Chapter 223: Boateng: Who Tripped Me, and Who Did I Trip?
Goretzka saw Lin Quan appear in front of him and felt cautious.
Is he trying to use me as a breakthrough point? Hmph, I won't let you succeed!
He adopted a defensive posture, focusing entirely on Lin Quan and the ball at his feet.
"Here we go, Goretzka vs. Lin Quan, the long-awaited duel by the fans!"
On the CCTV commentary, He Wei saw Lin Quan dribble directly to Goretzka, feeling invigorated.
Both of them were rising superstars in recent years, with Goretzka gaining fame earlier, but Lin Quan's momentum was stronger.
Fans had long hoped to see these two engage in a peak showdown on the field to determine who was better.
In addition, their past grudge with Bayern due to transfers added another layer of intrigue.
If Goretzka could defeat Lin Quan in their direct confrontation, it would prove Bayern's judgment was accurate.
But if Lin Quan dominated Goretzka, it would not only embarrass Goretzka but also challenge Bayern's prestige!
Therefore, seeing Lin Quan facing Goretzka, not only were Goretzka's fans anxious, even in the box, figures like Rummenigge and Hoeness were nervous.
"Goretzka, come on, you can do it!"
"Mario, stop that kid, prove yourself!"
The fans at the Allianz Arena seemed to forget their past fear of Lin Quan, imagining that Goretzka's defense could stop Lin Quan.
Amidst the anticipation of the masses, Lin Quan made his move.
He first shifted the ball to the right, deceiving Goretzka's balance, then shifted it to his left foot, and smoothly passed Goretzka on the right.
Before Lin Quan, Goretzka clumsily resembled a bear, completely unable to keep up with Lin Quan's rhythm.
"Idiot!"
On the sidelines, Guardiola couldn't help but curse inwardly at Goretzka's easy surrender of his balance.
Before the game, he spent a long time explaining Lin Quan's breakthrough skills to the players, teaching them how to defend against Lin Quan.
However, judging from Goretzka's performance, it seemed he had forgotten everything he emphasized.
"Stop him!"
Seeing Goretzka being bypassed, Kroos immediately stepped up.
Kroos knew Lin Quan's prowess and realized he wasn't his match.
So he just wanted to delay time, allowing teammates to come and double-team.
Thiago didn't disappoint Kroos; he quickly moved up to assist.
Seeing teammates coming to defend, Kroos breathed a sigh of relief.
However, at this moment, he saw a blue figure flash past him on his left side.
So fast!
Before he could even see who it was, Lin Quan passed the ball.
Kroos and Thiago were startled, almost instinctively turning their heads to see who was attacking with the ball.
The answer was David Silva!
He had been following behind Lin Quan since Lin Quan started dribbling, but Bayern's players were all focused on Lin Quan, ignoring him.
When Lin Quan drew all their attention, David Silva quickly rushed out from the wing, becoming the second focal point of Manchester City's attack.
In front of him, near the edge of the penalty area, Aguero had already taken position and was gesturing for the ball.
Lahm almost immediately rushed towards David Silva, wanting to disrupt their attack and prevent him from passing the ball.
Meanwhile, Dante and Boateng acted like two iron gates, trapping Aguero in between, denying him a chance to receive the ball.
However, David Silva didn't pass to Aguero. He passed directly in front of him, behind Lahm.
Lahm felt a gust of wind pass by his right side and hurriedly turned around, but it was too late!
After receiving the ball, Lin Quan didn't dribble towards the baseline; he chose to cut inside.
"Don't give him a chance to shoot!"
Neuer saw the ball return to Lin Quan's feet and immediately directed his teammates to pressurize him.
A player of Lin Quan's caliber, if given space to shoot, would pose a huge threat to the goal.
Although Neuer was strong, after suffering many losses at Lin Quan's hands, he had lost confidence in stopping Lin Quan's tricky shots.
Dante and Boateng exchanged a glance; seeing Boateng not moving forward, Dante had to go and intercept himself.
Lin Quan saw Dante approaching and subconsciously glanced at his knee.
Dante felt a tightness in his chest, recalling a certain unpleasant memory, and suddenly had a bad feeling.
Just then, Lin Quan started his breakthrough.
And his starting move was that iconic ball control and change of direction!
Dante sighed inwardly, struggling to keep up with the opponent's pace.
However, after Lin Quan made three consecutive dribbles in a very short time, Dante felt his knees couldn't handle it anymore.
"Boateng, it's up to you now. This thirty-year-old comrade of yours can't handle it anymore."
Seeing Dante being bypassed, Boateng had to abandon Aguero and step forward to intercept Lin Quan.
Boateng's plan was clear; he was Bayern's last defender.
So once he moved, Aguero would be in an offside position, and at this moment, Lin Quan couldn't pass the ball to Manchester City's forwards.
Seeing Boateng appear in front of Lin Quan, the fans were delighted.
"I remember Boateng's famous scene!"
"Boateng: Who Tripped Me, and Who Did I Trip?"
"Don't say it, don't say it, it hurts, too painful!"
"Haha, this is the showdown of destiny!"
"Let's see how Boateng falls this time!"
Even the fans knew the joke. As the person involved, Boateng couldn't be unaware of it.
The reason he hesitated to intercept Lin Quan was that he was afraid of a repeat of being dribbled past by him at the Allianz Arena.
However, with his teammates' interception failing, he became the last defender, and Boateng had no choice but to step up!
Facing Lin Quan with the ball, Boateng focused entirely.
He didn't dare to rush forward recklessly because the opponent's footwork was too agile, and his movement frequency far exceeded that of an ordinary player; rushing forward would mean certain death.
But if he didn't advance, Lin Quan would come at him.
So Boateng could only retreat, step by step.
As he retreated, he encouraged himself inwardly:
Hold on, just hold on a little longer! As long as he could delay a bit more time, his teammates who were dribbled past earlier would catch up, completing the double-team on Lin Quan.
Then he wouldn't be isolated anymore, and there would be a chance to steal the ball from the opponent.
However, his wishful thinking was in vain.
Lin Quan passed the ball!
He passed it to Aguero!
Offside!
Boateng almost immediately raised his hand to signal, but after raising his hand, he realized that he was actually behind Aguero.
Aguero, who was originally in an offside position, was no longer offside after Boateng kept retreating.
Idiot!
Neuer cursed inwardly and quickly rushed towards Aguero.
However, as soon as he moved, Aguero passed the ball.
The ball returned to Lin Quan's feet, and by this time, Lin Quan had already shaken off Boateng. After receiving the ball, he didn't stop but shot directly.
2:1!
Manchester City quickly equalized in the 14th minute of the first half.
Seeing Lin Quan score, Boateng looked dumbfounded, how did he get beaten again?
Can't he really defeat this guy?
Neuer angrily kicked the goal post; losing this goal felt frustrating.
After scoring, Lin Quan celebrated with a somersault.
This was Klose's signature celebration, and Lin Quan had used it a few times before during his time at Werder Bremen.
Seeing this move, both coaches felt a pang of anxiety.
"Remind Lin later not to celebrate like this; it's too dangerous!"
Pellegrini was startled; this move was risky. If executed well, it would be stylish and cool. But if it failed, it could result in spinal or even head injuries, which wouldn't be just minor injuries and could even end one's career.
Guardiola also instinctively wanted to wave Lin Quan over for a scolding, but then he suddenly remembered he was Bayern's coach, and the other was not his player, so he had to let it go.
"You brat, I'll teach you a lesson after the match!"
...
With Manchester City equalizing, their morale greatly boosted.
Their attack started to become increasingly threatening.
Meanwhile, Bayern, after conceding a goal, became wary of Manchester City's attack and didn't dare to attack as aggressively as before.
The situation of the game became tense; both sides' players were very active in fighting on the field, and their actions became more and more intense.
Milner and Yaya Toure received yellow cards successively, and Bayern's defender Dante also received one.
In this situation, it was clear that Manchester City's players suffered more.
They had long been accustomed to the lenient refereeing standards in the Premier League, so the tighter officiating in the Champions League felt somewhat uncomfortable.
This is also a disadvantage for Premier League teams in European competitions.
The intense physicality and lenient refereeing in the Premier League indeed enhance the league's entertainment value.
However, it brings trouble to the few teams participating in European competitions as they need to readjust to the referees' stricter standards.
According to European competition rules, accumulating three yellow cards results in a suspension.
After the first suspension, subsequent suspensions occur after only two yellow cards.
This often leads to key players missing important matches due to suspension, significantly impacting their teams' competitiveness.
Milner was fortunate as he was a rotational player, not an absolute starter.
But Yaya Toure was different; he was Manchester City's key defensive midfielder.
Having already received two yellow cards previously, his latest booking meant he would be suspended for the next match.
And in the next match, Manchester City would face their opponents in the knockout stage.
Losing a key midfielder for the first leg of a knockout tie was not good news for Manchester City.
The score remained 2-1 until the end of the first half.
This result was not ideal for both Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
For Bayern, if the match ended with this scoreline, Manchester City would top the group on goal difference, which they couldn't accept!
And for Manchester City, losing with this scoreline would mean their unbeaten record in the Champions League would be broken.
So, at the beginning of the second half, both teams opted for attacking play.
Both teams were known for their attacking prowess, boasting a plethora of talented stars in their midfield and forward lines.
With both teams abandoning their conservative tactics, the excitement of the game escalated significantly.
The players from both sides engaged in frequent exchanges, producing breathtaking combinations.
This delighted the spectators in the stadium!
They bought tickets to witness this kind of game!
"Wow, is Manchester City this strong? They're actually neck and neck with Bayern!"
"Manchester City has so many stars; their strength is naturally not inferior!"
"Haha, even though they're behind in score, how dare they think it's evenly matched!?"
Bayern's fans obviously couldn't accept this view!
What level?
And they dare to claim it's even with Bayern?
Bayern is on par with Real Madrid and Barcelona in Europe; they are an elite club.
Other giants have to give them three points; Manchester City is just a nouveau riche, not even a giant. Why should they be considered evenly matched with Bayern?
"Wait, Guardiola is about to start making substitutions. Once he does, Bayern will exert their force!"
Guardiola's substitutions this season had an immediate impact, making Bayern's fans quite superstitious about his substitutions.
Once Guardiola makes substitutions, everything will turn around!
In the 62nd minute, Manchester City won the ball in their own half.
Yaya Toure quickly passed the ball to Lin Quan, who dribbled straight towards Gotze.
As the saying goes, picking the soft persimmons first, in this match, Lin Quan targeted Gotze specifically.
Gotze felt bitter!
Ever since this guy came after him, he had been getting humiliated.
Although he tried hard to defend against him, his defensive ability was simply not on the same level as Lin Quan's attacking ability.
So, without any suspense, Lin Quan once again dribbled past Gotze.
Thiago's face turned green; he rushed towards Lin Quan, shouting inwardly:
Can't someone else come on? I don't want to clean up after this guy anymore!
Before Thiago could get into position, Lin Quan passed the ball and quickly ran forward.
After several wall passes with his teammates, he surged into the penalty area.
But before he could take the shot, Bayern's captain, Lahm, tripped him from behind.
The referee quickly blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.
The stadium erupted in protest; being awarded a penalty at this moment meant that their advantage, held for most of the game, was completely lost.
"Gotze is completely destroyed today!"
"So unfortunate, I counted, he seems to have been dribbled past by Lin Emperor eight times!"
"Geez, Lin Emperor is too ruthless, targeting just one person!"
"I wonder how Bayern's management feels right now, they had the chance to sign Lin Emperor back then!"
"Hehe, I bet they're feeling the burn on their faces right now!"
Inside the executive box at the Allianz Arena, Rummenigge and Hoeness couldn't sit still when Lin Quan initiated the attack with the ball.
Seeing Lahm committing a foul from behind and getting a yellow card, both of their faces turned very ugly.
"Um, well, Lahm was forced to foul in a moment of desperation; we can't blame him for that!"
Hoeness wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly defended Lahm.
Rummenigge grunted heavily, "I'm not blaming Lahm; he performed well!"
Hearing Rummenigge's words, Hoeness and Sammer exchanged glances.
If it's not Lahm's fault, then who is the chairman blaming?
As the team's designated penalty taker, Lin Quan rightfully stood at the penalty spot.
Facing the German goalkeeper, Lin Quan calmly aimed the ball towards the bottom right corner of the goal.
Neuer guessed the direction correctly, but the speed of the ball was too fast for him to save; he could only watch helplessly as the ball flew into the net.
In the 62nd minute of the second half, Manchester City equalized the score.
(End of this chapter)
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