Bab 219: Chapter 220: The Unstoppable MSN
Chapter 220: The Unstoppable MSN
Three minutes into the match and already a goal down, Enrique was furiously shouting and pacing on the sidelines. He had anticipated the possibility of conceding an early goal away, but not this early. It had only been three minutes!
Bruno's first long-range shot was already frightening, and then he followed it up with a zero-angle goal. "Is this kid on drugs tonight?" Enrique questioned, pointing at Bruno who was celebrating wildly on the sidelines.
Roberto Moreno could only smile wryly and shake his head. Drugs? That was impossible. Players are subject to random post-match drug tests, and any issues would lead to severe penalties. For a player like Bruno, only 20 years old with a limitless future, it would be unthinkable to risk such a thing.
"He's in phenomenal form tonight," Roberto Moreno said, still smiling wryly.
Enrique, being an experienced coach, forced himself to calm down quickly. Udinese's relentless opening attack, combined with their well-rehearsed strategies focusing on Barcelona's left flank, had allowed them to take the early advantage. Bruno was indeed in incredible form.
But that was all in the past. Barcelona was now cornered, and the rhythm of the game had been disrupted. What should they do next? Should they push forward aggressively or stabilize and plot slowly?
Enrique was caught in indecision for a moment, looking towards his assistant Roberto Moreno for guidance. But at this critical juncture, who could provide the right answer? As the head coach, Enrique knew he had to take responsibility.
Resolutely, Enrique walked to the sidelines and signaled his team to push forward, regain possession, and strive to score again.
After Bruno's goal, Barcelona tried to control the game. However, Udinese, determined to keep their hard-earned advantage, pressed high. The front three began pressing Barcelona's defenders aggressively, while the midfielders pressured Busquets and Iniesta, making it difficult for Barcelona to advance the ball effectively.
It wasn't until the sixth minute that Barcelona managed a chance. Messi shot from about fifteen meters on the right side of the box, but Maguire blocked it. Two minutes later, another long pass from Barcelona saw Danilo intercept and shield the ball from Suarez, who committed a foul in frustration and received a warning from the referee.
Despite these attempts, Barcelona's attacks lacked the sharpness they usually had at home. The atmosphere at Camp Nou, with its over 90,000 cheering fans, provided a significant boost. In contrast, at Friuli Stadium, the Barcelona players faced overwhelming boos, which seemed to dampen their performance.
Bruno, while pressing and harassing the opposition, observed his opponents closely. He noticed that Barcelona's subpar performance was due not only to Udinese's strong start, which had thrown them off balance, but also their apparent fatigue.
Unlike Udinese, which had rotated their squad comprehensively over the weekend, Barcelona had only made four changes in their league match against Real Sociedad, including the goalkeeper. Barcelona's almost full-strength squad had won 2-0, securing a four-point lead at the top of La Liga, but at the cost of significant fatigue.
Udinese, having rested all their main players in their 1-4 weekend defeat, were in peak condition for this match.
Whenever Barcelona won the ball and pushed into Udinese's defensive third, they faced a well-organized defense. Conversely, Udinese's quick counter-attacks often posed a significant threat.
Udinese targeted Barcelona's left side, manned by Alba, who, despite being one of the best left-backs in the world, had defensive weaknesses compared to his offensive prowess. Bruno and Piris repeatedly attacked this flank, causing significant trouble for the 26-year-old defender.
In the tenth minute, an anxious Alba, under pressure from Bruno, passed the ball hastily to Mascherano, only for Di Natale to intercept and surge into the box. His rushed shot lacked power, though, and Ter Stegen made a crucial save. Salah tried to capitalize on the rebound, but Piqué cleared the danger.
After enduring about ten minutes of pressure, Udinese finally opted for a more defensive stance. Barcelona, gradually stabilizing, remained a formidable opponent. Their players were clearly fatigued and not as motivated, at least compared to Udinese's fervent energy.
From the twentieth minute, the match became somewhat dull, with neither side creating significant chances. In the twenty-first minute, Suarez's lob found Messi, whose volley hit the side netting. Had that gone in, it would have mirrored Bruno's earlier goal.
An altercation between Iniesta and Widmer in the twenty-eighth minute briefly disrupted play, but the two players quickly made peace. Bruno set up a chance for Piris in the thirtieth minute, but the right-back's shot missed the target.
Despite their strong start, Udinese chose to prioritize stability, while Barcelona struggled to find their rhythm, partly due to the pressing from Udinese and their own fatigue.
However, Barcelona's stars could always find a way to score. Near the end of the first half, during a brief lapse in Udinese's defense, Barcelona struck.
In the thirty-ninth minute, Messi's through ball found an offside-beating Suarez, who unselfishly squared it for Neymar to slot into an empty net, making it 1-1 and putting Barcelona ahead 4-2 on aggregate, nullifying Udinese's away goal advantage. This marked Neymar's seventh consecutive match with a goal for Barcelona.
The sudden goal rattled Udinese, leading to another lapse. In the forty-fifth minute, a brilliant combination from MSN saw Messi's header set up Suarez, whose cross found Neymar, who made it 2-1, 5-2 on aggregate, and effectively sealed the match.
Udinese now needed four goals to overturn the deficit and reach the final, a near-impossible task against Barcelona's fearsome attack.
The entire Friuli Stadium fell silent, as despair set in among Udinese's players and fans. Like in the first leg at Camp Nou, Udinese seemed to control the game's tempo, but Barcelona's relentless MSN trio continued to score, leaving Udinese struggling to keep up.
(End of Chapter)
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