Chapitre 254: Double Victory Over Barcelona
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In the visitors' locker room, Barcelona's physical therapist was massaging and relaxing Messi and the others, while coach Martino, with his tactical board in hand, was excitedly explaining the second-half strategy.
"In the second half, we'll continue to increase our control over possession and minimize mistakes. Don't give Manchester City any chances to counterattack. If we can find one opportunity to deal them a fatal blow, then the ticket to the Champions League semifinals will be ours!"
Barcelona was just one goal away from the semifinals, and with victory in sight, the players were both nervous and excited.
In recent years, Barcelona's path to the Champions League had been tough due to their declining strength.
Last year, they faced another team similar to Manchester City—Paris Saint-Germain.
Those two matches were extremely difficult for Barcelona. They took the lead in the away game but were equalized near the end.
Xavi's goal in the final minute gave Barcelona a glimmer of hope, but their dreams were dashed by a last-minute equalizer during stoppage time.
Back at home, PSG scored first, putting Barcelona on the brink of elimination. It was Pedro's goal that helped Barcelona scrape through to the semifinals on the away goals rule.
But then, they were crushed by Bayern Munich 7-0 in the semifinals...
This season, Barcelona's biggest desire was to take revenge on Bayern.
"I just got word that Bayern is leading Manchester United 2-0 at home. They've basically secured a spot in the semifinals! If we can knock out Manchester City here, we'll have a great chance to seek revenge against Bayern. Tell me, do you want revenge against Bayern?"
At the mention of Bayern, the eyes of Barcelona's players turned red!
Since the glory days of the "Dream Team," Barcelona had never suffered such a humiliating defeat in the Champions League.
They dreamed of taking revenge on Bayern!
"Great! In that case, let's go!"
"Take down Manchester City, then get revenge on Bayern!"
"Let the world know that the greatest team, Barcelona, is back!"
Martino's words fired up the players, filling them with fighting spirit. They could hardly wait to rush onto the field and tear Manchester City apart.
...
In the home locker room, Pellegrini wasn't stirring up his players like Martino.
He calmly laid out the strategy for the second half, then approached David Silva, Negredo, and Lin.
"David, Álvaro, Lin, how's your stamina? Can you handle the second half?"
Aside from Lin, both Silva and Negredo shook their heads honestly.
The repeated sprints toward Barcelona's goal in the first half had drained them. If they maintained that intensity, their stamina would only last until the 60th minute at most!
And that was after a 15-minute halftime break. Without the rest, they might not have lasted even 50 minutes.
"Good. I understand. I'll sub you out after 60 minutes, but until then, I need you to give it your all."
The two players exchanged glances and nodded firmly.
Then, Pellegrini turned to Lin. "Lin, in the second half, I need you to play in this position..."
...
Halftime ended quickly, and the second half began.
Neither team made substitutions, and the lineups from the first half remained unchanged.
Tactically, there didn't seem to be any major changes either.
Barcelona continued to dominate possession, while Manchester City looked for opportunities to counterattack.
Everything followed the rhythm of the first half.
This puzzled Real Madrid's assistant coach Clement. Didn't Carlo say the decisive battle would happen in the second half?
So far, it didn't feel like a decisive battle at all.
He turned to look at Ancelotti, expecting an explanation.
"Be patient," Ancelotti replied calmly.
"When Manchester City makes their substitutions, that's when the real battle begins."
"Oh? And when will they make those changes?"
"If it were me, I'd make the substitutions around the 65th minute."
Clement made a mental note of that. "Alright, let's see what Manchester City has in store."
However, City's substitutions came earlier than Ancelotti predicted. In the 60th minute, they made their first moves.
David Silva and Negredo were substituted, with Agüero and Navas coming on.
*Here we go!*
Clement perked up. Manchester City had indeed made their substitutions, though it was earlier than Carlo had anticipated.
Ancelotti noticed this too and furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
On the sidelines, Barcelona's coaching staff noticed the changes as well.
The assistant coach turned to Martino with concern.
"Coach, Manchester City just adjusted their forward line. Should we make substitutions as well?"
Martino glanced at Barcelona's bench and shook his head. "Let's wait and see."
He didn't know how City would play after these substitutions. It seemed like a straightforward swap—perhaps the players were simply too exhausted to continue.
From the substitution alone, there wasn't much to read into.
However, someone on the Barcelona side saw things differently.
As soon as Messi saw his friend Agüero come on, he sensed danger.
Messi knew Agüero's abilities as a forward all too well.
"Manchester City is going to ramp up their attack. Everyone, stay alert!"
Messi quickly relayed his thoughts to his teammates, urging them to be vigilant.
Barcelona's players took Messi's words seriously, but even with this mental preparation, their physical stamina might not be able to keep up with City's new intensity.
After the substitutions, Manchester City's playing style shifted dramatically.
Their pressing became much more aggressive, expanding from Barcelona's midfield to their entire team.
Agüero and Navas, though their attacking presence wasn't immediately felt, were relentless in pressing Barcelona's defenders when they tried to play out from the back.
Martino's eyes widened.
*Is Manchester City insane?*
For a team like Barcelona that played possession football, their defenders weren't usually troubled by opposing forwards' pressing.
Only a few players posed a threat to Barcelona's backline, and they always had plenty of passing options—to another defender, a midfielder, or even the goalkeeper. These choices allowed them to easily escape from the pressure.
In one match against Real Madrid, Ronaldo had tried to press Barcelona's defenders in this way, only to end up being toyed with. A GIF of Ronaldo's frustration, storming around the pitch in anger, went viral, making him the butt of many jokes.
At first, Barcelona's defenders weren't particularly worried about City's pressing either.
But they quickly became rattled by the intensity of it.
One forward pressing wasn't a problem, but City's pressing wasn't an individual effort.
It was a coordinated, well-organized tactic!
They had clear roles: one player blocked passing lanes, another pressed the ball carrier, and yet another was ready to counterattack if the press succeeded.
Lin, who knew Barcelona's system inside out, acted as the commander in this high press, directing his teammates to intercept. Agüero and Navas played the role of his lieutenants, repeatedly pressing Barcelona's defenders with boundless energy.
This systematic high press soon left Barcelona's defenders struggling to keep possession.
The effects of the first half, where they had raced back and forth against City's attackers, were starting to show.
After 60 minutes, Barcelona's defenders were running out of steam.
Meanwhile, their opponents—fresh substitutes with full energy—were pressing with fierce determination, completely outmatching the exhausted Barcelona defenders.
In the 67th minute, City's pressing paid off.
When Mascherano received the ball, Agüero immediately closed him down.
Under pressure from his Argentine national team teammate, Mascherano didn't dare hold onto the ball for too long and tried to pass it quickly.
Before passing, he scanned the positions of his teammates.
Bartra had Lin marking him. Even though Lin wasn't one of the fresh players, he seemed like a stamina monster, showing no signs of fatigue after 60 minutes of play.
Passing to Bartra could lead to an interception.
The forward passing lane to Xavi was blocked by Yaya Touré, who was closely marking him. Passing to Xavi would likely result in a turnover.
As for Busquets, he was tied up with City's attacking midfielder De Bruyne, so he wasn't a good option either.
Mascherano considered passing the ball back to the goalkeeper, Pinto, to defuse the situation.
However, just as he was about to do so, he saw Fabregas drop back to receive the ball.
Fabregas wasn't being marked—this was a safe passing option.
If Fabregas received the ball, he could potentially create a chance with a key pass, giving Barcelona's forwards an opportunity.
With this in mind, Mascherano quickly passed to Fabregas.
It was the right decision, but Lin had already anticipated it.
He abandoned Bartra and moved into position, intercepting Mascherano's pass.
*Oh no!*
Both Mascherano and Fabregas saw the ball land at Lin's feet and realized immediately that they were in trouble.
Both players rushed toward Lin, desperate to win the ball back.
But Lin was quicker. He passed the ball out to the wing, where Navas was waiting, and then sprinted into Barcelona's half.
Navas received the ball and quickly passed it back to Lin, completing a perfect one-two.
Now free of Mascherano, Lin charged toward Barcelona's goal with the ball at his feet.
Only one defender stood between him and the goal—Bartra.
But Manchester City had three players surging forward. In the middle alone, there were Lin and Agüero. Bartra had to make a choice:
*
Who do I mark?*
Should he leave Agüero and focus on Lin?
If he did that, Lin would likely pass the ball.
Should he stay with Agüero and leave Lin unmarked?
If he did that, Lin could dribble all the way to the goal and score himself!
What should he do?
What was the right choice?
Bartra gritted his teeth and decided to go after Lin.
In his mind, Lin posed the bigger threat.
Besides, if he moved forward, Agüero would be caught offside, which meant Lin wouldn't be able to pass to him.
This was the best choice Bartra could make!
Seeing Bartra's move, Lin quickly figured out his intent.
*Good plan... but who gave you the confidence to think you can stop me one-on-one?*
As Bartra closed in, Lin made his move.
He pushed the ball to his right, forcing Bartra to shift his body in that direction, desperately trying to keep up with Lin's pace.
But before Bartra could complete the adjustment, Lin quickly pulled the ball to the left.
The two moves were so quick that even with all his effort, Bartra couldn't keep up. His momentum carried him the wrong way, and Lin surged past him, entering Barcelona's penalty area!
The Manchester City fans in the stands leapt to their feet, craning their necks to watch.
*Lin's one-on-one with the keeper!*
Barcelona's goalkeeper rushed out!
*Will he score?*
Though Lin had a high success rate in one-on-one situations, the sight of the onrushing goalkeeper made the fans anxious.
This goal was critical for City. If Lin scored, the aggregate score would be 4-3, putting City back in the lead.
And because of the away goals rule, Barcelona would need to score at least two more goals to progress.
Barcelona's fans were even more worried. If this goal went in, their chances of advancing would be slim.
At this moment, all eyes in the stadium were on Lin and the Barcelona goalkeeper.
This goal would decide the fate of both teams!
Facing the charging Pinto, Lin didn't rush his shot. Instead, he calmly nudged the ball to the side, avoiding the keeper, and then slotted the ball into the empty net.
Boom!
As the ball hit the back of the net, the Etihad Stadium erupted in celebration!
"Lin!"
Amid the thunderous cheers, Lin spread his arms and sprinted along the goal line, soaring like an eagle!
In the stands, Manchester City's fans were overjoyed.
The nearest fans rushed to the advertising boards, ruffling Lin's hair and patting his chest. A daring girl even managed to sneak a kiss on his cheek.
Startled, Lin quickly moved away, his shocked expression captured by the stadium's big screen. The sight of Lin's surprise made the City fans burst into laughter.
"Lin, you're amazing!"
"Well done, Lin!"
His teammates soon caught up, surrounding Lin, hugging him and tousling his hair.
Lin's goal had turned the tide in Manchester City's favor.
"Let's keep going. Let's score another one!"
After celebrating, Lin glanced at the dejected Barcelona players, clenched his fist, and said determinedly.
"Yeah, let's score another!"
With morale high, his teammates nodded in agreement.
If 4-3 wasn't a safe lead, then they would score again and completely crush Barcelona's spirit!
In the stands, Ancelotti, having watched Lin put the ball into Barcelona's net, stood up and turned to his assistant Clement.
"Let's go. The game's over. No need to watch the rest."
"What?!"
Clement glanced at the clock. There were still over 20 minutes left—how could the game be over?
"Do you really think Barcelona can make a comeback?"
Ancelotti chuckled as he asked.
Clement wanted to nod because this was Barcelona, one of Europe's top teams!
Scoring two goals in 20 minutes was difficult, but not impossible for a team with Messi.
"They have no chance. Manchester City will strangle their midfield soon. Barcelona won't just fail to score—they'll likely concede again."
After delivering his verdict, Ancelotti didn't linger at the Etihad any longer.
He didn't need to stay. The club would handle collecting the match tapes for him. He had already achieved what he came for.
No need to waste more time.
Clement hesitated for a moment before following him out.
Back on the pitch, the game unfolded just as Ancelotti had predicted.
After Lin's goal, Manchester City's pressing intensified.
While their forwards pressed Barcelona's backline, their midfielders began to apply relentless pressure on Barcelona's midfield.
Xavi, already struggling, found things even more difficult now.
By the 70th minute, Xavi's stamina had been severely depleted, and with Manchester City players taking turns harassing him, he was overwhelmed.
In just a few minutes, Xavi was fouled multiple times.
One time, Lin even dropped back to help Yaya Touré double-team him, making it nearly impossible for Xavi to make a clean pass.
Seeing Xavi being pressed so hard, Martino had no choice but to assign Fabregas to help with the playmaking, easing the burden on Xavi.
As soon as Fabregas joined the fray, Lin dropped back to the midfield to participate in the battle for control.
Manchester City now had a numerical advantage in midfield, with Lin, De Bruyne, Kroos, and Yaya Touré pressing Barcelona's three midfielders.
With the advantage in numbers, and being younger and fitter, City's midfield began to overwhelm Barcelona's, which gradually lost control.
Without control of the midfield, Neymar, Messi, and the other forwards couldn't get the support they needed and became ineffective.
Meanwhile, Manchester City's attacks grew more frequent.
In the 79th minute, Yaya Touré intercepted a pass and immediately launched a long ball to the wing, targeting Navas.
It was almost identical to the long-ball tactics from the first half, but by this time, Barcelona's defenders were too exhausted to keep up, and their midfield couldn't disrupt City's passing, making Yaya Touré's pass even more precise and dangerous.
Navas received the ball, combined with Agüero in a one-two play, and broke past Barcelona's left-back Jordi Alba.
With plenty of energy, Navas cut inside and charged toward Barcelona's goal.
Busquets, Mascherano, and Bartra were all desperately trying to get back, but having played 80 minutes, they didn't have the stamina to keep up. Navas, having been on the pitch for only 20 minutes, was still fresh.
He beat Barcelona's defenders into the box and, after quickly sizing up the goalkeeper's position, took a shot.
Unlike Lin, not everyone had the confidence to dribble past the keeper. Navas didn't want to waste time, so he went for the safest option—a direct shot.
Pinto cursed under his breath at Navas' haste, but his own save attempt was equally hurried.
The Barcelona goalkeeper dived, but couldn't reach the ball. However, the shot didn't find the back of the net either.
With a loud thud, the ball struck the crossbar and bounced back into play.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, it rebounded straight into the path of the retreating Mascherano.
Unable to stop in time, the ball ricocheted off Mascherano's body and rolled back toward the goal.
Having just landed on the grass, Pinto had no time to react as the ball crossed the goal line.
2-1!
Manchester City had come from behind to lead Barcelona at home, with an aggregate score of 5-3!
With only 10 minutes remaining, Barcelona would need two goals just to equalize and three to win outright.
It was almost an impossible task!
In a last-ditch effort, Martino brought on Pedro and Sánchez, hoping for a miracle.
But with Barcelona's midfield and defense in disarray, adding more attackers made no difference.
Meanwhile, City continued to mount dangerous counterattacks.
In the 89th minute, Lin provided an assist for Agüero, who scored again, extending City's lead to 3-1 and making the aggregate score 6-3!
Now, Barcelona's hopes were truly dashed.
In the final few minutes, Barcelona's players stopped resisting, allowing City to pass the ball around and run down the clock.
When the stoppage time ended, the referee blew the final whistle.
Manchester City had defeated Barcelona 3-1 at home, completing a double victory over their opponents.
For the first time in the club's history, Manchester City had advanced to the Champions League semifinals!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone