Ivan the Terrible's Header (Seeking Collection and Recommendation)

The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, with a capacity of 45,500, was packed to the rafters.

Sevilla welcomed a formidable opponent to their home turf: FC Barcelona.

However, to the immense delight of the Sevilla faithful, Barca's most lethal assassin, Messi, was sidelined for this match due to a red card received in the previous game.

Furthermore, with Sevilla trailing Barca by only five points while holding two games in hand, a victory here would make the dream of overtaking them a reality.

The atmosphere within the Sevilla squad was incredibly harmonious, bolstered by their excellent current form.

They harbored no fear; with the opponent's most potent weapon unavailable, the entire Sevilla team felt unprecedented confidence in taking down a Barca side missing a leg.

Sevilla's head coach, Lopetegui, was busy laying out the tactical assignments.

"Counter-attacking is our tradition, but today, we can afford to be a bit more expansive and put greater pressure on their backline."

"Once you cross the midfield, leave the playmaking to Jordan."

"En-Nesyri, I need your explosive power to deliver a fatal blow to that fragile Barca defense."

Sevilla usually deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, but with Messi absent from the opposition, Lopetegui opted for a tactical shift.

4-4-2—a classic, balanced formation for both attack and defense.

But for Sevilla, this was an attacking setup.

The formation alone signaled Sevilla's ambition: they intended to devour a Barca side whose form was currently in question right in their own backyard.

"Oh, and if that number 36 comes on, keep an eye on his speed. Moreno, Fernando, you two, take care of him. Let him know that the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium is no place for him to act recklessly!"

Lopetegui took note of Li Mingyu's speed, but he didn't pay it too much mind.

After all, there were too many youngsters who became famous overnight, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that Li Mingyu's goals were merely a matter of coincidence.

While it looked heroic to turn the tide at home, for these head coaches, everyone gets lucky once in a while.

In the away dressing room, the Barca players wore solemn expressions.

"Our lineup remains unchanged today. The backline must watch for En-Nesyri's surges; do not let him receive the ball easily near the penalty area."

"In midfield, De Jong, you must not lose control of the center. Do not let them pass the ball around easily; your pressing must be fast and ruthless!"

"Griezmann, playing as the center-forward, remember to drop deep to collect the ball. Dembele and Li will create space for you on the flanks!"

"Li, use your speed to tear their defense apart. Just like you did against our own defense in training—show no mercy!"

Li Mingyu clenched his fists, thumped his chest hard, and said, "Don't worry, Coach!"

Koeman flashed a satisfied smile. Football requires passion and fire, and the previous Barca had lacked that grit.

Today, Messi could not play, so he had gone straight to the stands upon arrival rather than entering the dressing room.

The players from both sides took the field.

Li Mingyu, heart racing with excitement, followed his teammates into the player tunnel.

A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes stood beside him, placing her small hand into Li Mingyu's.

Li Mingyu held the girl's hand and followed his teammates onto the pitch.

They exchanged pennants, shook hands, and tossed a coin for sides.

Li Mingyu stood on the center circle, poised like a hunting leopard, waiting for the whistle to charge into the opponent's territory.

The referee checked his watch periodically, and when the time came, he blew the whistle.

The entire Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium erupted in a deafening roar.

The match had officially begun.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully checking in at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. You have obtained the sharp heading ability of legendary star Ivan Zamorano.]

Ivan Zamorano, the legendary Chilean star, first arrived in La Liga playing for Sevilla.

Although he only played 59 matches there, he scored 21 goals—a scoring efficiency that was considered highly prolific for that era.

Zamorano was known to fans as "Ivan the Terrible" because his name was Ivan Zamorano.

His style of play was incredibly sharp; whether it was long-range shots, close-range finishes, or headers, Zamorano excelled at them all.

He was particularly lethal in the air; despite not being tall, his elusive movement always allowed him to find comfortable positions to break the deadlock with his head.

There is a famous story about Zamorano regarding the "1+8."

Back at Inter Milan, Ronaldo wanted the number 9 jersey, but Zamorano was deeply attached to it and refused, so Ronaldo initially wore number 10.

Later, Baggio arrived and was attached to the number 10, and while Ronaldo had no interest in the 10, he insisted that if Baggio wanted it, he himself must have the 9.

Consequently, Zamorano gave up his number 9 shirt and took number 18, but he added a "+" sign between the 1 and the 8. The number 9 is the faith of a striker.

As Li Mingyu acquired the skill of Zamorano's sharp heading, his Heading attribute rose from 70 (75) to 85 (90), and his Shooting attribute increased from 85 (90) to 87 (92).

Even his Attacking Ability improved from 80 (85) to 83 (90).

This terrifying boost instantly turned Li Mingyu into an attacker with elite heading ability.

For Li Mingyu, who had never been good at headers, this was nothing short of a gift from heaven.

"Li!"

De Jong delivered a low pass along the ground to Li Mingyu, who was making a run.

However, Li Mingyu had long since been marked by Moreno. The seasoned Moreno stepped forward and made contact with the ball.

The ball wasn't cleared away, but instead popped high into the air.

If it were the old Li Mingyu, he wouldn't have known how to handle such a ball, but with his new skill, he had a flash of inspiration and sprinted over, instantly positioning himself to block Moreno, who was preparing to head the ball away.

Moreno was startled; he hadn't expected Li Mingyu to react so quickly or to have such veteran-level positioning.

Moreno gave Li Mingyu a subtle shove in the lower back, then quickly pulled his hand away, signaling that he hadn't committed a foul.

This was the experience of a seasoned defender.

Just as Li Mingyu prepared to jump and trap the ball with his chest, he felt a shove from behind. Lacking the necessary strength, he immediately began to lose control of his movement.

However, out of the corner of his eye, Li Mingyu caught a flash of green nearby. A sudden idea struck him; mid-air, he engaged his core and executed a powerful Lion Header, directing the ball straight toward that spot.