Chapter 160 The Swan Lake Overture

Li Kang dribbled the ball to Arsenal's half, forty meters from the goal.

Bayer Leverkusen's formation shifted forward slowly, mirroring his movements.

Cazorla and Sanchez double-teamed him simultaneously!

These two possessed top-notch pressing abilities in the frontcourt.

One was the most elite ambidextrous player of this era.

The other was a super muscle machine.

They shared a low center of gravity, being under 170cm tall.

Many people's impression of Arsenal was that they were soft, but that was an outdated notion.

They didn't shy away from physical duels.

...

Li Kang slowed down slightly.

He had many passing options; the space in the center was very open.

The red and blue shadow of number 6 in his vision gradually dissipated, turning into swirling black smoke that poured into his body.

The black smoke wasn't a skill for getting past defenders, but a way of thinking.

It was the thinking of a La Masia number 4 from the second generation.

....

The Eye of Truth was dyed ink-black by the smoke.

Cazorla blocked his passing lane while closing in.

Sanchez seized the perfect moment to tackle, his bronze-colored, sturdy thigh sweeping toward the ball like a thunderbolt!

This moment was undoubtedly the scene fans had been anticipating!

The beastly Bayer Leverkusen number 10 versus Arsenal's solid thigh!

Everyone waited for the sound equipment to transmit the adrenaline-pumping sounds of physical combat!

*Pa!*

There was no physical contact.

Li Kang once again cut the ball with the inside of his left foot and turned!

The ball rolled slowly, but its trajectory made the Arsenal duo feel like they were worlds away!

He bypassed Sanchez and Cazorla, dribbling laterally!

"The timing and direction of the turn were perfectly executed!"

"A second too slow or a second too fast wouldn't have worked!"

"His left foot is doing tai chi!"

"Why isn't he dribbling forward? Why is he dribbling sideways!"

"Li Kang's gesture is signaling his teammates not to come and support? I don't understand!"

"Danger!"

....

Cazorla possessed top-tier ambidexterity.

The balance it provided granted him excellent agility in shifting his center of gravity.

This made his turning and tracking abilities extremely strong.

Sanchez was still getting up.

Cazorla had already caught up to Li Kang again!

From a god's-eye view.

Li Kang sensed the pressure from the Arsenal maestro behind him!

Another cut with the outside of his left foot!

A 360-degree turn!

Cazorla froze on the spot.

As Xavi's first substitute during Spain's peak dynasty.

He realized at this moment that he had no way to deal with the Bayer Leverkusen number 10!

"Concise! Efficient!"

"This turning move, which even a ball boy could do, demands extremely high levels of balance and sense of direction in actual combat!"

"I thought that after Xavi left European football, we would never see a 360-degree turn to escape in top-level matches again!"

"Unexpectedly, the young player Li Kang re-enacted the famous scene of his La Masia predecessor!"

"But... isn't he going to speed up yet? The pace is too slow! The space in front of him is very open!"

"He's speeding up slightly!"

.....

Livestream.

The chat was flooded with comments.

-【66-year-old Wenger is just sitting there, looking over with deep affection, seeing the shadow of Xavi!】

-【Is this move difficult? Someone from our national team can also do it, turning in a circle and kicking the ball into their own goal .gif!】

-【Li Mingdeng is awesome! 666! Oxygen mask, quick, save me!】

-【Why do you guys make it sound like Li Kang is ahead? Bayer Leverkusen is still two goals behind! How can they come back with such a slow pace?】

-【It's cool, but it's useless.】

-【I don't fantasize about Li Mingdeng returning to the national team anymore. It's so difficult for him to lead Bayer Leverkusen against Arsenal... leading the national team? Football is really not a one-man sport; it's not a level-based battle from a fantasy novel. No matter how great an individual's skills are, they can't save the whole team in the league and cup system.】

-【It's not just European football that's competitive; South American football is too! The most direct thing is the change in youth training. Individual traits are useless in top-level competition; almost everyone is pursuing the improvement of overall strength. Invincible myths and invincible universe teams have almost disappeared in the past two years. Real Madrid, which is invincible in foreign wars, often crashes in La Liga.】

........

Madrid.

*Pa!*

A pen rolled off the table onto the wooden floor.

A smile appeared on Modric's face:

"He deliberately slowed down the pace for the overall forward movement of the formation!"

"He didn't decisively use the space to dribble forward; the purpose was to completely exhaust Arsenal's pressing power in the frontcourt!"

"He didn't pass the ball immediately to avoid Arsenal shifting the defensive pressure onto his teammates."

"He is constantly maintaining the compactness of Bayer Leverkusen's three lines, pushing forward as a whole; the hand that was strangling the formation's throat has disappeared."

"Xavi's thinking was to take the whole team forward by himself!"

"He's about to break the deadlock."

The Real Madrid midfielder turned off his computer and walked out of his study.

He didn't care about the score at all.

His jersey number when he debuted from Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 16 was 14, and his early playing style was called "Young Cruyff."

A genius influenced by Cruyff's football philosophy doesn't need to wear red and blue.

It was as if it was destined:

Modric's existence made the path of this generation of La Masia number 4s even more difficult than that of all their predecessors.

....

Emirates Stadium.

Bayer Leverkusen advanced to the thirty-meter zone.

Li Kang began to speed up.

He wasn't speeding up his running, but the speed of his passes!

The ball was passed quickly under the feet of white jerseys.

Bayer Leverkusen's number 10 was moving slowly, attracting most of Arsenal's defensive power.

Cutting the ball with his left foot again and again.

As if he was dancing a waltz on the green field.

Beneath the beautiful lyricism lay hidden danger.

The waltz was the dance form most hated by the English.

‘Our sisters and wives are grabbed by strangers, arbitrarily embraced, and made to jog around a small room.’

The cheers of the Arsenal fans gradually weakened.

They saw the shadow of Xavi on the young Bayer Leverkusen player.

The unease they had experienced against peak Barcelona rose in their hearts.

They momentarily forgot the score!

"If turning in a circle can't shake off the pressure!"

"Then turn twice!"

"Only in slow-paced positional warfare can the importance of this technical movement be reflected!"

....

On the sidelines.

Dino was excited: "Boss! You're really amazing! Li followed the method you said..."

Old Topp shook his head: "This isn't my method; it's the method Cruyff used to teach Wenger a lesson. I can't fathom the secrets within, but the La Masia kids can definitely do it!"

"Maintain the connection of the formation while using slowness to defeat speed!"

Arsenal wasn't without flaws.

The passing-and-moving style meant that the gap between the midfield line and the defensive line was extremely large.

When Coquelin and Ramsey in the thirty-meter zone couldn't affect Li Kang's passing rate, Mertesacker and Koscielny, who were only good at defending head-on, would be under great pressure!

On the other side.

Wenger paced back and forth, his expression bitter:

Bould said firmly, "Boss, don't worry! We're two goals ahead; as long as we don't concede a goal and maintain the advantage, we'll have a way to deal with them in the second leg!"

That's what he said.

But when the Arsenal assistant coach shifted his gaze back to the field, he couldn't help but curse inwardly:

It feels so familiar.

Damn it, wouldn't the La Masia training camp have included 'How to Beat Arsenal' in their textbooks?

....

60th minute of the match.

Li Kang suddenly moved forward, bypassing Arsenal's defensive midfielder.

In front of Arsenal's defensive line, he received Borges's sideways pass and, contrary to his usual style, dribbled toward the top of the opponent's penalty arc!

Coquelin chased frantically!

Mertesacker and Koscielny quickly blocked him!

The physical strength of these three was all in the top tier of the five major leagues.

They weren't afraid of head-on collisions!

They had already taught the Bayer Leverkusen number 10 a harsh lesson in the first half!

"He couldn't resist in the end!"

"Li Kang is going to lose this ball! Arsenal's frontal defense is very tough."

"It's difficult to turn in a circle! The distance is too close!"

As soon as the words fell.

The director switched to a close-up shot.

Li Kang touched the ball rapidly with his left foot, reaching the top of Arsenal's penalty arc.

Coquelin lunged out from behind!

The "two-meter giant" Mertesacker blocked him from the front!

Koscielny outflanked him from the right.

The three of them stood like a triangle, sealing off all of Bayer Leverkusen's passing space.

"Oh no!"

"The defensive players of the strong Premier League teams love physical confrontation the most!"

"Bayer Leverkusen is a little impatient!"

Just when everyone thought he was going to lose the ball.

Li Kang had already found a way to break through in his god's-eye view.

Not the gap between Arsenal's two center-backs.

But the left side!

A shocking scene was born!

Touching the ball twice in quick succession with his golden left foot, Li Kang widened the distance between himself and Koscielny.

The moment Coquelin behind him was about to poke at the ball!

Li Kang cut the ball again with the outside of his left foot!

The ball rolled to the right.

Coquelin missed his kick and, following his forward momentum, tried to press down on the Bayer Leverkusen number 10 with his upper body!

He couldn't let this kid tear open the defense on the left!

At the same time.

Ramsey and Bellerin quickly approached Brandt on the left!

Anyone could guess that after Li Kang broke free, his only passing option would be the left flank!

....

What was Coquelin's nickname during this period? "Little Makelele," "Little Essien," "Little Vieira"!

In one-on-one physical contests, he was in the top 0.5 in Europe!

He had never been overturned.

But this time, he was overturned.

The Bayer Leverkusen number 10 had turned!

The nearby sound equipment transmitted a burst of fierce physical sounds!

The solid, strong Coquelin felt an extremely terrifying force!

As if he was in a washing machine drum!

It was an unparalleled rotational force!

As he fell to the ground, his face was filled with horror!

Is this guy's core strength so terrifying when he turns?

"Love's magic merry-go-round..."

"It's an invincible fire wheel!"

....

Seeing Li Kang break free from the defense!

Arsenal's defensive line didn't panic!

All their attention was focused on the left!

Mertesacker and Koscielny were panicked, but when they saw Ramsey and Bellerin marking Brandt tightly on the right flank, they felt a little relieved.

'As long as we don't lose our position, Li Kang will only be able to reorganize the attack!'

In a god's-eye view.

Li Kang had grasped all the information on the green field.

While Arsenal's two center-backs were closing in on him, they would reveal weaknesses!

In his vision, the red and black shadow of number 10 quickly coalesced.

Rui Costa!

The moment the waltz abruptly stopped, the curtain of Swan Lake was raised at the Emirates Stadium!

Bayer Leverkusen's number 10 moved with composure.

Facing the pressing Arsenal center-backs.

Without any redundant adjustments, he gently lifted his left foot.

His upright upper body and elegant leg-swinging motion were just like a swan raising its head and spreading its wings!

*Pa!*

A crisp sound!

The ball skimmed across the grass.

Rapidly passing through the gap between Mertesacker and Koscielny.

Like a firework ascending into the sky.

Lighting up the night in North London.

Like a scalpel.

Accurately piercing the right side of Arsenal's penalty area.

At the Emirates Stadium, tens of thousands of fans could no longer hear a sound.

Everyone's heart was pulled by the trajectory of this diagonal pass.

"Son Heung-min!!!"

"The lead given by Li Kang's diagonal pass seems to have guessed that his teammate's reaction would be half a beat slow!"

"The opportunity has come!"

....

Son Heung-min's reaction was really half a beat slow.

He strode into the penalty area.

Who would have thought that Li would pass such a ball from that position!

But the lead he gave was really perfect. Did Li guess that he would react too slowly?

Dino bent down nervously.

Old Topp's fists trembled constantly.

Wenger frowned slightly.

...

Guarding Arsenal's goal was a man wearing a tank helmet.

A Premier League Golden Glove winner.

A Champions League champion goalkeeper.

The former Night Watchman of Stamford Bridge.

Čech.

He was left-handed.

Son Heung-min knew that.

The Korean forward didn't make too many adjustments.

*Bang!*

Accompanied by a burst of sound!

The ball kicked up grass clippings!

Whistling towards the lower right corner of the goal!

Something seemed wrong?

...

Dino held his head in his hands:

Son Heung-min made a mistake!

Čech's weakness is the lower right corner! That's right! But he's facing away from the goal!

He should have shot the ball into the lower left corner of the goal; that's Čech's lower right corner weakness!

Why am I getting confused myself?

...

Before experiencing three serious injuries, Čech was a perfect goalkeeper.

Even now.

Son Heung-min's shot didn't pose a threat to him!

Accompanied by the exclamations of tens of thousands of fans.

Čech quickly went to ground.

Extending his left fist.

*Bang!*

The ball bounced high!

"A miraculous save!"

"Čech, with this block, proves that he's still the..."

"Oh no!"

....

Arsenal had never had a problem with high balls.

Their aerial defense was top-notch.

From Highbury to the Emirates Stadium.

The number of times their goal had been breached by high balls was very, very few.

The moment the ball was about to fly out of the penalty area.

A figure jumped high.

Not very strong.

No big muscles.

That unbelievable jumping height overpowered the "two-meter giant" Mertesacker.

The white number 10 jersey was blown by the wind in mid-air.

*Bang!*

The clumsy header formed a sharp contrast with the amazing jump!

The ball flew slowly towards the lower left corner of the goal!

Čech got up and quickly dived over!

*Bang!*

The ball accidentally hit the post!

Then bounced into the goal!

2:1!!!

Čech looked dumbfounded.

Is this kid's header so bad? He happened to hit the post, and his own save formed a time difference?

"A sound from the heavens!!!"

"Bayer Leverkusen has pulled one back!"

"Young Li Kang! Scores his first career goal with a header!!!"

"A valuable away goal! Bayer Leverkusen hasn't given up the match! They still have a chance!"

"Li Kang has dominated the second half! He's the instigator! And the finisher!"

"If Bayer Leverkusen can go further in this Champions League, he will be a strong contender for the Golden Boot!"

"The goddess of victory is smiling at him!"

Duan Xuan and He Wei really didn't know how to praise him anymore!

There were too many things to praise!

Formation advancement.

Turning to get rid of defenders.

God-level through ball.

Terrifying jumping and hang time.

Only the final header couldn't be praised!

...

Livestream.

The chat was flooded with comments!

-【He's Li Mingdeng!!!】

-【I believe it! Even if Li Kang can't win this match! In the second leg, Bayer Leverkusen can make a comeback at home!】

-【I don't know what to say, let me wish everyone an early happy new year. Li Mingdeng is awesome!】

-【Čech... my Čech...】

-【If this header hadn't hit the post, Čech would have been able to save it, but it just had to...】

-【Li Mingdeng saw through everything; he deliberately headed the ball at the post! To create a time difference! Is there really such a perfect midfield genius in the world?】

-【Don't get too happy too soon; Wilshere hasn't come on yet. His individual strength is average now, but he can form a double pivot with Cazorla. How can Li Kang win with a single pivot?】

.....

On the sidelines.

Old Topp took a few running steps and jumped up excitedly!

Dino hurriedly stopped him!

He took a deep breath and said calmly, "Boss! We haven't equalized yet!"

The Bayer Leverkusen coach froze in place, looked up at the LED scoreboard in the air.

"There's not much time left for Arsenal!"