The Man Arrives, The Ball Arrives, A Wonderful Through Ball (Bonus Chapter for 1000 Collections)

A whistle blew, and the second half began.

Valencia launched the first attack.

Barca's players pressed high up the pitch, leaving the Valencia players no room to breathe, forcing them to clear the ball long into the attacking half.

Possession changed hands.

De Jong collected the ball in the center and passed it to Messi, who had dropped deep to receive. Messi played a horizontal pass to Griezmann in the middle.

Griezmann held off the defender behind him and laid the ball back to the approaching De Jong.

The opposition's defensive formation was extremely compact, leaving almost no space for through balls or chips over the top.

De Jong had few options and could only keep passing, hoping to draw the Valencia players out.

However, facing Barcelona, many teams in La Liga had long since grown accustomed to this style of play.

The tiger refuses to leave its den.

If you have the ability, keep passing it around outside. As long as you don't come in, I won't come out. Besides, the label of "negative play" can't be pinned on us, the defensive side.

Furthermore, for Valencia, snatching a single point from Barca would be like a pie falling from the sky.

Li Mingyu drifted along the flank, with the opposing fullback Gaya sticking to him like a shadow.

In the present day, no team dared to underestimate Li Mingyu anymore.

His terrifying goal-scoring efficiency had long since made him the biggest headache for any coach preparing to face him in La Liga.

They already had to deal with the headache that was Messi, and adding such a fearsome goal-scoring machine to the mix—this "dual-wing" tactic truly made every team feel at their wits' end.

Li Mingyu had dropped back near the halfway line to collect the ball, and the opposing fullback Gaya couldn't possibly follow him that far out.

The current Li Mingyu was no longer the player he had been a few matches ago; the attribute bonuses from Lizarazu and Mendieta meant Li Mingyu was no longer just a pure attacker who only knew how to charge forward.

The talents of these stars brought Li Mingyu not just attribute boosts, but more importantly, a philosophy of play, a resolute will, and a broadened vision.

Li Mingyu, who used to only drift between the center and the wings, had previously had no idea what kind of world awaited him once he stepped into the midfield.

Midfield with the ball, Li Mingyu glanced quickly left and right, analyzed the situation on the pitch, and played a short pass to the supporting De Jong.

He himself then quickly sprinted into a small pocket of space.

De Jong's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly played a low pass, putting the ball at Li Mingyu's feet.

Aside from De Jong, no one else sensed anything different about Li Mingyu's pass and subsequent run.

But in that exact gap, Li Mingyu played a through ball that pierced straight through Valencia's defensive line and landed at Griezmann's feet.

Griezmann had only just spotted a gap and made a tentative run.

To Griezmann's shock, he had only just started his sprint when he saw the ball being played through.

The ball arrived exactly as the man did.

This was the dream of every attacking player.

See the gap, make the run; as long as I run, the ball will arrive.

This comfortable sensation meant Griezmann didn't even need to adjust; after one touch, he unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that breached the opposing goalkeeper's defenses.

The Valencia goalkeeper, who had performed brilliantly in the first half, was helpless against such a shot; he slammed his hand against the turf and cursed under his breath.

Although Griezmann was the one who scored, the television cameras focused directly on Li Mingyu, who was standing forty meters away from the goal.

Li Mingyu raised his arms high, an excited smile plastered on his face.

That pass of his had truly been a flash of brilliance; a retreat followed by a sudden surge forward had dragged the opposing defensive midfielder out of position, exposing a gap in their line.

Moreover, the timing of Griezmann's run was impeccable—had the pass been a moment earlier, the goalkeeper would have claimed it; a moment later, and Griezmann would have been offside.

After scoring, Griezmann turned back, pointed at Li Mingyu, and jogged over excitedly to pull him into a tight embrace.

"Li, that pass was incredible!"

As the rest of the team crowded around, Li Mingyu felt a hint of malice. Damn it, I'm not the one who scored!

Hair-ruffling, back-slapping, and butt-kicking—a series of celebratory rituals were once again unleashed upon Li Mingyu with fluid ease.

Damn it!

Sooner or later, I'll find out who it is, and I'm going to kick his ass!

With Barca taking the lead, Valencia's "iron bucket" formation lost its purpose.

The once-resolute defensive lineup began to suffer from a lack of unified intent.

Valencia's head coach, Gracia, looked on with envy at Li Mingyu, who was busy fixing his hair. This young man was simply too formidable.

Furthermore, the speed of this young man's growth was truly terrifying; after only a few matches, he had already become such an outstanding attacker, and his passing had become so incisive—it was frightening.

On the sidelines, Koeman felt he was truly blessed. He, who had already lost all hope, had discovered such a gem in the reserve team—a player who not only saved his career but could make it even more glorious!

The match restarted.

Li Mingyu dropped deep to collect the ball again, but this time, Valencia didn't dare let him receive it so easily.

The retreating Korean attacking midfielder, Lee Kang-in, pressed up to challenge him.

This was the first time Li Mingyu had encountered a player with an Asian face.

Seeing his opponent charging toward him like a wolf, Li Mingyu had no intention of exchanging pleasantries; he executed a 180-degree turn on the spot, effectively pinning Lee Kang-in behind him.

Lee Kang-in possessed that tenacious, never-say-die style typical of Korean players, constantly resorting to petty fouls behind Li Mingyu's back and tugging incessantly at his jersey.

Yet he was incredibly crafty, letting go the moment he felt Li Mingyu's movement had been hindered by his pull.

Beyond the hands-on antics, he was also constantly trying to poke the ball away from Li Mingyu's feet.

Because there were defensive players not far ahead of him, Li Mingyu couldn't pick up any speed, and being entangled by Lee Kang-in left him feeling deeply irritated.

With a subtle movement, Li Mingyu used his heel to flick the ball to De Jong behind him, then began to stroll leisurely toward the flank.

Seeing Li Mingyu release the ball, Lee Kang-in felt a surge of joy, believing his defensive effort had been a success.

Nevertheless, he remained glued to Li Mingyu's side, shadowing him step for step.

De Jong kicked the ball to the other side, finding Messi.

At this moment, everyone's attention shifted to Messi's side, and Lee Kang-in was no exception, his eyes involuntarily darting toward Messi.