We made you the King of Prisoners, and now you've become the King of Football?

Chapter 105 Defense Against Counterattack

three days later.

A flight from Nice, France, landed in the Valencian Community of Spain.

The entire Monaco team did not stop.

After getting off the plane, we boarded a bus and headed towards Castellón province.

In April, the Iberian Peninsula enjoys just the right amount of warm sunshine.

Golden sunlight streamed through the car windows into the cabin, filling the air with warmth.

Along both sides of the road, groves of orange trees stretch into the distance.

Jiang Ming opened the window a crack.

A gentle breeze carries a faint scent of citrus.

Mbappe leaned against the window and stretched comfortably.

"Spain is still the most comfortable."

"If we were in England right now, we'd probably be getting soaked in the rain."

A burst of laughter immediately came from the back row.

Bernardo Silva closed the tournament guide in his hand and laughed, "Many players have complained about the weather in England."

"Spain has sunny days for most of the year, which makes it a better place to live."

At this point, he added another sentence.

"However, it is still Real Madrid and Barcelona that can truly attract top players to La Liga."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

This has almost become a consensus in European football.

As the bus drove further and further away.

More and more ceramic factories are gradually appearing on both sides of the road.

Many residential buildings have bright yellow tiles on their exterior walls.

Under the sunlight, the whole town seemed to be covered with a golden hue.

Mbappe looked out the window, somewhat curious.

"Do people here really like tiles?"

"It's not just about liking it." Bernardo Silva flipped open the race manual again. "This is the most famous ceramics production area in Spain, and many families make a living from ceramics."

Mbappe nodded: "No wonder we've been passing mostly ceramic factories along the way."

Suddenly, Fabinho, as if struck by a sudden thought, asked, "Then why are they called the Yellow Submarine?"

B. turned to another page: "Actually, it has nothing to do with submarines."

"Back in the 1960s, some fans played The Beatles' 'Yellow Submarine' at a game."

"Everyone looked at the players on the field all wearing yellow jerseys, and then they all started singing along."

"Coincidentally, Villarreal were promoted that season."

"The nickname 'Yellow Submarine' has remained to this day."

Mbappe couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"This nickname came about way too casually."

While the group was chatting...

The bus slowly turned a street corner.

A stadium that wasn't particularly grand quietly came into view.

The building has low, beige exterior walls and is surrounded by residential areas.

It's like one of those small football fields you can find anywhere in an English neighborhood.

Seat B looked out the car window.

"This stadium is called Ellen de la Cité, and it's almost a hundred years old."

Mbappe seemed surprised: "So old?"

Bernardo Silva nodded. "Don't let its small capacity of just over 20,000 fool you; this is where Champions League semi-finalists have been formed."

Upon hearing this, many players turned their attention to the field.

Bernardo Silva continued, "In the 2005-06 season, Riquelme led Villarreal to the Champions League semi-finals right here, just one step away from the final."

The once-glorious style of play is now a thing of the past.

This Villarreal team has now adopted a different style of football.

After Marcelino took over as coach.

They abandoned their former elegant passing and control style.

They are now pursuing a more pragmatic approach to competition.

The formation is compact, and the defense is solid.

Once the ball is intercepted, a counterattack will be launched at top speed.

In this season's Europa League, they relied on this mature and efficient style of play to eliminate strong opponents and reach the semi-finals of the European competition once again.

No one would underestimate their opponent just because this is a small stadium.

The bus slowly came to a stop.

The car door opened.

The Europa League semi-finals have officially begun.

Match day.

"Zhuangdian'ertai! Zhuangdian'ertai!"

Good evening, everyone!

"Welcome to the first leg of the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League semi-final!"

Villarreal will host Monaco, a strong team in Ligue 1, at El Madrigal's Estadio.

"I am commentator Zhan Jun."

"Hehehe, I'm Zhang Lu."

The camera slowly pans across the stands.

More than 20,000 Villarreal fans held up scarves and sang together.

Zhan Jun began, "Many fans know that Villarreal's nickname is the Yellow Submarine."

"But they may not realize that their yellow jerseys were the result of an accident."

"In the 1940s, the club originally wanted to buy white jerseys as their match uniforms."

"And they even sent the chairman's son to Valencia to purchase goods."

"As a result, the white jerseys sold out, and only the yellow jerseys were left."

"Because we had to rush to the game, the team had to make do with wearing yellow jerseys."

"Unexpectedly, they actually won the game. After a while, yellow became the team color for Villarreal, and they've been using it ever since."

Zhang Lu laughed and said, "Hehe, football is just so interesting."

"A seemingly insignificant incident has become a tradition that has lasted for decades."

Zhan Jun added, "Of course, what truly allows this team to establish itself in Europe is its solid strength."

"Since Marcelino took over as coach, Villarreal has become one of the toughest teams to beat in La Liga."

"Solid defense, sharp counter-attacks, and extremely strong tactical execution."

"Monaco may not have a good night."

"Let's see if Villarreal can regain its glory in European competition, or if Monaco's young team can pull off another upset."

"Without further ado, the competition is about to begin."

Players' tunnel.

Mbappe kept moving, darting back and forth in the players' tunnel.

"Jiang, to be honest, I really didn't expect the boss to let me start this game."

"I thought it would still be the same front three: Bernardo, Traore, and Lemar."

Jiang Ming shrugged: "I guess the boss is impressed by your speed?"

When it comes to speed, a strange look appeared in Mbappe's eyes.

He suddenly remembered the previous intra-team practice match—

Just then.

The familiar notification sound rang in Jiang Ming's mind right on time.

[Ding! The new stage of the Europa League knockout stage has begun!]

[Current Stage: Semifinals]

Current opponent: Villarreal

Current progress: 0%

[Note: The tasks for each stage will be finalized after the two rounds of competition.]

[Rewards will be distributed based on the advancement results.]

At the same time.

The passageway gate opened.

The blinding lights illuminated the dark players' tunnel.

With a mix of emotions, everyone stepped onto the field.

"Alright, let's have the players from both sides lead their caddies onto the field."

"The starting lineup for this match was also displayed on the big screen."

Villarreal fielded a 4-4-2 formation for this match.

Goalkeeper: Asenjo

"Defenders: Gaspar, Bailly, Victor Ruiz, Jaume Costa."

Midfielders: Jonathan, Thomas Pina, Soriano, Denis.

"Forwards: Soldado, Bakambu."

"Monaco, on the other hand, fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation."

Goalkeeper: Subasic.

"Defenders: Fabinho, Wallace, Carvalho, Etxequiel."

-

Defensive midfielders: Bakayoko, Jiang Ming.

Attacking midfielder: Lemar.

"Forwards: Bernardo Silva, Traore, Mbappe."

"Villarreal will continue to use their preferred defensive counter-attacking formation in this match."

"A parallel formation of four defenders and four midfielders, with one tall and one fast forward serving as the pivot and speed in counter-attacks."

"As for Monaco—I don't quite understand it."

Why did Jardim place Jiang Ming in the defensive midfield position in this match?

"Coach Zhang, could you please answer this?"

Zhang Lu pondered for a moment before speaking: "I guess Yaldin is trying to launch a counter-attack using Jiang Ming's long passes."

"After all, Monaco's attacking line is very fast, and Lemar and Mbappe are both speedy players."

"However, the opponent is also a team that mainly plays counter-attacks."

"Counter-attack against counter-attack, it all comes down to whose players are better."

"beep"

The referee blew his whistle.

The competition has officially begun.

Villarreal kicks off.

Soldado passed the ball back to Pina behind him.

The latter noticed that Monaco's three forwards were all standing near the center circle and hadn't moved forward.

Naturally, there was no rush to send it forward.

The ball was then passed back to center-back Bailly.

Bailly passed the ball to the left wing again, and Costa dribbled back two steps while stepping on the ball.

Finally, the ball was passed back to goalkeeper Asenjo.

After the entire process, the ball hadn't even crossed the center line.

The four defenders stand parallel in front of the penalty area, with the two defensive midfielders positioned half a step in front of the center-backs.

They neither pressed forward nor retreated.

The stadium was filled with singing.

However, the atmosphere on the field was dull.

The ball was mostly passed back and forth in both halves of the field, with neither side willing to push their defense across the halfway line first.

Whoever shows themselves first will be caught off guard by their opponent.

Two teams that rely on counter-attacks have clashed.

The first thing to do isn't to attack, but to see who can stay calm and collected.

"Both sides are very cautious at the start," Zhan Jun said with a smile.

"After all, they are all experts at counter-attacking. Whoever rushes in first will suffer. The first half hour will probably be mostly probing."

Zhang Lu chimed in, "Hehe, that's right."

"There won't be many goals in this kind of game; it's all about who can seize those few opportunities."

"With Jiang Ming positioned as a defensive midfielder, Yardin's move clearly indicates a strategy of long passes and counter-attacks, waiting for Huang Qian to push forward."

"Marcellino is a seasoned veteran; he certainly won't fall for it easily. It's just a matter of who can hold back first."

Sidelines.

Marcelino stood in front of the bench with his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless.

This opening was entirely within his tactical calculations.

He would be surprised if Monaco dared to press forward and launch an attacking offensive.

The teaching assistant leaned over and whispered something.

Marcelino shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the midfield position.

"No rush, the competition is still long."

"Whoever loses their composure first has already lost half the battle."

On the other side.

Jardim sat on the coach's bench.

Villarreal's 4-4-2 was very deep.

The two defense lines are less than 20 meters apart.

The four midfielders spread out horizontally across the entire width.

Even the gaps on the flanks are extremely small.

It's clear that the strategy is to first stabilize the defense, and then use long passes to find a tall and fast striker to launch a counter-attack.

Yaldin nodded to himself, but did not make any adjustments immediately.

I plan to keep looking into it.

Live stream chat.

"So this is a game of who can be more cunning?"

"A defensive showdown: if you don't attack, I don't attack; we all switch sides."

"Villarreal should go for it at home; they can't just play defensively like the away team."

"Charge in and get trampled by Mbappe? Do you think Marcelino is stupid?"

"At this rate, we'll be lucky to get two shots on goal in the first half."

"Alas, the big ball is dead—"

Time passed by, second by second.

Although there were no particularly intense attacks between the two sides.

However, the midfield became a meat grinder for both sides.

Pina and Bakayoko have already clashed twice.

However, they all controlled the scale of their movements, unwilling to easily give the opponent a set-piece opportunity.

12 minutes.

Bakayoko knocked down Pina again as he came to help.

The referee called a foul.

Soriano stands in front of the ball.

He raised his hand, signaling the center-back to move forward.

Run-up, kick.

The free kick was lobbed directly towards the far post of the penalty area.

Victor Ruiz leaped high into the air.

But he didn't hit the ball properly, and it grazed his scalp before flying out of bounds.

A chorus of sighs of regret rose from the stands.

Sidelines.

Marcelino clicked his tongue.

Monaco's defense was taller than he had anticipated.

Although Carvalho is getting old, his positioning awareness is still very sophisticated.

Ruiz's attempt to contest the header with ease won't be so easy.

the other side.

Yaldin was thinking.

Set pieces are Villarreal's killer move.

The first wave of defense held up successfully, which is a good start.

-

The match has reached the 18th minute.

The first ripples appeared on the field.

Soriano dribbled laterally for two steps in midfield.

He spotted the moment when Monaco's defense moved forward slightly.

Suddenly, he launched a long diagonal pass, and the ball headed straight for the edge of Monaco's penalty area.

Soldado leaned against Carvalho with his back to him, then leaped high into the air.

A gentle nudge to the back of the head.

The football was then placed into the space behind the defense.

Almost simultaneously, Bakambu quickly started.

He shook off Wallace's marking in one step.

Offside trap successfully broken!

"An opportunity! Bakambu is one-on-one with the goalkeeper!"

A cheer erupted from the stands.

Bakambu dribbled the ball into the penalty area.

Subasic abandoned his goal and rushed out to attack.

Spread your arms out to maximize your defensive coverage.

Bakambu paused, aimed at the far corner, and pushed off with the instep of his foot.

The football rolled forward, skimming the grass.

At this moment, everyone's eyes followed the ball forward.

Boom!

The football struck the outside of the post solidly and bounced out of bounds.

"Oh dear! It hit the pillar! Just a hair's breadth away!" Zhang Lu said regretfully.

"You're too focused on the angle; a closer shot would have been more stable."

"Subasic made a huge run forward, and the near post was initially open."

"However, this play also shows that the combination of one tall player and one fast player from the Huangzhou-Qianlong team is indeed a big threat."

"Soldado's role as a fulcrum was too obvious."

Bakambu stood there with his hands behind his head, looking utterly frustrated.

I thought this goal was a sure thing, but I was wrong by such a small margin.

Soldado ran over and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, there will be other opportunities later."

"9

Bakambu nodded upon hearing this.

Live stream chat.

"Wow! The pillar saved Monaco's life!"

"Huang Qian's counterattack was pretty good; the combination of one tall player and one fast player was quite well-coordinated."

"Bakambu's joyful football style is evident in his ability to hit the post even on a one-on-one situation."

"I thought they were going to score, but I got excited for nothing."

"That's how it is when two counter-attacking teams play; there are already few chances, and every one wasted is one less chance."

-

"Carvalho is too old; Soldado is carrying him so much that he can't even jump."

"Wallace was no good either; he was too slow to turn around and Bakambu beat him in one step."

Sidelines.

Marcelino sighed.

We were so close to taking the lead.

He turned his head and whispered a few words to the teaching assistant.

It means to let the team continue playing like this.

Find Soldado as a fulcrum, and have Bakambu insert himself behind him.

The tactics were executed, but the finishing touch was just a bit unlucky.

the other side.

Yaldin frowned.

After thinking for a moment, he whispered a few words to Cardera.

The team should pull their defense deeper.

Don't give the opponent space behind you for the ball.

Bakambu's startup speed was even faster than in the video.

Wallace's slow turning speed was exploited very well by his opponent.

After speaking, Jardim returned to the bench.

Although this ball gave the opponent a chance, it's not a big problem.

As long as the overall defense line remains intact, everything will be fine.

After weathering this offensive onslaught, the game returned to its previous dull rhythm.

Villarreal continued to pass the ball around in their own half, while Monaco remained solid in their own half.

Both sides pulled back and forth in midfield, vying for the ball.

No one can easily advance into the danger zone.

23 minutes.

-

Jiang Ming intercepted Denis's cross pass in midfield.

Without looking up, he passed the ball sideways to Lemar.

Lemar dribbled forward a couple of steps, and Pina immediately closed in.

The two players grappled in midfield for a few seconds, but Lemar couldn't shake them off and had to pass the ball back to Jiang Ming.

Upon seeing this, Soriano immediately pounced, attempting to seize the ball on the spot.

Jiang Ming gently pulled with his toes.

Turn your body halfway in the natural direction.

He narrowly avoided the opponent's attack.

Immediately afterwards, he flicked the outside of his right foot.

The ball was passed to the open space on the right wing.

"Beautiful! Jiang Ming's escape was so skillful!" Zhan Jun exclaimed.

"Soriano missed his target!"

Zhang Lu said with a smile, "The footwork is fast, and the feints are very realistic."

"He's currently positioned in the defensive midfield position, and unless Villarreal sends two players over, they really can't stop him from passing the ball out."

Bernardo Silva received the ball and dribbled forward a few steps along the wing.

Gaspar immediately closed in, his body blocking the inside line, giving him no space to cut inside.

Bernardo Silva tried to dribble twice but couldn't find a breakthrough opportunity, so he had to pass the ball back.

Monaco's counterattack ultimately failed to break through the opponent's defense.

Sidelines.

Yardin was not surprised.

Huang Qian's defensive discipline is indeed strong.

The distance between the two defensive lines was always kept extremely good.

They wanted to break through the defenses using ground coordination.

It's as difficult as climbing to heaven.

To break the deadlock, you either need to rely on set pieces or exploit the gaps behind the opponent when they push forward.

-

Marcelino was also aware of this.

Monaco's attacking speed is fast.

But as long as the team's defense doesn't break down and doesn't give the opponent space for through balls, Monaco won't be able to cause any trouble.

The 27th minute of the match.

Monaco launched their most threatening attack since the start of the game.

Denis broke through on the left and crossed the ball, which was headed out of the penalty area by Carvalho.

Jiang Ming took two steps back and steadily unloaded the football.

He looked up and glanced at the scene before him.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately raised his right foot.

The football swept across the halfway line and landed precisely on Mbappe's running path.

"A beautiful long pass!"

"The view is so expansive!"

-

Mbappe controlled the ball sideways, and without stopping, sprinted down the left flank.

Gaspar chased after him with all his might, his speed already at maximum.

But he was always left half a body length behind.

Mbappe was like a black lightning bolt, rushing straight to the edge of the penalty area.

He didn't choose to cut inside and go head-to-head with Bailly.

Instead, he swung his right foot and delivered a cutback cross towards the center.

Traore, positioned at the back post, leaped high into the air.

He headed the ball powerfully toward the near post.

Everyone held their breath.

The football was about to go into the net.

Asenjo lunged sideways.

He used a single hand to lift the ball off the crossbar!

"A miraculous save! Asenjo! An incredible reaction!"

Zhang Lu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Traore's header was incredibly precise, with both angle and power."

"But the goalkeeper was in phenomenal form! He pulled Huang Qian back from the brink of death."

The soccer ball hit the GG sign with a dull thud.

Traore stood there, stunned, somewhat incredulous.

He thought the ball was a sure goal.

Mbappe turned around and shrugged at Traore.

It means the pass was correct; the goalkeeper was just too good.

"Holy crap? He didn't even score? Is Asenho on cheat code today?"

"Jiang Ming's long pass is really accurate, it hits exactly where he points, and the lead time is just right."

"Mbappe's speed is something that most full-backs simply can't keep up with."

"Traore was a bit unlucky, what a pity."

"Both sides are starting to have a chance, and this is starting to feel like the semifinals."

Sidelines.

Yaldin clapped softly.

There was no disappointment on his face, but rather a hint of approval.

The team's counter-attacking tactics were correct.

They were just a little unlucky.

He shouted a couple of sentences towards the field.

Keep everyone calm, there will be other opportunities.

the other side.

Marcelino's face darkened.

He shouted Gaspar's name twice towards the wing, his tone clearly showing his dissatisfaction.

The speed of the chase back is too slow; if this continues, we'll lose the ball sooner or later.

-

Gaspar lowered his head and breathed heavily.

He didn't expect Mbappe to be so explosive.

Even though I had anticipated it, I still couldn't catch up.

Time flies.

The 32th minute of the match.

The balance on the field was finally broken.

Huang Qian pushed forward on the left flank to make a run, and full-back Costa made his way to the corner of the penalty area.

Denis and the latter executed a one-two pass.

Costa crossed the ball from near the byline.

Carvalho headed the ball away at the near post, clearing it out of the penalty area.

Bakayoko charged at the ball, forcefully pushing Pina aside.

He then passed the ball sideways to Jiang Ming beside him.

The moment Jiang Ming received the ball, he caught a glimpse of the open space on the left flank out of the corner of his eye.

Costa was still in the attacking third and hadn't gone back, leaving Villarreal with a wide-open space behind him on the left flank.

Jiang Ming kept walking and gently poked the target with his toe.

The low, through ball, like a scalpel, precisely slipped between Bailly and Victor Ruiz.

"Through pass!"

"nice shot!"

"Mbappe! He beat the offside trap!"

Mbappe suddenly appeared from the side.

He caught the ball just outside the offside line.

Bailly hurriedly chased after him, but he had already been two steps ahead.

He faced Asenjo alone.

Mbappe did not aim for a specific shooting angle.

His eyes were fixed on the opponent's goalkeeper's footwork.

The moment Asenho shifted his center of gravity slightly forward.

Mbappe pushed with the instep of his foot.

Push the ball towards the near corner.

Asenjo couldn't make the save.

They could only watch helplessly as the football rolled into the net.

0-1!!

A collective sigh echoed through the Love Song Stadium.

Monaco fans who had traveled a long way jumped up and cheered in a corner of the stands.

The red figure stood out conspicuously in the yellow sea.

Mbappe slid down to the corner flag, leaving two clear marks on the grass.

His teammates swarmed around him, and Lemar rushed over and ruffled his hair.

Jiang Ming stood outside the crowd, clapping his hands with a smile.

Bakayoko rushed over and punched him hard, grinning and yelling, "That pass was perfect!"

"Goal!"

"Mbappe!"

"Jiang Ming's assist! A classic counter-attack goal!"

"From intercepting the ball to scoring, it was clean and efficient!" Zhan Jun said excitedly.

"That's what makes Monaco so terrifying. If you dare to take a step forward, they'll seize the opening behind you."

Zhang Lu nodded in agreement: "Huang Qian's problem is that their full-backs pushed too high, leaving gaps behind them that were exploited."

"Jiang Ming's through ball was very clever, it went right through the gap between the two center-backs, and the timing was perfect, Mbappe was just in the right place offside."

The live stream chat exploded.

"Here they come! Their counterattack is hitting its mark every time!"

"Jiang Ming's through ball was absolutely brilliant, it gave us a perfect view."

"Mbappe's positioning was excellent! He marked the offside line perfectly; Bailly had no chance to react."

"Huang Qian is finished. If they fall behind, we have to push forward. Once we push forward, there will be gaps behind them."

"Marcellino is in a bind; he can't defend or attack."

"An away goal! That goal is priceless!"

"I knew Jiang Ming would be useful as a defensive midfielder; his passing timing is just too reliable."

Sidelines.

The Monaco assistant coaches excitedly high-fived each other.

Yaldin remained calm and simply nodded slightly.

But he felt a great sense of relief.

With an away goal secured, the rest of the games will be much easier.

Yardin waved his hand and shouted something to the crowd.

"Hold on! Keep defending!"

-

"Don't push forward, let them attack!"

Caldera walked over to Yardin and whispered, "It looks like Huang Qian is about to press forward. Should we pull back a bit more?"

Upon hearing this, Jardine shook his head: "The team that scores first has the advantage, and for now, we dictate the pace of the game."

At this point, Yaldin's lips curled up slightly.

"We are not someone Huang Qian can suppress at will. If they push forward, the gaps behind them will only widen."

"All we need to do is focus on counter-attacking."

On the other side.

Marcelino watched Jiang Ming's figure on the field, his mind racing.

That kid's passing speed is too fast.

The midfield's interception intensity is insufficient; we must step up our efforts.

He originally thought that if the opponent was in the defensive midfield position, the attacking threat would be greatly reduced.

But I didn't expect his through ball.

They penetrated their entire defensive line.

Marcelino felt more and more that Monaco's tactics were full of subtle details.

The mid-lane stretching and the wing runs are all interconnected.

Finally, Marcelino spoke in a deep voice: "Tell the full-backs not to push too high, and to stabilize the defense first."

"Press harder in midfield, don't let Jiang pass the ball out so easily."

The assistant coach nodded quickly in acknowledgment.

The celebration is over.

The game has restarted.

Villarreal did not rush forward after falling behind.

Instead, it became more stable.

Marcelino's team never loses its composure after conceding a goal.

The 37th minute of the match.

-

Pina and Soriano executed a beautiful lateral pass.

Gaspar made a run and had a chance to cross the ball.

This time, Monaco was clearly on guard.

Since the opposing team likes to cross from the flanks, we can't let them get a free kick.

Full-back Etxekiel held his position firmly.

Gaspar's cross went out of bounds.

Although no shot was taken this time.

But the applause from the stands continued.

Because all Villarreal fans can see it.

The team is slowly regaining its rhythm.

Time passed little by little.

The match has reached the 41th minute.

Villarreal are awarded a corner kick on the right.

Soriano stood in front of the ball.

Victor Ruiz and Bailly both rushed into the penalty area.

Soldado also got stuck at the near post.

Monaco players quickly retreated to defend, crowding the penalty area.

Carvalho guarded the near post, Wallace marked Ruiz, and Bakayoko also dropped back into the penalty area to help contest the header.

The whistle fell silent.

Soriano takes a running start and kicks the ball.

The football, with a strong inward spin, was precisely smashed into the center of the penalty area.

Victor Ruiz surged forward from the back row, shaking off Wallace's defense, and leaped high into the air.

He slammed the ball hard into the goal.

Subasic leaped and touched the ball with one hand.

But that couldn't stop the ball from hitting the underside of the crossbar and bouncing into the net.

1-1!!

Villarreal have equalized!

"Goal! Victor Ruiz!"

"Corner kick goal! Villarreal equalizes!"

"The center-backs' height advantage is too obvious, Monaco couldn't defend against that!" Zhan Jun's voice rose.

"As expected, it's a deadly set-piece move, Villarreal's signature scoring method! Ruiz's timing for that run from the back was perfect."

Zhang Lu sighed, "Wallace didn't mark his man properly. Ruiz came up from behind and jumped at the perfect moment to avoid the defense."

"Subasic did his best on that ball, but even after touching it, he still couldn't block it."

The stadium erupted in cheers.

Tens of thousands of Villarreal fans jumped to their feet from their seats.

The yellow sea of ​​flowers is in full bloom at this moment.

The singing and cheering made the stadium tremble slightly.

Victor Ruiz roared and charged toward the sidelines, swinging his fist fiercely.

His teammates rushed over and hugged him tightly, patting him on the back and cheering.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments.

"Holy crap! They tied it just like that!"

"Wonder Villarreal's set pieces were so solid! Monaco couldn't defend against them at all."

"Marcellino has really shown something this season, no wonder he was able to lead the team to the semi-finals."

"A fast counter-attack combined with set pieces, that's definitely a good tactic."

Both sides returned to the center circle.

The game continues.

For the next few minutes, neither side posed any further threats.

Villarreal have just equalized, and the pace of the game has slowed slightly.

Monaco didn't rush to counterattack, controlling possession and waiting for halftime to end.

The first half of the game gradually came to an end as both sides continued to probe each other.

The referee checked his watch and blew the whistle to end the first half.

The score remained 1-1.

When two teams that have perfected the counter-attacking style meet, the competition comes down to who can seize the best opportunities.

In the second half, with both sides' physical condition significantly deteriorating, opportunities will only increase.

Then, we'll see who can find the opponent's weakness first!

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