Li Ang returned to the technical area, and assistant manager Banderas handed him a small piece of paper. It was Zaragoza's final starting lineup, which was the current Zaragoza players on the field.
Zaragoza's lineup (4-4-2): 13 – Luis García; 6 – Gabriel Milito, 12 – Toledo, 5 – Álvaro, 14 – Ponzio; 10 – Savio, 20 – Genirero, 17 – Movila, 7 – Galetti; 18 – Drulic, 9 – Villa;
Zaragoza's manager, Muñoz, had indeed played a trick, because there were two changes to Zaragoza's final starting lineup from the one announced before the game. First, in the forward line, the Serbian striker, Drulic, had miraculously recovered from his injury. According to Li Ang's previous information, Drulic would miss the game due to injury, or at most, he would only be able to play as a substitute. But now, the Serbian striker, who was rumored to have pulled a muscle before the game, was on the field full of energy.
Drulic, nicknamed 'Rain Man,' was 27 years old this year, which was the best age for a striker. Drulic joined Real Zaragoza in 2001 for 2.15 billion pesetas ($10.92 million), which was also the biggest deal in Real Zaragoza's history.
There was a smile on Li Ang's face. Saragossa's manager, Muñoz, had put up a smokescreen. He probably thought that Droulić would be a surprise move. However, Li Ang was not worried about Droulić at all. The most expensive star player in Saragossa's history had joined Saragossa for 2.15 billion pesetas. He had made eight appearances for Saragossa and had not scored a single goal. Then, in the following season, he had scored two goals for Saragossa. Last season, Droulić had only scored one goal for Saragossa. Although he had missed a lot of games due to his injury, it was definitely not wrong to say that this player was Saragossa's greatest import player.
In addition, compared to the situation that Li Ang grasped before the game, in Zaragoza's starting lineup, Zaragoza did not choose the team's first captain, Quattro, for the left back position. Instead, they chose Ponzio to play in that position.
Ponzio played most of the positions in Zaragoza as the left winger or left midfielder. He was a player with strong breakthroughs, but now he was arranged to play as the left back. Clearly, Zaragoza's manager, Muñoz, was very ambitious. He was trying to destroy Sporting de Gijón with offense, or it could be said that he did not take Sporting seriously.
*****
"Zaragoza's Gabriel Milito and Sporting Gijón's Diego Milito. The two brothers will compete together today," Dagestino said.
"Gabriel is the older brother, and Diego is the younger brother. One is a defender, and the other is a striker. The two of them will inevitably meet today." González said with a smile. Then, he looked at the field. "Sporting de Gijon has shown a surprising desire to attack!"
After the game began, Sporting de Gijón took the initiative and launched an almost crazy attack on Zaragoza's goal.
This made many commentators and media feel astonished. In their expected script, Zaragoza, who was determined to take revenge, would firmly control the situation at home. Zaragoza had scored seven goals in the first two rounds of the new season, including a 4-3 victory over Albacete in the last round of the league tournament. Although the problem on the defensive end was exposed, as the media said, a crazy offensive Zaragoza was terrifying. This was a team that believed that it was enough to score one more goal than the opponent!
However, after the game began, people were surprised to find that it was the visiting team, Sporting de Gijón, who took the initiative in the Roma Da Stadium.
This time, Albertini passed the ball to the front field, and Dinatale retreated from the penalty area to receive it. As soon as the ball reached his feet, the Zaragoza midfielder, Genrero, rushed up to intercept the ball. He thought that his speed would be so fast that the opponent would not be able to react. The Italian, who was caught off guard, would panic and lose control of the football.
However, what Genrero did not expect was that Dinatale, who was facing him, suddenly stepped on the ball and turned 180 degrees, swaying past his feet!
"Woooow — Marseille Spin!" Dagestino stood up and shouted excitedly.
In Spain, artistic football was highly valued. This was also the reason why a master like Zidane was more popular and respected in La Liga. Now, this small Italian player named Dinatale had used Zidane's signature move, the Marseille Spin, to dazzle many people.
"It's very standard. It's no worse than what Zidane does," González shouted.
After throwing his entire weight out, Genrero, who missed his shot, could only watch in a daze as Sporting de Gijón's number 10 player gracefully turned around from his side.
*****
Dinatale, who had bypassed Genrero, pretended to shoot, causing the opposing defender, Alvaro, to jump up. However, he suddenly sent a straight pass to his Italian compatriot, Fábio Grosso, who had plugged in from the side.
Grosso was 190cm tall. A player of this height playing as a full back had never been seen before in Spanish football. Therefore, Li Ang's introduction of Grosso, the main left back, could be regarded as the beginning of a big full back in La Liga.
The tall Grosso rushed up like a heavy truck. The Zaragoza right back, Gabriel Milito, who was defending him, was also relatively strong. However, he was still at a disadvantage when facing Grosso. As soon as Milito came up, he saw Grosso's long legs kick the football forward, avoiding Milito's outstretched toes to intercept the ball. Then the two men came into physical contact. Milito was directly hit and staggered. Then Grosso squeezed and leaped. He broke through Milito in such an unreasonable way.
"Beautiful!" Li Ang could not help cheering on the sidelines. Whether it was Dinatale's Marseille Spin or Grosso's incomparably brutal eating of Milito, it made people's blood boil.
The hissing in the air above the Stadio Romana had begun from the moment Di Natale's Marseille spun past Genirello, and now that Grosso had succeeded in eating Milito raw, the hissing reached a climax.
It was a panicked booing. The Zaragoza people felt the threat of Sporting de Gijón's offensive.
Amid the deafening boos, Li Ang stood up from his seat and stared at the field.
Grosso glanced at Zaragoza's penalty area from the corner of his eye. He caught a glimpse of Zaragoza's midfielder, Movilla, chasing back from the corner of his eye. There was not much time left for him.
*****
Pass!
Grosso did not hesitate to pass the football out. Unlike many full backs who used their ankles to kick the football into the penalty area, Grosso chose to sweep the football with his long legs. He swept the football towards Zaragoza's penalty area.
The strength of his long legs played an obvious role in such a pass. The football was a low ball and the speed of the ball was extremely fast.
The football rushed into the penalty area and there was chaos in front of Zaragoza's goal. The Zaragoza players could be said to be afraid of the ball because as long as anyone stretched out his foot to touch the football, it was likely to drill into the goal. That would be an own goal.
Zaragoza's penalty area was chaotic. The Zaragoza players tried to avoid the ball while trying to hold on to the Sporting de Gijón players to prevent their opponents from touching the football.
Under such circumstances, Zaragoza's center back, Toledo, was horrified to find that the Argentinian Milito he was holding on to was the younger brother of his Zaragoza teammate, Gabriel Milito, Diego Milito! He could not completely hold on to this man because he saw a foot sticking out!
*****
Diego Milito was held by Toledo. He desperately tried to squeeze the defender away, but the penalty area was too crowded. Toledo was extremely cautious with his marking and he found it difficult to squeeze the man away.
At this time, his teammate, Gerosso's pass had already swept to the goal.
Milito gritted his teeth and used all his strength. He had no hope of squeezing his opponent away. What he wanted was to live for that little gap, a little chance!
Then, Toledo was squeezed until his body swayed slightly. It was at this moment that Milito's body suddenly leaned back and his right foot stretched out with all his strength.
Then, just before Milito's body fell back to the ground, he was pleasantly surprised to feel that the tip of his right foot seemed to have touched the little cutie!
Almost in the next second, Milito fell down with a crash. The Argentinian striker who fell to the ground looked straight ahead through the gaps between the legs of the people in front of the goal line and saw the football in the net behind the goal line …
The ball was in!
Milito seemed to be full of strength. He suddenly got up from the ground and bypassed his opponent today, his brother, Gabriel Milito. He bypassed his teammates, Di Natale and Mata and rushed straight to the sidelines.
*****
On the sidelines, Li Ang had his hands in his trouser pockets. He leaned forward and stared at Zaragoza's penalty area. Then he saw Gerosso's pass. However, there were too many people in the penalty area and he could not see the situation inside clearly. Finally, he saw the football in the net.
Li Ang's body, which was originally leaning forward, suddenly leaned back and straightened his waist and abdomen. Then, before he had time to make other celebratory moves, he was hugged tightly by a man. It was Diego Milito, who scored the goal.
"Coach, this ball is for you!" Milito shouted in the team manager's ear in Spanish with a strong Argentinian accent …
At the same time, more Sporting Gihon players rushed in like a tidal wave …
PS: First update.
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