Chapter 157 3:3

After tying the score, Napoli's morale soared as they prepared to press on and take the lead.

Meanwhile, AC Milan still controlled the game, Inter Milan didn't have any good opportunities. Inter Milan fans had begun to boo their coach, Leonardo, while AC Milan still hung banners thanking Leonardo for being a double agent, rubbing salt in the wounds of Inter Milan fans.

Allegri wasn't happy, because Napoli had tied the score, their morale was high, and they could score again. If Napoli won, AC Milan winning by ten goals wouldn't mean anything.

Because of this, he was a little depressed and could only comfort himself with the excuse that "winning is always better than losing."

※※※

The Stadio San Paolo was jubilant, but the atmosphere didn't last long.

Because just six minutes later, they suffered a blow.

"Ah...ah...ah! Lazio is leading again! This time the goal was scored by... by Ranocchia! He scored an own goal! How tragic! Napoli had just tied the score, but now they're behind again, and the reason they're behind is one of their own players..."

Ranocchia held his head in his hands, looking at the ball in the net with disbelief. Behind him, Lazio players were celebrating wildly. For six minutes, Napoli had been attacking like a tide, and they had thought their goal would be breached again. Some had even accepted the result... After all, this was Napoli's home, and Napoli were invincible at the Stadio San Paolo.

But at this moment, Ranocchia gave the Lazio players hope again with an own goal.

Lazio forward Zárate, whose shot caused Ranocchia's own goal, became the target of his teammates' celebrations. In fact, they wanted to hug Ranocchia even more... but that would probably cause a brawl between the two teams on the field...

Goalkeeper De Sanctis was a little depressed, but he still comforted Ranocchia, who had scored the own goal, "Don't be sad, *shouji*..." (*shouji* means "mobile phone" in Chinese).

Chen Hero had given Ranocchia the nickname "Mobile Phone," and it had quickly spread throughout the team, and now everyone called him that.

"I'm so damn unlucky..." Ranocchia still couldn't get over it.

"It's okay, Mobile Phone." Captain Paolo Cannavaro also came up and patted him on the shoulder. "Believe in Hero and the others. Even if we concede three goals, they will definitely find a way to score more!"

※※※

Chen Hero and Cassano were standing in the center circle, waiting for the kickoff. They were also discussing Ranocchia's own goal.

"Unlucky Mobile Phone..." Chen Hero shook his head and sighed.

"It's pretty unlucky, but don't you think our team is even unluckier? We finally tied the score, and then they took the lead again six minutes later," Cassano said.

"Ah, it's okay, we'll just tie it again. Lazio has been scared out of their wits by us!" Chen Hero gave Cassano a thumbs up. "Since we were able to score two goals in two minutes, I think it won't take us long to score one goal, right?"

※※※

Chen Hero was wrong this time. Ten minutes passed, and Napoli still hadn't tied the score...

Meanwhile, Allegri at the San Siro stadium learned the latest news.

"An own goal?" Allegri admitted that he wanted to laugh when he heard the news, because he had a feeling of "this is all so damn absurd."

Napoli was two goals behind, then quickly tied the score in two minutes, and then six minutes later, they were defeated by an own goal...

Tassotti smiled at Allegri and said, "It looks like God wants AC Milan to be first."

Allegri didn't answer. At this time, all he had to do was smile.

※※※

"It's almost the eightieth minute, and Napoli still hasn't been able to tie the score. After taking the lead with an own goal, Lazio suddenly changed their strategy. They are determined to defend to the death!"

The commentator's voice came from the TV. Outside the TV, Napoli fans were making "umbrella" gestures at the screen—that is, putting their right hand on their left elbow and waving their bent left arm, which is a common insult in Southern Europe, like giving the middle finger—"Cowardly Romans! Go back to your hometown!!"

These fans' scolding couldn't help change the situation on the field.

Lazio was still huddled in their own half, not giving Napoli a chance to score.

※※※

Arshavin decided to do it himself, because passing the ball to Chen Hero would be too difficult with so many people in the penalty area.

He pretended to do a one-two with Hamsik, but suddenly twisted his body and dribbled into the penalty area.

Lazio's defenders were caught off guard and let him slip in. At this time, Lazio defender Biava stabbed over from the side and tackled.

But his movement was a beat too slow. Arshavin kicked the ball away first, and then Biava kicked Arshavin's heel without any suspense. Arshavin lost his balance and fell to the ground, rolling around in the penalty area...

"Penalty!" the commentator shouted.

"Penalty!" The Napoli fans in the stands jumped up from their seats as if they had been electrocuted, and then pointed to the field.

"Penalty!" Napoli fans in front of the TV roared, pointing at the TV.

The referee heard their shouts, blew his whistle to stop the game, and decisively ran to the penalty area, while pointing to... the penalty spot!

When he blew the whistle, everyone's eyes followed the camera lens and turned to him. Everyone focused on his hand. The referee's gesture would tell everyone whether it was a penalty for Napoli or Arshavin's dive.

Now seeing him point to the penalty spot, the Napoli fans cheered.

Chen Hero and Cassano raised their arms and cheered for the penalty decision.

Arshavin also got up after rolling around on the ground—the other party had only kicked his heel, and under the tight wrapping of his shoes, he was fine. He cheered and was quickly hugged by his teammates.

"The eighty-second minute! Napoli has been awarded a penalty! A crucial penalty!"

The commentator shouted excitedly.

The cheers in the stands of the Stadio San Paolo were deafening.

※※※

Napoli's current number one penalty taker is Hamsik, but Hamsik had different ideas today. He stopped Chen Hero, who was about to leave the penalty area. "Hey, Hero."

Chen Hero looked at him in confusion.

"Why don't you take this penalty?" Hamsik pointed to the ball on the ground and said to Chen Hero.

Everyone knew that Chen Hero was pursuing the league's top scorer award, and in fact, there was no suspense about Chen Hero winning the top scorer award now. But they all hoped that Chen Hero could score more goals and write a new history.

That's why Hamsik gave the penalty to Chen Hero.

Unexpectedly, Chen Hero shook his head. "Thank you, Marek. But I don't take penalties."

"Why?" Hamsik frowned and asked.

"Because penalty goals are too easy. I don't think they're interesting." Chen Hero shrugged. "Leave the easy ones to you, Marek, haha!"

He smiled and stepped back.

Hamsik rolled his eyes. "Hey!"

He ignored Chen Hero, placed the ball, and stepped back to wait for the referee's whistle.

In the end, Hamsik scored the penalty in one go, helping the team tie the score again.

While celebrating the goal, Ranocchia was particularly excited, because Hamsik's penalty somewhat offset his previous own goal.

But then he thought about it and couldn't get excited again—if it weren't for my own goal, we should be leading now, right?

Just as he was feeling depressed, a hand was placed on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mobile Phone. There are still eight minutes left. We can still score!"

The person who spoke was Chen Hero!

He smiled at Ranocchia.

※※※

Lazio's players didn't care too much about the goal. Because even if the score was tied with a penalty, they could at least take one point away from the Stadio San Paolo.

In such an away game, taking one point was almost equal to victory.

With eight minutes left in the game, if they defended with all their might, it wouldn't be difficult to get this point.

The commentator couldn't help but complain, "Lazio's score has been tied, but I have to say they are really lucky... because Lazio has only scored two goals in this game, while Napoli has scored four goals, but the current score is 3:3..."

※※※

"It's 3:3 over there. Napoli tied the score with a penalty." Tassotti dutifully reported the real-time score from the other stadium to the coach.

"A draw? That's good too..." Allegri calculated in his mind. If Napoli gets one point, that's sixty-seven points. If AC Milan wins this game, that's also sixty-seven points. The two sides have the same points, which is better than always being two points behind. If the two sides have the same points, there is still a fight to be had in the end.

He didn't expect Lazio to be able to beat Napoli away. Fortunately, there was little time left in the game, otherwise, he was really worried about whether Lazio could withstand Napoli's storm-like attack.

As for his side, winning against Inter Milan was a foregone conclusion... He didn't need to worry at all.

※※※

After the game restarted, Napoli continued to launch a fierce attack on Lazio's goal. Anyway, now Lazio was shrinking their defense, all retreating to their own thirty-meter area, Napoli was not worried that they would launch any counterattacks...

Just attack!

Winning this game was the idea of every Napoli player who had experienced this roller coaster of a game for more than eighty minutes.

It would be too bad if they couldn't win like this.

We have been two goals behind, we have also tied the score in two minutes, we have also suffered the blow of an own goal, and we have also received a penalty gift, now... it's our turn to take the lead!