Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 515: Lin Quan Scores a Hat Trick—Time is Running Out for Real Madrid!

"Is this a return of Barça-style tiki-taka?"

The spectators and commentators on-site couldn't help but exclaim after seeing Manchester City's tactical play.

This Manchester City team gave off such strong déjà vu.

It was almost a replica of that legendary Barcelona team!

The same coach, a central attacking figure who played with a style and skill that strongly resembled prime Messi.

A winger who could dribble, pass, and play quick combinations with teammates, very much like Iniesta.

If Manchester City were to change into Barça jerseys, many people might actually mistake them for the Catalan giants!

Thus, this Champions League final gradually turned into something resembling Spain's famous El Clásico.

As the team began executing their tiki-taka style, Lin Quan shifted away from solo play and actively integrated into the team's tactical system.

With his teammates supporting him, his threat in the attacking third greatly increased, and defending against him became even more difficult.

Time and again, Lin Quan and his teammates pulled off quick one-twos and intricate passing combinations in tight spaces, often outplaying two, three, or even more Real Madrid defenders.

Manchester City's possession-based style wasn't the usual side-to-side passing or backpassing. They constantly sought forward progress, using precise passing and quick exchanges to break through Real Madrid's defensive lines.

This strategy left Real Madrid's defense on the back foot. The ball moved rapidly from player to player, forcing Real Madrid to constantly chase both the ball and Manchester City's players.

They tried pressing, but it was mostly ineffective.

With Lin Quan, Kevin De Bruyne, and Toni Kroos controlling the midfield like maestros, Manchester City's center seemed immovable.

They consistently found Real Madrid's weaker sides to attack, leaving Madrid's players scrambling across the pitch, chasing shadows, and struggling to get a touch on the ball.

After less than ten minutes of this sustained pressure, the Real Madrid players were already gasping for breath, drenched in sweat.

This kind of defense, where they had to remain constantly alert and mentally focused, was draining their energy at an alarming rate.

And it wasn't just a physical toll—mentally, the players were feeling it too.

This intense mental strain meant that they couldn't maintain this level of focus indefinitely.

As time wore on, their concentration would start to falter, making their situation even more precarious.

Fortunately, during this period of intense pressure, Real Madrid's backline held firm.

Despite Manchester City's relentless attacks, they hadn't conceded again.

Thibaut Courtois played a huge role, making multiple spectacular saves and drawing screams of admiration from many female fans in the stands.

Many Real Madrid supporters were now convinced that buying Courtois was an incredible bargain.

Chelsea fans, on the other hand, were cursing him, upset that he hadn't performed like this while playing for them.

If he had shown this level of form at Chelsea, their season might not have been so disastrous!

As time ticked on, neither side managed to change the scoreline.

With the match already beyond the 70-minute mark, there wasn't much time left in regular play.

If the 90 minutes and stoppage time ended without either team scoring, the match would go into extra time.

And if extra time still couldn't decide the winner, a penalty shootout would follow.

Guardiola wasn't sure if Real Madrid would welcome a penalty shootout, but Manchester City certainly didn't want it to come to that.

So, he decided it was time to change tactics.

In the 75th minute, Guardiola made a personnel change.

He subbed off Gaël Clichy and brought on Aleksandar Kolarov.

Kolarov was more attack-minded than defensive, and this substitution signaled that Manchester City intended to strengthen their attacks down the flanks.

Before Kolarov stepped onto the pitch, Guardiola had a lengthy talk with him on the sidelines, making sure he understood exactly what was expected of him.

Seeing this substitution, Zinedine Zidane couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Marcelo's defensive abilities were already mediocre, and since Dani Carvajal had gone off, Marcelo had been constantly targeted by Lin Quan.

To make matters worse, Sergio Ramos, who was already on a yellow card, was stationed beside him and couldn't defend at full strength.

This created a significant weakness on Real Madrid's right flank, which Guardiola had clearly identified, and he was now reinforcing the attack on that side, aiming to break through.

To play it safe, Real Madrid also needed to make a substitution.

Zidane glanced at the bench, where Lucas Vázquez and Nacho were the only remaining defenders and full-backs.

Both of these players were not on the same level as the starters.

Like Marcelo, Vázquez was more attack-minded and lacked defensive prowess, so there was little point in a like-for-like swap unless Marcelo was injured or too fatigued.

If he were to make a change, Zidane could bring on Nacho to replace Marcelo and shift Ramos to the right-back position.

However, this wouldn't fully solve the problem on the right side.

Ramos, after all, was still on a yellow card, and he hadn't played at full-back in a long time, meaning he would need time to adjust.

And right now, there wasn't time for him to adapt!

Zidane was also hesitant about subbing off Ramos altogether.

Ramos was Real Madrid's captain, a player whose presence on the field boosted the team's morale.

If he were to take Ramos off, who would take over the captain's duties?

After thinking it over, Zidane decided to hold off for now and see how things developed.

If Real Madrid could hold out against this wave of Manchester City attacks, the game would likely go into extra time.

He had already used one substitution, and if the match did go into extra time, the two substitutions he had left would become crucial.

However, Zidane clearly hadn't heard the saying: "Hesitation leads to defeat!"

In the 79th minute, Manchester City launched another attack.

Kroos passed the ball to David Silva, who had dropped back to receive it.

As Silva drove forward, he was challenged by a Real Madrid defender.

At that moment, Manchester City's left-back, Kolarov, surged up from behind and executed an overlapping run with Silva.

Silva quickly passed the ball to him and sprinted toward Real Madrid's penalty area.

Without breaking stride, Kolarov took the ball and charged down the left flank. Before the Real Madrid full-back could intercept him, Kolarov sent a low cross into the box.

Real Madrid's defenders had collapsed toward their own goal, preparing to block the cross.

But someone beat them to it!

Lin Quan stepped in at the edge of the box to intercept Kolarov's cross.

Kolarov hadn't intended to pass to Lin Quan; he was aiming for a teammate positioned near the goal.

So, Lin Quan's intervention surprised not only his teammates but also the Real Madrid players.

Seeing Lin Quan on the ball, Real Madrid players, including Danilo and Luka Modrić, rushed toward him.

Even Ramos abandoned his marking of Agüero and moved toward Lin Quan.

Although Lin Quan's shooting angle wasn't great from where he was, they didn't dare leave him unmarked.

After all, it was Lin Quan. If they gave him space, he was more than capable of putting the ball in the back of the net!

As Real Madrid's defenders charged at him, Lin Quan feigned a shot, prompting Danilo to dive in for a block.

But at the last moment, Lin Quan changed his mind, sending a quick pass to Agüero, who was waiting in the box.

With the defenders distracted by Lin Quan, Agüero found himself marked by just one defender, Pepe.

This gave him plenty of room to control the ball and set up a shot.

However, Pepe closed in swiftly, giving Agüero no time to turn.

Pepe also used his knee to press against Agüero's leg, trying to force him off balance and gain possession.

With his back to goal, Agüero realized he had lost his chance to shoot.

So, just before Pepe could topple him, Agüero passed the ball back to Lin Quan, who had repositioned himself for a shot.

Agüero's pass was perfectly placed.

Lin Quan didn't need to control or adjust the ball. Without hesitation, he struck it first-time with immense power.

The ball rocketed toward the goal like a bolt of lightning, moving too fast for anyone to react.

Courtois, who had already set himself to dive for the save, realized that the ball had already ripped into the back of the net before he could fully stretch out.

3-2!

Lin Quan had just completed a hat trick in the final and turned the score in Manchester City's favor once again!

Manchester City was back in the lead at the San Siro!

To hell with extra time, to hell with a penalty shootout!

Manchester City was determined to finish off Real Madrid in regular time!

As soon as the ball hit the back of the net, the entire stadium erupted in a frenzy.

Manchester City fans went completely wild, their minds going blank as they leaped, shouted, and embraced each other, pouring all their energy into celebrating.

On the pitch, after scoring the goal, Lin Quan waved his arms wildly in celebration, sliding across the grass near the coaches' bench.

His teammates rushed toward him, some sliding on their knees to join the celebration, while others piled on top of Lin Quan in excitement.

On the sidelines, Pep Guardiola and Manchester City's substitutes also lost control, rushing to join in the celebrations.

Guardiola, dressed in a sharp suit and polished shoes, couldn't contain himself either. He also slid across the grass on his knees, not caring that his clean suit was now covered in grass and dirt.

"We're in the lead, but don't let your guard down—the game isn't over yet. Give it your all and defend for these last few minutes!"

Guardiola, not completely carried away by the euphoria, reminded his players to stay focused as soon as the celebrations ended.

The game wasn't finished yet, and now Real Madrid would throw everything they had into a final, desperate attack.

Whether Manchester City could hold on for the last ten minutes would determine the fate of the trophy.

Guardiola's prediction was spot-on.

After Manchester City regained the lead, Zidane decided to go all-in.

He brought on James Rodríguez to replace Isco, who had been having a poor game.

James had been sitting on the bench for most of the match and was itching to get on the pitch.

Now that he was given the chance, he wasn't about to waste it.

Once on the field, James played with intensity, showing a level of effort rarely seen from him.

He ran tirelessly, both in attack and defense, covering a lot of ground.

Seeing James working so hard, many Real Madrid fans couldn't help but feel a bit bittersweet.

James was incredibly talented, and in his first season with Real Madrid, he had been a key player, delivering excellent performances.

During the 2014-2015 season, James played 46 games for Real Madrid, scoring 17 goals and providing 18 assists.

His outstanding form not only won over the fans but also earned him a place in UEFA's official La Liga Team of the Season for 2014-15.

However, his brilliance only lasted one season.

By his second year, due to his lack of effort in training, his poor attitude, and issues both on and off the pitch—along with low emotional intelligence and difficulties getting along with teammates—he gradually lost his starting spot.

This season, he had only made 32 appearances for Real Madrid, a 40% drop from the previous year, and his stats had plummeted, with only 8 goals and 8 assists.

At this point, he was becoming a fringe player, a shadow of his former self.

This was why Real Madrid fans were so frustrated with him.

James had the talent, but his poor attitude was holding him back.

Every time fans remembered the 85 million euros spent on him, it felt like a knife to the heart.

Just look at Barcelona—they spent a similar amount on Luis Suárez, and look how well he's doing.

And then there's James... it's just too painful to think about!

Good thing Eden Hazard hadn't joined Real Madrid yet. If he had, the fans would've been even more heartbroken.

Zidane was pleased with James' positive attitude on the field.

If he had been this motivated in training, he wouldn't have fallen out of favor or become a fringe player.

Unfortunately, many Latin American players lacked discipline, which made players like Messi and Kaká exceptions rather than the rule.

In this regard, European players tended to be much more disciplined.

Real Madrid's own Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić were both known for their self-discipline and work ethic.

Manchester City's Lin Quan was the same.

There were hardly any tabloid stories about him. It seemed that all he cared about was football.

No wonder he had achieved such greatness—after all, you reap what you sow.

James had many typical qualities of Latin American players: excellent footwork and outstanding creativity.

Once he came on, Real Madrid's attack improved noticeably, with more possession flowing through James.

This freed up Modrić, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo to focus more on attacking.

The downside was that Real Madrid's play became more predictable—once Manchester City shut down James, Real Madrid's attack would collapse.

Zidane wasn't crazy enough to make James the central playmaker, though.

James was partnering with Modrić, essentially creating a double playmaker system.

Real Madrid's formation gradually shifted to a 4-2-2-2, a system once used by Carlo Ancelotti that led Real Madrid to a remarkable 22-match winning streak.

Back then, James was one of the key players in that system!

(End of Chapter)

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