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

Oh no!

Rooney's worst fears came true.

From the moment he boarded the plane to Germany, Rooney had a bad feeling.

22 seconds into the game, Lu Xiao scored with a shot inside the penalty area.

The huge weight in Rooney's heart was finally lifted.

"Bloody Hell! Jesus!"

Despite the criticism, the competition has only just begun.

The impulsive young man who once stamped on Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup, resulting in a red card, is now a key player the team relies on.

Rooney quickly calmed down.

Bad news: They conceded a goal just 22 seconds into the game.

Good news! We still have 90 minutes left to take the lead.

It's just two goals!

Manchester United has come back from behind before, and this level of disadvantage is nothing compared to what Rooney has ever faced in his entire career!

Hey lads!

With Manchester United players looking bewildered, and captain Vidic absent, Rooney, who was both vice-captain and on-field captain, quickly clapped his hands to rally his teammates and boost morale.

Since manager David Moyes has temporarily failed to find the soul of Manchester United and has lost the glory of the Ferguson era, the situation is dire.

As one of Ferguson's trusted lieutenants, I have a duty to carry the team forward!

"It's alright, we just need to score two goals, just two! First place in the group is ours!"

"Come on United!"

"United!"

Regardless of morale, the Manchester United players knew they couldn't afford to lose face after conceding a goal, so they started by chanting along with Rooney.

The Manchester United fans in the away stand were equally professional, chanting the Manchester United anthem in unison:

"Glory Glory Manunited!"

"Glory Glory Manunited..."

Before they finished singing,

How could the home fans of Bayer Leverkusen possibly let the away team gain the upper hand?

The voices of 5 people easily drowned out the more than 2000 people in the away team's stands.

"Bayer, Bayer 04, wir stehen zu Dir!"

"Bayer, Bayer 04, wir stehen zu Dir!"

Bayer Leverkusen's team anthem, "Stand Together," resounded throughout the BayArena.

Inspired by the fans, the entire Leverkusen team, having had a dream start, was in high spirits.

"It's definitely more comfortable playing at home!"

The team's defensive midfielder, Lars Bender, was in top form, and his performance was noticeably more relaxed than in the previous game at Old Trafford.

Lu Xiao could also sense that his other teammates felt the same way.

That's why they say the fans are the 12th player on the field.

The home advantage isn't some mystical phenomenon; it's a genuine buff!

As Manchester United intensified their attacking pace, Leverkusen maintained a solid defensive counter-attacking style, repeatedly thwarting United's offensive onslaught.

Fans back home are also watching this match closely.

Many Manchester United fans have switched sides and turned their support to Bayer Leverkusen.

Of course, it's inevitable that a few fans will be pessimistic about Leverkusen.

"Just wait, I'll show you what the Red Devils' true strength is."

"Ferguson has retired, so where is his legacy?"

"The Manchester United players haven't changed at all; this is the most predictable comeback in history."

"Why are there still people supporting Manchester United? Shouldn't we be united against a common enemy?"

"Lu Xiao doesn't have an ID card, so he's still a foreigner."

"Exactly, even if he has an ID card, this is a club match, not a national team match..."

Even dogs wouldn't watch the Chinese national football team!

"Is it possible that this is Lu Xiao's fandom? Are all of them his supporters?"

Some Manchester United fans were left speechless by the rebuttal.

However, as Manchester United intensified their attack, netizens in Lu Xiao's forum stopped arguing and immediately turned to watch the match on TV.

Today's coaching combination is Duan Xuan and Gong Lei.

Duan Xuan kept saying "Hey hey hey".

"Oh no... This ball! Van Persie!! Wow, that was pretty close! Thank goodness Spahic was alert and managed to intercept the shot..."

"Hey! Lu Xiao! This ball!"

"Kiessling—Ahhh!! De Gea blocks the shot from the six-yard box!"

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea also performed brilliantly! Apart from conceding a goal just 22 seconds into the game, De Gea made numerous saves today, becoming a goalkeeping god for Manchester United!

Leverkusen had three shots on target saved by De Gea!

Lu Xiao almost scored twice and ended the game!

"Yes, De Gea has superb goalkeeping skills and world-class reflexes compared to other goalkeepers."

Everyone else prefers to dive to the byline and use their hands to save the ball, but De Gea prefers to block ground balls with his feet, and it actually works quite well.

Even Coach Gong is helpless. Manchester United's goalkeeper is playing like he's cheating. How can you play without nerfing him?

Manchester United currently boasts a formidable attacking lineup, featuring two world-class strikers: Rooney and Van Persie.

There are also elite troops such as Nani, Giggs, Valencia, and Shinji Kagawa.

The backcourt is relatively weak.

The combination of Smalling and Phil Jones is not considered top-tier in the Premier League, let alone top-tier in Europe.

Only De Gea woke up after conceding a goal, managing to keep the goal intact.

He also became a player who maintained his high level of performance for many years in the post-Ferguson era.

Later, Manchester United continued to spend money to bring in star strikers, creating a scene of "beautiful attacking play and De Gea in the backfield".

Lu Xiao was also filled with regret.

Leverkusen capitalized on two counter-attacking opportunities. On the first attempt, he dribbled past Smalling in front of the penalty area and shot towards the top corner of the far post.

Lu Xiao was about to celebrate, thinking it was a sure goal, but De Gea made a diving save.

He drew the attention of two players in the penalty area and then suddenly broke free to deliver a brilliant pass to Kiessling.

Kiessling was almost facing an open goal, but De Gea managed to save it!

Outrageous!

Son Heung-min also had a long-range shot saved.

A series of brilliant saves rekindled Manchester United's morale, and their attacks came one wave after another.

Leverkusen's pressure has suddenly increased!

"Hold on!! Hold on in the first half!!"

Head coaches Sasha and Hyypia were nervously shouting at each other from the sidelines.

With the first half drawing to a close and Bayer Leverkusen leading 1-0, Manchester United's morale is bound to plummet, making the victory virtually certain.

Despite their chaotic attacking tactics, their individual skills remain intact.

With 45 minutes remaining in the first half, there was one minute of stoppage time.

Valencia made a powerful run down the wing, accelerating past the full-back and delivering a high, floaty cross.

This "successor to Cristiano Ronaldo" is not good at shooting and has the nickname "Warrior who can't shoot".

Meanwhile, his crossing skills are only passable; he is better at using his speed to break through on the flanks and create chaos near the penalty area.

The cross almost flew to the far end.

Japanese general Shinji Kagawa controlled the ball with his chest, used his delicate technique to get past the Leverkusen defender, and suddenly crossed the ball across the middle!

Rooney received the ball at the near post, and everyone thought he was going to shoot.

As a result, Rooney actually spread his legs and exposed himself!

"Van Persie!!"

At that moment, the hearts of Leverkusen fans skipped a beat!

Van Persie suddenly surged forward from the edge of the penalty area and fired a deadly shot!

Fortunately, Lu Xiao had been keeping an eye on Van Persie's every move.

As soon as he deliberately withdrew from the restricted area, Lu Xiao rushed over in advance, intending to intercept him.

Neither of them realized that Rooney's backheel pass was too sudden, and it just swept right past them!

"call--"

Lu Xiao breathed a long sigh of relief.

Looks like the threat has been eliminated... Holy crap?

At the far post, the ball was controlled by Valencia.

For a moment, no one went up to force or seize it.

Valencia, who never shoots, unleashed a powerful shot from a tight angle!

"This ball! Ah? It went in!!"

"Valencia! Manchester United equalize just before halftime!"

"1-1! The game is back to suspense!"

Oops!

The dream goal at the start of the game made Lu Xiao relax his vigilance against Manchester United a little.

He was, after all, only a 16-year-old boy.

They thought that would be enough to beat Manchester United.

But reality taught Lu Xiao a valuable lesson:

We cannot let our guard down for even a second until the game is over!

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, let alone Manchester United, which is not dead yet!