Before becoming a player, Su Luo had difficulty understanding the Italian-style chain defense. However, in this game, Su Luo felt firsthand the defensive strength of the Italian team.
In the first 10 minutes, Su Luo didn't even touch the ball once. It was the first time since his rebirth that he encountered such a situation.
Jiuye's off-ball movement was not invincible. The key to off-ball movement is accurately judging the gaps in the opponent's formation and timing your runs to receive a well-placed pass from a teammate. But this only works if the opponent's formation has gaps.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, Su Luo did find some gaps in Juventus's defense. However, every time he was about to start his run, the gaps were quickly filled. If normal teams have attacking windows once or twice every 2 minutes for about 5 seconds each, Juventus had them once every 5 minutes for just 0.5 seconds.
During the rest of the time, wherever Su Luo ran, he was strictly marked. If his teammates forced the ball to him, Juventus players would collaborate to steal it. For instance, in the 7th minute, after Union Berlin made several passes outside the box, Forsberg sent an overhead ball. When Su Luo was about to accelerate and catch it, Khedira limited his speed, Barzagli blocked his path, and Bonucci was already competing for the ball. Their seamless cooperation left Su Luo with no chance to defeat them one by one.
After several forced attempts in his "possessed" state, Su Luo quickly realized and turned off the possessed state, patiently looking for opportunities up front. The game had just begun; there was no need to use all his cards at the start.
Juventus's approach to Union Berlin was still defensive counterattacks. The three defenders controlled the gaps in the ribs, the two wingbacks retreated deep, and the three defensive midfielders swept in front of the penalty area. Compared to Juventus's airtight defense, Bayern's previous back three seemed like a sieve.
After the 7-0 game, Guardiola paid close attention to the 480 defense wave. It's unclear how Bayern's defense strength is now, but the scene was rather dull. There were no bright spots in the opening 15 minutes.
"After all, this is the first time the two sides have met in history, and the battle has not yet reached its peak," commented Zhan Jun, trying to keep the live broadcast engaging.
"Director Zhang, based on the first 15 minutes, have both coaches achieved their tactical goals?" he asked.
Director Zhang, often staying up late and with a bit of discomfort in his throat, cleared his throat and responded, "At the moment, this is the rhythm Juventus is most familiar with. Serie A's overall tempo is much slower than the Bundesliga's, and Union Berlin is a fast team in the Bundesliga, similar to Premier League teams. If two teams compete in quick transitions, no one in Europe, except Real Madrid, can beat Union Berlin.
"Playing fast means more mistakes and gaps, which Su Luo is excellent at exploiting. However, Union Berlin's weakness is their struggle with slower tempos. They lack a suitable lineup for passing control, and their coach isn't adept at this style. Recently, opponents have countered them with defense, giving up space and forcing them to control the ball. If they rely solely on high balls, there aren't enough targets in the penalty area. No matter how strong Su Luo is with his headers, it's hard to outplay three defenders.
"So, they need a fulcrum to help Su Luo share the pressure," Zhan Jun said.
"Exactly," Director Zhang nodded. "Juventus is effectively restricting Su Luo. With no one to share the pressure, Su Luo has too much to do, making it difficult for him to perform."
Neuhaus, with folded arms, frowned. In previous games, it was all about Su Luo performing miracles as long as he had the ball, which led the rest of the team to act as support, gradually getting used to the "four guarantees and one" lineup. At critical moments, no one else stepped up.
If Sane were present, his breakthroughs might bring uncertainties and help Su Luo tear apart Juventus's defense. Without Sane, Forsberg struggled, and Mahrez's recent form had been inconsistent.
"In super god form, Mahrez can carry the team, but in his current state, he's invisible, struggling to hold the ball and defend, with no successful 1v1 breakthroughs," Director Zhang commented. "Union Berlin has lost its wing play, and their midfield is a defensive trio, leading to no offense. Union Berlin now has to beware of counterattacks."
Juventus, on the other hand, thrived on this situation, often winning games 1-0. They loved to counterattack with high balls when opponents weren't paying attention. Morata and Mandzukic up front were top contenders.
Sure enough, in the 26th minute, when Mahrez dribbled the ball from the right, Chiellini stretched out his foot and stole it. Surprisingly, Chiellini dribbled the ball himself, advancing over 20 meters. Keita hurried to intercept, but Chiellini passed to Pogba.
Pogba, the hot midfield star, dribbled towards the penalty area, performing a fancy bicycle kick past Kimmich. He feigned a Marseille turn, and Paredes was tricked. Pogba then passed the ball, finding the right moment for a through ball.
The Italian commentator went crazy, his mouth like a machine gun. "Paul Pogba!! Beautiful pass to Mandzukic Morata! Oh, the pass is perfect! Morata! In the penalty area, takes the shot!"
"Incredible save! Pickford!"
"Mandzukic hooks the ball back! Shoots!"
Mandzukic blocked Pickford's save, swayed past Alex, and took a shot.
"Mandzukic!! Goal!!"
"27 minutes in, Juventus leads! Paul Pogba broke through the midfield barrier!"
The Italian commentator was overjoyed. With the lead, the game was now in Juventus's control.
He Wei sighed regretfully. "Chiellini's sudden advance disrupted Union Berlin's defense. Pogba's talent was fully displayed today. Despite Pickford's heroic save, he couldn't withstand the continuous attack. Union Berlin conceded a goal in the first half, strengthening Juventus's defensive determination. But there's still plenty of time for Su Luo to equalize."
Su Luo felt a bit depressed.
As expected of Juventus, their ability to seize opportunities is indeed impressive. Each player was at their best. Union Berlin, perhaps affected by lack of sleep, seemed a bit off their game. It was truly difficult to rely on oneself alone.
But!
The more intense the situation, the calmer Su Luo became. He immersed himself on the pitch, carefully observing every player and every change. Modric and Inzaghi's passive full-view power was fully activated!
If the mental load became too high, he might lose his vitality after the game. But with the team falling behind, Su Luo couldn't care less—he needed to equalize the score as soon as possible!
"Hey! Asian Boy!"
"Huh?"
Before the kick-off, Su Luo was preparing to concentrate on planning the attack. After the celebration, Pogba walked by and struck up a conversation.
"I know which nightclub in Turin is fun. The girls are punctual! How about I take you there after the game?"
"What???"
On the field of a key battle, the opponent players openly discussed going to nightclubs afterward? Su Luo couldn't understand Pogba's mindset. Was he mocking him? Or genuinely inviting him?
It was said that Pogba was quite the partygoer, often dancing at least twice a week, each time with a different female partner.
After thinking about it for a moment, Su Luo quickly shook his head to refocus. Almost got sidetracked by this guy. Going to a nightclub, huh? We'll see if you're in the mood later!
After regrouping, Su Luo didn't care about conserving energy. He became more active in running, expanding his range of activities significantly. Sometimes he even retreated to the middle circle to connect with Kimmich, Paredes, and others.
Since Juventus's penalty area was packed, they decided to try some long shots. Su Luo's extensive and fast running made it very difficult for Juventus. They didn't expect Su Luo to explode with such energy so quickly.
Khedira, Pogba, and Marchisio had to take turns pressing forward to limit Su Luo's ball possession. After several attempts, Su Luo finally seized an opportunity!
The weakness lay in Pogba. Due to his previous success, he was a bit complacent, always thinking about attacking and being slightly slow on defense. Su Luo deliberately targeted his position.
"Su Luo, continue to retreat to support; he's been quite active lately."
"Paredes is pressing up, and Forsberg has moved inside, with Su Luo..."
"Strike! Kimmich to Forsberg, passes to Su Luo!"
"Su Luo knocks it back, plays a one-two! Straight return!"
"Pogba didn't keep up!! Chance for Su Luo! He can try...!"
Just as Zhan Jun was about to comment on the good space and angle in front of the penalty area, Su Luo acted faster and took the shot! With enough time to aim for the top corner of the goal, Su Luo powered up and swung his leg perfectly.
Channeling Haaland and Ronaldo, Su Luo's shot was fast, with a sharp arc, heading straight for the top corner! After half an hour of silence, Su Luo finally unleashed his powerful shot, the "Soviet Cannon Fire!"
The football soared toward the goal with a destructive force. Union Berlin fans stood up, ready to cheer!
But then, a figure leaped unbelievably high!
"Jesus Christ! God save!"
"Buffon! Buffon stood up at the critical moment!"
Su Luo's shot was too thrilling. The Italian commentator's heart almost stopped, but Buffon saved it. Huge cheers erupted at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
"Gigi! Gigi! Gigi!"
The fans chanted Buffon's nickname in unison, and he became the hero of Turin once again!
Buffon, with lingering fears, knew that over his career, he had faced countless world superstars. The sense of oppression from that shot was unprecedented! Could this kid be so deadly with just a long shot?
Su Luo, facing Buffon from afar, wasn't depressed. Instead, he grinned and pointed a finger at Buffon.
"1!"
Finally saved one round of Buff! How many more shots until Juventus's goal is broken?
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