Chapter 160: The 3 Central Defender System Is Just Completed! Before Playing Arsenal, Jump Up And Down First!

"Welcome to the highlight of the 21st round of the 2015-16 Bundesliga season: Union Berlin vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach at home!"

"We've noticed that Union Berlin is using a rotation strategy."

"In just three days, they will head to London for the Champions League round of 16, so Union Berlin must rest their key players."

"For this match, main defensive midfielders like Kimmich, Tah, Mahrez, Rudiger, Alex, and others are all on the bench."

"Starting the game are Verhorst, Quinine, Matushka, Forsberg, Paredes, Richards, and Lima."

"And, of course, Su Luo is also in the starting lineup. He is the core player of Union Berlin."

Borussia Mönchengladbach is not considered a big team. However, in the first half of the season, they almost defeated Union Berlin. Fortunately, Su Luo's goal secured all three points for Union Berlin. They recently beat Werder Bremen with a 5-1 score in the last round, so their morale is high. Their sharp defensive counterattack is aggressive and can trouble Union Berlin.

Neuhaus chose to trust Su Luo, believing he would deliver a perfect performance each week. Su Luo's presence reassured the fans.

Union Berlin is sticking with a three-back system. Facing the fourth-best defense in the current Bundesliga, they can test their offensive capabilities.

After the game started, Union Berlin's attack put Borussia under a lot of pressure!

"Laxalt's wide cross! Verhorst!!!"

"Beautiful! His header was just on point but was blocked by the goalkeeper. Still, Verhorst's effort was impressive."

"Borussia's penalty area is almost dominated by him!"

"...Another threat from Union Berlin, this time from the right!"

"Quinine breaks through to the bottom! The cross is of great quality! Verhorst again!"

"Back to Su Luo!! A great shot!!"

"Surprise! Goalkeeper Sommer subconsciously reached out and blocked Su Luo's shot!"

Verhorst played very well in his first game. Borussia's tight defense struggled to handle such a tall player. They spread their formation, and the two defensive midfielders also covered the wings, blocking the upper wing and comfortably kicking the ball. But in doing so, they left gaps in the center.

Su Luo secretly smiled.

"Got them!"

Su Luo wasn't discouraged when his previous explosive shot failed to score. Union Berlin's real target was the gaps in Borussia's defense. Only three minutes later, Union Berlin attacked again in front of the penalty area. Su Luo acted as the playmaker, bringing the ball to the middle, ready to pass to Quinine on the side. Borussia's defensive midfielders continued to cover the wings, not expecting Su Luo's next move.

Su Luo feinted a shot! With a flick of his ankle, he sent a pass straight into the gap!

"Paredes!!!"

Paredes crossed into the box, receiving Su Luo's pass with no defenders within five meters!

Borussia panicked, and central defender Christensen rushed towards the Argentine! Verhorst ran forward, taking away another central defender, Nordtveit! But Paredes didn't pass to Verhorst, nor did he shoot himself. He calmly swept the ball back!

"Su Luo—"

Duan Xuan raised his arms in anticipation.

Borussia's goalkeeper Sommer was caught off guard!

"Damn it! When did he..."

Unfortunately for Borussia, by the time they noticed Su Luo, he had already placed the ball into the empty net!

"Beautiful teamwork! In the 25th minute of the first half, Union Berlin scored with a clever combination play!"

"Su Luo has now scored 40 goals in the league for two consecutive seasons!"

At this point, no other Bundesliga striker had scored more than 20 goals. Even top scorer Lewandowski had only 18 goals. Su Luo had scored twice as many goals as Lewandowski!

His goal tally was higher than the combined total of the second, third, and fourth highest scorers!

Once, Gerd Müller's 40 goals seemed like an insurmountable record, towering like the Himalayas! But Su Luo made it look as easy as opening the refrigerator to grab a Coke!

The only challenge left for Su Luo was himself!

The only suspense in the Bundesliga's top scorer list was whether Su Luo could break his 60-goal record!

"In addition, Union Berlin's three-center-back system is playing a powerful role! Their offense is more dynamic!"

"This is good news for Union Berlin. In their next Champions League match against a strong team, the three-back system can indeed create more possibilities!"

They seemed to have mastered the winning strategy. Even against Borussia's tightest defense, Union Berlin could score.

Next, Su Luo completely took over the game!

On the plane to London, the players of Union Berlin were still buzzing with excitement from yesterday's game. They were happily discussing their upcoming match against Arsenal.

Head coach Neuhaus, feeling a bit bored, asked the flight attendant for a newspaper.

The front page of the "Berlin Post" featured their match from the previous day.

"Continuing to Lead the Bundesliga! Defeating Borussia 5:1, New Tactics Shine!"

"...In last night's Bundesliga Round 21 highlight match, Borussia could not stop Berlin's progress.

"To prepare for their Champions League knockout round against Arsenal, Neuhaus chose to rotate the squad and used a three-central defender system again."

"Judging by the performance and results, these changes have had a phased impact!"

"Verhorst, who joined during the winter transfer window, became the final piece of the puzzle for this system. The entire team operated like a well-tuned supercar. …

"And the engine of this supercar is none other than the Chinese captain, Su Luo!"

"Two goals and three assists say it all—this 18-year-old orchestrated the carnage!"

"In the 25th minute, Su Luo made an exquisite pass through the defense, using his agility to score a goal. The home team led 1-0!"

"At 39 minutes, Berlin made a long pass from the backfield. Verhorst headed the ball, Su Luo quickly advanced through the defense, and Quinine received the ball in the penalty area, scoring a low shot to extend the lead! The home team leads 2-0!"

"In the 58th minute of the second half, Borussia strengthened their rib defense, but Su Luo moved to the side and made a curved pass, assisting Verhorst, who scored with a header!"

"The tall center forward scored his first Bundesliga goal! 3-0!"

"At 66 minutes, Su Luo took advantage of Borussia's offensive rush to steal the ball, initiating a quick counterattack. Using his speed, he broke through three defenders, reached the penalty area, and assisted Verhorst with a cross, who then scored into an empty net! 4-0!"

"Verhorst scored twice, and Su Luo completed a hat-trick of assists!"

"In the 84th minute of the game, Su Luo's powerful shot from outside the penalty area pierced Borussia's goal again! 5-1!"

"In the 89th minute, Borussia took advantage of a mistake by Union Berlin's defense and scored a consolation goal."

"After this match, Borussia Mönchengladbach temporarily dropped to 5th place. Bayern Munich beat Augsburg 3-1, continuing to close the gap by one point."

Seeing this news, Neuhaus wasn't entirely happy.

Hofstadter noticed his mood. "Worried about Arsenal?"

"Yes, they're the kind of team that could beat us."

Neuhaus was well aware of both teams' characteristics. Union Berlin had an excellent offense and solid defense, but this was only effective if the opponent's pace was not fast. No matter how strong Juventus was, they found it difficult to penetrate Berlin's defense. The same was true for La Liga's Sevilla.

Bundesliga teams had a faster pace than Serie A but were still slower than Premier League teams. Manchester City's fast-paced game in the first round almost beat Union Berlin. In the second round, City played slower, which suited Berlin.

But Arsenal was different. Under Wenger's guidance, their lineup had cultivated a strong understanding. They excelled in quickly opening up play with fast passes and cuts. Sanchez's breakthroughs, Ozil's passes, and Giroud's goal-scoring presence, combined with the midfield's delicate cooperation, often led to a series of smooth plays. Their counterattacks, often involving several quick passes, brought the ball into dangerous areas.

Union Berlin wasn't afraid of an opponent's positional play but feared Arsenal's quick counterattacks. Alex was getting older, Rudiger was more reckless than he would be in the future, and Ake lacked experience.

"Forget it, we also have Su Luo. Their counterattacks are strong, but ours are equally deadly," Hofstadter reassured.

"It's not about scoring goals; we're really not afraid of any team."

"Yes, it seems your mentality is better than mine," Neuhaus smiled self-deprecatingly.

"After all, you're the head coach. The responsibility rests on your shoulders."

Hofstadter knew the head coach seemed calm but faced immense pressure daily. Look at Mourinho; a few years ago, his hair was black. Now, it's almost white.

"Yeah, you have to trust these guys."

Although this trip to North London would be tough, Neuhaus firmly believed Su Luo would continue to perform miracles.

As soon as the plane landed, Su Luo approached Neuhaus.

"What? You're going to a nightclub as soon as we land?"

"Yes, Coach. I need to relax."

Neuhaus had a headache. If players from other teams dared to do this before a key game, they'd be benched to guard the drinking fountains. But this was Su Luo. Going to a nightclub before a match didn't affect his performance; it almost guaranteed a win.

"If you're in such a hurry... well..."

At Heathrow Airport, Su Luo made an excuse to leave and disappeared into the London night.

Neuhaus was a bit helpless. After Su Luo left, other players got restless. Neuhaus had no choice but to say sternly, "Anyone who can score 60 goals or assist more than 20 times in a single season can do whatever they want."

Union Berlin players could only watch Su Luo leave enviously, like students watching a top scorer skip class.

Perhaps this is the prerogative of genius.

In the center of the dance floor, Su Luo felt an illusion of freedom after a long absence. He only wanted to recover his physical and mental strength to maintain peak condition for two matches a week. Otherwise, he wouldn't risk being misunderstood by rushing to a nightclub.

Then, Su Luo noticed something surprising.

"Huh? So fast!"

He saw that the progress, originally at about 40%, had now exceeded 80%!

Could he unlock this card before the end of the season?

Compared to the abilities the cards brought, Su Luo was even more curious about the answer itself.

What was this all about?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can visit my Patreon page:

Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel

I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!

There are 60+ advanced chapters available for you to read.

Your support would be greatly appreciated.

Check out my new One Piece fanfic! 🎉

[One Piece: Become A Pirate Starting From Cp0]