Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 488: Lin Quan vs. Cristiano Ronaldo—A Duel of Two Superstars!

As the match between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain kicked off, another crucial game began simultaneously at the Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid faced Wolfsburg. Real Madrid, with no choice but to attack after being pushed to the brink, lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, signaling their intent to go all-out offensively.

Holding a two-goal lead, Wolfsburg seemed to underestimate Real Madrid and deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation at the Bernabéu. While this formation is typically balanced, its use in such a high-stakes away match where the opponent is expected to attack relentlessly was risky, if not overly confident.

Much like Manchester City, Real Madrid launched a ferocious assault on Wolfsburg right from the start. This match saw a completely different Real Madrid than the one that had struggled in the first leg. With their backs against the wall, the team was fully fired up.

In the 15th minute, Carvajal delivered a cross from the right, and Ronaldo, who was perfectly positioned in the box, slotted the ball into the net, making it 1-0. Just one minute later, in the 16th minute, Ronaldo struck again. He capitalized on a corner, timing his run perfectly to head the ball past the goalkeeper, doubling Real Madrid's lead and leveling the aggregate score at 2-2.

Ronaldo's two goals within a minute sent the Bernabéu into a frenzy, with the entire stadium erupting in cheers for him. Despite rumors of his departure the previous summer, the fans knew that Ronaldo was still their most reliable player. His extraordinary scoring ability was something Real Madrid couldn't do without, especially when compared to the less impactful Gareth Bale.

With the score level on aggregate, Real Madrid continued to press Wolfsburg with wave after wave of attacks, while the German side, shell-shocked, struggled to respond. They paid the price for their overconfidence. Winning the first leg at home didn't mean they were on par with Real Madrid, and failing to acknowledge the gap in quality between the two teams proved costly.

Back at the Etihad Stadium, the Barcelona scout watching Manchester City's game became visibly concerned upon hearing the score from Madrid. Initially, Barcelona had hoped that Real Madrid's chances were slim after the first leg. But the news of Real Madrid's early two-goal lead meant that their chances of advancing to the semifinals had significantly increased. If Real Madrid managed to progress, the likelihood of facing them in the next round also rose, something Barcelona wasn't keen on.

On Manchester City's bench, Guardiola was also informed of the scoreline from Madrid. "So, Zidane does have some tricks up his sleeve!" remarked one of the assistant coaches, who had previously doubted Zidane's coaching abilities. The quick turnaround in the tie had changed their minds. "Have you noticed how many of the top coaches were once midfielders?" another coach pointed out. "Yeah, it seems that way," another agreed.

Midfielders often have a great understanding of the game, requiring a strong sense of timing for both attack and defense, as well as the ability to spot and exploit spaces. This perspective gives them an edge when transitioning to coaching. Many of the current top coaches, such as Ancelotti and Guardiola, were midfielders in their playing days.

Guardiola, listening to his staff's discussion, didn't say much but was well aware of Zidane's capabilities. He never doubted Zidane's coaching abilities, especially given how he had made Real Madrid stronger and more dangerous than before. If Manchester City were to face Real Madrid in the semifinals, it would be a tough battle.

As the match continued, Manchester City maintained control but hadn't yet secured the win. Meanwhile, after withstanding Manchester City's relentless pressure for most of the first half, Paris Saint-Germain's players finally breathed a sigh of relief as City eased off slightly. However, just as their guard dropped, Kroos seized the opportunity.

In the 34th minute, Kroos dropped back to receive the ball, and before PSG's forwards could press him, he quickly passed it to the wing. At that very moment, a figure in a Manchester City jersey, numbered 10, darted forward like a racehorse, heading straight for PSG's penalty area. PSG's players, recognizing the threat, broke out in cold sweat—it was Lin Quan.

"Offside! Ref, he's offside!" David Luiz immediately raised his hand, signaling for offside. But the linesman didn't react, keeping pace with the play. "Get back and defend!" Thiago Silva shouted, urging his teammates to fall back. The timing of Lin Quan's run was perfect—not a second too early, which would have been offside, and not a second too late, which would have made it hard to break through.

The PSG goalkeeper rushed out to challenge Lin Quan. Staying on his line would have been futile, given how much of the goal was exposed. But even as he charged out, it was already too late. Lin Quan didn't try to dribble past the keeper; instead, he made a quick feint, tricking the goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball into the net.

The score was now 1-0, and with an aggregate lead of 4-2, Manchester City was firmly in control. For PSG to advance, they would now need to score three goals in the remaining sixty minutes—an almost impossible task, especially away from home against a team like Manchester City.

After scoring, Lin Quan pointed to Kroos, inviting him to celebrate together. The pass from Kroos had been perfectly timed, exploiting the gap left by PSG's three-man defense. Lin Quan had cleverly drifted wide to take advantage of the space, and Kroos, understanding his intent, delivered the perfect pass.

Such coordination was difficult to achieve, requiring not only precise passing but also a deep understanding between the players. Kroos smiled and joined Lin Quan and the others in celebrating. Although he was confident in his pass, he hadn't been entirely sure it would lead to a goal. The move required perfect timing and understanding, something he usually shared with De Bruyne, with whom he had a close working relationship.

But to his surprise, he realized that he and Lin Quan also shared a good understanding, despite not playing together as often. This newfound chemistry caught him off guard but in a good way.

On the sidelines, Guardiola had already risen to his feet in celebration as soon as Kroos made the pass. In his mind, once Lin Quan received the ball and had a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, it was almost a guaranteed goal. Lin Quan's success rate in such situations was incredibly high, and he rarely wasted such opportunities.

As expected, Lin Quan didn't disappoint. He scored with ease, lacking the tension usually associated with a striker facing a one-on-one situation. "This should seal the win, right?" one of the assistant coaches said excitedly, hugging his colleagues. "Yeah, more or less. If we get another goal, it'll be game over!"

Just as they were celebrating, the referee's whistle blew, drawing their attention back to the pitch. There, lying inside PSG's penalty area, was Lin Quan. The fans, who were still reveling in the previous goal, were confused and concerned: What happened? Why is Lin Quan on the ground? And why is PSG's goalkeeper frantically explaining something to the referee?

The stadium's big screen replayed the incident, showing that right after the restart, Manchester City had quickly regained possession and launched a rapid counter-attack. PSG's goalkeeper Trapp, in his attempt to stop Lin Quan, had tripped him, leading to the current situation.

"Red card! That foul was terrible—he should be sent off!" "Penalty!" The Manchester City fans, seeing what had happened, began to call for the goalkeeper to be sent off and for a penalty to be awarded.

The referee hesitated, perhaps out of sympathy for PSG or due to his lenient nature, and chose not to issue a red card. Instead, he showed Trapp a yellow card and awarded Manchester City a penalty.

With PSG already trailing and facing a penalty, losing their goalkeeper as well would have all but ended the match right there. The City fans were unhappy with the decision, booing and chanting "black whistle" to express their displeasure.

Lin Quan, however, didn't seem too bothered. The foul hadn't hurt him, so a yellow card and a penalty seemed like a fair outcome. Having already scored earlier, Lin Quan offered the penalty to Agüero, but the Argentine striker declined. "No, Lin. You've already given me a penalty before. This one is more important for your chances in the Champions League Golden Boot race. Don't waste it on me!"

Agüero, feeling that his form was off that day, didn't want to risk missing the penalty. He also felt a bit embarrassed at the thought of repeatedly taking penalties offered by Lin Quan. Seeing Agüero's determination, Lin Quan decided to take the penalty himself.

Perhaps due to the earlier foul or the psychological pressure from Lin Quan's earlier goals, Trapp looked visibly nervous as he faced Lin Quan from the penalty spot. Sensing this, Lin Quan added a bit of variation to his run-up, throwing off the goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball into the net, securing his brace.

Since it was just a penalty, Lin Quan didn't celebrate too much. He exchanged a few high-fives with his teammates and moved on. Little did he know that, over at the Bernabéu, Ronaldo had also scored twice.

At halftime, upon hearing that Lin Quan had also scored twice, Ronaldo was immediately fired up. He resolved to score at least one more goal in the second half—he couldn't let Lin Quan outdo him!

Ronaldo's competitive spirit meant he hated finishing second to anyone, and the presence of a strong rival only fueled his determination. In contrast, Lin Quan remained calm upon learning of Ronaldo's goals. "Ronaldo scored twice as well? Impressive," he remarked casually, showing no interest in a direct contest with his rival.

However, sometimes luck is unstoppable. In the 76th minute, after a Kante interception, Lin Quan received the ball and, after some deft dribbling, unleashed a long-range shot. He didn't even glance at the goal or the goalkeeper's position before shooting. It was almost a blind attempt, yet the ball flew perfectly into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

The score was now 3-0, and Manchester City had effectively sealed the match. Unbeknownst to Lin Quan, he had just completed a hat trick, pulling ahead in his unintentional duel with Ronaldo.

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