Chapter 148: Rome belongs to this red countryman tonight!
"Benjamin!"
“Pah, pah, pah!”
"Benjamin!"
“Pah, pah, pah!”
After equalizing the score, the Roma players were just as excited as the fans in the stands.
The crazy shouts inspired them to launch a counterattack into the heart of Naples!
In the stands, the cheers were getting louder and louder, and on the field, the pressing and counterattacks were getting faster and faster!
Napoli was obviously a little stunned. In the final stage of the game, they saw the 3 points that were in their hands fly away because of the mistakes of their own players. This kind of blow cannot be forgotten by shaking your head or running a few steps.
They have been very successful this season. In 8 games, they drew 1-2 with Genoa and Fiorentina away and drew 2-1 with Juventus at home. Although the process was bumpy, they were all safe and sound.
The remaining five games included away defeats of 0-4 to Sampdoria, 0-3 to Empoli and 0-4 to Udinese.
To put it nicely, it made the players play with confidence, but to put it bluntly, they were a little too proud.
After occupying the top position for consecutive times, the weight of the crown will become heavier and heavier. Even if you lower your head or relax a little, the crown will fall off and be snatched away by others.
For other teams, a 2-2 draw with Roma, who are ranked fourth in the league, away from home is a completely acceptable result.
But for these Napoli players who have been pursuing a ninth consecutive win since the end of the last game, a draw is a failure.
The Roma players didn’t think too much about it, they just felt that Napoli started to play timidly, so they started running desperately and attacking frantically!
Chen Xiaoliang and Cesco, with the help of their tacit connection and bonus, together with Zaniolo, completely controlled the right side of the attack.
Ruiz and Rui were completely beaten.
As a result, only Anguiza and Elmas could come together to assist in defense.
However, they have never played Mourinho's bus football. They were shot into the penalty area several times, and the score was not widened only because of the defenders' desperate defense and Pellegrini and Abraham's poor shooting skills at critical moments.
Spalletti had no choice but to sit down.
If I let the already panicked players see me rushing around at this time, it will only increase their psychological pressure.
What's more, as a professional club in the top league, they have already practiced what they need to practice. When the game reaches this point, they can only rely on the players themselves to adjust and grasp the situation.
On the Roma side, Cesco became more and more courageous and excited as the game went on.
During training, due to the limited intensity, he didn't feel anything very obvious.
In the previous games, he just felt that Chen Xiaoliang's crosses to him were particularly comfortable and accurate. When he headed the ball, whether it was a pass or a shot, his accuracy was higher than receiving crosses from others.
However, he only now discovered that it was not just his headers, his dribbling and technique had also become smoother. When his 194cm long legs dribbled past Ramani, he seemed to have some of the flavor of a technical winger.
You know, although the media compared him with Haaland, in his heart, his favorite idol since childhood is Ibrahimovic.
This was also one of the reasons why he agreed to the transfer at that time. Who wouldn’t want to compete with his idol?
The video of Ibrahimovic's consecutive dribbling and shooting in Ajax is the one he watches the most, and he has imitated it many times.
In the 88th minute, Insigne, whose strength was obviously declining, cut inside and passed the ball but the ball was not aimed at the right place and was intercepted by Chen Xiaoliang. Roma immediately launched a counterattack!
At this time, Ramani had no time to care about anything else. As long as Cesco appeared in the offensive area, he would follow and defend him, no matter if he stood on the sidelines or outside the boundary.
Chen Xiaoliang took a few steps and was about to pass the ball to Zaniolo when Anguisa ran over.
Without saying a word, the Cameroon international kicked the opponent directly.
Chen Xiaoliang pushed his right foot and accelerated before Anguisa could touch him!
Anguisa gasped and was about to reach out when he remembered that he already had a yellow card.
He really couldn't understand why Chen Xiaoliang could still sprint so recklessly when the African players, who were always known for their endurance, were already feeling tired at this time?
Roma's players and coaches are no stranger to this kind of shocked expression, because they see this expression on their opponents' faces in almost every game when there are still ten or twenty minutes left in the game.
I feel numb from watching it.
Is there anything surprising about seeing a physical monster?
Chen Xiaoliang was still sprinting after playing for the full 90 minutes. Isn't it just like a car mechanic having wrenches and hammers fall out of his pants when he plays football? It's a very reasonable thing, isn't it?
Chen Xiaoliang ran about ten meters and kicked the ball to the front right.
Cesco has already run over to that position!
Without any delay, just when Ramani and Ruiz focused their defense on Cesco, Cesco simply kicked the ball with his feet and rolled to the front left.
This is a two-on-one!
Chen Xiaoliang caught the ball!
At this time, there were only Koulibaly and Di Lorenzo who came to defend in the middle of Napoli, and Koulibaly also had to keep an eye on Abraham!
not good!
He is going to take a long shot!
This guy's long-range shot is really abnormal!
Looking at Chen Xiaoliang who received the ball 30 meters away from the goal outside the penalty area, Ruiz turned around and pounced on Chen Xiaoliang again!
Who hasn't seen his super long-range shot against Lazio? It is said that after that game, the number of police calls from residential communities in many European countries increased significantly, all accusing children of kicking the ball into their homes, breaking glass windows.
Chen Xiaoliang kicked, and Ruiz tried his best to block it with his foot.
The ball went along the ground towards the corner flagpole!
Kicked it?
This power doesn't look like a shot...
Without Ruiz's defensive support, Cesco easily shook off Ramani and received the ball again!
It turned out to be a two-on-one game!
Once again, twice, the same offensive routine, Cesco once again broke into the penalty area from the right side.
The left road of Naples has become a country road at 3 am!
The goal just now is still fresh in our minds. How can the same tragedy happen again?
Koulibaly shouted for Di Lorenzo to stare at Abraham and rushed towards Cesco frantically .
This time, Cesco did not rush forward again. He pulled and dribbled, avoiding Koulibaly's first attempt to steal the ball, then gently pushed it to the right and kicked a half-high ball.
Not only was Spalletti stunned, Mourinho was also confused!
What kind of routine is this? It's outrageous enough that the center forward who played for 80 minutes suddenly changed to playing on the wing, and now he just turned into a side forward and made crosses?
Is this the next step to transform into a like-minded striker like that guy with a beer belly?
However, after this cross, Cesco himself frowned.
For the person receiving the ball, the ball was kicked too high with the foot, too low with the head, and the arc was not strong enough.
Di Lorenzo pushed Abraham with a small movement of his hand, then took a few steps forward to meet the ball and prepare to raise his foot to clear it.
But what Chen Xiaoliang did next stunned Di Lorenzo, and he was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat.
He flew over!
Yes! You read it right! His body was stretched very straight, as if parallel to the ground, and he flew straight forward!
The moment the ball came out, Chen Xiaoliang also found that Cesco's pass was too long.
Hundreds of strange postures flashed through his mind in an instant!
Some people lifted their legs, some squatted down and caught the ball with their heads, and some even pushed their lower abdomen forward.
Either the length is not enough or the time is too short!
Moreover, his shooting attribute is too low. Even with the 4-point bonus from tacit connection, it is only 9. It is hard to say whether he can kick accurately.
After thinking about it, the only thing that comes to mind is the head!
His hard head!
With a heading attribute of 15 plus a 4-point bonus from tacit understanding, what is there to hesitate about!
So, the scene that stunned DiLorenzo happened.
Chen Xiaoliang flew out like a battering ram and hit the flying ball on his head!
Where has Ospina ever seen a shooting method like this that shoots himself out first?
"GOAL!!!!!!"
The on-site broadcaster shouted loudly in the stadium! The fans in the stadium followed the goal and jumped up from their seats in a moment of cheers and roars!
And many people haven’t seen clearly how the goal was scored!
The big screen at the Olympic Stadium replayed what just happened!
At a close distance, Chen Xiaoliang headed the ball through the gap between Di Lorenzo and Ospina and rushed into the goal!
"89th minute! Roma scores! The score is now 3-2! The scorer is No. 33..."
All the fans in the stadium followed the announcement and shouted in a loud voice with a strong foreign accent:
"List!"
"Small!"
"Bright!"
After scoring the goal, Chen Xiaoliang was pinned down by his teammates and celebrated passionately before he even got up!
Holy shit! I'm going to be crushed to death!
77 kg Cesco, 79 kg Zaniolo and 87 kg Abraham came up first!
One, two, three, five, seven!
The 80-kg Karsdorp also came. This guy jumped high and smashed down hard!
Then there are 70 kg of Veretout and Binya...
Chen Xiaoliang was already having difficulty breathing!
Not only him, but also Zaniolo who was on the floor above him felt a little overwhelmed...
Damn, who is that? He even pinched my butt hard!
Finally, when the 90kg Smalling came from the backcourt and was about to pounce, several people quickly ran away, which allowed Chen Xiaoliang to breathe a sigh of relief...
At this time, the director on the scene was very thoughtful and cut the camera to Mourinho, who was seen waving his hands and shouting loudly for the players to quickly return to their defensive positions!
This is relaying the head coach's instructions to the players using the big screen.
Moreover, his expression was extremely serious, which did not seem like he had just experienced a reversal.
Shi Qingsheng: "The fourth official raised his sign, 4 minutes of extra time, everything is still possible in this game!"
Liu Yue: "In just ten minutes, both sides seemed to have released all the energy they had been holding back all night, playing a high-level offensive and defensive battle, especially Xiaoliang, who made full use of his physical fitness to force the ball into the goal despite having a poor route."
Shi Qingsheng originally wanted to mention that this ball was somewhat similar to Van Persie's diving header, but then he immediately thought that it was more similar to a header scored by General Van before he went abroad!
However, Shi Qingsheng glanced at Liu Yue and held back from saying it...
Spalletti was very disappointed and cursed the referee's past and present in his heart.
He vaguely realized that he had fallen into Mourinho's trap.
It is common for that guy to go to the stands. It would be strange if there was a season when Mourinho did not criticize the players, mock the referees, and make fun of his colleagues!
Besides, this is his home court, so it doesn’t make much difference whether he goes to the stands or not.
But for Napoli, after he left the sidelines and could not continue to direct the team immediately, the team's ability to respond became worse, especially after Ruiz made a mistake and lost the ball and the game was tied. If he could remind the players loudly on the sidelines, it is very likely that the game would not have gone this way...
Seeing that he could no longer run in the frontcourt, Domenichini turned around and made a few gestures with Spalletti from a distance. Without confirming whether they meant each other, he replaced the captain Insigne who had worked hard throughout the game with veteran Mertens.
Barrage:
[Does this count as giving up? The most threatening person has been replaced.]
[It should be a last-ditch effort, after all, Mertens was once Napoli's top player]
[Is this guy so skinny? I looked at the data on the website, he's 169cm tall and weighs 61kg. Is he really a professional player? How can we fight him? He'll be flying if we hit him?]
[He is a technical player. He was the Belgian Footballer of the Year in 2016 and was on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or in 2017. He was also a world-class star during his peak period.]
[Seeing that those with low weight will be knocked away by a collision, it is simply a waste of energy to watch the game. Kante weighs only 68 kg. Football blind people think playing football is a fight with different weight classes.]
[Insigne is 163cm tall and weighs only 59kg. Didn’t he play a whole game in front of you today? He is also a key player in Italy’s European Cup champion team. Have you ever seen him get knocked down by anyone?]
[In the European Cup final, the England right-back Arnold who was defending Insigne was 180cm tall and weighed 70kg. In modern football, as long as a position requires a large range of running, the weight cannot be too large, otherwise the agility will be reduced and the physical consumption will increase exponentially.]
So, the comments started to debate whether or not you need to gain weight to play football...
On the field, the players stood on both sides, preparing to kick off and return to the game.
Osimhen kicked the ball back to Mertens who had just come on the field, and all the Napoli players rushed forward in an instant!
When the others had almost finished running, there was no fancy cooperation such as short passes or diagonal passes. Mertens just kicked the ball into the penalty area!
Ramani, who was embarrassed by Cesco, headed the ball, but it was weak and was easily caught by Patricio who jumped high.
Patricio wanted to hold on to the ball for a while, but Cesco and Chen Xiaoliang ran to the front court, waving for the ball, so he immediately kicked the ball over.
The 30-year-old Coulibaly and the 27-year-old Ramani had no choice but to start chasing.
As they ran, they thought: Why...it's already 90 minutes, and they still have to torture me with a shuttle run...what did these two kids eat to be able to run so fast...
Before he could even blink a few times, Chen Xiaoliang had already crossed the center line. After receiving the ball, Cesco immediately passed it to him from a long distance!
Di Lorenzo and Anguisa were also chasing, but at this time, no one could run as fast as Chen Xiaoliang.
Chen Xiaoliang jumped up and stretched his legs to stop the ball, but he didn't control his strength well and the ball stopped a little too big!
Mertens, who had just passed the ball and stayed in the backcourt, was running towards him. Seeing that the ball had stopped far away, he immediately wanted to rush over and grab the ball back.
But he never expected that after Chen Xiaoliang landed, he accelerated again, passed him by, controlled the ball, and then ran forward!
Poor Napoli's chasing team has another 34-year-old Mertens...
He does have enough stamina, but he is old... If he were five years younger and went back to the time when he was shortlisted for the Golden Ball, he would not be slower than Chen Xiaoliang in this game.
The power of time rolls mercilessly over everyone, and youth is always the best asset.
Chen Xiaoliang was running and running, and he was already near the penalty area line.
The tacit connection made him sense that Cesco was still behind him. After all, the boy had already played for 90 minutes and paused when passing the ball to him, so it was too late for him to catch up.
At this rate, he'll have to fight alone!
Let me, a defensive midfielder with a shooting attribute of only 5, have a one-on-one chance?
This ball has exceeded the time limit, there is no tacit connection bonus...
Our brother Lei is still on the bench, I don't want to take away his halo of not being able to score a single goal...
But I can’t take him to the door without shooting…
If a man doesn't ejaculate... that's more ridiculous than if he ejaculates in the wrong direction...
I can't just pass the ball into the goal blindly again...
In front of him, Napoli goalkeeper Ospina had already bent down and moved forward, his eyes fixed on Chen Xiaoliang's movements, ready to save at any time.
Behind him, Mertens was chasing him desperately, and would kick him as soon as he got closer. He didn't care whether it was a foul or not, and he just wanted to stop Chen Xiaoliang first.
Chen Xiaoliang looked back with expectant eyes and found Zaniolo making a diagonal run into the penalty area behind him!
What a savior!
The others didn't know what he was thinking. They just saw him kick the ball with his right foot and run towards the 45-degree angle to the right side of the goal. Anyone else would look like they were adjusting the angle to prepare for a shot!
"Xiao Liang slowed down!"
"He's getting ready to kick!"
"Mertens slides!"
"Ospina lunges forward!"
"Low ball, pushed to the middle!"
"He didn't even choose to shoot!"
"Zaniolo!"
"4 to 2! Roma has secured the victory!"
“The whole stadium was boiling!”
"Two minutes, two goals!"
"Chen Xiaoliang is so selfless! He chose to pass the ball to his teammates instead of scoring himself when he had a one-on-one chance!"
"He has already scored two goals in this game and could have had a hat trick!"
"Zaniolo hugged him excitedly!"
Mourinho on the sidelines finally relaxed his frown and revealed a smug smile.
He also did not forget to glance at Spalletti, who was looking bitter in the stands next to him.
Obviously, Napoli paid the price for their aggressive counterattack. Their eight-game winning streak in the league came to an end and their first defeat was inevitable.
Winning such a contest made Mourinho feel very comfortable, and he could talk endlessly in the post-match press conference.
Zaniolo, who had not scored a goal in the league for a while, was very grateful to Chen Xiaoliang for his "selfless" assist.
If it were him, let alone having one teammate next to him, even if there were five teammates in a better position and he was surrounded by three people, he would still choose to shoot.
That's a hat trick!
If the Italian faction in the original locker room still had some secret dissatisfaction with the newcomer faction, in this game, a header reversal and a selfless assist have made them accept the reality of a complete change of leadership in the locker room.
The fans' excited shouts and crazy celebrations were like witnessing the birth of a new prince of the Olympic Stadium.
The amazing long-range shot in the final moments against Lazio is still vivid in our minds. He carried the team on his shoulders again in this game. Those doubters who criticized the team for spending 41 million euros to buy a 17-year-old kid in the summer now have to say that 41 million is too cheap.
The time was up and the winner was decided. The referee did not add any extra time. After Napoli kicked off from the center circle, he immediately blew the whistle to end the game.
In the focus match of the 9th round of the league, Roma defeated Napoli 4-2 at their home stadium, the Olympic Stadium!
Chen Xiaoliang scored 9.8 and won the honor of the best performer of the show without any suspense!
