Praxedes passes back to Pellegrini.
Plazza keeps chasing the ball.
Pellegrini plays it to the dropping Lu Yang. Lu Yang carries it one step to the left, pins Plazza behind him, and the two crash into each other in a brutal physical battle.
But to everyone’s shock, Lu Yang doesn’t get sent flying by the 1.91-meter Plazza. Instead, after a solid collision, he uses the impact like a second-gear launch and bursts out.
Plazza had planned to bump into Lu Yang and then grab at him, but he’s the one who gets bounced away and fails to stop Lu Yang’s first step.
What a monster in the duel!
Forget comparing him with attacking midfielders.
Even if you compare him with top defensive mids, center-backs, or central forwards, that’s still first-tier level.
This Lu Yang... is he really this strong?
You couldn’t tell at all.
Plazza chases after Lu Yang. He’s not overly worried though, because Joseph has already dropped into the holding midfield spot and is retreating properly.
If Lu Yang cuts inside to the right, Joseph is the wall he has to break through.
Sure enough, "fearing" Joseph’s defensive dominance, Lu Yang doesn’t cut inside. He keeps driving in that left half-space.
Plazza stays right behind him, but can’t really affect him.
In this situation, France’s right-back has to step out and put some pressure on Lu Yang, otherwise if Lu Yang takes a few more strides he’ll have room to pull the trigger from range.
Shots from that channel or a forty-five-degree cross are both extremely dangerous.
Lian Turan charges out quickly.
But at the same time, Praxedes just goes straight to the byline, brushing right past Lian Turan.
Bang!
Lu Yang releases the ball!
Praxedes receives cleanly on the flank.
Lian Turan turns and sprints back, abandoning Lu Yang and heading wide.
He knew this would probably happen the moment he stepped out, but he has no choice. He has to go plug Lu Yang’s muzzle.
That’s exactly why, after getting the ball, Lu Yang didn’t cut inside but instead took two steps left, inviting body contact from Plazza.
If he couldn’t hold that collision, Plazza would have tied him up, and then Zidane and Rubeus would have time to swarm him.
But if he holds it... Plazza gets pinned behind Lu Yang and is basically out of the play.
France Team are effectively a man down, a gap opens, and Turan can only go fill the hole.
Likewise, if the one who stepped out to cover had been the right center-back Lande, then Ancelotti and Lu Yang could just wait in Lande’s original zone for the ball to drop and kill you with one strike.
Exactly the same pattern as Italy Team’s second conceded goal.
If Joseph had come over to cover, then Lu Yang would have had the chance to slide a through ball into the middle, where both Ancelotti and Perrotta would have a great chance to receive and threaten the goal.
By comparison, letting the flank go is the lesser evil.
Bang!
Before Turan can get there, Praxedes sets the ball and whips in a cross!
The Curvature and pace on this ball are both absolutely spot-on.
It finds Perrotta’s head with pinpoint accuracy.
Bang!
Perrotta goes for the header on goal.
France Team keeper Dominic isn’t a top-class keeper, but his positioning just so happens to be right in the ball’s path.
The ball smashes off Dominic’s face and drops to Lande’s feet.
Lande swings a big clearance.
But Ancelotti appears beside him like a starving wolf.
Lande doesn’t have time to really get his leg through it; the clearance doesn’t go far and instead drops toward the left edge of the penalty area.
Lu Yang’s body opens up horizontally, left foot planted, upper body leaning left, right leg swinging high, fully loaded with Power.
Bang!
Another first-time volley without even taking a touch!
The ball rockets toward the far corner.
Dominic dives the wrong way; he thought Lu Yang would go near post.
If you’re aiming far post, it’s usually easier to curl it.
But a driven strike, especially one with a bit of outside-of-the-boot on it to the far corner, tends to float and drift wide past the post.
Top strikers not only master all kinds of Shooting techniques, they also choose the right one for each situation.
Average strikers can only use the few finishes they’re comfortable with, no matter what the situation is. So sometimes they pull off wonder goals, and other times their shots are absolutely awful.
Lu Yang’s choice here clearly looks a bit... questionable...
Clang!
The ball does start to drift as it flies toward the far corner.
But it happens to drift straight onto the post — the inside of the post.
The ball ricochets into the net, splashing up a white spray.
One to two!
Italy claw one back!
Italy’s tactical adjustment is paying off in a big way!
"Lu Yang! Lu Yang’s long-range strike hits the post and bounces in! What an absolute worldie!"
"Another volley! All three goals in this match so far have come from volleys!"
"That also shows just how intense this game is. Only a volley — the kind of shot that shaves off one or two seconds — has a chance to break down either defense! If they’d been even a bit slower, these three goals never happen!"
"Lu Yang opens his European Cup finals goal account! It’s his first time on a stage like this, and he’s already found the net!"
"Truly a big-game player with nerves of steel! Italy have dragged the suspense back into this match!"
"You can clearly see the France fans in the stands getting nervous; they probably never imagined Italy would dare to hit back like this!"
"That last attack, Praxedes’ overlapping run was absolutely crucial! You can also see Italy’s blueprint from that move — they’ve basically abandoned defending the wings and are ready to trade blows with France Team out wide!"
"It looks decent so far, but France Team have the edge in that both of their Wingers are world-class. If Italy really want this ’mutual destruction’ on the flank, they’re going to have to tweak something on that right side."