Chapter 398: Defending the Champions League, Lin Quan Reigns Supreme!
Ter Stegen stared tensely at the person standing ten meters away. He had heard of Lin Quan's reputation even before joining Barcelona, but he never imagined his skills would be even scarier in reality. In just one match, Lin Quan had already breached his goal three times, and now he had the chance to make it four. Ter Stegen felt utterly helpless; if he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to sit on the bench.
The success rate for goalkeepers saving penalties is generally low, around 20-30%. If facing someone particularly good at penalties, this rate could drop even further. Ter Stegen recalled Lin Quan's penalty record and was horrified to remember that Lin Quan had a 100% success rate. He had never missed a penalty!
A 100% success rate? Ter Stegen felt doomed. Seeing Lin Quan at the penalty spot, Barca fans were on edge, praying for a miracle that Ter Stegen could somehow save it. Some even hoped for Lin Quan to make a rare mistake, as it was the only chance for Barca to survive.
On the sidelines, Barca's coach Enrique couldn't sit still. He stood by the field, eyes fixed on Lin Quan and his goal. Lin Quan had caused immense trouble for Barca, making Enrique regret deeply. If only they hadn't let him go back then, Barca wouldn't be in this situation.
Although Enrique felt some responsibility, he blamed Rosell more. If Rosell hadn't been so stubborn, Lin Quan would still be Barca's gem, Messi's successor. With both of them, Barca could have maintained dominance for another decade or more. But there were no "ifs" in life.
The referee's whistle interrupted Enrique's thoughts. On the field, as the whistle blew, Lin Quan took one last look at the goal and began his run-up. Ter Stegen tensed up, watching Lin Quan's every move. Lin Quan didn't change his pace or try to deceive him with tricks. After a smooth run-up, he struck the ball hard.
Boom! The ball flew towards Barca's goal at high speed. Ter Stegen, relying on his sharp instincts, quickly identified the direction—left side. His judgment was spot on, even predicting Lin Quan's target area. But what could he do? Seeing the ball's trajectory, Pique, Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets all felt a sinking feeling. They had seen this kind of penalty before, during last year's World Cup, where Lin Quan had scored multiple times this way. He had even used this technique in training, tormenting Spanish goalkeepers De Gea and Reina.
As expected, despite Ter Stegen's perfect dive, resembling a grand bird spreading its wings, it was futile. The ball hit the intersection of the post and crossbar, an absolute dead zone, and flew into the net. Ter Stegen's textbook save was for nothing.
The moment the ball went in, Berlin's Olympic Stadium erupted in celebration. City fans were ecstatic, cheering and dancing, some even taunting the Barca fans. City was leading again, just inches away from their second Champions League trophy.
Barca fans, on the other hand, were devastated. Anyone could see that Barca players were out of stamina, and their morale had taken a severe hit after conceding again. The aura of a dominant, championship team was gone.
In the box, Bartomeu slumped in his seat, drained of energy, muttering, "It's over, it's all over." He could already see angry Barca fans turning against him, supporting Laporta instead. All his careful planning over the past year and a half was crumbling due to this match.
Meanwhile, Laporta had mixed feelings. Barca losing meant Bartomeu's schemes would fail, and Laporta's chances of winning the upcoming club presidential election were high. But Laporta felt that missing this chance at the title meant Barca might struggle to reclaim European dominance for a long time.
After his fourth goal, Lin Quan finally found a chance to celebrate. He popped his collar and surveyed the stadium like a king. Fans in the stands rose to their feet, some even bowing in exaggerated gestures. True dominance! This was the phrase on everyone's mind. Only Lin Quan and Puskás had ever scored four goals in a Champions League final. This was true domination.
"Haha, this kid's celebration is so arrogant. Isn't he afraid of getting his legs broken?" Guardiola, after celebrating, saw Lin Quan's move and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. Despite his words, his eyes were full of pride. Look, this is my player, the best in the world. Messi? Who's that?
The remaining time in the first half of extra time was short. After City's celebration, the referee quickly blew the whistle to end the half. There was no rest in extra time; the teams switched sides and continued. Enrique desperately subbed in two attacking players, throwing everything into their offense. But his changes weakened Barca's defense even more. Without controlling the midfield, Barca couldn't even maintain their tiki-taka style.
The second half of extra time became a training session for City, who continuously attacked Barca's goal. Seeing this, Barca fans around the world were utterly hopeless. Their team was pinned down, with no sign of equalizing, let alone winning. Fans called out for Messi, their star player, to save them. In crucial moments, Barca fans always turned to Messi first, forgetting Neymar and Suarez.
As time ticked away, Barca fans and players grew more anxious. They chanted "Messi! Messi! Messi!" on repeat. Hearing his name, Messi gritted his teeth. It wasn't that he didn't want to step up; he simply had no energy left. Staying on the field was a struggle, driven only by his strong will and desire for the title.
Now, hearing the fans calling out his name and glancing at the match time, Messi realized that he had to step up. If he didn't act now, there would be no more chances.
In the 115th minute, after being besieged by Manchester City for ten minutes, Barcelona finally found an opportunity. Busquets successfully intercepted the ball and quickly passed it to Xavi. Despite his age, Xavi delivered a precise through ball to Messi on the flank. Messi received the ball, dribbled, and broke through the defense in one smooth motion. Glancing at City's goal and the open field ahead, he began to sprint.
Since Lin Quan's goal, Messi had been conserving his energy. He had just enough stamina for one final sprint and attack. If he missed this last chance, Barcelona would surely lose.
Seeing Messi sprinting with all his might, fans from both Barcelona and Manchester City stood up, craning their necks to watch nervously. Everyone knew this was Barcelona's last-ditch effort. If this attack succeeded, City might be dragged into a penalty shootout. But if Messi failed to score, City would secure the victory and lift the trophy.
"Go, Messi!" "Danger, retreat and defend!"
Fans of both teams were shouting in their hearts, their emotions tied to Messi's run. In the box, Bartomeu, who had been despondent, suddenly stood up, clenching his fists and staring intently at Messi. Messi had to save the team. If they could reach the penalty shootout, their chances were still fifty-fifty.
However, as Bartomeu calculated Barca's chances, he noticed a blue figure sprinting from City's half towards Messi at incredible speed. His eyes widened as he saw the number on the jersey—10. It was Lin Quan! The stadium buzzed with shock. How could Lin Quan still have so much stamina at this point? Was he a monster?
"Run, Messi!" "Run, Lin Quan is catching up!"
Barca fans were shouting anxiously, trying to warn Messi about the chasing Lin Quan. But the noise in the stadium was so loud that their voices couldn't reach the players. As Messi neared the goal, he felt a sense of relief. All he had to do was get into the box and beat the goalkeeper. But he was exhausted, barely able to muster the energy for a final shot.
Messi planned to shoot before the keeper could close him down, but he didn't notice Lin Quan closing the gap. Just as Messi prepared to shoot, Lin Quan caught up, using his body to block part of Messi's shooting angle and destabilizing him.
Boom! The ball flew off Messi's foot as he struggled to keep his balance. But the shot went wide, missing the goal entirely. The stadium fell silent. Barca fans were stunned, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. The invincible Messi had failed.
Messi lay on the grass, tears streaming down his face. He had failed once again. He remembered last year's World Cup, where the same person had crushed his and Argentina's dreams. And now, the same person had thwarted Barca's treble hopes. Could he ever beat Lin Quan?
At that moment, a shadow fell over Messi. He looked up to see Lin Quan standing above him, offering a hand. "Next year's final, come and fight." Lin Quan's words were simple but carried a powerful message. Messi, initially filled with despair, felt a surge of determination. Grasping Lin Quan's hand, he stood up, a strong resolve forming in his heart: he had to defeat Lin Quan personally.
Cameras captured this historic moment. Though unspoken, everyone knew it symbolized a passing of the torch. From this moment on, the top player in football was about to change.
After Barca's desperate counterattack failed, City took control of the game, not giving Barca any chance to retaliate. When the injury time ended, the referee blew the final whistle. City had defeated Barca 4-3 at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, lifting the Champions League trophy for the second time. This made them the first team to defend their title since the competition's reformation and officially marked City as the fifth powerhouse in the Premier League.