Bab 223: Chapter 223: Boiling the Frog Slowly
Chapter 223: Boiling the Frog Slowly
The TV broadcast immediately gave a close-up of Guidolin. The Udinese coach didn't seem overjoyed; he just clenched his fist. "It looks like Guidolin knows this goal won't change anything. A goal can't make him happy anymore," the Spanish commentator said.
On the field, Di Natale pumped his fist in celebration but didn't overdo it. Instead, he ran into the goal, retrieved the ball, and headed back to the center circle. Even though they had leveled the match, Udinese was still trailing 3-5 on aggregate, so there wasn't much reason to celebrate. Despite only seven minutes having passed in the second half, Di Natale knew how difficult it would be for the team to score three more goals without letting Barcelona score again.
The game had been on for over ten minutes into the second half, and the situation on the field was much the same as it was at the start. Apart from Udinese's goal in the 52nd minute, the game hadn't changed much. Udinese continued to defend strongly but struggled offensively.
Iniesta felt uncomfortable in midfield. He was the one who controlled Barcelona's attacking rhythm, but with constant fouls against him, the rhythm was disrupted. Barcelona's attacks were intermittent and posed little threat. By the 60th minute, the score was still 2-2. Iniesta played awkwardly and was tightly marked, causing him discomfort. Gradually, he slacked off a bit, feeling the match was already in the bag with a 5-3 aggregate lead. The rough defense of the opponent made him even more uncomfortable, so he started to ease off.
When fouled, he would fall and earn a free kick. Although free kicks from midfield were not threatening, they slowed the game's pace. Barcelona's other players also began to accept this slower tempo, feeling like Udinese no longer aimed to score but just didn't want to concede more goals. It was as if a beaten fighter was just trying to avoid further punishment unless provoked.
By the 65th minute, the score remained unchanged. The teams fought hard in midfield, but the overall pace was slow. This frustrated Sky Sports commentator Gary Lineker, who remarked, "Udinese seems to have accepted the 2-2 score. They are showing no ambition." "Udinese has been scared. They are only thinking about not conceding more goals. It's a dull second half," the Spanish commentator said, using impatient words but an excited tone.
In the 66th minute, Iniesta was knocked down again by Bruno near the center circle. The referee didn't issue a card, only giving Bruno a verbal warning. Enrique, initially furious about the referee's leniency in the second half, had become accustomed to it and stopped protesting. His mind was already on the weekend's La Liga match at home against Atletico Madrid. Although Atletico had underperformed this season, they posed a strong challenge, having already defeated Real Madrid home and away. Barcelona had beaten Atletico in their first encounter but had struggled in recent years. Winning this match would allow Barcelona to secure the La Liga title a round early, helping them prepare for the Champions League final and the Copa del Rey final.
Barcelona had a free kick. It was too far from the goal for a direct shot. Iniesta sent the ball forward, and Maguire cleared it. Cancelo beat Busquets to the ball, passing to Kante. Rakitic tried to intercept, but Kante shielded the ball, then quickly passed to Bruno. Bruno adjusted slightly, evading Suarez's challenge, then struck the ball, sending it over the midfield line into Barcelona's half. "Counterattack! Udinese's counterattack!"
Salah sprinted down the left side from his own half, receiving Bruno's long pass. "Stop him!" Barcelona defender Pique shouted. Alves, who had advanced past midfield, sprinted back. Mascherano also moved diagonally to intercept, planning to join Alves in stopping Salah. But Mascherano soon realized it was futile as Alves couldn't catch up, falling further behind Salah. "Speed! This is Salah's speed. Alves can't keep up!"
"Salah is too fast! He started with the ball at the same time as Alves, yet he's outpacing him!" "Udinese's counterattack is on!"
The commentary box buzzed with excitement. In a dull game, such a sudden burst of speed and counterattack was thrilling. Mascherano, seeing Alves couldn't catch up, gritted his teeth and accelerated, trying to intercept from the side. But Salah, without giving Mascherano a chance to get close, accelerated past the Argentine defender.
"Breakthrough!" From the high stands of the Friuli Stadium, it was a spectacular sight: Salah, in black and white, speeding ahead with the ball, chased by Alves and Mascherano, and Pique closing in from the side. Despite being surrounded by three Barcelona defenders, Salah burst into the left side of the penalty area. "He's into the box!"
Pique moved in on Salah. Salah feigned a shot, causing Pique to lunge to block. But it was a dummy; Salah shifted the ball with his right foot, avoiding Pique's challenge. He glanced up, saw Ter Stegen rushing out, and feigned a powerful shot, but at the moment of contact, he aimed a low shot instead. The ball sped along the grass, slipping past Ter Stegen's foot and into the net.
In the 67th minute, Salah, having outrun Alves, Mascherano, and Pique, scored a low shot past Ter Stegen. 3-2, Udinese took the lead! "Shot! Beautiful—goal! Salah! He pulls one back for Udinese!"
"This is Mohamed Salah! His speed is incredible, especially when dribbling at high speed. Barcelona's three defenders couldn't stop him." "3-2! The aggregate score is now 4-5! Udinese is only one goal behind Barcelona! They seem to have hope."
The commentary box was jubilant. A one-sided game was not what the audience wanted. With Udinese pulling back two goals from a 2-5 aggregate deficit, the match was becoming exciting.
Salah's goal was Udinese's third of the game, and its impact was intriguing. When Di Natale scored seven minutes into the second half, there was still plenty of time, but no one believed Udinese could tie the game, needing two more goals and three to overturn Barcelona's away goal advantage. But Salah's goal in the 67th minute left just over 20 minutes, creating a perception of possibility. The difference between needing three goals versus two was significant.
Even Enrique, who had been calmly watching, couldn't sit still. Barcelona quickly made a substitution, replacing Rakitic with Mathieu. With this change, Mascherano moved up to form a double pivot with Busquets, and Iniesta took the attacking midfield role. Enrique aimed to strengthen the midfield defense to stifle any Udinese resurgence. Guidolin considered making his own tactical adjustments but decided against it for now. Udinese's morale was high, and their attack was gaining momentum, so he saw no need for immediate changes.
(End of Chapter
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