Chapter 133: Equalizing and Falling Behind Again

A penalty? No!

Amidst the expectant gazes of everyone at Villarreal, the referee merely awarded Villarreal a free kick just outside the penalty area and issued a yellow card to Piqué.

After witnessing Mateu Lahoz’s decision, Dai Zhiwei offered only a helpless smile. He was certain he had fallen into the penalty area after tripping, but whether he had stepped inside before the fall, he himself could not be sure.

The position for the free kick was poor, and Dai Zhiwei's curling shot, though it narrowly cleared the wall, lacked the dip required to find the target.

Subsequently, the first half continued in a calm, unremarkable fashion, with both sides slightly slowing the pace of their attacks.

At halftime, Villarreal headed into the break trailing 0-1. Having been mentally prepared for such a scenario, the team remained relatively composed.

Inside the locker room, Escribá hurriedly made tactical adjustments, though he remained uncertain whether these changes would prove effective. Encouraged by Bruno and urged on by Escribá, the spirit of the "Yellow Submarine" finally began to rise.

As the second half commenced, both teams spent the first ten minutes cautiously feeling out the rhythm of the game. Barcelona, holding a one-goal lead, showed no signs of urgency.

For Villarreal, Escribá had demanded that his players stabilize their formation at the start of the second half, emphasizing that only by settling in could they launch effective counterattacks. Thus, his orders to the midfield were clear: maintain the team’s tempo first, with attacking play taking a backseat for the time being.

Players from both sides engaged in fierce battles in the center of the pitch, each vying for control and trying to impose their own rhythm on the match.

Gradually, Villarreal’s midfield established a foothold, showing more physical grit than Barcelona’s, particularly in disrupting the opposition's build-up. Bruno’s relentless pressing made it difficult for Barcelona players to find any comfortable time on the ball.

Although Ivan Rakitić often played a quiet role for Barcelona, his absence left a void that the current squad struggled to fill perfectly. However, Barcelona remained dangerous; with the attacking prowess of Messi, Neymar, and Iniesta, the match remained deadlocked.

It seemed that whoever could produce a moment of brilliance to break the stalemate might ultimately change the outcome of the game.

In the 66th minute, Villarreal made the first move. Roberto Soriano, who had been ineffective on the left flank, was replaced by forward Samu Castillejo. It was Escribá’s signal to launch a counterattack; if they didn't push forward now, Villarreal’s hopes for the match would surely vanish.

Three minutes later, Bruno sent a seemingly innocuous pass to Dai Zhiwei. Dai suddenly played it back, pushed past a tightly marking Iniesta, and accelerated.

Bruno and Dai Zhiwei shared a telepathic understanding. Seeing Dai accelerate, Bruno immediately threaded a pass through, giving Dai the chance to break forward.

Barcelona was, naturally, on high alert regarding Dai Zhiwei. As soon as he found space, a defender moved to cover him. But Dai didn't force the issue. Seeing Castillejo signaling for the ball on the right, he didn't hesitate to distribute it wide.

Castillejo, who had been linked with a move to AC Milan during the winter break, surged down the flank. Before his defender could react, he cut inside, feigning a shot.

Barcelona’s backline reacted swiftly. Under the direction of defensive anchor Javier Mascherano, the line moved in unison, deploying players to pressure Castillejo while simultaneously setting an offside trap for Dai Zhiwei, who was darting into the box.

Castillejo’s technical skill was excellent for a forward, but against Lucas Digne’s close-quarters pressing, delivering an accurate cross while shielding the ball proved difficult. Digne pinned him at the edge of the box, offering no space to turn or shoot.

Castillejo struggled to protect the ball, feeling the immense pressure from Digne, sensing he might lose possession at any second.

"Hey, Samu!"

Amidst Digne’s persistent challenges, Castillejo was focused entirely on shielding the ball when he suddenly heard Dai Zhiwei’s voice. Because he was facing away from the Barcelona goal, he hurriedly looked up and spotted Dai Zhiwei sprinting toward him at full speed.

Dai Zhiwei had appeared out of nowhere; Castillejo had no idea how he had shaken off Piqué’s marking. A quick glance revealed Dai was closing in, while André Gomes was still three meters behind him.

Seeing Dai arrive to support, Castillejo flicked the ball toward him, creating a sliver of space from Digne, and prepared to follow up.

The moment Dai Zhiwei received the ball, he was unmarked. He controlled it firmly and drove into the penalty area.

Five meters, four meters...

Piqué finally reacted, rushing toward Dai. Seeing Dai about to step into the box, Piqué timed a sliding tackle perfectly!

But Dai Zhiwei didn't hesitate, tapping the ball to his left to a wide-open Castillejo.

Mascherano, Piqué’s defensive partner, panicked. He abandoned his line and lunged toward Castillejo. But he quickly regretted it, as he realized Castillejo had no intention of shooting or dribbling; it was simply a wall-pass, a one-two with Dai Zhiwei.

With Mascherano out of position, the path opened up for Dai Zhiwei. He didn't show Barcelona any mercy; with a light touch, he surged into the heart of the box.

Barcelona fans watched in terror as Dai Zhiwei stepped onto the penalty line. Faced with a gaping opening, it seemed he could pull the trigger at any moment.

"No, stop him!"
"Take him down!"
"Don't let him shoot!"

Amidst the desperate cries of the Barcelona faithful, Mascherano grew frantic. Knowing it was unlikely he could block the shot, he still lunged toward Dai, who was three meters away, hoping to apply enough pressure to force a hurried, wayward strike.

Dai Zhiwei set himself with purpose, his right calf cocked high, signaling a powerful blast. Some Barcelona fans closed their eyes in pain; the "new English golden boy" was completely unmarked—how could he possibly miss such a simple chance?

Others pinned their hopes on Marc-André ter Stegen, the Barcelona goalkeeper, who stood in the goal adjusting his stance nervously. The "Little German Lion" was a fine keeper; perhaps he could pull off a save.

But for a striker on track to score 50 goals in a season, such an opportunity would not be squandered.

Unmarked, one step outside the penalty spot, Dai Zhiwei unleashed a thunderous strike. The ball soared into the top right corner. Ter Stegen, standing on his line, couldn't even manage a save, his hand reaching out in vain.

"Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!"

1-1! Dai Zhiwei had leveled the score for Villarreal!

The moment the ball crossed the line, Dai Zhiwei sprinted like a madman toward the corner flag, executing a knee-slide that tore up the Camp Nou turf. Of course, his signature "gun-slinging" celebration followed.

He looked like a dashing gunslinger carried by the wind!

"Haha!" Dai Zhiwei was overjoyed. Although Barcelona remained one of the world's elite teams, his luck against them had always been good; he always seemed to find the net.

"I suppose I've become Barcelona’s primary tormentor, haven't I?" Dai thought smugly.

The Yellow Submarine players following behind mimicked his celebration, sliding toward the hero who always appeared when Villarreal needed a goal. They embraced and cheered by the corner flag at the Camp Nou!

"Haha! Dai Zhiwei’s 20th league goal of the season! Truly the mark of an incredible super-striker!" exclaimed the commentator at Penguin Live, turning into a "Dai-fanatic" on the spot.

"Villarreal’s attack has finally been rewarded. Facing the world-class center-back duo of Piqué and Mascherano, Dai Zhiwei capitalized on a minor lapse to equalize," the other commentator remarked, sounding slightly more composed. "However, there are still 20 minutes left. At the Camp Nou, anything can happen. Villarreal must be extremely careful, and of course, Dai Zhiwei must keep pushing!"

Unlike the neutrality required by the CCTV sports channel, the commentators at Penguin Live were more biased, constantly cheering for Dai Zhiwei throughout the broadcast.

After Villarreal equalized, Luis Enrique, refusing to settle for a draw, played his trump cards—bringing on former Villarreal player Denis Suárez for André Gomes and Arda Turan for young Lucas Digne.

Enrique’s tactical intent was clear: overwhelm the opponent with relentless attacks, break their defensive line, and win the match at home.

But Escribá would not let Enrique have his way. Simultaneously, he brought on Rodri for Roberto Soriano to bolster the counterattacking threat.

Villarreal retreated into a full defensive shell, surrendering possession. In post-match analysis, this would be deemed a major tactical blunder; Barcelona, fully in control, unleashed wave after wave of attacks, leaving Villarreal scrambling to hold on.

In the 73rd minute, with Barcelona committing everyone forward—even Piqué had pushed into the attacking third—it highlighted how toothless Villarreal’s offense had become.

The unmarked Piqué sent a quality cross from the right. The ball sailed over the leaping Trigueros and dropped to the edge of the box, where Denis Suárez, facing his former club, chested the ball down and immediately lofted a pass into the area.

Villarreal’s defense suffered a fatal lapse—Gaspar was a step too slow, and his positioning played Messi onside!

"Chance! A chance!"

The entire Camp Nou erupted in uncontrollable cheers. Messi, now in possession, faced Villarreal goalkeeper Asenjo in a one-on-one. A duel between the two! The winner would likely decide the outcome of the match!

"Ooh..." But the next second, instead of the deafening roar of the Barcelona fans, a collective gasp of despair filled the Camp Nou.

The Argentine superstar’s shot from 12 yards was parried by Asenjo, the ball deflecting off the crossbar and out of play.

Asenjo had pulled off another miraculous save! Villarreal had escaped!

Messi clutched his head in disbelief; it had been a golden opportunity. The man who usually never missed a one-on-one had been denied by a miraculous block from the opposing keeper!

"Fuc..." Messi spat on the ground in frustration.

However, Barcelona still had a chance. Messi’s shot had earned them a corner, and nearly every Barcelona player crowded into the Villarreal penalty area.

Dai Zhiwei had no thoughts of counterattacking while the opposition defense was thin; ensuring the goal remained safe was more pressing. He hurried back to mark Piqué, the tall center-back who frequently scored from set-pieces.

Iniesta carefully placed the ball at the corner flag, waiting until the Villarreal box was a scene of chaos before finally delivering the inswinger.

"My ball!"

Dai Zhiwei and Piqué leaped almost simultaneously at the near post. Both were so entangled that neither could find the perfect timing to jump, and they could only watch as the ball flew toward the far post.

As Dai hung in the air, his head turning toward the far post, his expression shifted to shock—

Luis Suárez, having shaken off Trigueros, soared six yards from goal. He beat the rushing Asenjo to the ball, connecting with a powerful header.

This time, Asenjo was helpless. The ball was moving too fast and was too close to the goal. He could only watch as it hammered into the net, bulging the mesh.

"Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!"

The Barcelona fans erupted in continuous celebration. The Camp Nou roared with the loudest sound of the day, drowning out even the commentators.

Seeing the ball fly into the net, Dai Zhiwei’s heart sank. "Are we going to lose again?"