Chapter 651: Chapter 650: Hell’s Stadium
"Let me just say a few words," Deng Kai stood at the doorway as the players made their final preparations in the locker room, "This European match is of exceptional importance for Manchester City."
"It’s Manchester City’s first European match in so many years."
"It’s also the first European match at the Etihad Stadium!"
"This is the beginning of a new era!"
"I know there are all kinds of opinions about our big squad from outside."
"But I want everyone to understand one thing: the only reason you are here, beyond your own excellence, is nothing else!"
"So, I hope in today’s match, everyone can play to the best of your ability."
"Two days after the second leg of this European tie, we will face Liverpool in the Premier League. We cannot afford to lose a single point in the league."
"Therefore, I hope we can end the suspense of this round early today."
"Let the second leg be an opportunity for more players to experience the European match."
"Can you do it?"
Yes!
A thunderous roar echoed through the locker room.
Then the players from both teams entered the tunnel.
As soon as they stepped onto the pitch,
sky blue covered everything.
It was as if they had arrived at the bay of Santorini, with pale blue skies and light blue waters in sight!
Eighty-five thousand Manchester City fans were a force to be reckoned with.
They had waited for this day for decades!
The UEFA Cup!
Manchester City, here we come!
Amazed by the cheers of the fans, the commentator Huang Jianxiang exclaimed, "My God! This is insane! I guess the atmosphere in the Champions League final every year is probably just like this."
Next to him, He Wei nodded, "It’s a bit far-fetched to talk about the Champions League final. Manchester City has never participated in the Champions League since its founding!"
"Is it because they don’t like the Champions League? No, it’s because they were not worthy."
He Wei remained brutally honest.
Zhan Jun smiled slightly, "Of course, we believe that under the leadership of Deng Kai, Manchester City will eventually lift the Champions League trophy! Even multiple times!"
Zhan Jun also maintained his stance, fans masquerading as critics, and critics masquerading as fans.
With the referee’s whistle,
the match officially began.
From the moment the ball was kicked off, Manchester City completely took control of the game.
The players from Lockrun were stunned by the roar of the fans at the Etihad Stadium.
The noise from the fans on-site definitely exceeded 120 decibels!
At this moment, Lockrun wasn’t facing Manchester City; they were up against the monsters of St. Augustine’s Sea, the terrifying Leviathan!
In the third minute,
Deng Kai made his usual pass to the side.
Ribery, one of the top three breakthrough players in the Premier League, made consecutive invincible breakthroughs on the right flank.
Maicon, staying wide on the outside, picked up Ribery’s pass with ease and sent in a precise deadbolt cross.
Manchester City’s forward Adriano leaped into the air, and with a Lion’s Header, he was unmatched.
Whoosh!
The football hit the net.
"GOAL! One-nil!"
"Manchester City breaks the deadlock just three minutes in!"
"Maicon assists Adriano to score the first goal for the team!"
"This is Manchester City! This is the King of Manchester!"
"The noise level in the stadium has reached 125 decibels! I think today Lockrun is going to have a hard time walking out of this stadium with dignity."
"This isn’t Etihad Stadium, this is simply the Etihad Hell!"
Huang Jianxiang provided the passionate commentary,
finding the most accurate name for Manchester City’s new stadium—Hell Stadium!
In the ninth minute,
Just as Lockrun’s players thought they had finally withstood Manchester City’s second wave of attacks, and the two sides were about to enter a tug-of-war phase,
Manchester City, under Deng Kai’s command, pressed forward en masse, with all defensive players crossing the midfield line.
Deng Kai played a diagonal pass that sent the football to the front edge of the left flank.
Lahm’s feet seemed to catch the wind as he took the ball down the line.
Villa quickly drilled into the penalty area, then veered forward on a new course.
Bang!
Lahm kicked for a cross.
Lockrun’s players were all focused on defending against Adriano and the advancing Deng Kai.
As a result, the unmarked Villa at the near post glanced a header, directly scoring a goal.
"Oh oh oh! Two to zero! David Villa from Spain, the gourd baby, also nets a goal!"
"That’s his third goal for Manchester City!"
"That pass, coming from the recently on-fire Lahm’s assist!"
"Manchester City’s full-backs are more offensive than many Premier League wingers or even forwards!"
"Not even ten minutes into the game, both left and right full-backs have each provided an assist."
The sixteenth minute.
Deng Kai wall-passed with Fabregas then played a through ball to Adriano, who fired a shot under pressure from the opposing center-backs, but hit the post.
Lockrun had a narrow escape.
The twenty-seventh minute.
Deng Kai moved laterally with the ball, swapped positions with Fabregas, then passed the football to him.
Fabregas surged forward.
Adriano dropped back.
In the midst of their interchanging movement, Fabregas passed the football to Adriano.
Adriano then turned and moved laterally with the ball for a couple of steps before distributing it to Ribery on the right flank.
Ribery, unguarded, cut inside with the ball, drawing defenders before sliding a pass across.
Position-swapping Deng Kai rushed forward, seizing the moment to execute a long shot from the right arc on the edge of the penalty area.
The football set off a splash of white spray.
"Three to zero! Too easy! Just too comfortable!"
"Emperor of Manchester City Deng Kai also secures a goal! Deng Kai waves to the fans in the stands, and the stadium’s decibels rise by three!"
"This goal might seem effortless, but the underlying issues it highlights are deeply alarming."
"Manchester City’s midfield and forwards are operating too smoothly, like a finely tuned machine."
"Continuous tactical runs combined with the players’ unique skills have completely torn apart the opposition’s defensive formation! Just now, it was not only Deng Kai, but at least three Manchester City players all had shooting opportunities above eight out of ten!"
"This is simply not the same level of play."
"I think Manchester City could very likely score a big win today!"
"If it really turns out that way, then... the reason they have so many new signings and youngsters on their bench becomes clear."
A light bulb went off in Huang Jianxiang’s mind; with this, everything fell into place.
Manchester City was brimming with confidence in this match.
Pre-match, you could say they were arrogant.
But now, you can only say they are strong!
...
Following Deng Kai’s goal, Lockrun finally understood their fate in this match.
They gave up struggling and tried to defend.
"The match has temporarily entered a stalemate phase, with both sides having their share of the play for these ten-plus minutes!" He Wei summarized the past period’s performance from both teams.
Huang Jianxiang was full of question marks.
You call dominating with an eighty-one percent possession rate, bombarding with twelve shots, and forcing the opposition into two yellow cards a stalemate phase?
He Wei: Well... at least the score is still in a stalemate.
The forty-second minute.
After Deng Kai’s deep-fried meatball dribbling, he delivered a through pass.
The advancing Fabregas made contact with the opponent in the penalty area and fell to the ground.
The head referee blew the whistle.
A yellow card package!
