Chapter 107 Secret Weapon
Jiang Yan met the ball and shot!
A muffled thud followed.
The ball shot like a cannonball toward the far corner of the goal. Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Oblak couldn't react in time and could only watch helplessly as the ball flew past him and crashed into the top corner of the goal.
"Goal...goal!!"
"GOOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!!!!!"
He Wei's excited roar instantly resounded throughout the entire live broadcast room.
"Jiang Yan! He's made up for the disappointment of the last goal!"
"This wasn't a lucky break; it was a result of an incredible instinct and an obsessive desire to score that led to this goal!!!"
The entire San Siro stadium seemed to have been silenced at that moment.
The next second, two completely opposite emotions exploded in the San Siro stadium.
Atletico Madrid fans erupted in a deafening chorus of boos, nearly turning the entire San Siro stadium upside down.
The Atletico Madrid players looked dejected and dejected, with Godin standing with his hands on his hips and his head bowed in guilt.
"If...if I could stop him..."
Although the score was tied, Simeone on the sidelines still did not give up hope.
Hey kids! Cheer up! It's not over yet! Hold on, then score again!
"Godin! Cheer up! You did a great job! Keep up the good work!"
Gabi! Cheer up! You're the captain!
"Stick to and execute our tactics!"
At the same time, the Real Madrid fans in the stands erupted in a deafening roar of cheers.
Even though Atletico Madrid were leading, the fans did not give up hope and instead placed all their hopes on Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan did not disappoint the fans.
"River!!!!!"
Real Madrid fans stood up and waved their scarves wildly. A female fan wearing a jersey with Jiang Yan's name on it even cried with excitement.
"River!!!!"
"River!!!!"
"River!!!!!"
The voices of tens of thousands of people echoed throughout the stadium, momentarily drowning out the boos from Atlético Madrid fans.
On the other side, Jiang Yan excitedly ran to the front of the fan area and roared out.
This shout released all the anger and resentment he had been accumulating for almost thirty minutes.
Not only him, but all the Real Madrid players rushed towards Jiang Yan. A group of people crashed into Jiang Yan's arms, surrounding him and hugging and patting him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
Bell ruffled Jiang Yan's hair vigorously, his tone full of admiration:
"Well done, Jiang! You are our greatest hero!"
On the sidelines, Benitez's tense lips finally curled into a smile. He clenched his fist and gently clenched it, and all the pressure vanished in that instant.
Give the offensive control to Jiang Yan!
He made the right gamble.
His team successfully tied the score!
……
Inside the live stream room.
"Jiang Yan has saved this team once again!"
"What kind of player could deliver such an exceptional individual performance in the Champions League final, one of the pinnacle matches in European football?"
"Atletico Madrid's defense, one of the best in all of Europe, was completely breached by Jiang Yan alone! A rising star? I think he's a candidate for the next Ballon d'Or!"
Holy crap!!!
Jiang Yan is awesome!!!
This is the Real Madrid we know! This is how Real Madrid should play!
[The horse's winning streak! I told you so! Jiang Yan! The god of the ball!!!]
Trust me, guys, if we bet on one more goal, we'll be picking up our car tomorrow!
[Still chasing? There are less than 20 minutes left, chasing the over is a death sentence? Take my word for it, under 4.5 is the absolute minimum!!! I want overtime!!!]
……
80th minute of the second half.
On the coaching bench, both coaching staffs were making their final lineup arrangements.
Simone frowned deeply; the victory that was within his grasp had been snatched back by a Chinese man.
"Mr. Simone, are we really going to do this?"
On the tactics board were Simeone's substitution instructions for this match.
"This is the closest we've ever come to winning the Champions League trophy. Even if it looks ugly, I'm going to take it!"
"But if that's the case, what will people say..."
"Ten years later."
"What?" The assistant coach looked at Simone in confusion.
The Argentine coach seemed to have made a momentous decision, his expression serious as he said, "Ten years from now, no one will remember this match, but the name of Atlético Madrid will forever be engraved on the Champions League trophy. I believe my players feel the same way. Let us all give our lives for Atlético Madrid... Even if it means bearing eternal infamy, I will bear that sinner!"
……
"The fourth official on the sidelines has raised the substitution board... Atletico Madrid! They've made the first substitution... What is this!?"
Even the usually composed Zhan Jun lost his composure at this moment.
In his hand was Atlético Madrid's list of substitutions for this matchup.
Atletico Madrid have substituted Saul and Augusto, bringing on two defenders!
"Uruguayan international J. Jiménez and French international Lucas Hernández come on as substitutes!"
"Atletico Madrid now has a full six defenders on the field! Simeone's tactical intentions are clear: stockpile defenders, park the bus, and drag the game into a penalty shootout!"
……
82th minute of the second half.
Atletico Madrid have possession of the ball.
Jimenez and Hernandez, who just came on, were very active, not only able to pass the ball steadily under Real Madrid's pressing, but also contributing good long passes.
"Both teams' players have lost some of their energy. Real Madrid's pressing intensity has decreased, and Atletico Madrid's counter-attacking speed has also slowed down."
"Benetz still has two substitutions left, is he going to save them for extra time?"
Just then.
boom!
Substitute Hernandez launched a long pass that went over the midfield and found Griezmann in the attacking third.
The player skillfully unloaded the ball and began dribbling forward.
"Griezmann has received the ball! Real Madrid's defense is a bit vulnerable right now!"
Griezmann moved with light steps, dribbling the ball forward, his eyes fixed on the Real Madrid penalty area.
Casemiro immediately moved to block, but the Frenchman's pace was too fast, and the Brazilian midfielder couldn't find a good opportunity to intercept the ball.
"Danger! Real Madrid's defense has been breached!"
Just as Casemiro hesitated, Griezmann flicked the ball with his toe, sending it diagonally into the space on the side of the penalty area!
Torres made a clever run forward to receive the ball, creating a one-on-one opportunity!
Ramos tried desperately to catch up, but he was already half a body length behind.
Although the 32-year-old El Inies may not have regained the speed he once displayed at Anfield, his striker instincts still led him to a one-on-one opportunity.
Facing the goal guarded by Navas.
boom! ! !
A powerful shot, but Navas saved it!
"Torres!"
"That almost sealed the game! Too bad the shot was too straight!"
……
Sidelines.
Benitez stood with his arms crossed, quietly watching everything that was happening on the field.
At this moment, the assistant coach stepped forward.
"Mr. Benitez, the players are almost exhausted. Shouldn't we make some substitutions?"
Upon hearing the assistant coach's words, Benitez became intrigued: "If you were the head coach, how would you arrange these substitutions?"
The assistant coach looked a little confused, but seeing Benitez's serious expression, he had no choice but to speak up: "It's not just us; Atletico's players are also getting tired. If we want to win, we should bring on attacking players like Vazquez or Jesé. In defense, replace Ramos and Pepe with a more energetic defender, like Varane..."
Benitez nodded.
"Your idea is correct. In a normal game, against a group of average players, this formulaic substitution method might be very effective."
Benitez paused for a moment, then said mysteriously, "But your understanding is still a bit lacking compared to top coaches."
"You mean...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Bale suddenly collapsed to the ground in pain, clutching his ankle with both hands.
Benitez frowned slightly.
"It's time to make a change... deploy our secret weapon."
……
Inside the live stream room.
"After confirmation from the team doctor, Bale has suffered a soleus muscle strain, and his Champions League matches are over." He Wei's regret was evident in his expression as he said this.
"The most impactful link in the BBC attack line has fallen prematurely; it remains to be seen what adjustments Benitez will make!"
"The fourth official on the sidelines is raising the substitution board!"
"Benitez has made two substitutions!"
"Bale and Benzema have been replaced by... young players Vazquez and Kovacic!?"
After the replacement list was announced, the entire live stream was instantly flooded with a barrage of question marks.
【? ? ? ? 】
What's going on? Has Benitez lost his mind?
Who told you to make that substitution? Have you forgotten what happened in the Copa del Rey?
[Brothers, I've figured it out now. Benitez is trash. This whole season has been carried by Jiang Shen!]
[Damn it, Benitez, you're playing Castilla's youngsters in the Champions League final?! Are you even human?!]
Do you think this is La Liga? You dare play like this?
[Heh heh, let's see how you handle the next overtime!]
Stop cursing, guys! I told you to go for the 4.5, but you wouldn't. I've already pocketed the profits!
[Damn it, slap your thigh!]
……
Kovacic and Vazquez took their places, and after they came on, Real Madrid switched back to a 4-4-2 formation, with Jiang Yan continuing to play as a false nine.
Kovacic jogged over to Jiang Yan and handed him a small note.
"Master, this is Mr. Benitez's tactic."
Jiang Yan opened the small note in his hand, and his eyes widened the moment he saw its contents.
A moment later, a confident smile returned to his face.
"Kovacic, what do you think? Was the grass on the pitch for the Champions League final softer than at the Bernabéu?"
Kovacic nodded emphatically.
"This is my first time playing in a Champions League final, and to be honest, I'm a little nervous..."
Jiang Yan patted his back forcefully.
"So, are you confident in carrying out [that plan]?"
Upon hearing Jiang Yan's words, Kovacic, who had been tense, seemed to have been given a shot of adrenaline, and instantly revealed a look of determination.
"Don't worry, Master. Thanks to your and Mr. Benitez's special training, I've now reached a level of mastery!"
"Hehe, that's good. Let's have a big battle, master and apprentice!"
……
The game has ended at the end of regulation time.
Three minutes of stoppage time.