There’s not much ti left for Icardi!
A large five-minute tir hangs above Icardi’s head, starting to tick-tock.
This is also the Sword of Damocles hanging above his head.
If he doesn’t score within five minutes, this sword will fall rcilessly, piercing Icardi’s heart.
His strong self-esteem will be insulted by just that!
This is the Milan derby, the most watched match in Italian football, and one of the world’s most famous derbies!
If I’m substituted, it ans I’m incapable of handling such a major match.
This is Mancini’s mid-season 4-2-3-1 tactic, my technical features can only serve as the lone striker!
Being substituted like this ans I can’t adapt to the coach’s tactical play!
What’s scarier is, there’s soone who can adapt to this play, on the field.
Once I’m substituted, Podolski can imdiately take my place as the lone striker.
No matter how I think about it, Icardi feels it’s a disastrous blow.
He even thinks this match will beco a watershed in his career at Inter, if he can’t prove himself, he will have no future at Inter.
Icardi, wearing the number 9 jersey, his bloodthirstiness is completely awoken.
Now that AC Milan’s fierce attacks have subsided, Inter’s teammates take a breather, starting to reorganize the offense.
Icardi, like a hungry wolf hunting, begins to crazily increase his movent range.
"Don’t run around, listen to , pay attention to pulling to the sides!"
Seeing Icardi’s mind heating up, Tang Long hurriedly reminds him.
The first ti Icardi pulled to the side, it had an imdiate effect!
This is a strategic battle initiated from the Inter’s backfield.
The ball is initiated from the left side, del and left-back Dambrosio perford a one-two in the backfield, smoothly transferring the ball from left to center under Gualin’s good pre-setting, and through Tang Long’s connection, it’s distributed to the left-hand Shaqiri.
As the lone striker standing at the arc of the opponent’s penalty area, Icardi didn’t stay still like before.
He suddenly withdrew, distancing from the penalty area, and ran to Shaqiri’s flank.
Shaqiri was stunned, seeing Icardi running towards him, wondering: What’s going on with him, what does he want?
This type of movent was never practiced during training.
However, the energetic Shaqiri adapted cleverly, following the football tactical approach, starting a cross run with Icardi, cutting into the center with the ball.
Center forward moves from center to sideline, winger charges from sideline cutting to center.
This movent indeed troubled AC Milan’s defense line!
eks originally marked Icardi according to the set tactics, chasing after Icardi.
But after a few steps, he found he had completely left the penalty area, departing from the traditional center-back position.
As for Icardi, he continues running to the sideline without looking back.
"Should I follow or not?"
Within the 0.5 seconds of hesitation, Shaqiri carried the ball diagonally through!
The 169cm Swiss small figure, like a flea, is about to slip away right under the tall eks’ nose.
The French defender almost instinctively is attracted towards Shaqiri.
"To !"
"Look here!"
Podolski on the right, and Tang Long in the middle, almost simultaneously shout.
Shaqiri pretends to pass to Podolski but discreetly heels the ball backwards to Tang Long.
At this instant.
In Tang Long’s brainwave heat map, everything slows down, ti seems frozen.
An offside line, in god’s view, clearly spans before Tang Long’s eyes!
The blue dot representing Icardi is flashing rapidly!
Ti flies in the blink of an eye.
Ti speeds up instantly, Tang Long’s right big toe imdiately inserts into the bottom of the ball, the movent is swift, yet his swinging leg posture is light—
The football floats like a balloon, rubbing towards the left flank!
A blue-black silhouette, like a leopard hiding in African grassland bushes, zooms out!
It’s Icardi!
This ball flies from center to left, Icardi charges from left to center!
Two motion trajectories extend, eting at a 45-degree cross angle!
"Ah! This ball is going to..."
"Icardi! Where did he rush from?"
"Inside, he broke in!"
"Not sure if it’s offside!"
"Icardi, Icardi!"
"Shoot!!!"
The angle left for Icardi to shoot isn’t large, this technically proficient striker doesn’t force it.
He pretends to aim for the far corner but instantly twists his ankle at the mont of touching the ball, pushing it into the near corner of the goal!
The referee signals the goal is valid, not offside!
Icardi doesn’t rush towards the North Stand;
nor does he rush to celebrate with teammates.
He first raises his head, looking towards the large screen in the northwest corner of azza Stadium!
64:59!
Icardi leaps up high, fiercely pumps his fist towards the sky of azza!
Bam!
That Sword of Damocles hanging overhead is shattered by his punch!
Icardi, restless and wanting to take his shirt off to celebrate, but the past lessons prevent him, so he hugs Tang Long instead, pecking his forehead like a chick pecking rice repeatedly.
"Haha, you didn’t lie to !"
Off the field.
Amidst a wave of noisy cheers.
Mancini, confused, pulls back assistant coach Herrera who is about to jump up.
"What’s going on, how did Icardi appear in that position, when did he run there?"
"No idea, boss, he made a diagonal run from the side, then Tang Long flicked the ball, but how do I feel the ball was drawn towards Icardi?" Herrera couldn’t make sense of it all at once.
Is the ball drawn by him, is he a magnet?
Mancini squints his eyes.
If Herrera’s right, Icardi made a diagonal insertion from the sideline to the center.
Then when did he pull to the side?
"Icardi actually pulled to the side? That sounds ridiculous..."
Icardi fulfills his promise.
Mancini comforts Palacio, letting him return to the substitute bench.
Palacio was ready to co on, the tactics explained, now he sits back down.
However, the 33-year-old Palacio isn’t annoyed, instead, cheers for his compatriot’s goal.
The equilibrium of the match is broken, AC Milan must go all out.
They have to restart the halted upfront pressing.
But this ti it’s passive.
Inzaghi substitutes winger Bonaventura for forward Destro, forming a twin tower upfront with Pazzini, then liberates Suso to act as a free man upfront.
anwhile, right-back Abate ramps up his offensive involvent, frequently crossing the midfield, almost like a right-winger.
But, Inzaghi overlooks Mancini’s intrinsic strength in strategy defense.
You press, I’ll hold!
Anyway, not falling into your pace.
"Consolidate!"
With Mancini’s big wave, Inter’s three lines retreat 10 ters again.
Icardi, who just scored, enters sage ti~
This sage lasts 20 minutes.
Ti reaches after 85 minutes.
The visiting team AC Milan finally runs out of steam!
Even though they make another change at 78 minutes to maintain pressing strength.
The rest of the team can’t perform unified pressing anymore.
This ti, Gualin is smart.
No more delays, taking the ball at the defender position, makes a long pass!
Podolski receives the ball, breaks into the penalty area, gets tripped by the goalkeeper!
Red card and penalty kick combo!
Seeing Podolski holding the ball, cheerfully celebrating with teammates.
Icardi walks over slowly.
He looks at the white dot of the penalty spot, swallows a breath.
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