章 174: Chapter 174 Destroy Ronaldo! Real Madrid Was Defeated!
"Maldito! Maldito!" In the visiting team's locker room, Ronaldo punched a chair in a fit of rage.
The atmosphere was tense, and his teammates didn't dare approach him.
With a score of 1-1, Union Berlin and Real Madrid ended the first half.
They thought the opponent's goalkeeper's mistake had gifted them a goal, and Real Madrid could ride the momentum. The more they fought, the higher their morale.
Unexpectedly, in an extremely difficult situation, Su Luo created a chance on the left to get a corner kick and used an overhead kick to score, shocking everyone and boosting the home team's morale.
The scene was like a tsunami. Modric swore he had never experienced such an atmosphere at the Bernabeu.
Maybe Real Madrid's fans were mixed; even in an 80,000-capacity stadium, a large part of them were casual fans or trend-followers. In East Berlin, everyone supporting Union Berlin was a die-hard fan.
Coupled with the rigorous mobilization ability of the Germans, they quickly organized overwhelming solidarity. Red waves swept across the stands, leaving Modric dumbfounded.
In such an environment, the home team's fighting power would increase by at least 150%! Meanwhile, Real Madrid's morale dropped after Su Luo's overhead kick. The most significant blow was Su Luo's celebration, which broke Ronaldo's spirit a little.
In the second half of the first half, Ronaldo switched positions with Bale to defend Su Luo, leading to their second direct confrontation.
At that time, Su Luo was about to shake off the defense when Ronaldo, without a word, slid in and took him down!
Modric felt it was going to get ugly. Verhorst rushed forward to confront Ronaldo without hesitation. The two sides were about to start a brawl.
Modric quickly signaled to Toni Kroos to hold back his teammates. With captain Ramos and vice-captain Pepe busy, Modric took the initiative to help Su Luo up. As the fifth captain, Modric felt like a caretaker for the team.
Fortunately, the third captain, Marcelo, quickly intervened to prevent further trouble. Referee Clattenburg didn't resort to handing out cards excessively, giving Ronaldo only a yellow card to defuse the situation.
The tension between the two sides heightened again, but Real Madrid managed to slow down and end the first half.
Zidane entered the dressing room feeling the dip in morale.
"What is this? Do you remember what kind of match we are playing?"
Zidane looked around, and Marcelo raised his hand first.
"Uh, the first leg of the Champions League..."
Zidane snapped his fingers.
"That's right, it's only the first leg of the Champions League, and it's an away game. Our goal is to score away goals. It's best to win, but even a draw isn't a loss."
"Are you so conceited to think you are a strong team and the opponent is weak?"
Zidane raised his volume.
"That would be a big mistake! They double-killed Juventus, Manchester City, and Arsenal. Can this be a weak team?"
"Real Madrid is a giant, but that doesn't mean we can underestimate any opponent!"
"If it were Barcelona, would you be so angry?"
"In the second half, I want one thing: focus!"
"As long as we don't concede more goals, we can decide the outcome back at the Bernabeu."
"Alright, there's still some time. I'll go over a few important points."
Zidane pulled out the tactical board, breaking down the details observed in the first half and analyzing them for the players.
Ronaldo sat in the corner, sulking, and Zidane ignored him. As long as the other players performed normally, Ronaldo, a superstar, would naturally step up when needed.
On the other side, Union Berlin players were more united, taking turns to comfort Fabianski.
"Lukasz, it's okay."
"Yes, we evened it out."
"That Karim is so cheap."
"It's okay; you make mistakes, and we have Su Luo scoring."
Quinine's words made Fabianski laugh despite himself.
"Are you f**king kidding me? You guys are hilarious!"
Despite feeling better, the frustration from his mistake didn't fade easily. He knew that after such a colossal blunder, his rank had dropped, and Pickford would likely start the next game.
Since this might be his last important game as a starter, Fabianski decided to give it his all. No matter what kind of attack Real Madrid launched, he wasn't going to let another goal in.
Meanwhile, Neuhaus also noticed problems in the latter part of the first half. After Su Luo's overhead kick, Real Madrid's defense on the left side significantly tightened. Casemiro frequently covered this area, with Modric and Toni Kroos filling the gaps in the middle.
Benzema and Bale took care of Kimmich and Keita, while Bale prioritized disrupting Ake's play. Union Berlin was closely guarded on the left and could only develop on the right.
Unfortunately, Zidane had thoroughly studied Mahrez's characteristics. Despite being a versatile player, Mahrez preferred cutting inside with his left foot. The Real Madrid coaching staff had prepped Marcelo, Ramos, and others to guard his left foot strictly.
This left Mahrez playing awkwardly. Early in the first half, facing an empty goal, he tried to adjust to his left foot, but Marcelo anticipated this and cleared the ball.
Throughout the first half, if it weren't for Su Luo's all-out effort on the left, Union Berlin would have lost their edge.
Assistant coach Hofstadter seemed to see through Neuhaus's thoughts.
"What, do you want to make a change?"
"Emmmm...let's wait a little longer."
"Alright, but I don't like it."
Despite his words, Hofstadter found Sane in private.
"Leroy, you'll go out later to warm up and get ready."
Sane, who had just returned from injury, originally thought he had no chance to participate in such an important match. Hearing this, his eyes lit up!
It's happening! The Champions League I've been dreaming about is here!
"Welcome back! Here is the top 8 matchup of the UEFA Champions League broadcast live for you!"
"In the first half, Real Madrid capitalized on a goalkeeper's mistake, with Benzema scoring first."
"But soon, Su Luo fought back and equalized with a brilliant overhead kick!"
"With the score tied, the second half is about to begin."
"Su Luo in the picture remains remarkably composed. He's simply the cornerstone of the team."
"However, Mahrez on the other side didn't perform well and even missed an open goal opportunity. Will Union Berlin make adjustments?"
Duan Xuan briefly introduced the situation on the field to the audience.
By this time, it was already midnight in the capital. As the entire land of China fell into a deep sleep, countless lights dotted the country, cheering for Su Luo and Chinese sports.
On Weibo, Su Luo's overhead kick from the first half quickly went viral. Excited fans retweeted the gifs and videos.
One word: Handsome!
Su Luo's rapid accumulation of fans over just two years wasn't just due to his goal-scoring prowess and key plays. His goals often made it to the top five highlight reels.
Selecting the best goal in the Bundesliga or the Champions League usually involved Su Luo dominating the list.
Chinese fans were wide awake in the second half of the night, eagerly anticipating his continued brilliance.
In the CCTV studio, director Xu Yang was also analyzing the game.
"Union Berlin might make substitutions. Mahrez has been figured out by Real Madrid. Marcelo and Ramos easily neutralize him."
"Sane's return from injury might be a game-changer for Union Berlin."
"He is a left-footed player, so he can break through on the left side, freeing Su Luo to move freely on the right, allowing Pavard to take the corridor."
Xu Yang's analysis could indeed diversify Berlin Union's offense, but Pavard's forward runs could leave gaps for Ronaldo to exploit.
It depended on whether Berlin United's coach dared to take that gamble.
"Okay, thanks to Director Xu for his analysis. The second half has begun, and we are back to the duel between the two sides."
In the first 10 minutes of the second half, not much changed.
Real Madrid tried several attacks, but once the ball reached Ronaldo, nothing came of it. Ronaldo always liked to cut inside and take the shot himself.
One shot flew over, another was firmly saved, and a third, quite threatening, was resolved by Fabianski's diving save.
On the other side, Su Luo on the left of Union Berlin was under strict surveillance. He tried to retreat, swapping with Forsberg to the left, but Ake didn't dare to push forward, and Forsberg couldn't manage alone.
Casemiro took advantage and moved to the middle, teaming up with his midfield partner to keep an eye on Su Luo. Mahrez on the other side continued to struggle.
Su Luo attempted two long shots but missed the target, though he managed to stack two buffs. He also tried pulling to the right to deliver an unexpected cross to Verhorst. Unfortunately, Pepe and Ramos were vigilant, and their cooperation prevented a goal.
By the 63rd minute, the score remained 1-1. Then, the fourth official on the sidelines raised the substitution board.
"Oh? We see that Union Berlin is the first to request a change!"
"Mahrez, who had a mediocre performance, is being replaced! Sane, returning from injury, is coming on!"
Zhan Jun's voice grew excited again.
This means Union Berlin is ready to make a bold move!
"Sane will most likely play on the left. His effectiveness on the right is similar to Mahrez's. A breakthrough on the left may create more opportunities."
"This way, Su Luo might move to the right and face off against Ronaldo!"
Director Zhang's analysis was accurate. After Sane came on, he indeed positioned himself on the left. On the other side, a figure stood in front of Su Luo.
Ronaldo!
"This time, I won't let you succeed!"
Ronaldo growled in Portuguese.
Unexpectedly, Su Luo replied in Portuguese.
"Oh? Then try me."
Taking advantage of Ronaldo's momentary surprise, Su Luo quickly moved diagonally into the rib area to receive the pass. Ronaldo was still puzzled, thinking, This kid can speak Spanish, but how does he know Portuguese too?
But now, Su Luo had the ball on the right rib. Facing the combined defense of Casemiro and Toni Kroos, he broke to the outside, deceived Kroos into shifting, then awkwardly turned and sent the ball to the left!
A figure sprinted at high speed, receiving the ball behind Carvajal!
"Look at this attack! Su Luo precisely found Sane!"
"Sane is so fast! He kept the ball in play!"
"Carvajal is coming back...beautiful move!"
"Sane spun around Marseille on the bottom line, passed Carvajal! Another quick move, and he's past Pepe!"
"He sends a low cross to the middle! Verhorst kicks it!"
"Keylor Navas makes a great save! Blocks the close-range shot!"
As Real Madrid players celebrated, Ronaldo's face turned blue.
"Watch your back!!"
A red figure appeared ghostly behind Ramos.
Desperation!
"Su Luo!!! Scores into the empty net!!"
"A quick steal and a goal! Union Berlin takes the lead! They're now up 2-1 against Real Madrid!"
Zhan Jun yelled again.
"Su Luo, scoring his 22nd goal in this Champions League season!"
"The Chinese captain is in scorching form! Unstoppable!"
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