章節 36: A Glimmer of Hope
Luis Enrique could no longer sit calmly on the sidelines. The relentless chances created by Manchester City were starting to make him uneasy. He knew all too well that if Barcelona failed to score again soon, City might find the momentum to overturn the match.
Standing at the edge of his technical area, Enrique shouted instructions at his players, his face intense with urgency: "Kill the game! We need one or two more goals!"
On the opposite side, Pellegrini displayed his characteristic calm, but his voice carried an intensity seldom seen. His usual measured demeanor had given way to fiery encouragement, pushing his team to exploit every gap in Barcelona's defense.
In the 60th minute, a slight mistake in midfield nearly proved disastrous for City. Sagna played a pass toward Yaya Touré, but Rakitic anticipated it perfectly, intercepting the ball with quick reflexes. Without hesitation, the Croatian midfielder passed to Messi.
Assessing the situation in an instant, Messi noticed Joe Hart slightly off his line. With a soft touch, he launched a precise shot from outside the penalty area, the ball slicing through the air with Messi's signature accuracy.
Joe Hart reacted immediately, diving sharply to his right and just managing to tip the ball away with his fingertips. The deflection, however, fell straight to the feet of Suárez, who was poised to capitalize on the rebound.
Demichelis rushed to close Suárez down, using his frame to block the shooting angle. Suárez coolly dribbled once, then twice, before firing a sharp shot. But Hart, having recovered swiftly, was ready again, diving low to catch the ball with confident hands.
"Joe Hart! That is sensational goalkeeping!" Martin Tyler exclaimed, his voice brimming with admiration. "He's keeping City's hopes alive with save after save!"
Gary Neville was equally impressed. "Absolutely world-class from Hart. Stopping Messi like that was incredible on its own, but to recover and deny Suárez as well—it doesn't get much better than that!"
Wasting no time, Hart launched a long ball toward the left wing, where Milner was waiting. Using his strength, Milner held off Dani Alves, shielding the ball as it dropped. With a controlled header, he directed it toward Silva, who had made himself available in the center.
Silva took the ball in stride, his touch as smooth as ever, before driving forward. Sensing Mascherano closing in, Silva quickly offloaded the ball to Agüero. The Argentine turned sharply, aiming to dart past Piqué.
Piqué matched his pace, staying shoulder to shoulder with Agüero, waiting for the right moment to intercept. But Agüero, ever the clever striker, halted abruptly, dragging the ball back before spinning and playing a short pass to Kenneth, who was charging forward from midfield.
Kenneth met the ball with a fierce shot, but Mascherano, relentless as ever, threw himself into the path of the ball, deflecting it out of danger.
"That's brilliant defending by Mascherano," Tyler remarked. "He might just have saved Barcelona there."
Five minutes later, Barcelona nearly struck again. Messi, always the orchestrator, delivered a pinpoint cross over City's defensive line, finding Neymar, who had escaped the offside trap. Neymar controlled the ball seamlessly, firing a powerful shot, but Hart, in incredible form, parried it with a spectacular reflex save.
The ball ricocheted to Jordi Alba, who calmly slotted it into the net. But before the celebrations could erupt, the referee's assistant raised his flag. Offside.
"Relief for City!" Tyler exclaimed. "The flag's up, and Jordi Alba's effort won't count!"
"That's tight, but the correct call," Neville added. "Barcelona are still knocking on the door, though. City can't afford to switch off like that again."
The tension continued to rise. On the right flank, Kenneth battled to break free from Alba's close marking. In a moment of panic, Alba pulled Kenneth's shirt, dragging him to the ground. The referee's whistle rang out, and Alba was shown a yellow card, shaking his head in frustration.
Moments later, Messi took matters into his own hands. Picking up the ball on the right, he embarked on a dazzling solo run. A quick nutmeg on Milner left the City midfielder flailing, and with a burst of speed, Messi glided past Kolarov. Approaching the penalty area, Messi exchanged a sharp one-two with Rakitic, slicing through City's defense.
With only Demichelis in his path, Messi feinted left before unleashing a blistering shot from close range. But Hart was there again, diving at full stretch to deny the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"Joe Hart! Incredible again!" Tyler roared. "Messi must be wondering what it will take to beat him tonight!"
"This is one of Hart's greatest performances," Neville added. "He's keeping City alive against the best in the world."
In the 72nd minute, Touré picked out Kenneth with a superb long pass to the right wing. Kenneth, exploiting the space left by Alba, sprinted forward with determination. Facing Mathieu one-on-one, Kenneth used a clever body feint to send the defender the wrong way, driving to the byline before delivering a sharp cut-back into the box.
Silva was waiting, perfectly positioned. He struck the ball with venom, but it curled just wide of the right post.
"Oh, so close!" Tyler exclaimed. "David Silva inches away from pulling City level!"
Kenneth continued to press, his energy and determination inspiring his teammates. In the 76th minute, he sent in a dangerous cross, which Alba deflected out for a throw-in. Without hesitation, Kenneth retrieved the ball and quickly threw it to Agüero, catching Barcelona off guard.
Agüero turned sharply, driving into the penalty area with intent. Mascherano and Piqué both closed in, but Piqué mistimed his challenge, catching Agüero's leg. The Argentine went down, and the referee pointed to the spot.
"Penalty for City!" Tyler shouted. "Piqué's tackle was clumsy, and City have a lifeline!"
Amid the deafening boos from Barcelona fans, Aguero stepped up, visibly tense. His shot to the left was well-placed, but Ter Stegen guessed correctly, diving to make a stunning save.
As the ball spilled loose, Kenneth surged forward, reacting faster than anyone else. With a composed finish, he buried the rebound into the net.
"Kenneth Lee! He's done it!" Tyler cried. "The youngster keeps City's dream alive!"
"What composure from Kenneth!" Neville exclaimed. "He was the sharpest player on the pitch, and now City have all the momentum!"
The roar from the City fans was deafening as Kenneth sprinted back to the center circle, clutching the ball. His determination lit a fire in his team. The comeback was on.
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