The players all got along quite well.
At the very least, they weren’t like colleagues who only worked together on the pitch and went their separate ways the mont they stepped off it.
"Pass to my feet more in the second half!" Wang Shuo said.
Everyone was stunned for a mont, but they all imdiately nodded in agreent.
"Wang, we’re counting on you for the second half!" Weidenfeller said.
By the way, Kael was injured again.
It was the sa old muscle problem, and he was currently out of training.
So, the captain’s armband for this match was once again on Weidenfeller.
As everyone was talking, Klopp walked briskly into the locker room.
Uncle Mustache clapped his hands forcefully as he walked, drawing everyone’s attention.
"We’re going on the attack in the second half!"
"We have to fight for another goal in this match, to at least leave Portugal with a draw!"
...
"The difficulties that once brought us disaster will, in turn, inspire us and make us stronger!"
David Luis had always kept this quote in mind.
It wasn’t from so Brazilian celebrity or writer.
It ca from the legendary Brazilian captain, Cafu, spoken in France after they lost the 1998 final.
David Luis had always lived by those words.
No matter what difficulties he encountered, he would bravely press forward and rise to the challenge.
This was also his style on the pitch.
Wang Shuo was certainly a handful.
So far in the match, Benfica had received three yellow cards, given to Luisao, Harvey Garcia, and David Luis, respectively.
And all three yellow cards were because of Wang Shuo.
During halfti, head coach Jesus had specifically reminded them to be more careful with their challenges.
But David Luis was completely fearless.
After the second half began, he continued to chase Wang Shuo relentlessly.
Whenever Wang Shuo tried to receive the ball, David Luis would be the first to rush over.
Be it physical challenges, pulling, or kicking, he would stop at nothing to give Wang Shuo a hard ti.
He even threw in so trash talk.
To David Luis’s great surprise, none of it worked on Wang Shuo.
Wang Shuo was like soone who never lost his temper, always remaining calm and rational, and always making the right decision.
This made David Luis realize just how formidable Wang Shuo was.
But it also excited him!
He loved challenging the strong!
At the start of the second half, Dortmund attacked fiercely but still couldn’t break through Benfica’s goal.
No kidding.
As a famous Portuguese manager, Jesus’s greatest strength was coaching defense.
Under his guidance, David Luis had improved trendously and was the best-performing center-back in the Priira Liga this season.
And after weathering Dortmund’s initial offensive wave, the Bundesliga team, just as the rumors suggested, gradually slowed their attack and started to run out of steam.
Their style of play was very aggressive and threatening.
But they had too little stamina!
They couldn’t even last a full 90-minute match!
From the 60th to the 70th minute, this change in rhythm was very noticeable.
Dortmund was spent.
Forwards like Di María and Aimar began to exert pressure.
In the 70th minute, Jesus made a substitution.
Forward Nuno Goz ca on for right-back Pereira.
At this point, Benfica’s backline switched to three players.
Coentrão, David Luis, and Luisao.
However, Ramirez, from the right side of the midfield, would actively track back, making up for the defensive gap on the right flank.
Everyone on Benfica knew exactly what Jesus intended.
He wasn’t satisfied with a 2-1 scoreline. He wanted to use their ho-field advantage to further extend their lead.
Because the second leg, in a week’s ti, would be at Westfalen Stadium!
Dortmund made no substitutions.
David Luis’s task was still to stick to Wang Shuo.
The guy could really run.
When others started to slow down, Wang Shuo, on the contrary, began to run more, and faster.
In the 79th minute of the match, after Dortmund won the ball on the left flank, Schlzer carried it forward to launch a counterattack.
Ramirez followed Schlzer closely all the way.
Harvey Garcia, Luisao, and others all shifted toward that side.
But David Luis kept his eyes glued on Wang Shuo.
He noticed that Wang Shuo also wanted to drift toward the right flank.
But then he changed his mind at the last second.
David Luis glanced at the situation and understood.
Schlzer and Reus were on this side, and Götze had gone over as well.
Three players, plus Shahin providing support from the left side of midfield.
At least they had the numbers there.
Realizing this, David Luis imdiately focused all his attention back on Wang Shuo.
He trusted his Benfica teammates.
And indeed, Benfica once again blocked Dortmund’s counterattack down the left flank.
The ball couldn’t be moved out from the left flank.
David Luis saw Wang Shuo constantly watching the left side. He also imdiately realized that Luisao had moved out of the penalty box, creating so distance between them.
The entire left side of the penalty area was open.
’Does Wang Shuo want to exploit that?’
The mont David Luis realized this, he saw Wang Shuo run toward the left, raising his hand to call for the ball.
The Brazilian was stunned but imdiately followed.
Schlzer chipped a pass from the left, sending the ball over the defenders and down into the left side of the penalty area.
But David Luis stuck to Wang Shuo like glue, giving him absolutely no space.
’Besides, a high, chipped pass like that is hard to control.’
David Luis stayed right by Wang Shuo’s side, positioning himself between him and the goal.
But as the ball ca down, Wang Shuo, while moving at high speed, trapped it with the inside of his left foot, coming to an abrupt stop and turning in the sa motion.
David Luis swore that all his attention was focused on Wang Shuo.
He had instantly noticed Wang Shuo trapping the ball, had instantly stopped with him, and had instantly closed in, trying to prevent him from turning.
But he was still half a beat too slow.
Wang Shuo’s movents were incredibly fast.
But most importantly, that first touch was subli!
When the ball touched the inside of his left foot, there was almost no rebound. It was as if all the force had been absorbed, and the ball dropped straight down. This made Wang Shuo’s next move—turning after the abrupt stop—extrely easy.
Although David Luis closed in, he was still too slow.
After turning, Wang Shuo took a touch horizontally towards the center, in the direction of the penalty spot.
David Luis’s face fell as he instantly realized the danger; he took a step to pursue, saw Coentrão moving to intercept out of the corner of his eye, and, gritting his teeth, imdiately launched into a slide tackle.
He wasn’t trying to tackle the ball.
Instead, he wanted to use his body to block Wang Shuo’s shot.
He had guessed right!
After cutting inside with one touch, Wang Shuo imdiately took the shot.
But he was still too slow.
The ball had already been shot before he could make his block.
A lightning-fast daisy cutter!
The ball drilled into the right side of Benfica’s goal!
2-2!
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