"Sterling goes for the angle! It's over ter Stegen's defense!!!"

"Umtiti! Umtiti, who made a huge mistake in the first half! He headed the ball out!!"

"A super save on the goal line!! Umtiti lives up to his physical talent! Without Umtiti, this ball would have 100% gone into the net!"

"Man City! Sterling!"

"Almost a game-winning goal!

Umtiti saves Barcelona!!"

Zhao Gang, with his hands raised high, hugged his head. The ball was already falling, about to cross the goal line, but Umtiti twisted his body, stretched his head, and with a flick, headed the ball out!!

Pique, rushing over, kicked the ball far out of bounds, completely resolving the crisis.

Sterling sat on the ground, hugging the goalpost, completely dumbfounded, with an expression that looked like he was about to cry.

Guardiola covered his head and knelt directly on the edge of the field.

How could this happen?

How could such a ghost story occur??

Camp Nou erupted in thunderous cheers, Umtiti becoming their hero at that moment.

In the first half, his wandering mind allowed Zhao Gang to easily get past him and equalize the score.

Now, at the last moment, he transformed into an iron wall, heading out a sure goal!

Half devil, half god.

"There have been two goal-line saves in this match! One was Zhao Gang's clearance of Messi's ground shot, and the other was Umtiti's header to deny Sterling's goal.

In this game, both sides have shown extraordinary offensive and defensive capabilities!

Five minutes of stoppage time, the last five minutes, will there be another moment of magic?"

Man City quickly threw the ball in. De Bruyne and Fernandinho played a combination, passing to Aguero, who had dropped back into midfield.

Aguero could only pass back to Zhao Gang.

In this match, he was successfully restricted in the center by Pique and Umtiti, with almost no dazzling performance.

Especially Umtiti, who was physically very strong. Despite making one serious mistake, his defense against Aguero was actually very outstanding.

After Zhao Gang got the ball, he couldn't find any opportunities to move forward, so he chose to pass back again. It looks like it will be difficult to score another goal.

A draw at Camp Nou is acceptable for Man City.

They have a two-away-goal advantage and a home-field advantage.

Considering how today's game unfolded, being able to go back with a draw is already quite an achievement.

Barcelona's players, their formation began to move forward, including Messi, who joined the counter-press.

Clearly, they didn't want to let Man City take away a draw so easily.

A huge wave of cheering and encouragement echoed through Camp Nou, and the red and blue flags began to wave.

The flag bearers stood high, waving the Barcelona flags with all their might, and half of the Camp Nou stands were filled with fans standing up, jumping, and waving their jerseys to cheer for their home team.

Amidst the roaring songs, Barcelona's players were bursting with spirit, and their stamina seemed to be replenished.

Both sides launched a wide-ranging press in midfield.

Possession changed hands several times, and it was difficult for Barcelona to find a passing route to connect with the front line.

Zhao Gang and Messi, who were dribbling the ball, became the focus of attention. Both of them fell in midfield twice, it was too difficult to dribble forward!

There was only one minute left in the game.

Man City took a free kick in midfield, but instead of attacking, they passed the ball around in their own half.

It seems that time is running out, and there are no opportunities to attack.

The referee kept looking at his watch, ready to blow the whistle to end the game at any moment.

Zhao Gang was panting, but he didn't relax at all.

Neymar and Suarez, their eyes shining, unleashed their last bit of stamina and started counter-pressing in the frontcourt.

David Silva, De Bruyne, and Zhao Gang retreated very deep, starting to receive passes from the defense.

Messi, who had drifted from the wing to the center, suddenly accelerated and, together with Suarez, pressed David Silva!

At the same time, Busquets and Iniesta quickly moved closer to the passing lanes that Silva might use.

David Silva wanted to pass back. With a turn, Suarez poked the ball away!

Silva quickly turned around. Messi received the ball!

David Silva's mind went blank. Without thinking, only wanting to prevent Messi from getting past, he reached out and pulled hard.

Messi flung his arm away, used force with his feet, gritted his teeth, and directly shook off Silva's arm. Silva fell to the ground.

But the referee didn't blow the whistle; it was Silva's foul.

Advantage to the attack!

Instantly, the sound of fierce cheering rang out throughout the entire stadium, about to soar into the clouds.

Messi dribbled the ball, and the Man City players nearby involuntarily rushed over.

It was too dangerous!

And after forming a closing defense, Messi played a through ball that directly pierced the entire defense!

This was Messi's pass, precise and hidden.

Suarez rushed up.

Suarez, who hadn't had any brilliant performances, had only made a few good supporting plays in this match, and received a yellow card for a foul in the penalty area.

This time, he was going to prove himself!

Otamendi had already gone to block Messi, so Stones could only go to interfere with Suarez.

If Suarez were any faster, he would have a one-on-one opportunity. Stones' quick recovery prevented Suarez from moving forward smoothly.

As long as Kompany caught up, Suarez would have no space to shoot or pass!

But a top striker's ability to seize shooting opportunities in front of the goal is definitely not something that ordinary forwards can compare to.

Suarez withstood Stones, and just like that, before Stones could make his next defensive move, Suarez bent his body, lifted his leg, and took a shot!

The ball rushed towards the goal. Bravo was fully focused and immediately dove!

He didn't dare, nor did he have the chance, to catch the ball. Being able to push the ball out from such a short distance would already be a god-level performance!

"Suarez shoots! Bravo! Bravo miraculously pushes the ball out! Bravo has made a great contribution!!"

"There's still!!! Messi!!!! Messi!!!"

The commentator shouted hoarsely. The ball was pushed out, Kompany was in a hurry to defend Suarez, and Stones was still being held back.

No Man City player cleared the ball at the first opportunity!

Messi, who was originally outside the penalty area, rushed into the penalty area immediately after passing the ball, waiting for a possible second chance.

And this time, he got it!!

Fernandinho, who was tracking back, had no chance to stop Messi.

The fallen Bravo quickly got up.

Messi took a volley!

The ball landed and bounced up, then flew towards the goal.

Bravo used all his strength, but he couldn't reach the far corner.

Whoosh...

The ball smashed into the net!

Goal!

Messi completed his hat trick!

The soul of Barcelona, the king of Camp Nou!

Three to two, taking the lead over Man City again!

Camp Nou was like a boiling giant oil pot, like a terrifying volcano erupting!

Messi jumped off the field, expressionless, opened his arms, and faced the entire audience.

Reigning supreme.

At this moment, the huge Camp Nou seemed to be prostrate beneath this small body.

The Camp Nou fans were no longer sitting; everyone stood up, offering their most sincere and enthusiastic respect to their king.

Zhao Gang shook his head, sat down inside the penalty area, let out a heavy breath, and then fell on the grass.

The Man City players gritted their teeth, covered their faces, and couldn't accept what had happened.

The last minute of the game.

They were actually overtaken!

They were clearly in the lead, but they lost a good game at the last moment.

Enrique roared and rushed up, punching the air, his tie flying, unable to suppress his excitement.

Guardiola squatted on the sidelines, smashing the turf hard, venting his anger.

His players had done their best, but they were still ended by Messi.

"Messi... killed the game... Man City has no chance!

Although Man City lost this game, it was still wonderful enough!

Zhao Gang's performance was still outstanding. He showed super dominance on both the offensive and defensive ends. It's a pity, a pity that Barcelona's front trident was too impactful!

Messi deserves to be the best player in the world and completed a hat trick.

Defeated Man City!

I believe that all fans will cheer for this thrilling game. It is worthy of being a Champions League semi-final, full of quality!

I even feel that it was more exciting than the final!"

"Oh! It fell short! Messi... is too strong, isn't he?"

"It's a pity, a pity that my City was just a little short, a pity for all of Zhao Gang's efforts!"

"Man City's strength is quite strong, at least they didn't collapse, and there's still the second leg!!"

"Yes! Man City only lost the first game, and they are only one goal behind, and they have two away goals. They can still advance if they beat Barcelona at home!"

"Man City's performance has already slapped some experts in the face. Those football illiterates actually said that Barcelona could win by three! Looking at it this way, Man City has a very good chance when they return to their home field!"

"Yes, Man City, cheer up, Zhao Gang, cheer up!!"

"Kill Barcelona, see you next week!!!"

Man City kicked off, and the referee blew the whistle to end the game.

Zhao Gang was a little down, but not unacceptably so.

He hugged Messi and exchanged jerseys with him, which was arranged by Aguero before the game.

The two greeted each other, and Messi was even more low-key than he imagined.

"Congratulations," Zhao Gang said generously, without being awkward.

However, if they lost in the second leg, Zhao Gang didn't know if he would have the magnanimity to offer his blessings.

Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't.

Some things, until you experience them yourself, until the very last moment, even you won't know what your choice will be.

The Man City fans in the stands stared blankly. They knew in their hearts that Man City's lineup had some problems and it would be difficult to beat Barcelona.

But as Man City played, they brought huge surprises to these fans.

They had equalized, taken the lead!

If things continued like this, they might win away from home!

Unfortunately, Messi's explosion at the last moment ended the game.

However, this didn't mean that Man City was finished.

They still had a second game.

Returning to their home field, returning to the familiar Etihad.

It would be enveloped by the songs of the Man City fans.

Barcelona might not be able to defeat Man City.

"Messi still defeated Zhao Gang. At least in this game, Messi's performance on the offensive end was stronger than Zhao Gang's.

This is not something to regret.

These are some of the things you need to experience in the process of growth.

But this is not the end for Zhao Gang or Man City.

They still have one chance, one chance to come back!

When they return to the Etihad, to the place they are familiar with, I believe Zhao Gang and Man City will work together to make their best efforts towards their goal!

Barcelona has not advanced; they still need to undergo the final baptism at the Etihad!

We look forward to the second leg at the Etihad, which is also the decisive battle of this semi-final!

The suspense is still there, the hope is still there!"

The Dragon Kingdom fans were not satisfied with the result.

"Man City's defense has too many loopholes! They still need to play with four defenders. Zhao Gang is exhausted!"

"That's right, Zhao Gang goes up to attack and then runs back. He was a bit unable to keep up throughout the game. This is the first time I've seen Zhao Gang look a little tired after only seventy minutes!"

"Guardiola definitely needs to adjust. Otherwise, there will still be problems in the next leg!"

"Zhao Gang is still too strong. That long shot, that breakthrough, and that goal-line clearance, all kinds of passes, all kinds of headers clearing the penalty area! An all-around warrior!"

"Absolutely a hexagonal warrior. Except for goalkeeping, there's nothing he can't do!"

"If Sané and Kyle Walker could play, the lineup would be perfect, and Barcelona would probably lose."

"That's right, Zhao Gang's defensive consumption is too great!"

On the field, reporters had already begun interviewing the coaches of the two teams.

On the Man City side, Aguero stayed behind to endure this torture. Zhao Gang had already left and returned to the locker room.

It wasn't that he was in a bad mood because of the loss. He had never liked being interviewed by reporters on the field.

Guardiola said a few simple words: "Barcelona is still a top European powerhouse. I am very happy to return to Camp Nou again. I heard the Barcelona fans calling my name. They... they were at least somewhat enthusiastic towards me.

We lost the game at the last moment. Yes, it was just a little bit short.

I have always said that Messi is the best player in the world, and he proved what I said again in this game.

I always believe that we will advance to the final. This is what we care about most this season!

Zhao... he almost died from exhaustion because of my tactics, so he will appear in a different position in the next game. We will do everything we can to eliminate Barcelona at the Etihad."

Enrique won the game, but he wasn't satisfied.

Barcelona should have won by more.

That's all?

"Well... we did win the game, but the result is not satisfactory. If it weren't for Messi, we would have lost this crucial game at Camp Nou.

Man City didn't really restrict our tactics. We had many good opportunities, but unfortunately, the players didn't seize them.

Our defense was not good enough either. I believe that after this game, the players will make changes.

Zhao's performance was indeed beyond my expectations. His technique, his attack, his defense, his stamina... it's hard to find another player like him.

He is already one of the best players in the world.

In the next game, defending him will still be one of our most important things."

After this high-profile game, two voices emerged in the English media.

One was that Man City would have a great opportunity to defeat Barcelona and advance to the final!

The other was that Man City was finished. Being able to lose by only one goal in the first leg was just luck, plus the Barcelona players weren't familiar with Zhao Gang.

In the second leg, Man City would be done for.

"Man City tried their best, but still lost at Camp Nou. The second leg will be even more difficult!"

"With luck on their side, Man City still couldn't hold onto a draw!"

"Premier League giants, timid in the Champions League!"

"Super Zhao scores twice, contributing brilliant performances on both the offensive and defensive ends!"

"Man City will eliminate Barcelona at the Etihad!"

"Messi hat trick, Barcelona narrowly defeats Man City at home. What will Barcelona do when they go to the away game?"

"Man City will unite and easily overthrow the universe team!"

…

This defeat was not a big blow to the Man City players.

Because this was already the ending they had expected.

Being able to take two away goals was a small advantage.

They still had a very important game to play.

The second leg of the FA Cup semi-final.

Because of this game, the originally scheduled Premier League Round 30 game even needed to be postponed.

Man City didn't give up on this game, because they were already leading two to zero in the first leg. As long as they won this round, Man City would enter the FA Cup final and have the opportunity to compete for another championship!

And this game was at Man City's home.

Sané and Kyle Walker, who couldn't play in the Champions League, could finally show off their skills.

On the defensive line, Clichy, Kolarov, and Zabaleta all started.

Zhao Gang, De Bruyne, and David Silva were all rotated in midfield.

Aguero was also on the bench.

Jesus and Sterling continued to start, leading the reserve players to play and see how it goes.

If they could advance, Guardiola wouldn't let the main players play.

If there were any problems, Guardiola would still have to replace the main players and fight.

Zhao Gang definitely wouldn't have a chance to play because he was too tired.

This game was only two days away.

And Man City's reserve players didn't disappoint Guardiola. They showed great fighting power at home.

They played an epic offensive and defensive battle with Southampton.

In the end, Man City drew 3-3 with Southampton.

The Man City fans in the entire stadium stood up and applauded in celebration.

They were already two-time champions this season, and now they had another chance to compete for a championship.

They also had a very high chance of competing for the treble. Next week will be the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. Maybe they will have a chance to compete for the quadruple crown!!

"Man City!! Eliminate Southampton and enter the FA Cup final. The other semi-final is a match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. In the first leg, Manchester United drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace away. They will most likely defeat Crystal Palace and meet Man City in the final!

Man City has a good chance of winning the treble!

Man City has never won it in their history. This is a considerable honor for Man City and Zhao Gang.

Zhao Gang won the Europa League title last season. This season, at Man City, he will launch an assault on higher honors.

His achievements are difficult for Dragon Kingdom players and even Asian players to reach. This is our pride.

But we sincerely hope that in the near future, another player like Zhao Gang will appear in the Dragon Kingdom!

Of course, the FA Cup final is still quite far away. We can temporarily put the FA Cup aside. Next week, Man City will usher in a game that is more important than the FA Cup final, the second leg of the semi-final against Barcelona at home!

We look forward to Zhao Gang and Man City's performance!"

This victory, entering the FA Cup final, didn't bring too much joy to the Man City players.

They were about to face a real battle of life and death.

"We have all seen Barcelona's front trident, so in this game... I need the defense to maintain absolute focus!

You have to take out two hundred percent of your strength and spirit to lock them down!

Reduce mistakes, and even if you have to stick to them and fight, you have to stop them outside the penalty area!"

Guardiola continued to emphasize his tactics: "I believe Barcelona's tactics in the second leg will be very cautious. They will not attack in a big way unless we score a goal first.

So... Zhao... this time, I don't need you to stand behind and defend. You have to stand in the midfield, keep passing the ball forward, and keep breaking forward yourself. Our mid-to-front field has to stun Barcelona's defense in the shortest possible time!"

The importance of this game for both sides was self-evident.

Some media even believed that these two rounds of semi-final matches between the four teams were like a preview of the final.

Many Spanish media outlets that were previously bearish on Man City were now worried about Barcelona. They believed that Barcelona's defensive performance in the first game was not much better than Man City's. If they couldn't restrict Zhao Gang and let Zhao Gang take a few shots outside the penalty area, the consequences would be disastrous.

Both of these teams were strong in attack and weak in defense, and Man City's offensive capabilities exceeded the Spanish media's initial understanding.

If it weren't for luck, Barcelona might have lost at Camp Nou!

And the attention paid to the second round of competition would definitely be higher than in the first round.

For both sides, this was a real battle of life and death!

On the afternoon of May 9th, the other Champions League semi-final, which started first, saw Bayern visit the Bernabeu. In the first leg, Real Madrid took away a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena. Under very optimistic circumstances, Bayern strongly won 3-1!

Bayern once again broke into the Champions League final, waiting for the winner between Barcelona and Man City.

On the afternoon of May 10th, the area around the Etihad Stadium was already lively.

At this time, there was still a long time before the game, but the fans were already impatient.

When the players from both sides were warming up, the Etihad Stadium was already packed.

At Camp Nou, only about half of the fans came during the warm-up, and that was already a considerable turnout.

At the Etihad, the cohesion of these fans was obviously even greater than that of the Barcelona fans.

Although the capacity of the Etihad Stadium could not compare to Camp Nou, the enthusiasm of the fans was no less than that of Camp Nou.

Messi stood on the field and looked up twice. This terrifying oppressive energy was not inferior to Camp Nou.

The treatment that the Man City players enjoyed at Camp Nou, the Barcelona players would now enjoy.

After warming up, the players from both sides returned to the locker room.

Soon, they would re-enter the field. When they re-entered, it would be a real close encounter.

In this game, no one could afford to lose.