Chapter 35: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Wolfsburg could not shift into their "bus" formation in time. Everything happened too quickly. The Europa League battlefield is a place where things change in the blink of an eye.

Moving from a high defensive line to a low one is not merely a matter of stepping back; during the transition, one must disrupt the opponent's passing lanes and maintain the structural integrity and spacing of the formation, or risk being torn apart with ease. A fierce "Fat Wolf" must be careful not to expose its backside while retreating to defend.

However, the moment Malanda saw Li Luo’s gesture, he didn't hesitate or doubt for a second. He decisively abandoned the Inter winger who had been dragging him around and firmly retreated.

"What kind of play is that?"
"Why is Malanda retreating blindly? Is he not paying attention to vertical spacing?"
"Heh heh, one person doesn't make a difference."
"Wait? Inter Milan has shifted the point of attack against Wolfsburg's high line!"
"Handanovic, a long ball to space rather than a player."
"Icardi, he’s got a one-on-one opportunity!"

Hecking frowned deeply. His assistant coach looked on, terrified. Mazzarri, however, was full of confidence: against a Wolfsburg side with no European pedigree, he only needed to adjust his passing system slightly to secure the win.

The trajectory of the ball ignited cheers at the San Siro. It dropped to the halfway line, then took a bounce. In the camera's frame, two tall figures were locked in a fierce struggle. Inter's star striker Icardi versus Wolfsburg's center-back Knoche.

"Knoche is too thin."
"Icardi hasn't fully developed his physique yet, but he can absolutely handle his opponent."
"Danger."

The consequences were dire. Once Icardi controlled the ball, combined with the forward runs of other Inter attackers, Wolfsburg's defense was on the verge of being blown apart. The cheers at the San Siro reached a crescendo. Though the team had declined, the fans who had witnessed its glory days knew exactly what this meant.

In the live stream chat:
- [I remember now, this is how Mazzarri handled Manchester City and Chelsea in the Champions League two years ago. His methods for shifting the point of attack against high lines have evolved, but the ultimate tactical goal remains the same.]
- [The means keep pace with the times; the goal remains unchanged.]
- [Mazzarri’s style, in layman's terms, is essentially this: at the macro level of 'ball possession,' he uses changes in backfield distribution points and the gathering and contracting of the midfield to draw out space, ultimately creating the most comfortable one-on-one opportunity for the striker at the tip of the formation. In the 3-5-2, setting aside the two or three midfielders used as decoys, the remaining players push up to support Icardi, eventually creating a numerical advantage in the attack.]
- [No wonder Coach Zhang said: it’s dressing up a set-piece attack as a transitional attack.]
- [What are you guys blabbering about? Why are you typing so fast?]

Suddenly, a little dark-skinned player raced back. It was Malanda, the all-around midfielder who strictly followed Li Luo's instructions. He stretched out his long, dark legs, poked the ball away, and simultaneously used his powerful glute and leg muscles to violently shove Icardi aside.

"The advantage of the backside."
"Every force has its counter."

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," the commentator noted. "Malanda played that very smartly. After the steal, he passed the ball to Li Luo."

The Nerazzurri players were stunned. They were on the verge of shredding Wolfsburg's defense, so how did Icardi lose the ball? Wait. That kid didn't have such high tactical intelligence in Wolfsburg’s previous tapes. Was it that brat Li Luo’s doing?

Disaster. Inter Milan didn't have time to fall back into position!

Using the geometric model in his spatial perception, Li Luo saw the fragmented Inter Milan formation. He received the ball, turned, and played a through ball. Two touches with his right foot and he orchestrated Wolfsburg's rapid counter-attack. The ball became a blunt blade, piercing through Inter's defense.

"Wow!"
"That was a ruthless exploitation of a flaw!"
"Top-tier vision."
"Bendtner!"
"It's a one-on-one!"

The pitch at the San Siro felt like an isolated island floating in mid-air, watched by tens of thousands of eyes in the night.

Bendtner's brain couldn't process so much information at once. He only saw Inter Milan preparing to launch a fierce attack, yet the ball was suddenly at Li Luo's feet, rolling toward him. And it was passed to his preferred side? The "Lord" of Arsenal quickly adjusted his body and sprinted with all his might. He took the ball, touched it again, and finally, fired a shot.

*Bang!*
*Clap!*

The field microphones picked up two sounds of contact. Bendtner’s shot. Handanovic’s save. The ball drifted harmlessly over the byline.

"Saint Handanovic has made another vital save!"
"This Inter keeper has a very high success rate on one-on-one saves and has even set the Serie A record for penalty saves in a single season."

Bendtner fell to his knees, clutching his head in frustration. The Inter goalkeeper scrambled to his feet, wanting to vent at his teammates... but realized it wasn't his teammates' mistake; it was the craftiness of the opposition.

The San Siro erupted in thunderous applause for Inter Milan. Most of it was for "Saint Handanovic," but a portion was for the Chinese teenager.

[Shock Value +1!]
[Shock Value +1!]

Li Luo was slightly surprised: these veteran Serie A fans... I just 'ignored' Mazzarri’s three-center-back distribution system tactically, and I gained thousands of shock points? Are they imagining things in their heads?

The game was currently dead. Malanda ran over, excited: "Li, you almost turned me into Makelele!"

In the distance, De Bruyne’s cheeks were flushed. He gave the Chinese teenager a thumbs-up, a flash of admiration appearing in his eyes. The other Wolfsburg teammates felt the same. It was as if they were playing a single-player game, and Li Luo had just changed the difficulty from 'Hard' to 'Easy.'

On the sidelines, the assistant coaches were chattering away, analyzing the play. Hecking clapped his hands with an expressionless face: "Yes, Li thought exactly the same as I did!"

"Low-block defending minimizes the effectiveness of Inter’s passing system! There’s no need for us to expend too much energy in the final third."

On the other side, Mazzarri rubbed his thick hair and muttered: "That Chinese kid... he really does have eyes all over his body; he sees through everything. It’s going to be hard for us to lure them out of position now. Let me think..."

In the CCTV5 broadcast booth, Coach Zhang took advantage of the stoppage to explain in the simplest terms possible. "Notice here, Malanda sees Li Luo's gesture and retreats immediately. The other Wolfsburg players aren't pressing high anymore. After the change in possession, Inter Milan couldn't recover, and their attacking formation couldn't switch back in time. Li Luo seized the opportunity to orchestrate the counter."

"It sounds simple, but it actually reflects Li Luo's multifaceted intelligence..."

In the comment section:
- [Li Luo is just lazy; he bypassed the steps of solving the problem.]
- [If this were Cruyff or Beckenbauer in their prime... they would definitely clash with Mazzarri’s improvised passing system a few times, probe for flaws, provide the perfect solution, and then crush Mazzarri tactically.]
- [You haters, just admit Li Luo countered Mazzarri.]
- [He countered him...]
- [My Li is worthy of being the heir to Manchester United and the future of Chinese football.]

In the VIP box, the young ladies of the Apennine families were also looking at the Chinese teenager on the pitch with adoring eyes. They didn't understand the technical explanations from the staff; they only felt that Li Luo’s playing style was elegant and composed, and when he used gestures to command his teammates, he looked like a general planning a strategy.

He was just too handsome!

It was a pity. The era was different. Italy was in an economic recession. Li Luo’s future commercial value was incalculable. According to the gossip columns, he wasn't a playboy—it was impossible for him to be toyed with by socialites, sirens, or starlets like the footballers of the past.