Back in the lounge, Cao Baiming calmly found a seat, ready to listen to Arteta's complaints.
To his surprise, he didn't say much.
Just, "Pay more attention to defense in the second half, and keep your formations tight."
Then he fell silent.
He didn't want to say much in such a situation; the players' morale was easily affected.
Having gone over ten games without a loss, they were unaccustomed to the feeling of being behind at halftime. They were like pampered children who couldn't handle a setback.
Cao Baiming could clearly feel the negative emotions around him, exceeding normal levels and far beyond what the system could automatically absorb.
Before he knew it, over thirty thousand points had accumulated out of nowhere during this period...
Were they really that bothered? Making themselves miserable as if they had lost the match!
Cao Baiming felt helpless, even a little sorry for them.
But he couldn't just tell them his thoughts.
The locker room of Paris Saint-Germain was harmonious!
The atmosphere was pleasant!
Mbappé and the injured Hakimi were playfully interacting with enthusiasm, and Neymar joined in the fun.
Although their relationship wasn't the absolute best, it was decent when they were winning.
Galtier, the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, was very satisfied with the current score. A 2-1 lead was indeed very good, and if they could maintain it in the second half, they would easily win the match.
Considering their opponent today was Arsenal, known as invincible in the Premier League, winning against them felt like slaying a dragon and becoming a true hero.
With everyone so happy, Galtier didn't dare to say much. It was clear that Mbappé himself had no complaints, which indicated that he thought the game was fine as it was.
In fact, as the head coach, he had already noticed some issues from his vantage point on the sidelines in the first half.
The course of the match was completely different from what he had predicted.
He had never expected Cao Baiming to play so defensively, nor that he would be able to mark Mbappé throughout the entire game. He also hadn't anticipated Neymar's outstanding performance today.
Although he only scored once, he had four shots on target, and his dribbles were countless – one could visualize his dribbles with their eyes closed.
The initial plan was to attack the left flank, but now it had become a defensive right flank. Was it a stroke of luck or...?
If they relied solely on luck, would everything really be alright?
Galtier always maintained a serious expression, never showing a smile, giving the impression that he was constantly angry and unapproachable.
Soon, time passed by quickly, and the crowd at the sidelines began to stir again.
At this point, the commercials in the Tang Kingdom's broadcast studio had almost finished. The faces of the commentators reappeared on the screen, saying words like "welcome back to the studio."
Then, they started to chat.
On the field, the match quickly resumed.
In the second half, Cao Baiming had already made his plans and felt no panic.
During the halftime break, everyone had quietly made their own plans, ready to test them out after the restart.
The match began quickly!
"Welcome back. The current score is 1-2, with the home team, Arsenal, temporarily trailing. Both teams have switched ends for the second half..."
"We see Mbappé kick off to find Neymar..."
Before long, Cao Baiming was back beside Mbappé.
It seemed as if he heard Mbappé whisper a curse...
He had thought the second half would be easier, but this guy was back at it again!
The side where Neymar was located became increasingly active! After five minutes of play, the Brazilian flair struck again, bringing another goal!
"Neymar dribbled past three players from a tight angle for a shot, absolutely brilliant!"
"A brace! The score has been extended once again!"
"Mbappé's spotlight has been completely stolen by this Samba superstar today!"
As Paris Saint-Germain fans, hardly anyone disliked Neymar. His style of play was like a gift to football fans.
"The ultimate Samba dancer!"
After the goal celebration, Mbappé's expression changed.
Although he was smiling, it didn't seem like he was particularly happy!
Cao Baiming glanced at him, already having a clear understanding. Everything was proceeding as he had calculated, with no issues whatsoever.
However, at this moment, his teammates were too preoccupied to focus on anyone else!
"It's 1-3! When have we ever endured such humiliation!"
"Think of something quickly! Otherwise, you defend Neymar, and I'll defend Mbappé!"
His teammates said to Cao Baiming one after another.
They were being dribbled past to the point of despair!
"But you can't stop Mbappé either!"
...
Fortunately, a few minutes later, Henry stepped up and headed in a goal to pull one back!
After pulling one back, the score became 2-3!
Even though they had successfully narrowed the deficit, the fans couldn't be entirely happy. They felt like something was missing!
What was missing? The fans couldn't figure it out!
The pace of the game was as fast as ever. Despite actively trying to pick up the tempo, they couldn't. Both coaches had resigned themselves to becoming silent spectators.
Galtier was fine, as he never had a habit of shouting from the sidelines, while Arteta had also become silent today.
"The match is exciting and intense, every minute and every second is filled with suspense!"
"The two sides are trading blows, don't jump to conclusions until the very end! We can't say for sure who will win!"
"Hopefully, the match can get even more exciting..."
As the commentators began to chat idly again, Neymar started dancing in front of the penalty area.
He knew that if he didn't pass this ball soon, he wouldn't be able to stay in the team. After successfully dribbling past Holding once more, he moved to the right side of the box and looked towards the center.
Mbappé was also making a run, but Cao Baiming was like a conjoined twin, impossible to shake off.
Mbappé wasn't in good form today! He couldn't get rid of the defender!
He glanced at his teammates making a run from behind and, with no other choice, passed the ball in that direction.
Fabio Luiz was trailing behind. Neymar passed the ball in Mbappé's direction, leaving a slight lead for Fabio Luiz, who could shoot early!
Neymar secretly marveled at his own genius.
If he received this ball, then it wouldn't be my fault for not passing; it would be his fault for stealing Mbappé's ball!
Indeed! Fabio Luiz, who was following up, shot directly without controlling the ball!
As he ran, he put all his power into the shot. The ball moved forward rapidly like a bullet, seemingly leaving afterimages!