Chapter 161: The competition for the championship is heating up
On the evening of January 12, 2003, in the second half of the Serie A season, in the 16th round, Inter Milan would challenge the newly promoted team, Modena, away.
In this match, the long-rested Vieri would once again start, partnering with Wang Feng upfront, while the absence of Recoba was filled by Mofeio, and Ribery also made it into the squad.
When Modena's coach Hennig received the Inter Milan squad list, he was very puzzled by the appearance of this young player. So he asked his assistant coach, Lamiro: "Do you know who this Ribery is?"
Lamiro shook his head: "I don't know either. Maybe he was promoted from the youth academy. Their main forward, Recoba, is injured, so the forward line must be lacking."
Hennig nodded, no longer focusing on him, but rather concentrating on how to limit Wang Feng's performance. Currently, the team was only one step away from the relegation zone, so securing points in this match was crucial.
With the referee's whistle, the game officially began.
Inter Milan, playing away, took the initiative and launched a threatening attack right from the start. Wang Feng's breakthrough in the front field found Vieri in the middle, who sent a shot, but unfortunately, it was too weak and collected easily by the Modena goalkeeper.
In the subsequent game, Wang Feng created several attacking opportunities to help Vieri regain his form, but he couldn't capitalize on them. Despite dominating the game, Inter Milan couldn't break the deadlock, and the score remained 0-0.
With no other options, Wang Feng decided to take matters into his own hands and score first.
In the 40th minute, during an Inter Milan attack, Di Biagio passed the ball into the penalty area, where Wang Feng faced two defenders.
First, he flicked the ball to the left, forcing the Modena defenders to react quickly, but Wang Feng quickly shifted the ball to the right.
The defenders were caught off guard and rushed to block him, but Wang Feng feinted and brought the ball back to his left foot. Then, with a swift shot, the ball flew into the bottom right corner of the goal, leaving the Modena goalkeeper no chance to react.
"Goooooooooooooooal!! The ball is in!! At the end of the first half, Inter Milan, who had been dominating, finally opened the scoring!!"
"While Vieri struggled and missed several opportunities in a row, Wang Feng stepped up. With his continuous dribbling using both feet, he successfully tore apart Modena's defense and seized the opportunity to score."
"Let's take a look at the replay before the goal. In just a moment, Wang Feng changed the direction of the ball three times, almost like a phantom. The Modena defender, number 19, twisted his body to the extreme but still couldn't stop his shot."
"This is the footwork of a top striker! It's worth mentioning that in the current league season, Wang Feng has already scored 19 goals. If he maintains this form, he is highly likely to break the Serie A goal-scoring record. Remember, he was just one goal short last season."
After scoring, Wang Feng excitedly swung his arms and then ran towards the sidelines, followed closely by his Inter Milan teammates, embracing each other in celebration.
Vieri remarked, "It has to be you, Wang. Playing football with you is just too easy." Wang Feng playfully punched his chest, saying, "Don't get too comfortable. Get back in form and score one too." Vieri nodded with a smile.
At halftime, Inter Milan led 1-0, and coach Cooper made adjustments to the lineup. Initially, he planned to substitute Vieri, but Vieri felt his physical condition was still good and wanted to score another goal before being substituted.
Considering Modena's relatively low strength, Cooper agreed to his request and only brought Ribery onto the field.
Ribery, making his debut, appeared very nervous. Before entering the field, Wang Feng comforted him, saying, "Bro, you're just too concerned, that's why you're nervous. One game doesn't define anything. I believe in your ability."
"I'll pass you the ball. Let's try to score one, and then everything will flow smoothly."
At the start of the second half, Modena, unwilling to accept defeat, strengthened their attack. Inter Milan consciously relaxed their pressure, tempting the opponents to come forward and create more opportunities.
In the 65th minute, Inter Milan launched a quick counterattack. Wang Feng dribbled the ball through the midfield, with Viera and Ribery closely following behind. Modena's defense formed a three-on-three situation in the frontcourt.
He first passed the ball horizontally to Ribery in the middle, then made a forward run, and Ribery, despite some difficulty controlling the ball, managed to pass it before the defenders could react.
The quality of this pass was good, and Wang Feng easily received the ball on the wing. With his speed, he outran a Modena defender and calmly adjusted near the baseline before delivering a high-quality cross into the penalty area.
The ball found Vieri lurking in the penalty area, and he gently jumped to head the ball, which deflected off his forehead and flew into the bottom left corner of the goal.
2-0! Inter Milan scored another goal!
After scoring, Vieri was quickly replaced by Batistuta. Just when everyone thought Inter Milan would easily win, there were some changes on the field.
In the 72nd minute, Modena launched an attack, and after a cross from the center-back Gizin, the forward Badr was left unmarked in the penalty area. He controlled the ball and shot, piercing Toraldo's fingers.
Just 3 minutes later, Inter Milan once again left a player unmarked in the penalty area, but this time Badr's shot was blocked by Materazzi on the goal line.
Cannavaro was responsible for both mistakes and was immediately substituted by Cooper, who brought on Zambrotta. Inter Milan's defense gradually stabilized.
In the 85th minute, taking advantage of Modena's aggressive attack, Inter Milan launched another counterattack. Wang Feng dribbled into the penalty area, attracting all the defensive attention, then passed to the left.
Ribery, who followed closely, easily tapped the ball into the net near the goal line, securing the victory for Inter Milan!
After scoring, Ribery ran around the field in excitement. He never imagined that he would score on his first appearance on the Serie A stage.
He then hugged Wang Feng, continuously expressing his gratitude. Wang Feng smiled and patted his head, feeling satisfied that he hadn't misjudged Ribery's talent.
In the end, Inter Milan defeated Modena 3-1, with Wang Feng being named the Man of the Match for his one goal and two assists. This was his 10th time being awarded the title.
During the post-match press conference, Cooper said in an interview, "Wang Feng's performance in this match deserves the Man of the Match award. If I were to choose, in the past 16 league matches of Inter Milan, he has been the best player in every game."
At the same time, AC Milan defeated Bologna 2-0, and Juventus thrashed Reggina 5-0. The points gap among the three teams was very close, intensifying the title race.
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