In the 25th minute of the first half, Barcelona won the ball back in the attacking half after deliberately letting Levante push forward. Busquets passed it to De Jong near the center circle. De Jong pivoted on the spot, swung his right leg, and sent a no-look long ball straight to Li Mingyu, who was sprinting down the right.
When Levante had been on the attack, Li Mingyu had been positioned near the halfway line.
He trusted his teammates completely and was always ready to launch a counterattack.
Sure enough, the moment he saw Busquets win the ball, Li Mingyu broke into a sprint.
But a Levante defender had been shadowing him the entire time.
De Jong's pass was beautifully weighted, with plenty of lead on it, perfectly suited to Li Mingyu's run.
However, after Li Mingyu had beaten Vukcevic once before, Vukcevic had learned his lesson. This time, he stayed alert, using his body and arms to keep Li Mingyu from building up speed.
That wasn't all. The fullback Clerc was also closing in from ahead.
If Li Mingyu couldn't shake Vukcevic, he would fall straight into the trap Levante had set for him.
Levante coach Lopez wore a smug smile.
After the first goal, Lopez had adjusted Levante's defense, trying to isolate Li Mingyu.
It looked as if his defensive plan was about to work.
Li Mingyu shielded the ball with his not especially powerful frame, but with Vukcevic pressing him so tightly, he couldn't use his speed at all.
Vukcevic was a seasoned veteran. He might not have been fast, but more than ten years of match experience and a strong physique made him an aggressive defender.
Watching the live broadcast, Messi frowned.
He knew Vukcevic well. Over the past few years, Messi had struggled against him