Once Xavi got past Alonso, Barcelona's attack sealed Leeds United's fate, leaving their defense on the back foot.

If Cannavaro doesn't come up, once Xavi advances to the edge of the penalty area, he will not only have more passing options, but also the threat of a direct shot.

But once Cannavaro comes on, Leeds United's usually solid defense will have a brief opening.

Kompany noticed this weakness as well. He and Cannavaro had been playing together for over half a year, and their teamwork was quite good. One would press forward, and the other would cover – this was basic practice for them. So, after seeing Cannavaro press forward, Kompany immediately told Lahm on the left to move slightly towards the middle, and then slowly moved laterally towards Cannavaro's defensive zone.

The well-coordinated Barcelona players certainly wouldn't let such a loophole slip by!

Ronaldinho on the left wing was being marked by Alves. Xavi's dribbling past Alonso also drew some of Alves' attention, so he didn't notice that Ronaldinho, who had been about two meters away from him, had quietly quickened his pace and was getting closer and closer.

The moment Xavi's foot touched the ball, Ronaldinho, who had been running at a steady pace, suddenly accelerated and instantly darted past Alves.

By the time Alves realized what was happening and turned to chase after him, Ronaldinho had already created a step distance, causing Alves's instinctive outstretched hand, which tried to grab his jersey, to miss its mark.

In a top-level competition like the Champions League, even half a body length can be fatal, let alone a full body length!

Xavi's passes are always so perfectly timed, the ball landing just inside the penalty area line, allowing Ronaldinho, who had already run into position, to easily stop the ball. However, he couldn't immediately shoot because Kompany had already come from the side.

But the Belgians were facing Ronaldinho, who, although his form had declined this season compared to before, was still Barcelona's most valuable asset.

Kompany, propelled by the momentum of his sudden stop after a high-speed run, rushed towards Ronaldinho.

But the Brazilian didn't panic at all. He simply used the outside of his right foot to gently flick the ball to the right. Seeing Kompany hurriedly adjust his body weight to try to intercept, he quickly adjusted his position and flicked the ball to the left with the inside of his right foot before the ball completely left his foot. Kompany, who couldn't adjust his body weight again in a short time, could only be mercilessly knocked to the ground.

"A bull's tail flick!!" Jon exclaimed as he saw Ronaldinho completely break through Leeds United's defense. "Kompany, who came back to defend, was mercilessly outmaneuvered by Ronaldinho. Leeds United is in danger!"

Lineker immediately chimed in: "He's already broken into the penalty area, and Schmeichel is moving towards him too. He now has to make a choice: whether to rush in at the near post or defend the far post!"

Ronaldinho quickly provided the answer!

Seeing Kasper Schmeichel waving his arms and charging towards him, he aimed at the far corner of the Leeds United goal, flicked the ball with the instep of his foot, and sent it flying past Schmeichel's left side with a slight spin. Schmeichel only had time to wave his arm once.

The next second, amidst a deafening roar of cheers from inside the Camp Nou stadium, the football struck the far post and bounced into the goal.

····

"Whoa who ...

Under his guidance, the cheers from the Camp Nou stands rose to another level, and the deafening noise left the Leeds United players somewhat bewildered. They never expected that even though they had already put Barcelona's attack in trouble, they would still be able to seize upon a mere mistake and deliver a fatal blow to Leeds United!

Amid cheers from the crowd, Ronaldinho spread his arms wide, revealing his prominent white teeth, and ran towards the corner flag to bask in the fans' praise. Barcelona's players rushed over, and Messi even ran over at lightning speed and jumped onto his older brother's back to celebrate the goal with him!

"Sigh..." Lineker sighed in disappointment as the ball flew into Leeds United's goal. "Unfortunately, Barcelona have equalized. Ronaldinho used his signature 'elastico' dribble to fool Kompany, and then he chipped the ball past Schmeichel."

Jon didn't feel the same level of disappointment as Lineker, but since it was an English team that conceded a goal, he calmly analyzed the situation while watching the Barcelona players celebrate: "Defense alone is definitely not enough. Leeds United retreated too far after taking the lead early on. This almost complete surrender of possession to the opponent is simply providing fertile ground for Barcelona's possession-based style of play. With so much time left in the game, if this continues, the consequences could be dire..."

“Indeed,” Lineker nodded. “Although Leeds United holds an away goal advantage, I’d venture to say that after equalizing, Barcelona’s morale will definitely be boosted. Given their strength, if Leeds United doesn’t change their tactics in time, they might not even be able to hold on for halftime.”

····

"Hey! It's just one goal, right? Cheer up! There's still so much time left in the game!" Seeing his players looking dejected after Barcelona equalized, Li Shiguang kept encouraging them from the sidelines before the game restarted.

Alonso, in particular, was largely responsible for the goal conceded due to his reckless tackle, so the young man is currently in a somewhat low mood.

Li Shiguang specifically called him to the sidelines, handed water to the dejected Alonso, and then comforted him lightly, saying, "It's okay, Xavi, everyone makes mistakes. We still have plenty of time to score! Remember what I told you and Luca before the match: when defending their two attacking midfielders, just stick close to them. Don't make any tackles unless you're absolutely certain..."

Seeing that Li Shiguang didn't blame him, Alonso gave him a grateful look, spat out the water in his mouth, nodded heavily, and stood in position to wait for his teammate to kick off...