Chapter 697 - 11: Uncharacteristic Italy! Ma’el’s Mysterious Smile! Once Is Enough, Twice Is Too Much!

"Prandelli calmly drank water on the sidelines, exuding a composed demeanor, as if he was accustomed to falling behind first.

"I believe this will serve as a strong stimulus for Italy’s players, encouraging them to lift their heads and continue fighting.

"But we must acknowledge that during halftime, they have a lot of work to do!"

"....."

A minute or so after the match resumed, the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the first half.

minutes later, the players returned to the field, standing in their positions, taking deep breaths to adjust their states.

Their appearances varied, some with hands on hips and heads down, others gazing defiantly at the sky, and some making the sign of the cross on their chests in prayer.

In any case, these might be the last 45 minutes; whether they make it into the semifinals depends on the upcoming half!

"Beep!"

The referee blew the whistle to start the second half, Giroud kicked off from the center circle, commencing the game.

Everyone’s hearts tightened, even their breathing seemed to hit a barrier, as if no matter how hard they tried, they could only inhale a little air—perhaps just an illusion.

.....

"The France team launched a massive offensive, handing ball possession to Ma’el’s side once again.

"There’s no helping it; when you have such a great player by your side, giving him the ball is the easiest way to handle it. Let’s see this breakthrough.

"Abate is aggressive, understanding that he cannot defend like he did in the first half.

"Indeed, it’s effective; when you can’t keep up with an attacking player’s rhythm, go disrupt his rhythm... Ma’el has passed! Wow! A beautiful man-to-man pass and go!

"Abate didn’t disrupt his rhythm; instead, he got himself caught up!"

"....."

At Gdansk Arena, Ma’el decisively and swiftly cut inside, creating a shooting angle, swiftly setting up for a dipping shot, attempting to curve the ball into the goal from this angle.

The power of the dipping shot is greater than that of the outside of the foot; as long as the quality is high, even Buffon might have little chance.

"Bang!"

"Thud!"

The two sounds occurred almost simultaneously. During the shot, he felt a strong physical confrontation from Chiellini, causing him to lose his balance momentarily.

The football, which should have carried intense curve and speed, weakly floated towards the center, like a mistimed kick.

Body contact?

After completing the shot, Ma’el turned to look at the referee, spreading his hands to indicate it was a foul.

But the referee paid no attention, only kept retreating, focusing on positioning himself for officiating.

Ma’el could only swallow this grievance; since the referee didn’t respond, it could only mean Chiellini’s move was discreet enough, and the measure taken was subtle, ambiguously nudging Ma’el.

minutes later, it was Italy’s turn to launch an offensive. They appeared calm at the start of the second half, seemingly unfazed by being behind.

However, as they gradually felt the passage of time, they could no longer stand firm and opted for a more aggressive play.

"Bang... bang!"

Montolivo, conducting a wall pass with Pirlo in midfield, felt the opportunity wasn’t right after a few steps forward, passing the ball back to Pirlo.

Pirlo observed keenly, seeing De Rossi moving towards the far post, then sent a smooth long pass.

"Bang!"

As a historically elite midfielder, his kicking technique is undoubtedly top-notch. The ball perfectly looped past the France team defense, slowly descending in front of De Rossi.

Warrior De Rossi chose not to shoot immediately, given his narrow shooting angle; an impulsive shot would waste the opportunity.

"Bang!" He headed it back to the small penalty area, seeking teammates arriving for the chance.

The ball indeed found its target; Cassano charged from the near post, diving to head the ball alongside Sagna.... This was definitely a golden scoring opportunity!

"Ai!"

Sagna shouted to energize himself, pressing his entire body backward, interfering with the opponent while completing a turn, stretching his leg towards the football, squeezing the shooter in the process.

He used every trick in the book, solely to disrupt the opponent!

"Bang!" Cassano’s header went out, but due to Sagna’s interference, he headed this close-range ball towards the end line.

No goal!

"Ai.....!" Italy’s players swiftly rushed towards the referee, demanding an explanation. Although fans didn’t see clearly, they stood up, cheering along.

The referee kept retreating; he didn’t call Ma’el’s case earlier, so an incident within the penalty area was even less likely to be called.

Italy’s players were left in disbelief; this was nearly a certain goal opportunity. After adjusting themselves, their expressions changed, as if determined to challenge both the referee and France’s players.

Knowing the referee’s standard, understanding how France was playing, they decided to play the same way, making the opponent uncomfortable while attacking.

They certainly wouldn’t think they used the tactic first; instead, in cases of lenient referee standards, this was considered legitimate defense.

Having been disrupted from a sure goal and missing a penalty call... they were left with only resentment.

This resentment might not be directed at the France team or the match’s referee but was solely focused on the incident.

Nonetheless, the seeds of retaliation had taken root and sprouted in their hearts, growing rapidly.

At the 69th minute of the match, Ma’el continued his responsibility as the breakout point on the wing, forcefully breaking through Abate, subsequently delivering a crescent moon cross.