Capítulo 199: Comeback and Red Card!
When Lin completed the interception, Manchester City's forwards immediately launched an attack.
Agüero ran diagonally in front of Lin, moving to the right and pulling apart CSKA Moscow's defensive formation while drawing a defender away.
Navas ran deep, holding off the opposing fullback and preventing him from pressing Lin.
Javi Garcia stayed behind Lin as a safety net, ready to control the pace by passing back to the midfield if the forward attack didn't work, avoiding a counterattack from the opponent.
After a couple of months of adjustments, Manchester City's offensive tactics had become very diverse and reasonable.
Even so, there was still a defender marking Lin closely.
Though Lin didn't show his top-level skills in the first twenty minutes, CSKA Moscow's players were cautious, as their coach had warned them not to give Lin any chances.
However, sending only one defender to guard Lin was underestimating him.
Without any fancy moves, Lin used a quick "roulette" turn to easily get past the defender.
Seeing his teammate beaten, CSKA Moscow's center-back Ignashevich had no choice but to step up and intercept Lin, who was already near the edge of the penalty area. If he didn't, Lin would have a chance to shoot.
As Ignashevich stepped up, a gap opened behind him.
Lin quickly passed the ball to Agüero, then shook off Ignashevich and charged into the penalty area.
Agüero immediately sent a through pass behind the defenders, perfectly timed with Lin's run.
Unmarked, Lin received the pass and gently chipped the ball into the net.
The score was now 1-1, with Manchester City quickly equalizing.
"GOAL!!! In the 24th minute of the first half, Lin helped Manchester City equalize!"
"This goal was purely due to Lin's individual skill. In his duel with Keisuke Honda, Lin used his strong physical presence to win the ball. Manchester City then launched a counterattack, and after two passes, the ball flew into CSKA Moscow's net. This attack was smooth and efficient!"
"Haha, Keisuke Honda probably didn't expect Lin to be so strong physically!"
"Yes, Lin is much shorter than Honda and doesn't look particularly strong. But Honda seems to have forgotten that Lin is a proven top scorer in the Premier League. If his physicality were poor, he couldn't score so many goals against those tough defenders."
"So, the Japanese player really picked the wrong opponent this time!"
The commentators were polite in their criticism, but the fans were merciless.
"Stupid Japanese! Did you really think you could mess with Lin? Know your place!"
"Lin can handle Premier League defenders with ease. This guy wouldn't last three matches before getting kicked out in the Premier League!"
"Every time I see that guy with his ugly yellow hair, I get annoyed!"
"Haha, let's just call him 'Colonel' like his army uniform."
Fans disliked Keisuke Honda not just because he was Japanese, but also because he liked to market and hype himself. Moreover, the perceived duplicity of Japanese players—one way in front, another behind—added to the criticism.
In contrast, Japanese fans watching the game were amazed.
"Sugoi! Lin-san is incredible!"
"Is this the level of a world-class player?"
"Who knew an Asian player could be this strong physically? Maybe it's not that Asians are weak, but we are weak!"
"When will Japan have a player as strong as Lin-san?"
The Japanese have a strong admiration for those better than them, and they were awestruck by Lin's performance.
In previous encounters with Japanese players like Shinji Kagawa in the Premier League and Atsuto Uchida in the Bundesliga, Lin had always emerged victorious, often overwhelmingly so.
Thus, the Japanese fans were convinced, and while Koreans were still debating Lin's possible Korean ancestry, the Japanese had already started to idolize him, even considering forming a Japanese fan club for Lin...
After Manchester City equalized, the situation on the field changed significantly.
Manchester City, now adapted to the cold, started pressing CSKA Moscow's goal with wave after wave of attacks.
In the 35th minute of the first half, Lin cut inside and shot after breaking through on the wing. The goalkeeper parried the shot, but Agüero, ghosting in, easily tapped the rebound into the net.
Manchester City led 2-1, turning the game around.
The onslaught continued, and in the 45th minute, the last minute of the first half, Manchester City won a free kick in the front. Lin's perfectly executed "falling leaf" shot found the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.
The score changed to 3-1!
Seeing their team's momentum crushed, CSKA Moscow's fans fell silent. The loud singing stopped, the mocking voices vanished, and they even forgot to boo Manchester City players celebrating on their home turf.
CSKA Moscow's fans were completely stunned!
In the second half, Manchester City continued their aggressive play, but under the opponent's tight defense, they couldn't increase the score.
In the 65th minute, as Pellegrini prepared for a substitution, it started to rain lightly.
At first, the rain was light, but soon it turned into a steady downpour.
Although it wasn't winter yet, the nighttime temperature in Moscow was close to freezing.
In such cold weather, rain was worse than snow, and to make things worse, it started to get windy!
The rain soaked the players' kits, and the cold wind made Manchester City's players shiver.
Their worst pre-match fear had come true!
In less than five minutes, Manchester City's players were freezing.
Goalkeeper Joe Hart kept jumping around in the goal to stay warm, fearing that if he got too cold, he wouldn't be able to move when a shot came his way.
If this had been before the match, they could have requested a postponement.
But now, with the game already underway and the time approaching 9:30 PM, stopping the match could delay it until late night or even the next day.
Rather than that, it was better to grit their teeth and finish the remaining minutes, which would be less taxing on the team.
"Should we continue with the substitution?"
The assistant coach looked at Pellegrini and asked.
"Yes, have Negredo warm up and get ready to come on!"
Pellegrini initially planned to make three substitutions at once, but now he hesitated.
He wasn't sure if the opponents would seize the opportunity to counterattack in the rain, so he didn't dare make too many changes at once.
If CSKA Moscow managed to equalize, it would be a huge blow for Manchester City.
October is not a dry month in Moscow, so their players were more accustomed to such conditions.
Seeing Manchester City's players shivering, CSKA Moscow's morale soared!
"Haha, the opponents are freezing!"
"Now's the time to counterattack!"
"Charge! Let's beat them and take all three points!"
The players' morale surged, and they became eager to attack.
Manchester City's players hadn't completely lost their form and could still defend against the attacks.
However, with the field becoming slippery and their bodies losing heat quickly, they couldn't afford to make big moves, reducing their defensive capabilities.
In this situation, they had to adopt defensive tactics to stop the opponents' attacks.
In the 67th minute, Yaya Touré fouled CSKA Moscow's midfield star Zuber and received a yellow card.
Five minutes later, Zabaleta pulled down an opponent's forward outside the box and got another yellow card.
Manchester City not only increased their fouls but also showed signs of fatigue and cramping due to the intense match and cold weather.
In the 77th minute, during a fierce scramble, Manchester City's defender Kolarov went down injured.
CSKA Moscow's players ignored the injury and continued attacking.
New substitute Negredo unceremoniously tackled Keisuke Honda, who exaggeratedly rolled on the ground clutching his foot and screamed in agony.
CSKA Moscow's players rushed over, pushing Negredo and hurling insults:
"Kid, are you trying to kill someone? Do you want me to cripple you?"
"Bring it on! If I'm scared, I'll be your grandson!"
Negredo wasn't scared, waving his fists and ready to fight.
Manchester City's players quickly pulled him back, preventing him from throwing a punch.
Negredo's foul was sure to earn him a yellow card, and if he hit someone, he'd be red-carded and possibly face additional penalties.
Negredo was an important substitute striker for Manchester City, and his suspension would significantly impact the team.
Just as the two sides were about to brawl, the referee rushed over, separating the players.
He then handed out yellow cards to Negredo for the foul and to Wernbloom for pushing, giving each a yellow card.
These yellow cards calmed both teams down.
CSKA Moscow's players realized they were behind and needed to attack rather than waste time fighting.
Manchester City's players, however, were happy to drag out the game, knowing that as long as time ran out, they would win.
They helped Kolarov with his cramp, then delayed a lot of time by arguing about the placement of the wall for the free kick.
By the time CSKA Moscow finally took the free kick, it was already the 80th minute!
There was not much time left for them!
The free kick didn't pose any threat, and Hart caught the ball.
He delayed, looking for a spot to kick from, and just before the referee lost patience and showed him a yellow card, he kicked the ball far downfield, sending it out of bounds.
CSKA Moscow rushed to take the throw-in, but the referee signaled for a substitution.
On the sidelines, the fourth official held up the substitution board. Manchester City subbed off the injured Kolarov for Clichy.
Kolarov jog
ged off at a snail's pace, slower than a walking grandma.
Seeing this, CSKA Moscow's players were furious!
These Manchester City players had no shame!
Where was their honor and dignity as a big club?
Using such shameless tactics to waste time, did they still call themselves a top team?
Manchester City fans replied: "Thanks for the compliment, but we're not a big club, just a nouveau riche."
The referee couldn't take it anymore and urged Kolarov to hurry up, or he'd show a yellow card.
Under the referee's warning, Kolarov reluctantly jogged off, completing the substitution after high-fiving his teammate.
The referee signaled for the game to continue, and CSKA Moscow finally took the throw-in.
But as soon as they did, Manchester City intercepted the ball from behind.
After stealing the ball, a City player booted it towards CSKA Moscow's half, and Negredo, just subbed on, sprinted like a wild horse after it!
At this point, only he had the energy to make such a run!
Seeing this, the home fans closed their eyes, not wanting to see the outcome.
If this ball went in, it was game over!
According to Murphy's Law, the worst-case scenario often happens.
Negredo didn't disappoint the CSKA Moscow fans. He seized the opportunity and calmly nutmegged the goalkeeper, slotting the ball into the net.
The score was now 4-1!
Negredo, ecstatic, tore off his shirt and ran towards the away fans, asking for applause.
Manchester City's fans were thrilled, giving him a rousing ovation.
But as they cheered, they noticed something amiss.
The referee, with a stern face, was running towards Negredo, holding a yellow card.
"Wait, does Negredo already have a yellow card?"
"Oh no!"
"Does he have a yellow card?"
"Ah, crap!"
Under the eyes of tens of thousands of fans, the referee showed Negredo a yellow card, then pulled out a red card, sending him off.
Negredo had been on the field for less than 20 minutes and had already been sent off!
Not only were Manchester City's fans shocked, but the opponent's fans were also bewildered.
What was going on?
Negredo, with a bitter expression, begged the referee for leniency, but the rules were clear: removing your shirt without permission was a yellow card offense.
Despite being a man down, Manchester City's lead was too large.
In the end, the game concluded with Manchester City thrashing CSKA Moscow away, achieving three consecutive Champions League group stage wins!
For Manchester City, this was an excellent result!
In the next home game against CSKA Moscow, as long as they won, they could advance to the knockout stage two rounds early.
But to secure the top spot in the group, they needed to win at least one more game and ensure their goal difference was higher than Bayern Munich's.
Of course, if they beat Bayern at the Allianz Arena, they'd secure the top spot without a doubt!
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