The night owls from Tang Nation, scattered across the globe, erupted in cheers.
They had waited so long, and it was finally here!
"Welcome everyone to the live broadcast of this match. This is a highly anticipated clash in the Champions League group stage, with Paris Saint-Germain visiting Arsenal!"
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On the pitch, Mbappé, disregarding everything, immediately ran to his favored left wing as soon as the game started.
As a center-back, Cao Baming naturally had to focus on defense.
The ball reached Arsenal's midfield and transitioned between the center and the wings.
Mbappé, positioned up front, watched helplessly, completely absent from defensive duties.
His old teammate, Messi, received the ball and attempted a forward pass, initiating the first attack.
Cao Baming glanced at Mbappé's position, then looked ahead, and began to sprint at full speed.
Vieira, who received the ball in the front, seemed to hear Cao Baming's footsteps and gently nudged it forward!
The spectators by the sidelines widened their eyes! Was it happening?
Forty-five seconds into the match, Cao Baming unleashed his first long-range shot from five meters outside the penalty box. It grazed Marquinhos's shoulder and was then caught by Donnarumma.
Cao Baming shook his head in regret.
"Wow, a long shot from Cao Baming! He's already tested Donnarumma right after the kickoff!"
"The intensity of this match is likely foreshadowed right here!"
Mbappé watched from afar, shaking his head with a sigh.
Then, Donnarumma quickly kicked the ball directly towards Mbappé!
Although Cao Baming was already close to returning to his position, he underestimated Mbappé's acceleration!
Donnarumma's pass gave Mbappé nearly twenty meters of space!
Mbappé easily shrugged off two defenders and, despite their desperate chase, they looked utterly disheveled.
Cao Baming was not close to him. In his urgency, even activating the "Flying Bird" skill could only barely match Mbappé's speed!
His speed was indeed terrifying!
"Mbappé!! Unbelievable acceleration! Another one-on-one!"
"Control, shoot! Beautiful! Goal!!!"
"Paris Saint-Germain leads 1-0! They've scored first away from home!!"
"Mbappé might have some flaws in other aspects, but his speed is undoubtedly in a league of its own in the entire world!"
Cao Baming looked ahead, regretting not having returned to his position in time.
If they had both accelerated simultaneously, who knows who would have been faster!
Arteta also shook his head helplessly.
It seemed like this match, like the one against Manchester City, was a game where Cao Baming was sorely missed!
He was needed on both offense and defense, but he could only be in one place at a time.
"It's only been a minute! This is truly an exciting match!"
The fans came with anticipation, knowing this match would be exciting, but they never expected it to escalate to this level within the first minute!
It was like that in-game advertisement, "One hit, 999 damage!"
There was no buffer time, straight into the climax!
Judging by this momentum, the ticket price was definitely worth it!!!
However, Cao Baming was not to be outdone. Just a minute later, he personally exacted his revenge!
During Arsenal's counter-attack, Cao Baming didn't hesitate and personally carried the ball to midfield. After a through pass, he continued to advance for the return.
The second landing of the cleared ball was precisely predicted by Cao Baming, who easily slotted it into the goal!
The score was leveled!
The commentators were too astonished to speak, such a pace!
This was too fast!
"Cao Baming is not to be outdone! He equalizes within a minute! A devastating cannon from Cao Baming at the edge of the penalty box!"
It was clear the goalkeeper didn't dare to save it!
Thinking of the last one, who had just been discharged from the hospital two days ago!!
By the fifth minute, this was the third kickoff. Mbappé's eyes held a new emotion as he controlled the ball.
He had made bold promises before the match, and he was absolutely not going to lose today!
The fans' enthusiastic cheers never ceased. With a match that seamlessly transitioned from one climax to another, their excitement never waned!
"This is incredibly exciting. If they keep playing like this, there will be at least ten goals?"
"No, no, you're being too conservative! Two goals in five minutes. A regular ninety-minute match has eighteen five-minute intervals, so there should be thirty-six goals!"
"You're absolutely right! You're absolutely right!"
The fans looked at the pitch, seeing only the sharpest blades of the football world standing on the field!
After Mbappé kicked off, this time, at the urging of both coaches, the tempo finally slowed down a bit.
While the players enjoyed themselves immensely, and the fans even more so, the head coaches had to step in and make adjustments. After all, if this continued, defensive gaps would widen.
Strong teams are often those with excellent defenses, while teams with powerful offenses rarely win championships.
Moreover, if they continued playing at this pace, the players would likely run out of stamina by the sixtieth minute.
During a few minutes of peaceful development, Cao Baming returned to defense, but his position shifted to the left wing, serving as a supporting defensive midfielder.
However, at the same time, Neymar on the right was left completely open.
It wasn't that he was completely open, just that Cao Baming wasn't there.
But with the defense of White and Cedric, it was a long shot to stop Neymar.
As expected, it wasn't long before it was Neymar's turn to shine.
This season, Neymar had endured mockery from the outside world and friction within the team with Mbappé, yet he had proven himself on the field with outstanding performances.
Neymar, always known for his shooting, had become the top assist provider in the top five leagues this season by feeding Mbappé.
The Samba prodigy moved like a nimble sprite near the penalty box; it was impossible to stop him without four or five players!
Within a few minutes, Neymar continuously attempted to assist, his passes through crowds being squandered multiple times. Finally, he realized it was better to do it himself!
Cao Baming kept a close eye on Mbappé, knowing that even if others wanted to shoot, Mbappé would likely not allow it.
But Neymar was different. Seeing no clear opportunity, he took a shot himself, unleashing an ultimate world-class strike into the top corner of the goal!
"Beautiful!!!"
The commentary booth erupted in excitement.
"Neymar's shot was like a steel blade!"
"2-1! Paris Saint-Germain takes the lead again away from home!"
"What an unexpected turn of events in this match!!!"
Mbappé's expression was unreadable, neither happy nor unhappy.
He was, at the very least, frustrated!