Soccer: Maxed-out ball control, the skill is too overpowered.

How long is 45 minutes?

If you're playing a game, it might just feel like it's over in a flash.

If it's a class, especially one you don't like, every minute and every second would probably be torture.

If it were a match against Atletico Madrid,

For Lu Xiao, the first half was a combination of two factors.

On the one hand, the first half went by quickly, with the score remaining 0-0 until halftime.

On the other hand, Atletico Madrid's defense made every second feel like torture for Lu Xiao.

God knows how many times he passed the ball, how many dribbles and shots he attempted.

Atletico Madrid saved them every time.

"In the first half, Leverkusen had nine shots, four of which were on target but were all saved."

"Atletico Madrid had three shots, all three on target, but all were saved by Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Leno."

"Leverkusen are better at counter-attacking, and they don't seem to have a good way to deal with low-post defenses."

Defending champions Atletico Madrid appeared more composed and their counter-attacks were more efficient.

Griezmann and Torres have developed good chemistry and are likely to continue to pose a threat in the second half.

"That's right, this Griezmann, he likes to use his brain when he plays football, and his passes in the attacking third are full of threats."

That goal in the first half almost went in; Maguire was too slow to turn, and Griezmann passed it into the open space on the flank.

Attacking from behind has a high success rate.

The highlight reel from halftime shows Griezmann's pass in slow motion: receiving the ball and facing pressure, he calmly made a short diagonal pass.

Harry Maguire turned to defend Torres again, but it was too late.

Torres, still in top form, broke into the penalty area and nearly poked the ball through the goal with a low shot.

Seeing Maguire turn around, Zhan Jun couldn't help but blurt out:

"Maguire's turn is just like an aircraft carrier turning around..."

The tall center-back looks too bulky.

Against Premier League teams, it's okay to compete for headers and rely on physicality.

It's a bit difficult to deal with this combination of small, fast, and agile elements.

If Leverkusen continues like this in the second half, they're likely to suffer.

As for the attacking third, both Son Heung-min and De Bruyne were closely marked.

Lu Xiao is the biggest variable in the frontcourt.

"Lu Xiao is in pretty good form today. The bigger the competition, the better he performs."

"That's right, he's a clutch player."

This young man is truly amazing.

Zhang Lu found Lu Xiao more and more pleasing to the eye.

……

At this moment, Lu Xiao, the man with a strong heart, was still panting heavily in the locker room, his heart about to jump out of his chest.

The high-intensity competition took a toll on his physical strength.

The entire match was almost entirely about intense physical contact, making it difficult to utilize the technical advantages of the [Nagi Seishiro] template.

"Remember! We must not rush. The other side is very good at seizing on our mistakes and punishing us. We must be patient!"

Head coach Sasha was still giving instructions to the Leverkusen players.

His expression was rather serious, clearly indicating that the first half of the game hadn't gone well.

Bayer Leverkusen appeared to be in control, but Atletico Madrid's attack was actually more threatening.

The level of competition for the Champions League winner is no joke.

Even peak Real Madrid and Barcelona would have a hard time dealing with them.

"We are strong, and we don't need to panic against any team! We only need one goal, one away goal!"

Don't expect too many goals against Atletico Madrid.

One away goal is enough to change the course of the knockout stage.

Although there was a lot to explain, Sasha didn't have time to say it all.

The second half is about to begin.

"Keep it up, guys!!"

"Come on, Bayer Leverkusen!! Allezzzz!!"

Before they went on stage, the whole team was probably exhausted, and their shouts sounded weak and listless.

As he walked out of the players' tunnel, De Bruyne was still in shock, his face pale and he didn't even have the strength to speak.

Son Heung-min remained silent, trying to recover some strength while walking.

"Hey guys. Cheer up!! We can do this!"

Harry Maguire noticed the atmosphere was a bit somber and wanted to cheer him on.

He was only met with eye-rolls from his teammates.

"You just need to focus on defense!"

"Haha, I'm sure I'll win the second half."

Maguire seems to be in good spirits, his smile remains憨厚 (honest and simple), and with his big nose, he's pure comedian.

Lu Xiao didn't think much about it at the time, believing that as long as he could find an opportunity...

They can still break through Atletico Madrid's goal.

I never expected Maguire to solidify his comedian persona today.

……

The second half remained deadlocked, with neither side able to break the 0-0 score.

Son Heung-min's breakthrough was intercepted in the 69th minute.

Atletico Madrid launched a quick counter-attack.

"That's terrible! Atletico Madrid's counter-attack is incredibly fast!!"

Juanfran intercepted the ball and sprinted forward, advancing into the halfway line before passing it across.

Upon receiving the ball, Kirk remained calm and composed. Facing Lars Bender's defense, he used his body to withstand the impact, turned quickly with his back to the ball, and passed it to Griezmann on the left wing.

Griezmann immediately made a through pass down the middle!

Torres arrived just in time and dribbled into the penalty area!

"Torres!!! He's inside!!"

Zhan Jun's heart clenched.

Fortunately, Kimmich was focused and kept an eye on Torres' position, moving over to entangle him immediately.

And Harry Maguire was positioned at the door, providing double protection.

The Leverkusen players were not worried when they saw this.

Torres found it difficult to break through the gap between the two players.

Lu Xiao suddenly had a bad feeling.

This scene seems familiar!

A similar famous scene appeared in my dream!

"Could it be..."

Just as he was about to run back, his worst fear came true!

Kimmich had already marked Torres, so Maguire just needed to stay in the six-yard box and block his position.

Maguire, however, was bursting with a sense of responsibility and also went up to double-team Torres to intercept the ball.

The result is that,

Maguire and Kimmich on the left and right respectively

Torres's feint sent him flying to the same side.

Unable to exert force for a moment, Maguire instinctively used Kimmich's strength to stabilize his body.

But he was too strong.

He actually managed to bring Kimmich down in the penalty area!

Not just Lu Xiao,

This scene left everyone dumbfounded!

Maguire is one-on-one marking his own right-back Kimmich!

Torres almost lost his composure, but luckily he was experienced and reacted quickly enough to dribble the ball past Maguire and fire a low shot into the goal!

"Goal! Torres!"

Zhan Jun covered his face, unsure whether to cry or laugh.

He had to say that sentence again, the one he'd said so many times before!

"One-on-one defense against Kimmich? Terrible Maguire!!"

"Atletico Madrid, playing at home, finally broke the deadlock, taking a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute!"

After scoring, "The Holy Infant" Torres sprinted towards the stands and made a heart gesture to the fans.

Atletico Madrid players rushed over to celebrate.

Only Kimmich sat on the grass, questioning the meaning of life.

What's going on?

Maguire was stunned, his mind went blank, and he couldn't believe what he had done.

It was already difficult to play, and he made things worse.

At that moment, he even considered retiring.

Lu Xiao had intended to say something, but seeing Maguire's expression, he couldn't bear to scold him. He simply retrieved the football from the goal and patted Maguire on the shoulder.

"Stop thinking about it, guys, we need to get one in as quickly as possible!"

Don't be fooled by the 1-0 scoreline; with Atletico Madrid as the opponent, it means Leverkusen is on the brink of elimination!

Is this season the end for the "16th place"?

Do not!

Lu Xiao ran towards the center circle with the ball in his arms.

What he wants isn't difficult; he just wants to do a little better than last year's Champions League results!

No matter what method we use, we'll crawl our way into the finals!