Chapter 489: Chapter 489

Kolarov pretended to sprint forward, taking a big step over the ball, then turned around controlling the ball—yes, it was a fake move, and next he used his right foot to pass the ball to Yaya Toure who was coming to receive it.

Toure hadn’t slept well because of the Nasri situation, worried and hateful towards Tang Long;

However, Toure had an advantage: he never brought off-field issues onto the pitch!

Right-winger Navas had already moved forward quickly, waving to Toure.

After evaluating, Toure thought the pass to Navas was too risky and lacked confidence;

Instead, the position of Tang Long diagonally forward in the middle was better!

Without hesitation, he accurately slotted the ball into the path of Tang Long’s advance.

Tang Long was running, one meter away from touching the ball, when he felt a gust of wind in his ear—it had to be Marchisio.

Marchisio was taller than Tang Long and stronger; Tang Long sidestepped the challenge instead of confronting him directly.

He used the outside of his foot to change direction and perform a 180-degree spin on the spot, outmaneuvering Marchisio by half a body space, then turned around and surged forward in the opposite direction.

The whole move was seamless, thrilling to watch!

"Beautiful! Tang Long performed a spot turn and followed up quickly!"

"He’s finally breaking away from Marchisio’s defense!"

"A perfect opportunity!"

"Ah, what is this? The ball was intercepted!"

"I wasn’t clear just now, how was it intercepted?"

"Marchisio seemed to have a non-standard backward step and managed to intercept the ball!"

Marchisio, seeing Tang Long had deceived his body position and balance, was about to charge straight forward with the ball;

The smart Italian midfielder suddenly used Ranocchia’s signature move—a backward bow step, a long leg stepping back, using the tip of his foot to intercept!

To successfully intercept under Tang Long’s feet was beyond Marchisio’s expectations;

He was quite surprised, initially thinking disrupting him would suffice, but unexpectedly managed a full interception.

Tang Long was unexpectedly intercepted!

Tang Long’s turn was quick; he immediately countered with a back heel, promptly flicking the ball out of bounds, sending it flying into the stands among the fans.

Although Marchisio intercepted Tang Long, Tang Long’s rapid counter did not allow Marchisio any advantage!

"You also know this trick? Did Ranocchia teach you?" Tang Long curiously asked Marchisio.

"Haha, yes, Ranocchia taught me this in the Italian national team, it’s quite useful, didn’t expect to intercept your ball on the first try." Marchisio replied cheerfully.

Tang Long said with a smile: "Didn’t expect it, you’re quite skillful."

He praised Ranocchia’s admirable interception outwardly; Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁

However, Tang Long only mentioned half of it, keeping the other half to himself, noting it silently.

Though Marchisio used a back-stepping tactic almost identical to Ranocchia’s, the frequency of interception and control range were far inferior to Ranocchia.

This interception was entirely due to his own oversight.

Since Pellegrini ordered the whole team to retreat defensively in the first half, and Marchisio clung tightly to Tang Long, even when Tang Long broke free, there were no teammates to assist forward, resulting in Manchester City being pressed hard by Juventus the entire first half.

Juventus conducted their possession at the Itihad.

Pogba, as the focal point of organization, frequently received the ball.

His height and long legs allowed a wide control range, and his flexibility was exceptional.

Often he could pass the ball ahead in situations that seemed equally contested;

Desperately difficult seeming half-high passes were absorbed as easily as hitting cotton, regardless of power or awkward angle, leaving Manchester City’s defenders baffled!

-[Pogba is genuinely strong, I hadn’t realized this before!]

-[Before, Pirlo was the playmaker; now it’s Pogba controlling the game, showcasing his true ability.]

-[Pogba has always been strong; if he continues , I suspect Juventus won’t be able to keep him.]

-[He’s only 22 this year, endless potential; Ferguson letting him go was indeed a mistake!]

-[Manchester United fans support Pogba’s return; we need an all-around midfielder like Pogba!]

-[If Pogba keeps playing , he could win the Ballon d’Or!]

But being a strong Premier League team, Manchester City excelled in maintaining their defensive tightness, even when their attacks weren’t effective.

Juventus indeed controlled possession, especially in the attacking third.

Yet every time Pogba looked up, several passing lines were sealed tightly with no space to shoot, forcing Pogba to play the ball to the wings.

Teammates controlling possession at Juventus were reluctant to easily execute high cross tactics on the wings.

After the wing-back Lichtsteiner received the ball, he passed it back again, returning the ball to Pogba, attempting to find a gap in Manchester City’s solid defensive line through back-and-forth lateral movement.

"Juventus is circling around Manchester City’s defense."

"It doesn’t seem effective, finding it hard to penetrate."

"To execute threatening attacks, the ball must be played through the center’s penetration."

"From this, one can tell Pogba has a considerable gap compared to Pirlo; perhaps Pirlo held back, not fully teaching Pogba?"

Juventus seemed to dominate offensively, yet it was full of sound and fury, signifying nothing;

Manchester City’s players maintained active movement and obstruction, making their penalty area impregnable.

Mainly focusing on letting neither team score a goal.

With Pogba’s forceful through ball attempting to connect with Dybala, Kompany stretched a foot out in advance to kick the ball high into the air, and the referee blew the whistle for halftime.

Possession: Manchester City 43%, Juventus 57%.

Shots: Manchester City 3 (1 on target), Juventus 7 (3 on target).

Both overshadowed Manchester City!

United Kingdom, Manchester.

Since last time when the five major gangs all gathered at Kompany’s house to discuss Nasri’s issues;

Agüero and Ranocchia’s relationship had advanced further.

Now, the Italian defender was sitting in the Argentine forward’s home, both following the match through television broadcast.

During halftime, Agüero, somewhat disgruntled, threw the remote aside.

"Our attacking organization is stagnant; the key is that Tang is thoroughly restricted by Marchisio!"

"I feel this Marchisio is extremely tricky, continually consuming Tang’s energy, preparing for the second half, Andrei, how much do you know about this Marchisio? Did he play when you were at Inter playing Juventus?"

Ranocchia casually waved his hand.

"No! When we faced Juventus before, Marchisio didn’t madly chase Tang like today."

"But we’re national team teammates, and from my understanding of him, he is highly intelligent with excellent game sense; this tactic is surely Allegri’s special arrangement for him."

Upon hearing this, Agüero felt somewhat anxious.

Even though he hadn’t played in Italy, Italian football tactics are world-renowned, with Italian coaches frequently teaching abroad in major leagues.

Ranocchia, however, reassured Agüero confidently.

"Sergio, rest assured! Although Marchisio’s game sense is high, when it comes to game sense, Tang has undoubtedly the highest sense I’ve ever encountered!"

"My intuition tells me Tang will absolutely have a way to handle Marchisio."

"Sitting here watching, unable to play, any concern is futile; let’s see what happens in the second half! I have faith in Tang!"