The perfect center forward: Becoming a soccer king from the corner of Chuanu Chapter 297

The two teams were back at the starting line, and with the fervent support of Liverpool fans, the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium felt like a return to Anfield.

However, such a scene did not affect the Manchester United players at all. Under the leadership of their young captain, the Red Devils could slaughter their opponents even at the real Anfield, let alone with this slight noise.

Kicking off from the center circle again, Manchester United’s offense unfolded methodically, while Liverpool continued to accelerate. Klopp’s team, like mad dogs, wanted to tear Manchester United apart and bring them down!

Mata couldn’t pass the ball forward, so Manchester United had to pass it back to reorganize.

Matic tapped it back to Maguire, who then passed it to Pogba, active on the left flank.

The Frenchman launched a diagonal pass, looking for Lucia in the middle. Although there was a height difference with Van Dijk, Manchester United’s divine striker still managed to win the first touch.

Since Liverpool hadn’t pushed forward with their full force, Lucia, surrounded by layers of opponents, chose to head the ball back.

Fred, surging forward, unleashed a fierce shot that Matip successfully blocked. Lucia, who immediately sprinted towards the loose ball, was a step too late this time. The ball was snatched by Liverpool’s left-back Robertson, who made a diving slide tackle to clear it.

“Lucia is still very sportsmanlike; he actively extends a hand to help his opponent up!”

“The two Scotsmen are having a friendly exchange. Both young players, who transferred to top clubs in 2017, experienced the nightmare of being abandoned by their youth academies. Fortunately, they both completed their comebacks!”

“Although Lucia’s story is more brilliant, Robertson’s comeback is equally inspiring!”

“When Lucia became an EPL ‘hundred-million-euro’ player in the summer of 2017, the young Scottish left-back Robertson joined Liverpool from Hull City for a transfer fee of 8 million euros.”

“However, from January 2018 to May 2019, over a year, his value skyrocketed by 70 million, making him the most valuable left-back in today’s football world, and earning praise from numerous fans and legends!”

“Although the absolute value is incomparable to Lucia’s current value of over 350 million, at least Robertson also completed a magnificent transformation!!”

Speaking of this guy’s football journey, it could be described as the protagonist template for a bitter and resentful novel from the early 21st century.

At fifteen, he was abandoned by his parent club, Celtic, suffering a major blow a year before becoming a professional player.

At sixteen, he didn’t give up but chose to start anew, joining a lower-tier team, Queen’s Park.

How obscure was this Glasgow team? It was only in the fourth tier of the Scottish league.

In this unknown team, Robertson did not, like the protagonists of current novels, rapidly explode and embark on a path of逆袭 (comeback). Instead, he remained out of reach of the first team.

Without a salary, he could only work part-time while playing football. During the day, he worked as a cashier in a department store, occasionally even selling women’s underwear, and in the evening, he would appear punctually at the team’s training ground.

Such a strenuous life frustrated him. At 18, he complained on social media, “Life without money is terrible, I need a job.”

It was precisely the tempering in this low point that made him endure hardships and strive hard, taking football as the only way to change his fate against all odds.

In 2013, due to his relatively excellent performance at Queen’s Park, he caught the eye of Scottish Premiership club Dundee United. Throughout the 2013- 14 season, he began his transformation, playing 46 times for the team and scoring 5 goals. He also made his debut for the Scottish national team, was included in the team of the season, and became Scotland’s Young Player of the Year.

Then came the classic leveling up: joining EPL relegation-battlers Hull City, fluctuating between the Premier League and the Championship with the team, and finally successfully attracting the attention of a giant club, joining Liverpool.

“Manchester United’s throw-in opportunity. The friendly atmosphere from earlier has faded; now both teams are once again on edge!”

“This position allows for a direct throw into the box. Remember, the Red Devils have quite a few excellent headers!”

Van Dijk was fully focused, sticking tightly to Lucia, completely unwilling to give the Italian even the slightest chance.

Luke Shaw, attracting everyone’s attention on the sideline, held the ball high. His arms were muscled and bulging, making him look like a fully drawn giant bow.

The ball was thrown out like a hand grenade, and Liverpool’s defense instantly stirred. Lucia made a diagonal run, directly cutting from the twelve-yard spot towards the near post.

Van Dijk followed closely. The Dutchman’s explosiveness and speed were quite good for his weight class.

In an instant, the Liverpool penalty area was a surging tide of people. Van Dijk, like a lone warrior, stood like a bronze wall in front of the goal, seizing the opportunity to leap high, intending to clear the ball.

But a red figure suddenly leaped up stealthily. Super Lucia, though taking a few more steps, had arrived first despite starting later!!

Faster and more powerful leaping speed, an exaggerated height off the ground, and a strong core providing outstanding hang time.

Like a giant beast breaking free from its chains, he coiled in the air, preparing to deliver a crushing blow from the highest point!

Damn it!

Matip on the other side roared as he lunged towards Lucia, trying to interfere, but he clearly couldn’t catch up with the speed of the ball’s flight.

As he got closer to Lucia, he felt a huge force strike his leg. He saw Manchester United’s divine striker’s waist and abdomen contract like a spring, and then his forehead slammed heavily into the flying ball!

Bang!!!!!

The ball transformed into a lightning bolt, instantly tearing through the Madrid night sky. Its already fast speed gained further kinetic energy, instantly soaring into the top right corner of the goal.

Alisson’s save seemed like a scene from an American blockbuster, arriving belatedly after the outcome was already decided.

The live commentator instantly erupted, his elongated voice directly igniting the entire Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

“Goallllllllll!!!”

“Lucia! He has once again crushed Liverpool’s defense!!”

“With Manchester United’s divine striker’s astute positioning, Van Dijk can only become a backdrop on the pitch!!”

“His header, leaping high at the near post, instantly pierced through the goal guarded by Alisson!!”

“This is the Italian’s formidable aerial dominance! From the start of the match until now, Lucia has won all four aerial duels, showcasing his dominance!!”

“When Manchester United is suffocated by Liverpool’s high press, as long as the ball is passed in Lucia’s direction, the situation can instantly be opened up!”

“Now Lucia has even opened the door to victory with a header. This is the true value of the greatest center-forward in football history!”

“He is not only a finisher but also the backbone of this Manchester United team. Liverpool had just equalized through a penalty, and Lucia has once again helped the Red Devils take the lead!”

“This is currently the number one player in football, the Caesar of football from the Apennine Peninsula, Manchester United’s red giant tower, Super Lucia!!”

Manchester United’s divine striker, having scored, perfectly performed a celebratory gesture that echoed the commentator.

Lucia, who landed gracefully after his header, pulled at his jersey, patted the Manchester United crest on his chest, and spread his arms towards the stands.

At this moment, he seemed to be declaring that this stadium was trembling beneath his feet, and tonight, it would be conquered by him.

Sweat mixed with grass clippings dripped from Lucia’s chiseled jawline. Luke Shaw at this moment wished he could immediately show his submission to the Italian Caesar who had saved him.

-[Bro Lu is too handsome, widening the score again!!]

-[You can always trust Lucia in finals!!]

-[He gets stronger against stronger opponents. My Bro Lu’s performance in crucial moments is incredible!!]

-[ 26th Champions League goal, another brace. Cristiano Ronaldo must be crying, how can he catch up to this record!!]

-[This match truly has no dull moments. Liverpool is attacking fiercely with all their might, and Manchester United is continuously creating danger around their core. One word: exhilarating!!]

Returning to the center circle for the kickoff, Liverpool was also unaffected, still sticking to their aggressive pressing tactics.

After both sides scored, the pace of the game quickened. The players, now fully adapted to the Champions League final, played more freely, and the attacks on the field came in waves.

At the 25th minute, Liverpool launched a massive attack in the final third. Henderson passed the ball wide to the surging Robertson.

The Scotsman, with the ball, was electrifying down the left flank. Mourinho watched Robertson’s sprint with great admiration.

This type of winger, who seemed to be sprinting 100 meters every minute, was his favorite. At least their attitude could greatly inspire their teammates.

He pulled back to stretch the defense, creating space for Mane, who then attempted a diagonal run and a chipped pass to beat a defender.

Maguire immediately covered, heading the ball away to resolve the danger, but the second ball was still controlled by Liverpool.

Robertson continued to cross from the wing, finding Salah precisely at the far post. The Egyptian Pharaoh unleashed a powerful shot straight towards De Gea. The Spanish goalkeeper instinctively parried the ball away.

Alexander-Arnold was already in position, drawing his bow and arrow as the ball came towards him. Unfortunately, there was no peach blossom shadow falling with a divine sword; this volley was narrowly off target, grazing the post and going out for a goal kick.

Liverpool’s two flanks were indeed very strong this season, especially with Klopp tailoring a system that leveraged the strengths and minimized the weaknesses of his two full-backs.

Both of Liverpool’s full-backs are players with top-tier speed and passing ability. Therefore, Klopp encouraged both full-backs to push forward significantly to assist in attack, forming a strong partnership with the wingers on both flanks, using their speed to create more space.

At the same time, Liverpool simplified their attack, emphasizing long passes and quick counter-attacks, fully utilizing the speed and width of the two flanks, as well as the full-backs’ accurate long passes, to quickly shift the ball, exploiting gaps in the opponent’s weak defensive side, and completing quick passes and attacks.

However, this approach has a very obvious drawback: the empty space behind the two full-backs after they push high.

Although the workhorse midfielders provide some protection for the full-backs’ attacking runs, such a vulnerability can be fatal in strong matchups.

Especially on Liverpool’s right flank, the attack-minded but defensively weaker Alexander-Arnold was more prone to being exploited compared to Robertson.

So Mourinho had already instructed his players to take advantage of this opportunity. De Gea, upon getting the ball, immediately threw it to Lucia with a hand pass.

The moment Lucia received the ball in his own half, the corner of his eye had already locked onto the desert-like empty space on Liverpool’s right flank.

He met the ball with a gentle flick of his left foot’s outside, turned, and pushed off!

The supercar instantly switched to launch mode; Manchester United’s divine striker’s acceleration was fierce and rapid.

His two long legs roared like a twelve-cylinder engine, and then he surged forward into Liverpool’s half.

His strides were almost brutal in their length. Henderson, who tried to interfere and grabbed his jersey, was immediately flung away by a terrifying burst of force.

The turf rolled under his studs, his center of gravity instantly lost. In the blink of an eye, Henderson could only eat Lucia’s dust behind him.

How the hell could this guy be a center-forward with invincible back-to-goal ability? His explosiveness is just too insane!!

Swift as a shooting star!!

Lucia, accelerating, faced Fabinho. He didn’t need much skill; he simply pushed the ball forward with great force.

Then, Manchester United’s divine striker directly completed a forceful overtake, completely denying his opponent a chance to foul. The man like the wind continued to sprint down the left wing.

Alexander-Arnold, running straight back behind him, was chasing with all his might, but it was clear from the camera that the distance between them wasn’t shrinking.

Matip moved from the central area to the left to block, but Lucia, without losing any speed, seized the opportunity to change direction.

Snap!

Matip seemed to hear his knee cry out in pain. His body, carrying inertia, couldn’t simply stop and change direction by relying on his meniscus and patella.

He seemed to freeze in place, watching helplessly as Lucia charged towards Alisson.

The Brazilian was very decisive, directly abandoning his goal to seek a higher chance of saving!

Lucia’s right leg muscles suddenly tensed, but just before touching the ball, he subtly flicked his toe!

The realistic feint, involving his shoulder coordination, even fooled the broadcast camera!!

At this moment, the most cunning magician couldn’t compare to Manchester United’s divine striker. One was a trick, while Lucia’s was true skill!

The moment Alisson’s weight shifted, Lucia’s left foot immediately pushed the ball horizontally. The ball rolled to the other side right under the Brazilian’s nose!

Van Dijk, who was about to get back into position, had still wanted to attempt a last-ditch miracle, but he never expected the Golden Ball winner opposite him to be so unselfish!

Bang!

Mata calmly slotted the ball into an empty net from the weak side. The Red Devils once again changed the score: Manchester United 3- 1 Liverpool!!

“Goal!!!!!!”

“A perfect assist covering over fifty meters. 90% of the credit for this goal belongs to Lucia!!”

“Like a heavy tank with a turbocharger! When Lucia gets going, defenders can’t even catch his shadow.”

“Earlier he tore through the sky, now he tramples the earth. He’s simply omnipotent, reaching both heaven and hell!”

“His unselfish assist in the final moments completely denied the chasing Van Dijk any chance!”

-[So exhilarating, it would have been even better if he had scored it himself!!]

-[From that position, if he had shot himself, there’s only a 15% chance he would miss. Bro Lu still plays too much for the team!!]

-[Letting a Spaniard score in the Spanish capital, my Bro Lu’s emotional intelligence is maxed out~~]

-[A unique perspective, truly worthy of being called the Italian of Europe, with strong unspoken rules~]

Lucia, hugged tightly by Mata, felt that something was suddenly missing from the scene!

Good heavens, it turned out that the Liverpool fans’ singing had temporarily paused, only to regroup after a few seconds.

Lucia found it a bit strange; how could a team not afraid of being down 0- 3 feel a bit stunned at this moment! Especially in his own area, basically only the sound of “GGMU” could be heard.

There was nothing they could do. The Liverpool fans, who had witnessed Lucia’s entire performance behind the Red Army’s goal, felt a deep sense of powerlessness at this moment, even a hint of suffocation!

To choose to pass to a teammate for an empty net in such an opportunity, Lucia, do you have eyes in the back of your head?!

Or is your play just that logical?!

But initially, a guy who would shoot from that kind of position didn’t seem like someone who would choose to play logically at all!!!

Both real and fake, true and false, this guy not only has a great physique and excellent technique, but his heart is also dirty as hell!!

Now, in just five minutes, he’s scored two goals, directly extinguishing the momentum Liverpool had just gained by equalizing!!

Ahhhhhhh, why is such a star at Manchester United!!!