Chapter 197: Boateng: You Again?!
"Incredible!"
"The defending champion is losing at the Etihad Stadium!"
Xu Yang said smiling:
"Bayern was really tactically outsmarted by Lin Quan this time. Look at the Bayern players' reaction, they had no defense against this tactical corner kick from the opponent."
"It can't be denied, Lin Quan is a very clever player. Only he could devise such a tactic!"
Not only the commentators were talking about this goal, there was also a very intense discussion online about this goal.
"Can someone who knows about football tell me if this goal is valid?"
"It's not invalid, and here's why:
The ball was inside the corner area, not on the line or offside.
The referee had already blown the whistle, so the kick could be taken.
The player didn't change the position of the ball before the kick, and the rules don't prohibit the player from moving."
"Yes, you're right, but this play by Lin is a bit unfair."
"Winning is what matters, Lin didn't commit any foul. Tactics are like that, deception and strategy."
"After this match, the other teams will be very attentive to every move Lin makes when taking a corner kick."
"Of course, who knows what else this guy can come up with?"
After being overtaken, the Bayern players were furious.
If they had been surpassed by a brilliant combination from the opponent, they wouldn't say anything.
But these two goals were due to unforced errors for Bayern.
So they weren't happy with Manchester City's advantage and, upon restarting the match, launched a total counterattack to try to change the score.
Once Bayern started attacking, the Manchester City goal was again under constant threat.
In the 54th minute, Robben broke through the wing, played a one-two with a teammate, and entered the box.
However, his final shot was not precise enough, and Joe Hart deflected it with effort for a corner kick.
In the 56th minute, Bayern again reached Manchester City's area.
Martinez intercepted in the center and passed the ball to Muller, who broke free and entered the area.
Seeing Muller enter the area, Guardiola raised his hands preparing to celebrate.
But Muller missed the shot incredibly, sending the ball well over the goal, even Joe Hart was surprised.
"How could he miss that?"
On the sideline, Guardiola grabbed his head, incredulous.
Thomas Muller had the same expression, lamenting the miss and not understanding how it could happen.
While Bayern attacked, Manchester City also had some dangerous plays.
In the 57th minute, Lin Quan broke through the wing and combined with Aguero.
Aguero returned the ball and blocked the defender, leaving Lin with a long-range shot.
Unfortunately, the shot went straight to Neuer, who easily stopped it.
Two minutes later, Lin returned the favor to Aguero with a pass.
Unfortunately, Aguero didn't capitalize on the opportunity and missed the chance to complete his hat-trick.
As Manchester City adapted to Bayern's rhythm, the players began to perform better.
The match was no longer completely dominated by Bayern as in the first half.
Both teams exchanged attacks, and the match was very entertaining.
Manchester City fans were delighted to see their team compete toe-to-toe with Bayern.
Bayern is the champion of last season's Champions League and has strengthened this year. Compared to them, Manchester City showed that it already had the level to compete with the best teams.
However, Manchester City fans were not completely confident. Every time Bayern attacked, they feared they would equalize.
Although the level difference was not large, Bayern's experience was notable.
A team that has won championships has a different mindset.
Bayern, although losing, did not despair and continued to attack with patience and organization.
Manchester City fans admired this, wishing their team could reach that level someday.
On the field, Manchester City players felt more pressure than the fans could see. They knew about Bayern's ability to seize any opportunity.
That's why they had to stay alert at all times and not relax for a moment.
These kinds of matches not only exhausted physically but also mentally.
That's why many strong teams, after playing against another strong team, go through a period of fatigue.
In the 67th minute, the match took an unexpected turn.
First, Kroos lost the ball when trying to attack, and Manchester City was ready to counterattack, but Fernandinho was stripped of the ball by Muller.
The ball changed possession again!
For Manchester City, this situation was even more dangerous than when Kroos had the ball.
In search of efficiency in the counterattack, Manchester City had pushed their formation forward.
Many players were already in Bayern's half, but upon losing the ball, they were out of position.
The Bayern players knew this opportunity was valuable. Müller, after intercepting, immediately passed the ball to Robben, who sprinted down the wing.
Robben understood the play and ran at full speed.
Facing the Manchester City defender, he opted to cut inside.
This play was predictable, as Robben usually cuts inside and shoots.
But knowing it doesn't mean being able to stop it.
Manchester City's left-back, Clichy, knew Robben would cut inside, but he couldn't keep up with him and fell behind.
Joe Hart was in a difficult situation, unsure whether to come out or stay.
Fortunately, Robben didn't complicate his decision, as after getting past Clichy, he shot directly.
Confident in his ability, Robben chose the near angle.
The ball headed towards the goal, and although Hart tried to stop it, he was late, and the ball went in.
Bayern equalized the match!
The Etihad Stadium fell silent, Manchester City fans couldn't believe it.
Their team's advantage lasted less than fifteen minutes before Bayern tied.
Bayern's offensive capability was impressive!
But most worrying was Bayern's determination. Before this play, they had fought intensely in midfield.
The midfield had become a battleground, with players from both teams fighting tirelessly.
Almost every player had their shirts covered in dirt and grass.
The Manchester City players couldn't be blamed for not trying, but those from Bayern seemed even more determined.
What was most impressive was that, in addition to their determination, the Bayern players had better technique and coordination.
Bayern's better coordination and technique made their attacks more dangerous than Manchester City's.
There were over 20 minutes left in the game, and this goal boosted Bayern's morale and depressed Manchester City's.
With this dynamic, Manchester City players were really unsure if they could stop Bayern's attacks.
Bayern's experienced team, capitalizing on the good moment, continued their fierce attack on Manchester City's goal, trying to finish them off once and for all.
In the 72nd minute, Bayern launched a quick counterattack on the right. Again, Robben received the ball on the right and shot after cutting inside. Joe Hart failed to catch the ball, creating chaos in the box, but finally Kompany cleared the danger.
A minute later, Bayern attacked again. Taking advantage of an interception in midfield, they launched a counterattack in the attacking area. The Bayern players, who were pressing, quickly became attackers, advancing rapidly into Manchester City's field and creating a numerical superiority situation in the attacking area.
With few defenders in the area, Bayern quickly created a goal-scoring opportunity. Joe Hart saved the day again! He stopped a one-on-one from Kroos, deflecting his shot.
After the save, Joe Hart shouted at Kroos, venting his accumulated frustration. Kroos, unlucky, felt even worse for missing the goal and being shouted at by the opposing goalkeeper.
On the Manchester City bench, Pellegrini was thinking intensively. The team was very passive, and although putting Lin Quan on the wing had worked to neutralize Ribery, now Robben was being a big threat on the other side.
In the 75th minute, Nasri received a yellow card for a foul on Robben, further complicating Manchester City's defense on the left side.
Pellegrini didn't hesitate anymore and quickly made a change, substituting Nasri for Milner. Milner, with better defensive ability, could play as a full-back, albeit sacrificing offensive capability.
This change indicated a more conservative approach. Drawing at home against Bayern seemed acceptable.
With Milner on the field, his defensive activity partly neutralized Robben's threat. The crisis in Manchester City's goal was temporarily relieved.
Now it was Guardiola who was worried. With both sides blocked, and the right even at a disadvantage, Bayern couldn't advance on the wings and had to focus on attacking through the middle.
For most of the match, Manchester City was at a disadvantage, and with Bayern's constant threats, Yaya Toure was forced to stay back, with few opportunities to support the attack.
For Manchester City, this was an advantage. With Toure and Kompany securing the central defense, it was difficult for Bayern to break their line.
Pellegrini praised Toure: "Toure remains reliable as long as he doesn't make mistakes."
But just after his praise, Toure returned to his old habits. In the 85th minute, after an interception, instead of passing the ball, he surveyed the field and saw an opportunity in Bayern's defense. Driven by his desire to attack, he took the ball into Bayern's field.
From the bench, Pellegrini shouted angrily and worriedly: "Get back to your position, don't advance anymore!"
The stadium noise was so loud that Toure only heard "advance," thinking his coach was encouraging him to move forward. Without hesitation, he continued his advance.
This move surprised both Manchester City and Bayern players. After almost eighty minutes of play, Bayern had assumed Toure wouldn't participate in the attack, considering him harmless in that aspect.
But Toure had offensive skills, although he had been restricted to the midfield. Seeing Toure advance, Javi Martinez approached to defend.
Toure, confident in his physical ability, didn't take Martinez seriously. However, upon the first contact, he realized the strength of his opponent, something that surprised him.
"This guy is strong!" Toure thought, feeling he was in trouble this time. Martinez was not only strong but also experienced and skilled in defense.
Seeing he was about to lose the ball, Toure saw Lin Quan approaching and quickly passed him the ball. Surprisingly, the pass was accurate.
Lin Quan, after receiving the pass, dribbled past Alba and headed towards Bayern's goal. Seeing him, defenders Dante and Boateng felt a wave of panic.
"You again!" they thought.