Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 688 - 480: A String of Three! Candied Hawthorn Through the Legs Humiliation! Tang Long Actually Runs from the Billboard Area to the Penalty Area!

The second half of the game continues.

Chinese viewers watching the live broadcast all have a vague sense of anticipation.

Having delivered a spectacular performance in the first half, what surprise will Tang Long present in the second half?

Meanwhile, in CCTV's Channel 5 studio.

Li Kai, the director, and a group of staff are all holding their breath.

They are closely watching the viewership ratings, with every tiny fluctuation affecting everyone's heartstrings.

"Comrade Tang, show us a few more extraordinary moves, try to boost the ratings even higher!" Li Kai said tremblingly.

Looking at the ratings that have already broken past six, Director Li Kai feels his heart pounding, finding himself much more anxious than the players on the field!

Of course, the players on the field are not nervous, especially those from Manchester City.

Perhaps during the halftime break, Guardiola instructed the players to conserve their energy and avoid injuries, leading Manchester City's players to deliberately slow down the pace in the second half.

At times, the game is played quite uneventfully.

The scene is nothing more than Manchester City controlling the ball in the midfield and defense, passing it around to kill time.

The visiting Celtic team, on the other hand, seems to have already raised the white flag, ceasing their attacks and refraining from putting pressure on Manchester City's players. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

They hold the mindset: "As long as you don't actively attack me, I won't try to snatch the ball from you; if it ends 0-2, we can accept that."

This kind of game appears rather dull.

Many viewers start to complain in the live broadcast room:

- "Again with the endless back-passing, can't they pass forward?"

- "Tang Long hasn't really gotten the ball these past ten minutes, why doesn't he just drop back?"

- "With Tang Long not actively taking the ball, this game isn't exciting."

- "It's not that Tang Long doesn't take the ball, it's that his teammates don't pass to the threat point he's at. They're allowing Tang Long to take a stroll!"

- "This style reminds me of the Barça during the Dream Team period, some matches were just pass after pass without scoring; it's quite boring."

- "It feels like Tang Long's outside the box scissor-kick from the first half has already exhausted all his passion!"

- "Try to score another goal, staying up this late is tiring..."

As the situation on the field offers little excitement, CCTV Channel 5's ratings fluctuate slightly.

Unlike matches broadcast during prime time, these late-night games see viewer engagement vary significantly.

If no thrilling scenes occur, many might turn off the TV and go to sleep.

"Not good, the ratings have dropped below 6 again!"

"5.32!"

"5.01!"

"4.8!"

"Director, the ratings are still dropping, what are we going to do?"

Originally thought breaking past 6.0 was just the beginning, but now, is this the climax?

In the Channel 5 studio, Li Kai signals everyone to keep calm while watching He Wei in the commentary booth still working hard.

Actually, Tang Long isn't purposely not dropping back to take the ball, but rather he's waiting for an opportunity.

Guardiola had arranged tactically during the halftime that Tang Long would be substituted around the 65th minute.

During the first ten minutes of the second half, Manchester City weren't in a hurry to attack.

Thanks to strong ball control in the midfield and backline, and the opponent not actively pressing forward, Tang Long, playing as left forward, spends much time walking.

He occasionally integrates into the play for a few passes, after which he doesn't move forward but instead leisurely strolls around.

Celtic's players, noticing Tang Long's attacking desire significantly decline, are therefore a bit less vigilant.

The right-back Tierney, who should be marking closely, hasn't kept such tight coverage on him.

But this plays right into Tang Long's plan.

He is like a leopard lurking in the jungle.

Deliberately reducing his movement and running, even lowering the frequency of his breathing, only to make the group of "antelopes" in front of him, who are "drinking water and grazing," lose their natural alertness.

2:0 isn't secure enough; he has already prepared to extend the score to 3:0 through observation and judgment.

When the match reaches the 63rd minute,

Tang Long receives a pass from Gundogan on the left.

The only Celtic defenders approaching are the right-back Tierney; the defensive midfielder and center-back have not stepped up to provide support.

Because this scene has happened multiple times, after Tang Long takes the ball on the left side, instead of breaking through, he passes it back to his winger Kolarov or midfielders Gundogan or Ranocchia and continues the passing play.

Celtic's side relaxed their vigilance because he didn't seem eager to score.

But this time was different; Tang Long quickly glances over the distance between Tierney, the defensive midfielder, and the center-back, then suddenly accelerates forward!

This sudden start catches Tierney off guard; his legs tangled, he immediately falls to the ground!

Celtic players let out a shocked cry, then realize: the unexpected visitor hasn't left, he's back!

"Quick, assist Tierney in defense!"

Center-back Kolo Toure waves his big hand, commanding midfielder Beaton to rush up.

Kolo Toure is the brother of former Manchester City player Yaya Toure.

As early as last season, when he was still with Liverpool, he had dealt with Tang Long's prowess multiple times, suffering quite a few setbacks.

This season, due to aging, he was sold by Liverpool to the Scottish league.

I thought I'd left behind the fiercely competitive Premier League and could retire peacefully in the North;

Yet, surprisingly, Celtic ended up in the same group as Manchester City, and Kolo Toure met his old rival Tang Long again!

The right-back Tierney was breached, but Kolo Toure was still uneasy watching Beaton charge forward to intercept.

He knew that relying solely on Beaton's personal ability wouldn't stop Tang Long at all; Tang Long could get past him as easily as over a child, so he hurriedly rushed forward too, and they doubled up on Tang Long.

Originally knocked down, Tierney also quickly got up and closed in on Tang Long.

Tang Long was caught in the midst of three players!

In the box, Agüero spread his hands helplessly.

He had intended to seize the moment but seeing Tang Long encircled, he knew this attack was hopeless.

Another forward, Bonazzoli, also slightly retreated.

He thought to himself, even facing a three-man encirclement, Tang Long wouldn't lose the ball.

But he judged that Tang Long would protect the ball and then pass it back to Kolarov, who was waiting.

Bonazzoli chose to retreat appropriately to avoid falling into an offside trap when Kolarov crossed later.

But it was midfield Ranocchia, who knew Tang Long best on the field, that didn't retreat and unexpectedly pushed forward instead!

"Opportunity awaits!"

Ranocchia thought, his feet sprang into action, and he rushed toward the edge of the penalty arc.

On Celtic's side, right-back Tierney, midfielder Beaton, and center-back Kolo Toure surrounded Tang Long, forcing him near the corner area.

The broadcast camera focused on the zone!

Among the three, Beaton was the furthest forward, about two meters away from Tang Long;

Tierney was slightly to the left;

Kolo Toure was at the back.

The three formed an inverted triangle.

Their defensive positioning was sound, blocking Tang Long's avenues for breakthrough from all angles.

Especially Kolo Toure, who'd spent half his life in the Premier League, calmly holding back, standing behind Tierney and Beaton.

His standing goal was to prevent Tang Long from breaking past Tierney and Beaton straight into the box, providing a last defensive line to shield the goalkeeper.

Yet, none of the three defenders dared to tackle!

They knew whoever took the initiative and missed would take the blame, becoming the scapegoat~

So even amidst a triple encirclement, neither did anyone venture a move.

This is extremely rare in professional football!

Tang Long noticed the trio didn't engage actively, while the positioning was impenetrable, so he didn't force a breakthrough, instead slowly rolling the ball with the inside right foot, hopping little steps with the left, continually pondering his next move.

Getting past the closest Beaton would be no issue.

But afterward, whether it's Tierney or Kolo Toure, in such restricted space, there'll be one or both applying foul tactics.

"I'm at the corner area, even winning a set piece wouldn't help much, must force through!"

Tang Long gazed at the lush green pitch of the Etihad Stadium, a golden line subtly appeared in his view.

A zigzag running through the legs of the three defenders successively.

Tang Long made up his mind!

He swung his right foot to the right, coordinating a highly deceptive feint, misleading Beaton, closest to him, into thinking he'd cut inside, instinctively extending his left foot in haste.

Watching Beaton widen his stance, Tang Long had been waiting for this moment.

Tang Long nudged the ball against Beaton's supporting foot's left interior, executing a nutmeg, ignoring Tierney and Toure, darted past to the field's baseline, sprinting toward the goal, disappearing from the broadcast camera close-up…

The audience in front of the TV was bewildered!

Where did Tang Long go?

Why did he abandon the ball, and where is he?

This was Tang Long's nutmeg technique!

Typically, players use nutmeg hoping the ball smoothly rolls past the defender's legs unimpeded.

But Tang Long intentionally aimed at Beaton's inside, left ankle!

The precisely calculated path, like billiards collision, hit Beaton's inside ankle, rebounding in a reversing zigzag, striking the next defender Tierney's right ankle inside.

Zigzag nutmeg past two!

The rebounding ball rolled towards Kolo Toure.

This time, no deflection, directly passed through Kolo Toure's legs smoothly!

Ultimately past the third, with just one touch!

All completed within one or two moments.

Due to Celtic's defenders being positioned too closely, Tang Long's initial nutmeg hit extremely discreetly, so when the ball thrust through all three players' legs, none reacted.

They kept looking around, uncertain of the ball's whereabouts~

While the trio behind contemplated bewilderedly, Tang Long had looped around from behind the advertising boards off the pitch boundary, re-entering play, and as he sprinted into the box edge, the close-up view returned to aerial perspective, showing Tang Long penetrating the box!

"Tang Long!"

"He's back in the broadcast view!"

"He disappeared, but now he's reappeared!"

"It's as though he possesses burrowing skills, haha!"