The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills

Chapter 412 - 89: Faster Than Messi! Who Needs to Dive? Frenzied Atletico Madrid! Klopp: Wang Shuo, I Love You to Death

They had all seen Wang Shuo’s stats, and they were truly terrifying!

Looking across the other leagues, there was simply no one who could compare to him.

Except for Messi and Ronaldo in La Liga!

"What do we do now?" Escriva asked.

"We focus on defending for now!" Flores said, his expression grave.

Although he had mentally prepared himself as much as possible, now that the match was actually underway, he realized Wang Shuo was simply a beast!

His attacking power was in no way inferior to Messi’s or Ronaldo’s.

If this continued, it was only a matter of time before Atletico Madrid conceded another goal!

At this thought, Flores walked to the sideline and shouted to his players, signaling for them to fall back and stabilize the defense.

"As long as we can get an away goal, we have nothing to fear!" Flores said with great confidence.

...

As Atletico Madrid fell back defensively, the game gradually fell into a stalemate.

Dortmund began to dominate possession on the field.

But Atletico Madrid’s defense became even more solid.

The first half ended with a score of 2-0.

During the halftime break, Klopp specifically addressed the defense against Aguero.

In Atletico Madrid’s two-striker formation, Fran always played furthest up front, while Aguero acted like a free-roaming player, running all over the pitch.

Moreover, his individual skill was incredible, and he posed a huge threat whenever he got the ball.

After the second half began, Dortmund still managed to maintain their advantage in the game.

But they still found it difficult to break through Atletico Madrid’s defense.

The Sheet Army, just as in the first half, adopted a defensive counter-attack strategy.

However, their offense up front relied more on the individual abilities of the players to create chances.

In the 59th minute, Atletico Madrid made the first substitution of the match.

Jurado came on for Ximang.

This substitution immediately put Klopp on alert.

Klopp walked to the sideline to shout at Owomoyela, warning him to be careful.

Sure enough, from the 60th minute onward, Atletico Madrid began to press down Dortmund’s right flank.

Although Ximang was a famous winger, he was now 30 years old. His speed and explosiveness were long past their peak, and his ability to beat defenders had also declined significantly.

Jurado, on the other hand, was only 23, young and full of energy.

Most importantly, his Dribbling was exceptionally strong, and his Passing ability was also outstanding.

It was precisely the substitute Jurado who, in the 74th minute, made a run with the ball down the left wing.

Although he was tackled by the combined efforts of Owomoyela and a tracking-back Kuba, he still managed to kick the ball to Aguero as he was falling.

With his back to the goal, Aguero was under pressure from both Sven Bender and Kuba. He stopped short and turned, using the agility of his smaller frame to force his way through the two defenders with the ball.

After breaking through, Aguero faced Subotic on the left side of the penalty area. He feigned a stop, then suddenly knocked the ball toward the byline, quickly chased it down, and sent a low cross in front of the goal with his left foot.

Fran was clearly prepared for it. He made a perfectly timed run and, from the edge of the six-yard box, guided the ball with his left foot into the goal past Weidenfeller.

2-1!

This goal instantly ignited the fighting spirit of the Atletico Madrid players.

The Sheet Army began to intensify their pressing in midfield.

Then, in the 81st minute, near the bottom of the center circle in his own half, Shahin received a pass from the substitute Grosskreutz. He didn’t move the ball on immediately and was instantly swarmed by Paulo Assunção.

The Brazilian midfielder was all over him, practically using his hands and feet.

Like a rampaging bull, he latched onto Shahin and wrestled for the ball, forcefully stripping it from his feet.

After winning the ball, Assunção immediately sent a through pass to Aguero, who was positioned between the two center-backs.

The Argentine striker received the ball, turned, and suddenly accelerated, shaking off both of Dortmund’s center-backs. He burst into the penalty area and calmly slotted the ball into the net.

2-2!

An ecstatic Aguero ran off the pitch, celebrating wildly.

After equalizing, Atletico Madrid’s morale soared. They started to press Dortmund, and the match once again picked up its frantic pace.

First, in the 82nd minute, a long shot from Reyes went just wide.

Then, Fran had a one-on-one opportunity that was called back for offside.

In the 84th minute, it was Aguero again with a breakthrough run, delivering a brilliant pass. Fran’s subsequent long shot sent a cold sweat down everyone’s spine.

But what best demonstrated Flores’s boldness was his final substitution in the 85th minute.

The young Argentine, Savio, came on for center-back Pereira.

It was a move that could only be described as insane!

But at the same time, it revealed Flores’s strategy for this match.

He was determined to snatch away goals!

And he had successfully snatched two of them.

"The situation is now very unfavorable for Dortmund."

"Klopp’s team has shown a clear drop in stamina after the 70th minute, and they’ve lost some control of the tempo."

"Atletico Madrid, on the other hand..."

"They clearly came prepared, saving their energy for a final push in the last 20 minutes."

"This has dealt a heavy blow to Dortmund."

"Not only are they physically inferior to Atletico Madrid, but their morale is also lower than the Sheet Army’s."

"Whether in terms of the starting lineup or the depth of the bench, Dortmund is behind Atletico Madrid."

"Klopp probably feels like his hands are tied right now."

"Conceding two away goals in the first leg at home... if this ends in a draw, Dortmund’s chances will be slim when they travel to Madrid for the second leg."

"We can see the Dortmund fans in the stadium are still singing their team anthem, ’You’ll Never Walk Alone,’ to encourage the team."