were plenty of quality, tall center-backs, so Lam wasn't competitive enough there either.
"Oh... The Star of Italy Team has a problem defending in the air. They're in trouble today. Millwall's center-forward is one meter ninety-three, and the Star of Italy's back line has no way to stop him! He's running riot in the penalty area as if it belongs to him!"
The commentator's words stung, but they were all too true.
Lu Yang and Moric exchanged a glance. The message was obvious.
This time, they really couldn't stop him!
If even Lam couldn't do anything, then their defense had no hope.
Their only option now was to attack!
"Canyes, get ready to make your move!"
"Ceballos, are you rested?"
Moric and Lu Yang both called out to their team's wingers.
After the restart, Canyes unleashed a storm of attacks down the right flank.
He combined with Moric and Versace, using his speed to reach the baseline again and again.
But since he usually played right-back and was right-footed, he was only good at getting down the flank, which made him easier to defend against.
Perhaps against mediocre players his own age, Canyes could do whatever he wanted like a right winger.
But against a real opponent, his limitations as a right-back were obvious.
He couldn't cut inside and threaten the way a true winger could.
And honestly, how afraid could an English team be of a simple Cross from the Baseline?
They practiced defending against those all the time!
Soguer had a rough time in the penalty area. With a pair of tall center-backs on either side, a target man like him struggled to make an impact.
Parrott wasn't suited to that kind of physical battle, either.
So the Star of Italy had to shift its attack and try to open things up down the left.
Ceballos became the team's last hope.
But this time, despite working up his courage and preparing himself, he was still knocked aside when the opponent charged at him.
Unless he could use his speed to avoid being hit, there was nothing he could do.
But he wasn't fast enough.
These muscle-bound players were fast and strong.
On the Star of Italy side, perhaps only Baizami had the raw pace to leave them all behind.
That was the difference between being "fast" and being "very fast."
Only the latter was unstoppable, letting a player use speed alone to create an attacking advantage.
But soon, Lu Yang changed his approach.
He signaled for Ceballos to pass the ball back to him.
Then Lu Yang swayed into an exaggerated Flip Flap, slipping past the player beside him and drawing cheers from the crowd.
That forced Millwall's number eight to move toward Lu Yang.
Ceballos instinctively wanted to receive the ball, thinking Lu Yang should pass it now. Otherwise, number eight would charge into him.
But Lu Yang didn't pass. He began performing a series of Stepovers, keeping the opponent from getting close.
After all, once a defender closed in on a player with the ball, the player could try to beat him.
So when a player clearly looked ready to take on his man, defenders often backed off a little, making it easier to read his direction and avoid getting beaten in one move.
If they backed off, naturally, they couldn't use their bodies to challenge him.
The opponent's right-back also prepared to cover. If Lu Yang got past number eight, the fullback would rush in to challenge him.
Lu Yang had drawn two players toward him all by himself. Ceballos suddenly had an opening.
Finally, number eight lost patience.
He couldn't stand Lu Yang dribbling so arrogantly.
He charged into Lu Yang with a blatant foul.
But what surprised him was that Lu Yang didn't dodge or go flying at the slightest impact like Ceballos.
Instead, he began grappling with the number eight.
Bang!
Lu Yang swept his foot at the ball and passed it away. Having put his strength into the kick, he was then knocked to the ground by the number eight.
On the surface, it looked as though he'd come off worse.
But as far as the game was concerned, Lu Yang had come out ahead.
The ball had already been moved on.
The referee let play continue. Though the two had made frequent physical contact, both had given as good as they got.
Only then did Ceballos understand what Lu Yang had been trying to do.
He sprinted toward the ball, his eyes turning slightly red.
Lu Yang had deliberately held onto the ball a little longer, drawing the opposing defense toward him and easing the pressure on his own side.
Ceballos caught up with the ball. Millwall's right back was out of position and chasing after him.
At last, the right back caught up with Ceballos.
Then Ceballos pulled off a beautiful backheel to change direction, instantly beating Millwall's right back. To everyone's surprise, he cut inside!
Millwall's players hadn't seen it coming.
For one thing, Canyes on the other side only ever went down the flank, making the very idea of cutting inside foreign to them.
For another, Ceballos had clearly shown that he was afraid of physical contact. How could he dare cut inside?
Who had given him the courage?
Near the penalty area, Soguer dropped back while Parrott made a forward run, the two of them crossing paths.
Soguer moved from the left front toward the right rear.
Parrott, meanwhile, ran forward from the right rear toward the left front.
As they crossed, they might have caused trouble for the opposing center backs.
But Millwall's center backs were good enough to avoid making a mistake.
By then, however, Ceballos had cut inside to the left edge of the area. He drew back his leg to shoot.
Inside Millwall's penalty area, a center back immediately raised his leg, preparing to block Ceballos's shot.
The angle wasn't great, and the chances of Ceballos hitting the target were slim.
But Ceballos didn't shoot. He pushed the ball toward the top of the penalty arc.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang was making his move.
After Millwall's number eight had brought Lu Yang down, he got back to his feet without arguing and immediately charged forward.
He ran hard, and his sudden forward burst caught Millwall's midfielders off guard, leaving them no time to close him down.
As he reached the left side of the penalty arc, a black-and-white ball rolled over from the left.
It was perfectly placed!
Lu Yang didn't break stride. He unleashed a furious shot!
Thump!
The ball neither rose sharply nor dipped suddenly. It rocketed into the net at tremendous speed.
The star skill Cannon Shooter had activated perfectly!
"GOAL! A thunderous strike! Lu Yang is remarkably consistent with his shots from distance!"
"Ceballos played the pass to perfection. He found the only opening!"
"Oh, my God! Lu Yang's shot just now reached an incredible 128 kilometers per hour. I'm sure that number will sound familiar to English fans."
"Last season, Manchester United superstar Danway Best helped them win the FA Cup with a thunderous shot clocked at 128 kilometers per hour! And the team he beat that day was none other than Millwall, right here in front of us!"
"In that moment, Lu Yang seemed possessed by Best. With a blistering shot worthy of England, he pierced the English side's goal and leveled the score!"