章 213: Chapter 213: Visiting Camp Nou

Chapter 213: Visiting Camp Nou

The first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Udinese and Barcelona was scheduled to kick off at 8:45 PM. However, as darkness fell, Udinese boarded their bus and headed to Camp Nou.

Along the way, Barcelona fans were everywhere. Upon seeing the Udinese team bus, some fans became aggressive, with a few extremists throwing objects at the bus. Fortunately, the Barcelona police, who were clearing the way, quickly restored order and ensured the safe passage of the bus.

What does it feel like to be booed by nearly 100,000 people simultaneously? Most people will never experience this in their lifetime, but Bruno did. As he walked into Camp Nou, the 95,000 Barcelona fans in the stands greeted him with deafening boos and even some curses. For a moment, Bruno felt his legs trembling, but he quickly composed himself and continued walking steadily forward.

This is Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe with the most intimidating home atmosphere. Standing on the pitch, surrounded by 95,000 spectators, Bruno felt a chilling sensation, like being watched by a hostile mob. He believed that he wasn't the only one feeling this; every member of Udinese must have felt similarly unwelcome.

For the upcoming match, they would have to endure the boos from these 95,000 fans.

"Hey, Bruno, are you scared?" Di Natale asked, noticing Bruno looking around nervously.

Di Natale was known for his indomitable spirit, always giving his all in matches despite any obstacles. Bruno could tell that even Di Natale wasn't fearless but managed to overcome his fears and appear confident.

"Of course, I'm scared," Bruno replied calmly.

Di Natale was surprised by Bruno's candidness but then Bruno added, "I was just checking out the security measures around here. If I score later and they rush in to attack me, what should I do?"

Bruno's serious tone in jest made Di Natale laugh out loud. "Run, of course! You don't stand your ground and fight them!"

"Would that count as a foul? Would I get a red card?" Bruno continued.

This time, Gerard burst out laughing. What kind of silly questions were these?

Their teammates noticed the captain acting strangely and, upon hearing the exchange, also started laughing.

"Don't worry, if any fan rushes at you, I'll be the first to tackle them and protect you!"

"Just score. I'll handle the rest!"

"Should we get the coach to check the security measures?"

"Come on, Bruno, this is Camp Nou. The security here is top-notch; UEFA has inspected it."

"Well, Bruno's question does make me a bit nervous too."

"What are you worried about? Can you even score?"

"I can't score, but I can stop them from scoring, and I'm closer to the stands!"

The Udinese players chatted and joked, and the pressure from the Barcelona fans quietly dissipated.

After some playful banter, the match was about to start. Both teams' starting line-ups were announced.

Barcelona (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Ter StegenDefenders: Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, AlbaMidfielders: Rakitic, Busquets, IniestaForwards: Messi, Suárez, Neymar

Udinese (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: KarnezisDefenders: Piris, Danilo, Maguire, CanceloMidfielders: Widmer, Kanté, Bruno Fernandes, GuilhermeForwards: Di Natale, Salah

With referee Brych's whistle, the game began. Amidst the cheers of over 90,000 fans, Barcelona took control from the start, launching fierce attacks on Udinese's half. Udinese's defense was under immense pressure from the beginning, but they were resilient and managed to hold their ground despite Barcelona's relentless onslaught.

"Barcelona is attacking from the left."

"Neymar is cutting inside, but Piris is sticking to him tightly."

"The ball goes back to Alba on the left. Alba crosses!"

"At the far post!"

"Messi!"

"GOAL!!!!!!!!"

"In just the 14th minute, Messi scores a beautiful close-range shot from eight meters out!"

...

After scoring, Messi ran out of the pitch in excitement. The entire Camp Nou erupted as 95,000 fans shouted his name in unison, creating an electrifying atmosphere. Barcelona players rushed to celebrate with Messi, and coach Enrique was ecstatic on the sidelines. He knew this goal would stabilize the team.

"1-0! Barcelona has a fantastic start."

"This was a chance created from the left. Neymar drew Piris's attention, passed back to Alba, who then crossed to assist Messi's header!"

"This goal exemplifies Enrique's tactical coordination. From the first ten minutes, Barcelona's control and overall advantage have been clear."

"On the other hand, Udinese has been mainly playing defense but hasn't been overly conservative. They've been actively pressing, which inevitably increases the risk of mistakes."

"Let's look at the slow-motion replay. When Alba crossed, Maguire failed to mark Messi, leaving Messi unmarked to finish the header."

"This was a significant error. We mentioned earlier that Udinese's heading advantage was evident. If Maguire had marked Messi, Messi would have had a hard time scoring."

"But regardless, the mistake has been made. Udinese needs to be cautious now."

Guidolin slapped his forehead in frustration, shaking his head as he walked back. His pre-match concerns had materialized.

Maguire, with his height, had an advantage in the air, but his major flaw was his slow turning speed, which allowed Messi to get free. However, Guidolin didn't regret his choice. Long-term understudy Bubonjic was in worse form, so Maguire was still the better option.

Guidolin believed the English defender would adapt as the game progressed. He quickly returned to the sideline and shouted instructions to the players.

"Silvan, stick to him! Don't let him out of your sight!"

The goal wasn't solely Maguire's fault; Widmer failed to mark Alba promptly, allowing him to cross easily.

"Harry, stay focused!"

"N'Golo, Guilherme, you need to apply more pressure on their midfield!"

...

After conceding the goal, Bruno was frustrated but forced himself to remain calm and focused. As Udinese's attacking core, he had to maintain high concentration.

He heard Guidolin's instructions from the sidelines, reminding Widmer to keep tight on Alba and urging Kanté and Guilherme to put pressure on Iniesta and Rakitic to disrupt Barcelona's midfield control. He also told the team to stay compact and prevent Barcelona from dominating the midfield.

In fact, Udinese hadn't played poorly from the start. Bruno had delivered a precise through ball, with Salah crossing from the right, but Di Natale missed the opportunity. Neymar's attempts to cut inside from the left were mostly thwarted by the combined efforts of Piris, Kanté, and Danilo. Additionally, Suárez's dive in the box for a penalty was rightly ignored by the referee.

Cancelo focused on marking Messi, who had a quiet start to the game, while Barcelona's attacks mainly came from the left, with the right side mostly ineffective. This was due to Bruno's positioning, keeping Rakitic in check, and Messi being neutralized by Cancelo, leaving Barcelona to rely on their left flank.

Neymar was undeniably formidable. The Brazilian could retain the ball under immense pressure and pass it effectively, often evading even triple-team defenses. He made defending against him seem futile.

The goal might have come from Alba's cross, but it was Neymar's pass that freed Alba to deliver the assist. This was the mark of a world-class star.

(End of chapter)