Chương 171: Chapter 171 Su Luo Tianxiu Operation, Scaring Zidane!
"...That concludes the report from the scene in Berlin. Now, over to the commentary booth!"
On the TV screen, Ma Fanshu, with her exquisite makeup, finished her segment. The CCTV headquarters then switched back to Duan Xuan's live broadcast.
"Thank you, Ma Fanshu! That was an update from the Ri Forest Management Institute stadium!"
"Director Xu, do you have any comments on the starting lineups for both teams in this game?" Duan Xuan, as the commentator and field controller, steered the discussion.
His commentary partner, Xu Yang, was responsible for analyzing the tactics of the two teams. Additionally, Sun Jihai, a famous national football player, served as a guest commentator. This was a high-level commentary team on par with the World Cup.
CCTV attached great importance to this competition. At 2:45 in the morning, nearly 100 million fans across the country were watching the game. The total number of viewers for the UEFA Champions League each season is around 300 million. These two rounds of duels attracted the attention of most fans. Of course, the World Cup's influence was still unmatched. The 2022 World Cup had over 650 million viewers, with 230 million watching the final between Argentina and France.
Passers-by typically don't pay much attention to football matches outside the World Cup. This is also due to the fact that the Champions League matches are often held at midnight during the week, making it difficult for many who have work the next day. Only the true fans stay up to watch. Some companies even gave employees half a day off for this competition, and these lucky fans shared their company benefits online, making others envious.
Back to the action, players from both teams were already waiting in the stadium tunnel. As usual, the director focused on Su Luo first. Then, he quickly found Ronaldo. Their performances would determine the outcome of the series, highlighting the importance of superstars in football!
"A great spectacle!"
"A magnificent sporting event!"
"They are the masters of victory!"
"Kings of the field!"
"They are champions!"
Hearing the thrilling Champions League theme song, every fan inevitably became nervous. The starting players of Union Berlin and Real Madrid stared straight ahead, their expressions tense. It was clear that both sides were nervous to some extent. Su Luo was the most relaxed, even smiling at the camera, instantly charming a group of female fans watching at home.
"He never misses a chance to show off his charm," Josephine said, shaking her head with amusement.
In the VIP box, Erica pouted. She had been trying to win Su Luo's attention, but it seemed difficult. Now, she had another heavyweight competitor: Taylor Swift. Who knew how many hidden opponents there were? But as a determined athlete, Erica didn't give up easily. Su Luo remained her constant goal.
Ma Fanshu, in the media seat, stared at the big screen dreamily. "Su Luo... Come on!"
As captain, Su Luo had a pre-match handshake with Real Madrid captain Ramos. As usual, the formations and starting lineups of both sides were displayed on the screen.
"We see that today's lineups are as expected," Duan Xuan began. "Zidane is sticking with his favored 4-3-3 system. Over the past two months, Casemiro has gradually become the core of Real Madrid's midfield. Unfortunately, James Rodriguez is still sidelined."
"Goalkeeper: Keylor Navas!"
"Defenders: Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo!"
"Midfielders: Casemiro, Modric, Toni Kroos!"
"And the classic BBC combination upfront: Gareth Bale, Benzema... and Cristiano Ronaldo!"
Duan Xuan deliberately paused, giving Ronaldo his due recognition. Before Su Luo emerged, Ronaldo and Messi were the most dazzling stars in the world. Fortunately, China now had a rising superstar to compete with the best.
"The home team, Union Berlin, has made some significant changes!" Duan Xuan continued. "Due to the absence of defender Alex, there could be vulnerabilities."
"The goalkeeper is veteran Fabianski, chosen for his experience."
"Defenders: Pavard, Rudiger, 17-year-old Lisandro Martinez, and left back Ake!"
"Midfielders: Kimmich, Naby Keita, Forsberg!"
"And the forward trio: Weghorst, Riyad Mahrez, and Su Luo!"
This lineup puzzled Duan Xuan a bit. On paper, Sane, their best left-side breakthrough player, was missing, and Su Luo was positioned on the left. Forsberg moved into midfield, with Weghorst up front.
Fortunately, Xu Yang was there to provide analysis. "It appears Union Berlin aims to exploit the right side of Real Madrid's defense, Carvajal's side. If Su Luo has space, he can break through and disrupt the defensive line. There's less room in the middle, so the sides offer more opportunities."
"Also, Su Luo's unexpected move to the left could confuse Real Madrid's defensive tactics. If they concentrate their defense on the left, Su Luo can use his vision to switch the play to the other side, making Mahrez a potential game-changer."
Xu Yang's tactical insight was spot on, and Sun Jihai nodded in agreement. As someone who once played as a mainstay for Manchester City, Sun Jihai was now watching two top teams strategize around Su Luo. It filled him with pride. Su Luo was already at the pinnacle of the football world, and he wasn't even 19 yet!
"Huh? They seem to have changed their formation... This could be problematic. Will our tactics fail?" Real Madrid assistant coach David Bettoni expressed concern as the players lined up on the field. Their defensive strategies had focused on the center, with Casemiro as a key figure. But with Su Luo moving to the wing, Casemiro wouldn't stay there, potentially creating gaps in the middle.
Zidane remained calm. He had seen many high-pressure situations as a player. With the exception of that infamous incident with Materazzi, Zidane usually kept his composure. Real Madrid would wait and see.
As the home fans began their countdown...
The referee, Clattenburg from England, blew the whistle to start the game.
"Hello, this is CCTV. Welcome to the live broadcast of the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals!"
"Su Luo's team, Union Berlin, is playing at home against La Liga giants Real Madrid!"
"This is the first time these two teams have met in history."
On the internet live broadcast platform, Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu's streams were the most popular, attracting at least 13 million fans to watch the game. Zhan Jun, the data expert, briefly introduced the situation of both teams.
"Since the inception of the Champions League, Real Madrid has missed it only once, in the 99-00 season, and has been a constant presence otherwise!"
"And since the restructuring of the Champions League, Real Madrid has reached the top 8 twelve times, second in Europe only to Bayern Munich, who has done it 14 times."
"Real Madrid has an 84% win rate from the top 8 to the semi-finals! They are the best in Europe!"
"They have won 10 Champions League trophies and are the undisputed kings of Europe."
"This season, they are aiming for their 11th Champions League title!"
"They are facing Union Berlin, the first team in history to participate in the Champions League for the first time!"
"Under Su Luo's leadership, Union Berlin won their group with a perfect record and defeated teams like Sevilla, Manchester City, Juventus, and Arsenal to reach the quarter-finals!"
"Standing on this stage against Real Madrid, Union Berlin has already created a miracle."
"Now, can Su Luo lead Union Berlin to achieve another miracle?"
The game started slowly, with both teams feeling each other out in the first few minutes. By the 3-minute mark, there had been no real attacks, allowing Zhan Jun to build up the atmosphere.
Just then, Real Madrid made the first move!
"Let's look at the play! Casemiro intercepts Forsberg's pass to Su Luo!"
"Real Madrid counterattacks! Modric splits to the side, very clear thinking!"
"Look at Ronaldo! He faces Pavard's defense without fear, but the stepovers... have no effect."
Ronaldo approached with the ball, but his stepovers didn't shift his center of gravity, leaving Pavard unfazed. Then, Ronaldo suddenly used his heel to change direction and initiated an inside cut with explosive speed!
"Damn!" Pavard immediately reacted, but Ronaldo's burst of speed left him behind. Rudiger couldn't cover in time. Ronaldo stepped into the penalty area and swung his leg to shoot!
Boom!
A powerful shot brushed the crossbar and flew out of bounds. Fabianski couldn't help but whistle. As expected of Ronaldo, he's relentless.
"That was a classic Ronaldo shot, but it didn't test Fabianski!" Duan Xuan exclaimed.
Union Berlin was not to be outdone. The ball boy quickly threw the ball to Fabianski, who kicked it to Ake on the left. Taking advantage of Real Madrid's players not yet returning, Ake sent a long pass to Forsberg in front!
Casemiro was too late to return. Forsberg bypassed Modric and passed to Su Luo on the left!
"Su Luo has the ball!" Zhan Jun and Duan Xuan's voices rose simultaneously. All eyes were on Su Luo.
As soon as Su Luo touched the ball, he sidestepped and stopped the ball to the right with his left foot, cutting inside. Carvajal moved laterally, but Su Luo hooked the ball back with his right foot, nutmegging Carvajal and accelerating through the left!
It all happened in the blink of an eye! Carvajal couldn't react in time, and Su Luo was already inside the box!
"Gorgeous stop and go! Su Luo is in!!" Duan Xuan trembled with excitement.
The audience was electrified. Navas quickly blocked the near post, Pepe rushed at Su Luo, and Ramos covered Weghorst. Another figure was lurking in the box!
Su Luo feinted a shot, drawing Pepe into a sliding tackle. But Su Luo deftly sidestepped and passed to the back post!
"Mahrez!!!"
Mahrez received the ball with half of Real Madrid's goal wide open. Zidane stood up, his heart sinking.
But Mahrez seemed unprepared and didn't shoot immediately. He paused to adjust, giving Marcelo time to slide in and clear the ball off the line!
"Mahrez!! Oops! The ball..." Zhan Jun was almost speechless. "What a waste of a great opportunity created by Su Luo!"
However, Su Luo's first attack had already rattled Real Madrid. His brilliant play made the whole world take notice!
This was only the first attack of Union Berlin vs. Real Madrid!
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