Chapter 282: Champions League Winner—Manchester City!
Atletico Madrid's left-back already had a yellow card, so he didn't dare to foul. He could only try to interfere with Lin Quan, slowing his progress to give his teammates time to help defend.
Godin and Koke were also running over. Atletico's players clearly knew who the biggest threat was.
Because this attack started from a deeper position, Lin Quan was very far from Atletico's goal.
By the time he crossed the halfway line, several Atletico defenders were already in position.
Lin Quan had two choices: he could either dribble past Felipe and cut inside to shoot before Gabi and Godin could intercept, though this would leave him far from the goal, giving Atletico's goalkeeper more time to prepare, making it less likely to score.
The other option was to dribble down the wing and cross to his teammates rushing into the box, hoping they could score.
Lin Quan quickly chose the second option.
Given his previous goal, Atletico's defenders would foul him if they couldn't stop him.
Lin Quan didn't want to waste this chance. Even if he couldn't shoot directly, he would pass the opportunity to a teammate.
With this in mind, Lin Quan pretended to cut inside, tricking Felipe into shifting his weight, then quickly sped down the wing towards the byline.
Felipe hurriedly adjusted and chased him, while center-back Godin also moved over to help.
Against a player of Lin Quan's caliber, giving him space meant he could dribble into the box and shoot from a nearly impossible angle.
Players like him can do things that seem impossible to others.
Atletico saw Lin Quan as their biggest threat, and rightly so. But focusing so much on him made their tactics more passive.
Now, with Lin Quan driving to the byline, both the center-back and left-back had to follow because one-on-one defense was ineffective!
However, the number of defenders on the field is limited. When two defenders are drawn to Lin Quan, other Manchester City players get more opportunities.
Seeing Godin rushing over, Lin Quan judged the distance and, sure that Godin couldn't quickly return, passed the ball.
By this time, Manchester City's striker Aguero was in position, and most Atletico defenders thought Lin Quan would pass to him.
So Miranda preemptively moved towards Aguero, aiming to block his shot and deny him the chance to shoot.
But when he reached Aguero, he realized the ball wasn't passed to him.
De Bruyne, charging in from behind, got the ball first.
At this moment, De Bruyne was unmarked.
Gabi, who should have been marking him, was drawn to the wing by Lin Quan, and Godin was also pulled away by Lin Quan.
With Miranda choosing the wrong player to mark, there was a brief defensive gap around De Bruyne!
Courtois saw De Bruyne get the ball and his eyes widened in alarm.
De Bruyne would definitely shoot, but where?
Courtois knew De Bruyne had a habit of looking at his target before shooting.
Sure enough, De Bruyne glanced at the left side of the goal as he received the ball, seemingly preparing to shoot in that direction.
In a one-on-one situation without support, the goalkeeper is always at a disadvantage.
Courtois couldn't wait for the shot to be taken, as he might be too late to react.
Without thinking, Courtois moved left.
De Bruyne completed his shot, and the ball flew towards the goal.
However, to Courtois's surprise, the ball wasn't going left but was flying to the right side of the goal.
This meant he had guessed wrong!
Courtois tried to stop and change direction, hurriedly stretching out his right hand to save the shot.
Despite his excellent reaction time and physical abilities, De Bruyne's shot was of such high quality that it was hard to save even under normal circumstances, let alone now.
Unsurprisingly, the ball went past Courtois into the net.
In the 74th minute of the second half, Manchester City scored again, making it 2-0.
At this point in the match, the outcome was almost certain!
De Bruyne was ecstatic after scoring, rushing to Lin Quan and hugging him.
"Lin, your plan in the locker room worked perfectly!"
De Bruyne referred to the trick of looking one way but shooting the other, which Lin Quan had suggested to deceive the goalkeeper.
"Hehe, of course, I noticed your shooting habit back at Werder Bremen, and Courtois probably knew it even earlier!"
"So, knowing someone too well can be a disadvantage?"
De Bruyne laughed heartily at Lin Quan's words. Scoring a decisive goal in a final meant the world to him.
Manchester City fans, seeing this goal, were finally relieved.
Leading by one goal always left them worried that Atletico might equalize and ruin their joy.
But now, with De Bruyne's second goal, Manchester City's lead was solid!
Even if Atletico scored, Manchester City would still be ahead.
Given Atletico's current state, Manchester City fans doubted they could break through again!
This sense of relaxation extended to Manchester City's players and coaches.
Seeing De Bruyne score, the entire team, including the goalkeeper, rushed over to celebrate with De Bruyne and Lin Quan.
Manchester City wasn't AC Milan, and with no chance to return to the locker room to pop champagne, this lead felt like they were already touching the trophy!
"This scoreline is very dangerous for Atletico. As long as Manchester City holds on for the last 20 minutes, they will win the most important trophy of the season!"
In Sky Sports' commentary box, Martin Tyler and Andy Gray were excited.
An English Premier League team was about to stand on the Champions League podium again!
"Yes, but there's a saying that a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous scoreline!"
Despite his excitement, Andy Gray maintained some caution.
"Oh? Why is that?"
Martin Tyler had heard the saying before, but he saw his partner was ready for a detailed explanation, so he played along.
"Because this lead is fragile. Compared to a one-goal lead, at 2-0, the leading team might feel too confident and relax, losing their drive.
Meanwhile, the trailing team has nothing to lose and will attack desperately.
This dynamic shift can cause the leading team to concede a goal under relentless pressure.
Once the score becomes a more precarious 2-1, the morale shift can be dramatic.
The leading team's morale takes a hit, fearing an equalizer, making them play more cautiously.
The trailing team, boosted by scoring, plays more aggressively and positively, potentially leading to a quick second goal."
"These events are not my inventions; they actually happened on the field!"
Upon hearing Andy Gray's words, Martin Tyler nodded seriously and said, "Manchester City indeed has a significant lead, but they must not get complacent. They need to stay fully focused and play well for the remaining 20 minutes!"
...
This was exactly what Pellegrini was thinking! After seeing De Bruyne score, he immediately had Milner warm up.
During halftime, Pellegrini had intended to bring on Navas and Nasri to bolster the attack.
But now, with the team leading by two goals, they didn't need to strengthen the attack further. Instead, they needed to enhance their defense or maintain a balance between attack and defense.
Milner was a versatile player who could make significant contributions both offensively and defensively. Bringing him on at this time could add an extra layer of protection to Manchester City's goal.
In the 77th minute, Manchester City made a substitution. David Silva was replaced by Milner.
This substitution sent a clear signal: Manchester City would likely shift from attack to defense.
On Atletico's side, Simeone saw Pellegrini's substitution and quickly made adjustments of his own.
He brought on a winger to strengthen the attack!
Atletico had no other choice at this point. If they couldn't score quickly, they would surely lose as the game progressed.
However, after making their substitution, Atletico found that Manchester City had switched to a 4-5-1 formation. Lin Quan moved back to midfield, playing as a free player in the attack and a central midfielder in defense.
Milner, who was substituted in, did not appear on the wing but joined Lin Quan in the midfield, creating a defensive block.
De Bruyne, who had weaker defensive abilities, was placed slightly forward on the wing.
This formation was unusual, one that Manchester City had never used before, so its effectiveness was unknown.
Atletico quickly felt the power of Manchester City's defensive formation.
Seeing the crowded midfield, they decided to attack from the wings.
De Bruyne, positioned furthest forward, was quickly bypassed, but Lin Quan immediately stepped up from behind him.
At the same time, Manchester City's fullbacks joined in the pressing, creating a triangle around the opposing player and cutting off his space.
The ball was inevitably intercepted, and Manchester City launched a counterattack.
Lin Quan passed the ball to De Bruyne, who quickly passed diagonally to Aguero up front.
Unfortunately, Aguero couldn't get to the ball before it was cleared by the opposing defenders.
Aguero was a bit frustrated; both Lin Quan and De Bruyne had scored, and he wanted to score too.
However, Atletico's defenders weren't giving him any opportunities.
With Lin Quan moving back, Aguero became the lone forward, drawing more attention from the defense.
Though the counterattack failed, the defense showed the effectiveness of Manchester City's new tactic.
"Interesting!"
In the box, Mourinho couldn't help but nod slightly after seeing Manchester City's transition between attack and defense.
Manchester City's formation was 4-5-1 in defense, shifting to 4-2-3-1 in attack. The two defensive midfielders stayed mostly in position, but the three attacking midfielders had a lot of freedom to act.
Crucially, with Lin Quan moving back, it became even harder for Atletico to mark him due to his larger range of movement, making it difficult to man-mark or use zone defense against him.
Failing to contain him meant Manchester City's offensive supply line remained intact, forcing Atletico to take significant risks with each attack. If intercepted, they faced Manchester City's dangerous counterattacks.
In the 82nd minute, Atletico's attack was intercepted again, and Manchester City launched another swift counterattack.
This time, Aguero managed a shot, but Courtois, determined and focused, easily saved it and quickly threw the ball for a counterattack. However, Atletico's attempt was thwarted by Manchester City's solid defense.
As the game neared its end, Atletico's players grew increasingly anxious, and their actions became more aggressive.
In the 82nd minute, Villa received a yellow card for a foul.
In the 85th minute, Raul Garcia received a yellow card for a tackle from behind on De Bruyne.
Seeing De Bruyne injured on the ground, Lin Quan angrily ran over and pushed Garcia: "Are you trying to injure him?"
Lin Quan had seen clearly that Garcia showed his studs during the tackle and didn't pull back even when he knew he wouldn't get the ball, indicating a deliberate foul.
Raul Garcia, already frustrated, snapped when Lin Quan pushed him. He immediately pushed back and raised his fist.
Lin Quan wasn't one to back down either. Seeing Garcia ready to fight, he raised his own fist.
Players from both teams rushed over to separate them, preventing the situation from escalating.
The referee, standing nearby, saw everything clearly.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a yellow card and showed it to Lin Quan, warning him. Then he showed another yellow card to Raul Garcia.
Raul Garcia, already on a yellow card for the tackle, received his second yellow for pushing Lin Quan and was sent off with a red card.
With the team two goals down and the game nearing its end, Atletico now had one less player. Even a miracle wouldn't save them now.
Pellegrini, seeing that De Bruyne couldn't continue, made another substitution, bringing on Nasri for De Bruyne.
With the numerical advantage, Manchester City completely took control. Under Lin Quan's command, they besieged Atletico's goal.
Atletico's players were completely suppressed, unable to even cross the halfway line. The game's outcome was no longer in doubt.
The referee, seeing this situation, only added three minutes of stoppage time.
Before the stoppage time was up, he blew the final whistle early!
The champions of the 2013-2014 UEFA Champions League were—Manchester City!
(The end of the chapter)
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