Chapter 21 The Centennial Goal Just Six Goals Away

Six goals short of one hundred, from the twenty-first round of the league onward, any team could become the object of Zhang Jun's legendary achievement.

Was it Roma? Or Udinese? Lecce? Inter Milan? Livorno? Lazio?

Many media outlets believed that six league rounds were enough for Zhang Jun to score six goals.

Zhang Jun himself did not have a clear answer to this question. He simply said that he never thought about records during the game; he only wanted to score goals and help the team win.

However, the opponents in the next four league rounds did not take his words seriously. The Chinese liked to be modest, and if they really thought he didn't care, they would only suffer.

Therefore, the head coaches of these six teams had long listed Zhang Jun as a high-risk figure.

Against Roma, Fiorentina drew 1-1, and Zhang Jun did not score. First-place Fiorentina was only two points ahead of second-place Inter Milan.

Thus, the suspense of the hundred goals continued to be pushed back.

On January 29th, in the twenty-second round of the league, Fiorentina defeated Udinese 2-1 away. Zhang Jun scored a penalty, leaving him five goals away from his hundred.

As a result, the recent episodes of the "Champions and Dreams" program speculated about when Zhang Jun would score his hundredth goal. With ulterior motives, Ilaria invited the guest who had failed to predict Zhang Jun scoring thirty goals last time. This time, the guest had learned his lesson and insisted that Zhang Jun was in excellent form. He wouldn't be surprised if he completed the remaining five goals in these two league rounds.

And in these two league rounds, Fiorentina's opponents were Lecce and Inter Milan, respectively.

Lecce was easy to deal with; Fiorentina could play offensively against this team that liked to attack, which would increase Zhang Jun's chances of scoring.

But Inter Milan, as the second-place team in the league, was not so easy to deal with.

On February 5th, Fiorentina played against Lecce at home. It was a beautiful offensive battle, the highest-scoring game in this round of Serie A, and a rare goal fest throughout Europe.

The two sides scored a total of five goals in the first half.

Just like a basketball game, you score one, I score one; we chase each other.

Zhang Jun scored a goal in the first half, giving Fiorentina a temporary 3-2 lead over Lecce.

During the half-time break, Sabato praised the team's attacking players but also criticized the team's defense. He believed that while Lecce was indeed a team good at attacking, Fiorentina's current level was completely different from Lecce's, and there was no need to concede two goals in the face of Lecce's attack.

In reality, it wasn't that Fiorentina's defense was too bad, but that Fiorentina's minds were not on defense. Seeing the lively attack up front, Fiorentina's defenders were also tempted, actively assisting, and Xiang Tao even assisted to the opponent's penalty area and simply didn't go back.

With such huge gaps behind them, it would be strange if they didn't concede goals.

The defenders knew that the head coach, who had offense in his blood, wouldn't really blame them because, at least in the first half, Fiorentina was in the lead. They really had to thank Zhang Jun's attacking lineup.

Xiang Tao grinned and shifted the topic to Zhang Jun's goal count.

"Hey, Zhang Jun. Everyone outside is talking about your one hundred league goals. Don't you have anything to say?"

"That's a sure thing. What else do I need to say?" Zhang Jun said confidently. Recently, his form had been very good, stable, and efficient.

"Hey!" Xiang Tao felt snubbed, rolled his eyes, and stopped talking.

"But..." Zhang Jun looked at the disappointed Xiang Tao and the other teammates. "If I can still score thirty league goals this season, I'll pay for the entire team to eat out. How about that?"

Xiang Tao's eyes lit up, and the other teammates' eyes also lit up. "Of course, no problem!"

"We will do our best to assist you!"

"For that meal! Captain, you must work hard!"

"I want to go to the best restaurant in all of Florence!"

"You're so pathetic; we should go to the best restaurant in Milan!"

...

So, with this promise of treating them, Zhang Jun launched an attack on his next thirty goals. If he could really fulfill this promise, he would surpass the record created by the famous former AC Milan striker Nordahl, who had scored thirty or more goals in two consecutive seasons in 4950 and 5051.

At the same time, Zhang Jun would also tie another record: the title of Serie A's top scorer for three consecutive seasons, jointly held by Platini and Nordahl.

After the second half started, Fiorentina continued to put pressure on Udinese, and then, seventeen minutes later, Zhang Jun exploded. He scored two goals in the eighteenth and thirtieth minutes of the second half, helping the team take a 5-2 lead over Lecce.

Although Lecce scored their third goal of the game near the end, it was already too late.

If a team can score three goals in a game, it can be said that they have a firm grip on the victory. Unfortunately, although Lecce did it, they were facing a much stronger Fiorentina.

So unlucky.

※※※

"...Zhang Jun scored a hat-trick! We can't remember how many hat-tricks he has contributed to us. What I want to say is that maybe he is the only striker who makes hat-tricks seem commonplace. For him, scoring three or four goals is not a problem. The key is whether he wants to." Cagliari praised Zhang Jun's performance in his column, believing that he was already the best striker in the world. Because he was able to score more than thirty goals in two consecutive seasons in the league that paid the most attention to defense and where goals were the hardest to come by. At the same time, this season, he was leading second-place Adriano by twenty-four goals. Even Ronaldo in his prime at Inter Milan didn't do it, and even Van Basten in that dreamlike season didn't do it either.

"...And after the game, Zhang Jun revealed that if he scores thirty goals again this season, he will take the entire team to the best restaurant in Florence. No wonder we saw Fiorentina's players passing the ball to Zhang Jun in the second half, even a little too much..."

Adriano threw the newspaper aside and yelled at his teammates in the locker room, "That Zhang Jun is too despicable! He actually used treating us to dinner to bribe his teammates! Everyone is going all out to assist him just for that meal! It's too unfair!"

Everyone turned to look at him. After a while, Martins smiled and said, "How about this, Adriano? If you also promise to treat us to dinner, I bet all of us will assist you. By then, even if you don't want it, we will pass the ball to your feet."

Adriano grinned when he heard this: "Okay! Okay! You can all hit me to death with the ball!!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

"The next round is against Fiorentina..." someone said. Suddenly, the laughter stopped, and everyone's faces changed.

"I don't want Zhang Jun to score his hundredth league goal in front of me!" someone said angrily.

As soon as he said this, the other teammates in the locker room echoed him.

"There are only two goals left. It's not difficult for Zhang Jun right now..." someone offered a different opinion.

Li Yongle, who had been silent all the time, spoke: "Don't worry, I'll be responsible for marking him in the next game. Although we are away, I don't want us to be the foil for his hundred-goal celebration."

The teammates had great trust in Li Yongle. This quiet Chinese lad was the absolute midfield core and brain of Inter Milan.

※※※

Even when facing Inter Milan, the second-ranked opponent, the local media in Florence were full of confidence in Zhang Jun completing his hundred goals. The current Fiorentina was indeed very strong, and being ranked first was not just a fluke. Moreover, this time, they were playing at home. Fiorentina could win, and Zhang Jun could score twice and complete his hundred goals. There were no problems.

The Milan media, however, expressed caution. *Milan Sports Daily* did not believe that Fiorentina would lose to Inter Milan, but they also did not believe that Fiorentina could easily defeat Inter Milan. The *Milan Sports Daily* was biased towards AC Milan, so they naturally hoped that the two teams would draw, so that third-ranked AC Milan could catch up.

In other places, the media generally believed that both Inter Milan and Fiorentina were in good form, so it was normal for either team to win or lose this game.

Within the Fiorentina team, Sabato issued a kill order. To maintain their first-place ranking in the league, they had to win against Inter Milan. This was the most direct dialogue.

The Stadio Artemio Franchi, which had expanded its stands, could accommodate 65,900 people, but during this game, it was packed with 70,000 people. Most fans wanted to witness the moment when Zhang Jun scored his hundredth goal.

In the eyes of Fiorentina fans, Zhang Jun seemed certain to score his hundredth league goal in this game.

"I won't let you get your wish." When shaking hands before the game, Li Yongle squeezed Zhang Jun's hand hard.

The game looked no different from any other game, except that the fans were more vocal.

However, the confrontation between Zhang Jun and Li Yongle was everywhere. Although the two did not overlap in position, Mancini had arranged for Li Yongle to specifically mark Zhang Jun ever since Li Yongle had successfully defended Zhang Jun for the first time. Because in Inter Milan, only Li Yongle could defend him.

Zhang Jun had just successfully broken through Inter Milan's defense and was preparing to pass the ball when he was tackled by Li Yongle, who had rushed over from the side. The referee naturally ruled that Inter Milan had committed a foul, but apart from blowing the whistle, there was no other expression.

Zhang Jun got up from the ground and looked helplessly at Li Yongle's back. That guy got up and left after tackling someone, without any expression. He was really a qualified opponent + enemy.

Just as Zhang Jun was preparing to take the free kick, Li Yongle turned around and looked at Zhang Jun. The provocative meaning in his eyes was very strong.

What else can make a football player so obsessed with this sport besides the pursuit of lofty honors? For a master, besides constantly creating records or being crowned king, what else can make him maintain a high level of competitive performance and constantly surpass himself?

An opponent, a strong, tenacious, and excellent opponent. It is because of this kind of opponent that legends on the football field are created.

Cruyff and Beckenbauer, Maradona and Matthäus, the Dutch Three Musketeers and the German Three Musketeers... these were all classics of that year and legends today.

Then Zhang Jun and Li Yongle can also be viewed this way. It is precisely because of Li Yongle's never-give-up pursuit and entanglement that Zhang Jun has won the Serie A top scorer for two consecutive years. As long as Li Yongle does not give up challenging Zhang Jun, then Zhang Jun cannot relax for a day. He is racing against himself while racing against Li Yongle, and he is also racing against the legends of the world football.

This free kick position was a bit off. Zhang Jun did not shoot directly but passed the ball to the front of the goal, to his teammates who were trying to get a shot in the penalty area.

But in the end, it was cleared by Inter Milan defender Samuel.

Subsequently, Inter Milan's attack was also intercepted by Mascherano, who passed the ball to Krøldrup. Krøldrup was also a dangerous person, but Li Yongle could not divide his attention. This dangerous person could only be left to Cambiasso.

Although Cambiasso was now a member of the Argentine national team and also a defensive midfielder who could be ranked in the top five in Serie A, even Gattuso would not be sure of winning against someone like Krøldrup, let alone him.

Krøldrup used a simple *Marseille turn* to get past him. At that moment, Cambiasso really thought he had returned to the years at the Bernabéu, watching Zidane use the *Marseille turn* to get past his opponent in the game.

Now, Zidane had long retired, and in the midfield position, the only person who could be called a master in terms of technology might be Barcelona's Ronaldinho. However, this young Chinese lad from Florence was likely to inherit Zidane's mantle and become a technical master in midfield.

Of course, it would be better if he had fewer insidious little tricks and those dirty malicious injury moves...

After getting past the man, Krøldrup passed the ball to Zhang Jun again. He must also be thinking about Zhang Jun's promise to treat them to dinner.

Zhang Jun took the ball and turned around smoothly. Then, in the next second, he saw Li Yongle's face.

Li Yongle was waiting for the moment when Zhang Jun turned around, and he would tackle the ball.

Zhang Jun was no longer surprised that Li Yongle suddenly appeared behind him. He looked at Li Yongle's face, but his feet deftly flicked the ball, and his body jumped, just enough to dodge Li Yongle's interception with both the ball and himself.

Then Zhang Jun flicked his hand and pushed Li Yongle behind him before accelerating and rushing past. He had just gotten past Li Yongle!

Zhang Jun, who had gotten past Li Yongle, was facing a line of Inter Milan's defense. Instead of choosing to break through, he suddenly shot from outside the penalty area.

A long shot!

The football flew high over the heads of the defenders and then suddenly fell - a dipping shot!

Fortunately, goalkeeper César was focused enough and leaped backward with all his might while retreating, reaching out and pushing the football out of the crossbar. When he fell to the ground, the Stadio Artemio Franchi erupted in a huge sigh.

Even the commentator sighed that the ball didn't go in: "Too bad! Too bad! César's performance was perfect. Zhang Jun's shot was sudden, and the angle was very tricky. It was really not easy for him to save it!"

Zhang Jun, who didn't score, scratched his hair and then turned back and smiled at Li Yongle, whom he had gotten past.

Li Yongle looked at him expressionlessly and then turned his head to the other side.

※※※

This game was broadcast live to the whole of Europe by Sky TV and also broadcast live to China by CCTV5. Many of Zhang Jun's fans had the same expression as the fans in the Stadio Artemio Franchi when they saw that the ball didn't go in: a sigh.

"Zhang Jun seems to be in good form today. We hope that he can score two goals. Well, in that case, he can score his first hundred goals in this game, and our audience will also have a treat. Because next weekend, we will not be broadcasting Fiorentina's game..."

"In that case, wouldn't Li Yongle, Zhang Jun's opponent and mortal enemy, be too miserable?"

※※※

Li Yongle didn't think it was miserable to be passed by Zhang Jun; he was enjoying this kind of game. For him, winning the league title was certainly important, and becoming the best defensive midfielder in the world was also a very tempting reputation. But deep down, the only reason that could make him excited and put 200% of his effort into the game was to compete with Zhang Jun on the same field.

So he continued to fight with Zhang Jun, forcing Fiorentina to change their tactical arrangements. Zhang Jun was only responsible for distracting Inter Milan's defense, and tried to participate in the offense as little as possible. The task of attacking was left to Pazzini, Krøldrup, Joaquin, and Gasbarroni. Even Mascherano could often insert himself from the back and shoot.

Regarding Fiorentina's adjustments, Li Yongle did not participate except for directing the defense line and midfield to block the attacks. He only followed Zhang Jun. When necessary, he would help, but most of the time, his eyes were only on Zhang Jun, fearing that a carelessness would allow Zhang Jun to slip past him.

Even though he worked so hard, there were still times when he was careless. It was difficult for a player to maintain a high state of alert at all times for ninety minutes, so from this level, defenders were far more tiring than offensive players.

Krøldrup was teasing Cambiasso in midfield. Cambiasso tried very hard, but the difference in talent made his efforts seem very pale under Krøldrup's leisure.

Li Yongle deliberately kept his distance from Zhang Jun. He couldn't get too close, otherwise, Fiorentina wouldn't pass the ball to Zhang Jun, and it wouldn't be worth wasting energy running with someone who didn't have the ball. At the same time, he couldn't be too far away, otherwise, if the ball was suddenly passed to Zhang Jun, he wouldn't be able to rush over to stop Zhang Jun from getting the ball.

He had to play cat and mouse, luring Zhang Jun to take the bait.

※※※

Krøldrup glanced at Zhang Jun's current position and also at Li Yongle's position. There was still about three meters between the two. If he passed the ball slowly, Li Yongle would definitely see through it and intercept the ball. How could he pass the ball covertly, so that Li Yongle couldn't detect it in the first time, but also let Zhang Jun know that he was going to pass the ball to him?

He looked at Zhang Jun and found that Zhang Jun was also looking at him.

Krøldrup had a flash of inspiration. He knew what to do.

Facing the relentless Cambiasso, Krøldrup did not pass the ball out but suddenly sprinted, dribbling the ball towards the penalty area. He suddenly rushed to a position almost parallel to Zhang Jun.

Cambiasso did not dare to neglect, and Inter Milan's defenders did not dare to neglect either. If he broke into the penalty area, it was likely to cause a goal.

Suddenly, two Inter Milan players came up to block Krøldrup's dribbling. Even if it was a foul, they couldn't let him into the penalty area.

But Krøldrup had no intention of breaking into the penalty area at all. He glanced at Zhang Jun beside him, and Li Yongle's distance from him was still elusive.

Krøldrup first made a bicycle kick action in front of Cambiasso. Cambiasso was unmoved. He had seen too many ordinary feints like this when he was at Real Madrid.

Of course, Krøldrup didn't expect Cambiasso to be fooled now. Seeing that the opponent didn't move, he stopped his breakthrough steps, straightened his back, and switched the football to the right.

Cambiasso was a little surprised. He didn't know what Krøldrup was going to do. Krøldrup stood there quietly, without any movement, and Cambiasso also watched quietly, not daring to make any movement. He was afraid that if he moved first and revealed a flaw, he would be caught by this cunning number 10.

The Inter Milan players next to them didn't dare to interfere with the two, fearing that they would cause a mistake in coordination.

The two confronted each other like this for about three seconds, no, maybe five seconds. Neither of them moved.

Krøldrup's right foot moved first, but he didn't take the football forward but flicked it to his left foot. The football hit the left foot, just like a wave hitting a reef, curling up. The football bounced up, and Krøldrup's right foot followed up and flicked it hard, and the football flew to the right again.

This move was beyond everyone's expectations. Everyone thought that he would continue to challenge Cambiasso one-on-one, but he suddenly passed the ball, and he passed the ball in this unconventional way!

When Li Yongle saw that the football was flying towards Zhang Jun, he quickly pounced over. Since the football was flying high in the air, he couldn't intercept the ball halfway. He could only hope to stick to Zhang Jun and then intercept the ball when he stopped it.

But he was wrong again. Zhang Jun didn't stop in place and wait for the ball, nor did he run in the direction of the football's flight, but... he rushed directly into the penalty area, and the football flew past behind him!

Could it be that Krøldrup wasn't going to pass the ball to Zhang Jun?! Li Yongle was shocked, but he couldn't brake anymore and had to follow the football and run to the right.

The football fell. Li Yongle had also made up his mind. No matter how Zhang Jun ran, since he was already chasing the football, he might as well destroy the football and let Zhang Jun run in vain.

Just as Li Yongle was about to stretch out his long legs and destroy the football out of bounds, a purple figure suddenly flashed before his eyes—Joaquin!

No one knew when Joaquin had inserted himself from behind. He was still near the halfway line when Krøldrup passed the ball. Could it be that it was when Krøldrup and Cambiasso confronted each other just now...? Li Yongle had a higher evaluation of this teammate of the national team in his heart. He even calculated these things!

Li Yongle didn't have time to make changes. Joaquin stretched out his right leg and pushed the flying football directly in the air. The football then turned back and flew into the penalty area, right on Zhang Jun's running route.

This kind of wall-passing coordination made the Franchi stands cheer.

The Fiorentina players tore apart Inter Milan's originally tight defense so easily. Zhang Jun easily appeared behind most of Inter Milan's defenders and received the football!

Inter Milan's goal was in danger!

Zhang Jun moved the football forward with his right foot, then looked up and glanced at goalkeeper César. The huge goal, in his eyes, was full of loopholes.

In the penalty area, it was his world, and he was the king here.

"This is..." Zhang Jun roared and then shot fiercely! "...the ninety-ninth!"

The football flew into the upper corner along the near post! César's center of gravity was too low. He didn't react at all to Zhang Jun's high shot. His body leaned back and fell down, watching the football hit the net inside the goal.

"Goal! Goal!! Goal!!!" The commentator roared three times and excitedly raised his arms and stood up: "The ninety-ninth goal! This is the ninety-ninth goal that Zhang Jun has scored for Fiorentina in the Serie A league!! What an exciting number! He is only one goal away from one hundred goals! Keep going, Zhang Jun!"

Even the commentator from Sky TV, who should have been neutral, became a fan of Zhang Jun. The charm of goals was infinite.

Li Yongle covered his head with both hands, helplessly accepting this reality - Zhang Jun scored his ninety-ninth goal, which meant he was only one goal away from his hundred goals, and there were still about fifty minutes left in the game. He had to completely shut down Zhang Jun in the remaining time and not let him score a goal. Not even one goal!

The excited Zhang Jun rushed to the stands, waving his arms and constantly agitating the emotions of the fans, making the atmosphere of the stadium even more explosive.

But he had only waved his arms a couple of times when his body was pushed to the ground by his teammates who had rushed over from behind and was pressed at the bottom.

The cheers of the entire Franchi stadium were overwhelming. The Inter Milan players, shrouded in these cheers, had very ugly expressions.

"Long live Fiorentina! Long live Zhang Jun!!"

※※※

AC Milan coach Van Basten was sitting in the stands of the stadium. He was there to scout the enemy, and his target was not the now-strong Fiorentina but Inter Milan. Because in the next round, AC Milan would have a showdown with Inter Milan in the Milan Derby.

However, as the game progressed, he unconsciously focused his observation on Zhang Jun.

In fact, Van Basten didn't need to observe Zhang Jun much anymore. In the Netherlands, it could be said that Van Basten watched Zhang Jun grow up. In theory, he should be very familiar with Zhang Jun.

But the actual situation was that Van Basten found that every time he saw Zhang Jun again, he had grown.

Not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of physical and psychological growth, comprehensive... growth. This kid's growth rate in recent years could simply be described as a maglev train.

Watching Zhang Jun beat their next round's opponent speechless and unable to fight back, Van Basten had to shake his head again and sigh at the trickery of fate. He should have been our AC Milan's main striker and number one scorer... but now he had become a strong and terrifying enemy.

Zhang Jun and his Fiorentina were Milan's biggest enemy.

But they weren't yet. So Van Basten applauded, applauding for Zhang Jun's ninety-ninth goal like everyone else around him.

※※※

In the remaining time of the first half, neither side scored, and the score was 1-0, with the home team Fiorentina leading at the end of the first half.

On the way back to the locker room, the Fiorentina players were chatting and laughing, and their moods were extremely good. The Inter Milan players, on the other hand, had frosty faces and were silent. Especially Li Yongle, who had said before the game that he would stop Zhang Jun from scoring a hundred goals, but now he had let Zhang Jun score ninety-nine goals.

Was only one goal away from a hundred meaningful to Zhang Jun?

"One hundred! One hundred! One hundred!" As soon as Zhang Jun entered the locker room, he saw his teammates, shirtless, surrounding him and shouting and jumping. To be honest, he was really startled when he first entered.

"Hey, there's still one goal away from a hundred, what are you shouting now?" Zhang Jun interrupted everyone's shouts.

"Ah, what's the difference between one hundred and ninety-nine for you?" Joaquin said to Zhang Jun with a smile.

Zhang Jun tilted his head and tried hard to think, then smiled and said, "I think... there isn't any."

In Inter Milan's locker room, Mancini was asking Li Yongle: "Are you confident? If it really doesn't work, send another person to watch him. It's been hard for you to take care of him."

Li Yongle stubbornly shook his head: "No need, coach. I believe in my ability. There shouldn't be any problems."

Adriano looked up at Li Yongle. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say it. Li Yongle had once advised him not to compete with Zhang Jun in the number of goals scored, but he didn't listen, and the result was that he lost miserably. Now that it was Li Yongle's turn to be so stubborn in wanting to compete with Zhang Jun, he, the once stubborn person, was not qualified to advise Li Yongle.

He could only wish him good luck in his heart. May stubborn people have a beautiful ending...

※※※

When the second half started again, the Fiorentina players ran out of the tunnel quickly, heads held high, while the Inter Milan players dawdled and filed out.

"They're out! They're out! Let's see if Zhang Jun can score his first hundred league goals for Fiorentina in the remaining forty-five minutes of the second half, and also see if Li Yongle can fulfill his wish of stopping Zhang Jun from scoring a hundred goals in front of him."

The Chinese media now did not hype up the so-called "Chinese Derby" or "Three Chinese Musketeers" like they did in the first season because, for them, such a scene was already commonplace.

While waiting for Inter Milan to kick off, Zhang Jun and Li Yongle looked at each other from a distance. Zhang Jun's lips parted slightly, making a smiling expression. Li Yongle, on the other hand, had a gloomy face and then turned his head away.

It could be seen that Li Yongle was very angry, and the consequences were very serious.

Sure enough, as soon as the second half started, Zhang Jun was closely marked by Li Yongle. He wouldn't make the same mistake he made in the first half again. It was precisely because he deliberately gave Zhang Jun an opportunity in the first half. He originally thought that he could successfully intercept the football, but he had overestimated himself.

In the second half, he wouldn't give Zhang Jun any chance, even if he had to fake a fall.

Zhang Jun was leaning against Li Yongle, intending to receive Gasbarroni's pass, but before the football reached his feet, Li Yongle grabbed Zhang Jun's collar with one hand and stretched out his long legs to poke the football away. Zhang Jun staggered, but he still didn't fall. If it had been Krøldrup or Yang Pan, they would have taken advantage of the situation and fallen on Li Yongle's body, and at the same time, they would not forget to stretch out their hands, shout loudly, and signal to the referee that Li Yongle had tackled him from behind.

Li Yongle took advantage of Zhang Jun's mentality: never fall when you can stand, and even if you fall, as long as it doesn't affect the battle and the referee doesn't blow the whistle, get up as soon as possible.

Because of this, Sabato had scolded Zhang Jun several times, saying that his active behavior had changed what the referee would have blown into an advantageous attack. But Zhang Jun just smiled and didn't retort, so Sabato had no way to deal with him.

Li Yongle in the second half seemed like a different person, almost truly reaching the state of being like a maggot attached to a bone. Zhang Jun was tormented by him, and several fierce tackles made the Franchi boo, but the referee just didn't blow the whistle because Li Yongle didn't actually commit a foul. Even the hair that had been braided was messed up. Zhang Jun felt so embarrassed.

Now he was gradually unable to laugh. It seemed that Li Yongle was determined not to let him complete the hundred-goal record. At least, he couldn't let him score a hundred goals in front of him, which would make him feel very embarrassed and feel like a failure...

But he had said those words during the half-time break. If he didn't complete it, wouldn't he also be very embarrassed and feel like a failure?

This was a duel that could not be retreated.

※※※

Zhang Jun faked out Li Yongle, but it wasn't easy. Li Yongle was still interfering with him, and as a result, he kicked the football away.

And Li Yongle almost completely sacrificed his offensive ability in order to defend against Zhang Jun. While trapping Zhang Jun, he was also trapped by Zhang Jun.

He could only send shells to Adriano through long passes and couldn't make long-distance runs to assist in the attack.

This was a bit of a pity, but he felt an even greater sense of accomplishment in being able to defend against Zhang Jun.

I said I wouldn't let you score, and I won't let you score. This is my promise to my teammates.

Damn, you won't let me score, so I won't score? Wouldn't I be too embarrassed?

Zhang Jun unexpectedly stretched out his foot in the frontcourt and intercepted Li Yongle's ball. This surprised the Inter Milan fans and also surprised Li Yongle. He really hadn't focused his attention on Zhang Jun just now. He had been looking up at the people in front of him, thinking about how to make a long pass to create a threat. He didn't expect that this time, it was Zhang Jun who took the initiative to attack.

Li Yongle naturally didn't want the football at his feet to change hands so easily. He quickly turned around and chased after him.

Just before Zhang Jun was about to shoot, he stretched out his foot and poked the football, causing the football to deviate from Zhang Jun's intended route. Zhang Jun's judgment was off, and he naturally missed the shot.

This ball didn't even count as a corner kick for Fiorentina. Zhang Jun turned around and glared at Li Yongle resentfully.

For most of the game, they were evenly matched.

※※※

Because Li Yongle was being held back, Inter Milan's attack was not as smooth as usual and was always ruthlessly intercepted by Fiorentina at the last moment. When facing strong teams, Sabato would ask the defense line to restrain themselves a bit when assisting in the attack to avoid too many gaps behind them, which could be taken advantage of by high-level opponents. In a duel between experts, the key was to see who made fewer mistakes.

Time was passing little by little, and Fiorentina was still leading Inter Milan 1-0. Mancini wasn't in a hurry, but Sabato seemed a little restless, pacing back and forth on the sidelines.

Krøldrup faked out the troublesome Cambiasso again. This time, he completely knocked the opponent to the ground. He definitely wouldn't be able to get up for a while. Krøldrup had plenty of time to decide what to do next, but he didn't do that.

Because if he prepared for too long, even if Cambiasso couldn't threaten him, the ubiquitous Li Yongle was also a very troublesome person.

He raised his head slightly and looked at Zhang Jun. Li Yongle felt nervous. He wouldn't let Zhang Jun go this time.

Krøldrup passed the ball, and the direction was Zhang Jun. Moreover, it was a ground ball. This time, Li Yongle wouldn't worry that he would pass it to someone behind him, because the ground ball was the easiest to intercept, and Krøldrup wouldn't be so bold as to take the risk of the football being intercepted halfway and pass a through ball.

Zhang Jun ran towards the football as expected, intending to receive the ball.

Li Yongle also ran up with him, intending to intercept the ball. If he couldn't intercept the ball in the first time, he would have to block his position and not let Zhang Jun turn around.

Li Yongle was following behind Zhang Jun. He expected that Zhang Jun wouldn't play any tricks, and he couldn't play any tricks either.

Krøldrup's pass was fast and fierce, and Zhang Jun's speed was also very fast. It didn't look like he was going to receive the ball... If he was going to receive the ball, how would Zhang Jun stop the ball and get rid of Li Yongle at this speed?

The ball arrived, and the person arrived.

Zhang Jun suddenly split his legs, letting the football slide past under his feet!

He didn't receive the ball, but consciously let the ball leak!

Li Yongle didn't expect that the ball would be leaked to Pazzini's feet behind him right under his nose.

At the same time, after leaking the ball, Zhang Jun didn't accelerate but suddenly changed direction and went straight into the penalty area!

Li Yongle was stunned for a moment and turned around to chase Zhang Jun.

When Pazzini saw Zhang Jun insert himself into the penalty area, he quickly passed a straight pass, sending the football in.

Zhang Jun naturally knew that Li Yongle wouldn't give up, so as soon as he entered, he went sideways and blocked Li Yongle, who was trying to overtake him, behind him.

When Li Yongle saw that his last chance to intercept the ball was lost, he didn't panic. Although Zhang Jun was now taking the ball in his penalty area and could score at any time, he was surprisingly calm at this moment.

He looked at Zhang Jun's back as he took the ball, then directly abandoned Zhang Jun and ran towards the goal.

Zhang Jun didn't pay attention to Li Yongle's movements. He had just received the football. It felt great to take the ball in the opponent's penalty area and face the entire defense line.

He stopped the football hard, then flicked it lightly, dodging Samuel, who had rushed back to catch up. His movements were light and nimble.

Then, while dodging Samuel, taking advantage of the moment when Samuel just happened to block César's line of sight, he leaned back and lobbed the ball!

The football was spun up by him, and when César realized that Zhang Jun was shooting, the football had already flown into the air. With his deliberately lowered center of gravity, he couldn't jump up in a short period of time at such a close distance to push the football out of the bottom line. His knees