The path to becoming a football legend began with being ousted from Carrington by Manchester United.

Once the entrance ceremony was over, Phil Foden immediately became a hero in the eyes of his friends.

"Phil! You're amazing! I can't believe my eyes!"

"Yes, that's Lionel Messi, and you dare to make fun of him to his face."

"I hereby declare that Phil is now our leader. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"

Foden, who is not yet 11 years old, has been playing in Manchester City's youth academy for nearly 7 years - he joined Manchester City at the age of 4 under the influence of his grandfather and mother.

Surrounded by children, he looked smug and said, feigning nonchalance:

"What's the big deal? You're all making a mountain out of a molehill. I don't care about this 'dream team' or Messi. Manchester City is the best team in the world, and Lin is the best player in the world. Just you wait and see!"

Besides Xiao Fuden, many other people are supporting Lin Yi.

Sky Sports, targeting its UK audience, once again fielded its star duo, Martin Taylor and Alan Smith.

"Lin has scored 7 goals in the Champions League so far, and he is currently ranked first in the top scorer list. Keep in mind that this is the first time 18-year-old Lin has participated in the Champions League. We expect him to do even more."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, there is another group of people who regard Lin Yi as an idol and are proud of him.

Focusing his main energy on the "Football Night" program, Liu Jianhong, who rarely participates in Champions League commentary except for major tournaments such as the World Cup and the European Championship, volunteered this time, throwing a tantrum in the leader's office, and finally won the commentary rights for this match.

His partner was Zhang Lu, a veteran football commentator and former general manager of Beijing Guoan Football Club.

Liu Jianhong said: "Lin Yi has been in very good form recently, scoring in six consecutive league matches. Manchester City has scored a total of 15 goals in the past six league matches, and Lin Yi has contributed eight of them, accounting for more than half."

Coach Zhang Lu chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, haha... I hope he can carry his good form into the Champions League."

In addition to CCTV, ESPN also broadcast this highly anticipated game, and their audience coverage is even wider, encompassing not only mainland China but also the entire Asian region.

The renowned host, Zhan Jun, passionately introduced: "Lin Yi is the third Chinese player in history to appear in the Champions League knockout stage. Unlike the previous two, this is the first time a Chinese player has stepped onto this stage as an absolute core player. Fans stayed up so late just to witness Lin Yi create more miracles."

His partner, Li Yuankui, bluntly stated, "I don't know if the fans feel the same way as me, but I'm waiting for Lin Yi to break the record and become the first Chinese player to score in a Champions League knockout stage match."

The 47726-seat Etihad Stadium was packed to capacity, with countless fans, from young children to people in their seventies and eighties, flocking to support the team's first-ever Champions League knockout stage campaign.

After the game started, no one sat down; the fans stood and watched the game together, singing Manchester City's anthem, "Blue Moon."

Then the melody changed, and a simple, powerful song that belonged exclusively to Lin Yi began to play.

"The one Lin Yi (唯一林一)"

There is only one Lin Yi!

The one from the east.

Makes the net rip!

Lin Yi, who was currently battling it out on the field, had no idea that the little boy who had just played the prank had already idolized him and considered him the best player in the world.

I don't know how the British and Chinese media portray him, or what expectations they have for him.

And who knows how many people in faraway countries, burdened by the pressure of going to work or school the next day, are staying up all night at 3:45 a.m., that gloomy hour, to watch TV and cheer him on.

Lin Yi carries the hopes of countless people, who all wish him to perform well and even dream of leading Manchester City to victory over the seemingly invincible Barcelona.

This expectation, or rather the pressure, rests entirely on the shoulders of 18-year-old Lin Yi.

Fortunately, Lin Yi-bing didn't keep everyone waiting too long.

Twelve minutes into the game, after an initial period of probing, Manchester City, taking advantage of their home ground, began to challenge Barcelona.

Yaya Toure, who hasn't played for Manchester City for over a month, didn't follow the team's recent tactical style. Instead of waiting for his teammates to make runs and cut inside, he sent a long pass directly from his defensive midfield position.

This surprised Barcelona, ​​who had studied Manchester City's game footage in detail before the match, as their players were not in the best defensive positions immediately.

Lin Yi was able to receive the ball calmly, and it wasn't until he chested down Toure's pass that Barcelona center-back Mascherano finally arrived.

Having missed his best chance to intercept, Mascherano could only watch as Lin Yi controlled the ball and turned around. By the time he tried to stop Lin Yi, it was too late.

Lin Yi was chosen by Aston Martin as their global brand ambassador because of his speed; Lin Yi turned around with ease and didn't take Mascherano seriously at all.

He swung his arms and jogged off, leaving Little Ma standing to the side in just a few steps.

Having created space, Lin Yi chose to shoot directly from the edge of the penalty area.

Pique, despite his impressive height of 194cm, couldn't stop Lin Yi's shot when he came to cover. Instead, his size obstructed goalkeeper Valdes's view.

By the time Valdes saw the ball's trajectory and made his save, Lin Yi's shot had already found the back of the net.

Manchester City, widely considered to be at a disadvantage, took the lead against Barcelona with a goal thanks to Lin Yi's individual performance.

The Al-Ittihad singers rose by countless decibels, shaking the entire stadium.

"Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal!" Liu Jianhong shouted "Goal!" seven times in a row, unable to hide his excitement.

Zhan Jun then shouted Lin Yi's name three times in a row: "Lin Yi! Lin Yi! Lin Yi! A stunning goal! Finally, someone has left a mark on the history of the Champions League knockout stage with a goal belonging to a Chinese person!"

Martin Tyler completely ignored his partner Alan Smith and launched into a monologue during the live stream: "He did it! He really did it! He made the arrogant Barcelona remember his name, Lin Yi from the East!"

"See that! See that! What did I tell you? Lin will definitely beat Barcelona! I told you so!" Foden patted each of his teammates, his pride barely contained.

Lin Yi's goal not only boosted the morale of his supporters and those who had high hopes for him, but also gave the powerful Barcelona a warning shot.

This allowed Guardiola and Messi to re-evaluate Manchester City, which they saw as having a nouveau riche mentality.

Unfortunately, in the world of football, strength ultimately reigns supreme. After 90 minutes, the greater the initial hope, the greater the disappointment.

Barcelona scored three goals in quick succession at the Etihad Stadium, successfully turning the tide and returning to Camp Nou with a victory and three away goals.

Manchester City suffered a defeat at home in their first Champions League knockout stage appearance, and their key center-back and captain, Vincent Kompany, also received a red card, conceding a penalty and missing the second leg.

All Manchester City supporters were shrouded in an atmosphere of despair at the prospect of elimination.

Besides the two people, there was an elderly person and a child.