Chapter 236: Chapter 236
-[Awesome! Bonazzoli is truly awesome!]
-[Such elusive movement, not even Icardi, let alone the opposing coach Inzaghi, could pull it off!]
-[Oh my God, I’m a Milan fan and I’m stunned! Is this really Bonazzoli?]
-[He seems to have suddenly evolved; did he eat magic beans?]
-[At that moment, he was like a ghost, so ethereal!]
-[Bayern fans are envious of Inter! With Tang Long and Bonazzoli, how does Inter consistently produce young talents under 20? Maybe, send one over to our little club to team up with Muller!]
-[The key is Bonazzoli’s deceptive movement. He doesn’t run at first; he waits until the last moment. Who can deal with that?]
-[Tang Long’s pass also came at the last moment. Clearly, these two have practiced this in training many times!]
-[I declare, the sweet cannonball duo is out, now it’s time for the Tang-Bo duo!]
Meanwhile, AC Milan’s coach Inzaghi was also bewildered.
His arms hung limply at his sides, eyes staring blankly at Bonazzoli celebrating with Tang Long on the field.
"That play... how did he move???"
A big question mark was written all over the face of the star player known for his ghostly movement during his career.
Being a man who thrived on the offside line.
Inzaghi’s movement could be written into the FIFA textbook.
Yet he had to admit, Bonazzoli’s sudden serpentine movement at the last moment truly left him dumbfounded!
At the last moment, he turned decay into magic.
If it were him, could he pull it off?
Perhaps, with his skills, Inzaghi could achieve it one or two out of ten times, and he was quite confident about that.
Even if he managed to pull it off, could the ball reach him accurately?
Inzaghi turned his gaze to Tang Long.
Ten years ago, while playing for AC Milan, he had Seedorf, Kaka, Pirlo, and Luo behind him!
These top passing masters provided numerous assists, allowing Inzaghi to dance gracefully on the offside line, becoming a nightmare for countless goalkeepers.
But Inzaghi felt none of those top teammates’ passing skills could match Tang Long’s—especially the final pass to the striker from the attacking midfielder position!
Just take the connection between Tang Long and Bonazzoli we just saw for example.
Although De Rong was constantly pulling and interfering with Tang’s balance, while Alex had perfectly blocked the most logical passing,
According to Inzaghi’s prediction, Tang Long’s next move surely wouldn’t be a forced through pass to Bonazzoli but rather a safe pass to Gualin.
Gualin would then pass to the left to Di Marco, keeping control of the ball.
But if this was the case, Milan’s defense would succeed, forcing Inter’s counterattack into a positional battle.
Yet Tang Long still managed to make the pass in an almost impossible situation and truly connected with Bonazzoli!
And Bonazzoli’s final shot was clean and crisp, catching goalkeeper Diego Lopez off guard.
This powerhouse keeper from Real Madrid became a mere backdrop amidst the cheers from the north stand at Meazza stadium!
A trace of regret flashed across Inzaghi’s eyes...
He was envious of Bonazzoli’s displayed talent for movement, but more envious of Inter having a top passing master like Tang Long.
Inzaghi wished he were born twenty years later, or Tang Long twenty years earlier.
If that were true, and the two could play on the same team, Inzaghi would be so happy, his career goals could increase by at least 100 more!
You were born before me; I was born when you were old; you hate my late birth; I hate your early birth—this was Inzaghi’s sentiment!
"Synergy bonus successfully activated!"
"Remaining attempts: 4!"
With only four attempts left, Tang Long decided to reserve them for critical moments.
Mancini watched intensely from the sidelines!
Not overly surprised by Tang Long’s assist and exquisite chip through ball,
Such scenes have been witnessed in countless past matches with Icardi and Tang Long.
But seeing such a magical connection between Bonazzoli and Tang Long, it was Mancini’s first time witnessing it.
"Bonazzoli is not simple, seems like the lad is hiding numerous talents from me!"
Mancini turned to Herrera with a grin.
"The kid shows great improvement; watch, boss, he’ll surely score another in the first half!" Assistant Herrera said expectantly, rubbing his hands.
Bonazzoli was also full of confidence.
Gradually coming back to his senses, he watched the replay of his goal on the big screen above Meazza stadium.
That suave serpentine run and Tang Long’s pass were simply a match made in heaven!
Though - he didn’t understand why he managed such a stylish run at that moment.
But as a striker, Bonazzoli believed perhaps this was the instinct of a forward!
"I can do it, a seamless pairing," Bonazzoli was captivated by his own movement, "heehee, I’m still really strong!"
Having scored his first goal in the Milan Derby of his career, Bonazzoli was exhilarated.
After basking in the cheers of Inter fans at Meazza stadium, the young man’s spirit soared, reinvigorated, like a young bull, as he ran wildly on the pitch!
However, the following developments poured cold water over Bonazzoli, instantly chilling his fervent heart.
The black pigeons flew away, along with Bonazzoli’s magical movement.
He couldn’t replicate the ghostly movement like the previous serpentine line.
French defender Meeks’ close marking felt like a mountain pressing down on him.
No matter how Bonazzoli maneuvered, he couldn’t escape his grasp.
And previously evaded Alex consistently positioned himself effectively on the logical movement line, intercepting Tang Long’s through passes several times.
By the 30th minute mark, Tang Long lowered his hands, signaling the team to slow down the tempo actively.
"Control the ball, and start the maneuver!"
Rarely sending threatening through balls to Bonazzoli.
Instead, frequently dispatches from the attacking midfielder position, like Pirlo, distributing the ball to Di Marco advancing from the left or Podolski on the right, utilizing the pitch’s width to mobilize AC Milan players.
Although the through balls diminished, Inzaghi started worrying again!
"Good heavens, this kid wants to cut with a dull knife!"
Thanks to Tang Long’s continuous long-ranged passing maneuvers, AC Milan’s formation was forced to run about with the football.
Milan’s lineup resembled a fighter jet, tilting towards the left wing and then towards the right wing.
The aircraft body swayed endlessly from left to right!
With the engine’s ongoing roar, the fuel reserves on this plane kept decreasing.
All 11 team members were toyed with by Tang Long’s maneuvers.
But irritably, neither the defensive midfielder De Rong nor the other two midfielders Boli and Van Ginkel could intercept Tang Long’s ball no matter how hard they tried.
Whenever two players formed a pincer, Tang Long could swiftly exploit the space left by their forward move, threading the ball behind them—space became even greater!
This forced AC Milan players to continuously retreat defensively without daring to press Tang Long.
The 1:0 score persisted until the 47th minute of stoppage time.
When the main referee blew the halftime whistle, Inter Milan players looked relaxed, while AC Milan’s team members were drenched in sweat, gasping for air!
The most exhausted De Rong, defensive midfielder, even slumped to the ground.
"No more, no more, whoever wants to mark Tang in the second half can go ahead; I can’t run anymore, my throat is burning!"