It was the final moments of the first half, and still, no one had stepped up. Fans often missed Cao Baiming at these times, as he was typically the one to break the deadlock.
However, the reality was that Cao Baiming was not on the field, and time was running out. Though Mueller attempted a shot in the dying seconds, it ended in failure.
After regular time concluded, the three minutes of added injury time also passed. The referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the first half.
The score was fixed at a draw, with Arsenal and Bayern Munich each netting one goal, making the aggregate score one-one.
Cao Baiming slowly stood up from the substitute's bench, exhaling a soft breath.
The current situation was actually not bad.
Cao Baiming looked at his teammates walking off the field. Their expressions were filled with relief. Before these tactical adjustments, what they had seen in the "time bubble" was entirely different.
At halftime, they had been dejected and dispirited, unable to muster any energy. Their morale had been completely crushed, and in such a state, no miracles could happen in the second half.
From a scoring perspective, the current score was also good. Maintaining a draw in the first half meant that securing just one more point in the second half would clinch the entire match.
And for Cao Baiming, this would be a trivial matter.
The truly exciting part was yet to come.
Back in the locker room, everyone was already chatting, their moods very relaxed. Despite the draw, they all seemed as if they were leading by several goals.
They spent this break joking around. Meanwhile, the coaching staff had already decided to deploy another smokescreen against Bayern Munich in the second half.
There was no immediate rush for Cao Baiming to come on. If he entered the game from the start, the opponents might anticipate it. It would be better to delay his appearance by a few minutes, bringing him on between the 50th and 55th minute. This would undoubtedly catch them by surprise.
Making it impossible for the opponents to guard against him – how they would deal with it would be their problem, a prospect that was troublesome enough to think about.
The fans were buzzing with speculation, wondering what the second half would bring. This was what they were most curious about at that moment.
The fans were very concerned about Cao Baiming's condition. Although he hadn't shown himself in the first half, he remained the most frequently discussed name among the fans.
Was Cao Baiming injured? Was his injury serious? Would he play in the second half?
During the halftime break, the vast green pitch was empty. The stands were still packed with spectators, their discussions filling the entire stadium with a cacophony of noise.
Most people understood Cao Baiming's nature. His body could not be measured by ordinary logic; he possessed a devilishly fast recovery rate from injuries.
Even if he were injured, it probably wouldn't be anything too serious. Moreover, since the club hadn't issued any announcements, how could they conceal the truth?
If Cao Baiming had sustained a minor injury, how could such a minor injury affect a match given his physical resilience?
If it were just an ordinary Premier League match, it might be one thing. But this was the Champions League, a major quarter-final match, and their opponents were the formidable and in-form Bayern Munich.
The fans truly couldn't comprehend it, and their discussions continued.
As the halftime break ended and the players emerged from the locker room, walking through the tunnel back onto the pitch, the fans offered them a warm round of applause and cheers.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!!!"
"Cao Baiming! Cao Baiming! Cao Baiming! Cao Baiming!…"
The fans, with their rudimentary Mandarin, made their intentions clear. As Arsenal supporters, how could they easily accept a draw?
The fans hoped Cao Baiming would return to the pitch in the second half, help the team secure a decisive victory, and show those Bayern Munich fellows what real strength was.
However, their hopes were soon dashed.
The players gathered in the center of the field, awaiting the referee's whistle for the restart. At this moment, looking at the edge of the field, all the warming-up players were from Bayern Munich. The Arsenal substitutes remained seated quietly.
Even the head coach showed no indication. The coaching staff sat leisurely in the dugout, observing the situation on the pitch and conversing softly.
Cao Baiming was not warming up, which shattered many of the fans' illusions, as well as some of the Bayern Munich coaching staff's speculations.
As the match resumed, Arsenal immediately launched a swift attack, aiming to catch the opposition off guard.
Vieira in the middle distributed the ball, and Saka and Messi orchestrated passes and movements in the midfield. Messi's crucial through ball penetrated Bayern Munich's defense, slicing through their entire backline.
Henry, positioned near the offside line, sprinted out, successfully receiving Messi's pass. A roar erupted from the crowd, the fans cheering excitedly. This was just twenty-seven seconds into the second half!
Henry cushioned the ball with his thigh, then brought it onto the instep of his other foot and drove it forward, creating just enough space for a shot!
Defending a one-on-one situation, the defenders were of no help; it was all down to the goalkeeper.
Henry's sequence of movements was fluid and seamless. His speed barely decreased, and no one behind him could catch up.
The goalkeeper's palms were sweating as he urgently adjusted his position, preparing to make a save on the goal line!
As Henry unleashed his shot, the goalkeeper reacted instantly!
Bang!!
The ball struck the post and failed to enter the net!
Henry's face was filled with disbelief. However, he had no time to regret it, as the ball, after rebounding off the woodwork, didn't go far. It bounced directly back to Henry's feet!
This time, a defender had positioned himself and executed a sliding tackle, successfully blocking the ball out for a corner!
A collective sigh of disappointment echoed from the Arsenal fans.
This scene was new to Cao Baiming, and it might signify that history was beginning to diverge, making everything that followed more interesting.