Capítulo 201: Chapter 201: The Injury
Chapter 201: The Injury
Salah skillfully cushioned the football with his foot and then suddenly accelerated, beautifully evading Juventus' veteran left-back, Evra. After catching up with the ball, instead of crossing it, he cut inside through the defense of Pogba and Chiellini, heading straight for the penalty area!
This move took Juventus' defenders by surprise. Juventus' coach, Allegri, anxiously shouted from the sidelines, directing his team's defense. Their goalkeeper, Buffon, also yelled loudly, instructing his teammates to close in on Salah.
Attracting three Juventus defenders, Salah suddenly halted, pretending to pass to Bruno, who also moved to receive the pass. This immediately caught the attention of Juventus' defenders. Pogba shifted his body, aiming to block the passing lane.
Almost simultaneously, Salah, who initially seemed to have no angle to shoot, saw a narrow path to the goal. Changing his plan, he pulled the ball back and, from the edge of the box, unleashed a powerful long-range shot!
In the crowded penalty area, Buffon had been closely watching the action and saw a white flash streak past. A long-range shot?!
Buffon's reaction was quick. He leapt to save and managed to get a hand on the ball, but the shot was too powerful and aimed at the top corner. Buffon could only deflect it slightly, unable to stop it from continuing forward. As Buffon lay on the ground, he looked up to see the ball hitting the back of the net.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!" The commentator's excited shout filled the air as the young Egyptian forward ran, sprinting towards the bench, and hugged Udinese's coach, Guidolin. Salah wanted to thank the coach and dedicate the goal to him for his trust and support.
Seeing their team concede a goal, Juventus' coach, Allegri, angrily slapped his seat. "Our players were distracted by Bruno," said his assistant beside him. Allegri nodded. Bruno was Udinese's star player and key offensive force, undeniably threatening. You couldn't ignore such a dangerous player's movements, which gave Salah the space and opportunity to shoot.
However, Allegri had to admit that Salah's goal was brilliant, a seamless combination of dribbling, cutting inside, and shooting with great quality.
"Where does that old guy find these young talents?" Allegri asked his assistant. Bruno, a super talent who won the European Golden Boy Award two years ago, was brought to Udinese at a record fee, despite Juventus also vying for him but failing to offer competitive terms.
Then there was N'Golo Kante, who Udinese bought for just 500,000 euros when he was an unknown player in the lower French leagues, only to become a standout performer. Others like Cancelo, Guilherme, and Widmer also performed excellently.
And then there was Salah. Last year, he was a benchwarmer at Chelsea and considered a flop. Yet, since arriving at Udinese, he exploded with 3 goals and 1 assist in 5 games, a complete transformation.
The assistant shook his head with a wry smile. He didn't know the answer, but it was clear that Udinese's scouting system was highly praised in the media, and Coach Guidolin was renowned for developing young players, helping them play to their strengths and perform well.
Despite being recognized as Serie A's strongest team, Juventus didn't panic after falling behind 0-1. The goal spurred them to launch even fiercer attacks on Udinese's goal once the game resumed.
However, Udinese's defense held firm, particularly the trio of young midfielders, Kante, Widmer, and Guilherme, who formed a steel wall in front of the defense with their strong mobility.
By halftime, Juventus still hadn't breached Udinese's goal, allowing Udinese to lead 1-0 at the break.
Juventus' coach, Allegri, was frustrated. His team's morale was high, and he felt that with more time, they could have scored. The halftime break came at an inconvenient time.
Guidolin, on the other hand, felt relieved. His team was under pressure in the final moments, and the halftime break gave them a much-needed breather. During the break, Guidolin praised his players' performance.
"Well done. Keep playing like this in the second half!" Guidolin said.
Overall, Udinese played well in the first half. Though they struggled towards the end, they met his tactical expectations. At this point, the team needed encouragement and confidence, and Guidolin believed his players wouldn't disappoint him in the second half.
The second half began with Udinese taking advantage of their home ground. Under the cheers of over 40,000 fans at the Friuli Stadium, they launched wave after wave of attacks on Juventus' penalty area, showing everyone their aim to win the game.
But losing was not Juventus' goal either. Allegri responded firmly, keeping his team on the offensive in the second half. Both coaches made the same choice: attack and aim to win.
In Serie A, Juventus had formidable offensive power, scoring 44 goals in the first 20 rounds, second only to Udinese's 47. Unlike Udinese, which relied mainly on Bruno and Di Natale, Juventus had a broader attacking lineup with players like Tevez, Morata, Llorente, Pogba, Pirlo, and Vidal, all strong scorers.
In the 66th minute, Guidolin substituted the tired Di Natale with Thereau to continue strengthening the attack. Applause from the stands acknowledged and encouraged the team's veteran captain.
Although Di Natale didn't score, his role on the pitch was crucial, particularly in pressuring Juventus' defense, contributing to Udinese's first goal.
Juventus' coach, Allegri, also made immediate adjustments, substituting the underperforming Llorente and Evra with Morata and Padoin, aiming to boost their offense.
Both coaches made continuous tactical changes, bringing on attacking players, engaging in an intense attacking battle that thrilled the fans.
Guidolin and Allegri stood on the sidelines, intently watching the game, hoping to find and exploit each other's weaknesses. However, both coaches shook their heads. With both teams fully committed to attacking, the game was fast-paced, with increasing errors, creating a chaotic yet thrilling scene.
In such a moment of chaos, the coaches' influence diminished, leaving it up to the players' performance on the pitch.
Then, an unexpected incident occurred. Bruno went down in a tackle, his expression pained, signaling for a substitution.
"F**K!" Guidolin cursed, fearing an injury to Bruno.
As Udinese's star player and key offensive force, Bruno's role was crucial. In 21 Serie A matches, he had achieved 15 goals and 11 assists, leading both categories in the league. His importance to Udinese went beyond statistics; he was their stabilizing force. As the team's playmaker, his presence on the pitch significantly boosted his teammates' performance.
Guidolin quickly sent veteran Pinzi to warm up, anxiously watching the situation unfold. Bruno was helped off the pitch by the medical staff, with the crowd applauding to encourage and comfort him.
"How is it?" Guidolin asked the medic.
"Can't say for sure, but he definitely won't play in the next match."
"F**K!"
Guidolin cursed again, feeling extremely frustrated. Udinese's next opponent was Napoli, a formidable team. Without Bruno, the match at the Maradona Stadium seemed daunting.
But now, with Bruno injured, Guidolin could only console the disheartened player and promptly call Pinzi over to give instructions.
Pinzi substituted Bruno, taking over the captain's armband. This marked Udinese's third captain in the game. Di Natale had passed the armband to Bruno upon his exit, and now Bruno, after wearing it for only a few minutes, handed it to veteran Pinzi due to his injury.
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