Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 839 - 587: Juventus’ Defensive "Four Heavenly Kings" Reduced to Background, Tang Long Steps Up to the Spot Again! (Part 2)

He knew very well that in such a situation, a long pass was extremely risky and could easily be intercepted by the opponent.

After weighing it over and over, he only had one safe option left, which was to pass back to Chiellini.

Time was pressing, leaving him no room for hesitation, so he decisively passed the ball back to Chiellini on the left flank.

"Don't pass to me!"

Chiellini didn't even have time to shout before the ball flew toward him.

However, his call for help was still a step too late.

Bonucci was receiving the ball with his back turned, completely unable to see what was happening behind him, nor did he realize that on his side, Manchester City's right-back Navas had long been lurking like a leopard, marking Chiellini closely!

The Juventus players all turned to look at Chiellini in unison, and when they saw the scene before them, they couldn't help but exclaim in unison, "Oh no!"

Chiellini, tall and strong, had a natural advantage in defending high balls and direct interceptions.

But as he aged, his steps gradually became slower, and what he feared most was facing those nimble players who were small, lightning-fast, and agile.

And Navas was exactly that type of player, incredibly fast and technically skilled, ghosting around the field like an apparition.

Clap!

In a 50-50 ball contest with Chiellini, Navas tapped his foot lightly, like a dragonfly skimming the water, moving seamlessly with the ball past Chiellini like a slippery loach.

"A player ball split!"

"An exceptionally brilliant player ball split!"

"Navas has gotten past Chiellini, and he's making a big push into the penalty area!"

The live Manchester City fans erupted upon seeing this, their cheers and shouts intertwining like roaring waves.

"A golden opportunity, he's in one-on-one!" The commentator continued excitedly, "Navas, what will he choose to do? Will he take the shot?"

At this moment, everyone held their breath, their focus tightly on Navas.

"Don't hesitate, Navas!"

After seizing this valuable interception, even though he was one-on-one with Buffon, in this decisive moment, a sliver of hesitation emerged in his heart.

This Spanish winger had always been known for his passing ability on the team, his accuracy and creativity often creating excellent scoring opportunities for his teammates.

However, shooting had always been his Achilles' heel, and his goal conversion rate in front of the net was not high, even lower than Sterling, who was not known for his finishing.

At this moment, he was facing none other than the world-class goalkeeper Buffon.

Buffon's name was legendary in the football world, his tall figure standing like a tower before the goal, putting immense psychological pressure on the smaller Navas.

The towering Buffon spread his arms, charging aggressively from within the six-yard box.

Navas felt his palms sweating, and his once steady steps involuntarily wavered.

In his moment of hesitation, Navas suddenly sensed a powerful energy rapidly approaching him from behind.

His instincts told him it had to be Tang Long supporting him!

Although Navas couldn't spot Tang Long with his peripheral vision, he almost instinctively, quickly pushed the ball toward the middle.

As soon as the ball was passed, all the Manchester City players on the sidelines seemed to have been turned on, instantly standing up and rushing to the pitch side in excitement.

Tang Long was seen dashing forward with the speed of the wind, his feet seemingly on fire.

Behind him, Marchisio, Barzagli, and Chiellini—all Juventus defenders—pursued him like a train, closely chasing behind.

Especially Marchisio, who was relatively quick, kept reaching to pull Tang Long's arm, trying to stop his advance.

However, Tang Long was like a powerful tank, completely unfazed.

He waved his hand—Marchisio, caught off guard, instantly fell flat on his face.

This scene led to cheers and applause from the Manchester City players on the sidelines!

Boom!

Tang Long met the ball with a full-footed strike.

The ball, like a cannonball, roared through Buffon's palms as he dived, shooting straight into the center of the goal.

1:0!

Manchester City took the lead just 15 minutes into the game! 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

This goal by Tang Long was incredibly inspiring.

He could have opted for a safer side-foot shot, yet chose the powerful full-footed blast instead.

Moreover, he purposely didn't strike the ball with excessive precision, instead cleverly targeting just within the range Buffon could reach in his desperate dive, intending to demonstrate his strength and confidence before the legendary goalkeeper.

Buffon slammed his fist heavily on the turf, frustrated. As he got up, he stomped the ground hard with his right foot, muttering to himself:

"Oh, just a bit more, and I would have touched it!"

This goal instantly sparked conflict among the Juventus defenders.

Chiellini's face reddened with anger as he stormed over to Bonucci, loudly accusing:

"I was already tightly marked by the opponent; why did you still pass it to me? What were you thinking?"

Bonucci stood there, bewildered, his mouth opening as if to speak, yet not knowing how to respond.