The perfect center forward: Becoming a soccer king from the corner of Chuanu Chapter 252

Fortunately, Pep at this time was not in a situation where both his career and marriage were failing.

After a brief period of disappointment, his spirit was restored. The expectation of leading Manchester City to success and then returning to Spain with Sara to settle down stimulated the Manchester City coach.

With this group of powerful players on the field, plus his improved tactics, Manchester City would never just sit back and wait for death.

Tactical designs centered around the individual abilities of a superstar would never be as powerful as a systematic passing and control game!

Guardiola reaffirmed his philosophy and loudly encouraged his players from the sidelines.

Mourinho, on the other hand, was very pragmatic. His on-field tactics remained the same: based on defense while building play around Lucia!

The players from both sides kicked off again from the center circle. Manchester City, a goal down, fought fiercely on both offense and defense.

However, the effect was minimal. The ideal rhythm changes and technical counterattacks did not materialize. Instead, the single defensive midfielder was relentlessly tormented by Lucia.

Two minutes after conceding, Manchester United once again had a chance to counterattack. Lucia, who was surging towards the Blue Moon’s backfield, was brought down by Fernandinho.

The Blue Moon, who had conceded first, suffered another blow. Their main defensive midfielder received a yellow card less than ten minutes into the game, which was definitely bad news for defending a super striker like Lucia.

A defender getting an early yellow card undoubtedly put Manchester City in a very passive position. Guardiola shook his head helplessly. The blame for this match was definitely his.

He had thought that not pushing everyone forward would make it harder for Manchester United to counter, but he didn’t expect Lucia to be so impactful. In positional attacks, he was simply an unstoppable killer.

No wonder Manchester United was surging in the league, not only picking up points against strong opponents but also rarely dropping points against weaker teams this season. They had indeed improved a lot compared to last season.

Of course, Manchester United’s progress was definitely thanks to his son-in-law. Mourinho merely designed tactics around Lucia; it wasn’t like he couldn’t do it himself!

A bigger, bolder version of Lionel Messi could also shine brightly under his command!

…

Manchester United, with a one-goal lead, did not ease up. The Red Devils continued their offensive in the subsequent minutes. In the 13th minute, Rashford challenged Kyle Walker, the number one full-back, on the wing.

It must be said that Manchester City’s players were excellent after their massive investment. The duel between the two England internationals ended with Kyle Walker’s victory.

Walker at this time lived up to his “supercar” nickname. After completing the tackle, he immediately surged down the right wing, then passed the ball to De Bruyne in front of him.

On the Red Devils’ side, Luke Shaw was equally impressive, a clean tackle directly dispossessing De Bruyne. The excellent performance of both England internationals brought a pleased expression to Southgate’s face in the stands.

Having a prominent career was just that good. After becoming the Three Lions’ coach by luck, he also ushered in a boom of young players. If he could lead an England team full of young talents to bring football home…

A promotion, a raise, and a knighthood would definitely be within reach!

Thinking of the knighthood, Southgate looked enviously at the Red Devils’ number 9. Lucia, that kid was a true life winner!

Even if he had many girlfriends, he also had high income, many honors, good stats, and this guy even received commendation from the Queen.

What a lucky guy to be envied!

…

The match on the field continued. Although Guardiola underestimated Lucia’s ability to break stalemates, Manchester City was not without hope.

The Premier League’s most valuable squad was also full of threats. The scene shifted, and Sterling weaved and dodged on the left wing.

Darmian did his best to limit him on the right. Although Sterling had a high chance of having a “happy moment,” no one dared to let him get a chance to shoot freely in that area.

Then Manchester City’s corner kick was taken. After simple rhythm changes, David Silva received the ball in the half-space and lofted it towards the near post.

Football sometimes was indeed a game of talent. Manchester City’s front three simply couldn’t compete with the Red Devils in aerial duels.

Sterling, Agüero, and Bernardo Silva’s average height was probably not even 1.75 meters. Facing the towering Manchester United players, they could only helplessly watch their opponents clear the ball.

Manchester United’s quick counterattack was fierce. Utilizing the opportunity of defenders participating in the header, Lucia received the ball and immediately launched a solo charge!

Fernandinho, who had a yellow card, dared not foul to stop him. Otamendi had to step up in a critical moment.

“He thwarted a golden opportunity for the opponent, an undeniable foul!”

“Manchester City’s second yellow card, another crucial position.”

“Center-back Otamendi also booked, Manchester City needs to be careful in this match!”

Manchester United earned a free-kick opportunity in the attacking third. Lucia, holding the ball, decisively stood in front of the penalty spot.

At a critical moment, combined with a “curved moon blade” shot, this was definitely a good chance to extend the lead!

After holding his breath, he ran up and shot, a high-quality curling shot spun towards the Manchester City goal, the ball flying towards the top left corner with strong rotation.

Looking at the ball’s trajectory, Lucia felt there was great hope for this shot, but at a critical moment, Ederson stepped up.

The Brazilian goalkeeper, who was caught off guard and conceded early, made a desperate save that paid off. A slight touch with three fingers instantly changed the ball’s direction.

With a dull thud, the ball hit the crossbar and bounced out of the dangerous area. Zinchenko quickly followed up, controlled the ball, and pushed it forward.

The young Ukrainian left-back was quite good under Guardiola at this time, until in the future, during training, he argued with the coach over a passing error, and Guardiola directly ended the training and sidelined the young talent.

It must be said that Pep’s desire for control was very strong. Of course, another bald coach in Manchester in the future was even better. That one was a weighty figure who didn’t even like players to improvise during matches.

On the pitch, Zinchenko dribbled wildly. The young man was full of passion because his crush, Vlada, was in the stands today.

Most importantly, his girlfriend was also a huge fan of the two top football stars, Lucia and Cristiano Ronaldo. If he could also achieve something on the pitch, it would definitely be an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap between them.

Meanwhile, Vlada in the stands, though physically present, was mentally elsewhere, secretly hoping to see Lucia’s brilliant performance, and even better, to arrange an exclusive interview after the match.

It was just as well that the two hadn’t hooked up yet, otherwise it would have been like a goddess going on a date, and a simp sending a 001.

After combining with Sterling, Zinchenko directly decided to shoot from long range. Unfortunately, the excited young man couldn’t keep it down, and the ball went slightly over, becoming a souvenir for the fans present.

In the next frame, the Red Devils’ attack intensified. “Hit them when they’re down” was Mourinho’s core tactical principle.

Facing the yellow-carded defensive midfielders Fernandinho and Otamendi, Manchester United decisively built their play around their star striker.

Lucia, the goal scorer, took a shot from outside the box, but unfortunately, the ball was deflected by Laporte’s shin, sending it wide of the goal. With a one-goal lead and the opponent having received cards, Manchester United had a significant advantage on the field.

Just two minutes later, the Red Devils’ overwhelming offensive swept in again. The rampaging Lucia distributed the ball, and the surging Pogba took a long-range shot that Ederson saved brilliantly.

From the corner, Manchester United, with all their tall players in the box, directly targeted the most threatening Lucia. Surrounded, the Manchester United striker chose to head the ball back.

Matic, near the edge of the box, unleashed a long-range shot. The ball flew like a cannonball, but unfortunately, it again went slightly wide of the goal.

Having keenly observed the opponent’s defensive weakness in the center, where they couldn’t contain Lucia, Manchester United’s attacking midfielders began to exploit this flaw to the fullest. Mourinho’s disciples played with ease on the field.

With a one-goal advantage and having found the opponent’s weakness, Manchester United’s players played with ease on the field.

In the 25th minute, Mourinho’s Manchester United’s incisive counterattack struck again. Pogba delivered an artistic outside-of-the-boot pass from midfield. Lucia chested the ball down in the attacking third, then passed it to the surging Rashford beside him. Unfortunately, the excited Rashford’s powerful shot, under pressure, was again saved by Ederson.

Compared to Manchester United, who could easily create chances, Manchester City found it much more difficult. Even when they managed to create a few scattered opportunities through continuous passing, it required a flash of genius to break through.

De Bruyne, who had finally matured, delivered a through ball that sliced open the defense, but Manchester United’s three forwards, under pressure from the opponent, seemed isolated and unsupported.

Finally, Agüero’s forced shot through a crowd of players failed to test the focused Red Devils goalkeeper, De Gea.

Instead, Manchester United’s quick counterattacks repeatedly put the home team’s defense on high alert. The hard-pressed Manchester City players could only once again watch Lucia’s graceful performance from close quarters.

Pogba, with the ball in the backfield, fully utilized his vertical progression ability, carrying the opponent’s interference and delivering a surgical through ball in the middle, instantly tearing open Manchester City’s half-space.

Lucia received the ball on the right wing and surged forward like a gale. Facing Otamendi’s close marking, the in-form Manchester United striker changed direction three times with successive touches, feigning a run to the byline but suddenly cutting inside, seizing the moment of the opponent’s distraction to complete a brilliant burst of pace and beat him.

Otamendi, burdened with a yellow card, dared not make any rash moves and could only watch helplessly as the Manchester United striker prepared to shoot.

The ball, like an arrow released from a bow, grazed the goal line, kicking up a spray of grass, a low shot straight into the bottom right corner of the goal!

Ederson quickly went down to save but couldn’t keep up with the ball’s flight speed. The helpless Brazilian goalkeeper slumped on the turf in despair.

Guardiola picked up his water bottle and gulped down water, his Adam’s apple bobbing with helplessness. This match was completely torn apart in the middle by Lucia!

The stands instantly erupted in cheers, and with Lucia’s celebration, the entire stadium was filled with the unrestrained shouts of Manchester United fans!

Vlada, excited to congratulate her idol, quickly suppressed her excitement. Being a fan was one thing, but she couldn’t let it affect her elegant image in the eyes of her potential suitors.

If she couldn’t get a commitment from the Ballon d’Or winner, she could still string along this promising prospect from a wealthy family.

On the other side, the beautiful sisters dancing in Manchester United’s number 9 jerseys were much more uninhibited, even if it had a somewhat comical “filial piety” feel in front of their father’s helpless expression.

But it didn’t matter, “we are family,” and no one could stop them from celebrating for their loved ones!

“Goal!!!”

“A brilliant link-up, the combination of Pogba and Lucia is simply too efficient. A pass and a shot instantly rewrite the score on the field!”

“With this goal, Lucia has now scored over twenty goals against the Blue Moon. The cheap son-in-law always performs brilliantly against his father-in-law!”

-[Hahahaha, father-in-law killer Lucia!]

-[Old man, is my ghost bike safe parked downstairs?]

-[Brother, you perfectly described Guardiola’s feeling. As a father with a daughter, I’m already a bit broken!]

-[That’s your daughter in the avatar, right? Father-in-law, please accept my bow~]

-[I feel like Manchester City is going to be gone again. Teams that are two goals down against Manchester United basically never come back!]

The first half was not yet over, and Manchester United already had a two-goal lead, and they were completely controlling the game, giving the opponent almost no chances.

Mourinho’s Manchester United had matured into an absolute king in the realm of defensive solidity. Manchester City’s desperate efforts in the attacking third were all in vain. The Red Devils’ defense always managed to extinguish the opponent’s newly ignited fighting spirit and hope at critical moments.

And that wasn’t enough; while defending, Manchester United could also occasionally seize opportunities to send the ball forward, and the highly capable individual player Lucia frequently created threats for the opponent.

After repeated counterattacks, Manchester City only felt a sense of torment. Just like in previous encounters, couldn’t Mourinho change his style of play?

The balance of the game was completely one-sided. The 15-minute halftime break was Manchester City’s last chance to adjust. Guardiola had just finished setting up a variety of tactics in the locker room to break down the compact defense when he was hit with a blow.

After a long-range shot failed to pay off, Manchester United’s counterattack instantly struck. The combined LPL trio’s fluid passing in the attacking third was like poetry.

Pogba’s diagonal pass found Lucia, who deftly touched it, and Lukaku immediately made a powerful burst into the box.

The big, dark-skinned man was surprisingly skillful with his feet. After a feint outside the box, he played a square pass into the middle, where Lucia arrived right on cue.

The moment he received the ball, Laporte immediately stepped forward to try and block him, but found himself completely outmatched physically against Lucia.

He could only watch helplessly as Lucia stood firm like a mountain, his footwork still active, enduring the interference and pushing the ball into the near post with his left foot at the first touch.

The ball, like a venomous snake, slithered across the grass. Ederson dove desperately but couldn’t prevent it from finding the bottom corner.

Laporte felt a deep sense of powerlessness. One person simply couldn’t contain Lucia, and with Lukaku as well, it was no wonder the counterattacking LPL trio was the best in Europe, even surpassing the BBC trio of old!

“Hat-trick!!”

“The second half has just begun, and Manchester United has scored again through a brilliant counterattack by the LPL trio!”

“This goal fully demonstrates the essence of the Apennine Tank. Manchester City’s defense has become Lucia’s plaything!”

-[LPL is the champion!!! Certified by an IG fan~]

-[A textbook counterattack, the way he carried the defender and shot was so manly!!]

-[I always feel like Lucia is even stronger. I seriously suggest the officials conduct a post-match urine test on him. He performs like a god in every strong match-up. How is Ronaldo supposed to play then??]

-[Hahaha, as soon as he left Real Madrid, he became a Champions League Round of 16 player. Ronaldo is completely dependent on the platform bonus!]

With a three-goal lead, the comments section was already letting loose. As the fans guessed, Manchester City was powerless to turn the tide in the subsequent match.

Although David Silva and De Bruyne’s combination had a few scattered chances to break through Manchester United’s defense, De Gea was in phenomenal form tonight.

What was expected to be an evenly matched game turned out to be far beyond the fans’ pre-match expectations, with Manchester United smiling at the end with a 3- 0 victory.

Seeing that the tide had turned, Guardiola did not make any adjustments. At this point, the score and the situation were already out of control.

From an emotional perspective, a local derby combined with a final, Manchester City should definitely fight until the very last moment of the match.

From a rational perspective, with less than thirty minutes left in the final, and fifteen points behind in the league, next week’s Champions League was undoubtedly the top priority for this season.

The mistakes he made in this match could not be changed. He would bring new joy to the Blue Moon fans with a Champions League trophy!

Guardiola, walking out with his head held high, gracefully found Mourinho to shake hands after the final whistle.

However, his mentality was a bit like Ah Q.

[It’s just luck that he bought a star that suits his tactics. Just wait until I find my Mr. Right, then I’ll show you!]

“Full-time!