Chapter 159 I Have Sanchez, Giroud, 272, Can I Kill Su Luo?

When Su Luo's horizontal ball suddenly accelerated and outpaced Martinez, Guardiola knew Bayern Munich had lost the initiative in the championship race. For the rest of the season, they would have to win every game and hope Union Berlin made mistakes. Despite the 3-point gap, Bayern now had to rely on their rival's missteps.

The match itself went well for Bayern. They had many opportunities to secure the game early on. If not for Pickford's outstanding performance in the first half, Bayern could have taken a substantial lead. Union Berlin struggled against Bayern's high-intensity pressing.

But luck wasn't on Bayern's side. Su Luo's three goals came at critical moments, each time rescuing Union Berlin from danger and helping them regain control.

Especially that second goal! A half-field lob just after kick-off—what was that?

It defied logic and tactics! God must be against me, Guardiola thought.

At the press conference, Guardiola was visibly frustrated.

"To be honest, Bayern played well in this game. My tactics were sound, and the players executed them perfectly," he said. "The loss can only be blamed on divine intervention. Su, that player, must have been sent by God to torment me."

The reporters laughed, but Guardiola could only manage a wry smile. He knew Rummenigge would have words for him after being double-defeated by Union Berlin.

After the press conference, Guardiola called his agent, Josep Orobit.

"Josep, tell them I agree to the contract," Guardiola said.

On the other end, Orobit was thrilled. "That's right. Bayern hasn't shown you enough respect. Manchester City will give you the status and freedom to implement your football philosophy."

"Maybe," Guardiola replied.

If he could, Guardiola would have loved to pull a Mourinho—leave triumphantly after winning the treble. But Bayern hadn't even made it to the final in years, and now the league title was slipping away.

"That Chinese kid... I hope he stays in the Bundesliga for a few more years and doesn't come to the Premier League. I'm really fed up," Guardiola muttered.

Assistant coach Estialte noticed how much older Guardiola seemed after the phone call.

Following the game, the German media went into a frenzy. Su Luo won Man of the Match with a hat-trick, and Pickford, who came off the bench, earned the highest score of 1. Union Berlin players generally scored above 3.

Professional media outlets like "Kicker" analyzed the game, focusing on the formations of both teams. Bayern Munich received little criticism because they played exceptionally well. Their tight high press stifled Union Berlin's attack, flipping the script and playing on Berlin's terms.

"This game, like Su Luo's second goal, defies common sense," one commentator said. "Maybe that's the beauty of football. You can exhaust all your strategies and reach perfection, but once on the field, unpredictable events can happen. Su Luo seized the only opportunities Union Berlin had and scored three goals. Bayern's only mistake was not capitalizing on their chances."

Union Berlin now had 16 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, accumulating 49 points to remain at the top. Bayern trailed by 3 points. It would come down to which team could grab more points.

Su Luo's mid-circle kick-off goal was also selected as the best of the round and was expected to contend for this year's Puskas Award. The 2015 Puskas Awards had no suspense, as all top three goals were scored by Su Luo. The media didn't make a big deal out of it.

The favorite goal was Su Luo's overhead kick in the Bundesliga opener, a 7-0 thrashing of Bayern. Every time he played Bayern, Su Luo managed a hat-trick, with at least one goal worthy of the best of the year.

The German media even dubbed him the "Bayern Nemesis."

Su Luo, however, remained humble in interviews.

"Actually, I'm not targeting Bayern specifically. I just love challenging all the European giants. I enjoy playing against strong teams."

Thankfully, Su Luo stopped himself before saying more, avoiding media exaggeration.

Otherwise, headlines would scream, "Su Luo: All European Giants Are Easy Prey."

That night, Su Luo led his teammates to a nightclub to celebrate. Verhorst, experiencing Union Berlin's unique culture for the first time, felt a bit uncomfortable. As the son of a wealthy family, he usually focused on football, finding little joy in typical pastimes.

In the past, wealthy and famous ladies invited him to nightclubs, but he always found it noisy. Surprisingly, going to a nightclub with his teammates felt different. He soon realized that the added flavor of victory made all the difference.

"Why doesn't Su dance in the middle of the dance floor? He just closes his eyes and rests," Verhorst noticed.

The teammates were unsurprised, and even the regulars around the dance floor made room for Su Luo. Everyone knew this teenager was a hero in East Berlin. Every time he closed his eyes on the dance floor, he would lead Union Berlin to victory.

Quinine, slightly tipsy, hugged Verhorst and exclaimed, "Let me tell you, this is Chinese kung-fu! Su's way of cultivation!"

"Ah?" Verhorst almost believed it, thinking Su Luo was practicing some ancient mysterious martial art.

After their victory against Bayern, Union Berlin had three Bundesliga matches to play before facing Arsenal in the Champions League knockout stage.

Bundesliga Round 19: Stuttgart vs. Union Berlin

Bundesliga Round 20: Union Berlin vs. Cologne

Bundesliga Round 21: Union Berlin vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach

Stuttgart and Cologne were not major concerns. Cologne sat comfortably mid-table, with no fear of relegation and little hope for European qualification. Union Berlin had consistently defeated them since their days in Bundesliga 2, making them a manageable opponent.

Stuttgart, on the other hand, was deep in the relegation zone and likely to drop to the second division. At this stage of the season, they weren't desperate enough to put up a fierce fight.

Borussia Mönchengladbach, though, was a different story. They were eight points behind Bayern and eleven behind Union Berlin. While the title race seemed out of reach, they still had a shot at finishing in the top four. The real challenge for Union Berlin was that just three days after facing Borussia, they would travel to North London to take on Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16. Two tough matches in a week posed a significant test for Union Berlin.

After a day of rest, Union Berlin resumed intense training. The team's three-center-back formation in the last ten minutes against Bayern had proven effective, and coach Neuhaus saw potential in adopting this popular European tactic. If the team could adapt to the new system, their overall strength would increase significantly.

In their away match against Stuttgart in Round 19, Union Berlin stuck to their four-back system. Su Luo contributed a goal and an assist, leading the team to a 2-0 victory. This brought Su Luo's Bundesliga tally to 37 goals for the season, and his assist helped Quining score his 10th goal of the campaign. Quining, once on the verge of becoming a fringe player, had become a reliable goal-scorer for the team since their match against Manchester City.

In Round 20, Union Berlin faced Cologne with their towering striker Weghorst in the starting lineup. The Cologne defense struggled to contain the 6'5" forward, who dominated aerial duels like Sakuragi Hanamichi grabbing rebounds in Slam Dunk. Union Berlin took full control in the penalty area and defeated Cologne 5-0 at home. Su Luo provided a hat-trick of assists, bringing his Bundesliga goal count to 39. The goals were straightforward, with crosses into the box that Weghorst either headed on target or set up for Su Luo and his teammates to finish. Union Berlin easily broke through Cologne's defense.

Coach Neuhaus was delighted with Weghorst, who had cost just 500,000 euros. The tall striker made breaking down weaker teams much easier, although Neuhaus knew this strategy might not be as effective against stronger opponents. How well it would work in tougher matches, like the upcoming fixtures against Borussia and Arsenal, remained to be seen.

North London: Arsenal Manager's Office

"Arsène, still up this late?"

In North London, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger sat in his office, intently watching a video. The footage showed Su Luo in action.

The assistant coach glanced over and realized Wenger was rewatching Union Berlin's recent match against Bayern.

"Are you worried our high press won't be able to stop him?" the assistant asked.

"No, I'm more concerned about our offense," Wenger replied, frowning. "Relying solely on defense won't win us the game. We have to be efficient. To win, you need to score more goals than the opponent. Luckily, we have some good attackers."

Wenger sighed, knowing the key to advancing lay with his front three. "In the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there's a scene where three heroes take on Lü Bu. Su Luo is our Lü Bu, and we must rise to the challenge."

Wenger stared at the profiles of his three forwards: Sánchez, Giroud, and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Would they be enough to stand up to Su Luo?

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