"FORZA BASTIA!"
In the locker room, all Bastia players and staff gathered in the center, shouting their rallying cry.
Walking toward the tunnel, Julien said to Lukaku. "Rember to make runs in the second half—you've got the most energy left on the team."
Lukaku scratched his head and said. "I couldn't get the ball in the first half. Either I had no possession, or when I got it, two or three players surrounded ."
"Second half, I'll be there."
Even though Lukaku was usually carefree, seeing Julien take the field injured made it impossible for him to feel cheerful. He had only one thought: he had to score!
Julien stood at the front of the team, leading his teammates onto the pitch.
Many behind him watched his back, thinking to themselves:
If giving Julien the captain's armband last season was largely to give him a sense of belonging and keep him, while also respecting his abilities, then at this mont, they truly forgot about his age. In their eyes was only one word:
"Captain!"
BOOM!
The Doosan Arena erupted in waves of sound.
Plzen fans celebrated their team's lead enthusiastically. Neither the steady drizzle nor the three-to-four-degree temperature could dampen their spirits.
"Červenobílí!"
the fans roared, seeing their team erge.
anwhile, the TF1 comntator sighed and said, "As expected, just as I analyzed at halfti, Julien has entered the ga. He's replaced Mané as a substitute.
We all know Julien has brought us many surprises—he's brimming with talent. But let's not forget: he started and played lengthily in the last match against Paris, and even left the field due to a shoulder injury.
We can still see muscle tape showing at his collar, indicating his injury hasn't fully healed. Julien is playing through injury.
Such behavior naturally deserves everyone's applause, but we must analyze the situation realistically: How much can Julien perform while not fully recovered from his injury? And Julien has always given the impression of being 'fragile'—will this initially minor injury worsen further? These are all..."
Listening to this analysis, the fans at Sunset Bar who had felt hope ignite when they saw Julien enter now felt their hearts sink bit by bit.
They began to worry too.
Was it worth risking an injured Julien for a match like this? What if he didn't score and his injury got worse—wouldn't that be losing on both counts?
"I think it's fine!"
When the fans' spirits were low, Bertrand's voice rang out. Everyone looked at him.
He continued explaining. "If anyone can save Bastia right now, it's definitely Julien! Even if he doesn't do anything special, just being on the pitch will ignite the players' fighting spirit! Julien has always created miracles like this! Have you forgotten all those monts?"
Fans' emotions are pure and passionate.
Their deflated spirits soared again.
Bertrand continued: "Besides, experiencing monts like this is itself a form of tempering for the team! If we can't endure these difficult tis, what right do we have to expect greater achievents?!
Julien didn't choose to back down—he stepped up! He's worthy of the captain's armband on his arm and his number 10 jersey!
What we should do now isn't worry, but cheer for Julien and for Bastia!"
With that, Bertrand raised his arms and shouted: "FORZA!"
The entire café erupted in thunderous response.
"FORZA BASTIA!"
"FORZA JULIEN!"
Tweet!
The referee's whistle sounded. Bastia kicked off.
Lukaku passed to De Bruyne, who imdiately sent the ball to Julien on the right wing.
Julien received possession.
Viktoria Plzen imdiately united three defenders on the right flank.
Julien attempted to break through, but on his first touch, still adjusting to his shoulder discomfort, his movents were slightly delayed. He couldn't shake off Plzen's left-back Limberský, giving Horava and Horvath the chance to close in.
Julien had no choice but to pass back temporarily.
Even with their two-goal lead, Viktoria Plzen didn't relax. After Julien's back-pass, they continued pressing forward, high-pressing Bastia.
Vrba wanted to use this montum to crush Bastia completely!
Under Hadzibegic's deep defensive tactics, Bastia didn't attempt much passing in their own half—that would be playing with fire.
They tried a long ball to find Lukaku.
With Julien drawing attention, only two center-backs were marking Lukaku. But Procházka headed the ball forward first.
Bastia and Plzen players engaged in a chaotic battle for the second ball, with Plzen ultimately controlling possession.
Julien watched Plzen's attack, always positioning himself near the offside line, waiting for his opportunity.
Lukaku in the center also didn't drop back—they were Bastia's only attacking outlets.
They couldn't retreat!
Moreover, with Julien's presence, left-back Limberský's attacking runs disappeared completely. He had to stay back to mark Julien constantly, preventing Bastia's counter-attacks.
This was Bastia's core player—injured or not, he was still the core!
On the sideline, Vrba, a passionate coach, gestured wildly, directing his players' attacks.
Duriš, Darida, and Hanousek continuously impacted Bastia's defensive line.
If this were Bastia at full strength, they wouldn't be in such dire straits. But physical fatigue always made players half a step slower in their reactions.
Watching this scene, Hadzibegic thought about what Julien had said—that substitute players might lack ability but at least had energy for defending.
Many nas flashed through his mind.
Suddenly, he wondered why Julien had ntioned this to him. He quietly glanced at the bench, where Clauss sat where Julien had been in the first half, hands braced, eyes burning as he watched the pitch.
A lottery ticket bought from the fifth tier.
'Should I use it?'
Hadzibegic couldn't decide for a mont.
Whoa!
The Doosan Arena crowd's roar interrupted Hadzibegic's thoughts.
Kanté made a spectacular block—
Viktoria Plzen's attack had compressed Bastia's formation into the penalty area. After sustained pressure, they ford an inverted triangle, with Darida passing to veteran Horvath.
The latter had almost a clear shot from inside the box and was about to unleash a powerful strike.
Kanté flew into a sliding tackle, blocking the ball.
The football deflected out, Rothen helped secure position, and De Bruyne was first to control it.
He looked up toward the front, simultaneously pushing forward.
De Bruyne was the type to drive forward with his strong fra. Plzen players imdiately pressed to win the ball back.
But he saw an opportunity!
One long pass, directly seeking Lukaku's run in the center.
Lukaku didn't contest the header but cleverly used his body to shield Štípek, then let the ball run past him. Štípek misjudged the flight.
Lukaku smoothly knocked the ball forward.
Procházka imdiately covered, but Lukaku was already at full speed—he was not soone who could be easily stopped.
Lukaku powerfully knocked the ball ahead, using pure pace to beat his man!
Like a freight train gathering steam, unstoppable in his charge!
Whoosh!
The Doosan Arena erupted in gasps, everyone's mind had the sa word flashing:
Danger!
________________________________________________________
Check out my patreon where you can read more chapters:
patreon/LorianFiction
Thanks for your support!
User Comments
0 comments from readers