Chapter 136: Advancement

Words : 1346 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

"I'm feeling a bit dizzy!" "It's easy to get fatigued!" "I'm having trouble catching my breath!" Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Dinamo Zagreb had come to play the second leg of the first round of UEFA Champions League qualification. They arrived three days early to adapt to the environment. With an altitude of 1,500 meters, it's not high enough to cause altitude sickness. But under intense physical exertion, the low-oxygen conditions make it hard for their bodies to absorb enough oxygen. This leads to dizziness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Of course, after some adjustment, they could recover. Still, the environment was something they found very hard to adapt to. And that was the home advantage of FC Pyonik. "Let them come to snowy Croatia and play instead!"Duimović grinned as he spoke. Croatia's home-field advantage lies primarily in the winter. Heavy snowfall and freezing weather often overwhelm visiting players. But for the Croatians, it's just part of daily life. The same principle applied to Yerevan. They were used to playing at high altitude, while players like Suker lacked conditioning for low-oxygen environments. "This is only the first day. Let's use two more days to adapt. We've already got four goals at home—it'll be hard for them to come back." Suker said, "As long as we set up the right tactics and don't go all-out like last time, we'll be fine." Everyone nodded in agreement. The conditions weren't unbearable—they just didn't suit high-press tactics. And with three days to acclimate, they'd gradually adapt. The 1,500-meter altitude wasn't enough to trigger full-blown altitude sickness. Though their heads felt a bit heavy, it wasn't overly problematic. Dinamo Zagreb trained for three days at a rented stadium. Their focus was on adapting and refining their tactical setup. Besic emphasized a possession-based strategy: Slowing down the tempo and focusing on solid defense. Suker thought Besic was being too concerned with appearances. If it were up to him, he'd just park the bus. Defend the goal at all costs! After all, they had a massive lead from the first leg. Besic, however, refused to resort to pure defense, opting instead to fill the midfield with technically strong players. Including Suker, Modrić, Valjević, Duimović, and Vukojević. For the next match, Dinamo Zagreb was expected to play a 4-5-1 formation. The goal was to overload the midfield and control the tempo. Slow the game down, keep the ball, and defend effectively. "The next match isn't about scoring—it's about holding firm defensively, managing the tempo, and keeping the ball at our feet. Got it?" Besic reminded the players. Suker and the others nodded immediately. This was the most suitable approach for them at the moment. July 26 – Yerevan, Armenia A city nestled on the mountainside. Looking into the distance, towering ranges stretch like dragons into the sky, the snowcapped peaks reaching the clouds—a majestic sight. Hanrapetakan Stadium!This was Yerevan FC Pyonik's home ground. FC Pyonik were notorious in the Armenian Premier League—dominant to an almost unreasonable extent. Yet today, they were being toyed with by Dinamo Zagreb. "Dinamo Zagreb is stringing together pass after pass—they're not even trying to attack, just controlling possession in midfield and dictating the tempo." "In this match, Besic has moved all his technically gifted players back to midfield to strengthen ball control and distribution." "Suker drops the ball back to Srna. Pyonik's fullback Dučerović is getting frustrated. Just as he closes in on Suker, the pass is already made—he has no chance to even press." Dučerović watched Suker calmly fall back. Laying off or switching the ball, then drifting into space to receive it again. And it wasn't just Suker—the others were doing the same. There was no intention to attack—just pass, pass, and more pass. Playing keep-away. With solid fundamentals and outstanding skill, they kept the ball safe and circulated it with precision. "Damn it!" Gamal Yakuhan saw that 40 minutes had passed. The first half was nearly over. "Dinamo Zagreb is showing incredible patience. They're playing a completely different style than last time." "Last game, they were fiery and aggressive—this time, they're calm and composed." "Two completely different styles, yet these young players are executing both flawlessly." "They have incredible individual talent, sure. But their greatest strength isn't raw skill—it's their cohesion and unity as a team." "Look at their passing! Their movements! It's like they measured everything with a ruler—precise and fluid!" "The first half is nearly done. Is Pyonik still not going to press?" Seeing their cautious stance, Kraljević shook his head and said, "They got scared from the last match. They don't dare press. And that's exactly why Dinamo Zagreb's possession and stalling tactics are working so well!" Halftime. Time for a break. "How are you guys feeling?" "Not bad!" Suker exhaled, "Heart rate's steady. No intense moves—less dizziness that way." The others nodded in agreement. Besic let out a breath of relief. "Good. Keep it up for the second half." Their goal for this match was to stall. Second half—FC Pyonik got more aggressive. Perhaps realizing that just sitting back would get them nowhere, they began pressing hard. Still, they struggled to win the ball off Dinamo Zagreb. Even when they managed a steal, Dinamo instantly dropped back and reformed their defensive line. As the clock ticked down, They got more desperate and erratic. Gamal Yakuhan began attacking down the wing. He believed he had to break through and provide a spark. But Dinamo Zagreb simply blocked off his cut-ins. Srna and Modrić always managed to win the ball back. "Where's my support?! Someone help me!"Yakuhan roared in frustration. Without support, he couldn't do anything alone. Meanwhile, Dinamo returned to possession mode. Pyonik lunged again and again— —and were drained again and again. In this so-called "Stadium of Destruction," they became the ones being destroyed. "...The match is almost over." "Dinamo Zagreb—what a terrifying team. They've shown two totally different styles, and kept 79% possession. They've controlled the ball the entire game, draining time. And Yerevan Phoenix had no answer to their stalling tactics." On the pitch, Suker passed the ball to Rakitić. Rakitić had been itching to move forward. After passing, Suker nodded toward the attacking direction. Rakitić's eyes lit up—he started dribbling forward. This isn't a lack of discipline!Suker told me to go! Rakitić's sudden surge caught Pyonik off guard. They scrambled to the right side to stop him. Mandžukić was marked and couldn't receive the ball. Valjević hadn't pushed up. "Left side?" Rakitić turned—and saw Suerk sprinting forward at full speed. No hesitation. Long pass! The ball soared high toward the far post. And there—Suker had already arrived. Eyes on the ball, Suker jumped slightly, twisted his body mid-air, and smashed the ball with the top of his left foot—Goal! The stadium fell silent. "He scored!!!" "Suker!! The sudden tempo shift caught FC Phoynik completely off guard!" "Rakitić's pinpoint cross found Suk at the back post—and that volley was phenomenal!" "84th minute—Dinamo Zagreb scores the match-ending goal!" The whole stadium was stunned. The Pyonik fans stared blankly. They knew they had lost. But they didn't expect Suker to twist the knife at the very end. "It's over! The match is truly over!" "Congratulations to Dinamo Zagreb! With a 5–0 aggregate win over FC Pyonik, they advance to the second round of Champions League qualifying!" This goal left no doubts. The Pyonik players looked utterly deflated. They had hoped to use their home-field advantage to pull off a comeback. But instead, they were completely stalled—and then hit with a final blow in the dying minutes. Many of them had already accepted the outcome by halftime. The Armenian side, were eliminated in the first round of UCL qualifiers. Dinamo Zagreb, thanks to their excellent performance, advanced to the second round.

Chapter 136: Advancement

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