Chapter 924 - 22: Want to Compare Bodies with Me?
Allianz Arena, with Bayern Munich fans cheering for the players on the field, while the Real Madrid fans, although slightly smaller in number, were not to be outdone.
Inside the penalty area, Tah successfully made Chen Xuan’s header attempt end in a hasty manner.
The two strong-bodied players exchanged a glance, each regarding the other as a formidable rival.
"This big oaf’s body is really damn tough!" Chen Zhong cursed under his breath. Throughout his career, he’d encountered many strong central defenders, but Tah definitely had a place among them.
Tah was also slightly surprised as he looked into Chen Zhong’s eyes. He initially thought he had overestimated this man from the East, but just now, he held his own in physical confrontation, though he was outmatched in positioning and jumping ability by Chen Zhong.
He could only watch as Chen Zhong completed a header attempt.
It’s worth noting that Tah is most famous for his aerial defense capabilities, yet he couldn’t completely defend against Chen Zhong.
On the sidelines, Kompany was also somewhat surprised. As a former central defender himself, he knew how excellent Tah’s physique and abilities were. He looked at the assistant coach and said, "I can’t believe Chen can’t be suppressed."
"He’s at the peak of his career right now!"
At 30 years old, Tah was at his physical, experiential, and technical peak.
That’s why Kompany wasn’t worried about Chen Zhong’s threat before the match, because outside the penalty area, his Bayern Munich would have a strong guard, and inside the penalty area, there was Tah to handle the aerial defense.
Kompany believed a peak-form Tah could suppress Chen Zhong, but the result was somewhat unexpected for him.
On the other side, Real Madrid’s head coach Alonso had a gleam of expectation in his eyes. Chen Zhong held his own against Tah, and though he hadn’t scored, where there was one chance, there could be two, and where there were two, there could be three.
"It has to be Chen!" Alonso said to the assistant coach. "This tactic is effective."
...
Compared to the astute observations of the two team coaches, most fans saw it in much simpler terms. They only knew Chen Zhong hadn’t scored and disregarded everything else.
Some new fans even complained: "Didn’t this shot go in?"
"He already had such a good position."
In their eyes, a one-on-one must be scored, an open goal must be scored, a header must be scored. If not, the player is simply considered inadequate, and now they felt that Chen Zhong, who had won nine Ballon d’Ors, seemed a bit inadequate.
The match continued, and in this game, whether it was the coach, the fans, or the players, Bayern Munich’s mentality was quite relaxed, given the three-goal lead from the first leg.
In this game, even if they didn’t score, Real Madrid needed four goals to win directly.
"Real Madrid’s attack!"
"13th minute of the match!"
"Bellingham dribbles forward!"
"One can always see the shadow of a young Chen Zhong in this English midfielder."
Bellingham, known for his photographic play, found a good opportunity to exploit a gap. His forward surge was somewhat unexpected, but Bayern Munich’s players remained unfazed.
Indeed, after covering some ground with the ball, Bellingham found himself unable to continue advancing.
After a simple adjustment, Bellingham did not choose to pass but instead took a long-range shot.
The ball whistled towards the goal, but it didn’t test the goalkeeper.
Neuer easily tipped the ball out for a corner kick.
"Bellingham fires a long shot!"
"That shot had plenty of power!"
"But it was too straight."
"It didn’t test the goalkeeper!"
"A corner kick opportunity!"
The fans of both teams in the stands made different remarks, with Real Madrid fans feeling a bit regretful, while Bayern Munich fans were a bit amused.
Some even quipped: "Really, does he think he’s Chen?"
"Does he underestimate our Door God?"
"Wasted such a great opportunity!"
...
On the sidelines, Alonso was loudly calling out the players’ names, and amid his calls, Real Madrid players knew who the corner was aimed at.
That’s right, Chen Zhong.
In the penalty area, Chen Zhong stood out like a lighthouse.
Seeing this, Kompany also shouted loudly from the sidelines, not to have players double-mark Chen Zhong, but to remind them not to forget guarding the other Real Madrid players.
The man who spent his career as a central defender was evidently very experienced and knowledgeable about defense.
Tah marked Chen Zhong closely, sticking tightly to him, and said with a determined look: "Don’t think you can do anything."
Chen Zhong glanced at Tah and retorted: "I’ve met plenty of your kind before. Hope you can actually give me some pressure."
Tah turned his head to glance at Chen Zhong, and it was at this moment that Real Madrid’s corner was taken.
"The corner is taken!"
"What!"
"How is he in that position!"
Tah was only slightly distracted, and Chen Zhong suddenly broke free of Tah’s control. He didn’t run forward.
Instead, he circled around Tah from behind to intercept the ball.
Tah’s hefty build was evidently not as agile as Chen Zhong, but he still followed Chen Zhong’s rhythm. Chen Zhong, facing this situation, forcefully leapt up. Tah was a step behind, but he also jumped.
He couldn’t stop Chen Zhong; he could only do his best to interfere with Chen Zhong, making it less easy for him to complete the shot.