Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions
Chapter 111: Attacking Midfielder Positioned Back! 80,000 bolts of lightning tear through the night sky, striking the center of the pitch!

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Attacking Midfielder Positioned Back! 80,000 bolts of lightning tear through the night sky, striking the center of the pitch!

Lately, Inter’s matches have been increasingly popular, with ticket sales looking very promising!

For this Serie A match against Udinese, all 81,000 tickets were sold out once again.

The 35,000 season tickets, naturally, didn’t need to be mentioned, as their holders attend every match in person.

The remaining more than 40,000 single-game tickets were sold out days before the match commenced, leaving none.

Even scalpers are charging several times higher than usual!

Because those fans with tickets are unwilling to sell theirs.

They’d rather earn a few hundred euros less than miss the chance to watch the game live.

Especially after the team met expectations by defeating Atlanta and advancing to the Coppa Italia finals.

Fans’ expectations for the home team have soared!

Some fans even say, since there’s no hope of winning the championship, why not focus on the league and aim for the Coppa Italia and UEFA Europa League.

If Inter wins the UEFA Europa League, they can also directly qualify for the Champions League next season.

After all, following the current momentum, although Inter ranks fifth, they continue to triumph in the league.

"Whether we finish third or second, it doesn’t affect our qualification for the Champions League!"

In the face of such radical calls.

Coach Mancini, however, remained calm!

Calm down, boy!

Fans have their thoughts, and as the head coach, I have my KPI assessments.

Mancini is quite sophisticated too.

Don’t mind the owner, Toshihiko, boasting loudly in the newspapers about fighting on three fronts and aiming for 1~2 trophies this season.

Mancini understands what his contract assessment is.

The most crucial goal is still the one set at the season’s beginning: to finish in the top three in the league and secure a Champions League spot.

This is also what Mancini currently judges as the safest, most assured, and most executable strategy based on the current team lineup.

So for this match, Mancini gritted his teeth and didn’t make significant rotations.

The lineup continues with the same players from the previous Coppa Italia match.

During the pre-match motivation, Mancini said to the players:

"Guys, I know having two matches in one week is tough, you’ve just been through a hard-fought battle with Atlanta, and three days later you’re playing against Udinese."

"But now is a crucial period in the league process; the race for Champions League qualification has entered deep waters!"

"Look at who’s around us! AC Milan, Florence, Lazio, Naples, all eyeing this spot. We absolutely can’t fall behind!"

"Endure this match against Udinese, next week is a single match week, main players can rest well."

In the face of such motivational words from the head coach.

No professional player would say they want to rest.

Not everyone gets the chance to play.

But the players on the field will surely give their all for this blue and black jersey!

An hour before the match.

As soon as the starting lineup was announced online.

Chinese fans following the match laughed heartily once again!

-[Fantastic, another full-strength Inter Milan.]

-[Gualin, Tang Long, Icardi, Ranocchia, Shaqiri, these guys are all here!]

-[Today’s Serie A timing is quite good, it’s an afternoon match, we’re just at 10:00 PM here, the sun has truly risen from the west.]

-[Finally no need to stay up late watching the game anymore. Watch Tang Long, take a hot shower, sleep sweetly, and work even harder the next day!]

Wang Wen, the director of CCTV-5, entered the Meazza Stadium feeling excited.

When he finally found his seat, the sight before him was so magnificent!

The entire stadium was packed, with no empty seats.

The blue and black jerseys filled every corner of the Meazza Stadium.

They are everywhere!

Their cheers echo in the sky!

"Oh my goodness, this European football atmosphere is so different from China, watching this match is pure enjoyment!"

Fans in the stands waved their hands and chanted the slogan "Forza Inter" in unison.

In Italian, this means "Go Inter!"

Director Wang Wen was infected by this atmosphere, waving his hands and shouting.

Here, no one knows him; he is just a fan enjoying the pure joy football brings him.

"Forza Inter!"

"Forza Inter!"

"Forza Inter!"

In the overwhelming chants of 80,000 fans, Inter launched a series of fierce attacks at the start of the match!

Centered around Icardi as the fulcrum.

With Shaqiri on the left and Podolski on the right as distractions.

Using Tang Long in the middle as the playmaker.

With double defensive midfielders Medel and Gualin as protective barriers.

Along with left-back Santon’s advances and right-back Yuto Nagatomo’s cuts.

Inter Milan’s defense, midfield, and front lines operated like a tightly sealed machine, rumbling steadily.

And in the core center, Tang Long was the driving power source of this machine.

"Today, Tang Long appears different than usual; his position is slightly more withdrawn!"

"It should be Mancini’s use of a deeper-lying playmaker tactic, a rather innovative playstyle in recent years."

"Tang Long is positioned further from Icardi, moving closer to the two defensive midfielders, Gualin and Medel, forming a triangular stance."

"Look! They’re trying to spread the ball to both sides to widen the field!"

"Interesting, this is the first time Inter Milan is using the back position for the attacking midfielder this season! Can’t wait!"

Tang Long could actually play as a defensive midfielder.

However, within the Inter Milan team, the duo of Medel and Gualin at defensive midfield are very familiar with each other and offer strong defensive solidity.

Therefore, Mancini prefers to push Tang Long’s position forward.

But in this match, Mancini uniquely placed Tang Long backwards, clearly for his own considerations.

The starting players, despite being extremely excited emotionally, were energized by him before the game.

But physical fatigue is inevitable.

Mancini wants to strengthen the numbers in the midfield and defense in the first half, moving the ball through more passes.

"I’m confident that as long as we score first, we will definitely win the match!" Mancini turned to assistant coach Herrera and said.

"No problem, boss. We’ve practiced the attacking midfielder back position tactic for two training sessions, the players are very coordinated," Herrera was equally confident.

Such confidence quickly had a positive feedback!

In the 14th minute of the match.

Tang Long retreated to the defensive midfield position to receive the ball.

Due to the deep midfield retreat, Udinese’s midfield and forwards naturally pressed forward.

This pressing exposed the issues!

[Detected a disconnection between the opponent’s midfield and defense. Quickly bypass the opponent’s midfield defense, 81.22% chance of creating a threat ball!]

Almost in a millisecond, Tang Long’s brain rapidly processed this piece of information transmitted via brainwave.

Pa-pa, two quick touches!

Did a beautiful one-two pass with Gualin, Tang Long passed Udinese’s attacking midfielder Girilme who came to press.

When the first line of defense in midfield began to loosen.

Defensive midfielders Pingqi and Alan, one occupied a good position, the other came to press.

Desperately trying to prevent Tang Long from facing their own goal straight on!

But Pingqi’s pressing was already anticipated by Tang Long.

So at the moment he turned, he didn’t get tangled up with Pingqi but made a quick move towards Alan!

This action, pushed the attacking line forward by 5 meters.

Tang Long’s mind constantly echoed Pirlo’s teachings, "Soft, Tang, you have to learn to make the ball softer..."

He almost used the position of the right foot’s big toe.

Along the intersection gap between the grass and the bottom of the ball, through the shoe, his toes gently lifted up~

The ball gently floated, swayingly, just over the head of the towering 186cm defensive midfielder Alan, landing at Santon’s feet on the left wing!

"Perfect, beautiful, stunning!"

"Tang Long first took the ball past Girilme, then destroyed the same defensive midfielder encirclement by Pingqi and Alan!"

"Udinese’s midfield is now like a void, completely tricked!"

"Santon!"

"Again Santon!"

"This is the second consecutive match we’ve seen the brilliant connection between Tang Long and Santon on the left wing!"

"Is there a Tang-laden field besides the sugar-coated cannonballs I’m familiar with in Inter Milan?"

Santon’s nose tingled again, damn it, President Tang always gives me such amazing balls, why is he so good to me!

The Italian left-back made a very accurate judgment of the situation.

He didn’t move towards the baseline but pressed his center of gravity down, like a motorcycle bending through a racetrack, decisively leaned towards the middle, zooming like a small motorcycle fiercely into the huge gap between Udinese’s midfield and defense!

In this 20-meter wide area.

Udinese players are as scarce as cars on a highway at four in the morning, you can’t see a single one!

Until approaching center-back Danilo, Santon then used his left foot to push the ball towards the edge of the penalty area.

Pa!

Tang Long greeted the ball with a kick, sent it directly to the right wing without pause.

There’s no one on the right.

Because Podolski, who was charging in, was on his way!

At this moment, Podolski, nearing the age of 30, almost gathered all his explosive power in his lower leg.

Da-da-da, sprinting, sprinting!

Finally, before the left-back Sylvan, cut in, taking the first touch on the ball!

He was positioned very deep, pressing right to the edge of Udinese’s small penalty area line when he controlled the ball!

Tang Long’s deeply penetrating pass allowed Podolski the rare chance to face the goalkeeper directly!

But the German forward clearly saw a better opportunity~

Icardi suddenly sharply withdrew, at the penalty spot, shaking off the closely marked Domizi.

"Reverse triangle!"

Upon seeing the ball precisely roll to his right foot in an instant.

The Argentine forward was certain and determined, his Serie A goal tally was about to increase by +1!

A smooth push, his instep firmly pressed in the center of the ball.

With a downward force, he sent the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal!

"Goooooal!"

"Mauro Icardi!!!!"

The voice of eight thousand people at Meazza stadium formed an invisible force.

Like eighty thousand lightning bolts, piercing the night sky, striking the center of the field!

Icardi rushed towards the north stand, leapt up, steadily landing on the advertising board, raising both hands like wings!