Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 512: Toying with Courtois – Manchester City 2:1 Real Madrid!

Modric was highly alert and determined to stop Lin Quan, even preparing to use a tactical foul to disrupt Manchester City's attack. However, Lin Quan's acceleration was too fast. With a seamless sequence of ball control, feints, direction changes, and a clean break, Modric was left behind, unable to keep up with Lin Quan's pace.

To those watching, it appeared as though Modric was just standing still, like a mere obstacle, easily bypassed by Lin Quan. He didn't even have time to commit the foul he had been ready to make!

With Modric beaten, Real Madrid's defense was fully exposed to Manchester City's attack. Ramos was internally panicking—Not again!

When playing for the national team alongside Lin Quan, Ramos and his fellow defenders always felt reassured with Lin up front. But when Lin was on the opposing team, it filled Ramos with dread. Lin Quan was simply too difficult to defend against, and Ramos wasn't confident he could stop him.

But he had no choice. Letting Lin move forward unchallenged would be too dangerous for the goal, so Ramos had to rush up, though cautiously. He knew he would likely struggle to stop Lin Quan, so instead of aggressively charging in, he opted to delay him, buying time for his teammates to regroup.

Ramos' partner, Pepe, smartly positioned himself nearby, ready to cover any gaps and block Lin's potential passing lanes to prevent him from linking up with Agüero.

Lin Quan quickly realized that Ramos wasn't fully committing to a challenge and deduced that Ramos was trying to stall him. Lin responded by changing his approach, dribbling toward Agüero's direction.

Pepe's heart leaped with excitement. This guy is walking right into my trap!

The stadium was filled with confusion—why was Lin Quan heading straight into Pepe's zone? At first, it seemed Lin had only Ramos to beat, but now he was putting himself between two defenders, with no clear path to the goal.

Agüero was already in an offside position, meaning Lin Quan couldn't pass to him. And now, surrounded by two defenders, it seemed almost impossible for Lin to pass or get a shot off.

"Lin usually plays so calmly and smart, but this time..." Wenger sighed from the commentator's booth, clearly puzzled by Lin's choice.

Although Real Madrid's defense was impressive, Lin Quan was still skilled enough to attempt a shot. However, his decision to dribble toward Pepe seemed to eliminate any chance of a strike, even a hopeful one.

Moreover, Manchester City's defense was now disorganized from pushing forward, leaving them vulnerable if Real Madrid managed to counterattack. Top teams frequently capitalized on such mistakes to hit opponents on the break.

Martin Tyler and Andy Gray were equally baffled by Lin's choice. From a tactical standpoint, Lin Quan had plenty of options. Even if the attack failed, he could slow things down and pass the ball back to a teammate to reset the play. After all, with the score tied, there was no pressing need for City to force an attack.

"It seems the pressure of the final is getting to Lin Quan, causing even top players to make mistakes," one commentator suggested.

Fans and analysts nodded in agreement—this was the only explanation that made sense. Lin Quan had created so many miracles in the past that many people began to see him as nearly superhuman, and since he rarely made mistakes, seeing him err in this moment was hard to believe.

However, the mere thought that Lin Quan could be making mistakes caused a ripple of worry among Manchester City fans. City had rarely faced adversity this season, winning most games comfortably. Now, the fans couldn't help but wonder if the team could handle this kind of pressure.

Just as everyone believed Manchester City's attack was ending, and Real Madrid was about to launch a counter, Lin Quan slowed down, seemingly preparing to stop the ball.

Ramos breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we've stopped him!

Meanwhile, Pepe's excitement surged—This is my chance!

Previously, Lin had been too far away for Pepe to make a move, but now the ball was right within Pepe's reach. Without hesitation, Pepe stretched out his hand to pull Lin's jersey and reached his foot out to snatch the ball.

But the moment Pepe stretched his foot, Lin Quan nudged the ball with his right foot and, with a deft touch, flicked it between the two defenders. The ball sailed through the gap, and in the blink of an eye, Lin darted between Ramos and Pepe, leaving them both behind .

Pepe, caught mid-motion, couldn't react quickly enough and stood frozen as Lin darted past him. He had no time to adjust, watching helplessly as Lin burst through the defense.

Ramos was equally stunned. He had thought the danger was over, only to see Lin perform an incredible move and break through.

What just happened? Ramos couldn't believe it. He instinctively reached out to pull Lin down, but when he realized they were already inside the penalty box, he hesitated. Fouling now would result in a penalty and possibly a red card.

His moment of hesitation was all Lin needed. Breaking free, Lin dashed forward like an unrestrained stallion.

Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, was utterly paralyzed with disbelief. What are these defenders doing? Didn't they just stop him?

And now I'm facing Lin Quan one-on-one?! Courtois felt helpless. Even before Lin began his shot, Courtois mentally surrendered.

Lin Quan saw the goalkeeper rushing toward him. With a subtle glance at the bottom right corner of the goal, he feigned a shot, causing Courtois to dive in that direction.

But it was a trick. Lin hadn't shot at all. The ball was still at his feet!

The crowd roared in astonishment. Lin had completely fooled Courtois, who fell for the fake shot without even seeing the real one.

With Courtois down and the goal wide open, Lin calmly tapped the ball into the net, putting Manchester City ahead 2-1.

This goal hit Real Madrid hard, especially their goalkeeper, Courtois. Climbing to his feet, he felt his face flush with embarrassment, as if he had been slapped repeatedly. He sensed that both his teammates and even the opposing players were now looking at him strangely.

"Brilliant!" Kevin De Bruyne was celebrating more energetically than if he had scored the goal himself. Courtois may have been his national teammate, but after what happened between Courtois and De Bruyne's ex-girlfriend, their relationship had soured.

Although Lin had helped De Bruyne avoid being humiliated by his girlfriend, Courtois had still betrayed him by getting involved with her. For De Bruyne, this goal felt like sweet, satisfying revenge.

On the sidelines, Guardiola had already started to walk back to his seat when Lin was stopped by Ramos and Pepe. But then, hearing the crowd's sudden uproar, he turned to see Courtois diving the wrong way as Lin gently slotted the ball into an open net.

"Oh my God, how did he do that?" Guardiola clutched his bald head in disbelief. What just happened in that split second? He was filled with regret, vowing never to look away again when Lin was on the ball.

Over on Real Madrid's bench, the assistant coaches and substitutes, who had been cheering Ramos and Pepe for their strong defense, were left dumbfounded. What just happened?

Did Lin Quan really break through like that? Zidane's expression was equally frozen, his fist clenched tightly.

"Wow, Lin is incredible!"

"I can't believe he got past Ramos and Pepe!"

"What were Ramos and Pepe doing, letting him through like that?"

"Finally, Pepe gets what's coming to him!"

Pepe had long gained a reputation for his aggressive and brutal defending, often injuring opposing players. Many fans were glad to see Lin getting the better of him in such a spectacular way.

"Sorry, that was my fault," Pepe admitted, taking responsibility. Ramos patted his shoulder without saying much. Mistakes were fine in most matches, but not in a final. Against someone as good as Lin Quan, a single error could be fatal.

However, Ramos didn't want to criticize Pepe too harshly. Not because he feared him—Ramos had never backed down from a fight—but because Pepe was known for his volatile temperament. If pushed too hard, Pepe might lose control and earn a red card, which could be disastrous for Real Madrid.

Manchester City's goal was partly Pepe's fault, but Modric also couldn't escape blame. Had he not underestimated Lin Quan's defensive ability and lost the ball in such a dangerous area, Manchester City wouldn't have had this chance.

When play resumed, Modric, having learned his lesson, no longer underestimated Lin Quan. He realized that Lin's awareness and experience far exceeded his youthful appearance. Modric had misjudged him badly.

With Modric now taking Lin more seriously, it became harder for Lin to disrupt him. Lin's defensive skills weren't the strongest, and fully containing someone like Modric was difficult. But Lin wasn't alone—his teammates supported him, limiting Modric's impact on the game.

With Modric somewhat neutralized, Real Madrid struggled to maintain cohesion in midfield. Isco, who was more focused on attacking than defending, began to show weaknesses, becoming a target for Manchester City.

As the first half neared its end, Manchester City, energized by Lin's goal, launched wave after wave of attacks, putting immense pressure on Real Madrid.

Fortunately for Madrid, there wasn't much time left in the half. Soon, the referee blew the whistle for halftime, much to the relief of Isco and his teammates.

Had the half gone on much longer, they feared they might have conceded again.

(End of Chapter)

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