Chapter 585: Lin Quan Hasn't Given Up
Mbappé's second goal had Real Madrid feeling cautious. Zidane didn't wait any longer and made a decisive substitution, taking off Bale and bringing on Kovacic.
This substitution felt overly conservative, leaving Real Madrid fans disappointed. If Zidane had made the change five minutes earlier, it would've made sense, as Real Madrid was leading, and swapping an attacking player for a defensive one could be seen as a move to secure the lead.
But now that their lead was gone, bringing on a defensive player gave the impression that Real Madrid was playing scared, which hurt the team's morale.
To be fair, Zidane's substitution actually worked well. With Kovacic on the field, Real Madrid's midfield became even stronger. Kovacic was aggressive in winning the ball back and covered a lot of ground, easing the pressure on Real Madrid's defense and helping to fend off Manchester City's attempts to ride the momentum after their equalizing goal.
However, defense alone wasn't enough—Real Madrid needed goals to win. At this point, Zidane should've brought on Asensio to bolster the attack. But he hesitated. After much consideration, Zidane decided to hold off.
With regular time almost up, the game was likely heading into extra time. Zidane believed this would favor Real Madrid, as City had already used all three of their substitutions, while Madrid still had two changes left.
This could be Real Madrid's secret weapon, a chance to win the match, so Zidane didn't want to reveal his hand too early.
And Zidane's gamble paid off!
After Mbappé's goal, both teams tried to mount attacks and deliver a decisive blow, but neither side's defense slipped up, denying the other team any clear chances.
As a result, the score remained 3-3 when the final whistle blew, and the match headed into extra time.
Before extra time began, both teams had only five minutes to rest. For players who had already played over ninety exhausting minutes, five minutes wasn't nearly enough to recover their energy.
With such little time, neither team returned to the locker room. Instead, they sat down on the sidelines to discuss extra-time tactics.
Team doctors, assistants, and substitute coaches rushed to massage the players' legs, trying to relieve muscle fatigue and help them recover as much as possible.
Despite being physically drained, the players couldn't afford to miss the last thirty minutes. Even if their legs were giving out, they had to push through!
Especially for Manchester City, who had no substitutions left. They had no room for error.
"Real Madrid still has two substitutions. They'll likely bring on attacking players during extra time to test our defense. So we need to prioritize defense and focus on counterattacks," Guardiola said, aware of his team's fatigue. They couldn't afford to engage in a prolonged battle with Real Madrid.
City's difficult position was the result of several factors, and Guardiola bore some of the blame. His substitutions in the second half had been too aggressive, using two at once and leaving no room for flexibility.
Originally, Manchester City had planned to ramp up their efforts in the second half, but Real Madrid's two goals threw their plans into chaos. City had to play defensively, which not only thwarted their intended strategy but also drained their energy even faster.
Looking at David Silva and other veteran players, gasping for breath, Guardiola was worried. He feared they wouldn't hold up and was also concerned about injuries in extra time.
"If only we had five substitutions," he thought, "then we could rotate players as needed without being so restricted."
The five-minute break ended quickly, and both teams returned to the field as extra time began.
Contrary to Guardiola's expectations, Real Madrid didn't immediately launch a full-scale attack. They played cautiously, much to Guardiola's relief, though he couldn't shake a growing sense of unease. Zidane still had cards to play, and until those were revealed, Guardiola couldn't fully relax.
Zidane, meanwhile, was standing on the sidelines, intensely focused on the game, shouting instructions to his players, especially reminding them to stay sharp on defense.
That's right—Zidane was still focused on defense!
He could see that Manchester City's players were nearing their limit. But their two wingers, especially Sané, who had come on as a substitute, still had energy. Sané hadn't been as dazzling as Mbappé, but the fact that Guardiola trusted him meant he was dangerous.
Zidane suspected that City would make a desperate push in the first half of extra time. Their forwards still had energy, but their midfielders and defenders were on the brink of exhaustion. If they didn't take this chance to attack, once the midfield collapsed and couldn't support the forwards, they wouldn't get another opportunity.
So Zidane's strategy was to continue wearing City down, sapping their energy before bringing on fresh attackers in the second half to break through City's defense and win the match.
It was a solid plan, but the fans in the stands didn't know Zidane's thinking. Watching as time ticked away without Real Madrid launching an all-out attack, the fans grew increasingly anxious.
"Attack!" they shouted.
"What are you waiting for? City's players are running on fumes!"
"Kovacic, stop passing backward! Play it forward, you coward!"
The Real Madrid fans were far from composed. In the original timeline, Real Madrid had already won their 10th Champions League title in the 2013-2014 season, fulfilling their greatest desire. Since then, the pressure had eased, and both players and fans had taken a more relaxed approach. They were the reigning champions, the ones to beat.
But in this timeline, everything was different. Real Madrid still hadn't won their elusive 10th Champions League title, and it had become a psychological burden for the entire team. The players on the field wanted to win so badly that they were afraid to take risks.
If they launched an all-out attack and City countered and scored, it could spell disaster for them.
This fear of losing was also pervasive among the fans. They couldn't afford to lose anymore. After failing for over a decade, they had reached the final for the second time this year. If they lost again, the psychological toll of facing Manchester City in the future would be immense, possibly even crippling.
But despite Madrid's caution, Manchester City was in terrible shape.
Even without Madrid launching a massive attack, some City players were already struggling.
Just five minutes into extra time, David Silva began cramping up.
Lin Quan, who was nearby, quickly ran over to help, stretching Silva's leg to ease the pain.
Oddly enough, a Real Madrid player came over to assist as well. Lin Quan looked up and was surprised to see it was Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Don't get any ideas," Ronaldo said before Lin Quan could say anything. "I just want the game to resume quickly—I'm not helping him."
Uh, is that what people call being tsundere? Lin Quan thought to himself. Isn't Ronaldo supposed to be the overbearing CEO type? Who knew he had a side like this?
Silva managed to recover, but then City's left-back, Clichy, also began cramping.
Clichy, in his thirties, was truly at his limit after nearly a hundred minutes of play. As a full-back, he had to contribute to both defense and attack, and his running distance was among the highest on the team. The fact that he had lasted this long was impressive.
Real Madrid's full-backs, Carvajal and Marcelo, were equally exhausted, and neither had been making much impact in recent minutes.
As City players started going down, Real Madrid fans began to boo, convinced City was time-wasting.
The players on the field protested to the referee, asking him to stop City's delaying tactics. Even though Madrid hadn't been attacking relentlessly, they didn't want City using this method to recover, as it would give City's players more time to catch their breath and make things harder for Madrid.
In response to the protests, the referee checked on Clichy and called for a stretcher to take him off the field for treatment.
With City temporarily down to 10 players, Real Madrid seized the opportunity to launch an attack.
But they seemed to forget that even with one man down, City still had four defenders on the field, so their defensive structure remained intact.
The attack proved fruitless, and Madrid almost got caught on the counter as City launched a quick break.
Shaken by the close call, Madrid pulled back, while City, exhausted and down a man, couldn't muster a counterattack either.
The remaining minutes of the first half of extra time passed cautiously, and before anyone realized it, the half was over.
There was no break between halves, and both teams switched sides to continue the match.
Zidane carefully scanned City's lineup, assessing each player's condition.
He was now certain—City's players were running on fumes.
They had already started cramping up, and their fitness levels had only worsened since. Even Lin Quan, who had been a driving force throughout the match, had been quiet lately.
Zidane knew that the moment he'd been waiting for had arrived.
With a sweeping gesture, Zidane signaled for two substitutions: Asensio for Kroos and Morata for Benzema.
Real Madrid shifted to a 4-3-3 formation.
This formation change was a clear signal—it was time to attack!
Zidane had debated whether to replace Kroos or Casemiro and ultimately decided to keep Casemiro on the field due to his crucial defensive role. With Kroos off, Modric assumed the role of midfield playmaker, a perfect fit as he pushed forward and orchestrated the attack.
With the substitutions and the change in formation, the dynamics on the field shifted immediately.
Real Madrid poured forward, launching wave after wave of attacks on Manchester City's defense.
Asensio, fresh and full of energy, took advantage of the exhausted Clichy on City's left side, relentlessly attacking down the right flank and causing havoc for City's defense.
Clichy, despite his best efforts, simply couldn't keep up. He was completely outmatched by Asensio's pace and stamina.
Fernandinho was forced to provide frequent cover on the wing, but this left City vulnerable in the middle.
David Silva, still on the field, was struggling to contribute defensively due to fatigue. With Fernandinho preoccupied, City found themselves outnumbered in midfield, and Modric, Casemiro, and Kovacic soon took control.
No matter how good Kanté and Lin Quan were, they couldn't cover everyone. Real Madrid had the numerical advantage.
In the 114th minute, Real Madrid launched an attack from the right side.
Asensio drew City's attention and, instead of crossing into the box, cleverly cut the ball back to the edge of the penalty area.
There, an unmarked Modric saw his chance. Sprinting forward, he unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box.
Modric's shot was of the highest quality—fast and precise, heading straight for the top corner.
Navas reacted a split second too late. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.
In the 24th minute of extra time, Real Madrid took the lead once again!
Modric had scored what could only be described as the match-winning goal.
The Real Madrid fans in the stands went wild, and the players and coaches on the sidelines were celebrating in a frenzy. Zidane, in his excitement, even tore a large hole in the side of his suit, leaving him feeling a sudden chill in an awkward place.
On the field, Modric was ecstatic. He sprinted like a rocket, so fast that his teammates, who rushed over to celebrate with him, couldn't keep up.
Although Real Madrid had already scored four goals, this one was by far the most important.
It all but secured the Champions League title for them!
With Manchester City's players physically drained, cramping up, and demoralized, the chance of them equalizing in the remaining minutes seemed as likely as climbing a mountain.
Real Madrid was confident they had it in the bag.
Both the fans and players of Real Madrid, as well as their coach, were now convinced: the 2016-2017 Champions League title was theirs!
But just as the Real Madrid contingent celebrated wildly, a figure in blue walked into his own goal, picked up the still-rolling ball, and carried it slowly toward the center circle.
The players saw the number on his back—it was Manchester City's captain and talisman, number 10, Lin Quan.
He hadn't given up yet!
(End of chapter)
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