Awakening the Messi template, Florentino Pérez begs me to join Real Madrid

The next evening, Tianhe Stadium was once again filled with red.

At the pre-match press conference, Lippi confirmed the starting lineup. Wu Shi's name appeared in the attacking midfield position, which was no surprise.

The assistant coach sent out a pre-match analysis briefing from Shandong Qilu, highlighting several names.

Wu Shi glanced at it, his gaze settling on two names:

Number 10, Hao Junmin. Note: He just returned from Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga. Even with Schalke 04, he could have worn the number 7 jersey, although he eventually gave it up to Raul.

As a core technical player, their organization, ball distribution, and passing skills are top-tier in Asia, and they possess strong long-range shooting ability. They require close monitoring and containment.

Number 29, Chen Liang. Note: Former national youth teammate, recalled after loan training ends, included in this match's roster.

Chen Liang? Wu Shi raised an eyebrow. This kid's back in Shandong? And he's even on the roster for this crucial match?

He recalled the tireless player from the AFC U-19 Championship, their journey from rivalry to teamwork, and their last encounter in the FA Cup. He never imagined they'd meet again so soon in the Chinese Super League.

"That's good." Wu Shi turned off his phone. "That's what football is all about—opponents on the field, friends off the field."

The atmosphere in the locker room was tense, but not oppressive.

Zheng Zhi was giving his final instructions:

"Shandong's midfield is tough, especially their newly returned number 10, Hao Junmin, who has played in the Bundesliga and is really good."

Wu Shi, you'll be directly matched up against him. Don't try to completely shut him down; that's unrealistic. Just disrupt him and prevent him from comfortably receiving the ball and orchestrating attacks. In attack, you need to run more and pull their defensive midfielders out of position.

Gao Lin leaned closer and lowered his voice:

"I know Third Brother (Hao Junmin) well. His skills are undeniable, but he just came back, so his chemistry with his teammates is definitely lacking. We should try to attack behind him or force him to pass back when the opportunity arises."

Wu Shi nodded and tightened his shoelaces.

I mentally reviewed the highlights of Hao Junmin's matches from his previous life.

That passing vision, that rhythm of getting rid of opponents, is definitely not on the same level as the average midfielder in China.

Without a system providing accurate running heatmaps and success rate predictions, he had to rely entirely on his own eyes and brain to make all the judgments.

As he entered the stadium, the roar of the crowd crashed down upon him. Wu Shi took a deep breath, pure and simple.

That was his only feeling at that moment.

Line up and shake hands.

When it was Hao Junmin's turn, Wu Shi felt that the other's hand was dry and strong. He gripped it briefly and then let go. His eyes were very calm, but beneath that calmness was the composure of someone who had seen the world.

When it was Qilu's turn to sit on the bench, Wu Shi saw Chen Liang. The kid was sitting on the very edge of the bench. When his eyes met Wu Shi's, he didn't look away. Instead, he raised his chin and mouthed "wait."

Wu Shi twitched the corner of his mouth and turned back.

"Beep—!"

Go dry.

Qilu's strategy was very clear: they would try to find Hao Junmin as much as possible.

As soon as Hao Junmin gets the ball, at least two players from Evergrande immediately surround him – usually Zheng Zhi plus a winger. Wu Shi's task is to block the passing lane between Hao Junmin and the Shandong forward, while being ready to support counter-attacks at any time.

The first ten minutes of the match became Hao Junmin's personal showcase.

This guy is so good at handling the ball. When facing a tight marking situation, he can always create some space for himself by quickly flicking the ball and leaning his body.

In the 8th minute, he made a graceful turn in midfield, getting past Zhao Xuri who was pressing forward, and then delivered a precise diagonal long pass of more than 30 meters, directly finding the winger who was making a high-speed run. The winger crossed from the byline, and the player in the middle almost headed the ball.

"Holy crap!" Even Wu Shi couldn't help but exclaim inwardly. That vision, that footwork, it's truly amazing.

However, Shandong Luneng's problems were also exposed. Apart from Hao Junmin, the other midfielders and forwards seemed to be on a different wavelength. Several exquisite through balls were either missed by teammates who were too slow to get going or who had already overshot their targets.

It was Evergrande's turn to attack.

Wu Shi received the ball in the middle for the first time, facing off against Zhao Ming.

This guy was tall and strong. He came up close and pressed his elbow against Wu Shi's back.

Wu Shi didn't try to force the ball; before receiving it, he had already observed Muriqui's movement on the right flank and anticipated it perfectly. Muriqui received the ball and broke through, creating a corner kick.

"Good pass," Zheng Zhi said as he ran past.

Wu Shi remained silent. He knew that this kind of safe pass was far from enough. Without the system, his vision and passing creativity had diminished considerably.

The real trouble started in the 20th minute.

Hao Junmin dropped deep to receive the ball, and Zheng Zhi followed him out.

Wu Shi hesitated for half a second: should he go up with Zheng Zhi or stay in his own defensive zone?

In that half-second, Hao Junmin received the ball, turned around, and facing Zheng Zhi's defense, executed an extremely light and skillful dribble, slipping directly between Zheng Zhi and the covering full-back!

He got past two players!

Wu Shi quickly covered the gap, but Hao Junmin didn't stop at all, dribbling the ball forward with great strides!

Wu Shi fought and retreated, trying to block the through ball route to the striker. Hao Junmin looked up and, just as Wu Shi shifted his weight to the left to block the right-footed through ball, Hao Junmin suddenly flicked the ball to the right front with the outside of his left foot!

It's about dividing the sides!

The ball was passed to the unmarked right winger of Shandong Luneng, who immediately crossed the ball! In the middle, Shandong Luneng's striker outjumped Feng Xiaoting and headed the ball into the goal!

"Bang!" The ball hit the crossbar and bounced out of bounds!

A gasp rippled through Tianhe Stadium.

Wu Shi broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

He was completely fooled just now. Hao Junmin's eyes and the swaying of his upper body were so damn realistic.

"Pay attention!" Zeng Cheng shouted from the doorway.

Hao Junmin glanced at Wu Shi, his expression unchanged, and slowly ran back.

But Wu Shi felt that there was a message in those eyes: "Kid, that's not how you play with predictions."

Wu Shi licked his slightly dry lips. Damn it, he got a lecture.

But the game still had to be played. He shook his head, trying to shake off his frustration.

Evergrande started playing faster and avoided getting entangled with Shandong in midfield.

In the 35th minute, an opportunity arose. Feng Xiaoting made a long pass from the backfield to Wu Shi, who, under close marking from Zhao Ming, managed to head the ball to Muriqui before turning and making a forward run himself.

Muriqui understood immediately and, without stopping the ball, passed it back to Wu Shi's running path.

Wu Shi received the ball while running, and there was a wide-open space in front of him!

He dribbled forward at breakneck speed, while Shandong's defense retreated rapidly. He saw the opening on the right side of the penalty arc and also saw Hao Junmin chasing back at full speed.

There were no system prompts for "shooting success rate" or "optimal shooting route".

Based on his instincts, Wu Shi swung his right leg and slammed the ball hard with the outside of his foot once he entered shooting range!

He aimed for the top right corner of the goal.

The ball flew towards the goal like a cannonball, spinning violently!

Shandong goalkeeper makes a desperate diving save!

The ball grazed the top edge of the crossbar and flew out of bounds.

"Ah—!" A huge sigh echoed throughout the stadium.

Wu Shi tilted his head back, panting heavily. Almost there. He had the power and the arc, but the angle just needed to be a tiny bit lower…

"Good shot."

Hao Junmin's voice came from the side. He had just returned to his defensive position and was breathing rapidly, but his tone was calm. After speaking, he ran away.

Wu Shi was taken aback. Was this... an endorsement from his opponent?

In the final stages of the first half, both sides had a chance each, but neither managed to capitalize. The score went into halftime 0-0.

In the locker room, Lippi focused on the issue of defending against Hao Junmin.

"We can't let him turn around so easily. Wu Shi, mark him even tighter, even if it means committing a foul, don't let him get going. On the attack," he looked at Wu Shi, "there's a gap between those two center-backs, in the second half you need to push forward more, attack directly there. Be bolder."

Gao Lin added, "Third Brother's stamina may not be at its peak yet, but the second half will present an opportunity."

Wu Shi wiped his sweat with a towel and nodded silently. He was reviewing the defense that had been beaten in the first half, and also thinking about that long-range shot that missed by a hair's breadth.

Just then, my phone vibrated. A message: "Stone, see you in the second half. Don't let me catch you. —Chen Liang"

Wu Shi looked at the message and suddenly laughed. "Not bad, kid, you've been holding back for a bit."

He replied, "You'll be stuck on that bench forever."

Putting down his phone, Wu Shi felt that the frustration he had felt earlier from being beaten and missing a shot had dissipated considerably.

The opponent is strong, and an old friend is eager to try on the other side.

The system is silent; it's all up to me.

This competition is getting more and more interesting.

He clenched his fist.

Let's play again in the second half.