Chapter 163: Cup
On the afternoon of February 2nd, while Inter Milan faced Torino, Juventus also welcomed the challenge of Atalanta.
Just three minutes into the game, Juventus defender Thuram made a mistake, losing the ball to Atalanta winger Shodati, who then crossed from the byline. At the back post, Komanidini volleyed the ball into the net.
Leading by one goal, Atalanta retreated to defend as Juventus attacked relentlessly for the entire 90 minutes. Finally, in injury time, Trezeguet scored a goal to equalize the score.
This result left the sideline coach Lippi very frustrated. Since the start of the second half of the season, both Inter Milan and AC Milan had been performing excellently, each achieving four consecutive victories, making the competition at the top of the standings intense.
In contrast, Juventus, after being forced to a draw in this game, saw the gap with the leading teams widen further. It's not an exaggeration to say that Juventus' chances of winning the Serie A title this season are becoming increasingly remote.
Assistant coach Ralph reminded, "Mr. Lippi, should we have a meeting today to decide on the squad for the Italian Cup quarter-finals midweek?"
Lippi, as if awakening from a dream, hurriedly said, "Yes, we must do that." Since the hope of winning the league title was faint, they must strive in the Champions League and the Italian Cup. If the club ends the season empty-handed, he wouldn't be able to justify it to the fans and the club's management.
The technical coach reminded, "I've collected the footage of Inter Milan's recent matches. We need to study them carefully. Their lineup has changed a lot compared to the beginning of the season, including Zambrotta in defense and Ribery in the forward line."
"It looks like we'll need to stay up all night. I'll go prepare some coffee," said the assistant.
The first leg of the encounter was held at the Meazza Stadium. Right from the start, Juventus showed unparalleled dominance, their aggressive momentum intimidating Inter Milan.
In the 5th minute, Juventus goalkeeper took a goal kick, with both Cannavaro and Pirlo contesting for the header. But Pirlo, with superior skill, won the aerial duel and headed the ball to the left side. Trezeguet swiftly intercepted the ball like a ghost and took a low shot in the penalty area, piercing through Toldo's goal, giving Juventus the lead.
In the 21st minute, Juventus executed a wide-ranging attack. Nedved received the ball on the wing and crossed near the goal line. Neither Maldini nor Cordoba in the penalty area managed to touch the ball, leaving Pirlo unmarked at the back post to easily head the ball into Inter Milan's net. 2-0!
In just twenty minutes, Inter Milan fell behind by two goals, leaving both the players on the field and the coaching staff on the sidelines incredulous.
Cooper frowned, realizing that Lippi had deployed a very clever tactical arrangement against Inter Milan. They focused on stopping Cannavaro defensively and cutting off Wang Feng's connection with others in attack, effectively stifling Inter Milan's performance!
Cannavaro had always been one of the weaknesses in Inter Milan's defense. Apart from off-field factors, this was largely due to his inability to adapt to Cooper's tactical system.
It's worth noting that Cooper's first choice for defense at the beginning of the season was Nesta, but unfortunately, AC Milan snapped him up first. Moratti had no choice but to bring in Cannavaro.
Knowing this, Cooper was infuriated. Cannavaro and Cordoba completely overlapped tactically, and with one being an absolute starter and the other a superstar, both had to be used, so he had no choice but to deploy Cannavaro in the unfamiliar full-back role.
This arrangement severely affected Cannavaro's performance. The introduction of Zambrotta to some extent alleviated the problem, but deciding the starting lineup became a big headache. Cooper could only rotate the players, trying to balance the relationships between them.
As for the forward line, it was even easier to understand. Currently, the only one who could play was Wang Feng. Vieri had just recovered from injury, and Ribery, who had performed well before, made numerous mistakes in this match under Juventus' tight defense.
He's still too immature; Ribery needs time to mature. Unlike Wang Feng, who is a prodigy that dominates as soon as he lands in Serie A, throughout European football, he stands alone.
On the field, Wang Feng also felt Juventus' determination and Lippi's ingenious tactical arrangements. If they continued like this, his teammates would likely become increasingly frustrated, maybe even giving up mentally, after all, it's just a cup match.
But Wang Feng didn't want that! Since they've reached the semifinals, how could they give up so easily? He gradually sharpened his gaze, realizing that he needed to "fight" now. They must equalize before halftime to boost the team's morale!
Afterwards, Wang Feng expanded his range of activities, being active both in attack and defense. In the 41st minute, he finally fought for an opportunity!
It was a midfield retreat to receive the ball. Wang Feng glanced at the Juventus defense ahead. Although they were dense, they seemed somewhat lax because, up to that point, Inter Milan hadn't posed any particularly dangerous threats, and the players inevitably relaxed mentally.
Now is the time! Wang Feng suddenly dribbled the ball, passing through Tacchinardi and Davies like the wind, startling them. They hurriedly chased after him, but how could they catch up?
Tudor stepped forward to block, but Wang Feng suddenly shifted to his right, passing directly by his side, and charged straight into the penalty area. From midfield to the penalty area, Wang Feng only took about ten seconds.
Juventus' defender Thuram and goalkeeper Buffon rushed forward and backward to close him down, but at the critical moment, Wang Feng fell to the ground and shot to the far corner of the goal. The ball flew out from between the blockages and entered Juventus' net.
"Goal!! Beautiful!! Wang Feng scores!!"
"As the first half approaches the end, Wang Feng has successfully equalized for Inter Milan! This goal can be described as flowing like clouds and flowing water." In the sports channel's live studio, Zhang Jun passionately exclaimed in commentary.
This season, Inter Milan successfully entered the Italian Cup semifinals. In order to provide timely updates on Wang Feng's cup matches to domestic fans, an agreement was reached between the sports channel and the Italian Football Association to broadcast Inter Milan's next three matches, if they successfully reach the final.
"In the first half, Inter Milan's performance can only be described as dismal, but our national team player Wang Feng has shown a strong will not inferior to anyone, with his presence seen in both attack and defense."
"And this time, it was his active retreat and superb foot skills that created a nonexistent opportunity."
"Look at this goal, Tacchinardi and Davies didn't react at all, Tudor was easily bypassed, and the timing of the shot in front of the goal was just perfect, it's simply too perfect!"
After scoring, Wang Feng celebrated by pointing to the sky with both hands, then hugged his teammates who rushed over one by one, saying, "Guys, we haven't lost yet, it's just one goal left, let's fight!"
Hearing this, everyone nodded heavily, they were also inspired by Wang Feng's fighting spirit, dispelling their despondency.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺