章節 33: Mission Impossible?

On March 17, the Manchester City squad arrived at Barcelona airport to prepare for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. In the first leg, they had lost 1–2 to Barcelona at the Etihad.

"What's wrong with them?" Kenneth murmured quietly. He noticed City's key players—Kompany, Yaya Touré, David Silva, and Agüero—looking nervous and tense.

Hardly anyone believed City could turn the situation around at Camp Nou. Kenneth could even see that most of the players felt the task was daunting.

Even two Madrid-supporting Spanish media outlets doubted Man City's chances at Camp Nou.

Marca published a headline that read: "Los Ciudadanos en el Camp Nou, Misión Imposible"—"The Citizens at Camp Nou, Mission Impossible." Their famous columnist wrote mockingly, stating that a team like City, with little experience in the Champions League, had come only for 'formality' before handing Barcelona the quarter-final ticket.

AS echoed this arrogance with an article titled: "La MSN Impone su Ley"—"The MSN Trio Imposes Its Law." Their senior journalist highlighted the stellar performances of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Neymar in recent matches.

El Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona's loyal newspaper, published an opinion column titled: "Solo Formalidades para el Barça"—"Just Formalities for Barça." They described the match as a done deal, claiming Barcelona needed only to play "half-heartedly" to secure the win.

Meanwhile, back home in England, City found no support either.

Gary Neville, speaking in the Sky Sports studio, was blunt: "City are too fragile at the back," he said during pre-match analysis. "With the inconsistent pairing of Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala, I'm not sure they can stop Messi and Neymar's speed and creativity."

At the same table, Jamie Carragher nodded in agreement. "We're talking about a Barcelona team that's almost unbeatable at Camp Nou," he said. Carragher also pointed out City's lack of Champions League experience, adding, "Barcelona have been on this stage countless times; they know exactly what to do. City are still too 'new' for such a challenge."

Many other pundits also voiced pessimism about Manchester City's chances against Barcelona.

At 18:00 BST, the Manchester City bus arrived at Camp Nou. Kenneth lined up with the other players and slowly stepped off the bus. The flash of cameras made Kenneth squint slightly.

As he followed the others, a beautiful woman stopped him.

"Excuse me, Kenneth Lee, just a quick question—do you believe you can beat Barcelona in this stadium?" the reporter asked in Spanish.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Spanish, but if you're asking about the match, all I can say is we'll do our best," Kenneth replied briefly.

Kenneth overheard some Barcelona fans saying something, but he couldn't understand them and simply followed the others inside.

Kenneth jogged past a few City players to catch up with David Silva.

"David, what were those Barcelona fans shouting?" Kenneth asked Silva.

David Silva glanced at Kenneth and replied, "They were mocking us."

"I heard racism is common in La Liga. Is that true?"

Before David Silva could answer, Yaya Touré patted Kenneth on the shoulder and said, "It happens often, but it usually targets famous players who are disliked."

"The more you react to racism, the more it might escalate," Yaya Touré continued.

Kenneth made a mental note of this. If he ever moved to La Liga, he might face such treatment too.

Kenneth and the others went to the locker room, changed, and headed to the pitch for training.

In his training kit, Kenneth stood on the field, fully focused on the ball at his feet. Carefully, he began juggling, lightly kicking the ball upward, keeping the rhythm so the ball stayed airborne without touching the ground. His movements were steady and practiced, aiming to keep the ball in play for as long as possible.

Suddenly, a voice called out, "Pass it here."

Reflexively, Kenneth shifted his gaze and recognized Neymar in the distance. Without hesitation, he swept the ball with his right foot, using the inside to direct it accurately toward Neymar.

Neymar caught the ball with his signature elegance, as if it were glued to his foot. He smiled slightly and quickly began an impressive juggling display.

First, Neymar lifted the ball slightly higher, holding it in the air. Then, using the tips of his shoes, he alternated the ball between his left and right feet as if it were connected by an invisible string.

Suddenly, Neymar executed a "rainbow flick"—sliding the ball behind his heel with his opposite foot, then swiftly flipping it over his head. The ball soared smoothly through the air, and Neymar caught it again on the top of his foot.

Not stopping there, Neymar performed an "around the world," swinging his foot around the ball in a perfect circle before touching it again. Each movement flowed seamlessly, like a musical rhythm accompanying the ball's motion.

Neymar ended his performance with his signature "no-look flick"—tossing the ball slightly upward while looking the other way, and just as the ball descended, his foot met it, sending it back toward Kenneth without a glance.

Kenneth stood stunned for a moment, still mesmerized by the extraordinary skills he had just witnessed. He smiled slightly, then stepped forward, extending his hand.

"Honestly, I've never seen anyone with better skills than yours," he said with genuine admiration.

Neymar grinned, shaking Kenneth's hand confidently. "As long as you don't watch old videos, I'm sure you won't find anyone better than me at this."

"Kenneth Lee," Kenneth introduced himself.

"Neymar Junior," Neymar replied, firmly shaking Kenneth's hand—a connection that radiated friendship and mutual respect.

After a moment, Kenneth raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you play LoL?"

"Yeah, of course," Neymar replied with a small laugh. "I also play GTA V. We could play together sometime."

"Sure, why not?" Kenneth smiled, imagining a relaxing time off the pitch with this football star.

Neymar patted Kenneth's shoulder enthusiastically. "I hope to see you on the field later. Your first impression was pretty good, Kenneth."

"That's not up to me, but…" Kenneth paused, as if feeling something within him. "I have a feeling I'll play in this match."

"I hope your feeling is right," Neymar said before heading toward Suárez and Messi, who had been calling him.

Kenneth wished he could say something to prevent Neymar from ruining his career by going to PSG, but they'd just met, and Neymar himself had no idea what lay ahead for him in the coming years.