75 Shots! Facing Karius? (Three-in-One)

The vast farmlands and scattered villages gradually disappeared from either side of the bus windows.

The Wolfsburg team bus slowly entered a stretch of rolling forest. Dense coniferous woods blanketed the hilly terrain, making it impossible not to feel calm as they breathed in the fresh air. This was Hesse, known as Germany's "green heart."

"Li, I really envy you."

"You're the Manchester United Crown Prince, and now you've become Wolfsburg's midfield core. Everyone treats you so well."

"You're handsome too, and so many girls like you."

"The media loves you as well. They always report on you positively."

"Your commercial value has been recognized too. Your GG endorsement income is huge..."

Malanda spoke sincerely, occasionally lowering his head to glance at the book.

Li Luo had been looking at the scenery beyond the window. He turned back in mild surprise. "Why are you suddenly so good with words today, kid?"

"You told me to read more..."

The little black egg raised the book in his hand. Its cover read The Art of Speaking.

Li Luo suddenly understood and encouraged him, "Study hard. You won't end up destitute after retirement."

"Mm-hmm! When the time comes, I'll drive you around every day and save you the money of hiring a driver."

"Haha."

Li Luo smiled.

His life really was going quite well now.

However, he was about to face a major challenge: the upcoming international A-level matches... He could not let the Chinese fans down too badly.

He hoped that after tonight's Bundesliga match, he could draw an immediate-combat-power module from the blind box—preferably the kind of independent attacking ability that went "boom, boom, boom."

Gradually, the scenery outside the windows changed again.

"We've entered the Rhine Valley."

"What a magnificent sight."

Hecking could not help humming a childhood folk song from his hometown.

He had been born in a small village by the Rhine. His parents were miners, and the whole family supported Schalke 04.

Through the windows, everyone saw ancient medieval castles and vineyards.

It felt as though they had entered a dazzling fairy-tale world.

"I heard that an expansion for the Polish game series The Witcher will be filmed here next year. It seems to be called the Blood and Wine expansion, and the map they revealed is called Toussaint."

"There's a young Polish model called Nika Bey. Whenever she has the chance, she reposts Li's video highlights on social media."

"Hehe, if I were Li, I definitely wouldn't let them off!"

"Those toilet-paper tabloids... They actually ran huge spreads of photos of Li and Morata. What vile taste. Even more outrageous, The Sun came out to refute it."

Bendtner became more animated as he spoke.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Li Luo held a tablet and watched match footage of their opponent, Mainz.

De Bruyne, seated in the back row, stood up and leaned over. "Their head coach, Tuchel, has been suspended for one match. We won't be under too much pressure tonight."

At this stage, Tuchel could be considered a "Bundesliga T0.5-level" manager.

Mainz's results and tactical system had long proven his ability.

For the time being, he was the only coach in history to earn a perfect score on the German Football Association's theoretical examination.

German theory focused on tactics.

Italy placed emphasis on different things. Allegri's thesis back then had been Three Midfielders. It was not much different from the textbook material, running to twenty pages, with large sections on how to build understanding among three midfielders, coordinate conflicts, and maintain relationships. Sarri's thesis was Managing a Club, fifty pages long and more like a diary, covering matters such as what players should eat, what they should train, how long they should rest, one-on-one chats, whether to interfere with their private lives, and what to say to motivate them...

In short.

Mainz would not be easy to deal with tonight. Even if Tuchel could not direct the match from the touchline, he would definitely have made preparations in advance.

Many media outlets believed that the phenomenon in the five major leagues—making tactical adjustments every week and setting up differently for different opponents—had been driven by Tuchel.

Bruchweg Base.

The Mainz players were carrying out simple set-piece drills.

Assistant coach Ehr could not help complaining, "Boss, why did you have to fight with the other side last round? Now it's making our touchline management difficult tonight."

Tuchel retorted, "That wasn't a fight. It was just a physical confrontation."

He was hot-tempered and did not get along particularly well with the club's upper management.

But he was a good person and treated his colleagues, players, and fans very well.

"Playing according to the deployed tactics, it would be difficult for Wolfsburg to emerge unscathed."

He did not finish his sentence.

Tuchel believed that Mainz's defense... would have a hard time withstanding Wolfsburg's offensive onslaught.

There was a gap in physical attributes.

Mainz's squad included two South Korean players and one Japanese player.

The media had long begun building hype.

<Korean media: South Korea's twin aces will make Li Luo face the toughest battle of his entire career.>

<Japanese media: Okazaki-kun, please do everything you can to stop the Chinese Qilin. We're counting on you.>

In the comments section.

-[Mainz's two Korean punks—put nicely, they're aggressive in challenges; put bluntly, they play dirty.]

-[Don't let them injure Li Luo.]

-[Some people say Korean players haven't been so dirty since 2002? They must have watched too many Korean dramas.]

-[I think Tuchel's in-game management still needs improvement. Whether he's on the touchline or not makes little difference to Mainz's fighting strength. As for tactical adjustments, it just depends on whether those assistant coaches dare take responsibility.]

-[My impression of Mainz is this: Gutenberg's revolution in the fifteenth century. They copied the movable-type printing technique from the Yongle Encyclopedia, then became famous across Europe.]

-[There's another view: they stood on the shoulders of giants and overcame different technical challenges.]

Night fell.

Romanesque and Gothic architecture gave off an unusual beauty beneath the lights.

The outline of Coface Arena gradually became distinct in the darkness as well.

Its sleek exterior was traced by soft red light, warming up the atmosphere for the upcoming match.

As a modern stadium put into operation in 2011, its facilities were comprehensive. Its advanced under-soil heating system, in particular, constantly helped the staff drive away the chill.

The fans in the stands sang their team anthem, filled with anticipation.

"Zhuangdian'er TV! Zhuangdian'er TV! Good evening, viewers."

"We are now bringing you live coverage of the seventh round of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season."

"Mainz at home against Wolfsburg."

"What sparks will fly between the Rhine Cannons and Wolfsburg?"

"Mainz's style of play over the past decade has always stirred the blood. Coaches Klopp and Tuchel have infused this club with a wild gene."

"Tonight will very likely be another all-out attacking spectacle."

In the players' tunnel.

Koo Ja-cheol and Park Joo-ho stared at Li Luo's back with complicated expressions.

The two Korean players fought fiercely in the Bundesliga. In the words of the Korean media: "In past matches, they occasionally failed to keep up with their opponents' pace, causing their fouls to be too forceful. They aren't genuinely dirty players."

Shinji Okazaki was not as friendly as the Japanese players from before.

He was not a chuunibyou type, but his personality was rather strange.

Right in front of his teammates, he teased a teammate's wife, saying, "Haven't seen you in a few days, and your ** have gotten bigger again."

Slap, slap, slap.

Mainz goalkeeper Karius came up from the back, patting his teammates' chests along the way. He looked confident. "With me here, Wolfsburg can forget about scoring!"

His voice rang out loudly.

The Wolfsburg line all turned to look.

De Bruyne said seriously, "That guy really is strong..."

Li Luo turned around and added, "Mm, I've watched his footage. His footwork is very good."

"..."

Karius happened to hear the Chinese youngster's assessment of him.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

You brat, praising a goalkeeper for... having good footwork?

That compliment was nowhere near comprehensive enough!

The referees led both teams out of the tunnel.

Coface Arena grew ever more fervent.

A hot-air balloon emblazoned with the Bundesliga logo slowly rose into the air.

"Next, let's introduce the starting lineups for both sides."

"Mainz lined up in a 5-4-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Karius."

"Defenders: Brosinski, Stefan, Bungert, Jara, Park Joo-ho."

"Midfielders: Koo Ja-cheol, Soto, Geis, Allagui."

"Forward: Shinji Okazaki."

"Tuchel's setup tonight was essentially still a three-center-back system."

"The most advanced use of converting fullbacks into midfielders originated with that bald coach at Genoa a few years ago—what was his name again... Then Guardiola refined it. Tuchel greatly admired Guardiola's tactical philosophy, so he borrowed it and adapted it into something suited to Mainz's system."

"Wolfsburg lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

"Goalkeeper: Benaglio."

"Defenders: Sebastian, Naldo, Knoche, Ricardo."

"Midfielders: Caligiuri, Gustavo, Li Luo, Malanda, De Bruyne."

"Forward: Bendtner."

The coin toss concluded.

Beep!

With a blast from the referee's whistle, the match officially began.

Wolfsburg had possession.

Bendtner kicked off and passed back to the defense.

Mainz's 5-4-1 was no turtle formation. They pushed forward aggressively and launched a frenzied high press.

"So fierce."

"Which side is supposed to be the wolves?"

The ball skimmed rapidly across the grass and arrived at Wolfsburg center-back Naldo's feet.

Shinji Okazaki closed in viciously.

Smack.

He disrupted Wolfsburg's attempt to play out from the back.

Fortunately, Gustavo had dropped into the defensive line in advance, brought the ball under control in time, and passed it back to the goalkeeper.

Warm applause rose from the stands.

"Shinji Okazaki is different from the Japanese players we usually imagine. His technique is quite rough, his shots often sail into the stands, and his number of fouls ranks among the highest for Bundesliga forwards..."

"But his off-the-ball awareness is excellent, his ability to attack the ball is strong, and he's highly committed in defense and pressing..."

Coach Zhang promptly held back his assessment of the Japanese player.

Because he saw the Wolfsburg goalkeeper pass the ball to the retreating Li Luo—and Koo Ja-cheol, the South Korean player, actually went straight in with a sliding tackle!

"Oh no!"

Smack.

Li Luo played a One-Touch Passing.

Relying on his Spatial Awareness, he accurately found his teammate on the wing while spotting the Korean coming in with the slide tackle ahead of time.

He hopped lightly into the air.

Calmly avoiding Koo Ja-cheol's flying tackle.

Coach Zhang desperately wanted to curse.

The commentator with the duck-like voice was cursing that Korean bastard in his heart too. He was trying to cripple someone again.

"That was close..."

Before he could finish.

The next moment.

As Li Luo landed, he accidentally stepped hard on Koo Ja-cheol's back.

The Wolfsburg assistant coaches let out long breaths of relief. The Chinese youngster, who got hacked down by Bundesliga hardmen every day, couldn't possibly have had any ill intent.

It had to be a coincidence.

The close-range audio equipment picked up a pained scream.

The entire stadium was stunned.

Going this hard right from kickoff?

The referee did not stop play. He raised both arms, signaling Wolfsburg to continue their attack.

"No problem there. If Koo Ja-cheol hadn't gone in so viciously, how would Li Luo have stepped on him?"

Wolfsburg's attacking unit surged past the halfway line.

They spread out in a fan-shaped formation.

Shinji Okazaki shouted at Koo Ja-cheol.

"Get back!"

"Bastard! Stop arguing with the referee."

By now, Li Luo had developed excellent chemistry with his Wolfsburg teammates.

He kept moving diagonally and playing One-Touch Passing.

Like weaving layer upon layer of nets.

Quietly dismantling Mainz's midfield barrier.

In the stands, Tuchel wore a complicated expression.

"They're playing so smoothly!"

"De Bruyne... what a beautiful first touch."

"There's no room to shoot. Mainz have switched back to a five-man defense."

"Their thinking is very clear—they've handed it back to Li Luo to organize."

"This is the dual-core system of the renowned manager Hecking."

Before Li Luo received the ball.

He had already spotted the aggressively charging Park Joo-ho.

Another little Korean punk looking to chop him down?

However, as a fullback, Park Joo-ho would not casually go to ground in his own half.

In this era, it was understandable for midfielders and attackers to slide in, using all sorts of methods to slow down the opponent's attacking rhythm.

Defenders had to be more cautious.

Maldini had once said, "When I have to make a tackle, it means I've already made a mistake."

At this moment.

Park Joo-ho closed in rapidly, preparing to exploit the referee's blind spot and foul Li Luo viciously, venting some anger for Koo Ja-cheol.

Then.

The instant Li Luo received the ball.

He gave it a gentle touch with the outside of his right foot.

Man and ball pulled away from the South Korean fullback.

"Elegant!"

"A pass."

"Wow! That pass... perfectly targeted the weak side of the defense exposed by Park Joo-ho's advance."

"Bendtner has pulled wide!"

"Mainz's defense shows no sign of panic. Their Karius is immensely gifted and brilliantly talented, known as the Li Luo of goalkeepers!"

During his time at Arsenal, Bendtner had played as a winger.

A 193-centimeter giant playing wide?

Back then, Arsène Wenger thought highly of him. He believed that a striker with limitless potential had to possess the qualities of rotation, positional interchange, flexibility, and all-round ability in order to fit into a dynamic attacking system.

Simply put, Arsenal's manager at the time believed: wingers had to train in striker techniques, and strikers had to train in winger techniques, or they would be left behind by the times.

"Wow, a burly man doing embroidery."

"Bendtner has cut past Jara."

"Cutting inside..."

"Can he cut inside?"

"Ricardo's overlapping. Pass it over."

Ricardo had decent technique. With one touch to control and another to push it forward, he charged into Mainz's penalty area and dribbled along the byline.

Waves of gasps rose from Coface Arena.

Smack.

A cutback.

At the top of the penalty arc, a blond figure arrived just in time.

De Bruyne.

He raised his arm and swung his leg.

Everyone thought he was about to unleash a thunderous shot...

Yet the close-range microphones picked up a soft touch of the ball.

"A through ball."

"Li Luo."

"How did he get into that position?"

Just moments ago, after passing the ball to Bendtner, Li Luo had immediately quickened his steps and slipped into Mainz's penalty area like an eel.

Turned sideways.

Facing the rolling ball, he instinctively made a small swinging motion with his leg.

75 shooting.

Peak Chinese Super League foreign-player level, fully realized.

No first touch.

No adjustment.

Bang.

An elegant, composed side-footed finish.

It left the two Mainz center-backs, who had been about to close him down and interfere at close range... staring in terror.

"Karius!"

"Oh no, a mistake!"

The ball was parried by the purple gloves and deflected into the net.

0:1!!!

The entire stadium sighed.

Li Luo did not celebrate alone. Instead, he turned and ran back, high-fiving and embracing De Bruyne.

The Wolfsburg players also came hopping over to join the celebration.

"Too easy."

"Li Luo has completely integrated into Wolfsburg's system."

"He is even an indispensable part of that system."

"Spotting gaps in the defense."

"Ghostly movement, a lethal strike."

"There's no need to worry about his finishing. His level was already very high back in Manchester United's youth team."

"That through ball from De Bruyne... exquisite to the extreme."

"The crouching dragon and young phoenix have given Wolfsburg the lead."

In the livestream chat.

-[My Luo is so handsome. Such an easy goal.]

-[Awesome.]

-[Just normal form. Everyone, sit down.]

-[Karius did get a hand to the ball. Maybe his saving technique was off.]

-[When Li Luo plays, do you even need to look at the odds? Go all-in on over 0.5 in the opening line, then all-in on over for the full match.]

-[Don't celebrate too early. Mainz's attack is fierce. Wolfsburg might not be able to withstand it.]

Some rejoiced, while others worried.

Shinji Okazaki looked furious as he complained to his two South Korean teammates, "You picked the wrong time to foul Li. You two are responsible for that goal we conceded."

"The timing of a foul is an art!"

Koo Ja-cheol and Park Joo-ho did not argue back, their expressions complicated.

Karius rubbed his face in frustration, then got to his feet and loudly encouraged his teammates. "My fault. It's fine, we'll get it back. Wolfsburg won't score a second goal!"

At Mainz, he had started as the third-choice goalkeeper and gradually earned the starting spot through his ability.

Everyone in the dressing room liked him and was willing to communicate with him.

That was why he played with such confidence during this period.

He was eager to take responsibility and hoped to become the team's leader.

At the sidelines.

Hecking clapped excitedly.

"Don't let up."

"The match has only just begun. Mainz's defense is mediocre, but we need to watch out for their attack."

The assistant coach nodded seriously. "We'll drop into a low block next."

On the other side.

Mainz's assistant coach, El, paced back and forth anxiously.

What was he waiting for?

He was waiting for Tuchel in the stands to pass down a little note...

[Shock Value +1!]

[Shock Value +1!]

[...]

Li Luo finished celebrating and watched the numbers continuously rise on the system panel.

After tonight's match, I have to draw a module with immediate combat power...

An international A-level competition.

It was definitely not as easy as Wolfsburg steamrolling weaker teams in the Bundesliga.

Of course, Mainz were not weak.

Their squad on paper was simply weaker than Wolfsburg's, their defense was average, and their head coach just happened to be suspended.

The match restarted from the center circle.

The cheers at Coface Arena grew louder and louder.

Mainz's supporters were not dejected because their team was behind. Instead, they were brimming with confidence.

They had faith in the team's attack.

"To put it in internet slang, their tactics... their style of play is just too damn appealing."

"The whole army pushes forward!"

"Trading attacks!"

"It's either you die or I do."

"Hehehe, the 5-4-1 formation has turned into a 2-2-6! This is insane!"

"Karius is standing on the halfway line, just like Neuer."

Tuchel at this point in history was still developing as well.

Players needed time to develop, and a manager's coaching ability also needed time to improve.

An aggressive style of play always made the spectators feel that time was passing quickly.

Wolfsburg parked the bus.

Mainz's positional attacks flowed with extreme smoothness.

The armored fat wolves were bombarded by rows of Rhine cannons!

In the 18th minute.

Wolfsburg found a great chance to counterattack.

Caligiuri, receiving the ball on the wing, suddenly burst forward, but made a mistake around forty meters inside his own half.

Koo Ja-cheol successfully won the ball.

The next moment.

A dark figure appeared in his field of vision...

Malanda.

Smack.

The South Korean player went flying.

Little Black Egg bent down, forcing a "fierce" expression onto his face. "You tackle Li, I tackle you!"

This was also the instruction Hecking gave him before every match.

Koo Ja-cheol grimaced in pain, clutching his ankle as he rolled around.

I didn't even tackle Li Luo, damn it! Is this black guy's brain lagging? Or is he holding a grudge? It hurts so much, smh!

"No problem there."

"Malanda got the ball first and brought Koo Ja-cheol down."

"Throw-in for Mainz."

"Oh dear."

"Park Joo-ho and Li Luo shoved each other a couple of times, then Park Joo-ho was knocked down by Knoche."

"The situation is getting a little out of control. Players from both sides have gathered around."

Of course, the Wolfsburg players knew why.

Those Koreans kept trying to go after our bonus... Pah, pah, pah! Our Li!

They had to teach them a lesson!

Boos erupted from all four stands of Coface Arena.

In the livestream chat.

Comments flew across the screen.

-[I told you, Koreans are still dirty. They just don't dare be as openly dirty as they used to be.]

-[Li Luo is really sly. In a brawl like this... he'll never be the one to lose out.]

-[Bendtner's move was way too obvious, you brute!]

-[He's the meat shield!]

-[Wolfsburg and Mainz don't have that kind of bitter rivalry. The main thing is that the two South Koreans want to disrupt Wolfsburg's midfield hub, so they keep trying to mess with Li Luo.]

-[De Bruyne is about to stamp his foot!]

-[In this kind of brawl, De Bruyne looks like an angry good student.]

A few minutes later, the chaos subsided.

After speaking with both captains, the referee signaled for play to continue.

During that time, Mainz assistant coach Ehr had also received Tuchel's note and quickly relayed the tactical adjustments to the players on the pitch.