Li Mingyu's heading had become incredibly dangerous after he acquired Zamorano's powerful heading skill. But because he was so slight, he didn't charge into the penalty area right away.
Li Mingyu stood near the arc at the edge of the penalty area, keeping a close eye on the opposition's defense.
The whistle blew, and De Jong sent in the corner.
Li Mingyu took a step forward, then saw the ball was headed toward the far post. He stopped, took two steps back, and stood just outside the arc.
It was a good position, offering a clear view of the pitch and leaving him ready to attack or defend.
Barca had almost no strong headers on the team, so none of their players won the ball. A Getafe player headed it instead.
However, Getafe's defender didn't send the ball far. He merely knocked it straight up into the air.
The ball was in an awkward spot, and the goalkeeper didn't dare rush out. He could only direct his defenders to keep guarding the area.
Getafe's defenders were all big and tall, so defending a ball like this was no problem for them.
The opposing center-back leaped high and powerfully headed the ball clear of the penalty area.
It came down right near Li Mingyu.
The opposing back line had been pushed so close to the goal line that, by then, nobody was marking Li Mingyu.
Li Mingyu calmly brought the ball down on his chest. Then he leaned to one side and struck a powerful volley, driving the ball toward the right side of the goal.
The goalkeeper reacted quickly, making a beautiful dive. He felt the ball brush his fingertips and was delighted.
Then he heard the ball strike the post behind him.
He'd kept it out. Fantastic!
As soon as the goalkeeper landed, he started to get up and turn around to check where the ball had gone. But before he could look back, something seemed to hit him on the head, and the fans erupted in a deafening gasp.
To the shock of the fans and players alike, Li Mingyu's shot had glanced off the goalkeeper's fingertips, changing direction ever so slightly before striking the post and rebounding.
As luck would have it, the rebounding ball slammed into the back of the goalkeeper's head and bounced into the goal.
The goalkeeper held his head and stared miserably at the ball in the net, barely stopping himself from blurting out, "What the hell?"
What incredible luck!
Even Li Mingyu felt that he'd been unbelievably lucky.
After his teammates had taken turns ruffling his hair, slapping his back, and kicking his butt, Li Mingyu straightened his bedhead and glared at the heartless lot like a young wife who'd been toyed with and then abandoned.
Hmph. Let me find out who kicked me, and I'll kick him right back.
Li Mingyu rubbed the Lucky Bracelet on his wrist.
Could this really be the luck of the bracelet?
Play resumed.
Getafe had no answer to Barca's high press, so they passed the ball out to the left wing.
When Li Mingyu saw the ball come to his side, he hurried forward to press the opponent.
The skills he'd acquired from Lizarazu included not only techniques for attacking down the flank but also a few defensive tricks.
Li Mingyu's defensive and tackling abilities now ranked among the best of the forwards.
When the opposing winger saw Li Mingyu closing in, he tried to get past him with a feint.
But Li Mingyu had already seen through it. He made a sharp tackle and took the ball right off the opponent's feet.
He didn't just win the ball; he also sent the opponent stumbling, leaving him unable to defend.
After winning possession, Li Mingyu pushed the ball ahead, stretched out his long legs, and took off at full speed.
A turnover in the attacking half was deadly.
Getafe's defensive formation was breached in an instant.
Griezmann through the middle and Dembele down the left charged into Getafe's territory like two blades, keeping their three defenders from daring to move.
Near the penalty area, the opposing center-back hurried forward to stop Li Mingyu's advance.
Li Mingyu feinted toward the goal line, drawing the defender's weight downward, then hooked his foot around the ball and cut inside.
Li Mingyu was right-footed, but his left foot was pretty good too.
After getting past the defender, he shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Griezmann said nothing and kept charging forward, ready to pounce on a rebound.
Dembele, meanwhile, thought he was in a great position and raised his hand, looking displeased.
The shot headed straight for the far corner.
This time, the goalkeeper was fully alert. The moment he saw Li Mingyu shoot, he started moving toward the far corner.
Sure enough, the ball was headed for the far post.
The goalkeeper smiled smugly, pushed off with both feet, and launched himself into the air, his body fully extended.
He planned to make a spectacular one-handed save and punch the ball away.
He'd even decided what to shout at his defenders once he'd stopped the shot.
"Mark him properly! Don't let him shoot again!"
But as soon as he left the ground, a look of horror crossed his face. He was staring at the near post.
The center-back Li Mingyu had left behind had seen him shoot and was giving it everything he had. Unable to turn his body, he kicked backward and stuck out his right foot in front of the ball.
His effort paid off: he made contact.
But before he could even smile, he watched in horror as the ball glanced off his heel and curled along a bizarre arc. To everyone's astonishment, it slipped into the near corner.
The goalkeeper had made a foolish dive, leaving himself as the most ridiculous figure on the pitch.
Another lucky goal?
Li Mingyu looked at the Lucky Bracelet on his wrist, stunned.
This thing is insanely powerful!
Barca's players didn't care how it happened. They swarmed Li Mingyu again and celebrated with another "merciless" round of congratulations.
Ruffling his hair, slapping his back, kicking his butt!
Damn it, who was it this time?
Every time, they all rushed him at once, making it impossible to see what was going on below the waist. Even when Li Mingyu watched the goal replays at home, he still couldn't tell who had kicked him.
Li Mingyu glared angrily at his ecstatic teammates. Why does everyone look like the culprit?
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