Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 32: A Hat Trick as Soon as He Returned—Whose Face Did He Slap?

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A Hat Trick as Soon as He Returned—Whose Face Did He Slap?

"Ahhhh——"

The Meazza Stadium erupted in intense cheers!

This was the celebration for Guarin, who returned to the starting lineup after two games, scoring right at the start!

Playing at home against Chievo, Guarin came out extremely fierce from the start.

Just 5 minutes in, receiving a pass from teammate Medel in the center, Guarin used his strong shoulders to shield the ball.

As he leaned on his opponent, his feet were simultaneously on the move.

In the last three steps, he was practically dragging a Chievo defender along!

Despite this, Guarin took a few pounding steps, using sheer force to shove Kiesling aside, creating a gap, and swung a powerful shot with his instep into the net!

After scoring, Guarin pushed away all the teammates who came to celebrate with him, running alone to the north stand, pounding the Inter badge on his chest repeatedly for the fans!

"I’m right here!"

With tears in his eyes, he pointed at the grass beneath his feet.

This powerful goal also made Tang Long, on the bench, secretly applaud.

Whether it was protecting the ball, turning past the opponent, or shooting after pushing off.

The entire sequence of moves was seamless, with a clean and efficient display of unabashed confidence.

"I’ve known Kiesling for five years; when has he ever looked so embarrassed? Haha, just his bad luck getting crushed by Guarin," Berni said to Tang Long from the bench.

"That forced turn while shielding the ball, even our best striker Icardi couldn’t do that in the box. I think Guarin could play as a target striker," Tang Long mused, clearly impressed by Guarin’s physique.

"Striker? Impossible," Berni lightly flipped a towel. "With Guarin’s personality, he prefers playing aggressive football in the midfield, where he has more freedom. He thrives on that sense of controlling the game."

Indeed, Tang Long noticed this issue.

When Guarin was on the field, he was the player who touched the ball the most for Inter.

Whether it was transitioning from the defensive midfield or linking up play between the midfield and the forwards, it all went through Guarin.

The previous game against Rome, Hernanes served as the midfield core, but tonight he was Guarin’s backup, providing protection and support;

Medel, on the other hand, played a purely enforcer role, tackling and doing the dirty work.

Guarin focused solely on attacking, single-handedly turning Chievo’s defense upside down!

Tang Long noticed Icardi’s reaction.

It was during a counterattack in the 35th minute of the first half.

With a high ball in a fifty-fifty situation, Guarin, leveraging his strong physical prowess, overpowered his opponent and surged forward with big strides!

Inter was still playing a 4-3-1-2, with Palacio and Icardi ahead of Guarin.

Palacio drew to the wing, pulling away a center-back, creating space for Guarin’s advance.

But Icardi didn’t follow Palacio’s example.

He drifted from the wing to the middle, then timed his run to dart behind the center-back!

A vast open space like a prairie lay ahead!

"Pass it quickly!!!"

But the Argentine striker was already three meters past the offside line, and Guarin’s pass never came.

Icardi helplessly spread his hands toward Guarin, who ignored him and continued charging forward.

Bam!

Suddenly, Guarin lifted his head, sending the ball ten meters right with a powerful push, using his speed to eat up Chievo’s following defensive midfielder, and at the top of the box, unleashed another powerful instep shot!

The contact with the ball was solid, and even from dozens of meters away, Tang Long heard a crisp cracking sound as the ball smashed into the net!

The Meazza Stadium erupted in cheers once again!

Sixty thousand fans chanted Guarin’s name!

"Ah! Ah—"

Guarin tore at his jersey, roaring like a bear in the primal forest!

In his exceptional excitement from the brace, he didn’t mind getting a yellow card, choosing to remove his jersey and toss it into the air!

Off the field, assistant coach Herrera shook his head.

"Guarin really needs to rein in that temper; he got an unnecessary yellow card in the first half!"

"I don’t think it’s a bad thing," Mancini said with a smile. "He has an aggression that other players don’t."

While Inter’s players celebrated around Guarin,

Tang Long noticed Icardi still standing on the far side of the pitch, slowly walking back.

He showed no intention of running over to celebrate.

Just keeping his head down as he walked.

"Icardi seems unhappy, see him," Tang Long whispered to Berni.

"I see, young people. That ball from Guarin could indeed be passed; Icardi had a better position, it could’ve been a one-on-one. Guarin was a bit selfish with his long shot, but who blames him since he scored..." Berni said.

In the second half, Chievo, two goals down, was still looking to struggle a bit.

Their star player, Pellissier, moved around in Inter’s penalty box like an eel, constantly seeking openings.

Chievo’s three lines were pushing up to varying degrees.

For a while, they dominated possession for seventy percent in the first ten minutes!

But Serie A veteran Mancini was clearly confident.

He knew how to bully Chievo!

When you attack, I won’t fall back!

The harder you press, the bigger the gaps at the back become.

Mancini believed that a quick third goal would instantly deflate Chievo’s morale.

Sure enough, Mancini’s tactics proved correct.

In the 75th minute of the second half, Yuto Nagatomo broke through and crossed from the wing, and Guarin headed the ball back into the near post from the far side of the box.

This time, Guarin dared not remove his shirt in celebration.

He merely knelt on the ground, kissed the grass at Meazza, pointed to the sky with both hands, and muttered words to himself.

A few days ago, after being slapped by Guarin, Yuto Nagatomo quickly ran to him and bowed 90 degrees.

"Arigato!"

Even the Sky Sports commentator on site raised his voice by eight octaves.

"After being benched for two games, Guarin performed a hat trick for the home fans upon his return!

"He’s the first Inter player this season to score a hat trick!"

"We don’t know what disputes he had with Mancini before, but after this game, we believe all disputes will dissolve!"

"Because Mancini chose to trust Guarin again, and Guarin lived up to his expectations!"

"Believe this season, Guarin remains an indispensable strongman for Inter’s push for a Champions League spot!"

In the 83rd minute, Mancini made his last substitution adjustment.

Bonazzoli came on, a direct swap for Icardi.

"Tang, you have no chance now, Bonazzoli used the last quota," Berni said.

"Then I can go straight to the winter break," Tang Long stood up, applauding for Bonazzoli, "Go on buddy, try to score a goal!"

The replaced Icardi, after a half-hearted high-five with Mancini, sat next to Tang Long.

He absently drank two sips of water.

"I didn’t play well today, only had one shot the whole match, damn it, what kind of game was that."

"A striker can’t score in every game," Tang Long tried to comfort him, "At least, before Christmas, you’re still top of the Serie A scoring chart."

Icardi shook his head, his voice full of discontent.

"Guarin, it’s like he’s going against me, he just won’t pass to me when there’s a good chance!"

"Sure, he got a hat trick, but so what, he just got lucky today, fluked a few in, but if he plays like this next match, can he ensure no misses?"

"He’s completely prioritizing his own interests over the team! Tang, I’ll tell you the truth," Icardi covered his mouth, his eyes filled with disdain, "I really dislike that Colombian guy!"

Tang Long looked at Icardi’s dejected demeanor and secretly found it amusing!

About team interests, haha, you stop pretending.

Aren’t you just anxious that you didn’t score~

Especially seeing Guarin, as a midfielder, managing to score a hat trick.

Which Icardi hadn’t done this season either!

For someone who prides himself as a top Serie A striker, this was undoubtedly a significant blow.

His current feeling was probably like someone had slapped him, his face burning painfully!

Tang Long said to Icardi:

"Mauro, if I were on the field, I’d definitely feed you passes. Although your Serie A Golden Boot is as good as secured, you deserve to compete for the European Golden Boot; you were born to score!"