Turning the Tables on Barcelona

The crowd was in an uproar, with fans from both sides anxiously watching the field, standing on their toes to get a better view.

Both players, Piqué and Kompany, were seriously injured. Piqué's condition seemed worse; he had collapsed and lost consciousness. Kompany had blood visibly dripping from his head and was struggling to stand up.

The referee quickly called for the medics to come onto the field. Barcelona's team doctor shined a light into Piqué's eyes, but after receiving no response despite shouting his name loudly, he signaled for an ambulance. Piqué was immediately placed on a stretcher and taken off the field, heading to a hospital for further treatment.

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone in the stadium. Seeing their teammate gravely injured and whisked away by an ambulance, Barcelona's players couldn't help but feel deeply shaken.

Piqué's injury worried the Barcelona fans, and the camera zoomed in on Spain's national team coach, Vicente del Bosque, watching from the stands. Del Bosque's expression was grave. The World Cup was just around the corner, and Piqué was Spain's main center-back. His injury was not only a blow for Barcelona but also a significant setback for Spain.

Barcelona quickly made a substitution, bringing on Marc Bartra to replace the injured Piqué.

On the Manchester City side, Pellegrini was also preparing a substitution. Kompany was diagnosed with a concussion, and the team doctor advised him not to continue playing.

However, after resting briefly on the sidelines, Kompany insisted he could carry on.

In such an important match, the captain didn't want to leave his team behind.

"Vincent, are you sure you want to keep playing?" Pellegrini asked again. After all, this wasn't a one-off match—if City lost today, they still had a chance in the second leg. But if Kompany aggravated his injury, he might not be available for the next game.

"Yes, coach. I don't want to return to Manchester with any regrets," Kompany replied firmly, worried that his absence would hurt the team.

"Captain, you should rest. We won't let your hard work go to waste," Lin and several teammates appeared by Kompany's side, trying to convince him.

"Don't you trust us, Captain?" De Bruyne added, his words stopping Kompany in his tracks.

If Kompany insisted on playing, it would be seen as a lack of faith in his teammates. After hearing De Bruyne's remark, he finally relented.

Lin gave De Bruyne a thumbs-up. It seemed a fellow Belgian knew best how to persuade him!

City substituted Joleon Lescott in for the injured Kompany.

With the game resuming, the players from both teams were more cautious after Piqué's injury. The physical confrontations weren't as intense as before.

Both sides toned down their tackles, which was good news for technical players like Messi and Neymar.

Noticing that Kolarov already had a yellow card, Barcelona focused their attacks on City's left side.

With more support from his teammates, Neymar became increasingly active on the field.

In the 71st minute, Neymar used some fancy footwork to get past Kolarov, breaking into the penalty area. But just as he was about to shoot, Lescott slid in and cleared the ball out for a corner.

Barcelona took a short corner, once again getting the ball to Neymar on the right.

Sensing the danger, Kroos came over to help defend.

However, Neymar appeared to be putting on a show. Under pressure from both Kroos and Kolarov, he skillfully stepped on the ball, evading Kroos, pulled back half a step, and shifted the ball from his right foot to his left as if to cut inside.

This feint fooled Kolarov, who moved towards the middle.

But Neymar swiftly switched the ball back to his right foot, turning in one fluid motion.

The series of moves happened in the blink of an eye, like a well-rehearsed performance.

Both of City's defenders had lost their positions, and Neymar now had a clear path ahead.

Just as he was about to accelerate into the box, a blue figure came sliding in from the side, knocking him to the ground.

Neymar immediately dived into the box, clutching his foot and rolling on the ground in pain.

After the tackle, Lin remained where he was, watching Neymar writhe on the ground.

He knew his tackle was clean—he had pulled back his foot to avoid causing injury. Neymar was clearly putting on a show.

Unfortunately, referee Kuipers was fooled by Neymar's theatrics. He blew his whistle and ran over to show Lin a yellow card, awarding Barcelona a free kick.

Lin didn't argue with the decision; he had intentionally fouled Neymar. Even though Neymar was exaggerating, Lin had indeed made contact.

If Neymar had broken through into the penalty area, it could have been a dangerous one-on-one situation.

Barcelona's players quickly surrounded the referee, not to protest Lin's foul but to demand a penalty.

Kuipers remained firm in his decision. Despite Neymar falling in the penalty area, the foul had occurred just outside the box, so there would be no penalty.

With their protests falling on deaf ears, Barcelona's players returned to their positions. They didn't want to risk upsetting the referee, who had already shown he was quick to pull out cards.

Messi stood over the free kick, glanced at the goalkeeper's position, and struck the ball.

Unfortunately, his shot didn't clear the wall and ricocheted out.

Barcelona's players rushed toward the loose ball, but someone else was faster!

Because of his height, Lin hadn't been part of the wall, instead waiting on the edge of the box for a chance to counterattack.

And now, that chance had come!

Lin reached the ball just before Xavi.

With a quick touch to his left, he separated himself from Xavi and escaped his interception.

Aguero, David Silva, and others immediately began sprinting toward Barcelona's half.

City's counterattack was on!

"Stop him!" Barcelona coach Martino jumped from his seat, alarmed the moment Lin secured possession.

Manchester City's counterattacks had been lethal today, already resulting in two goals.

If they scored again, it would spell disaster for Barcelona.

Busquets quickly backpedaled, thinking hard about the best way to stop Lin.

"Let's block him together!" He called over Mascherano to help.

Busquets had already tried a one-on-one duel and knew he couldn't stop Lin alone. This time, he brought reinforcements to slow down the counterattack and buy time for his teammates to get back into position.

With both Mascherano and Busquets closing in, Barcelona's right side was left wide open.

This wasn't a mistake; wide players posed less danger than those in the center.

If Lin broke through the middle, he could shoot directly. But if he was forced to pass to the wing, City would need to rely on a cross or a cutback to threaten Barcelona's goal.

This would give Barcelona more time to reorganize their defense.

And as long as they kept Lin from taking the final shot, City's threat would be significantly reduced.

Seeing both Mascherano and Busquets coming for him, Lin quickly realized their strategy.

They wanted to force him to pass and then mark him out of the play, denying him any chance to shoot.

On Barcelona's backline, Jordi Alba and the recently subbed-in Bartra were still in position.

If Lin passed the ball, his only option would be David Silva on the left wing, as Dani Alves was still out of position after pushing forward.

If Lin passed to Silva, that would play right into Barcelona's hands.

Even if Alves hadn't caught up with Silva, he wouldn't be far behind. With Busquets, Mascherano, and Bartra in the middle, Silva would be forced wide and would only have the option of crossing.

With three Barcelona defenders in the box and only two City attackers, they would have the upper hand.

Busquets, this is your plan?

But what if I don't follow your script?

Lin didn't try to dribble past them. One-on-one, his success rate was high, but one-on-two was a different story.

This counterattack was too valuable to risk on a failed dribble.

So Lin passed the ball!

Seeing Lin pass, Busquets breathed a sigh of relief.

As expected, Lin passed the ball, and now the threat should be... wait, what? Lin passed backward?

Busquets had been sure Lin would pass to Silva, but to his surprise, Lin had passed the ball backward instead of forward.

Was he giving up on this attack?

No, that couldn't be!

Busquets turned to see who Lin had passed to. The ball was heading toward a young player with blond hair and a shy expression.

The player wore the No. 17 jersey. Seeing this number, Busquets immediately recalled his profile:

De Bruyne, a Belgian born in 1991, known for his passing and assists, a former Bundesliga assist king, and the record-holder for most assists in a single Bundesliga season. Manchester City had spent €20 million to sign him as an attacking midfielder during the winter break.

Could it be that Lin passed to De Bruyne, hoping he could break through Barcelona's defense with a killer pass?

That's impossible!

Busquets didn't go to intercept De Bruyne, leaving that job to his teammates. Instead, he continued to mark Lin, deliberately blocking his passing lanes.

Lin didn't pay attention to Busquets. After passing the ball, he sprinted toward Barcelona's penalty area, confident that De Bruyne would find a way to get the ball back to him.

Why? Because his name was De Bruyne!

At this stage in his career, De Bruyne might not yet have been the world-class midfield maestro he would later become, but Lin knew that the Belgian's ability to deliver pinpoint passes was already exceptional.

Everyone watching was puzzled by the play. Lin seemed to be surrounded by Barcelona players—Mascherano, Busquets, and Bartra were all closing in on him. How could De Bruyne possibly thread the ball through to him in such a tight space?

Even the commentators were skeptical.

"Oh no, Lin's decision here is questionable. Passing to David Silva on the left seemed like the better option!" one of them said.

"Exactly. If Lin had passed to Silva, he could have driven down the wing and crossed into the box. With both Lin and Aguero in the middle, it could have been a double threat. But by passing back to De Bruyne, he's likely wasted the opportunity!" added another.

"If City want to score from here, they'll need a miracle pass from De Bruyne, but with so many Barcelona defenders in the way, only a miracle can deliver that ball to Lin!"

Meanwhile, Barcelona's fans were relieved to see the back pass. To them, this attack was already over. Their hearts had been pounding when City launched their counterattack, but now they felt it had fizzled out.

Even Martino, Barcelona's coach, seemed to relax a little on the sideline. He patted his chest with a sigh of relief, grateful for Busquets' smart defensive play.

With Lin and Aguero now close to the penalty box, they were actually in a less threatening position, as there was less space to maneuver. Martino believed that Manchester City's attack had lost its sting.

"You've lost your chance. Your attack ends here," Martino thought to himself, beginning to think about how his team would launch the next offensive.

But Lin hadn't given up. He continued sprinting toward Barcelona's penalty area, trusting that De Bruyne would deliver the pass exactly when needed.

And sure enough, just as everyone doubted City's chances, De Bruyne delivered. He made the pass.

"There's no way this will get through!" some of Barcelona's fans started to say.

"Busquets has positioned himself perfectly; there's no way Lin can get to the ball!" others added.

But then something unexpected happened.

De Bruyne's pass, a low, curling shot across the grass, seemed to bend around Busquets, threading the needle between defenders with precision.

"What?!" Barcelona's fans gasped.

The ball miraculously curved past Busquets, bypassing Mascherano and Bartra, and rolled perfectly into Lin's path.

Barcelona's defenders were stunned. They hadn't anticipated that De Bruyne could make such an impeccable pass.

"Is this really happening?" the crowd collectively thought, their earlier smugness vanishing.

On the other side, Manchester City's fans erupted into cheers.

"De Bruyne's signature pass! He did it again!" they yelled in celebration.

Lin didn't waste a second. He controlled the ball smoothly, effortlessly dribbled past Bartra, and faked out the charging goalkeeper. With a calm touch, he slotted the ball into the back of the net.

3-2!

Manchester City had taken the lead at Camp Nou.

Lin pointed to De Bruyne as he sprinted towards him to celebrate. De Bruyne stood there, grinning, arms wide open, waiting for the hug.

But Lin had other plans—he leapt into the air and landed on De Bruyne, sending both of them crashing to the ground, laughing as they fell.

"You nailed that pass, Kevin!" Lin shouted with a grin.

"Heh, I thought so too!" De Bruyne replied.

Before they could exchange more words, they were swarmed by teammates who piled on top of them in a chaotic, joyous heap. Manchester City's players, ecstatic, celebrated with a passion that could be felt across the stadium.

For City, Lin's goal wasn't just another score—it was a beacon of hope. With the game entering the 75th minute, the team could now see victory on the horizon.

"Just 20 minutes to go, including stoppage time. If we can hold on, we'll walk out of Camp Nou with a win!" the players thought, buoyed by Lin's late goal.

On the City bench, the coaching staff and substitutes were just as euphoric. Pellegrini pumped his fist into the air before embracing every nearby colleague. In his excitement, he even almost hugged the fourth official by mistake!

But the scene was starkly different on Barcelona's bench. Martino and the rest of the coaching staff sat in stunned silence. They were down again, this time on their own turf, against a Manchester City side they had underestimated.

The mighty Barcelona—Europe's most decorated club—was now trailing the English side 3-2. All their talk of history, tradition, and strength seemed to crumble in the face of City's relentless energy.

"Pedro, get ready to warm up!" Martino barked, signaling his intention to bring on another attacker. With less than 20 minutes remaining, Barcelona needed to press hard to regain control of the match.

When play resumed, Barcelona threw everything they had at Manchester City. They attacked relentlessly, but City, riding the momentum of their lead, showed no fear.

City's players ran tirelessly and defended bravely, throwing themselves into every challenge, determined to hold their lead. Time and again, they thwarted Barcelona's attempts to equalize, even launching several counterattacks of their own.

In the 82nd minute, after a well-timed tackle, City won the ball back and looked to counter again. However, as soon as Lin received the ball in midfield, Fabregas brought him down with a hard tackle.

The referee, Kuipers, wasted no time in showing Fabregas a yellow card, adding to the growing collection of cautions in this intense match.

Unfazed, Lin quickly got back to his feet, dusted himself off, and continued playing.

City won the free kick, which De Bruyne quickly played to Kroos. Kroos then switched the play to the wing, allowing City to keep possession and organize their attack.

By this point, it was clear that Barcelona's players were running out of steam. They had tried to maintain their high-pressing, possession-based game, but fatigue had set in. Their legs felt heavy, and they could no longer close down space as quickly as before.

Seeing this, Pellegrini finally relaxed. His pre-match hunch had been right: Barcelona's heavy fixture schedule had worn them down. City, who had arrived in Barcelona well-rested and prepared, had a significant advantage in terms of fitness.

While Barcelona had pressed Manchester City hard in the first half, they had paid a price. Now, as the game wore on, they simply didn't have the energy to keep up their usual high-intensity style.

Sensing their opponents' fatigue, Manchester City pressed even harder, launching wave after wave of attacks. They didn't just want to protect their lead—they wanted to increase it.

As the final minutes ticked away, Manchester City began to dominate, turning the tables on their hosts.

At times, the sight was surreal. It almost seemed as if the blue-clad Manchester City players were the ones playing like Barcelona—moving the ball smoothly, combining with precision, and controlling the tempo of the game.

The crowd, still reeling from Lin's goal, watched in disbelief as City's relentless pressure forced Barcelona into a defensive shell.

Even Pedro, who had been brought on to provide attacking thrust, was forced to retreat into Barcelona's own half to help defend.

In the dying moments of the match, Manchester City continued to pile on the pressure. In stoppage time, Lin almost completed his hat trick with a well-placed shot, but the ball struck the crossbar and bounced out.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity for the Barcelona fans, the referee blew the final whistle.

Full time: Manchester City 3, Barcelona 2.

Manchester City, against all odds, had come to Camp Nou and pulled off a stunning comeback victory. Thanks to goals from Lin and David Silva, City would leave Barcelona with a crucial win and three valuable away goals.

As they headed into the second leg, City held all the cards, with a one-goal lead and the advantage of three away goals.

The victory marked a turning point—a night when Manchester City announced themselves as serious contenders on the European stage.