Chapter 462: A Lightning-Fast Counterattack

It was the first-clear goal-scoring opportunity for Juventus during the second half. As a result, Coach Allegri couldn't stop his heart from racing while watching Andrea Pirlo's effort darting towards goal. He was hoping and praying that the ball would make it past the keeper and home into the back of the net. He really wished that his team would score a goal within the opening minutes of the second half.

But unfortunately, his wishes couldn't come true due to the alertness and brilliance of Miguel Ángel Moyá, the Atlético Madrid keeper.

Miguel contorted his entire body and sprang into action. Just like an acrobat, he executed a spectacular dive before punching the ball away from his goal.

"Merda!"

Coach Allegri couldn't help but mumble a curse after seeing the Atlético Madrid keeper make the sensational save. The coach sighed with dejection while beginning the reflexive motion of placing his hands at the back of his head. At that moment, he really thought that another chance for Juventus to score had already passed and gone down the drain.

However, Coach Allegri couldn't have been more wrong. Just as his hands were halfway into the air, they froze abruptly. And just suddenly, his heartbeat quickened again as he noticed a tall silhouette in Juventus' all-green away kit pouncing towards the ball.

Of course, it was Zachary taking action, and before any of the opposing defenders could react, the boy-wonder rushed forward like the wind. Without even bothering to control the rebounded ball, he blasted it into the back of the net and then raced off to the sidelines to celebrate with his teammates. He'd just scored Juventus' second goal during the 57th minute.

"I'll be damned. Where the hell did he come from?"

Coach Allegri's jaw dropped as the cheers erupted all around the stadium. He even forgot to celebrate, and he couldn't hide the surprise in his heart. He stood stock-still, like a statue in a suit, as his eyes took in the sights of Zachary celebrating the goal with the other Juventus players.

"This guy has sharp instincts," Coach Allegri thought after calming his volatile emotions. "He's born to be a natural striker."

As an experienced coach, Coach Allegri understood how hard a feat it was to score a goal like the one that Zachary had just bagged. The player's positioning, spatial awareness, reaction time, and timing all needed to be spot-on to convert such an opportunity. In a nutshell, it all came down to instincts, whereby the player in question had to have the ability to sniff out a chance and be in the right place at the right time. Otherwise, that player would find it hard to convert such opportunities and score goals under pressure.

"It's a pity that Zachary is exceptional in midfield." Coach Allegri sighed. "Otherwise, I could have convinced him or even used my authority to turn him into a striker."

The coach shook his head, pushing the notion out of his head. Zachary was not just an exceptional goal-scorer. He was also a brilliant midfielder who could dribble and unleash defense-splitting passes that could result in goals. And due to those brilliant qualities, the best position for him was the number ten position, where he could play as an attacking pivot and utilize all his skills against the opponents. Thus, the coach would only consider playing him as a striker when Juventus faced off against tricky and defensively-disciplined sides like Atlético Madrid.

—–

Atlético Madrid 1 : Juventus FC 2

—–

Coach Diego Simeone frowned and shook his head after glancing at the stadium's jumbotron. He thought for a moment before turning towards his substitute's bench.

"Antoine Griezmann!" He said, glancing at the Frenchman. "Start warming. I want you on the pitch within ten minutes."

"Aye, coach," Griezmann replied with a smile. He quickly donned his match gear and began his warm-up on the sidelines. He was, of course, exercising urgency in his actions, especially since he wished to enter the game as soon as possible.

—–

The game continued after Juventus' goal celebrations. After conceding a goal, the Atlético Madrid players stopped playing a defensive game. They became more active going forward and launched a series of attacks, hoping to score an equalizer. They took advantage of their versatile 4-3-3 formation to outplay Juventus and even dominate possession for the next ten minutes.

But alas, their efforts couldn't bear fruit due to the outstanding display by the three Juventus defenders. The Juventus defenders worked hard and thwarted Atlético Madrid's efforts to score a goal by making timely interceptions and winning all of the aerial duels that came their way. As a result, the score remained 2:1 in favor of Juventus until the 67th minute.

But in-game circumstances are never constant during competitive matches. That night, the situation changed rapidly, starting from the 68th minute, just after Coach Diego Simeone introduced Antoine Griezmann as a substitute. The Frenchman was on a roll within minutes after entering the pitch, and he soon went into action and helped Atlético Madrid create their first clear goal-scoring chance during the second half.

Griezman picked up a loose ball close to the center line before exchanging a couple of quick one-twos with Koke. Their immaculate give-and-go lightning-fast exchanges allowed them to spear deeper into Juventus' half, and before long, they were bearing down on Juventus' box with unstoppable momentum.

The ball naturally arrived back at the creative Griezman's feet, and without losing composure, he executed his magic. The Frenchman skipped past Giorgio Chiellini with a skillful couple of touches and raced into the box like a true-blue incarnation of Usain bolt.

However, as a renowned no-nonsense defender, Chiellini couldn't allow the Frenchman to beat him that easily. The Italian whirled around with all the haste he could muster before stretching out a hand and tugging at the sprinting Griezman's shirt.

Chiellini was obviously acting reflexively, without an ounce of ill intent. But that one action of taking the sting out of Griezman's momentum was what put Juventus in a precarious situation.

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As soon as the defender's hand made contact with the jersey, Antoine Griezmann acted as any cunning forward would by tumbling to the ground right after stepping into the penalty box. The Frenchman's acting was at Hollywood level, and he rolled down on the green while holding his head. It was as if he was in great pain and holding on for dear life.

"Penalty! Foul! Penalty…"

A commotion broke out on the pitch immediately after, and the Atlético Madrid players, coaches, and fans started shouting at the top of their voices. They went all out as they tried to coerce the referee to give the penalty.

*FWEEEEEEE*

However, the referee clearly didn't need their reminders to make his decision. Within a few seconds, he blew the whistle and pointed at the penalty spot. But he didn't just stop at that. He also showed Giorgio Chiellini a straight red card for committing a last-man foul within the box. The referee had just condemned Juventus to play with only ten men for the remainder of the game.

—–

"Dannazione! Che diavolo…" Coach Allegri couldn't help but mumble a couple of expletives in his native Italian language as he watched Chiellini matching out of the pitch. At that moment, his mood hit an all-time low that day, especially since he was clearly aware that his team was in a very precarious situation. His players were in a tight spot as they had to play the last twenty or so minutes while only ten men. Moreover, that was after conceding a penalty, which was the perfect opportunity for Atlético Madrid to score and bring back proceedings to level terms. They were in deep shit as a team.

—–

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle after organizing all the players outside the box. Then, without further ado, he signaled Antoine Griezmann, who was already standing on the ball, to take the penalty.

Antoine Griezmann, on his part, seemed composed as he made an angled run toward the ball. Then, he opened up his body and sent the keeper the wrong way before unleashing a shot toward the bottom left corner.

Griezmann had obviously tried his best to convert the penalty. However, it was unfortunate that the goddess of luck seemed to be against Atlético Madrid that evening. Just at the last moment, the ball bounced and swerved inexplicably. Then, to the gasps of many in the stadium, it blasted off the post before rebounding back into the box.

"Quickly clear the ball away…"

"Hurry! Go after the ball for the rebound…"

A couple of loud shouts immediately reverberated across the pitch. But, of course, the players of both teams didn't need reminders from their coaches and fans. They reacted like a pack of starving wolves chasing prey and pounced toward the bouncing ball. Then, what followed was a commotion in the box for a few seconds — but at the end of it all, Patrice Evra, the Juventus wing-back, got the last laugh.

Patrice Evra lunged forward and cleared the ball with an acrobatic move that resembled fictitious karate. With a powerful bicycle kick, he sent it flying toward the night skies of Madrid, thereby saving Juventus from conceding a goal during the 71st minute.

"Excellent!"

Zachary's spirits lifted after Patrice Evra made the timely clearance. But that didn't stop him from taking off and racing after the ball like the wind. His long strides covered dozens of yards within a few seconds, and he got to it just before it could bounce on the ground. Without losing even a second, he controlled it with his chest on the left wing before flicking it forward with his head and then chasing after it.

The lightning-fast solo counterattack was on, and Zachary continued flicking the ball forward with his head. Then, seconds later, he slowed down slightly and finally utilized his boot to flick the ball over the approaching Tiago Mendes. The next moment, his S-graded agility bloomed in great splendor, and he easily circumvented the Atlético Madrid defender and beat him for pace.

From there on, Zachary continued bearing down on Atlético Madrid's goal like a raging Tsunami, his heart and lungs expanding rapidly to supply his body with oxygen. Surprisingly, there was nothing flashy about his moves as he cut across the field. But with just a pure explosion of pace, he managed to cut back into the pitch before bolting past Diego Godín, the final defender between him and the goal.

A few seconds later, Zachary was one-on-one with the keeper, who had come out of the goal to meet him. But he remained composed and dug his left boot under the ball before expertly looping the ball over the head of the approaching keeper and directing it into the back of the net.

"GOAAAL…" Zachary couldn't help but yell out after the ball nestled into the back of the net. He was on cloud nine as he'd just managed to turn the precarious situation of Juventus around with one lightning-fast solo counter.

He'd scored the third goal for Juventus during the 72nd minute while also completing yet another hattrick. As a result, he couldn't contain his happiness as he raced toward the sidelines to celebrate with his teammates.

—–

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