The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, packed with 45,500 fans, was completely full.
Sevilla welcomed a powerful opponent to their home ground: FC Barcelona.
However, what delighted the Sevilla fans most was that Barcelona's most lethal player, Messi, had been sent off in the previous match and would miss this one.
Moreover, Sevilla had played two fewer games and was only five points behind Barca. If they could win this match, overtaking Barca was no dream!
The atmosphere within Sevilla's squad was harmonious. After all, the team was in excellent form.
They weren't afraid in the slightest. Their opponents' greatest weapon was out of action, and with Barca missing a leg, the entire Sevilla team had unprecedented confidence in winning this match.
Sevilla's head coach, Lopetegui, laid out the team's tasks.
"Counterattacking is our tradition, but today we can be a little more adventurous and put greater pressure on their defense."
"Once you get past the halfway line, give the ball to Jordan to handle."
"En-Nesyri, I need your physicality. Deliver a fatal blow to Barca's weak defense."
Sevilla usually played in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but since Messi was unavailable today, Lopetegui had changed the lineup.
A 4-4-2: a classic formation, balanced between attack and defense.
But for Sevilla, it was an attacking lineup.
Their formation made Sevilla's ambitions clear: they wanted to beat a Barca side whose form was in question, right on their home turf.
"Oh, and if their number 36 plays, just watch his speed. Moreno, Fernando, you two, keep an eye on him. Make sure he knows he can't throw his weight around at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium!"
Lopetegui had kept Li Mingyu's speed in mind, but he wasn't too concerned about it.
After all, plenty of young players had made a name for themselves with a single goal, and anyone with eyes could see that Li Mingyu's goal had been a fluke.
It had looked thrilling, with him saving the day on home turf, but as far as these head coaches were concerned, even a broken clock was right twice a day.
In the visitors' locker room.
Every Barca player wore a grave expression.
"Our lineup is unchanged today. In defense, watch out for En-Nesyri's runs. Don't let him receive the ball easily near the penalty area."
"In midfield, De Jong, you must not lose control. Don't let them pass the ball around freely in the middle. Press quickly and aggressively!"
"Griezmann, you're playing as the center forward. Remember to drop back and get the ball. Dembele and Li will open up space for you on either side!"
"Li, use your speed to tear through their defense. Do what you did when you faced our own defenders before. Don't hold back!"
Li Mingyu clenched his fist and thumped it hard against his chest. "Don't worry, Coach!"
Koeman smiled with satisfaction. Football needed passion and fire. Barca had been missing that edge.
Messi couldn't play today, so he had gone straight to the stands instead of joining the team in the locker room.
The players from both sides entered the field.
Full of excitement, Li Mingyu followed his teammates into the players' tunnel.
A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes stood beside him and placed her small hand in his.
Li Mingyu held her hand as he followed his teammates onto the pitch.
They exchanged flags, shook hands, and chose sides.
Li Mingyu stood on the halfway line like a cheetah poised to spring, waiting for the whistle so he could charge toward the opposing team's territory.
The referee kept checking his watch. When the time came, he blew his whistle.
A deafening roar erupted throughout the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
The match officially began.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully checked in at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium and obtained legendary player Zamorano's Sharp Header.]
Zamorano, a legendary former player for the Chile National Team, had first made his mark in La Liga with Sevilla.
Although he played only 59 matches there, he scored 21 goals. By the standards of that era, that was an impressive scoring rate.
Fans called Zamorano "Ivan the Terrible," because his name was Ivan Zamorano.
His playing style was sharp and incisive. He excelled at long-range shots, close-range shots, and headers alike.
He was especially good in the air. Although Zamorano wasn't particularly tall, his elusive positioning always helped him find a comfortable spot from which to open the scoring with a header.
There was a famous story about Zamorano and the number 1+8.
Back when he was at Inter Milan, Ronaldo wanted the number 9 shirt, but Zamorano was deeply attached to it and refused to give it up. So Ronaldo initially wore the number 10 shirt.
Later, Baggio joined the team, and he was just as attached to number 10. Ronaldo didn't care for the number, but he insisted that if Baggio wanted it, Ronaldo had to get number 9.
So Zamorano gave up his number 9 shirt and wore number 18 instead, but he put a plus sign between the 1 and the 8. Number 9 was a striker's faith.
When Li Mingyu acquired Zamorano's Sharp Header skill, his heading attribute rose directly from 70 (75) to 85 (90), while his shooting attribute went from 85 (90) to 87 (92).
Even his attacking ability increased from 80 (85) to 83 (90).
This astonishing boost instantly turned Li Mingyu into an attacker with excellent heading ability.
For Li Mingyu, who had always struggled with headers, it was nothing short of a gift from heaven.
"Li!"
De Jong played a low pass along the ground to Li Mingyu, who was making a run.
But Moreno had already spotted him. The experienced defender stepped forward and got a touch on the ball.
The ball wasn't cleared, though. Instead, it bounced high into the air.
Before, Li Mingyu wouldn't have known what to do with a ball like that. But with his new skill, instinct took over. He ran over and blocked Moreno, who was preparing to head the ball away, from getting in front of him.
Moreno was startled. He hadn't expected Li Mingyu to react so quickly or hold his position so well.
From behind, Moreno gave Li Mingyu a discreet shove in the waist, then quickly pulled his hand back and signaled that he hadn't fouled.
It was the kind of trick an experienced defender knew all too well.
Li Mingyu was about to jump and bring the ball down on his chest when he felt a shove from behind. He already lacked strength, and the force left him struggling to control his movement.
But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of green nearby. A sudden inspiration struck him. In midair, he tightened his waist and snapped his head like a lion, sending the ball straight in that direction.
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