Chapter 165 Guarantee

Standing on the field once more, Zhao Gang was in the opponent's half, looking back at Norwich's defense.

Mendy nodded emphatically.

He believed in Zhao Gang, unconditionally!

Because Zhao Gang had already conquered everyone with his previous performance.

The entire team's transformation had begun with Zhao Gang!

Although no one had said it, everyone knew that Zhao Gang was the core of this team!

This was the first time he, as a core player, had made a request of his teammates.

Mendy felt a surge of energy, determined to defend against the opponent's attack at all costs!

Zhao Gang's guarantee had reinvigorated the defenders.

Forty-five minutes, besieged in our own half, and we still held on. What's another forty-five minutes?

The defenders had been silent during halftime, not because they had lost their fighting spirit, nor because they lacked confidence against the Aubameyang-Reus-Mkhitaryan trident.

But because they saw no hope!

Even if they gave it their all, they couldn't win the game. What was the point of their efforts, their desperation?

Now, Zhao Gang was telling them that as long as they did their job, he would take care of scoring!

Fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes would show you all a glimpse of winning!

This guarantee, Zhao Gang's guarantee, was like a shot of adrenaline.

Zhao Gang stood next to Ospina, whispering, "I'll pass the ball to you in a moment. Just watch for the opportunity, keep hovering around the offside line, and charge forward when you see the ball. I'll definitely get it to your feet."

Ospina's mind couldn't process it.

What?

Even Wright and Philip can't find me, and you can?

He knew Zhao Gang's passing. During training, it was practically a source of amusement for his teammates.

Now Zhao Gang was telling him to run and that he would pass the ball to his feet?

Wasn't this a joke?

But Ospina believed Zhao Gang.

For no other reason than that Zhao Gang was trustworthy!

Zhao Gang casually strolled back to his own half.

"Zhao Gang has retreated directly. He really can't find any good opportunities in the frontcourt, so he has to retreat to defend. It's unavoidable," Shen Jian analyzed, trying to excuse Zhao Gang.

A striker running back to his own half when his team is kicking off from the center circle was indeed not very appropriate.

"Still calling him a king of the ball! He scored a few goals in the lower leagues and they're already calling him a king? No matter how much they hype him up?"

"He's useless against Dortmund. He's just a king of bullying weaker teams."

"Don't talk nonsense, he's a defensive king!"

"If you can't say anything nice, shut up."

"If you don't want to watch, then leave!"

"Morons, did anyone ask you to watch?"

"You garbage dogs, get lost!!"

Some of the fans who were looking forward to Zhao Gang's performance were becoming impatient and started lashing out at the hateful comments.

*Beep!*

With a whistle, Norwich kicked off from the center circle, the midfielders constantly passing the ball back.

Aubameyang and Reus simultaneously pressed forward.

Mendy had no choice but to pass the ball to the goalkeeper, who made a long pass, and Wright on the wing managed to catch the ball with some difficulty.

He saw Zhao Gang, who had drifted to the other side, even further back than him, actually reaching out for the ball!

Kagawa Shinji pounced, wanting to pressure Wright.

Wright thought for a moment and made a wide-ranging transfer, the ball flying from the right to the left.

At that distance and with that force, Zhao Gang, with his extremely poor ball control, probably wouldn't even be able to stop the ball properly.

But he had asked for the ball, and Wright would give it to him!

Why?

Because Zhao Gang had already proven himself. As long as he asked for the ball, he must have a good reason and confidence.

This was almost eighty meters away from the opponent's goal!

It was absolutely impossible to shoot.

It was also impossible to break through, because he didn't have the ability.

So what did he want to do?

While Wright was wondering, as he had expected, Zhao Gang somewhat clumsily brought the ball down.

Almost knocking it out of bounds!

"Zhao is asking for the ball at this time… Against professional players, he has almost no dribbling ability, nor does he have the ability to organize and pass. It would be better to give the ball to a midfielder. His choice…" Rod was cut off by Brook, "It's rare for Zhao to ask for the ball like this. He must have his own reasons! I absolutely believe in him! Even if I don't know what he's going to do!"

Brook's commentary wasn't professional enough. His job was to stir up the emotions of the fans.

Now, he had already grasped what most of the fans were thinking.

Zhao Gang, the miracle-making boy, was the hero of Norwich fans, and his choice must be the right one!

Hummels knew Zhao Gang's passing and dribbling abilities very well. He had figured it out in the first half.

He was a little better than an amateur player, not even comparable to defenders like him.

Hummels signaled Piszczek to quickly press forward. It would be easy to intercept the ball!

Piszczek quickly stepped forward. Zhao Gang was looking down at the ball, trying to control it.

He looked up slightly and saw Piszczek extending his leg, about to kick the ball away.

Norwich's midfielders were not far from Zhao Gang and knew that things were about to go bad!

Wright was already running back, preparing to participate in the defense.

It would be difficult for Zhao Gang to protect the ball, especially against a top defender like Piszczek.

And Ospina, who was about to return, suddenly remembered Zhao Gang's words.

He hesitated for a moment and quickly looked at Dortmund's defensive line.

Not offside!

I'll run!

Ospina took off, running forward.

"Ospina is still working hard, constantly pulling the defensive line. Even if it's some useless work, what if an opportunity arises!

What if… what if it comes!!!"

Rod stared wide-eyed, looking at the screen in disbelief.

Zhao Gang's ball, according to the first half, should have been intercepted by Piszczek.

But not this time!

This time, Zhao Gang kicked the ball away in advance, like a powerful clearance.

The ball flew over half the field, heading straight for the opponent's danger zone!

And Ospina, running tirelessly, looked up slightly and saw the ball landing right in front of him!

The power, angle, and speed were extremely comfortable!

And Dortmund's defenders, led by Hummels, were too slow to react and had been left behind by at least two body lengths!

With the combination of Subotic and Hummels, such a big loophole should never have appeared!

But they were careless!

Their experience told them that it was impossible for Zhao Gang to pass the ball from that position, let alone find the advancing Ospina so accurately!

Not a single Norwich player possessed that kind of footwork!

This was a precise long pass of nearly fifty meters!

In this world, there were only about ten people who could confidently pass such a ball!

A one-on-one chance!!

While everyone was amazed at how Zhao Gang had made that pass, Ospina had already kicked the ball into the net!

1:0!

Norwich, playing at home and having been pressed back for the entire first half, miraculously took the lead just seconds into the second half!

It's in!

It really went in!

It wasn't until Ospina spread his arms and sprinted madly towards the fan zone that the fans in the entire stadium reacted!

The entire stadium, which had been silent, instantly erupted in cheers.

Norwich's goalkeeper, with his mouth open, clenched his fist and fell to his knees.

The frustration of the entire half burst out at this moment!

It's in!

They're in the lead!

Dortmund besieged us for half the game, and we took the lead so easily!!

"Oh, this ball…" Rod scratched his head, unable to believe that it was Zhao Gang who had passed it.

Moreover, in principle, when Zhao Gang got the ball, Ospina should not have continued to run.

Because, Zhao Gang had gotten the ball a few times before, and Ospina had stopped there. He knew that Zhao Gang wouldn't pass to him, because Zhao Gang didn't have the ability!

Everyone knew that Zhao Gang didn't have that ability, but at this moment, he suddenly had it!!

And Ospina had made a bizarre run!

This was clearly a tactic that the two had planned long ago!

This wasn't a coincidence. Zhao Gang must have been at least halfway certain of his pass before telling Ospina to run!

"What did I say? I said that Zhao wouldn't ask for the ball for no reason! Did you see it? Did you see that pass?

How beautiful? How wonderful???"

This pass went over two layers of Dortmund's defense, with an extremely tricky landing point. The defenders couldn't catch up, and the goalkeeper couldn't come out.

They could only leave it to fate, hoping that Ospina wouldn't score on this one-on-one chance!