Shining at the Theatre of Dreams!

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An old man with a red nose stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, chewing gum.

He raised a hand, pointed, and asked, "That Asian player from Bayer Leverkusen is excellent. Which country is he from?"

The assistant beside him replied, "Sir, his name is Son Heung-min. He comes from the same country as Park Ji-sung."

Ferguson nodded approvingly. "Mm. His tireless running on the pitch is exactly like Park back then. Disciplined, hardworking, and with a great attitude toward the game!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Bayer Leverkusen's bench. "Bayer Leverkusen's number 10? That's a great number, yet it's being worn by an Asian player! He's much more handsome than Son Heung-min. Is he from Korea too?"

The assistant shook his head. "He's Chinese."

Pfft.

Ferguson hurriedly spat out his gum and took out a white handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

A trace of disdain flickered across his face.

It seemed to have stirred up some distant memory.

"China is a great country, but its football must never be mentioned in the same breath."

Back on the pitch.

The two sides traded attacks.

But Bayer Leverkusen simply could not get the ball up to their forwards.

Çalhanoğlu was like a ghost, completely shut down.

Just as Bayer Leverkusen pushed their two fullbacks forward to give him more passing options.

Manchester United's high press became even fiercer.

"Against Premier League-level midfielders, Çalhanoğlu is completely at a disadvantage in terms of holding the ball under pressure and physical duels."

"Schmidt wants to ease Çalhanoğlu's burden in possession, but it isn't doing much. Adding passing options on the flanks can't solve the matchup pressure in midfield."

"Both teams favor attacking football and pressing tactics. Manchester United may have fielded more youngsters, but they clearly have control of the match!"

In the 24th minute.

Çalhanoğlu finally shook off Fellaini and was about to thread a through ball.

Bang!

A red figure charged in from nowhere.

Çalhanoğlu stumbled and went down.

Herrera easily slid in to win the ball!

"Maldini once said: when I need to make a tackle, it means I've already made a mistake."

"But that saying doesn't apply to Premier League teams!"

"Herrera passes it back to Blind? Didn't that waste the best chance for a counterattack? Bayer Leverkusen's back line is completely open!"

Blind took a short run-up.

His body tilted.

His left foot smashed into the ball!

The ball rose from the ground.

Spinning rapidly, it flew toward Bayer Leverkusen's half.

"Beautiful!"

"A long ball across the entire half!"

Manchester United fans did not like this Dutch center-back.

But Van Gaal stubbornly believed that the left center-back had to be left-footed in order to preserve an advantage in build-up play.

Only Jonathan Tah and Papadopoulos remained in Bayer Leverkusen's half.

The two fullbacks, along with Bender and Kramer, had pushed too far forward to support Çalhanoğlu and could not get back!

Martial brought the ball down around thirty meters out.

Then he burst forward with astonishing speed!

Charging toward Bayer Leverkusen's penalty area.

Lingard was also sprinting madly down the other side.

Though he could not outrun the referee this time.

There was no suspense about the outcome.

Martial pulled both Bayer Leverkusen center-backs away, then still managed to send the ball into the box through the tight space!

Lingard showed not the slightest panic as he faced the advancing Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper.

He received the ball with his back to goal.

Then pulled off a Scorpion Tail.

His heel sent the ball into Bayer Leverkusen's net once more.

2:0!!!

"Beautiful!"

"What imagination! It's Lingard again! He is Old Trafford's hope, the future of English football!"

"Manchester United have extended their lead!"

"Bayer Leverkusen need to figure something out here."

Schmidt looked utterly despairing.

Manchester United had delivered a crushing tactical mismatch against Bayer Leverkusen!

Individual player matchups?

Did you see Rooney and Mata coming off Manchester United's bench?

Those two were warming up!

In front of their televisions, Bayer Leverkusen fans wore miserable expressions.

Why had their all-powerful King Çalhanoğlu failed to turn the tide?

The clock ticked by.

Beep! Beep-beep!

The referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half.

The Bayer Leverkusen players trudged off the pitch listlessly.

The Manchester United players happily interacted with the fans in the stands.

"Leo, keep an eye on the coach's thermos for me."

The assistant coach tossed out those words before hurrying toward the players' tunnel.

Leo Kang did not need to take part in the dressing room's "halftime meeting."

He sat alone in a corner of the bench.

As though he had nothing at all to do with this match.

The broadcast camera happened to pan over to the bench.

China livestream chat.

-

[Ugh, he has no chance of coming on and doesn't even need to attend the dressing room meeting. How is that any different from being isolated? Brother Leo might as well go back and train with the youth team!]

-

[Bayer Leverkusen are getting completely dominated this match. Would they still dare to send Leo Kang on?]

-

[Brother Leo is amazing in the youth league, but this is the Champions League! Even if Bayer Leverkusen have gone mad for money, they wouldn't dare give him too much playing time.]

-

[Manchester United have many fans in China. If Leo Kang can make an appearance at Old Trafford, it would be more useful than any advertisement Bayer Leverkusen could run.]

Bayer Leverkusen's dressing room.

Schmidt's face was red as he roared furiously.

"Son, your running is meaningless! You need to drop deeper and support Hakan more!"

"And Lars, you should push up and protect Hakan!"

"I don't understand why you can't stop Manchester United's two youngsters! They've scored twice in exactly the same way! Are they really better than Robben? Christoph, take your game console and go home!"

Silence filled the room.

Not a single player argued back.

Bayer Leverkusen's morale had hit rock bottom.

Schmidt walked to one side and reserved his words of encouragement for only one person.

He gently said to Çalhanoğlu, "Hakan! We still have time! You're our core!"

The fifteen-minute break quickly ended.

The players from both sides returned to the pitch.

"Bayer Leverkusen have used their first substitution!"

"Youngster Brandt replaces BellArabi. It's a like-for-like substitution!"

"The two teams switch ends for the second half! We look forward to an even more exciting contest!"

"The referee blows his whistle, and the second half is officially underway!"

Bayer Leverkusen's situation still showed no signs of improving.

Even with the whole team playing for Çalhanoğlu.

He remained lost amid Manchester United's relentless midfield strangulation.

-

[What's going on? Why is King Çalhanoğlu suddenly useless?]

-

[That kind of player is normal. With the wind behind them, they become gods; against the wind, they become dogs.]

-

[Bayer Leverkusen are done. I don't get why Manchester United fans cry about being weak all day. No matter how poor Manchester United's squad is, they can still handle top teams from the five major leagues with ease! Rooney and Mata haven't even come on yet!]

In the 60th minute.

After receiving the ball, Brandt did not hand it to Çalhanoğlu to organize the attack.

Schmidt furiously berated him from the sideline.

It did no good.

Brandt chose to do it himself.

He carried the ball alone into the inside channel of Manchester United's half.

Facing Smalling's pressure, he suddenly accelerated and tried to change direction.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his calf.

He collapsed to the ground.

Beep!

The referee blew his whistle and showed Smalling a yellow card!

"From the slow-motion replay, Smalling caught Brandt on the calf!"

"Bayer Leverkusen have earned a decent free-kick opportunity in the attacking third! Can they pull one back?"

"It's time for Çalhanoğlu to shine! Last season, his free-kick conversion rate was the best among the five major leagues!"

Çalhanoğlu stood over the ball.

He waved for his teammates to join the attack. He did not need a decoy free-kick routine.

Old Trafford immediately erupted with waves of boos.

Manchester United fans thoroughly disliked this "Beckham imitator."

Never mind his free-kick ability.

Looks alone put him nowhere near Beckham's level.

By the pitch.

Schmidt seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

He stood bent forward at the touchline, his eyes locked on Manchester United's half.

Çalhanoğlu had scored six free kicks last season!

Bayer Leverkusen had not lost yet!

They still had a chance!

On the other side.

Van Gaal crossed his legs, looking relaxed.

"Guess which side he'll aim for?"

Giggs held a tactical board and replied seriously.

"Based on the coaching staff's analysis of last season's data, there's a 70 percent chance he'll go for the top-left corner."

Çalhanoğlu began his lateral run-up.

Three steps brought him to the ball.

He twisted his body and drove through it.

He swung his leg!

The ball rose into the air.

Tracing a curve like a scimitar.

It cleared the wall.

And curled straight toward the top-left corner of Manchester United's goal!

"Beautiful!"

"At Old Trafford, the Crescent Moon Scimitar appears once again!"

De Gea drove both feet hard into the turf.

It was an unbelievable reaction speed.

His body stretched to the absolute limit in midair!

His red-gloved hand clenched into a fist.

Bang!

The ball was punched out of bounds!

Old Trafford instantly erupted with thunderous applause.

The Bayer Leverkusen fans felt as though they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Çalhanoğlu stood there in a daze.

His strike and point of contact on that free kick had been perfect, so why had it still been saved?!

"Twenty-five-year-old De Gea produces a miraculous save! He looks completely relaxed, still chewing gum!"

"He is hailed as the successor to Casillas and Van der Sar!"

"The cornerstone of Manchester United's defense for the next decade!"

-

[They should thank Real Madrid's broken fax machine! It kept De Gea at Manchester United!]

-

[De Gea's long legs have a higher save rate than his hands! Bayer Leverkusen is finished!]

-

[Weak teams produce great keepers! (Dog head for protection!)]

"Glory, glory, Man United~"

"Glory, glory, Man United~"

"And the Reds go marching on on on!!!"

Manchester United's anthem drifted over Old Trafford.

Passionate and resounding.

Inspiring.

But to Bayer Leverkusen's manager, it was a funeral dirge from hell.

Schmidt slumped back into the dugout in despair.

He could not think of any solution.

There was no midfielder on the bench stronger than Çalhanoğlu.

Bayer Leverkusen's players were low on morale.

In terms of one-on-one ability alone, Son Heung-min and Kießling were not inferior to any player in Manchester United's back line.

But the ball could never reach their feet.

If they dropped back to receive it, the attacking tempo would become very slow.

The game would turn into a positional battle again.

A positional battle.

Bayer Leverkusen had no real advantage against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Under Herrera's relentless marking, Çalhanoğlu grew increasingly irritated.

He began criticizing his teammates' movement and timing of support.

In the 82nd minute.

Çalhanoğlu was brought down along with the ball once again.

He rolled around on the turf in pain.

"The referee is signaling for the medical staff to come on quickly!"

"Ah! Looking at the slow-motion replay, Herrera did not commit a foul. He got the ball first, then caught Çalhanoğlu!"

"If Çalhanoğlu cannot continue, it will be an absolute disaster for Bayer Leverkusen!"

By the touchline.

When Schmidt saw the medic's gesture.

All hope left him.

There were only eight minutes left in normal time.

And their midfield core was injured.

How were they supposed to play now?!

Were they really going to send on that Chinese player?

This was a Champions League qualifier!

"Let Leo go on."

"But he hasn't warmed up yet."

Leo Kang heard the assistant coach calling his name.

At the same moment, the system notification quietly sounded.

[Ding! Mission triggered: Shine at the Theatre of Dreams!]

[Mission details: This ancient and great stadium has witnessed countless legendary moments. Believe in yourself—you can do it too!]

[Mission reward: Platinum Treasure Chest!]

"Listen, Leo... forget it. Just play well. We can't concede another goal!"

The assistant coach swallowed all the tactical instructions he had wanted to give.

He felt that Leo Kang would not be able to understand them in such a short time.

In the stands surrounding Old Trafford.

Manchester United's fans curiously watched the Asian teenager wearing Bayer Leverkusen's number 10 shirt.

They could not help whispering among themselves.

Van Gaal smiled.

"Isn't that the little guy we ran into in the tunnel?"

Giggs nodded. "Before the match, our coaching staff couldn't find any first-team match data on him. We only knew that he came from La Masia."

Van Gaal's expression darkened, as though he was unwilling to recall his time managing Barcelona.

"We can see Bayer Leverkusen making another substitution!"

"Number 10, Leo Kang, replaces Çalhanoğlu! It should be a like-for-like change."

"We still aren't very familiar with this Chinese player's strengths."

"Let's hope he can put on an eye-catching performance!"

-

[Where's that brother who said he'd eat thirty jin of shit if Leo Kang ever appeared for the first team? He's not only played in the Bundesliga—he's now appearing in a Champions League qualifier.]

-

[So what? Will he even touch the ball? Does winning have anything to do with him?]

-

[Bayer Leverkusen has clearly given up. They're just completing their commercial expansion task in the closing stages.]

-

[Brother Leo is incredible! A monster in the youth league!]

-

[Manchester United fans cry weak, Leo Kang fans cry strong.]

Leo Kang stood by the halfway line.

The system panel appeared before his eyes.

[Ball control: 74; Passing: 81.]

[Shooting: 65; Heading: 59; Set pieces: ??.]

[Curve: 68; Speed: 72↑; Leg strength: 70↑.]

[Jumping: 67; Physical contact: 78↑; Stamina: 79↑.]

[Defending: 76; Tackling: 74↑; Goalkeeping: 30.]

During this period, with the help of the Destroyer Midfielder template.

Several of his attributes had improved significantly.

Beep!

The referee blew his whistle.

All the data before Leo Kang's eyes vanished in an instant.

Facing the wind.

He stepped onto the Theatre of Dreams.