Master Tutoring Class

Chapter 294 The Night Sky of Glasgow

"Gdanas under the night sky, where amber memories and the pulse of modernity converge, the loyal souls of the Westbrad Peninsula watch from afar, and tonight, on this arena facing the Baltic Sea, a green epic belonging to East and West will unfold, and a Chinese figure in a red and white jersey will attempt to write an Eastern footnote on this ancient canvas of European football!"

The CCTV commentary team is broadcasting live from the Grenadines Stadium.

Commentator Duan Xuan's high-pitched and poetic voice, transmitted through the television screen, seemed to reach the distant East, the hometown where countless fans stayed up all night waiting.

The camera pans through the players' tunnel, moving forward from front to back, pausing briefly whenever a key player is seen.

When the camera zoomed in to the middle of the group, Wei Lai's face came into clear view.

"Wei Lai! He's starting again in this match. Without a doubt, he's an indispensable key player for Atlético Amsterdam. From the port of Bohai to the canals of Amsterdam, every step he's taken has shattered countless doubts and loneliness. Tonight, he's not fighting alone. Behind him are the eyes of countless Chinese fans who stayed up until dawn, and the dreamland that his predecessors never set foot on!"

Duan Xuan spoke passionately, clenching his fists so tightly that his cheeks trembled.

"Wei Lai! Keep it up!"

As the commentary ended, the comment section was filled with cheers and encouragement for Wei Lai.

The hashtag '#Wei Lai#Europa League Final' was pushed directly to the top of the trending search list.

In the players' tunnel, Wei Lai was adjusting his socks. Just as he looked up, a timid, youthful voice came from beside him.

"Brother Wei Lai!"

Wei Lai turned his head to look at the side, where a Chinese caddie of about 9 years old was standing.

The caddie clenched his fist tightly: "Go for it!"

Wei Lai smiled knowingly; "Good!"

"Ready to go on stage!"

Hendrick, at the very front, turned around and said, "Guys! It's the last game, the last ninety minutes!"

He suddenly turned his head and said sharply:

"Ready to fight!"

With a high-pitched roar, the dynamic Europa League theme song reached its climax.

The players from both sides entered the field under the guidance of the referee team.

They passed through the sacred archway and stepped onto the summit of the Europa League.

Whoosh!!!

A tremendous roar of cheers swept across the Baltic Sea, crashing against everyone's eardrums.

The entire stadium is divided into two colors!

The white color represents Taurhamletz.

Orange represents the dominant color of the Dutch champions.

In this match, Atlético Amsterdam, wearing their away kit, also sported an orange-themed jersey.

To the accompaniment of rousing music, the players from both sides lined up in a row.

Countless media reporters took photos of them frantically, the flashes almost illuminating the entire stadium.

The starting lineups for both teams are as follows:

Taurhamletz (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: Vestoan.

Defenders: Porti, Kevin Skriniar, Van Tievella, Umaso.

Midfielders: Gray, Tancur, Boyes, Sarr.

Forwards: Riber, Dom.

Amsterdam Athletic (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Rutte.

Defenders: Zilben, Shutak, Kakabana, Lent.

Midfielders: Robinson, Reyessa, Wei Lai, Hendrick, Lehmann.

Forward: Felix.

Dutch commentator Van Gaal: "The absence of Davies and Rooney, two key defensive players for Taurhamletz, is good news for us, but we also need to be wary of their counter-attacks, especially during transitions."

"In this match, head coach Morton deployed Reyessa and Hendrick as two sweeping defensive midfielders to provide defensive support for the back line. Musar was on the bench and did not start. As a result, the burden of attacking and linking up play will likely fall on Wei."

On the field, both teams' players have entered the field.

The two team captains guessed which side it was.

Wei Lai stepped on the grass and jumped slightly to warm up his body as much as possible.

The rain has stopped, but the air is still chilly, and the overall feeling is still rather cold.

call!
Wei Lai exhaled, a wisp of mist rising from his breath.

His gaze was fixed intently ahead.

Ribery and Poyes, this midfield and forward duo, are definitely targets they need to be wary of.

Moreover, judging from Taurhamletz's choice of a 4-4-2 formation, their choice was exactly as Mr. Morton had predicted; they wanted to attack.

But this played right into the hands of Atlético Amsterdam. They weren't afraid of Taurhamletz's attack; on the contrary, the opponent's positional warfare would cause them some trouble.

"Let's kick off!"

Hendrick ran back, and as he ran to his position, he shouted to Wei Lai, "First set piece, shoot directly if you have the chance!"

Wei Lai nodded.

Wei Lai played a crucial role in this match.

Reyesa and Hendrick will almost always focus their energy on the defensive end, while Wei Lai will be the one who needs to coordinate the offense.

How to handle possession of the ball, how to make good connections, and how to make good choices are all decisions that Wei Lai makes himself.

In previous matches, Musar would arrange everything meticulously, and Wei Lai only needed to take advantage of this stability to find opportunities to launch attacks.

But now, all of this needs to be created by ourselves.

Wei Lai turned to look at Dennis Zilburne.

The latter also looked at Wei Lai, gave him a thumbs up, and grinned, revealing his big white teeth.

'Ready whenever you need me!'

Wei Lai nodded slightly and turned to look at the other side.

Konrad Lehmann's eyes were focused.

Despite his seemingly carefree demeanor, his focus is astonishing once he gets into competition mode.

Finally, Wei Lai turned his gaze to Felix.

The latter smiled at him, raised its hand slightly, and made a flapping wing motion.

'My Angel'

Wei Lai smiled and nodded.

Compared to Taurhamletz's depleted squad, they are in better overall condition, so what is there to be afraid of?

Just like Yang Fan said, "Just do it!"

The stadium fell silent. The referee stepped out of the center circle, raised his hand to signal to the goalkeepers on both sides, and blew his whistle immediately after receiving their response.

Beep!
A sharp whistle pierced the sky, signaling the official start of the competition.

boom!
In the boiling stadium, Felix immediately kicked off, and Wei Lai received the ball and passed it back directly, but he did not move too far forward, instead hovering near the center circle.

"One! Two!"

Hendrick and Lund played a one-two pass, shaking off Taurhamletz's high press.

Hendrick immediately passed the ball to Wei Lai.

Wei Lai stood still, and he could feel the scorching heat emanating from behind him without even turning his head.

Someone is staring at me.

But Wei Lai did not compromise. He adopted a sideways stance, and as the ball approached, he suddenly moved to the left, shifting his center of gravity forward, giving the impression of a strong breakthrough from the left.

Boyes immediately followed up with a step, but at that moment, Wei Lai suddenly stopped, twisted his body to turn around, and stepped on the ball with his left foot, moving it to the right side and getting rid of it in the opposite direction.

"Wei Lai! We've broken free!"

Duan Xuan roared, "Every time Wei Lai performs, he deserves to cheer him on."

He thought Wei Lai would continue to maintain possession and ensure midfield continuity, but he underestimated the young man's enthusiasm for attacking.

After completing the turn, Wei Lai swung his right foot and passed the ball along the flank area.

"Trying to shove it in?"

Just as Taurhamletz's full-back Umaso was about to turn around, he suddenly saw someone rush past him.

Umaso was taken aback.

Not behind! It's in front!

Instead of running along the tactical pattern, Robinson received the ball ahead of him and dribbled laterally.

Umaso wanted to follow but couldn't; if he did, he would lose his position, as Dennis Zilben was eyeing him intently.

"Tankuer!"

Umaso immediately called for his teammates.

Tankur charged toward Robinson like a tank.

Robinson turned to look at Wei Lai, who was rushing towards him. Tankul also judged Robinson's intention and immediately moved a few steps toward Wei Lai. As long as Robinson passed the ball, he was confident that he could intercept it.

But the next second, Robinson suddenly flicked his left foot, and the ball rolled smoothly toward the penalty area.

That dunk came very suddenly.

No one expected it.

Even Felix didn't expect this guy to dribble and pass the ball straight through.

Felix immediately started his run, but he was still a step too slow. Van Tipella cleared the ball out of bounds.

"Robinson, that dunk was very sudden, but it seems there was a lack of communication; he and Felix didn't think alike!"

Felix raised his hand; "Mine! You should have given me a heads-up!"

Robinson nodded and immediately ran back to his position.

Wei Lai ran to the sideline, ready to receive the ball.

He licked his lips, his head constantly turning to observe, mainly focusing on Tancur. A 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield meant a single defensive midfielder was essential.

A single defensive midfielder who can cover all areas is extremely rare. It requires not only speed and stamina, but also a certain level of game reading ability, the ability to see the direction of the game and the flow of passing.

Tankur relies more on his physical abilities and has some reading skills, but it's still not enough.

To put it bluntly, in the entire football world, there are only a handful of players who can play as a lone defensive midfielder.

But clearly, there is no Tankur here.

Therefore, Amsterdam's attacks tend to focus more on penetrating through the middle, targeting your weakest link.

They even abandoned their strategy of transitioning from strong to weak and combining play on the sides and in the middle.

So far, the results are quite good!

boom!
Wei Lai controlled the ball with his chest and gently tapped it off with the instep of his foot; he could feel the pressure on his back.

Instead of turning around hastily, he moved backward following the force, and at the same time, he flicked his foot, circled around, and increased the distance between himself and Boyes.

"That mudfish!"

Boyes was a little annoyed.

The pressure tactics that used to work so well are no longer sufficient.

Wei Lai is good at confrontation; he can't be said to be particularly strong, but he's certainly cunning enough.

Like those seasoned veterans who are used to playing in the Premier League, they have a very accurate grasp of the moment of confrontation.

The key is to not give yourself any opportunity to make a move.

Or it will bounce off like a spring.

Alternatively, you could get the ball out of the way beforehand.

He threw a powerful punch, but it was like hitting cotton; the frustration was truly exasperating.

Wei Lai had completely recovered, and Boyes immediately roared.

"Turn around! Get ready to head the ball! Stick close to Lehmann!"

Seeing that no one was approaching him, Wei Lai blinked and passed the ball to Hendrick.

"Don't give it to me! Lure them out!"

boom!
Dennis Zilburne's passing lane was intercepted, resulting in the ball being taken away by the opposing team.

"Too urgent!"

Wei Lai immediately rushed towards Boyes in front of him.

At the same time, Hendrick yelled, "Wei, stick with Boyes! Everyone else, turn around and get back on defense!"

The roles were reversed, and it was Taurhamletz's turn to apply pressure.

Wei Lai kept following up and interfering with Boyes. His task was not to intercept or steal the ball, but to disrupt Boyes' passing.

Wei Lai was like a leech, sticking to the other person and making them annoyed.

"Pass it here!"

Riber called out from ahead, and Boyes immediately passed the ball.

"be cheated!"

Wei Lai turned to look at Riber, and just as Riber was about to receive the ball, Reyesa and Hendrick stood right next to him like two goalkeepers.

Reyessa held off Riber from the side, while Hendrick pressed aggressively.

After only a few rounds, Riber was defeated and lost possession of the ball.

"Athletic Amsterdam's midfield strangulation formation! Riber had no way to cope with the combined pressing of Reyessa and Hendrick."

At the coach's desk, Mr. Morton smiled slightly.

"Riber can't hold onto the ball!"

Ribery is a pure striker; he's not particularly good at dribbling, ball control, or physicality. His weapons are forward runs based on speed and his shooting skills.

This requires a midfielder to create space for him to shoot, but Poyes was tied up by Wei Lai, and if he wanted to make a shot, his only passing option was Riber up front.

But once it's passed to Ribery, this guy will be surrounded and strangled by Reyesa and Hendrick.

As for the two shuttle midfielders who move up and down in the 4-4-2 formation, they were also entangled by Lehmann and Robinson.

This is the tactic used by Atlético Amsterdam against Taurhamletz, and it's also why Musar didn't start.

boom!
The ball was passed to Lehmann, who immediately started his breakthrough.

A series of outside and inside flicks failed to shift the opponent's center of gravity, and Lehmann simply dribbled the ball, so it was time to test speed!

Lehmann sprinted forward at high speed, but Porti was also very fast, giving him no space to cross the ball.

As Lehmann came to a sudden stop near the goal line, Porti suddenly stretched out his foot and poked the ball out of bounds.

Lehmann shook his head slightly, glancing at Porti and thinking to himself:

"That's fast!"

Generally speaking, there are not many full-backs who can keep up with his explosive acceleration and speed, but Poti is one of the best.

"Athletico Amsterdam's first corner kick of the match came in the 13th minute, and it was Wei Lai who took it again!"

Wei Lai raised his arm and looked towards the penalty area.

Suddenly, he raised his index finger and kicked the ball away with a powerful shot.

Lehmann reacted quickly, rushing towards the near post and getting ahead of the opposing goalkeeper with the instep of his foot.

Ding!
The ball hit the crossbar and deflected towards the back post.

Wei Lai craned his neck, tilted his body, and looked towards the densely packed back corner.

He couldn't see clearly, but he vaguely saw a figure flash by.

Swish!
The ball goes into the net!

Wei Lai was stunned for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise;

"Which expert?"

Wei Lai looked closely and saw Reyes suddenly raise his arm and excitedly rush towards the corner flag.

"Holy crap!!—"

Wei Lai was even more surprised.

Throughout the entire season, he failed to produce a single assist or goal.

But they opened the scoring in the final?

Reyessa!

My God!
“Gooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaal!!!”

"Reyesa! The first goal of the season, but also the most crucial one. He took a first-time shot from the back row and pierced the goal of Taurhamletz, giving Atlético Amsterdam the lead!"

Commentator Van Gaal roared excitedly.

This goal was crucial; it practically opened the scoring for Wiesbaden, making the rest of the game much easier.

Duan Xuan was even more excited and said:

"Reyesa! A respectable workaholic! He toiled for defense all season, and in the final stage of the season, in the Europa League final, he tasted the first sweet reward!"

"A truly spectacular shot! The ball sailed through the dense crowd and headed straight for the goal!"

The comments section was buzzing.

'Reyesa! I'm crying my eyes out!'

They eat grass but produce milk!

'Athletico Amsterdam's set pieces are absolutely unstoppable, how are you supposed to defend against them!'

'Out of ten goals, four were scored from set pieces. Isn't that amazing?'

'Taurhamletz's defense was dragged down by Leverkusen. If Rooney and Davies had played, this situation certainly wouldn't have happened.'

'It still has to be Lehmann's powerful breakthroughs! Creating direct threats in the attack.'

'Wei Lai's pass was incredibly accurate; it completely disrupted Taurhamletz's defensive formation!'

'Lift the trophy! Lift the trophy! The second title!'

Atletico Amsterdam scored the first goal, sending the entire Gross Arena into an orange storm.

The fans cheered excitedly.

For the younger generation of Atlético Amsterdam fans, there was a glorious history, but they were unable to witness it firsthand.

For them, this is their journey to the top of Europe.

"Hey! Buddy, what are you doing over there?"

Wei Lai rubbed Reyes's head and said happily.

Reyes also smiled.

"I saw that Danny was positioned too far back, so I asked him to cover for me. That position needed someone. If Danny couldn't make it, then I would go. I wanted to create some obstacles for him, but I didn't expect this."

"Goal!" Wei Lai laughed.

Reyesa also burst into laughter, quite satisfied with the goal.

"What an unexpected surprise!"

Mr. Morton nodded with a smile.

The match went more easily than he had imagined.

Moreover, he also noticed that some players in Taurhamletz were either unable to run or were not in good form.

They move slowly and lack focus.

But one can imagine that in the high-pressure environment of the Premier League, persevering for a season, securing Champions League qualification, and reaching the Europa League final, with a single squad, was already the limit.

However, the lineup has basically become a depleted force.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to play so easily.

(End of this chapter)