Isn't This Fucking Messi? (Seeking Collection, Seeking Recommendation)

With 34 rounds of La Liga completed, the top of the standings remained unchanged.

Atletico Madrid, with 26 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, sat in first place with 83 points.

FC Barcelona, with 25 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, held second place with 80 points.

Real Madrid, with 22 wins, 7 draws, and 5 losses, occupied third place with 73 points.

After losing El Clasico, Real Madrid had essentially kissed their league title hopes goodbye and could now focus all their energy on preparing for the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid maintained their trademark consistency, securing a narrow 1-0 away victory over Real Sociedad to keep their lead at the top of the table.

During the midweek Champions League quarter-finals, both Madrid giants were stunned by last-minute goals on their home turf, drawing scathing criticism from Spanish fans.

Two identical, stinging 0:1 scorelines.

In the dying moments of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Real Madrid conceded a world-class strike from the "King" of the English Premier League's Liverpool, Salah, who snatched both the win and a precious away goal.

Atletico Madrid suffered a similar fate in stoppage time, as Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe embarked on a 40-meter solo run to secure a victory and an away goal for his side.

For a moment, the atmosphere across Spanish football turned incredibly somber.

Under this heavy cloud, Li Mingyu led an FC Barcelona side missing Messi to host the Yellow Submarine, Villarreal.

Villarreal was considered a formidable force in La Liga. While they had never won the league title, their history of runners-up finishes, Champions League semi-final appearances, UEFA Cup semi-finals, and a UEFA Intertoto Cup title made them a team no one dared to underestimate.

Currently, Villarreal had climbed to fifth place in the league thanks to a three-game winning streak. However, they remained five points behind fourth-placed Sevilla, and with only four rounds left, their chances of reaching the Champions League were looking slim.

Nevertheless, driven by that ambition, Villarreal showed no intention of abandoning their attacking intent against FC Barcelona.

Without Messi, FC Barcelona lacked a focal point in attack, and their offensive threat had diminished significantly.

However, the absence of Messi brought one benefit: the opposition felt emboldened to push forward and attack.

In the 15th minute of the first half, Li Mingyu received a 30-meter through ball from De Jong. After controlling it, he used a Croqueta to breeze past a defender. Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, he unleashed his signature Pendulum Dribble, sending the keeper sprawling to the turf before slotting the ball home.

After the goal, Li Mingyu proudly patted the blue knee pad on his knee, revealing a smile known only to himself.

In truth, the first time Li Mingyu had used the Ronaldo Pendulum Dribble in a match, he had been warned by his head coach, Koeman, to minimize such knee-straining maneuvers.

Li Mingyu had relied on his youth, but after a few matches, he felt the immense pressure on his knees and decided never to use the move in away games again.

Because at home, he had the protection of the system, ensuring he would never be injured.

However, at the start of today's match, Li Mingyu had heard a familiar voice.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully checking in at Camp Nou. You have received Ibrahimovic's Knee Pads.]

[Ibrahimovic's Knee Pads: Provides comprehensive protection for the host's knees, granting you knees as strong as those of Ibrahimovic.]

The Great Ibra!

Holy crap!

Incredible!

Li Mingyu felt the knee pad become perfectly molded to his leg, as if a mysterious force were shielding his joint.

During the match, Li Mingyu discovered his legs felt more vibrant than ever. With sharp stops, sudden turns, and all sorts of fancy footwork, he turned the opposition's flank upside down.

On the sidelines, however, Koeman was watching with his heart in his throat, constantly roaring at Li Mingyu to stop performing these dangerous moves that sent his blood pressure soaring.

Messi was already injured; if Li Mingyu went down too, Koeman might just jump off a building!

Li Mingyu had mostly been playing around because he had just acquired the equipment, but after Koeman's shouting, he settled down and began playing a more disciplined game.

Yet, a disciplined Li Mingyu only made Villarreal even more miserable.

Previously, the ball was always at Li Mingyu's feet, giving Villarreal's defense a clear target.

Now that Li Mingyu began running, linking up, and passing, Villarreal's players realized with despair: isn't this just Messi?

The first goal arrived in the 15th minute as expected.

In the 35th minute, Li Mingyu played a series of one-two wall passes with Griezmann through the middle. Villarreal's defenders stood like wooden stakes, blankly watching the two exchange passes. Finally, inside the box, Li Mingyu dragged the ball with his left foot to drop the last defender, then fired a low right-footed shot that pierced through the goalkeeper's defenses.

2:0.

In stoppage time of the first half, Li Mingyu had a chance to complete a hat-trick.

Griezmann forced his way through and unleashed a powerful shot, which the opposing keeper saved with a desperate dive, pushing the ball over the end line.

Corner kick for FC Barcelona.

The referee glanced at his watch, noting that stoppage time was almost up.

De Jong whipped in the corner. The box was a scene of chaos, and the keeper punched the ball out of the area.

The referee was about to put his whistle to his lips, but seeing the ball fly toward Li Mingyu, he held back.

Standing outside the box, Li Mingyu watched the ball approach, killed it with his chest, and met it with a volley as the defenders rushed toward him.

The ball whistled toward the top corner like a shell fired from a cannon.

The opposing keeper dove in desperation, but his fingertips couldn't even graze the ball.

With a loud "bang," the entire Camp Nou let out a collective sigh of regret.

The angle of the shot was too precise; it struck the junction of the post and the crossbar. However, because it was slightly off-target, the ball didn't rebound back into play but instead soared high into the air and out of bounds.

The referee hurriedly blew the whistle to signal the end of the first half.

Li Mingyu shook his head with a look of regret, rubbing the Lucky Bracelet on his wrist.

Had the Lucky Bracelet failed to work this time?

The Villarreal players, having narrowly escaped disaster, stared at the young man with expressions of horror; it was terrifying how Li Mingyu had single-handedly turned the Villarreal defense upside down throughout the first half.

Was this not just another Messi?

It was a good thing the real Messi was injured!

Otherwise, facing two Messis—what kind of footballing nightmare would that be?