章 253: Real Madrid's Attention!
As Manchester City launched another counterattack, Lin charged forward like a wild horse, once again driving the ball toward Barcelona's penalty area.
Messi felt helpless. This guy, why are you everywhere?
Whether on offense or defense, Lin was present. He even managed to block Messi's free kick! Are you destined to be my nemesis?
Just moments ago, Messi thought his free kick was going in. Joe Hart couldn't save it, yet Lin blocked it.
This left Messi feeling frustrated. Lin's offensive abilities matched his own, but Lin's defensive contributions were far superior.
To top it off, Lin seemed to have more stamina than Messi. Running tirelessly between offense and defense, Lin didn't seem to tire out. Messi couldn't help but feel envious. If I had that kind of stamina, I wouldn't spend so much time walking on the pitch.
Barcelona's defense tightened up, successfully fending off Manchester City's latest counterattack.
Though the attack was stopped, Martino grew increasingly uneasy.
Manchester City's tactic, though old-fashioned, seemed to hit Barcelona's weak spot.
Barcelona's tiki-taka system relied heavily on pressing and controlling the game. To do so, they had to commit many players to their attack. Often, their defensive line would push past the midfield, with the goalkeeper coming out as a sweeper to help maintain possession and intercept any threats.
However, pressing that high left Barcelona vulnerable at the back. If the opposition bypassed the midfield and launched the ball directly into Barcelona's half, their defense would struggle to get back into position.
In the previous match, Manchester City had dismantled Barcelona with quick, precise passing and rapid counterattacks. This time, they took it even further: if the players can't reach the ball, send the ball ahead of them!
Manchester City's counters often looked aimless, almost as if they were just clearing the ball. But those long passes not only cleared danger—they also posed a threat to Barcelona's goal.
The problem with the long-ball tactic is that it usually has a low success rate. First, there's the risk of being caught offside. Second, the longer the pass, the harder it is to complete, giving defenders plenty of time to get into position. And receiving long passes, especially under defensive pressure, is difficult.
That's why most teams that rely on long balls end up just giving away possession, creating more opportunities for their opponents to attack.
As a result, long-ball tactics have gradually fallen out of favor.
However, these issues didn't seem to apply to Manchester City.
Their passes weren't necessarily aimed at players—they targeted the space behind Barcelona's defenders, forcing City's forwards to race against the defenders.
Accuracy wasn't a big concern. If Kroos or De Bruyne were delivering the passes, it wasn't a problem at all.
As long as they found Lin, he could control the ball with ease. And if Lin couldn't control it, Negredo was there to knock it down for him.
Plus, City's players were far more skilled than those on lower-ranked teams. While a lower team's long ball might end up miles off target, Manchester City's passes were much more precise.
Even if the passes weren't as accurate as Kroos' or De Bruyne's, they were generally close enough to their target. And if Kroos or De Bruyne did the passing, the success rate would only increase, making their counterattacks even more dangerous.
As for the risk of losing possession with long balls? That wasn't a problem either.
Barcelona dominated possession, and most of the game was played in Manchester City's half. As long as City's defense held firm and didn't concede, losing the ball in Barcelona's half didn't pose much threat.
After all, losing possession in the opponent's half was far less dangerous than losing it in your own.
So, Manchester City's tactic was more of a defensive strategy disguised as an offensive one. But if it worked, it could become a deadly threat.
The only downside was that it required a lot of running from their forwards.
That's why Pellegrini had two wingers and a forward ready on the bench, waiting to replace the tiring attackers in the second half.
He was determined to see if Barcelona's defenders could keep up.
From the start, Manchester City had used this approach against Barcelona. Although they hadn't scored yet, they were clearly frustrating Barcelona.
Every time City launched a long ball, Barcelona's defenders had to sprint to challenge their wingers.
Before the first half was even over, Barcelona's defenders were already exhausted.
To make matters worse, their defense was being pushed further and further back, weakening their ability to support the midfield. Without the defensive line's support, Barcelona's pressing and control became less effective.
Damn it!
Martino cursed inwardly.
He had realized that Manchester City's long-ball tactic was a diversion.
Its real purpose wasn't to attack but to drain Barcelona's stamina and disrupt their rhythm.
We can't play into their hands!
Realizing this, Martino called Dani Alves over to relay his message to the players.
Barcelona quickly adjusted their strategy. They became more patient in possession, refusing to give City any opportunities to counter.
After all, for City to play long balls, they needed the ball in the first place. Without possession, they couldn't execute their tactic.
This adjustment worked. As Barcelona increased their ball retention, Manchester City's possession and counterattack opportunities dwindled.
However, as Barcelona grew more cautious, their other statistics—shots, entries into the final third, set-pieces, and corners—all began to decline.
Seeing this, Pellegrini calmly returned to his seat, satisfied.
He knew that in his tactical battle with Martino, he had the upper hand.
Martino's adjustments played right into City's trap. Barcelona's tiki-taka was dangerous not because of its high possession rate but because of the pressure it exerted on the opponent.
A thousand sideways passes in defense weren't as threatening as one forward pass.
Possession was a meaningless statistic on its own. As long as City's defense didn't press too hard, Barcelona could pass the ball around all they wanted.
In fact, such tactics were once considered a negative, defensive approach in the 60s and 70s, used by weaker teams to hold onto a draw against stronger opponents.
If Barcelona wanted to play that way, Manchester City was more than happy to oblige. After all, City were leading in the aggregate score.
Even if the match ended in a 0-0 draw, Pellegrini would be fine with that. After all, City would still advance.
However, Pellegrini knew Martino wasn't foolish. He would realize this sooner or later and adjust again.
For now, Martino hadn't noticed. Relieved by City's reduced counterattacks, he didn't realize that Barcelona's forward passing had decreased, replaced by more backward passes.
On the field, Xavi was the first to notice.
He realized that, under pressure from Manchester City, he was instinctively choosing safer passing options—mostly backward passes.
In his last four passes, three had gone backward, and only one forward.
As a result, City's goal was under less threat, and their pressing had grown more intense.
The situation was starting to reverse, and now Barcelona's players were feeling the pressure.
Staring down City's forwards near the halfway line, they knew that one mistake could lead to another frustrating long-ball counterattack.
This can't go on!
Sensing the shift in momentum, Xavi received the ball again, but this time, instead of passing backward, he turned to evade the oncoming pressure.
Yaya Touré was caught off guard by Xavi's decision. Up until now, Xavi had repeatedly passed backward when under pressure, so Touré had assumed he would do the same this time.
But Xavi read his mind and spun away from him with a swift turn.
Touré, who had once been Xavi's teammate, knew how dangerous Xavi could be.
I can't let him get through!
Without hesitation, Touré reached out, prepared to foul Xavi.
But Xavi anticipated this and, before Touré could pull him down, passed the ball forward to Messi.
Go, Messi!
It was as if Xavi's thoughts reached Messi. Cherishing the rare chance created by his teammate, Messi swiftly dodged Kroos' challenge, accelerated, then dribbled past Lescott, slipping between Demichelis and Zabaleta before they could close in.
Joe Hart's nerves were on edge. Messi had just beaten four players, including Kroos.
This is Messi's ability?
Can I stop this shot?
Hart frantically adjusted his position, eyes locked on Messi, preparing to make the save.
But as Messi struck the ball, Hart knew he was beaten.
The shot was out of his reach. All he could do was hope it missed.
Unfortunately for Hart, his prayers went unanswered. The ball slammed into the corner where the post and crossbar met, bouncing into the net.
It was a perfect strike, impossible to stop.
"Messi! Messi! Leo Messi! He's stepped up and rescued Barcelona from the edge of elimination!"
"Barcelona now lead 1-0 over Manchester City. The aggregate score is tied 4-4, but Barcelona still trails due to the away goals rule. They need to keep pushing for more goals!"
The Spanish commentators were ecstatic after Messi's goal.
Finally, Barcelona had scored. If they hadn't, they were on the verge of being knocked out.
"There's still time before the half ends. Barcelona has a chance to increase their lead!"
While the Spanish commentators were thrilled, the English commentators were far more somber.
Martin Tyler sighed, "Mess
i handled that beautifully. His dribbling and control were absolutely mesmerizing."
Andy Gray nodded in agreement.
"Even as an opponent, we must admit, seeing Messi put on a performance like this on the pitch is one of life's greatest pleasures."
As a former professional player, Gray knew how difficult it was to weave through multiple defenders in such a tight space and still get off a shot.
At least, he couldn't have done it!
Messi's goal, barring any surprises, would likely be the best of this Champions League round.
"City needs to be careful. They can't allow Messi to receive the ball so comfortably. If they can't contain him, it's only a matter of time before Barcelona scores again."
Tyler issued a serious warning to Manchester City. Meanwhile, over in Munich, Manchester United were already trailing Bayern 0-2. If City lost too, the Premier League's last hope would be extinguished.
After the goal, Messi was ecstatic. As he sprinted toward the Barcelona fans, he kissed the badge on his shirt.
Having been stifled for two straight games, this goal allowed Messi to release all his pent-up emotions.
The five thousand Barcelona fans who had traveled to the Etihad erupted with excitement.
Both on and off the field, Barcelona's players and coaches were equally thrilled.
Messi's goal had not only tied the aggregate score but also reignited Barcelona's hope of advancing.
But it wasn't enough. Barcelona was still trailing due to away goals. They needed another goal. If they could score again, they would set a record of reaching the Champions League semifinals for seven consecutive seasons!
Martino, buoyed by Messi's goal, was confident his adjustments were working.
As long as we keep City from counterattacking, victory will be ours.
Seeing Messi's goal, Pellegrini could only shake his head.
This is the power of a superstar.
One moment of brilliance can change the course of a match.
There was nothing his players could've done. He couldn't blame them for this.
Fortunately, City still had the advantage with their away goals. As long as they didn't concede again, they would still advance to the semifinals.
Stick to the first-half plan. As long as we don't go down 2-0 by halftime, we're fine.
Pellegrini's masterstroke was set for the second half.
Besides, Barcelona wasn't the only team with superstars. City had theirs too!
With that thought, Pellegrini glanced at Lin.
Having Lin on the pitch gave him peace of mind. Even falling behind didn't faze him.
City's players shared their coach's sentiments. As long as Lin was on the field, they remained calm, undisturbed by Barcelona's goal.
Messi's goal was indeed brilliant, but they had seen goals like that before.
Since Lin had joined the team, they had witnessed several similarly incredible goals.
In fact, Lin had scored even more spectacular goals, like his game-winner against Chelsea!
After Messi's goal, Barcelona pressed hard, seeking to extend their lead.
However, City's players were highly focused and defended stubbornly. Though they were on the back foot, they didn't allow Barcelona any real chances.
The score remained 1-0 until the halftime whistle blew.
City's players calmly returned to their dressing room, while Barcelona's players, still smiling, headed toward theirs.
Judging by the expressions on both teams' faces, it seemed they were both content with the current result.
In the stands at the Etihad, a stout middle-aged man chewed gum while observing the players.
After a while, he turned to his assistant.
"Paul, Manchester City is stronger than we expected."
Real Madrid assistant coach Paul Clement nodded.
"You're right, Carlo. Winning at Camp Nou proves that they're stronger than anyone anticipated."
Ancelotti shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I'm talking about the players' mentality."
"Did you notice? Even after falling behind, there's no panic or anxiety on the faces of City's players. They don't look like a team that's reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. They look like a team with years of experience in knockout stages, a team with a very mature mindset."
"Beating a team like this won't be easy."
"After we finish with PSG, we need to prepare thoroughly for City. If we meet them, we could be in trouble."
As the favorites to win this season's Champions League, Ancelotti and Real Madrid had their eyes on the trophy.
To that end, they had carefully studied all potential opponents.
They were already familiar with Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, their La Liga rivals. No further research was needed there.
Bayern Munich, being one of Europe's strongest teams, was also a known quantity. Real had faced them many times and respected their strength.
But Manchester City was an unknown.
That's why Ancelotti had come to the Etihad with his assistant to watch this game in person.
Even though Real Madrid had a match against PSG the next day, Ancelotti saw PSG as no real threat.
The real danger lay in the semifinals. And in Ancelotti's mind, Manchester City was shaping up to be a team on par with Bayern and Barcelona.
"But Barcelona is still leading, aren't they? City will have to get past them first," Clement remarked.
Clement didn't share Ancelotti's high opinion of City. To him, they were just an ordinary team.
A team that relied on long balls in the Champions League couldn't be that strong.
Ancelotti glanced at his assistant. Clement had planned to leave and manage his own team next season.
But Ancelotti was beginning to think it might be better to keep him around for another year.
If I let him go now, he'll just end up being a disaster for another club.
"Barcelona is only ahead temporarily. City hasn't played their trump card yet. This match will be decided in the second half."
Ancelotti's gaze returned to the pitch, finally settling on Manchester City's number 10.
His tone was firm.
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