Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 138 Battle Against Liverpool
Manchester City Stadium.

The stands were packed with people, and the shouts of 50,000 spectators made the scene extremely exciting.

Shan Yongzhuo was also very excited. This stadium was luxurious and much better than the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

After the match started, both sides played with great passion.

Neither Manchester City nor Liverpool played conservatively, and both sides quickly got into the game, with continuous attacks and defenses making the match very exciting.

This kind of back-and-forth battle is what fans love to watch most. The fast pace greatly increases the entertainment value of the game, and the cheers from the stands rise one wave after another.

In a continuous back-and-forth attack, the opportunities for forwards will naturally increase, but Shan Yongzhuo doesn't feel it very well, the reason being Carragher.

From the first minute of the match, Carragher came over to mark Shan Yongzhuo closely. Carragher is a product of Liverpool's youth academy and, like Gerrard, has always played for Liverpool. He is a strong, experienced player who also has speed.

It's actually a waste for a defensive player of this caliber to single out the opposing striker.

However, Hodgson did it anyway.

This made things a bit difficult for Shan Yongzhuo. Moreover, Carragher is different from those Italian defenders who rely more on positioning. He is very aggressive in pressing and tackling, which puts Shan Yongzhuo in intense physical confrontations, making it difficult for him to receive the ball.

Moreover, the hard-won corner kick opportunity was not scored by his powerful leg kick, which was brilliantly saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Reina, leaving Shan Yongzhuo extremely disappointed.

However, his teammates gradually got used to Shan Yongzhuo's style of play. After several failed attempts to pass the ball, they stopped passing it to Shan Yongzhuo and relied more on Tevez, Milner, and Yaya Toure, who kept making runs down the flanks.

Hodgson, who was on the sidelines, naturally saw this situation, but he couldn't be sure. He had a deep understanding of Shan Yongzhuo.

The more tightly controlled a situation appears, the more dangerous it actually is, because if they relax their guard, the opponent is very likely to score a goal.

Dan Yongzhuo was a force to be reckoned with in Serie A. Even defenders of Nestor and Samuel's caliber had a hard time completely containing him. Hodgson could only hope that Carragher would be a success.

However, such a defense is prone to problems.

The Premier League is not Serie A. In Serie A, the defensive philosophy is already an integral part of the body for most teams. When they assign a player to closely mark Shan Yongzhuo, the overall defense can still maintain its formation.

Hodgson clearly cannot do that.

Just 12 minutes into the game, Lescott passed the ball to Milner on the wing. Milner then broke past Glen Johnson and swept the ball into the penalty area from near the byline.

Carragher and Skrtel were separated by Shan Yongzhuo and Tevez, creating a gap in the middle. Barry, who had made a run into the box, met the ball with a powerful shot and scored.

Manchester City have taken a 1-0 lead.

Hodgson watched from the sidelines, frowning. Allowing the opponent to take the lead at home was not a good situation.

Moreover, Manchester City's attack became increasingly smooth and created continuous threats. In just 20 minutes, Manchester City had already had 5 shots on goal.

"That does not work!"

Hodgson had to make adjustments, stopping Carragher from constantly following Shan Yongzhuo and instead having Lucas retreat further. Once Shan Yongzhuo retreated, Lucas moved closer.

Liverpool's defense improved somewhat, at least their overall formation wasn't too chaotic.

However, this is actually a good thing for Shan Yongzhuo.

Shan Yongzhuo's biggest threat comes from his shots after dropping back to receive the ball. Without Carragher's close marking, Shan Yongzhuo has significantly more opportunities after dropping back, and his goal came quickly.

In the 28th minute, Shan Yongzhuo retreated to a position 20 meters in front of the penalty area and received a pass from De Jong. He immediately launched a ghost-like tackle, using a time difference to dodge Lucas and get a shot off.

Carragher quickly closed in, but he was a step too late; Shan Yongzhuo had already taken a shot.

Reina leaped high, but the ball's speed and angle were impeccable. Reina's save was merely a perfunctory gesture towards the ball, failing to achieve any real effect.

"Goal!" "Shan Yongzhuo! Shan Yongzhuo!"

The commentators exclaimed repeatedly, "Shan Yongzhuo, he evaded Lucas and unleashed a powerful shot, changing the score!"

"2 to 0!"

"Just 28 minutes into the first half, Manchester City are already leading Liverpool by two goals at home!"

The fans in the stands all around cheered excitedly, and every fan was very happy.

This is Manchester City's first home game of the season, and their opponent is Premier League giants Liverpool.

Even the most optimistic Manchester City fans wouldn't have expected the game to end like this; with only 28 minutes played in the first half, the team was already leading Liverpool by two goals.

Manchester City fans in the stands cheered excitedly in support of their team, and many of them chanted Shan Yongzhuo's name.

When a team scores a goal, the fans can chant the player's name, which means that the player has been recognized by the fans.

He scored a hat-trick in the last game, but that was an away game after all, and Manchester City fans are still looking forward to Shan Yongzhuo's home debut.

Now, Shan Yongzhuo has scored a goal, and more fans have come to like him.

"Shan Yongzhuo is indeed impressive!"

"No wonder the club spent a lot of money to bring him in; he's already scoring goals in quick succession at the very beginning of the season."

"That's the fourth goal now, four goals in two games!"

"If he continues like this, we're sure to win the championship!"

Many fans are looking forward to it.

On the field.

Lucas gave his teammates an apologetic gesture. After carefully recalling the goal, he realized that it wasn't his mistake, but rather that the opponent was simply too fast at that moment.

"That's absolutely true, everything they're saying outside is false!"

"His speed may not be outstanding, but his explosive power in that instant is terrifying!"

This was the only conclusion Lucas could come up with, and he also felt a sense of humiliation.

The opponent had no chance against Carragher's defense, but when it was his turn, he conceded a goal, which is not a good thing.

"This guy is not simple, I need to be serious!"

Meanwhile, Manchester City held a simple celebration.

Tevez was very frustrated, but he could only force a smile.

In previous matches, Tevez had many opportunities but failed to score, while Shan Yongzhuo, who was tightly marked by Carragher, scored.

This is very uncomfortable.

"I need to work harder, I absolutely can't let this guy get too far ahead!"

With that in mind, Tevez ran even more actively.

(End of this chapter)