Fierce Battle at Camp Nou

Seeing Lin's defensive strategy against Messi, Busquets' eyes lit up.

Could this tactic work against Lin?

Busquets was still frustrated by his earlier failure to stop Lin. If he had succeeded, Barcelona might not have conceded that goal at home.

Busquets was eager to try using this strategy in the next Manchester City attack.

He thought, *Fight fire with fire!*

Barcelona's attack didn't stop. After Messi lost his chance to break through, he passed the ball to Iniesta.

Iniesta passed it back to Xavi to reorganize the play. Xavi glanced at Manchester City's crowded penalty area.

With so many players packed in the box, a direct pass was too difficult. So, he passed the ball back to Busquets, briefly slowing down the tempo with some passes in their own half.

Barcelona's previous wave of attack had been fast and fierce, pushing Manchester City's defense deep into their own half. All three defensive lines were almost overlapping.

As soon as Barcelona began passing the ball around in their own half, City stretched out their formation, regaining some defensive flexibility.

But that's exactly what Xavi was waiting for!

In the 43rd minute, after several passes in the midfield, Xavi noticed City's defense had moved forward, leaving space in the back. He suddenly made a long cross-field pass to the wing.

There were no Barcelona players in that area—until a figure dashed over and received Xavi's pass in the open space.

Who was it?

Barcelona's No. 22, the right-back Dani Alves!

Alves collected the ball on the wing and charged forward. City's left-back, Kolarov, assumed Alves was preparing to cross, so he positioned himself defensively, hands behind his back, ready to block.

Most of Manchester City's players thought the same, taking up positions in the box to prevent a header.

But to their surprise, Alves didn't cross. Instead, he passed the ball back.

Neymar appeared at the edge of the penalty area, receiving the ball. 

It was a connection between the two Brazilians. Alves' run was merely a decoy, pulling defenders away to create space for Neymar.

Neymar didn't waste the opportunity. After a quick adjustment, he curled the ball into the top corner of the net.

Joe Hart was helpless, only able to watch as the ball sailed into the goal.

Barcelona had turned the game around, taking a 2-1 lead.

This was Neymar's fourth Champions League goal of the season, matching Ronaldinho's debut season tally for European competition with Barcelona.

While Neymar's stats weren't as eye-catching as Lin's, his contribution was still impressive. In nine Champions League appearances, Neymar had scored four goals and provided three assists, directly contributing to seven goals.

If it weren't for Lin's extraordinary performances, Neymar would easily be considered one of the best newcomers in this season's Champions League.

After scoring, Neymar was overjoyed. He ran to the corner flag and performed a celebratory samba dance.

The fans at Camp Nou gave him a standing ovation, cheering loudly for their rising star.

Neymar's outstanding performance lifted the spirits of the Barcelona fans.

"We've got Messi, we've got Neymar. We don't need Lin!"

They began singing songs dedicated to Messi and Neymar, showing their support for their stars and expressing their feelings about Lin.

Watching Neymar's goal, Lin felt a bit helpless.

There had been a defensive lapse!

His teammates had likely relaxed a bit, as Barcelona's attack wasn't as intense as before.

That small lapse gave Barcelona the chance to strike.

Xavi's pass was brilliant, changing the tempo and catching City off guard.

Neymar's positioning was also excellent. He didn't rush into the box during Alves' run, so the City defenders didn't focus on him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to shoot.

"Barcelona scored two goals in ten minutes, and Manchester City is in serious trouble at Camp Nou. If the scoreline grows larger, even with an away goal, it will still be difficult for them to eliminate Barcelona back at home."

"Yes, for City, a 1-1 or even 2-1 score is manageable. But 3-1 would be too much. Against a team like Barcelona, you can't afford to lose by a large margin. A big loss at home is nearly impossible to overturn."

"As the first half winds down, I wonder what adjustments Manchester City will make during halftime. They've been very passive. If they continue like this, it won't be long before they concede a third goal."

On the sidelines, Pellegrini furrowed his brow.

Conceding two goals in the first half was more than expected, but at least they had scored one. This outcome was still acceptable.

"How many games has Xavi played this season?"

Suddenly, Pellegrini turned to his assistant and asked.

"This season, Xavi has played 35 matches—23 in the league, 5 in cup competitions, and 7 in the Champions League. In the first half of the season, he often played the full 90 minutes, but in the second half, he's been substituted around the 75th minute."

"And did he play the full 90 minutes in the last La Liga match?"

"Yes, the match against Espanyol was intense. Barcelona didn't score until the 77th minute, so after the goal, Martino made substitutions. But strangely, he subbed off Neymar, Fabregas, and Pedro, but kept the veteran Xavi on the field."

Pellegrini nodded. Martino probably understood how important Xavi was to the team, which is why he kept him on. 

But using a 34-year-old veteran like this seemed a bit too much!

With that in mind, Pellegrini had already come up with his strategy for the second half.

The halftime whistle blew, and the teams headed to the locker rooms with Barcelona leading 2-1.

The scoreline favored Barcelona, and their players looked relaxed.

City's players, on the other hand, could still accept this outcome. Though trailing by a goal, it was understandable, considering they were playing at Camp Nou.

And after all, there were still 45 minutes to go.

...

In the locker room, Pellegrini pulled out the tactics board to explain the strategy for the second half.

But before he began, the Chilean coach posed a question to his players:

"After playing the first half, what do you think of Barcelona's strength?"

City's players voiced their thoughts.

"They're really strong. The pressure is intense!"

"Their possession game is top-notch. I bet our possession must be less than 30%!"

"Yeah, we can barely hold onto the ball. As soon as we get it, their players swarm us like mad dogs. We can't hold the ball for more than a few seconds before losing it, and whenever we pass, their players are constantly intercepting."

Seeing that his players had grasped the key points, Pellegrini clapped his hands, signaling for them to stop talking.

"It seems like everyone has a good understanding!"

Pellegrini turned to Lin and asked, "Lin, are you tired?"

He had noticed how hard Lin had worked, both in attack and defense, so he assumed Lin's stamina was drained, and that he must be exhausted.

However, to Pellegrini's surprise, Lin shook his head and replied, "I'm fine. I'm not tired."

Huh...

Not tired?

In the first half, Lin had covered the most ground, constantly sprinting on offense and actively tracking back on defense. 

And yet, he wasn't tired?

Pellegrini was momentarily taken aback. "Alright, that's good. If you're not tired, we'll rely on you for our second-half attacks. Just remember to conserve some energy for counterattacks."

Lin's response left Pellegrini feeling a bit uncertain. Fortunately, when he asked the other players, they all admitted they were feeling fatigued.

Their bodies were tired, but more importantly, their minds were exhausted.

Against Barcelona's possession style, City's players had to stay focused at all times, leaving no room for mistakes.

Maintaining such concentration for an extended period was mentally draining.

"If I told you that you're tired, but Barcelona is even more tired, would you believe me?"

The players shook their heads. They had only seen Barcelona passing the ball around. How could that be tiring?

"You don't believe me? Well, let's find out in the second half."

Pellegrini didn't try to convince them. Instead, he explained the tactical changes for the second half.

As the second half kicked off, Barcelona quickly noticed something different about Manchester City.

City's players were more proactive, pressing higher up the pitch and actively challenging for the ball in their own half.

Barcelona had faced high-pressing teams before, so at first, they weren't too concerned.

But as City's players committed a few fouls while pressing, Barcelona began to realize that something was off.

"Barcelona's possession. Xavi is on the ball. Yaya Touré steps up to challenge him, and now De Bruyne is closing in too. Xavi is being double-teamed by Manchester City!"

It wasn't just Barcelona who sensed the shift. The commentators noticed City's new approach as well.

"Since the start of the second half, City has ramped up their pressure on Xavi. Every time he gets the ball, at least one City player is immediately closing him down. This is making it difficult for Xavi to find space to orchestrate Barcelona's attacks."

Xavi was Barcelona's midfield maestro, their brain. Without his direction, Barcelona's attack lost its fluidity.

Moreover, because of Xavi's position on the field

, if he lost the ball, City could immediately launch a dangerous counterattack.

In the first half, such counterattacks were rare. But in the first 10 minutes of the second half, City had already launched two counterattacks.

If it weren't for solid defending and good goalkeeping, City might have equalized by now.

Xavi, ever the experienced veteran, quickly realized City's game plan and started demanding the ball less, trying to avoid turnovers that could lead to counterattacks.

But by doing so, Barcelona's attack became less threatening. 

And City wasn't just targeting Xavi. They applied the same pressure whenever Fabregas or Iniesta had the ball.

If Fernandinho had been playing, with his wide defensive range, City's counter-pressing would have been even more effective.

In the 57th minute, City won the ball back in their own half. Kroos quickly passed to David Silva on the wing.

Silva, aware of Barcelona's rapid pressing, didn't dare hold the ball for long and immediately passed to De Bruyne.

De Bruyne, likewise, wasted no time and sent the ball forward to Lin.

By the time the ball reached Lin's feet, City had already bypassed most of Barcelona's defenders.

With Barcelona's fullbacks still high up the pitch, Lin sprinted down the wing with the ball.

Aguero, Silva, and De Bruyne all charged toward Barcelona's box, following closely behind.

City's counterattack was swift and overwhelming, causing Camp Nou's spectators to stir uneasily.

This looked eerily similar to the earlier goal City had scored!

Busquets hesitated, unsure whether to mark Lin or keep an eye on Aguero.

After a quick glance at Fabregas and Piqué's positions, Busquets made a decision. He abandoned Aguero and went to intercept Lin.

Even though Lin was out wide, Busquets still viewed him as the biggest threat.

If left unchecked, Lin could cut inside and shoot.

Busquets quickly positioned himself in front of Lin. He had already calculated the timing.

All he needed to do was delay Lin for a moment, long enough for the fullback Jordi Alba to recover his defensive position, and the danger would be averted.

Facing Lin once again, Busquets opted for the same defensive strategy—backpedaling to contain him.

*Lin, I'll use your own trick against you!*

Busquets felt confident, estimating that he had at least an 80% chance of stopping Lin this time.

Lin seemed unaware of Busquets' plan, appearing to use the same move as before to get past him.

Now!

In the moment Lin made his move to break through, Busquets swiftly turned, cutting off Lin's path to the inside, using his body to disrupt Lin's dribble and force him to stop.

It worked! Lin came to a stop!

*I've finally stopped Lin!*

Busquets felt a surge of joy. Since Lin had stopped, this counterattack was over. Once his teammates got back into position, they could regain possession.

But wait… where's the ball?

Busquets suddenly realized the ball was no longer at Lin's feet.

He quickly turned around, only to see that Lin had passed the ball into the center to Aguero.

Piqué rushed toward Aguero, but the Argentine forward coolly passed the ball out wide to David Silva.

Silva slid in, sending the ball into the back of the net. City had leveled the score at 2-2!

Silence. Absolute silence.

After Silva's goal, Camp Nou fell into a stunned silence for what felt like an eternity—at least ten seconds.

Barcelona's fans couldn't accept that their team had been pegged back at home. They had been hoping for a resounding victory.

How had it come to this?

The silence was soon replaced by an explosion of rage.

A deafening wave of boos and jeers washed over the pitch, aimed at the celebrating City players.

Fans close to the field even began hurling objects—lighters, coins, anything they could find—at the City players.

By this point, disappointment and anger had clouded their judgment. Even though City had no real history of animosity with Barcelona, the fans directed all their frustration at the City players.

It wasn't just the fans who were furious—the Barcelona players were livid too!

*We are Barça, the most dominant club in Europe!*

*We've won four Champions League titles!*

*This is Camp Nou, our sacred home, and we won't let anyone trample on us here!*

After the restart, Barcelona launched their fiercest attack yet.

Their players ran tirelessly, pressing relentlessly, resorting to fouls if necessary.

In the span of ten minutes, both Iniesta and Jordi Alba picked up yellow cards for their overly aggressive challenges.

City's players also received two yellow cards in their efforts to fend off Barcelona's attacks—Kolarov and Zabaleta were the recipients.

These bookings were a huge problem for City, with three of their defenders now on yellow cards.

This meant that from here on out, City's defenders had to be cautious. One wrong move could result in a red card, leaving them a man down not only for this game but with suspensions for the next match!

Seeing City's defenders walking a tightrope, Messi increased his dribbling attempts.

In the 63rd minute, Messi dribbled into the box, evaded Kompany with a clever feint, and unleashed a delicate chip aimed for the top corner.

The ball finally eluded Joe Hart's reach, but with a resounding *thunk*, it smacked against the post and bounced out.

The Camp Nou crowd let out a collective gasp. Even the post seemed to be against them now!

But the attack wasn't over yet. The rebound fell to Iniesta, with the goal wide open in front of him. Joe Hart was still on the ground, and it looked like a certain goal.

But just as Iniesta's shot was about to cross the line, Martín Demichelis slid in and cleared it off the line.

The ball rolled out for a corner, and Demichelis crashed into the post in the process.

Iniesta clasped his head in disbelief.

*How was that not a goal?*

After shooting, he had already started to raise his hands in celebration.

But Demichelis' heroic clearance turned his joy into frustration and regret.

City's players rushed over to Demichelis, hugging him in gratitude for his game-saving clearance.

"Big brother Martín, are you alright?"

Lin asked with concern. He had seen Demichelis collide with the post and was worried he might be injured.

At 34 years old, an injury could be a serious problem for Demichelis.

Young players recover quickly, but for veterans nearing the end of their careers, a major injury could spell the end.

"I'm fine, don't worry. If I can't keep going, I'll let the coach know," Demichelis reassured Lin with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

Seeing how confident Demichelis seemed, Lin returned to his position, ready to defend Barcelona's corner.

Iniesta stepped up to take the corner. After glancing at the players' positions, he aimed for the far post.

Barcelona didn't have many tall players, so besides the goalkeeper, Piqué was their tallest.

Iniesta's corner was intended for Piqué.

Piqué had already made his run to the far post and leaped to meet the ball.

But before he could reach it, Kompany jumped as well, hoping to clear it.

With a loud thud, the two players collided and fell to the ground.