The All-Around Center Forward
Chapter 924: Towards the Champions League
"Di Maria is constantly attacking on the right wing! With Suker drawing defenders on the left wing, Di Maria has become Real Madrid's breakthrough player!"
González watched Di Maria, who was active on the field.
Although not a Real Madrid starter, he has maintained good form, and Di Maria has performed well in every appearance.
Most importantly, he is always able to actively integrate into the team.
Just like now, he uses repeated passing and running to exchange passes, constantly pushing forward.
Di Maria played without rushing, very steadily.
Sometimes, he would also launch attacks towards the ribs, leaving the wide area for Srna to overlap.
Real Madrid's right wing was playing exceptionally well.
Suker ran to the central position.
During this time, he had very little screen time, mainly because he attracted too much defensive attention.
Passing to Suker's feet certainly posed a threat.
But the risk would also increase!
Kaka's judgment was still very accurate; he didn't give Bayern Munich any chance to counterattack.
Since the left wing was heavily guarded, they switched to playing on the right wing.
They could drag them to death!
"Damn it!"
Heynckes, on the sidelines, watched the situation head towards a stalemate, his worried expression becoming even more pronounced.
The situation cannot become this rigid!
They cannot play so passively!
They are the trailing side and cannot be led by the nose by Real Madrid.
"Vukojević, mark Suker, everyone else push up!"
Heynckes was forced to make adjustments.
There was no other way!
If they didn't adjust now, Real Madrid would slowly wear them down; boiling a frog in warm water is the most agonizing way!
Bang, bang, bang!
Bayern Munich's pressing became more intense.
They also incorporated a lot of physical challenges, trying to force Real Madrid into making mistakes.
But Real Madrid would not be overwhelmed by this level of pressure.
As Bayern Munich increased their pressing, they also accelerated the frequency and speed of their passes.
The ball continuously weaved through the crowd with one-touch passes, and once it reached a completely open area, they continued to shift and probe down the wings.
Kaka was constantly passing and receiving, his head swiveling like a fan, observing everything.
"Pull out! Pull out a little more!"
In between passes, Kaka was also monitoring Bayern Munich's midfield positioning and movement.
If they could just pull out a little more distance, he could create a channel for Suker to make a forward run and attack.
Bang!
The ball was passed to Kaka, who didn't pass it directly but stopped it for a moment.
"Good opportunity!"
Kroos's eyes lit up, and he immediately charged towards Kaka.
He believed Real Madrid's passing rhythm had been broken; with Kaka's stop, the rhythm would inevitably slow down.
Kroos lunged, extending his leg sharply, intending to steal the ball before Kaka could fully control it.
But at that moment, Kaka gently tapped the ball with his ankle, moving it to his left foot, and then pushed it forward in one smooth motion.
"Kaka's on-the-spot! He's broken free!"
Having completed the dribble, Kaka immediately looked up, accelerated, and pushed forward.
Kaka sprinted forward along the central axis, and Bayern Munich's defense also retreated.
At the same time, Suker successfully appeared in the open space on the left rib.
Kaka smiled and threaded the ball through.
At this moment, Suker's position was very clever!
Vukojević was inside the penalty area, and Lahm on the left was attracted by Marcelo.
This created an open corridor on the left rib area that led directly to the byline.
Suker wanted to give Kaka a thumbs up in praise, but the situation was urgent.
Suker met the ball, using the instep of his left foot to cup the ball, with his right leg as an axis, he turned 180 degrees, guiding the ball forward and accelerating in one fluid motion.
He didn't stop the ball but used the momentum of the pass to accelerate.
Therefore, by the time Vukojević reacted, Suker had already entered the penalty area.
"Oh no!"
Vukojević was greatly alarmed.
Vukojević quickly turned and lunged towards Suker.
Just as the two were about to meet, Suker changed his rhythm, pushing the ball sideways with his right foot, moving horizontally.
Vukojević couldn't turn in time, his feet slipped, and he fell directly to the ground.
"Boateng!"
Vukojević roared.
He could only hope Boateng could block it.
But at this moment, Suker had already turned and was making a shooting motion.
Bang!
Neuer instinctively moved to his right.
He thought Suker was going to shoot for the far post.
But the next second, he froze.
The ball actually threaded through a gap in the crowd, flying into the goal along the near post.
Swish!
"Goooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!!!!!"
The passionate voice of the live commentator echoed through the Bernabéu Stadium.
Carried by his voice, Real Madrid fans leaped up one by one.
They vigorously waved their hands, excitedly shouting towards the field,
Suker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—
"In the 21st minute of the match, after a series of passes, Kaka found an opportunity to pass the ball to Suker in the open space on the rib, and Suker, after entering the penalty area, used his individual ability to get past Vukojević and scored this goal!"
"Real Madrid leads Bayern Munich 1-0 at home, Real Madrid is just one step away from the Champions League Final!"
Suker's goal completely rocked the entire Bernabéu Stadium.
He celebrated with his teammates in the corner flag area, while inside the penalty area, the Bayern players looked helpless.
They were somewhat bewildered by Real Madrid's fluctuating tactics.
In this goal, Suker's performance was certainly outstanding.
But Kaka's orchestration was also extremely crucial.
They failed to defend Suker, and this match became even more difficult.
The television was showing a slow-motion replay.
In London, at Chelsea's training base, everyone's expressions were extremely serious.
"This is just insane!"
Ashley Cole couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the angle of Suker's shot.
If it were any other player, they would have chosen to shoot for the far post, right?
After all, the far post had more space, and curving it in wasn't without hope.
Even if Neuer could get there, he might still be beaten by the curve.
But Suker chose the near post.
This just highlights his audacity and skill!
It was almost just a tiny gap!
But Suker accurately seized this gap, threading it through Boateng's legs and simultaneously grazing Badstuber's shin as it flew into the goal.
From this goal, one could see Suker's exquisite shooting technique.
"You can't leave him any gap at all!"
"There must be a man-marking midfielder, who must stop Suker even if it means fouling!"
"Even if the attack comes from other areas, someone must stick with Suker; he cannot be allowed to receive the ball comfortably, he cannot be allowed to turn comfortably, and he certainly cannot be given space to shoot!"
The Chelsea players were all discussing.
Suker's performance amazed them; such a super striker was simply a massive headache for them.
At the very front of the crowd, Drogba also pursed his lips and remained silent.
Even the Beast, a famous football star, Drogba, dared not compare his goal-scoring efficiency with Suker's.
Of course, they are different types of strikers!
But combining a tough and agile style, coupled with his varied playing style, made him a real headache.
At the back of the crowd, a blond man stared blankly at the television.
His eyes were filled with a sense of loss.
Fernando Torres, from T9 to Iron Torres, his career entered a sad phase after his surgery.
Watching the active Suker on television, Torres couldn't help but recall his own omnipotent self.
But now, as a striker, he was no longer qualified.
His body couldn't keep up with his mind!
He had even lost his confidence as a striker!
As a star from the same era as Suker, Torres didn't have many opportunities to play against Suker, but that didn't prevent him from clearly feeling Suker's continuous improvement.
If it were his former self, he would still have the confidence to challenge Suker.
But now... Torres showed a bitter smile.
At the Bernabéu Stadium, with Suker's goal, the situation underwent a huge change.
Bayern Munich was already trailing, and now the situation had become even worse.
"Hey! Guys, cheer up, there's still time, let's score and equalize!"
Lahm loudly encouraged the team.
He knew someone had to step up and speak now.
Moreover, the current situation was not optimistic, not just the overall situation, but also some issues with their attack.
"Lahm! Make forward runs!"
The old coach Heynckes shouted to Lahm.
Lahm isn't a traditional defensive full-back; he was known for his attacking prowess when he first started.
His refined defensive skills have now made him a stable defensive player on Bayern Munich's flanks, taking on more defensive responsibilities, but Lahm's long-range shots have always been a major weapon for Bayern Munich.
When Bayern couldn't break the deadlock, Lahm's long-range shots always had a miraculous effect.
And now, Lahm also felt it was time for him to act.
However,
Lahm turned to look at Suker, who was retreating surrounded by his teammates.
He was hesitant.
He could push forward, but what if he couldn't retreat in time? How would Suker be stopped then?
He's the right-back!
Suker is the left-winger!
They are direct counterparts.
Suker would probably be delighted by his forward runs!
"Go up!" Schweinsteiger suddenly said.
"We have no other choice; we can only attack. Losing by one is losing, losing by ten is also losing. If we can't break the deadlock and score, we'll just slowly wait for death!"
He pursed his lips and said seriously, "I don't want to do nothing! Go! We'll cover for you; one more attacking option means one more ray of hope!"
Lahm turned to look at Schweinsteiger and nodded forcefully, "Then I'll leave it to you!"
Suker and the others were retreating.
At this moment, Mourinho suddenly grabbed Alonso's arm on the sideline.
Alonso instinctively tried to shake it off.
"Listen!"
Mourinho gripped Alonso's arm tightly, not letting him shake it off, and said seriously, "Bayern Munich's attack might develop down both wings. Franck Ribéry and Robben are already their most threatening players, so you must pay attention to this!"
Alonso nodded.
Isn't that obvious?
At this point, Mourinho paused and said, "Watch out for Lahm!"
Alonso was startled, "He'll come up?"
"When people are cornered, they can do anything, and for Bayern Munich, now there's only one path: attack and score goals! They might increase their scoring options, and Lahm is one of them!"
"Lahm's positioning will be advanced, and he'll roam towards our left flank and the center, ready for a long-range shot at any time!"
"You and Kaka must pay attention to this!"
"Block! Interfere! Don't let him get a clean long-range shot!"
Upon hearing this, Alonso nodded forcefully, "I understand!"
Watching Alonso leave, Faria, who was beside him, said, "Are you sure Lahm will push forward? Won't they be wary of Suker's impact?"
Mourinho said, "No matter what, it's always right to be careful, and I noticed Heynckes said something to Lahm. I guess it was to tell him to go up and take a long-range shot!"
"Bayern's attacking trident, Lahm's long-range shots, and the potential for corners around these—our midfield must interfere with Lahm and not let him get a clean shot!"
"But once they do that, they're basically playing with fire! With Suker's counter-attacking ability—"
Mourinho's face showed a hint of a sneer.
Bayern Munich didn't want to be slowly worn down by Real Madrid, so they chose to die standing up!
But no matter which choice, Mourinho believed that in the current situation, Bayern was doomed!
The match restarted.
After the kick-off, Bayern Munich's attack became even more intense.
To a certain extent, this did put some pressure on Real Madrid's defense, but precisely because the attack was too fierce, and everyone was thinking about scoring, the attacking routes became rigid and easy to predict.
Bayern's forward players cooperated less, and their variations were no longer as rich.
In fact, everyone was looking forward, playing the ball, with no thought of retreating and passing back.
However, very quickly, some changes appeared.
Lahm began to frequently push into the midfield, constantly passing and receiving the ball.
Actually, Lahm didn't want to just pass and receive; he wanted to take a long-range shot.
But Real Madrid seemed to have anticipated all of this. When he was in the rib area, Alonso would interfere with him.
When he was in the center, Kaka would harass him.
This also meant Lahm couldn't find a suitable opportunity for a long-range shot.
The stability of long-range shots is inherently insufficient, so more adjustment time is needed, but Real Madrid simply didn't give him that time. He believed that as soon as he made a long-range shot posture, the opponent would definitely reach out to interfere.
Moreover, Lahm didn't dare to lose the ball.
Suker was lurking behind him, eyeing him like a tiger.
The consequences of losing the ball were too severe!
"Damn it!"
Heynckes looked at the situation on the field and couldn't help but clench his fists slightly.
Mourinho had guessed his thoughts and was therefore interfering with Lahm.
In the last match, he had outsmarted him; now it was Mourinho's turn.
"After all, I have to try!"
On the field, Lahm received the ball, dribbled it horizontally, and then suddenly attempted a long-range shot.
At this moment, Alonso suddenly stuck out his foot, and the ball hit Alonso's ankle, flying high and going behind Lahm.
"Oh no!"
Lahm immediately turned around.
He found that Suker had already appeared at the ball's landing spot.
"I'm coming!"
"I'll cover for you!"
Vukojević and Schweinsteiger both rushed towards Suker.
Suker saw this scene before receiving the ball. As the ball dropped, Suker gently pushed it with the inside of his foot.
The ball threaded through the gap between Vukojević and Schweinsteiger.
And behind them, Benzema had dropped back into position.
Suker suddenly sprinted wildly down the left flank.
"Catch him!"
"Stop him!"
"I'm coming too!"
At this moment, Bayern Munich's defense was torn to shreds.
Everyone was piled up on the left side.
Benzema saw this scene. He received the ball with his back to goal and gently flicked it with the outside of his left foot.
The ball flew towards the right rear behind him.
And there, an Angel spread his wings!
"Di Maria!!!!—"
González shouted excitedly.
What a golden opportunity!
The right side was almost empty!
Di Maria smoothly caught up with the ball and took another step, entering the penalty area.
At this moment, Neuer also rushed out at high speed.
But facing Neuer, Di Maria calmly looked at the goal. As Neuer approached and dove, he flicked the ball with his foot.
The ball sailed over Neuer and dropped towards the goal.
Boateng rushed towards the ball at high speed. He jumped with all his might, extending his leg, wanting to clear the ball.
But in the end, he and the ball both went into the goal.
Swish!
The ball hit the net!
The Referee turned and pointed to the center circle, blowing his whistle!
Beep!
Goal valid!
Real Madrid 2:0 Bayern Munich!
"Goal!!!! Ángel Di María!! Oh my God! It's him again!!!"
"I still remember in last season's Champions League Semi-Final second leg, against Barcelona, it was also Di Maria's goal that helped Real Madrid reach the Champions League!"
"And this match is the same; another goal in the Semi-Final. At a crucial moment, he once again contributed a goal for Real Madrid!"
"Just like his name, the Angel from Argentina is blessing Real Madrid!"
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause.
They sent their blessings for Di Maria's brilliant performance!
Although Di Maria wasn't a regular starter for Real Madrid, he always managed to score at crucial moments, a trait that made him extremely popular with Real Madrid fans.
What's more, he possessed a nimble playing style and exquisite technique, which made them even more fond of this Angel from Argentina!
"Of course, we cannot forget Karim and Suker!"
"Karim's perfectly timed pass facilitated this goal, and Suker's run after passing also further attracted the defense. This was an opportunity created by the combined efforts of the three attacking players upfront!"
"The second goal in the 38th minute of the first half, Real Madrid has already put one and a half feet into the Champions League final stage!"
"As defending champions, we will once again challenge for the championship. We are aiming for AC Milan's Champions League consecutive wins. This Real Madrid is moving towards becoming the true best Champions League club!"
"I hope one day, when people mention Real Madrid, they will loudly shout out the title 'Kings of the Champions League'!"
González couldn't help but roar:
"Hala!! Madrid!!—"