Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 561: Messi's Revenge

For most players, facing a double team like this would mean surrendering. But Lin Quan didn't give up. Seeing Umtiti and Mathieu closing in on him, he nudged the ball slightly with his foot before suddenly accelerating, giving the impression that he was about to burst through the gap between them.

Umtiti and Mathieu quickly closed the space between them, trying to trap him—player might get through, but the ball won't!

However, just as they reacted, Lin Quan swiftly pulled the ball back, changing direction for the second time. He lowered his left shoulder slightly, giving his body a sudden burst of power as he attempted to break past Mathieu on the right.

Mathieu's eyes widened in shock—he hadn't expected Lin Quan to move so quickly.

He's even faster than Messi!

In a rush, Mathieu stretched out his right leg to block Lin Quan's dribble, but Lin Quan adjusted again, shifting the ball for the third time and escaping Mathieu's reach.

As Lin Quan was about to break free, Mathieu, seemingly forgetting he was already on a yellow card, instinctively grabbed Lin Quan's shirt and pulled him to the ground.

The crowd gasped, with many Barça fans covering their mouths in shock, anxiously watching Lin Quan fall inside the penalty box.

Could this be a penalty? Would Mathieu be booked again?

Mathieu had already received a yellow card. If he got another, he'd be sent off!

The referee blew his whistle but didn't award a penalty. Instead, he pulled out a yellow card for Mathieu, followed by a red card, sending him off the pitch.

You have to give credit to a referee capable of officiating Champions League matches—they're good. Mathieu's foul had occurred just outside the box, and if it had been just a step closer, it would've been a penalty. The referee's quick and accurate decision-making was impressive.

Barça fans sighed with relief. At least it wasn't a penalty.

But soon, they began to worry again.

Mathieu, who had received two yellow cards within two minutes, was now off, meaning Barça were down to 10 men—just like Manchester City. Both teams were now one player short, but Barça had lost a central defender, a critical position.

Enrique quickly made a substitution, bringing on a center-back and taking off Iniesta. With a three-goal lead, Barça's goal was now to run down the clock and secure the win.

On the pitch, Barça goalkeeper Ter Stegen was organizing his defense, setting up the wall. Mathieu had committed the foul right on the edge of the box, and for a free-kick specialist, this was a dangerous spot.

Lin Quan didn't even glance at the wall. After taking a quick look at the goalkeeper's position, he calmly struck the ball.

The ball curved beautifully through the air, brushing the near post before flying into the net.

Ter Stegen had no chance. He had done everything he could, but there was no way he could reach that shot unless he had been standing right next to the post.

Lin Quan didn't celebrate. He immediately ran to the goal, picked up the ball, and gestured to his teammates to hurry back to the center circle to restart the game. There wasn't much time left, and they couldn't waste it celebrating.

In the stands, Barça fans watched Lin Quan's determination with mixed emotions. They couldn't help but feel conflicted.

What a player, and he's one of our own from La Masia. Why can't he come back to play for us?

Some fans even began to worry. With only a two-goal lead now, Barça's advantage no longer felt secure.

On the field, Messi stood with his hands on his hips, breathing heavily. He kept a close eye on Lin Quan, who had just returned to the center circle.

Messi had been in superb form throughout the game. Before Lin Quan's goal, Messi had practically dominated the match by himself.

Although Messi had always admired Lin Quan as a talented younger player who resembled him in many ways, after losing to him repeatedly in recent competitions, Messi was now fired up.

He desperately wanted to defeat Lin Quan on the pitch, and this game felt like his best chance!

Now, Lin Quan was leading Manchester City in a desperate comeback. Messi had no intention of letting that happen.

You're strong—I acknowledge your talent. But I won't let you run wild in my home stadium!

With this determination, Messi became even more aggressive. Even the Barça players and coach Enrique noticed that Messi's performance today was different from usual.

The last time Messi played with such intensity was back in the 2014 World Cup semifinal, when Argentina faced Spain.

Who had fired him up like this? Enrique's gaze naturally shifted to City's number 10—only Lin Quan could do that.

Despite both teams being down to 10 men, the quality of play didn't drop—it actually improved. With Lin Quan's goal reigniting City's fighting spirit, the team started to play better. The players ran tirelessly and fought fiercely for every ball.

Barça responded in kind. Under Messi's leadership, they showed the same spirit as one of the world's best teams, battling Manchester City for every inch of the pitch.

The pace of the game picked up rapidly, with both sides going all out. The back-and-forth attacks thrilled the fans in the stadium.

This was the match they had come to see—this was the level of play expected from two top-tier teams.

In the 79th minute, City had a throw-in near the Barça penalty area. Lin Quan positioned himself perfectly, receiving Stones' pass and firing a first-time shot into the far corner.

The score was now 3-2, and City were just one goal away from equalizing!

Lin Quan's goal sent shockwaves through Camp Nou. Almost every Barça fan in the stadium was now terrified.

Only a one-goal lead remained. They couldn't let City score again!

Stop him—someone stop him!

On the sidelines, Enrique's left hand began to tremble uncontrollably. He grabbed his left hand tightly with his right, trying to prevent anyone from noticing his anxiety. But the fear on his face was impossible to hide.

Is there really no way to stop this guy?

Messi glanced over at Lin Quan, but quickly turned his focus back to the game, urging his teammates to rush to the center circle for the restart.

Lin Quan's brilliance had been on full display, but Messi had no intention of letting him steal the spotlight.

When the game resumed, Messi began to attempt more dribbles. Although his energy was depleted by this stage of the match, Messi pushed through, determined to win no matter what.

In the 86th minute, Barça's quick attack was intercepted by City. With no good options, Suárez played a backpass. Typically, Barça would then switch the ball to the wings to exploit the gaps left by City's compact defense.

But this time, Messi didn't follow the usual pattern. Instead, he chose the most reckless option—he charged directly into the crowded penalty area!

For anyone else, this would have been a suicide mission, and they'd be criticized for it afterward. But not Messi. Because he's Messi.

Despite being surrounded by multiple City defenders, Messi's every move was quicker than his opponents, weaving through them like an eel and somehow finding space to shoot.

City's substitute goalkeeper, Joe Hart, barely had time to react before the ball was already in the net.

Once again, poor Joe Hart became a bystander, helplessly watching Messi's magic unfold.

Camp Nou erupted in sheer pandemonium!

Even for Messi, this was a nearly impossible goal to pull off during a match. And to score a goal like this when Barça were under immense pressure and City were mounting a fierce comeback made it even more special.

Messi could barely contain his excitement. He sprinted to the sidelines, pulled off his shirt, and proudly displayed it to the 90,000 Barça fans in attendance, showing his love and loyalty to the club.

The Barça fans' cheers grew even louder, fueled by Messi's celebration.

Watching Messi from afar, Lin Quan let out a sigh.

That goal Messi just scored would undoubtedly be named the best of the round in the Champions League.

Even for Messi, pulling off something like that wasn't a common occurrence. If Messi had to try the same move ten times, he'd probably only succeed once or twice. Yet he had done it in this crucial moment, during this high-pressure match.

Though the game wasn't over yet, Lin Quan knew in his heart that Manchester City had lost. They had no chance now.

That goal had such a huge impact on the morale of both teams. Barça's spirits were soaring, while City's players were visibly deflated. And with so little time left in the game, the City players were bound to grow desperate.

Playing in desperation like that—it's hard to say whether they'd score, but it's almost certain they'd concede again.

Sure enough, after the restart, City pushed too far forward and left themselves exposed. Barça capitalized with a counterattack, and Suárez scored, sealing the game at 5-2.

Since Lin Quan had joined Manchester City in 2013, they had never been beaten this badly in a Champions League match.

After the match, the City players were devastated, their morale at an all-time low. Some collapsed on the pitch, while others stared blankly at the scoreboard, unable to comprehend the heavy defeat.

Over the past few seasons, City had grown accustomed to winning. Many players hadn't experienced the sting of defeat in a long time.

But Lin Quan knew this was only the beginning. With a new round of spending by Premier League clubs, and the rise of teams like Liverpool, Tottenham, and even Manchester United, their upcoming matches would only get tougher.

And this wouldn't just be the case in the league—it would be the same in the Champions League.

After being held to a draw by Celtic last time and losing to Barça today, City were now five points behind Barça in the group standings.

With only three group-stage matches remaining, catching up to Barça wouldn't be easy. Even if they managed to beat Barça at home, it still wouldn't guarantee them finishing first in the group.

And if City failed to finish as group winners, they would likely face another group's top team in the knockout stages, making the round of 16 much tougher than in previous years.

...

After the game, Manchester City didn't stay in Barcelona. They flew back to Manchester that same night.

With morale low after the defeat, training the next day was eerily quiet—hardly anyone spoke.

A medical examination revealed that De Bruyne and David Silva would both be sidelined for 4 and 6 weeks, respectively.

For Manchester City, this was bad, but it could have been worse. Thankfully, neither player had suffered a serious long-term injury.

However, their absence would still have a significant impact. City's options in attack were limited without De Bruyne's key passes, and their offensive firepower would be reduced.

Guardiola tried to compensate by moving Gundogan into a more advanced role, hoping he could fill De Bruyne's shoes.

But it didn't work.

On October 23rd, in the ninth round of the Premier League, Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw at home against Southampton.

This marked City's third consecutive Premier League game without a win. Including their Champions League matches, City's record over the past five games was 3 draws and 2 losses—a dreadful run of form.

Even worse, the squad was plagued by injuries. In addition to David Silva and De Bruyne, this game saw key center-back Vincent Kompany pick up an injury as well.

With three key players out, all of them starters, City were in serious trouble.

The young players Guardiola had promoted weren't performing to his satisfaction.

Sané was fast, but he was a selfish player who didn't work well with the team. Son Heung-min had good finishing ability, but his dribbling and pace weren't particularly impressive.

The one bright spot was youngster Kylian Mbappé. His speed was incredible, and his shooting had improved dramatically since he started practicing with Lin Quan. His progress was clear for all to see.

Of course, Mbappé wasn't without his flaws. His skillset was still limited, relying heavily on one or two moves. His inside-cut shot needed work, and his crossing also needed improvement.

Fortunately, City had stockpiled plenty of wingers over the past few seasons, so the problems on the flanks weren't too concerning.

The biggest issue was the attacking midfield position—no one could replace De Bruyne.

In this game, Gundogan made several mistakes, and Southampton's goal came from one of his errors.

Guardiola was deeply frustrated. It was clear that the team desperately needed to strengthen their midfield.

Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez or Monaco's Bernardo Silva—one of them would be Guardiola's top target for the winter transfer window. He had to secure at least one of them.

(End of Chapter)

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10