Chapter 473: Chapter 472: A Bit Expensive, Keira Attends
A whole shipping container, huh.
That’s going to cost a fortune!
Especially next summer!
Dear Melinge fans, I’ve prepared the best gift for you for next summer.
It’s a bit pricey, but you’ve got to buy it!
...
On the 19th of March, the Sporting Lisbon team landed in Barcelona, ready for tomorrow’s do-or-die Champions League match.
The moment Deng Kai stepped off the plane, the fans and reporters in Barcelona started to mess with his head.
Reporter: "Deng Kai, having an affair with Keira Knightley, do you think your conscience will be troubled?"
Deng Kai looked at his watch: "Now you can refresh the news on ’Football Emperor’."
Everyone refreshed the page.
On the ’Football Emperor’ website appeared an exclusive video interview with the Spice Girl Victoria:
"Deng Kai and Keira? Please, that’s really funny, because I knew about it from the very beginning, and it was me who told Keira to go find Deng Kai."
"Here’s how things went down... You get it now? So I really have to give Deng Kai a thumbs-up, he’s been too good to Hathaway, and I truly hope every man in the world learns from him."
"This is what true selfless dedication is, you know?"
Off-camera, Beckham, who was there to be interviewed, had both hands wrapped in bandages, and really wanted to tell Victoria, your husband is pretty great too!
Afterward, Victoria announced that "I Love Beckham," starring Keira Knightley, would surprise premiere on April 11, April Fools’ Day.
Originally, Victoria intended to release this exclusive on The Sun Newspaper.
But Deng Kai suggested they publish it on ’Football Emperor’ instead, arguing that if everything was released by The Sun Newspaper, it would seem a bit too much like a self-directed play.
Victoria immediately took Deng Kai’s advice and commented that ’Football Emperor’ was truly a news website with potential.
Deng Kai expressed his thanks.
When Sporting Lisbon arrived at the hotel, reporters popped up again.
Reporter: "Deng Kai, Keira Knightley has just clarified your relationship, stating that you are just friends. Are you disappointed by this? Will it affect your performance in tomorrow’s match?"
Deng Kai laughed: "I’m lucky to be friends with Keira. What’s wrong with that? Don’t try to guess what I’m thinking with your own thoughts, and likewise, don’t speculate on my condition based on your football skills."
"At least before the end of tomorrow’s game, nothing can stop me from doing three things."
Reporter: "Which three things?"
Deng Kai: "Eating, sleeping, and beating Barca!"
The next day, match day officially arrived.
The game between Barça and Sporting Lisbon, and the match between Arsenal and Juventus were set to take place simultaneously, to avoid the possibility of match-fixing.
Barça’s starting lineup was announced as:
Saviola, Cruyff
Rivaldo, Quaresma
Xavi, Cocu, Gerard
Deboer, Christanval, Puyol
Valdes.
Sitting on the bench were players like Overmars, Giovane, Enrique, and Motta.
Among them, the substitute goalkeeper Valdes was able to start because Bonano was injured during the last round of games.
Thus, the La Masia goalkeeping twins, Reina and Valdes, finally got to compete in the same game.
For Valdes, especially, Reina had always been above him.
Even though he outlasted Reina, it was precisely because Sporting Lisbon saw Reina as superior to Valdes.
So this would be Valdes’s chance to prove himself.
Gerard was able to start because Barça still wanted to try to salvage something.
After all, he was a player who cost them just under twenty million, and if he wasn’t even able to play as a substitute, that would be a pure loss.
Even the Catalans, wealthy as they are, don’t throw money away like that.
On Sporting Lisbon’s side, there was both good news and bad news.
The good news was that the previously injured Ronaldo and Kaka were making a comeback together.
The return of the Brazilian twin stars could push Sporting Lisbon’s offensive threat to the max!
The second piece of good news was that Maxa returned from burning incense, bringing with him mystical forces from the Far East, which might help Sporting Lisbon secure the victory.
The bad news, however, was that Sporting Lisbon’s key central defender Vidic felt a sudden chill and was ruled out of the game.
Lisbon Athletics could only send out their limited first-team substitute defender, Feng Te.
Although this player looked mature, he didn’t exactly inspire confidence on the pitch, not to mention comparing him with Vidic or Barzagli, even compared to the fluctuating Pepe, he was quite lacking.
However, considering that Guardiola needed Veloso and Yaya Toure as substitutes, Pepe had to be deployed in the defensive midfielder position, which meant the center-back spot went cheaply to Feng Te.
Don’t think for a moment that Feng Te was just a point deduction factor, what the fans of Lisbon Athletics truly feared was "one Feng ruins it all".
On the evening of March 20th,
Over eighty thousand fans gathered at Camp Nou.
The Barcelona fans couldn’t wait to personally see Lisbon Athletics ousted from the Champions League.
This way, they would have their revenge for last year’s arrow to the heart.
"Hello to all our viewers, you are watching... Let’s now take a look at the starting lineup for Lisbon Athletics... just as the pre-match rumors suggested."
"Ronaldo, Drogba
Kaka, Deng Kai, Ronaldinho
Pepe, Guardiola
Barzagli, Feng Te, Maicon
Reina"
"The presence of Maicon already signals Lisbon Athletics’ resolve to score in this match. We can see... Huh, why did the director switch the camera angle?"
"This is... Oh! Interesting! Two beauties have appeared on-screen, this is a concentration area for the scarce Lisbon Athletics fans."
"People at the scene are already cheering because these are not just any ordinary people, but two female celebrities."
"On the left is the famous England star Beckham’s wife, the Spice Girl Victoria Caroline!"
"On the right is the English rose Keira Knightley, who has stirred up an eight-level typhoon in the entertainment and sports circles these past few days!"
"Who would have thought they would show up at Camp Nou to cheer for Deng Kai."
"Keira is entirely undaunted by public opinion, it seems that she and Deng Kai are indeed squeaky clean. With this, there should be no one to gossip about this matter afterward."
Ronaldo, on the pitch, saw the big screen and his face was full of disdain.
What’s so special about celebrity fans?
He would have them in the future too.
And they would be bigger stars than Keira!
...
Beep!
With a whistle, the match officially began.
Barcelona’s fans erupted into a massive cheer and jeers, constantly pressuring Lisbon Athletics throughout.
A half-hour into the game, their decibels hadn’t dropped in the slightest.
This challenged the eardrums of players from both sides, who were used to big scenes.
However, to the fans’ disappointment, even with all their ruckus, the scoreboard remained a staunch nil-nil.
Barcelona talked up a lively game before the match, but once on the pitch, they mostly played it backward.
Because they could accept a draw, while Lisbon Athletics couldn’t dare to.
What?
How to explain it to Barcelona’s fans?
Hey!
Are they really naive, or just pretending?
They said they’d slaughter Lisbon Athletics, but football changes in the blink of an eye; stability is most important.
In plain language, the fans can be fooled.
But if you fool the opponent, you’ll be punished.
Moreover, Barcelona’s opponents are this Lisbon Athletics team led by Deng Kai.
Barcelona’s coaching staff couldn’t possibly forget the surprise and fear this player had brought them.
How tall was he last year?
One seventy-something?
Or maybe even without the "something"?
He forcefully hammered in three headers with a thud thud thud!
Ouch!
