Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions
Chapter 164 - 138: The Sugar-Coated Cannonball Duo Reappears in Serie A! Linked in the First 5 Minutes!

Chapter 164: Chapter 138: The Sugar-Coated Cannonball Duo Reappears in Serie A! Linked in the First 5 Minutes!

Allegri’s words were like a boulder thrown into the water, stirring up a huge wave in the otherwise calm Italian football scene.

Calm, because with Juventus’s points advantage, they would undoubtedly take the Serie A title this season.

So much so that many people overlooked the existence of the arch-rivals Inter and Juventus.

Yet Allegri used such mocking language at the post-match press conference to taunt Inter Milan, constantly reminding people: Inter and Juventus are eternal arch-enemies, never missing a chance to step on the opponent!

This also raised a lot of anticipation for the 30th round Derby d’Italia in Serie A.

However, speaking of which, facing Juventus’s taunts, Inter Milan was helpless.

Because their strength is indeed formidable, giving them the right to say such things.

What’s more, closing the gap with Napoli to 3 points was indeed thanks to Juventus’s help—at least before the 30th round Derby d’Italia.

Instead, Napoli’s fans were not complaining about being beaten 3:0 at home by Juventus, but joined Juventus in stepping on Inter.

"Don’t be too happy too soon, these 3 points, you still have to deliver them back to us in the Derby d’Italia!"

Mancini knew how to motivate his players well.

Before the match against Verona, in the locker room, he deliberately replayed Allegri’s vicious words at the press conference on the big screen.

Seeing every Inter player gritting their teeth in anger, Mancini nodded in satisfaction.

"Guys, did you hear how Allegri talks about us, Inter Milan? This guy said if we want to enter the Champions League, we have to rely on Juventus’s help."

"And as for Napoli, I heard their fans saying, Juventus gave us these 3 points, and after the Derby d’Italia, we have to return them to Napoli."

"It’s hilarious! It’s like saying, before the Derby d’Italia even played, we’ll definitely lose to Juventus."

Just halfway through Mancini’s words, there was a "bang", as Icardi slammed the water bottle in his hand heavily to the ground.

The slam was so hard that the bottle shattered.

Water splashed onto Tang Long’s face first, then onto the tip of Mancini’s nose.

"That damn Allegri, I really want to tear his mouth apart. When the Derby d’Italia comes, I’ll score a hat-trick and shut him up!"

Mancini wiped the water off his face, sniffed it in front, and then told everyone:

"Great, I can smell the flames in your words!"

"I hope you carry this anger with you until the end of the season!"

"We’ll start this fire with Verona. We must win this match, losing is not an option, otherwise, we’ll always be two games behind Napoli!"

Mancini swung his hand elegantly, making the hem of his suit flare open, his tie askew, the white shirt barely hiding his solid chest muscles.

"Do we have the confidence to take down Verona at home?"

"Absolutely confident!" everyone responded in unison.

Tang Long glanced at Icardi, whose expression was as if he wanted to devour the opponent, and knew this match was in the bag.

A positively moving Icardi is definitely a sharp weapon on the field.

...

Icardi returned once more to the starting lineup.

He decisively refused the team’s physician Comby’s suggestion for surgery on his right pinky toe, insisting on conservative treatment.

For Icardi, it’s already been three matches without scoring.

This is very disadvantageous for his contest with Messi and C Luo for the Champions League Golden Boot this season!

Especially in the last match, with Tang Long’s assistance, the under-18 youngster Bonazzoli actually scored a hat-trick.

This made Icardi’s already taut nerves feel as if they were being pricked by a sharp knife, deeply stung!

So after Mancini had an in-depth conversation with the team’s physician Comby, he agreed to let Icardi back into the lineup.

For many professional players, injuries accompany their entire career until retirement.

How one views injuries varies from person to person, each player has their own thoughts.

At least for Icardi, 22 this season, he believes it’s worth taking a risk.

"Coach Zhang, Icardi is back in the starting lineup, I’ve heard he has an injury on his right pinky toe, but he didn’t choose surgery, what do you think about this?"

"The pinky toe is not a very important part, if Icardi insists on playing, he must feel that the injury doesn’t affect him much."

"Compared to surgery, Icardi clearly prefers being on the field. After all, with Tang Long around, even a small Bonazzoli can be set up for a hat-trick. I think, Icardi is definitely feeling envious."

He Wei too smiled knowingly.

"That’s right, Coach Zhang, you’re right, as long as Icardi is on the field, Bonazzoli won’t have a chance, he’s sitting on the bench now."

The on-site director clearly knows how to stir things up.

Just a minute before the match started, Icardi wrapped his arms around Tang Long on the field, seemingly discussing game tactics with him.

The director suddenly cut the camera to the young Bonazzoli sitting on the bench.

Bonazzoli curled his lips, his eyes full of reluctance.

The expression seemed to say: "I obviously performed so well, scored a hat-trick in the last match, why am I on the bench?"

"Haha, look at Bonazzoli’s expression, the lad is clearly quite frustrated."

"However, Bonazzoli clearly hasn’t seen the big picture."

"The reason you were able to score a hat-trick and be the best on the field in the last match wasn’t because of your strength, but because of Tang Long’s presence."

"Now that Bonazzoli has been replaced by Icardi, let’s see how the Argentine forward responds on the field?"

This match was Tang Long’s first game after triggering the [Chess Awakening].

As soon as the referee blew the whistle, he immediately felt a difference.

Just like he had encountered in the AI Cloud Training Ground before, countless lines instantly surged from the baseline and sidelines, forming several intersection points and spaces on the field.

Only 5 minutes into the game, Inter Milan got a good opportunity.

After a brief crossover with Medel, Palacio received the ball in an open space and immediately passed it to Tang Long up front without pausing.

A split second before Tang Long touched the ball, the sizzling sound of electricity passed by, and then a golden line rapidly extended along the intersection points on the field.

This time, there was no verbal cue from the brainwaves in Tang Long’s mind, but the line extended directly into Verona’s penalty area.

Tang Long quickly glanced at Icardi’s position.

There was no eye contact between Icardi and Tang Long, but just as Tang Long was about to take the ball, Icardi moved sideways like a cheetah.

"Pop," Tang Long stopped the ball with his foot, then turned and faced the defensive team’s midfielder.

With this turn, the frequency of everyone on the field visibly slowed down.

Time seemed to stand still—

For both opponents and teammates, their movements slowed down to the speed of about one percent like in slow motion.

Tang Long saw a blue grid light up about a square meter around Icardi’s feet.

This was the AI system’s mark on Icardi.

And in front of Icardi’s path, a series of blue grids lit up quickly, forming a line.

In the end, the line formed by the blue grids converged with the line connected by the golden intersection points.

This convergence point—a zone 1.5 meters inside the right side of Verona’s penalty area!

This was the enhancement brought to Tang Long by the [Chess Awakening] during the match.

Cruyff once said that football is an art of space division.

He compared it to playing chess.

In Tang Long’s mind, whether the ball at his feet or Icardi’s positioning, they moved on the field like chess pieces.

This was very different from previous AI systems!

Previously, although the AI system could anticipate and provide Tang Long with information at a millisecond level of brainwave time,

this method also had its limitations!

Although the timing of the prompts was advanced, the hints provided were not precise, merely described in words, not intuitive enough, requiring Tang Long to further analyze and judge.

But now, the golden line representing the passing direction strikingly extended on the field, appearing like a drawing!

At the same time, Icardi’s running route was also marked by a series of blue grids.

Tang Long had fed the AI system a large amount of Icardi’s running footage.

The AI system could intuitively simulate and predict Icardi’s next move direction at the moment, and visually reflect it to Tang Long’s naked eye!

"Watch the ball!"

Tang Long aimed at the convergence point of the golden intersection line and the blue grid line and sent a through ball!

The moment Tang Long’s instep touched the ball in a flicking manner, it felt as if a switch had been clicked, instantly returning the players’ movement speed to reality.

All processes sped up rapidly.

"Wow! That’s a ground strike!"

"The ball is moving very quickly! Charging towards Verona’s penalty area!"

"Who is he passing to? No one is there?"

"Icardi!"

"Ah! Where did he suddenly sprint from?"

"After three games, the sugary bullet partnership is connecting again!"

"Icardi is charging into the penalty area!"

"Shot—"

The Argentine forward displayed his exquisite scoring skills in front of the goal.

He intentionally stepped to the left with his left supporting foot, his body turned to the right, to deceive Verona goalkeeper Rafael.

"Hey! I’m going for the far corner, get ready!"

As Rafael stepped to the right, preparing to dive to save this long shot—

At the moment Icardi touched the ball, his ankle suddenly twisted!

He tucked in his stomach and bent his waist, pulling back his center of gravity!

His body swerved like an AE86 delivering tofu on Qiuming Mountain, making an in-place drift!

Rafael was fooled in focus, and in this race, the car metaphorically drove off the mountain, helplessly watching the ball roll into the near corner!