Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 603 Strong Comeback
Shan Yongzhuo's brilliant goal ignited the entire stadium, and everyone watching the game felt an urge to worship him.

When the game restarted, the situation for both teams changed dramatically. It was obvious that the home atmosphere had less and less of an impact on Granada's players, and their performance was getting better and better, even gradually suppressing Athletic Bilbao.

Athletic Bilbao's pressing style can give them an initial advantage, but they cannot maintain that pressure for long.

Neither physical strength nor concentration can sustain such a high-intensity state for an extended period.

Granada's attacks gradually intensified, forcing Athletic Bilbao to retreat and defend. The situation in midfield was reversed, and Herrera was overwhelmed by Nainggolan's regrouping.

Shan Yongzhuo's constant dropping back and moving to the flanks put a lot of pressure on Athletic Bilbao. They had to devote a significant amount of energy to watching Shan Yongzhuo, which resulted in various gaps in their defense against other players.

In the 42nd minute, with the first half nearing its end, Granada's offensive finally paid off.

This time, Nainggolan got past Herrera, drew Iturras's attention, and then played a one-two pass with Ziyech to get past Iturras, drawing Laporte's attention as well.

The ball was then passed to Ziyech, who immediately made a short through pass without stopping the ball.

With his back to De Marcos, Shan Yongzhuo deftly turned and bypassed him, unleashing a shot from inside the penalty area without stopping the ball.

De Marcos dared not make any big moves, after all, this was the penalty area, so he could only make very subtle pulling movements with his hands, but this did not cause any interference to Shan Yongzhuo.

Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Izzoz was quite focused, making a save the instant the ball flew out, but he was just a little short, and the ball went straight into the top corner.

"The ball is in!"

"2 to 1!"

"Shan Yongzhuo, a brilliant turn and shot inside the penalty area, Granada has taken the lead away from home!"

"The biggest contributor to this goal is Nainggolan, whose dribbling breakthrough tore apart the opponent's defense. The second is Ziyech, who made a brilliant short pass without stopping the ball or looking at his man, sending the ball directly to the most dangerous position!"

"Finally, Shan Yongzhuo did what he does best: shooting!"

"No surprises will happen. If Shan Yongzhuo shoots from this position, there is only one outcome: a goal will be scored."

"Athletic Bilbao has taken Shan Yongzhuo very seriously, but it's still not enough; they still can't stop him."

"Perhaps, there is no team in the world that can truly stop Shan Yongzhuo!"

The TV commentator remarked with a sigh.

Meanwhile, the new San Mamés stadium was filled with sighs of despair. Just a few dozen minutes earlier, Athletic Bilbao fans were excited; their team was leading and performing exceptionally well, giving them a glimmer of hope for victory.

But now, the situation on the field has changed dramatically, and the opponent has taken the lead before the end of the first half.

This is not good news.

The Athletic Bilbao players were also very upset, standing with their hands on their hips and heads drooping, looking helpless.

They felt they had done everything they could, but this was still the result, which was very upsetting.

When the game restarted, they didn't seem to pick themselves up and performed poorly, continuing to be dominated by Granada.

The only saving grace is that there are only a few minutes left in the first half, and halftime is coming soon, which will give Athletic Bilbao some breathing room.

On the sidelines, Valverde could only watch helplessly, constantly yelling at his players, but it didn't change the course of the game much. Seeing Granada's relentless attacks, he knew perfectly well that the cause was Shan Yongzhuo.

Dan Yongzhuo stopped coasting and actively participated in the attack, igniting the fighting spirit of Granada's players with a goal.

Athletic Bilbao's players were at a critical point in terms of both form and mentality. If they had been able to hold onto their lead during that period, they would have had a good chance of maintaining their lead in the first half.

But now, they've first been tied, and then Shan Yongzhuo has drawn too much of their attention, putting them in a very passive position.

"Without Shan Yongzhuo, Granada would be no match for us at all..."

Valverde could only sigh helplessly.

This is the second time he has faced Shan Yongzhuo's team. The last time was in the seventh round of the league. At that time, Athletic Bilbao was not in good condition, and they lost that match.

However, Valverde was relatively satisfied with that match, considering that several key players were unable to play.

But now, looking at the situation on the field, he felt somewhat helpless.

Looking at Granada's number 19 player, he felt a sense of helplessness and powerlessness for the first time, a feeling he disliked very much.

It was as if nothing they did could stop the opponent from scoring.

"I wish he were one of our players..."

Valverde thought with a wry smile that if Athletic Bilbao had Shan Yongzhuo, the team's starting lineup would be perfect in his eyes. Athletic Bilbao's midfield could provide better support for Shan Yongzhuo than Granada's.

However, he also knew that this was just wishful thinking.

After all, Granada is Shan Yongzhuo's own team. If it weren't for that, Shan Yongzhuo could have achieved all the honors he wanted by staying at Manchester City, and there would have been no need for him to come to La Liga.

Manchester City's squad strength and financial resources are far superior to Athletic Bilbao's.

With Ziyech's long-range shot going over the crossbar, the referee finally blew the whistle to end the first half.

In the first half, both sides played good football for half the time.

However, Granada's attack was clearly more efficient, as they scored two goals and took a 1-2 lead away from home against Athletic Bilbao.

Back in the locker room, Valverde did not criticize his players. In his view, the players had performed well enough and had played to their expected level.

There weren't any major tactical problems either.

The biggest reason for the current score is Shan Yongzhuo.

They had no way to deal with Shan Yongzhuo, and Shan Yongzhuo also drew too much of their defensive energy away from them. Once Granada recovered, they were unable to suppress their opponents.

After all, there is a difference in the strength of the two teams' lineups, but not a huge one.

Therefore, Valverde did not criticize his players.

(End of this chapter)