Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 731 - 520: Coming off the bench in one minute, Tang Long smashes Barça’s defense with a Fierce Tiger Shot!

Guardiola looked at his watch and shook his head at Tang Long.

"It's still early, only 81 minutes. How about this, at 85 minutes, I'll let you on the field to warm up a bit."

Tang Long nodded upon hearing this and returned to the bench to sit down.

Before the game, Guardiola had planned to let Tang Long make his comeback in this Champions League group match against Barça, giving him a few minutes to stretch his muscles.

After all, the next match is the derby against Manchester United, and Tang Long needs some formal warm-up matches.

Guardiola's plan is to let Tang Long start in the derby against Manchester United.

Although they are now leading their city rivals on the standings, to clinch the Christmas championship and completely crush Manchester United's hopes of winning the title, the next heavyweight match is crucial!

As for the win or loss of this match against Barcelona?

Guardiola doesn't care at all; after all, they've already secured first place in the group, so whatever.

Moreover, the 0:2 score looks alright, especially since his old club Barça has actively slowed down the pace and is controlling the ball at the back, showing no intention to go on a rampage.

Why not take a step back each?

Time ticks by second by second.

Although Guardiola doesn't care, Manchester City fans at the home ground are not happy.

Even though they've already secured first place in the group, the Etihad Stadium is still packed for this match.

Many fans came here just to see Messi.

When Messi came on, fans near the players' tunnel raised their phones, with camera flashes going off.

"Look, it's Messi!"

"Wow, it's really Messi!"

"Finally, I get to see the real Messi live!"

The fans exclaimed in shock, thrilled to finally witness the charm of this Argentinian king in person. This opportunity is truly rare.

However, more of the Manchester City home fans came to see the showdown between Tang Long and Messi.

Messi is indeed strong, but Manchester City's Tang Long is not inferior. The Blue Moon fans are eager to see the contest between these two stars.

To their surprise, Manchester City played without any fighting spirit in this match, trailing 0:2 so far, with only a few shots, completely controlled by Barça's rhythm.

Messi is playing with ease over there, while Tang Long is still sitting on the bench!

"Tang! Let Tang on the field!"

"It's already 0:2, what is Guardiola waiting for?"

"What the heck? Didn't Tang get up? Why is he sitting back down? Get up, Tang!"

"Get on the field, Tang, beat Barça, beat Messi!"

"No one can take three points at the Etihad!"

"Tang, show Barça our strength!"

Finally, amid the ruckus, in the 85th minute, Tang Long took to the field, replacing starting forward Agüero.

But according to Guardiola's arrangement, Tang Long wasn't positioned on the front line but instead retreated appropriately, letting Sterling move to the front line.

Even Agüero found it difficult to break Barça's defense, let alone a little Sterling?

Guardiola arranged this without intending to recover a goal, so he didn't let Tang Long go to the front line but had him in midfield in the attacking midfielder position.

The purpose was for him to move around more, particularly to get more touches on the ball, to regain his feel for the game.

Guardiola turned to assistant coach Chiwo and said, "Christian, make the most of the time; tonight I want to watch the video analysis of Manchester United's recent matches." The Spaniard's thoughts had already flown to the Manchester Derby.

On Barça's side, seeing Tang Long on the field, they didn't care much either.

Especially seeing that Tang Long didn't go to the front line but was in the midfield, everyone thought Tang Long was just there for a stroll.

When Tang Long ran to Busquets' side, Busquets even proactively spoke to him, making a joke.

"Hey! Coming on at this time, do you need to score a hat-trick in the last moments?"

Tang Long calmly waved his hand and said, "No, just running around, playing casually."

But Pique, who suffered a lot and was teased during the first group stage clash with Tang Long, was actually a bit worried and loudly called out to his teammates:

"Attention, Tang is on! Everyone needs to be alert, play seriously!"

Suarez was unconcerned. He received the ball with his back, passed it to Busquets, then turned to Neymar beside him and said:

"Look at Pique acting all scared. Come on, it's already 86 minutes, and he's charging forward alone. Does he really think he can overturn everything?"

Neymar agreed, nodding with a smile that revealed eight teeth.

"Pique's older now, that's just his way. Don't mind him. With the situation as it is now, as long as we play seriously, winning 3-0 shouldn't be a problem. There's no chance for Manchester City to score..."

He hadn't finished speaking when suddenly came the cry of "Ah!"

Neymar and Suarez simultaneously turned to see Busquets stumble and fall to the ground. Tang Long had used his body to knock him aside and intercept the ball.

While Barça's players were still stunned, Tang Long nudged the ball forward with the sole of his foot, pulling away at a distance of about a meter, then stretched his left foot forward!

As his supporting leg hit the ground, it was like a heavy hammer pounding hard on it. Using this immense force, he lunged forward!

His left arm lifted high like the claw of a tiger, while the arc of his raised right foot was even more exaggerated, the toe almost pointed towards the night sky—

With a strike, the body surged forward with the ball!

The football roared out from the crowd, the sound resembling the wind but even more like a tiger's roar!

"Boom—"

Barça's goalkeeper Ter Stegen felt a massive shockwave rush towards his face, suddenly startled, squinting his eyes, his soles clamped tightly to the ground, ready to dive at any moment.

However, Tang Long struck with all his might, full of determination and momentum;

In his bewilderment, Ter Stegen couldn't discern the ball's position. Suddenly, he heard a "whoosh" sound, a gust of wind at his back, a chill at his neck; it was the wind lifted by the ball's fierce collision with the net behind him!

Bang, bang, bang...

The ball slowly dropped from the net, rolling at Ter Stegen's feet.

At this moment, the frozen Barça goalkeeper could clearly see the ball, having previously only heard the loud bang within his vision.

Roar!!!!

An explosive round of applause rocked the night sky of Etihad Stadium!

This was Manchester City's fans standing to cheer for the team's first goal, chants of "Tang! Tang!" rising in waves, deafening.

"It's in, it's in, it really went in!"

"How did it go in? I didn't catch it clearly!"

"No idea, but it went in somehow, it was Tang who scored!"

"Hahaha, I knew it, I knew once Tang got on he could score!"

"Alright, we've pulled one back, I'm satisfied!"

"Yeah, overturning isn't possible, but at least we finally scored, haha, the tickets were worth it!"

Barça's players stood rooted at their spots in a daze.

They never imagined that Tang Long, having just come on the field for a minute, would fire a stunning long-range shot.

The estimated distance for this shot was at least thirty-six or thirty-seven meters. How did he dare to strike directly from this position?

The most astonished was Barça's midfielder Busquets.

As a key player from the Dream Team era, the significance of Busquets in Barça's midfield was no less than that of his teammates Iniesta and Harvey.

Many professionals call Busquets the "Blind Spot Filter," even deeming him the most crucial, indispensable link in Barça's midfield.

His ball protection, distribution, and grasp of the situation are top-notch;

Seeing everything, hearing everything, when the ball is at his feet, it won't be lost, he's absolutely the safest presence there is.

But even in his wildest dreams, Busquets never thought that his skilled back-body ball protection would somehow lead to Tang Long suddenly charging from the side, hooking the ball, bumping his shoulder, not only knocking him down but also seizing the ball.

If it were any other time, with Busquets' level of ball protection, it would be tough for Tang Long to snatch it from him.

Still, with a two-goal lead and nearing the end, Busquets indeed got careless, coupled with Tang Long somehow moving so lightly that even Busquets, usually so alert, didn't notice when Tang Long circled to his back.

Thus, Busquets lay on the ground, gazing upward as Tang Long took the shot, witnessing the ball fly into the goal.

He quickly got up, angrily saying to Tang Long, "Didn't you say you'd just casually kick?"

Tang Long spread his hands, innocently replying to Busquets, "I did just casually kick. Who knew it would score?"

Busquets: "..."