Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 810 - 576: Buffon, Don’t Run! We Meet Again on the Champions League Stage! (2)

Chapter 810: Chapter 576: Buffon, Don’t Run! We Meet Again on the Champions League Stage! (2)

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Italy, Turin.

Juventus training ground.

The Juventus Corps players all wore solemn expressions; the usual laughter and banter during training were completely absent.

This season, Juventus remains the undisputed superpower in the Serie A.

Currently, they are a full 10 points ahead of Napoli, who are in second place. If everything goes as expected, they will clinch the League Champion title for the 2016 - 2017 season in a few more rounds.

As for old rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan?

Unfortunately, they’ve long been left far behind by Juventus.

The Milan duo has become the Milan bears~

Bear One and Bear Two are ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, with Rome and Lazio ahead of them in the Champions League zone.

It is precisely because of this that Juventus players play with ease and composure in the Serie A.

In fact, many Serie A teams adopt a "Tian Ji’s Horse Racing" strategy when facing Juventus.

They know that they are not as powerful as Juventus, and even if they fight with all their might, they are unlikely to win, so teams in the mid to lower ranks usually field a substitute lineup when facing Juventus.

Meanwhile, Juventus often goes along with it, ending matches with a score of 1:0 or 2:0, both sides tacitly agreeing.

Thus, Juventus rarely encounters much powerful resistance in the Serie A arena.

However, when the draw ceremony for the semifinals concluded, a huge weight fell from every Juventus player’s heart, and they all felt dizzy, utterly stunned by the news.

Especially the old captain Buffon!

This season, the 39-year-old Italian veteran goalkeeper Buffon still firmly holds the position as Juventus’s main goalkeeper;

He even keeps the 27-year-old ready-to-play Neto pressed tight on the bench.

There’s a saying that being the second goalkeeper at Juventus and the Italy national team is the most painful because you can never see the day of glory.

Above you, there’s always someone like Mount Tai suppressing each generation of Italian goalkeepers, from Toldo, to Sirigu, to Neto, none can escape this fate.

That person is Buffon!

Despite nearly reaching forty, Buffon’s physical condition is incredibly excellent, still agile and swift, his gaze sharp like an eagle’s.

His 20-year-long professional career has endowed him with exceedingly rich experience on the competition field.

Often, all he needs to do is stretch out his arms, widen his eyes, and stand firm in the goalkeeper’s position. Even when facing single-handed shots, the opponent’s attacking player might be so intimidated by his presence that they execute clumsy shots, allowing Buffon to make a save effortlessly.

Buffon possesses a unique deterrence in the Serie A arena.

But Buffon’s career has its regrets, such as nearing retirement yet still having not lifted a Champions League trophy!

With this draw, Buffon’s heart was in turmoil, restless and uneasy.

He believed the best draw would be Dortmund, then Real Madrid would be acceptable too, but what he most hoped to avoid was drawing Manchester City!

"Haha, my old buddy, you’re going to face Tang Long again, are you happy?"

As Buffon sat at home, anxiously watching the draw ceremony end, feeling utterly despondent and in despair.

Suddenly, his phone received a message from Ronaldo.

Looking at the message made him extremely angry, desperately wanting to snap back.

But thinking things over, his fingers hovered over the screen for a long time, unable to type a single word. Ultimately, he could only chuckle bitterly and say:

"Damn it, why do I have to face him again? That damned Chinese!"

All kinds of unpleasant memories began to flash quickly in Buffon’s mind like a movie.

Tang Long had faced Juventus several times in Serie A and Champions League group matches, whether with Inter Milan or Manchester City.

He left a tremendous psychological shadow on Buffon!

Among them, his repeated penalties with a spoon kick and a bizarre support-foot shooting technique completely humiliated Buffon like he was a three-year-old child, making the Italian goalkeeper lose face and not able to lift his head in front of his family and teammates.

Buffon, throughout his career, played over a thousand matches and experienced countless challenges.

But no player has ever pierced his proud heart so deeply like Tang Long.

At the Juventus training ground, the blazing sunlight of the Apennine Peninsula in April poured down unrestrainedly, scorching the entire field.

"Is he crazy today? Why has he been practicing penalty kicks all this time?"

One member of the Juventus coaching staff, raising a hand to shield the glaring sunlight, frowned, looked puzzledly towards the center of the field, and couldn’t help but whisper to a colleague beside him.

"Yeah, it’s been an hour already, and he hasn’t taken a sip of water; isn’t he tired?"

Another coach, wiping the sweat off his forehead, shook his head in amazement, filled with surprise.

"Haha, Higuain’s legs are going to cramp." Higuain’s steps were uneven, showing signs of fatigue.

"Poor Higuain, look at him trying to leave, but Buffon keeps holding his hand, not letting him go!"

Everyone’s gaze focused over, seeing Higuain looking helpless, trying to break free from Buffon’s grasp, while Buffon firmly held onto Higuain’s arm, his eyes showing resolute determination.

At this moment, Buffon seemed trapped in a battle all by himself.

Standing in front of the goal, his jersey was already soaked with sweat, and his hair clung to his forehead due to perspiration, yet he was oblivious to it all.

At his strong insistence, Higuain, Dybala, and Mandzukic, the frontline players, were forced to take turns taking penalty shots at the goal in this scorching training ground.