Chapter 466: Chapter 465 Maxa’s Incense Burning Guide (Requesting Monthly Pass)
Drogba leapt forward, performing a less than graceful header reminiscent of a struggling old loach.
It was a bit like the strained efforts of a loach that could barely jump.
But it was enough.
The football shot into the net, directly hitting the inside of the side netting, and no matter how much Buffon extended his arms and legs, he couldn’t possibly reach it.
"Beautiful! Maicon and Drogba have successfully connected!"
"Sporting Lisbon’s tactics have paid off! If Ronaldo’s goal was an accident, then Maicon’s cross is exactly what Sporting Lisbon intended to deliver."
"Ibrahimovic’s position is crucial—he alone is restraining Pesotto, Dai Weisi, and Ferrara! All Drogba needs to do is contend with Monteiro, and there’s even a big gap between Monteiro and Ferrara to exploit."
"Two-nil! The roles of the two teams seem to have switched since their last encounter. Sporting Lisbon is dominating, while Juventus seems to have no hope of a comeback."
"In fact, Juventus is indeed experiencing some fluctuations in the league right now, having dropped some points they shouldn’t have, allowing Inter Milan to overtake them."
"As long as Inter Milan doesn’t make any mistakes, the skies of Serie A are likely to be black and blue this year."
Then, as Dai Weisi’s shot, motivated more by frustration than precision, flew into the stands, the first half came to an end.
The score remained two-nil.
In fact, the main problem for Juventus today lies with Conte.
Older and not in top form, Conte not only passed on the captain’s armband to Pierro this season but also found himself sitting on the bench.
If nothing unexpected happens, he will retire next year or the year after.
There are reports that he has already enrolled in a coaching course and will choose to retire and re-enter the workforce once he obtains his coaching license.
No player turns to coaching while they can still run.
And so it is with Conte.
The same went for Deschamps and Matthaus before him.
Guardiola is no different.
The only difference is that the last three encountered Deng Kai and Trigella.
From a tactical standpoint, their weaknesses were covered and their strengths highlighted, leading many to believe they were still at their peak.
But in reality, all three of them are of the caliber that could retire then and there.
Maxa: So they never met me?
Guardiola: Deschamps and Matthaus is one thing, but hell, I’m playing right beside you, you’re telling me to retire?
Guardiola: So I leave?
In the second half, Juventus made no personnel changes but there definitely were tactical ones.
Their defense visibly intensified.
In the 64th minute, after Ronaldinho and Ronaldo switched positions, Ronaldinho received a pass from Deng Kai and attempted a bicycle dribble... only to be violently taken down by Thuram.
The referee went over to warn Thuram that next time, he would receive a yellow card.
But Ronaldinho lay on the ground for quite a while, even the medics came onto the field.
Afterward, Ronaldinho received treatment off the field, and after tentatively walking and running for a while, he returned to the field of play.
That scared everyone at Sporting Lisbon.
If Ronaldinho were to be injured again, that would make three injured starting midfielders.
It would be as if the entire midfield of any other team had been wiped out.
No matter how brilliant Deng Kai was, he would likely find it difficult to succeed alone.
The 70th minute.
Drogba dropped back to receive a pass and then laterally fed the ball to Ronaldo, who took a shot from distance before Monteiro closed in on him.
However, Buffon had already adjusted his form, successfully pushing the football over the baseline.
Ronaldinho took the corner kick.
Bang!
The football was in play.
Juventus’s box was chaos.
Yet Deng Kai suddenly pushed forward from outside the penalty area, and by the time he reached the penalty spot, he was undefended!
The football fell towards Deng Kai.
Deng Kai didn’t stop the ball, but just blasted a shot directly.
There was no need to pursue angle anymore.
With so many people in the penalty area, luck was more important than shooting skills.
Swish!
And Deng Kai’s luck had always been good.
The football went straight into the net, splashing up white waves.
"GOAL! Deng Kai has also scored! He delivered the final blow on Juventus’s struggling corpse!"
"That’s also Deng Kai’s seventh goal in this Champions League competition."
"He is tied for second on the Champions League top scorers list with van Nistelrooy! Keep in mind, he is a midfielder!"
"Three to zero! Sporting Lisbon has secured a big win over Juventus!"
"The English took one point away from this stadium, whereas the Italians couldn’t take any. Because this is Portuguese territory, this is the land of the Caesar of football!"
Estádio Alvalade boiled over once again.
The fans began to sing the team anthem, celebrating the team’s chances of advancing to the quarterfinals.
After the celebrations, Sporting Lisbon decisively played their substitution card.
Veloso replaced Ronaldo, who sat down on the ground to check his ankle again after taking the corner kick.
Ronaldo’s ankle must have been injured by Thuram’s tackle, and the real concern now was whether it was serious and if it would affect future matches.
After coming on, Veloso took Pepe’s position, and Pepe moved to left-back.
Sporting Lisbon switched to a 433 formation, strengthening their defense.
At the same time, Juventus also began making personnel adjustments.
They substituted the poorly performing defensive midfielder Conte and center-back Montero.
The eightieth minute.
Nedved, resisting the substitute Veloso, delivered a through-ball.
Pierro played a one-two and found Trezeguet.
Trezeguet feigned a shot to shake off Vidic and then scored, netting Juventus’s only goal of the match.
One to three!
Juventus had at least found a fig leaf, not losing too disgracefully.
After the game, Lippi said Juventus had beaten themselves, and that Sporting Lisbon was not that strong, but it was as if Juventus’s defenders hadn’t woken up that day.
Trigella also expressed his concerns about Ronaldo’s injury in an interview, describing it as "the demon of injury seems to have set its sights on Sporting Lisbon; it’s very difficult to explain all that has happened from a scientific perspective."
Maxa even booked a plane ticket to China on the spot: "Chinese temples are very efficacious. In China, when you encounter difficulties, burning incense is definitely the right move."
"Deng Kai’s ancestral home is in Jiangyou, Mianyang, Sichuan, so I will choose to burn incense at the Holy Water Temple in Mianyang, Qiqu Mountain Grand Temple in Mianyang Zitong, and Luohan Temple in Jiangyou."
"This is not superstition, it’s just a kind and hopeful wish."
Reporter: "What about your players without you, how will they manage?"
The reporter meant, without you, how will the team manage tactics, training, and morale.
But the reporter did not understand Maxa’s real role at Sporting Lisbon.
Maxa didn’t need to explain anything, he just said with a slight smile, "Don’t worry, everyone. Even though I’ll be away temporarily, Feng Te will take over my work."
"He has a lot of potential in this area, and I believe that in the future, he can reach a level of proficiency that is not inferior to mine!"
The reporters were all shocked.
What aspects?
Football?
This... who would have thought Feng Te also had the potential to be a great manager!
It seems they had failed to recognize a master among them!
[PS: Readers who can hold onto their monthly tickets might want to check for double-point events at the end of the month and consider giving them to Taozi.
For those who can’t hold onto them or may vote for other books, Taozi suggests you cast your votes to our "Energetic Peach" earlier rather than later!
It’s not that Taozi doesn’t trust you all, but with "Flowers in bloom so tempting to the eyes, Neighbor Wang hasn’t stolen them yet," Taozi is worried you might not resist the temptation!]
