Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions
Chapter 86: Countdown 5 minutes! Not much time left for Icardi!

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Countdown 5 minutes! Not much time left for Icardi!

Inside the CCTV5 studio.

Taking advantage of the halftime break, He Wei and Fan Zhiyi analyzed the performance of the first half.

"Let’s take a look at the latest statistics!"

"In the first half, AC Milan had 53% possession, slightly ahead of Inter’s 47%."

"In terms of shots, the visiting team AC Milan led with 8 shots, but only 2 were on target."

"Inter, although they had fewer shots, only 5, forced the opponent’s goalkeeper to make 3 saves, and Icardi even had a header hit the crossbar once."

General Fan couldn’t help but start to rant in his Shanghai-accented Mandarin.

"I was just praising this Icardi at the start, didn’t expect this guy to be a pushover!"

Fan Zhiyi started counting on his fingers, looking disdainful.

"From what I counted, there were at least three of them, three sure goals, and not a single one went in!"

"This is the Milan Derby, the most intense match in Italy. Squandering chances in such an important game, Inter is bound to be punished in the second half, dear!"

"Icardi can’t hold the ball, he only has the ability to poach goals!"

"A two-forward system suits him better. Can he play a lone striker? No way, he doesn’t have that ability, understand?"

In the live broadcast room, fans watching the match at over three in the morning also echoed Fan Zhiyi’s complaints.

- [General Fan speaks the truth, Icardi wasted two brilliant passes from Tang Long, he’s not poaching, he’s missing chances!]

- [I haven’t watched Inter’s matches in over a decade. Back when I watched, how did Inter play a lone striker? Everyone shrank back, and just launched a big ball to Vieri, and he could solve the problem on his own!]

- [Icardi’s strengths are positioning and poaching; for a lone striker, one must be strong in holding the ball or covering a large area. He can’t do either!]

- [Inter’s 4-2-3-1 tactic was done well by Podolski in previous matches, why replace him?]

- [Strongly suggest Mancini substitutes Icardi, and put Podolski in the center!]

- [Score quickly! Serie A’s late hours, if there isn’t a goal soon, I’m going to fall asleep, I’m exhausted...]

- [Milan’s flanks are playing vividly, don’t just look at the lack of goals, after 70 minutes, Inter’s defenders will tire, Suso’s dribbling and speed might just steal one!]

- [Exactly, especially since Juan already got a yellow card, he is bound to be cautious in defense.]

Even the fans noticed the issues.

Could coach Mancini not see them?

Of course, he knows where Inter’s problem is for not scoring in the first half.

Tang Long and Icardi’s connection sparked quite a bit of creativity.

Icardi did manage three shots, missing goals by just a sliver.

But the problem lies in this lone striker tactic!

The Argentine forward is 181cm tall, weighing 79kg.

This is average for a Serie A player, but not tall or sturdy for a center-forward position!

His traits are positioning and poaching.

But having Icardi play a lone striker means he can’t deal with heavily contesting defenders.

Because once he’s surrounded by more than two defenders, he’s not sturdy enough and can only rely on pure persistence!

In the dressing room, Icardi was drenched in sweat, asking goalkeeper guardian Berni for two towels to wipe himself.

He even downed two bottles of sports drinks.

When he stood up, Mancini, standing nearby, could hear the water sloshing in his stomach~

Mancini understood that Icardi, caught in defender entanglements, expended a lot of energy during off-ball duels!

Once stamina drops, shooting technique falters, which is a common consensus in football.

For example, Mancini saw clearly that the Argentine’s heading posture on the last attempt was unnatural, trying to force it, and very reluctant.

Objectively speaking, AC Milan’s defenders aren’t exceptionally strong, in a Europe-wide view, they’re only a tier-two team.

But the Milan Derby is entirely different from a regular Serie A match!

There’s a saying in Italian football: the Milan Derby doesn’t concern itself with standings or strength.

When encountering the Milan Derby, both teams play recklessly!

This led to AC Milan’s defenders fighting tooth and nail with Icardi!

Mancini felt that he overestimated Icardi’s capability, neglecting tactical arrangements. This guy is better suited for two-forward setups, with someone sharing the burden.

He hesitated a bit but still said to his prized player:

"Mauro, you’re too tired, how about..."

Icardi sprang up.

"Boss, give me another 20 minutes! If I don’t score, I’ll request to be subbed myself!"

Mancini originally intended to replace him with Palacio and shift Podolski to the center.

But how could Mancini not have his own considerations?

Replacing the starting forward at halftime in a Milan Derby—even if Mancini doesn’t care about player opinions, he has to worry about the media’s view.

Does it mean the coach is negating his own tactics? If that’s the case, it indicates Mancini’s pre-match preparations for the Milan Derby failed!

Mancini, with a strong sense of self-esteem and control, would not allow himself to lose face.

"Alright, I’ll give you another 20 minutes. If by the 65th minute you haven’t scored," Mancini decided to go along with Icardi, turning to Palacio in front of everyone, "I’ll sub you with Palacio, push harder, Mauro!"

...

"Tang, push harder, pass me the ball more, I don’t want to be subbed at 65 minutes!"

Players were entering from the tunnel, Icardi nervously told Tang Long.

"Mauro, you’re standing too still," Tang Long analyzed, "you need to pull to the sides more. Standing still in the middle, crowded by others, even if you touch the ball, you won’t have many chances, particularly as stamina drops in the second half."

Icardi furrowed his brows, "I’m a lone striker in the center, if I pull wide, who’s in the middle? Podolski? Then aren’t I giving away my goal chances to him!"

Tang Long said: "It’s not like that, just trust me, if you occasionally pull wide, the chances will be greater! I’ve never played striker, but I’ve watched a lot of games, I won’t mislead you."

Icardi nodded somewhat skeptically.

In the second half, AC Milan increased their offensive intensity right from the start!

As a legendary star player for the team, coach Inzaghi has a very strong desire to attack.

His intuition told him that Inter’s first-half missed chances were essentially giving him a chance to win.

Push forward decisively!

After three powerful opening moves, he’d follow it with three more strong moves in the second half!

Inzaghi also had his own thoughts, he didn’t conventionally substitute; instead, during halftime, he swapped Meine directly with Pazzini!

Compared to the French forward, the Italian local star Pazzini is a proper center-forward, with similar technical traits to Icardi, good at positioning and poaching.

Inzaghi believed that under the precondition of having a center-forward, coupled with the excellent performance of the two wingers Bonaventura and Suso in the first half, Milan’s offense could become more diversified!

"Oh! Inter didn’t make any changes, AC Milan swapped players!"

"Pazzini is on, he’s also an ex-Inter player, facing his old club this time!"

Fan Zhiyi sensed something amiss.

"He Wei, you don’t say, Inzaghi was a great player, and also has quite the hand at coaching!"

"With Pazzini on, Milan’s tactical play becomes much richer, capable of wing-crosses for header goals or wingers cutting in to shoot, versatile in the center and on the flanks, much more varied,"

"Ay ya ya, Icardi is still on the field? I’m not trying to criticize Mancini, but is he out of his mind?"

"Inter has to pull back and defend with the same strategy!"

Likewise, Gualin retreats, paralleling the centre-backs, with Medel protecting ten meters outside the D.

Icardi is once again left isolated and without support!

Time ticks away, second by second.

Icardi’s anxiety mounts like an ant on a hot stove, feeling the torment.

Finally, with the concerted efforts of the Inter team retreating to defend, and after holding off the high pressure for 90 minutes, they were finally able to hold off Milan.

No team can keep up an intensive press for 90 minutes, and it can only exist in stages.

At this moment, on the sidelines, Gualin had already called Palacio over, holding a tactic board and talking.

He only had 5 minutes left for himself.

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