There was no distance left! The two collided!
Haaland's running stride was a devilish, unrestrained lunge, and in just two steps, he caught up to the soccer ball.
Haaland and Cao Baiming simultaneously moved sideways towards the ball, using their backs and shoulders to initiate contact, attempting to shove each other aside!
However, things were not as simple as they had imagined!
Neither Cao Baiming nor Haaland got their way. When the two collided, the other remained unmoving. Neither of them succeeded!
"What the hell is this devil!?"
"This isn't right!"
Both of them felt surprised, and the spectators watching from the sidelines were even more astonished.
In the past, for Haaland to get the ball in such a situation was as easy as picking up a package. There was no confrontation at all; others would simply bounce away.
Although Cao Baiming didn't have many chances to dribble past opponents in the front, he had personally taken down several people on the field. His physical strength was evident.
To their surprise, when the two actually collided, they were evenly matched!
It was so exciting!
The fans were ecstatic!
As a result, neither of them touched the ball, and it continued to roll forward.
Seeing that the soccer ball had not entered his control in time, Cao Baiming chose to continue sprinting forward. At this moment, the soccer ball had unknowingly rolled into the penalty area!
Cao Baiming's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards.
From then on, there would be no suspense!
Even though Haaland, with a monstrous grimace, advanced with great strides, trying to push everything aside, Cao Baiming was not as easily bypassed as other players.
And the moment they jostled their way into the penalty area, he had already lost!
"Penalty Area Hunter activated!"
Physical attribute bonus, defense attribute increased by 70%, immunity to damage and knockback granted!
On the field, the penalty area in front of the goal was now empty. Although teammates were running to provide defensive support, their off-ball running speed couldn't even match the pace of the two players who were simultaneously fighting for position and preparing to control the ball.
Everyone knew that success or failure would be decided in the next instant!
If Haaland got the ball, he could shoot directly without trapping it! And ahead, there was only a lone goalkeeper!
Cao Baiming knew this well. His teammates hadn't arrived yet, and he absolutely could not let Haaland get past, not even to touch the ball!
But his confident expression conveyed much. He would absolutely not give up this ball!
Cao Baiming felt a warmth surge through his body. With a 70% increase in his defensive attributes, his body was as sturdy as a statue!
Haaland? Let alone Haaland, even a bull could be stopped!
For the second time, Cao Baiming actively pushed Haaland aside to gain control of the soccer ball!
The opponent, not to be outdone, charged head-on!
There was only one path ahead, and it couldn't accommodate two people. When paths crossed, the stronger would naturally prevail, and the brave would leave in disarray!
However, soon, Haaland's expression changed!
"Something's wrong!"
In an instant, Haaland was almost knocked off balance by the collision. He took several steps back with his supporting foot to avoid falling, but by then, the ball was out of control, several meters away from him!
"What's going on! It felt like I hit a wall?"
Haaland, unconvinced, looked at the soccer ball being easily controlled by Cao Baiming with disbelief.
The fans on the sidelines were completely stunned. Was their earlier equality an illusion?
Based on what people generally remembered, their minds were filled with images of Haaland charging through and scoring goals, not of him failing. There was no memory of him losing!
This wasn't due to the fans' poor memory. Even Haaland himself was encountering such a situation for the first time. What was that man meters away made of? How could his physique be so formidable!
A few seconds later, Haaland finally conceded. He shook his head in resignation and began to scan the field to find his position again.
Breaking through in this match would not be so easy...
Cao Baiming received a brilliant pass from De Bruyne, turned, and gave a thumbs-up in return. As expected of a top midfielder, the pass was incredibly comfortable!
He then sent a long pass directly to Messi.
Cao Baiming also understood that soccer could be complex, but it could also be simple. So simple that it didn't require much thought; just pass the ball to Messi.
At this moment, Haaland made a decision to participate in the defense!
He knew that he was no longer an unstoppable force up front. More importantly, he felt a sense of unease when he saw Cao Baiming.
It would be better to return to the back and help with defensive support, and perhaps even touch the ball occasionally during passing plays!
That's right, until this moment, Haaland had not touched the soccer ball!
Aside from the initial kickoff, he hadn't touched it once. Who knew how frustrating it was for him to play!
Seventeen minutes had passed, and the first half was already nearing its midpoint!
Messi observed the surroundings in advance, making preparations for his run. He received the ball easily from forty meters away.
After dribbling forward a couple of steps, he passed the ball.
It was clear that when Cao Baiming was in the defensive line, Messi became the primary target for the Manchester City players. As soon as he received the ball, at least three players would immediately swarm him within two seconds.
While Manchester City players wouldn't say they disliked Messi, hearing his name at an average frequency of over 100 times a week, and knowing he wasn't on their team but was only used by Guardiola to discipline them, they certainly didn't have a favorable opinion of him.
Despite their internal resistance, their technical skill was undeniable. For someone of his caliber, they had to pay extra attention.
Soon, the ball moved to the front, entering Arsenal's control.
For the next few minutes, the two teams engaged in an intense battle in Manchester City's own half. This was a rare opportunity to not be pinned down in their own territory.
Although possession changed hands a few times, there were also attempts at shots.
Seeing that Haaland had no intention of returning to the front, Cao Baiming knew what that meant. This guy was definitely scared!
Hahahaha, if that was the case, then perhaps he could go to the front and play around a bit?
Cao Baiming saw the person standing three meters in front of him, Elneny, who was precisely the player coach Arteta had instructed to cover when Cao Baiming faltered.
He quickly ran over and patted him on the shoulder, and simply said two sentences:
"You cover, I'm going to the front."