Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 398, Mancini indeed knows Shan Yongzhuo very well.
The pre-match hype gradually subsided.

As the start of the match approached, many eyes were focused on the Bernabéu Stadium. The referee blew his whistle, and all twenty-two players on the field sprang into action.

Real Madrid kicked off first.

After Higuain passed the ball to Ronaldo, Ronaldo passed it back to Alonso.

Shan Yongzhuo leisurely ran towards Real Madrid's half of the field, and Ramos immediately followed. It seems that Ramos will be responsible for defending him in this match.

Even Mancini dared not fail to assign someone to closely mark Shan Yongzhuo. While Ramos was assigned to closely mark him, Shan Yongzhuo also noticed Khedira roaming around him in the defensive midfield position, keeping a close eye on his various receiving routes.

"Robert, is he trying to cut off my receiving lanes?"

Shan Yongzhuo understood Mancini's strategy almost immediately.

Because it wasn't just Ramos and Khedira; Essien's runs were also coordinated with Khedira's, and their main goal was to cut off the connection between other players and Shan Yongzhuo.

In this match, Guardiola fielded a rather unusual 4-1-4-1 formation, with Kompany partnering with new signings, Serbian youngster Nastasic playing as center-back, and Maicon and Clichy on the flanks as full-backs.

Javi Garcia stood in front of the four defenders, and as the only defensive midfielder, he seemed to be responsible for sweeping up the sweepers.

With four midfielders—Silva, Yaya Toure, Barry, and Nasri—lined up in a row, it's clear that Manchester City intends to engage in a fierce battle with Real Madrid in midfield.

Shan Yongzhuo, as the lone spearhead, was at the very front.

Real Madrid did not field Mancini's favorite 4-2-2-2 formation, but rather a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation.

Ramos was assigned to closely mark Shan Yongzhuo, the lone striker. In addition, Khedira and Essien were also there to assist in the defense. The three of them formed a pincer movement, seemingly trying to cut off Shan Yongzhuo's attack at its source.

The other defensive midfielder is Alonso, who is the core of the transition between attack and defense.

The two midfielders are Cristiano Ronaldo and Di Maria, each occupying a wing. Since there is no one in the central midfield, the two can not only play on the wings, but also move towards the center at any time.

Higuain, as the lone striker, was positioned at the very front, but he primarily served as a tactical center forward.

Neither team used their preferred formation, so the match was largely a trial-and-error exercise from the start.

However, Real Madrid still managed to dominate Manchester City in the first 10 minutes.

Manchester City's midfielder and Shan Yongzhuo struggled to combine effectively, even finding it difficult to pass the ball. Khedira and Essien both possess strong sweeping abilities, and with their combined efforts, Shan Yongzhuo found it hard to receive the ball.

With the ball unable to reach Shan Yongzhuo, Manchester City had to rely more on midfield passing and wing attacks.

However, Real Madrid's attacks down the flanks are even more lethal, especially on their left flank.

Both Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo possess strong attacking abilities on the wings. Marcelo constantly pushed forward, combining with Ronaldo, or simply making breakthroughs and assists on the wing, which made Manchester City's side somewhat disheveled for a time.

Manchester City are also capable of launching counter-attacks.

Marcelo's repeated forward runs left a lot of space on Silva's side, allowing Manchester City to launch attacks through that area.

However, Maicon is getting old and his form has declined significantly, while Silva is not the kind of player who is particularly good at running forward; he is better at short-range passing and breakthroughs.

Therefore, Manchester City's counter-attacks were ineffective.

Shan Yongzhuo, on the other hand, seemed like an outsider.

This match was indeed quite difficult for him.

Mancini is indeed very familiar with his various playing habits, knowing how he prefers to receive the ball and in which positions he likes to receive it.

It's clear that Real Madrid has done targeted training for this, as Khedira and Essien are able to make a breakthrough every time they come out, easily cutting off Shan Yongzhuo's receiving of the ball in advance.

"This is getting a bit difficult..."

Dan Yongzhuo also sensed something was wrong. He didn't even have a chance to use his skill to receive the ball. Khedira and Essien reacted too quickly. Even if he used his skill, it would be difficult to catch up and win the ball.

Using two or three skills at once is possible; for example, using the light-footed skill of walking on water to catch up with the opponent using speed, and then using the whirlwind kick to steal the ball and break through. However, Shan Yongzhuo didn't want to waste that skill. Therefore, he reverted to his former self, the one who was practically invisible on the field when he first joined professional football.

The Spanish media naturally noticed this as well, and they were quite pleased with it.

"In the first ten minutes, Shan Yongzhuo didn't make a single move. So far, he has only touched the ball twice, but both times Khedira easily intercepted it."

"Mancini certainly knows Shan Yongzhuo very well. It seems that Mancini's strategy has caused him a lot of trouble. Once Shan Yongzhuo stops scoring, Manchester City will also be in great difficulty."

The English commentator naturally noticed this as well, but he wasn't as optimistic as the Spanish commentator.

He had watched Shan Yongzhuo's matches countless times, and this kind of situation was actually quite common. He had a mysterious confidence in Shan Yongzhuo.

"This is normal. In fact, Shan Yongzhuo is like this most of the time."

"He's like a rattlesnake, usually hiding in the shadows and making no sound, but when he really strikes, it's a fatal blow."

"His career average running distance is only slightly over 2000 meters, which is due to his playing style."

"So I'm not worried at all, because you never know when Shan Yongzhuo might suddenly score a goal."

"..."

The English commentator spoke with great arrogance.

On the field, Manchester City's chance did indeed come.

In the 14th minute of the match, Marcelo's dribble on the wing was dispossessed, and Manchester City launched a counter-attack.

Finally, Nasri's cross was cleared out of bounds by Varane, resulting in a Manchester City corner kick.

"Watch out, keep a close eye on his direct shot!"

Mancini shouted a reminder from the sidelines.

Casillas was on high alert and dared not relax his guard in the slightest.

Having suffered greatly at Shan Yongzhuo's hands last season, he had a deep understanding of Shan Yongzhuo's abilities. Seeing Shan Yongzhuo heading towards the corner kick spot, Casillas immediately dared not relax for a moment.

"You must come in!"

Dan Yongzhuo prayed silently, glancing at Casillas's position.

Then, the Mighty Vajra Leg.

He swung his foot, and the outside of his foot made contact with the football.

The football soared high, drawing a huge and bizarre arc.

Casillas immediately ran towards the far corner.

To his surprise, the football knife spun rapidly after reaching its highest point, and then quickly spun back, eventually heading towards the near post.

"Oops!"

Casillas looked at that direction.

Ramos stood there, ready to pounce, and when the ball came flying towards him, he leaped high into the air.

Unfortunately, it didn't reach the top.

The ball didn't go all the way to the near corner, but veered slightly towards the center, eventually grazing the crossbar and flying into the goal.

The ball went in!
(End of this chapter)