Team Spirit

Chapter 202 Moggi may be a villain, but Buffon is a true hero.

The atmosphere was quite awkward as the players lined up in the players' tunnel.

The Green Gunners players were menacing, and some of them, like Ashley Young, had scratches on their faces.

The Juventus players, on the other hand, looked around nervously, clearly in the wrong.

On the contrary, Ibrahimovic, despite having clashed with Green Gunner in the last match, actually took the initiative to ask Lu Kai this time: "I heard you guys ran into trouble, how are you now? Don't let me exert myself and you be down later."

"Zlatan disdains to play matches that are not won honorably."

Lu Kai looked at Ibrahimovic: "You could have used all your strength in this game, but even so, you couldn't have saved Juventus from defeat."

Ibrahimovic's lips curled up: "At least he's still tough on the outside, so I'm relieved."

Both teams entered the field.

The boos from the crowd outweighed the cheers.

Some Juventus fans have already learned about the attack on the Green Gunners' bus, but this will only make them more excited, as they are unaware of the details.

It must be that Green Gun did something excessively provocative to the fans, which caused the dissatisfaction of our local Juventus fans.

Otherwise, it was done by the CCP, and has nothing to do with us legitimate fans.

We'll cheer, but we won't take the blame.

The starting lineups for both sides are also readily apparent.

Juventus adopted a balanced 4-4-2 formation:

Del Piero, Ibrahimovic

Nedved, Blasi, Emerson, Camoranesi
Zambrotta, Montero, Thuram, Zebina
Buffon
-

This lineup is currently the most luxurious one.

Even without the underhanded tactics of the Calciopoli scandal, they might still have won the Serie A title.

Dartford side:

Arshavin, Forlan, Ribery
Lu Kai, Carrick, Toure

Ashley Young, Vidic, Cannavaro, Maicon

Foster

-

The lineup remained largely unchanged, but Crouch, who was originally a substitute, was injured in the conflict and was temporarily replaced by young Giroud.

With a whistle, the game officially began.

Dartford started aggressively, taking the initiative and launching their own attack.

Ashley Young overlapped with Arshavin on the wing, feigned a cut inside, but actually went down the byline and swept the ball across the goal.

Thuram fought desperately to clear the area before Fran could.

Danger after danger.

In the fourth minute, Lu Kai made a long pass to the right side.

After receiving the ball, Ribery made several feints to adjust his position before launching a high ball at a 45-degree angle.

Lu Kai darted into the penalty area and headed the ball towards the goal from the near post at a 68-degree angle.

Buffon leaped up and blocked the ball over the crossbar with one hand.

It feels like this green gun is different from the last time we faced each other.

In the eleventh minute, Juventus seized an opportunity and launched an attack from the left.

After receiving the ball, Nedved dribbled while preparing to shoot from long range.

The football was unexpectedly snatched from behind.

Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Ribery.

One winger tracked back to the defensive midfield position.

what's the situation?
In the 16th minute, Camoranesi broke through on the wing, and Arshavin chased and harassed him all the way, even actively engaging in physical confrontation.

This annoyed Camoranesi so much that he finally pushed Arshavin to the ground.

The referee blew the whistle.

Offensive foul.

Possession of the ball belongs to the Green Gunners.

The Juventus players were all incredibly frustrated.

They certainly knew why the Green Gunners were collectively "going berserk" right now.

It's unfair that they have to bear the consequences when they didn't do the work.

Many players looked up at the Juventus box, probably cursing Moggi countless times.

This match was originally going to be a solid affair, ending with a close score, and regardless of the outcome, they would have easily advanced.

But now... if they continue playing like this, Juventus' players will eventually lose their temper.

At that point, the situation will be very unpredictable, and the outcome will be uncertain.

In the 25th minute, Green Gun scored a triple attack on the left flank.

Arshavin, Lu Kai, and Ashley Young made consecutive sprints, with Ashley Young delivering a low crossover pass from the byline.

Carrick followed up at the edge of the box and fired a shot.

Unfortunately, it was pushed up a bit.

In the 32nd minute, Nedved successfully defended Ribery one-on-one in midfield. Ribery, influenced by his emotions, acted somewhat irrationally and took the initiative to physically challenge him.

Little did people know that the title of "Iron Man" Nedved was not undeserved.

Nedved possesses exceptional physical fitness, resilience, ability to compete, and balance.

Nedved advanced rapidly and launched a counterattack.

A through ball found Del Piero.

Del Piero, who was half a step ahead of Carrick, deliberately adjusted his route, used his body to block Carrick, and then delivered a pass.

Ibrahimovic made a run and successfully received the ball.

However, Piero was bumped by Carrick and lost his balance, falling forward.

That's what makes Prince Zebra so brilliant.

Once Ibrahimovic gets the ball, he will naturally shoot directly at the goal. If he scores, he will get a goal. But if he doesn't find an opportunity, the referee may very well award Juventus a free kick in a very good position.

This position is close to the penalty area, making it a very dangerous location for free kicks.

Even at the very worst possible outcome, he can still put pressure on the Green Gunners' defensive players.

The opponent's defensive intensity will relax for a moment as a result.

Ibrahimovic possesses exceptional individual ability. If the physical challenges he faces are minimal, his footwork makes it easy for him to dribble past defenders and take a shot.

really.

The moment Del Piero fell to the ground, Vidic, who was chasing Ibrahimovic in the penalty area, instinctively reduced the force of the confrontation.

To avoid knocking Ibrahimovic over and giving the opponent a penalty.

However, he was the one chasing Ibrahimovic and his position was not yet secure.

Ibrahimovic rushed into the penalty area, received the ball, and slowed down, indicating he was prepared.

Two people, each over 1.9 meters tall, collided.

Vidic was actually bounced away!

Oops!

Ibrahimovic stood ready, raised his leg, and delivered a powerful kick...

boom!
Cannavaro performed a quick short-legged somersault, sending the ball slightly to the side.

Ibrahimovic unleashed a powerful left-footed shot, sending the ball flying straight towards the stands behind the goal, hitting the fans and leaving them dizzy.

It actually broke!
Ibrahimovic immediately turned around and glared angrily at Cannavaro.

This short guard is something else; he's even harder to deal with than that big guy!

It is said that Juventus also wanted to sign this star player this season, but unfortunately, the Green Gunner beat them to it.

It now appears that he is better than his own team's defender, Montero.

In the 38th minute, Maicon passed the ball to Ribery.

After failing to break through, the latter passed the ball back to Maicon who came up.

Maicon continued dribbling forward down the right flank.

Fran returned to provide support.

Maicon passes the ball to Forlán.

Fran passed the ball back to Carrick.

Carrick passed the ball across to Lu Kai.

The next moment, Ashley Young, Arshavin, Fran, and Maicon appeared.

All four arrows were fired simultaneously, all thrusting forward.

Lu Kai made a diagonal pass, finding the opening in front of his right flank.

Montero hastily turned to face the enemy.

Maicon made a powerful run, seemingly heading straight into the penalty area.

Montero's blocking foot wasn't firm enough.

The ball hit the back of his foot, still rolled up, and bounced into the penalty area.

Maicon, accelerating, instantly overtook Montero and, like a center forward, resolutely charged into the penalty area.

Fran used his body to hold Thuram back, creating an opportunity for Maicon.

Buffon sensed something was wrong and quickly launched an attack.

Maicon caught up with the ball and fired a shot the instant it bounced off the ground.

If Buffon comes out completely when the ball falls a second time, then the chance will be gone.

This is also a unique talent of Brazilian players.

Swish!
It flew past Buffon, who was making a hasty attack, without being blocked.

"GOAL! One to zero!"

Dartford took the initiative and scored the first goal.

"Their attack today was very aggressive; even their full-backs were pushing into the opponent's penalty area!"

"It seems that the unexpected incident before the match has ignited Green Gun's fighting spirit."

"They would rather die standing than live on their knees!"

Juventus manager Capello was speechless. Moggi's foolish attempt to teach the Englishman and Lu Kai a lesson off the field backfired and actually affected Juventus' own fighting spirit.

Capello shouted to the players from the sidelines: "Hey, focus on the game, don't think about anything else."

"In any case, we should win the game first, and then think about other things."

"Remember, you are players! Professional players!"

Capello's words woke up the Juventus players.

Yes.

If they continue to be distracted by off-field factors and can't even defeat Green Gunners in unexpected situations, wouldn't they become a laughing stock and follow in the footsteps of Barcelona and Real Madrid?

Juventus' morale has shifted.

They've also started increasing the power level of the green gun.

In the 41st minute, Camoranesi passed the ball back to Emerson, who then moved forward to find Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic delivered a beautiful backheel pass to Nedved.

Iron Man's goal is to unleash a super long-range shot from 25 meters away.

The accuracy is excellent.

Foster made a diving save, tipping the ball out of the goal and then flicking his right hand.

That's incredibly powerful!

He truly deserves his reputation as one of the top stars known for his long-range shots.

In the 45th minute, Nedved passed the ball across to Del Piero and then made a forward run himself.

Del Piero turned and feigned a shot; this was his "Del Piero zone," where his curling shots were always accurate.

Cannavaro and Del Piero have clashed many times in Serie A, and Cannavaro knows this well, so he will do his best to keep Del Piero out of the game.

Del Piero seized the opportunity to pass the ball across the box.

Ibrahimovic stepped onto the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a low shot at the ball.

Vidic dove to block, but little did he know that Ibrahimovic's shot was a clever one.

Emphasis is placed on angle rather than force.

Therefore, the route was vastly different from Vidic's assessment.

Vidic intended to block the ball with his shin, but it hit his chest instead.

Even though it wasn't a powerful shot, that close-range shot was still very painful.

Moreover, a direct hit to the chest is extremely dangerous.

Fortunately, Vidic was very strong, and after a while, his face flushed red, he recovered without being forced to leave the game.

Then the first half of the game ended.

Although Green Gunners had an early advantage, they were clearly pushed back by Juventus in the later stages. Despite scoring a goal, Juventus then took control of the game.

Given the style of Serie A, playing steadily and methodically to wear down Green Gunner shouldn't be a problem.

The impact of the unexpected events before the match on both teams was largely eliminated by the end of the first half.

Fifteen minutes later, the two sides switched sides and resumed play.

This time, everyone became extremely professional.

They all brought out their best performance.

In the 47th minute, Arshavin dropped back and made a cross-run with Lu Kai.

Touré seized the opportunity and delivered a long pass deep to the left side.

Lu Kai caught up with the ball and passed it back.

Ashley Young followed up with a powerful shot from the left side of the penalty area.

That was a very skillful kick.

However, Buffon made a textbook diving save to deflect the ball away.

Carrick and Ibrahimovic battled for the header at the top of the penalty area.

Both of them were making subtle moves.

But Ibrahimovic was one step ahead, drawing a foul from Carrick and gaining possession of the ball.

In the 53rd minute, Arshavin made a series of feints on the left wing before passing the ball to Lu Kai, who was nearby.

Lu Kai dribbled the ball laterally, immediately shaking off Zebina, and then feigned a shot, deceiving Thuram.

He dribbled forward a step and then fired a low shot.

Montero raised his foot to block.

However, Lu Kai's shot was more about cleverness than power.

He passed between Montero's legs and unleashed a low, low shot towards the goal.

Unfortunately, he could get past Montero, but not Buffon.

Buffon quickly got to the ground and caught the ball.

The ball speed is too slow!
"Oh! Buffon didn't give Green Gunner a second chance to score. This save was top-notch."

"Lu Kai's continuous dribbling was actually quite good. If the opponent had changed their goalkeeper, they probably could have scored this goal."

The camera focused on Lu Kai, then on Buffon and Nedved.

It's clearly a competition to see who is better.

In the 59th minute, Arshavin immediately won the ball back after losing possession.

Camoranesi passed back to Blasi.

Arshavin went along anyway.

Lu Kai seized the opportunity to surround and hold off Blasi.

But Blasi was prepared to pass the ball back.

At the crucial moment, Arshavin was fast enough to crash into them.

With Lu Kai and his companion attacking from both sides, they turned Blasi into a sandwich.

All three of them fell to the ground.

The referee blew his whistle and showed Arshavin a yellow card.

Arshavin did not argue, but instead clutched his knee.

His knees collided with Blasi's.

The team doctors from both sides entered the field.

After examining Arshavin, it was confirmed that he was injured, although not seriously, but he had to be replaced.

Amorim came on as a substitute and played in midfield.

Lu Kai moved forward to play as a left winger.

Blasi's injury is rather serious, and he may be out for the rest of the season.

If it weren't for Arshavin's injury resistance and other bonuses, he would probably have been injured like Blasi.

It turns out that it's just a minor injury that will heal in three to five days, and people who don't know the situation are all marveling at his good luck.

The Russians are truly tough, even in the face of such a violent collision.

For Juventus, Appiah has come on.

This season, the defensive midfielder has also impressed on the defensive end. Some have even compared him to Real Madrid's Essien.

In the 64th minute, the wingers from both sides clashed again.

Zambrotta and Ribery clashed repeatedly. Zambrotta used his physical advantage to knock Ribery down, and Ribery followed up with a flying tackle, which seemed to be a form of retaliation.

The referee showed Ribery a yellow card.

Lu Kai then gave Alfred a wink, and Alfred substituted Ribery with Vardy.

Ribery seems to be really into it today. It looks like the ruthlessness in Scarface's bones has been unleashed by the Black Hand Party, and he seems to be looking for a fight.

It's possible that he was upset because he and Ashley Young were sitting in the front row and were hit by people who rushed up to them.

In the 68th minute, Lu Kai passed the ball to Forlán.

They wanted to use a wall-banging combo.

But Thuram preemptively thwarted Fran's attempt to crash into the wall.

Thuram passed the ball back to Buffon.

Buffon launched a long ball.

Juventus launched a counter-attack.

This is very dangerous.

Because Green Gunners have been pressing hard recently in their efforts to catch up, their defense is relatively weak.

Ibrahimovic challenges for a header in the attacking third.

Header pass.

After receiving the ball, Del Piero launched a counter-attack, heading straight for the penalty area.

Cannavaro's one-on-one defense against Del Piero was riddled with holes.

Del Piero can take long-range shots, wait for Nedved and Ibrahimovic to come on, or move to the right for Camoranesi to handle.

Top strikers will definitely want to take on Cannavaro one-on-one at this point.

But just as Del Piero was adjusting his footwork, Cannavaro suddenly turned and tackled him from the opposite direction.

Moreover, after extending his leg forward, he leaned back, making a desperate tackle to widen the interception area!
Del Piero tried to pull the ball back, but his speed slowed down as he moved quickly.

You can only pull, not push out to form a V-shaped pull shot.

The ball was intercepted by Cannavaro.

Carrick, who was following from behind, first glanced to his left rear to make sure no one was there, then let the ball pass through his left side while holding off Nedved who was rushing towards him on his right side, before making a long pass.

Counterattack! Counterattack!
Vardy, to the right front, executed a top-notch sprint, instantly launching himself and creating an absolute opening on the right side.

He deftly controlled the falling football to his left front.

The technique wasn't particularly advanced.

But its advantage lies in the wide open space ahead, where there is no one.

The football rolled directly into the right side of the penalty area.

Vardy also rushed towards the penalty area, not giving Zambrotta and Montero a chance to catch up with him.

Buffon attacked instantly; he was the only one who could stop Vardy.

Vardy also rushed towards the ball.

In the end, Green Spear Prince was one step ahead.

He made a quick touch on the ball and then poked it into the net.

The two collided.

But Lu Kai saw it clearly: Buffon contracted his body, giving Vardy a fraction of a second.

In that brief moment, Vardy's left foot, which was poking the ball, completed its supporting role, touching the ground to support itself before being lifted off the ground by the momentum of his body and flying forward.

The supporting leg, which was suspended in mid-air, was then struck by Buffon.

Vardy's center of gravity was completely disrupted; his legs flew backward, he fell forward, and his head hit the ground!
If Buffon hadn't curled up, Vardy's left leg, which was supporting his weight, would likely have been fractured on the spot by Buffon's impact.

This is not over yet.

After the impact, Buffon recovered the fastest, and with quick reflexes, he saw Vardy fall headfirst.

He used his second-dive technique, diving to the ground and leaping towards Vardy.

He bumped into Vardy and grabbed him with his arms.

It sounds complicated, but from an outsider's perspective, it simply means that Buffon knocked Vardy away and then rushed over to catch him.

The two then fell to the ground.

Buffon clutched his shoulder.

His shoulder was hit by Vardy's headbutt after landing, and he was clearly injured.

The players from both sides rushed over.

Vardy, on the other hand, was fine. He rolled over and sat up, still confused about what had just happened.

But Buffon wasn't so lucky; the team doctor came up to examine him immediately.

"Thank you." Lu Kai came over and greeted Buffon.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

As a goalkeeper with a proven track record in the final season, Lu Kai's recent save against Buffon was equivalent to saving Vardy twice.

The first time you break your leg, the second time could be fatal!

While Moggi may be dirty and Serie A may not be clean, Juventus' players are not necessarily despicable.

Based on this point alone, if young Buffon wants to realize his dream of winning the Champions League, he can come to Green Gunners and get the title for free.

Buffon nodded.

If you ask him if he knows what Vardy will do if he ignores him, the answer is, of course, yes.

This has always been a major challenge that professional players encounter in matches.

That is, when possession of the ball is at stake, should possession of the ball take priority, or personal safety take priority?

Especially for goalkeepers, losing possession of the ball often means conceding the goal.

Therefore, they are more conflicted about this issue than players in other positions.

Donnarumma prioritized possession of the ball, which led to Musiala's tragic leg injury. From a footballing perspective, Donnarumma was not at fault.

But that's what led to Neuer's accusations.

As goalkeepers, they sometimes have a choice.

That's why Lu Kai came over specifically to thank Buffon.

Vardy only saw what had just happened on the stadium's big screen and was shocked.

They lost all interest in celebrating their incredible counter-attack goal.

Yes, he finally scored.

Two to zero.

The aggregate score is 3-3 over two legs.

The Green Gunners tied the score.

Juventus are currently in the lead thanks to three away goals.

But the game isn't over yet.

This reignited the suspense.

Because Buffon was injured and had to leave the game.

Thirty-five-year-old veteran Antonio Chimenti came on as a substitute.

Capello stood by, looking somewhat anxious.

The Italian team's advantage after taking the lead is built on their defensive system and the goalkeeper's ability to make saves. With these two elements, snowballing the lead is a breeze.

But now there's a big problem with the goalkeeper position.

Juventus' only weakness might be that their backup goalkeeper isn't strong enough.

Because Buffon is too young and too strong, coupled with the special nature of the goalkeeper position, Juventus simply cannot find a high-level substitute. Who would want to sit in the black and white jersey all day?

That's like going to jail.

Besides Chimenti, Juventus also has three other 20-year-old goalkeepers, none of whom are worth mentioning.

The old guys at least have experience, but the young guys are likely to become big sieves.

So after bringing on the goalkeeper, Capello gave Nedved instructions to organize the attack.

This is not in line with the traditional style of Serie A.

But continuing to defend stubbornly will likely not end well.

Capello looked at the drowsy Alfred; he had studied many of Green Guns' matches.

Few teams that adopt a defensive strategy in the final stages can gain an advantage from this "sleeping lion's" sudden attack.

(End of this chapter)