Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 83 Sissoko

The match between Juventus and Roma at Juventus' home ground was undoubtedly the highlight of this round of Serie A, attracting much attention and analysis from the outside world, with reports and analyses starting several days in advance.

Most media outlets are not optimistic about Juventus because the team is plagued by injuries. Trezeguet has been on the injury list for a long time, Camoranesi and Iaquinta have joined the penalty area, and midfielder Melo is suspended. Juventus' lineup seems to be somewhat stretched.

In contrast, Roma has a full squad, with only two fringe players injured.

Once the match began, the game unfolded exactly as the media had predicted, with Roma quickly gaining the upper hand.

This match marked the first time Shan Yongzhuo partnered with Luca Toni on the front line, and as the game progressed, he realized how great it was to have a tall center as a partner.

After Spalletti temporarily abandoned the 4-2-3-1 formation in the first half of the season, Shan Yongzhuo's strike partner was basically Totti. However, Totti is not the kind of center forward who stands still in the penalty area, and he also doesn't like to rush into the penalty area.

Shan Yongzhuo is not a player who likes to rush into the penalty area. He prefers to linger on the outside of the penalty area because it is easier for him to receive the ball there. Whether he shoots directly or chooses to break through, it is much more threatening than staying in the penalty area.

After all, his physical strength is insufficient, and his height is only decent; he is definitely not a player who can score goals.

He felt much more relaxed during this match.

Although Juventus still attaches great importance to their own defense, they did not assign a specific person to closely mark them, because they could not ignore Toni in the penalty area.

Moreover, the 4-4-2 formation made Roma's two flanks more secure.

In the 18th minute, Shan Yongzhuo calmly received the ball on the edge of the penalty area, with Marchisio and Chiellini marking him closely.

However, Shan Yongzhuo chose to shoot directly. Buffon was unable to block the ball. The powerful shot was too fast and the trajectory was too unpredictable. The ball went straight into the top corner of the goal.

Roma lead 1-0.

After scoring, Shan Yongzhuo appeared very composed because he realized that with Toni drawing some of the defense up front, he could receive the ball more easily and make runs more freely without worrying about his team being unmarked in the penalty area.

This kind of free agent role is the one that Shan Yongzhuo likes best, just like when he was in Kaffinburg.

Juventus conceded an early goal, leaving the entire team feeling frustrated.

Head coach Ferrara simply held his head in his hands and shook his head repeatedly.

However, just 10 minutes later, Juventus unexpectedly scored a goal.

This goal was quite unexpected. During a Juventus attack, Salihamidzic crossed the ball, Santos made a clearance error, and in the ensuing chaos, Del Piero put the ball into the goal, bringing Juventus back into the game.

Del Piero was ecstatic after scoring, sticking out his tongue and running wildly. Juventus fans chanted Del Piero's name, and felt a surge of confidence.

"Yeah, so what if the other side has Shan Yongzhuo? He's just a rising star."

"We still have Del Piero!"

"Piero has always been the one you can trust!"

"..."

The atmosphere at the home stadium immediately became enthusiastic, with fans cheering and encouraging the team.

However, while Juventus regained some morale after scoring, it had little impact on the game's outcome. In this match, Juventus' midfield consisted of Marchisio and Sissoko, both excellent defensive midfielders with impressive running ability, but their control was somewhat lacking, forcing their attacks to rely solely on the flanks.

But this is not a good thing for Shan Yongzhuo.

After scoring a goal, Juventus immediately took notice of him. He found that when he dropped back, the opponent's tall defensive midfielder Sissoko would immediately close in, making it difficult for him to receive the ball.

Sissoko started his career at Auxerre in France, then was brought to Valencia by Benitez and transformed into a defensive midfielder. He later joined Liverpool, where he followed his mentor Benitez and quickly developed into an excellent defensive midfielder.

However, due to injuries and the rise of players like Mascherano and Lucas, Sissoko gradually lost his place at Liverpool and had to join Juventus in January 2008.

However, due to injuries and the arrival of Melo, Sissoko has had very limited appearances this season, and this match was only his third appearance.

Sissoko marked Shan Yongzhuo very seriously, and his performance was one of the most hardworking in the Juventus lineup.

This is a very important opportunity for Sissoko, who is only 24 years old this year. If he can contain Serie A's hottest striker, Shan Yongzhuo, it will greatly help him compete for a place in the team.

Although the opponent had scored a goal, that goal had nothing to do with him; it was Marchisio's position.

Now, with my defense in place, it's very difficult for the opponent to receive the ball. As long as I can hold on until the end of the game, I can say that I have successfully defended against Shan Yongzhuo.

Sissoko's defense did cause Shan Yongzhuo a lot of trouble, but Shan Yongzhuo didn't pay too much attention to it because he didn't actively look for opportunities.

Furthermore, he doesn't really want to use two skills to score a goal, as that would be a waste.

However, by the 40th minute of the match, Shan Yongzhuo still couldn't get any good opportunities.

After dropping back to receive the ball, you'll face Sissoko. If you use your whirlwind ground kick, this big black guy is very fast and plays aggressively, so there's a high chance you'll be brought down.

If you enter the penalty area, Chiellini will immediately close in, and he's not an easy opponent to deal with, as Shan Yongzhuo knows all too well.

So he decided to score first.

Dan Yongzhu moved a bit closer to Perrotta's position on the wing, and Sissoko followed, but not too closely. Dan Yongzhu successfully received Perrotta's short pass in this position.

Dan Yongzhuo faced Sissoko head-on and immediately unleashed his Whirlwind Ground Kick.

With a distance of more than a meter between the two, Shan Yongzhuo ignored the ball at his feet, bypassed Sissoko, and rushed towards the penalty area.

Sissoko was taken aback and was left several steps behind. He turned around and tried to catch up, but it was too late.

Shan Yongzhuo doesn't need to worry about football. To outsiders, his dribbling speed is about the same as others' off-the-ball speed. Sissoko can only follow behind, and can't even pull his jersey.

Shan Yongzhuo dribbled the ball with great strides and rushed into the penalty area from the wing.

Inside the penalty area, Legrottaglie was marked by Toni, and Chiellini immediately rushed over to try and block his position, but he didn't dare to make any big moves in the penalty area.

Dan Yongzhuo immediately activated his Ghostly Catching Hand technique. Due to the difference in time speed, he dribbled the ball across the penalty area, immediately getting rid of Chiellini and creating an opening for the goal.

He then swung his right foot and took a shot at the goal.

(End of this chapter)