Chapter 721: Penalty shootout

Liverpool and Atletico, one is the defending champion of the Champions League, and the other is the upstart of the Champions League who has performed well in the European competition in recent years.
The two teams played against each other in this series, showing people an iron-blooded defense that is not in line with the trend of the times.
And when it comes to the final decision on the right to advance, when no one can break through the opponent’s gate, the penalty shootout is still needed to determine the victory or defeat. It can be said that the tension and excitement of this series of games continue to the end. A moment.
At this time, the Wanda Metropolitan Stadium, with the cheering of tens of thousands of Atletico fans, a brutal penalty shootout is about to begin.
At this time, no one knows whether it is Liverpool, which is playing away and will play abnormally in the noisy boos, or Atletico, which is playing at home, will want to win and be afraid of losing, and there will be psychological baggage.
In the end, everything is to see the truth before the penalty point. The player's goal play and the goalkeeper's defensive performance may determine the final result of the game.
Before the penalty kick started, Klopp had already worked out the order of penalty kicks.
The players only need to accept the arrangement, adjust their mood, and wait for the penalty kick to play.
Before the start of this away game, Klopp had already taken time to practice two penalty kick training sessions, which can be regarded as anticipating the occurrence of this situation and making preparations early.
The penalty list is also arranged before. At this time, Klopp only needs to know whether any players feel abnormal and decide to give up the penalty shot.
Fortunately, for the Liverpool players, they are all big hearts. It is only a penalty kick. It is not the Champions League final. It is a "small game" where only the top 8 will be promoted. It is far from the tension and effort. The degree to be avoided.
Before the penalty kick started, the captains of both sides, Yang Feng and Gabi, under the auspices of the referee, completed the guessing of sides and choosing the order of the free throws.
After everything was done, the penalty kick started.
Yang Feng guessed the coin and lost. Liverpool was the first team to take the penalty kick.
In terms of probability and big data statistics, the team that is penalized after the penalty is highly likely to win the game.
Perhaps this is the team that takes the penalty afterwards. The psychological pressure may be less, and it can better adjust the mentality according to the situation on the court.
It was Milner who first walked to the penalty spot for Liverpool.
Milner, a big-hearted player, is Liverpool's first stick under pressure.
Oblak stood in the penalty area first, holding the ball in his hand, walked to the penalty spot head-on, handed the ball to Milner's hand, and then slowly retreated to the goal line.
The psychological confrontation between the goalkeeper and the penalty shooter is not just on the goal line, but on the court, every time.
Oblak hoped to look directly at Milner when he handed the ball just now, hoping to interfere with Milner with small movements.
Oblak, who is 1.89 meters tall, with his own wingspan, standing in the middle of the goal, for Milner, it feels more defensive coverage than his teammate Mignole during training. Much larger.
This may be Oblak’s talent, and in addition to his excellent physical fitness, Oblak’s reaction speed is not slow. In a penalty shootout, the deterrence caused is definitely extremely for the penalty shooter. The big test.
However, Milner's heart is big enough, regardless of the scope of Oblak's control, how big it can be, and he can hit the ball at the angle he wants, and then it is enough.
"Milner runs!"
"Knock!"
"Oblak judged the right direction, but he still didn't make the move. Milner took the lead for Liverpool."
Milner chose to push hard and hit the bottom right corner of the goal.
This time, Oblak had already judged the right direction and fell to the ground quickly, stretching out his arms as best he could.
But Milner's shot was fast enough and the angle was tricky enough, almost rubbing the post in the lower right corner and rolling into the goal.
It's a pity that Oblak's palm is so close to touching a football.
It is Atletico Madrid's turn to take the penalty.
Atletico Madrid's first player was Griezman.
Unlike the noisy sound of Liverpool's free throws before, when the home team was defensive, the sound on the scene dropped significantly.
Except for the away fan zone for thousands of Liverpool fans, everyone in the home team area was silent, giving Griezmann a better shooting environment.
Run-ups, rhythm changes, Griezmann's pause, but it was Mignolet who flew out to the right in advance, and Griezmann was taking a kick at this time, and it was not too much to complete a kick easily. He pushed hard, hit the left side, and entered the goal.
After Griezman scored, Atletico Madrid's home stadium burst into a lot of cheers to celebrate Griezman's goal.
And then, naturally there were boos all around, putting pressure on the players after Liverpool.
Coutinho fired a low shot to the left and still scored.
Although Gabi's shot was also very susceptible to being pounced, but the angle was tricky and the force was sufficient, so that Mignole's side pounce was also a palm difference, without stopping the football.
Both sides made two free throws.
Firmino's violent shot to the left and Cork's half-high shot to the center allowed the team to continue to score.
3 to 3.
In the critical last two shots, Yang Feng appeared in the more important fourth penalty position, still hitting the bottom right corner of the goal, quite following the direction his teammates aimed at, and once again fooled Oblak's defense.
Scored a goal.
Both sides made 7 of 7 free throws. At this time, Liverpool's consecutive hits put more pressure on the Atletico players who played later.
Saúl made a half-high shot and was judged by Mignolet.
Flying into the air is a side flutter.
That is to say, Saul’s route choice for this goal is excellent. It was the goal post on the right that bounced into the penalty area~EbookFREE.me~ Mignolet’s save was still a little worse, and it was not touched. .
When this ball was shot, Atletico fans were shocked.
Because this kind of half-high ball with no speed, no height, and no power is most suitable for goalkeepers.
Fortunately, Saul did not become the criminal.
Henderson, who took Liverpool's final penalty, hit the goal with a heavy kick, which did not give Oblak any chance to save.
At Atletico Madrid's last shot, Torres was bold enough to choose to hit the center and flew into the goal with the crossbar.
The two sides served ten in ten, and the penalty kick went directly to a single-round victory, which was more intense and exciting.
Both teams hit all free throws, giving no chance to the goalkeepers of both sides, and the players after that are actually players who are less and less good at penalty kicks.
Klein volleyed and scored again, successfully scoring his share of the penalty kick.
And Jimenez also scored, letting the two sides fight to a 6-6 tie.
In the 7th round, Moreno and Felipe scored at the same time, tying 7 to 7.
The two teams have not missed a shot so far.
Scotter is Liverpool's eighth man, running and hitting!
The uncertainty of the footwork of the central defender is revealed.
"Lost! Skrtel's penalty kick at the critical moment was missed. Atletico Madrid's chance to end the game."
In the 8th round, it may be a goal to end the game. Atletico Madrid sent veteran Juan Fran.
Run up and hit the door.
"The ball is scored! The ball is scored!"
"Juan Fran! Penalty kills Liverpool!"
"The defending champion Liverpool fought 8 rounds of penalty shootouts with Atletico Madrid, but ultimately lost 8-7. This is a victory for Atletico Madrid..."