'Danger!'
This thought also flashed through defensive midfielder Abdallah's mind. He immediately rushed toward the ball.
This ball was outside his defensive zone. When he turned his head, left-back Jérémy Morel was rushing back toward his own half.
Because Julien was making a forward run!
As Madagascar's top star, Morel was only about 170cm tall. He had started as a left winger, so he had speed. Even though he now played left-back, he could transition seamlessly.
But when he reached full speed, he found he couldn't keep up with Julien.
The ball came down.
Julien's foot seemed to have a magnet, firmly cushioning the ball on his instep, then pushing it forward.
WHOOSH!
Just this moment already made Marseille fans gasp. Although he was the opponent, the talent Julien displayed was truly stunning.
To completely control such a long pass—this ball control was simply heaven-defying!
Julien didn't stop.
After glancing at the situation in the middle, he quickly pushed the ball forward. Center-back Lucas Mendes' first reaction was to cover, completely ignoring Lukaku's position in the middle, leaving him to teammates while covering Julien's side.
Bastia's coaching staff had pre-match information on all Marseille players. Julien was very clear about Lucas's characteristics.
This Qatari naturalized player was quite good at interceptions, but precisely because of this strength, he was more easily deceived.
Julien cut inside.
Facing Lucas, without any hesitation, he immediately dropped his shoulder, preparing to go toward the baseline. Lucas pressed up, not giving Julien space, but he simply couldn't keep up with Julien's first-step speed.
This made Lucas panic, and he instinctively used his body to try to hold Julien off.
But Julien suddenly stopped, dodged him, flicked the ball inside with his left foot, and quickly twisted his entire body around.
Lucas knew he was about to be beaten, but from the corner of his eye, he saw the ball. A thought arose in his mind:
'Gamble!'
He was not yet in the penalty area, he could still gamble.
However, he forgot that when Julien had flicked the ball back inside, he was already on the penalty area line.
Julien felt his ankle being kicked.
Without any hesitation:
"AH!"
He cried out and went down.
Julien clutched his ankle in apparent pain. It actually wasn't that serious, but this was a forward's required skill.
He could have stayed on his feet, but with Abdallah and the goalkeeper rushing out, they had already sealed off his position. Better to take the penalty.
The referee saw Julien go down. Actually, he had seen it quite clearly. He hesitated for a moment in his mind.
One second later—
TWEET!
The referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.
"No, no, no, this is absolutely not a penalty. I was going for the ball!"
Lucas immediately held his head, looking completely aggrieved, shouting at the referee.
At this moment, near the penalty area, smoke was swirling. Many people still didn't know what had happened.
When the broadcast camera zoomed in, fans learned it was a penalty.
Bastia fans watching the broadcast immediately became excited.
"Julien!"
Julien indeed hadn't disappointed anyone. Even with the team on a three-game losing streak, he remained the most reliable one.
Just one minute into the match, on the first attack, he earned a penalty through his breakthrough.
On the pitch, Rothen and Angoula surrounded the referee, pushing away Marseille players, not letting them interfere with the referee.
De Bruyne walked to Julien's side and patted his shoulder. "How is it?"
After seeing the referee award the penalty, Julien wasn't so "pained" anymore, though he still grimaced and shook his head.
De Bruyne understood and pulled him up.
Julien took the opportunity to adjust his socks and shin guards.
Julien preferred to use small-sized shin guards, the youth version, because his playing style mainly involved dribbling breakthroughs, and shin guards that were too long sometimes affected his movements.
On the sideline, Baup was complaining to the fourth official that this wasn't a penalty.
In fact, because of the blue-white smoke, he couldn't see clearly at all. But any decision unfavorable to his team: just protest.
Hadzibegic also hadn't seen it and just defended the referee's decision.
On the football pitch, there's no right or wrong, only positions.
The penalty was absolutely fine. Once the referee decided to call it, he had no intention of changing it.
He even gave a yellow card to Jordan Ayew who came up to argue.
Ayew's words to the referee were somewhat excessive.
This yellow card made all the Marseille players calm down, knowing there was no way to change it.
Players from both sides stood outside the penalty area.
Julien, holding the ball, walked into the area and placed it on the penalty spot.
Goalkeeper Mandanda, while players were arguing about the penalty, had been standing at the penalty spot, quietly scuffing it with his heel.
When Julien came up to place the ball, he even said to Julien, "You're definitely going left, right? I know you're going left."
Julien ignored these little tricks. He stomped on the area Mandanda had scuffed, then gestured to the referee.
The referee came over to look, warned Mandanda, and told him to get back to the goal line.
After Julien smoothed out the grass, he stepped back a few paces.
At this moment, all eyes were on Julien. Through the commentator's introduction, everyone knew tonight was Julien's 18th birthday, and now this penalty came at the perfect time, it was truly a perfect start.
A perfect start for a birthday night.
TWEET!
The referee blew the whistle.
Julien exhaled slightly, then started his run. This time he chose the left side!
BOOM!
A no-look power shot. The ball was fast.
Goalkeeper Mandanda dove to the right.
Wrong direction.
The ball met no resistance.
WHOOSH!
A penalty in the first minute, scored in the third minute by Julien!
0-1.
Bastia got a dream start.
Julien, beaming with joy, ran toward the Marseille fan stands, spreading his arms wide amidst the boos.
Marseilleism? Marseille superior to France?
No. Right now, there was only Julien!
Marseille had produced many top stars: Zidane, Cantona, and other deafening names but none in current Marseille could match Julien's name.
Tonight's opening belonged to Julien!
"Julien! Brilliant!" On the sideline, Hadzibegic roared excitedly, as if he had scored the goal himself.
Lukaku and others rushed to Julien's side, clustering behind him like vassals following their lord into battle.
De Bruyne hugged Julien tightly and said again, "Happy Birthday."
Julien smiled in response. "I love this gift."
This goal came from De Bruyne's long pass.
If Julien had been even better, he wouldn't have needed the penalty, he could have scored directly, and De Bruyne would have gotten an assist.
In Bastia, fans were shouting directly: "First place! Bastia first!!"
If the current result held, Bastia would no longer be temporarily first, but first until the next round of matches.
This excited Bastia fans.
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