After signing with AC Milan, I will be the king of football!-Chapter 99: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

"Not celebrating without me, huh?"

Seeing how lively the locker room was.

Inzaghi lunged forward with a horse stance and darted into the locker room.

He nearly knocked Huang Kaiwen and Kaka off their feet.

The charging Inzaghi wrapped one arm around Sheva and rhythmically clenched a fist with his left hand, chanting, "Milan, champions, Milan, champions!"

"Milan!"

"Champions!"

"Milan!"

"Champions!"

"Isn’t it a bit too early to celebrate?" Kaka asked worriedly.

"Leading by four goals, how can they win?"

Inzaghi said nonchalantly and started chanting again, "Champions, Milan, champions, Filippo!"

Cafu and Dida became emotional.

"Watching ’Casablanca’, I fell in love with you. Back then, in a drive-in theater, the back row lights flickered uncertainly. Popcorn and soda under the stars turned into champagne and caviar, we fell in love in the long and sultry summer nights..."

Brazilians have a gift.

Even if it’s a ballad, they sing it joyfully.

They twisted their bodies and hummed this famous song.

Huang Kaiwen thought.

Inzaghi was not wrong.

Leading by another ball, can Liverpool possibly turn things around?

Soccer is not about dining.

I score 4 on you, you repay me 4.

What’s there to fear.

He pulled Kaka with him, squeezing up to the table.

Bang—

He picked up a bottle of champagne, shook it wildly before opening it, and sprayed it towards the ceiling.

...

"Liverpool is definitely losing."

"Steven Gerrard played like crap today, and he’s the captain?"

"It’s not Gerrard’s fault, Benitez put him at defensive midfield, which doesn’t suit Gerrard’s strengths."

"Benitez is a tactical master, why doesn’t he just make Gerrard play defense?"

"Liverpool was just a bit unlucky, having missed a few shots in the first half."

"There’s still a chance in the second half, come on, you’ll never walk alone!"

"Chasing four goals, that side’s newspapers from Italy said Serie A won it for sure, and it really is the case."

"Serie A my Serie A, AC Milan, or just Milan."

"So what if I call it Serie A, Serie A and Inter Milan."

"Idiot, Inter Milan’s spelling doesn’t include Milan, so when you say Milan it specifically refers to AC Milan."

Fans staying up late to watch the game were having a wild discussion.

It’s rare to see one side leading by so much at halftime during a final.

In the broadcast room.

"There’s no noticeable difference in possession stats for both teams," Zhang shook his head in disbelief.

"Actually, the shots are quite similar too, 11-9 in shooting attempts, hitting the frame 5 times each but AC Milan just scored 4 more goals," said Huang Jianxiang, laughing.

"True," Zhang chuckled and said: "We’ll see what adjustments Liverpool will make in the second half."

"Honestly, I think Huang Kaiwen’s performance today was ordinary. Benitez could completely unleash Liverpool’s offensive power without having to specifically mark Huang Kaiwen."

"I wouldn’t say that."

"After all, Huang Kaiwen’s ability is there, and if you don’t keep someone on him, it really isn’t reassuring, Huang Kaiwen just converts too efficiently."

"Yes, so I can’t figure out how Liverpool would win; let’s see what adjustments Benitez makes in the second half."

Fifteen minutes passed.

The players from both teams returned to the field.

As they stood at center circle waiting to kick off,

Huang Kaiwen, in good spirits, was humming a song: "Look quick, here come the aces, the chosen few start to stir...

"... like a butterfly, the zigzag Samba."

Kaka casually added a line.

Huang Kaiwen widened his eyes.

Realized everyone had watched "Football Kids."

Kaka, with a smile, said, "That used to be my favorite cartoon; I watched it so much I learned from it, always dreamed of being just like the main character."

Huang Kaiwen thought to himself, you are the main character.

Even with injuries affecting him, his life was still like he was cheating.

Being handsome was already a blessing, but Kaka was also talented.

Unlike him, Huang, who had nothing but good looks.

Since he wasn’t gifted, he’d just have to work hard.

After the second half kicked off, Huang Kaiwen rushed out to press again.

Gerrard received the ball and immediately passed it back.

Huang Kaiwen chased down Finnan.

Finnan had intercepted him several times before.

Now the roles were reversed.

Seeing Finnan with the ball, Huang Kaiwen slightly retreated and lowered his center of gravity.

This is how Nesta and the others defended.

Finnan flicked the ball, and just as Huang Kaiwen stretched his foot,

The ball-carrying Finnan stumbled and fell.

Fuck?

Faking a foul?

Huang never imagined he’d experience being the target of a dive!

Usually, it was Serie A players avoiding him.

Huang Kaiwen quickly stepped back, raising his hands and shouting loudly, "I didn’t touch him, I didn’t touch him, he fell on his own."

Liverpool’s players rushed up but ignored Huang Kaiwen.

Ancelotti turned his head to look toward the Liverpool coaches’ bench.

The substitutes had been warming up for a while now.

They were already prepared to make a substitution.

Damn!

That fat fuck Benitez must have planned the substitution earlier.

Then he had the Liverpool players try to draw a foul.

Yes, that’s it!

This sneaky bastard who seeks help from a "wizard" could use any trick.

"Liverpool are making a substitution."

"Hamann comes on for Finnan, Schmeichel replaces Kewell."

"Benitez is making two substitutions at once."

"Yes, Zhang, I don’t know if you noticed, but Gerrard seems to have moved forward in the second half."

"Ah, it does seem to be the case."

"Right, before Finnan went down, Gerrard was already moving forward, Benitez did adjust his tactics. Now with Finnan off, Hamann will likely take up the defensive midfield position, Liverpool has switched to a three-man defense."

"It’s time Liverpool took a risk; Benitez still shows great boldness."

...

After Liverpool made their substitutions, play restarted.

Milan launched another attack, Kaka and Huang Kaiwen switched positions, and Kaka delivered a cross from the left into the area.

The ball hit Dudek’s knee.

Inzaghi reacted first, retrieving the ball and passing it back.

Cafu followed up with a shot.

It was blocked to the baseline by Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Dudek.

"Corner for Milan."

"A shot from Cafu."

"Boy, these two fullbacks from AC Milan are more aggressive in attack than the other."

"Haha, yeah, Cafu always lingers around the penalty area."

Huang Jianxiang laughed as well.

Typically, wingers aren’t as active as Cafu.

"Let’s see this corner, Pirlo sends it toward the middle, Maldini in the penalty box tried to replicate the first goal but it was headed out!"

"Liverpool’s counterattack."

"A long pass trying to find Riise, not many Milan players in their half."

"Huang Kaiwen, Huang Kaiwen pressures Riise, he drops back really deep."

"A lateral pass, Alonso takes a long shot!"

"It’s off-target."

Liverpool didn’t score.

But they sure gave Milan players a cold sweat.

"You fuckers don’t all go up!" Nesta yelled at Cafu.

Stam shrunk his shoulders, trying to make himself less conspicuous.

Maldini pretended it wasn’t his business.

But Nesta didn’t let him off, glaring at him and said, "Maybe you guys should play forward and let Kevin and Kaka defend."

Just now, three defenders had rushed into Liverpool’s penalty area.

They couldn’t get back in time.

Fortunately, Liverpool didn’t score.

Two minutes later, Liverpool’s attack surged forward anew.

Carragher on the right, took the ball and made a long pass.

The pass flew over 60 meters.

The ball soared over much of the field and dropped in front of Milan’s penalty area.

Cafu stretched his leg to block it.

Riise couldn’t get to the ball.

But as Cafu turned, he was a step slow and Riise had already squeezed past him.

Both players tangled their arms together as they raced toward the ball.

Even the possibility of conceding a penalty didn’t cross Cafu’s mind; he was solely focused on not letting Riise get the ball.

But Riise’s physique was too formidable.

Like a tiger tank.

Cafu’s arm was sore from the collision.

Even so, Riise still got to the ball first.

As soon as he took possession, Riise turned, trapping Cafu behind him, and flicked a passing lob with his left foot.

Steven Gerrard, bursting into the penalty box, leaped high and nodded the ball.

The ball flew past Dida and into the far corner of the goal.

Boom—

The previously quiet Atatürk Olympic Stadium erupted completely.

The majority of fans in the stands unleashed their biggest enthusiasm.

"Steven Gerrard!!!"

"Gerrard has scored."

"Liverpool thereby commenced their counterattack."

"What does it matter if they were behind?"

"That’s how scoring works; once you get one, a second is likely; Gerrard’s forward position immediately showcased his ability to contribute to the attack from the back."

The commentator from Sky Sports shouted frantically.

Though not all were Liverpool fans, they were British.

A four-goal deficit for a British team in the first half was the ultimate insult to them.

Huang Kaiwen saw Liverpool players running back to the midfield.

A bad feeling arose within him.

In the second half, he noticed a problem.

His "bodyguard" was gone.

Usually, if someone was valuable, a player was arranged to mark him closely.

Today, seeing his lackluster performance, his "bodyguard" was called off.

Huang Kaiwen contemptuously looked towards the Liverpool coaching bench.

Benitez, that scumbag coach.

...

Soon after the kickoff, Carragher again made a long pass to find Riise.

Riise, on the left, carried the ball with speed.

Cafu, aware of the opponent’s strong physique, did not intend to tangle too much with Riise.

Choosing his moment precisely, he poked the ball out of bounds, disrupting Liverpool’s advance.

"Cafu disrupts Liverpool’s fast break."

"Liverpool’s throw-in."

"The second half has seen a marked improvement in Liverpool’s offense."

"The main thing is the adjustments."

"Playing Gerrard at defensive mid was a mistake."

"Although Benitez realized it too late."

Riise threw the ball to Hamann.

Huang Kaiwen rushed to stick close.

Hamann turned and passed to Alonso, who then played a lateral pass to Schmeichel.

From about 26 meters in front of the goal, Schmeichel didn’t hesitate to shoot.

The ball travelled with considerable speed.

Stam stretched his leg trying to block it, but failed.

His teammate, Baros, shifted aside to let it through.

By the time Dida saw it, the ball was already close.

The Brazilian goalkeeper made a quick side dive, but still couldn’t stop the ball from flying into the lower corner of the goal.

4:2.

An anxious Ancelotti then called for substitutes to warm up.

Even by maintaining a two-goal lead, Milan would still be the champions.

"Carlo, you must see this."

The assistant coach handed the binoculars to Ancelotti, pointing to the section with neutral fans.

Following the assistant coach’s pointed direction,

Ancelotti saw a bizarrely shaped trophy.

And inside, there was a flame lit.

"Witchcraft, it has to be witchcraft, damn it, they’ve hidden a wizard over there!"

Ancelotti angrily tossed the binoculars aside, turned around, and started rummaging through his backpack.

No wonder Liverpool began scoring.

That lousy Benitez had resorted to underhanded tactics.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance.

The item previously given by the pope was kept as his trump card.

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