Chapter 140: Shining Blue Moonlight (Part Four)

With Alfred N'Diaye sent off, control of the match naturally shifted to Manchester City, who held a numerical advantage. Pep Guardiola, abandoning his usual composure, stood on the touchline gesturing for his players to press the attack. He wanted another goal to put the tie completely out of reach, and so Manchester City began a frantic, all-out assault in the final stages of regulation time.

Although Villarreal players desperately reinforced their defense, hoping to stabilize the situation, and Dai Zhiwei used every trick to burn precious seconds after gaining possession, these were merely minor interludes. At this point, even a casual observer could see that Manchester City’s offensive momentum was overwhelming; lacking Bruno, Villarreal was left struggling to cope.

Musacchio managed to dispossess Agüero with an all-out effort, and with no time to react, he could only hoof the ball toward midfield, desperate to clear the danger. As for a counterattack, it was a luxury they couldn't even contemplate. De Bruyne intercepted the ball and launched another attack. Seeing De Bruyne look to break through, substitute Alfred N'Diaye rushed forward, but De Bruyne didn't bother tangling with him; he simply flicked the ball forward, and a lightning-fast figure began a furious charge.

"Gooooooooooooooooooooooal!" 5-2!

The Villarreal players stood shell-shocked, watching the Manchester City players celebrate wildly. They hadn't even had time to process what had happened; the goal had come far too suddenly. It turned out that after De Bruyne had shifted the ball wide, Sané sent a cross in from the left, and Agüero beat Musacchio to the ball at the six-yard box, slotting it home to make it 5-2.

The Etihad Stadium erupted in frantic cheers. To the fans, the goal had been effortless, and they were certain that Manchester City had won the match—and the tie. Manchester City now led Villarreal by three goals on aggregate. For the "Yellow Submarine" to progress, they would need to score three more goals in the remaining time. Everyone knew that Guardiola’s Manchester City had never lost by a three-goal margin in a competitive fixture.

"Tsk!" Dai Zhiwei shook his head in resignation. Before Bruno’s red card, even trailing by three, he hadn't lost hope of narrowing the gap, but now he felt like giving up. "Man proposes, God disposes," he thought, deciding to take things one step at a time. He had to admit, he was thoroughly beaten.

While Manchester City celebrated, Fran Escribá didn't sit idle. He called back Bacca, who had been warming up for ages, and used his final substitution to replace Bakambu—who had been completely invisible in the second half—hoping to "steal" a goal back in the six minutes of stoppage time added due to the frequent goals and celebrations.

Escribá’s intuition proved correct. After Villarreal restarted play, Manchester City’s defense completely unraveled. It wasn't a lack of effort; on the contrary, they were so hungry for more goals that they were playing recklessly, with Fernandinho even pushing all the way into the Villarreal penalty area. Every time Manchester City failed to score, they regained possession and recycled the attack, leaving Escribá frantic on the sidelines.

Villarreal fans in the stands were equally anxious. Each Manchester City attack looked like it could result in another goal, and many fans, unwilling to watch their team be humiliated without dignity, began to stand up and slowly file out of the stadium.

However, they failed to notice that Dai Zhiwei’s eyes were growing brighter, a stark contrast to his dejected look just minutes earlier. "Just one chance!" Watching the Manchester City defense laid bare before him, he lurked in the half-space like a mamba, waiting for the moment to strike.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Manchester City attacked again. Silva passed from the edge of the box to Gabriel Jesus, who turned and fired a shot. The ball struck Alfred N'Diaye and deflected, but it flew straight into the arms of Asenjo. Facing such a powerful shot, Asenjo didn't dare take chances, punching the ball out of the box to Castillejo. Jesus let out a frustrated shout.

Last January, Jesus had joined Manchester City for 32 million euros, seen by many as Agüero's perfect successor, but news reports of City’s interest in signing Dai Zhiwei had infuriated the prodigy. After receiving the rebound, Castillejo didn't even look up, simply clearing the ball with a powerful kick. Whether it reached a teammate or was intercepted was down to luck.

Fortunately, luck was on Villarreal’s side this time, as the ball fell to Dai Zhiwei. Facing the pass, Dai leaned into Fernandinho behind him. Because of the force behind Castillejo’s kick, the ball was moving fast, and as it arrived, a sudden inspiration struck Dai.

"Haha, almost forgot, I used to pull this off back when I started at Evergrande." While his mind recalled past glories, his body reacted instantly. He met the ball, flicked it lightly with his left foot so it flew behind him to his left, and then pivoted sharply to the right.

Facing this ingenious "nutmeg" flick, Fernandinho’s brain clearly short-circuited; he could only watch as Dai Zhiwei chased down the ball and roared past him. The Manchester City fans in the stands were stunned; the scene was all too familiar to Premier League supporters. The move Dai Zhiwei used was none other than the signature "waltz" turn perfected by Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp.

On the sidelines, Guardiola was startled by Dai’s handling of the ball, leaning forward and jumping to his feet. In modern football, the push for pragmatism meant the "artists" of the pitch were becoming a rarity, but this touch from Dai Zhiwei reminded Guardiola of the beautiful symphonies of football’s past. "Truly a great player." Guardiola’s appreciation for Dai grew; what had started as pre-match mind games had turned into genuine admiration. He was now truly viewing him as a summer transfer target. After all, a 110-million-euro release clause was no obstacle for the deep-pocketed Manchester City. "If Dai Zhiwei comes to City, I am confident I can mold him into the 2010 version of Messi and turn Manchester City into a dynasty," Guardiola began planning for his arrival.

On the pitch, having bypassed Fernandinho, Dai Zhiwei found himself in open space. "Bang!" He pushed the ball far ahead and sprinted like a 100-meter runner toward the City goal. Only goalkeeper Caballero stood in his way, with all other defenders far behind. Fernandinho chased after him, but how could he catch up? Dai’s dribbling speed was world-class, and he surged forward, kicking the ball long and chasing it down repeatedly. Dai was a Formula 1 car on the pitch, while the City defenders were mere economy cars; instead of closing the gap, he pulled further away.

As Dai reached the edge of the box, Caballero rushed out to meet him. "Dribble past him!" The thought crossed Dai’s mind, but as he prepared to shift direction, he felt a wave of fatigue. He had played 92 minutes, and this half-field sprint had left his legs feeling heavy. His stamina rating in the "Football Star System" was only 84—better than a "walking" Messi, certainly enough for a full match, but nothing compared to the endurance monsters of the game. "I must find a skill in the system to boost my stamina to the max!" he thought, as Caballero closed to within three meters.

Before Caballero could reach him, Dai Zhiwei placed his left instep under the ball, preparing to chip it. Caballero, seeing this, immediately jumped, arms and legs outstretched to cover as much space as possible, having suffered from being chipped before in his career. But as Caballero hung in the air, Dai flicked his ankle, turning the chip into a low push. The ball rolled underneath the leaping goalkeeper and into the empty net. 3-5!

The entire Etihad Stadium fell into a deathly silence. Dai Zhiwei, having completed his hat-trick, didn't celebrate wildly; he simply patted the Villarreal badge on his chest with a calm expression—after all, they were still trailing by two goals.

"Gooooooooooooooooooooooal!"

"It’s in! It’s in! Dai Zhiwei faked out the Manchester City keeper Caballero and slotted it home!" the Spanish commentator roared, his voice cracking with emotion. "Dai Zhiwei has dealt a painful blow to Manchester City in the final moments! A hat-trick! 3-5! Brilliant!"

Viewers familiar with this commentator were shocked by his passion; he was usually known for his dry, understated style. But today, he had broken the mold for this kid from Villarreal. The viewers couldn't help but agree—it was a magnificent goal.

Dai’s teammates rushed over, ecstatic. Although they still trailed by two, three away goals were enough to pull them back from the edge of the cliff. They had been mentally prepared to exit the Champions League, but to keep the tie alive heading back to the Estadio de la Cerámica was a dream. At home, the "Yellow Submarine" feared no one; they had already proven that against Real Madrid and Barcelona. Escribá and his staff celebrated wildly; Escribá couldn't help but sigh that Dai Zhiwei was truly his lucky star.

In contrast to Villarreal’s joy, the Manchester City camp was in a state of deathly silence. Having fought to turn a 0-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead and looking set to kill off the tie, they had allowed the gap to be narrowed again. With only minutes left, their momentum had evaporated. Guardiola used his final substitution to bring on a defender, signaling the end of the push.

As Guardiola called a retreat, the match was effectively settled. After the restart, Villarreal parked the bus, with even Dai Zhiwei dropping back to harry De Bruyne, while the fresh Bacca acted as a defensive midfielder to disrupt City’s play. With the Villarreal box packed, Manchester City couldn't create any more threats. When the final whistle blew, the score remained 5-3.

Thanks to Dai Zhiwei’s hat-trick, Villarreal lost the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, 3-5, but those three away goals meant they felt no defeatist gloom. The media showered Dai Zhiwei with praise, unanimously agreeing: although Villarreal lost the match to Manchester City, Dai Zhiwei hadn't lost to anyone. He was the most dazzling presence on the pitch.