Chapter 434: Chapter 433 From Heaven to Earth, From Earth to Hell
It seemed that scoring that goal was enough to satisfy them.
In a situation where victory against the opponent was out of reach, scoring the last goal of the game could be considered an honorable defeat.
Of course, this was also related to Lazio players’ exhaustion.
This mood infected the fans, and their chants gradually lowered in volume.
The 83rd minute.
Guardiola, who had played the full game today, performed well, sending a long overhead pass deep down the left flank.
Ronaldo and Kaka burst forward almost simultaneously. Ronaldo had the chance to touch the ball first, but he chose to block Pan Karo instead, because his crossing ability after taking the ball was nowhere near Kaka’s.
Kaka received the football in stride and delivered a high-quality cross.
The tall Ibrahimovic seemed to be challenging Stam for a header in the penalty area, but as the ball flew in, he suddenly moved forward, playing the deserter.
Bang!
Ibrahimovic flicked a header at the near post.
The football unexpectedly took a high arc over Peruzzi’s head and dropped toward the far post of the goal.
Goal!
But before Ibrahimovic could raise his arms, the referee’s whistle had already sounded.
It even happened before the football flew into the net.
The referee pointed at Ronaldo, indicating that he had committed a foul while blocking position.
The foul came first, so Ibrahimovic’s goal didn’t count.
Ronaldo was very speechless.
Kaka and Ibrahimovic also approached the referee to communicate, but it was useless.
Huang Jianxiang commented, "I have to say, the referee ruined a masterpiece by Capello!"
"I wonder if everyone has noticed that Kaka is quite popular within the team. It’s fine that Deng Kai wants to celebrate with him, but even Ronaldo, who usually plays very independently, is willing to help him block, which is quite impressive."
"You know, apart from Deng Kai, there’s hardly anyone who can get Ronaldo to do the dirty work for them."
"It seems that whether it’s the CD faction or the DK faction, in the end, it might all become CDK!"
Regarding this, some fans said they would find it hard to accept if it’s not GKD.
The 84th minute.
Ibrahimovic, who had a goal disallowed, was very active. He was determined to score today no matter what.
This is Lazio, after all. Scoring against them could lead to a major increase in points!
After dropping back, Ibrahimovic passed the ball to Kaka on the left.
Kaka and Ronaldo on the left flank repeated their earlier combination, exchanging a series of short passes.
Eventually, Kaka was brought down during a cut inside after receiving a pass from Ronaldo.
The Lazio player received a yellow card.
But if they hadn’t done that, Kaka would have dribbled into the penalty area.
The proactive Ibrahimovic next to him wouldn’t miss the chance again.
"This free kick is in a good position. If Matthaus or Ronaldo were here, they could be a threat," said the commentator.
"Matthaus’s ability at free kicks is well known."
"And Ronaldo is currently the main free kick taker in the European competitions for Sporting Lisbon."
"Deng Kai actively asked to take this free kick."
"Kaka had no objections and handed the ball to Deng Kai."
After Kaka stepped back, Ronaldo asked him, "Why don’t you take it? Your free kicks are so powerful. And you created this one yourself, plus there’s no pressure from the score."
"If you speak up, Kai would let you have it."
Kaka smiled slightly, "Thank you for your compliment, Chris, but you have to understand one thing. Just because someone is stronger than you doesn’t mean they’re actually strong. When you’re weak enough, you can’t really serve as a standard of comparison."
Ronaldo was taken aback and thought hard for a moment.
He was momentarily unsure whether Kaka was complimenting him or praising him.
Deng Kai stood in front of the football, took a deep breath, and then gradually picked up speed.
Bang!
A powerful shot... and Deng Kai suddenly slipped.
The teammates from Sporting Lisbon were stunned.
Ronaldo couldn’t keep a straight face and showed a smile.
This wasn’t mockery, just pure joy.
In the stands, the Lazio fans were also dumbfounded.
Then they immediately began celebrating wildly.
Even though their team’s elimination was inevitable,
the opponent’s ridiculous slip-up in the final moments suggested this team had no future at all.
Falling down during a free kick? What hope could there be for such a player?
Just before, they were pointing to the sky to celebrate and taking photos in the corner area.
"Karma! This is the curse of Gerrard! Deng Kai has been haunted by a vindictive spirit!"
"The Bayern champagne curse has worked its magic! Deng Kai actually made such a basic mistake."
Many media practitioners had even thought up headlines.
Just when all of this was but a flicker of thought, the football that seemed poised to shoot into the sky suddenly plummeted, hanging straight into the dead corner of the goal.
Peruzzi, seeing the initial trajectory of the football, even slowed down his steps.
No need to dive.
This ball is definitely headed sky high.
Whoosh!
Football in the net.
The result in Peruzzi’s mind was completely opposed to what his eyes were seeing.
He stood there, his system crashed.
The ball... went in!
This is...
"My goodness! The ball went in? Deng Kai slipped and fell during the free kick, but the football actually went in!"
"Does falling not affect his control of the football?"
"This almost perfectly replicates Scholl’s free-kick from Bayern’s match against Arsenal last December!"
"After the UEFA Super Cup ended, Bayern’s players expressed unanimous favor and blessings for Sporting Lisbon."
"Among them, Scholl even mentioned: Deng Kai is a magical player, always able to provide all kinds of wonderful assists and score the most preposterous goals. If one day Deng Kai scored a goal as brilliant as mine, I would not be surprised. Because great minds, the choices are always the same!"
"Now it seems, great minds even slip the same way."
Gerard: ???
Gerard: So you’re saying I’m not excellent?
"Hat-trick! Five Champions League games later, Deng Kai, after completing a hat-trick at the UEFA Super Cup, scores another back-to-back goal hat-trick in the final round of the Champions League group stage!"
"Three goals and two assists! YYDS!"
"He is running towards the corner flag area, his fingers are wagging."
"All fans, pay attention, let’s follow Deng Kai and... siuuuuuu!"
There aren’t many Sporting Lisbon fans at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
But at this moment, their voices could spread throughout all of Rome.
The Lazio fans, in their despair, couldn’t help but clap.
"Deng Kai! Deng Kai! Deng Kai!"
"Deng Kai is the best midfielder in Europe!"
"Mendieta is just a bust! The biggest bust in history!"
"Mendieta stole the glory that belongs to Deng Kai!"
"UEFA should take back Mendieta’s trophy and give it to MVP six-time winner Deng Kai!"
"Get lost, Mendieta, get lost!"
From the northern stands, the calling of Deng Kai’s name could be heard.
But this was the gathering place for the loyal Lazio fans.
These people were not fans of Deng Kai.
They were using their support for Deng Kai to attack their own player.
Because they believed that some players played like a pile of dog shit.
On the field, Mendieta’s complexion turned sour.
He too was helpless about the outcome.
But was it really his fault?
A football pitch has over seven thousand square meters, but Italy only gave him a hundred square meters to play in.
He’s playing football here!
He’s just a grounded angel!
More than a few other Lazio players also directed their glances towards Mendieta.
It wasn’t about passing the buck.
It was just that Mendieta had disappointed them.
They had thought that under Mendieta’s lead, they could make a run for the Champions League semi-finals, even the championship.
But as a result...
After this match, Mendieta’s status in the team was bound to undergo earth-shaking changes.
For Mendieta, who was not long famous, this would be a major turning point in his career.
Moving to Lazio had caused his fall from heaven to earth.
And watching Deng Kai take Lisbon Sporting to the last sixteen of the Champions League with a hat-trick was like Mendieta plunging from earth to hell!
[PS: I’m bringing the fifth installment to you guys, I can hardly keep my eyes open... Over the past few days, I’ve been considering whether to live stream writing in a while, but streaming or recording a writing video requires some equipment and a simple desk setup, which is a big investment with no guaranteed return.
The cicada is very much against it.
Of course, I know, he just doesn’t want to buy me the Mechanic KT68, hmph!]
