Chapter 174: Good performance
After the intense battle with AC Milan, Inter Milan rested for a night before flying to Valencia, Spain, the next day, preparing for the quarter-final second leg of the Champions League three days later.
The home team, Valencia, made thorough preparations. Their head coach, Benitez, even completely abandoned the league match against Real Valladolid on April 20, resulting in a shocking 0-1 loss.
After this match, Valencia's ranking on the league table plummeted to fifth place, dropping out of the Champions League spots. The cost was heavy, so they focused on this year's European competition, determined to achieve good results!
On the other hand, Inter Milan, having just played a tough match against AC Milan, was once again playing away and facing an unfavorable situation. It seemed like they were walking on thin ice.
But circumstances change. In the first leg, Inter Milan had many issues due to their mentality. Now, through the guidance of the coaching staff and Wang Feng's outstanding performance as a spiritual pillar, they had improved significantly.
Ultimately, if they could set aside their desire for quick success, Inter Milan feared no decisive battle!
In contrast, Valencia did not have a clear advantage in the first leg. After stumbling in the league, being overtaken by Celta Vigo, their morale was low, and they were full of doubts.
So, although Benitez had some reputation, he lacked experience. He only considered rotating and resting his key players, without considering the impact of losing and the Champions League spot on the players' morale.
On the night of April 23, the match took place at the Mestalla Stadium as scheduled.
After kick-off, both sides played cautiously. Valencia mainly focused on defensive contraction, while Inter Milan dared not push forward aggressively to avoid leaving gaps in defense. Therefore, they engaged more in midfield probing and clashes.
Both sides had few shots on goal, and the score remained 0-0.
The turning point came in the 80th minute of the second half. After a midfield interception by Inter Milan, Zanetti retreated to his own half and passed horizontally to Dharma.
Dharma received the ball, and at this moment, Wang Feng also dropped back to midfield. He glanced at the positioning and decisively chose to pass the ball to Wang Feng, letting him organize the attack.
As Wang Feng received the ball with his back to the opponent, Albertda rushed up to press him, trying to tackle the ball.
Wang Feng quickly hooked the ball, avoiding the opponent's slide tackle, and then accelerated forward. Valencia's other center-back, Rufete, hurriedly stepped forward, blocking his path. Wang Feng's sprint in the previous match had left a deep impression on him, and he couldn't allow Wang Feng to accelerate easily.
Facing Rufete's block, Wang Feng saw an opportunity and flicked the ball forward. The ball passed through Rufete's legs, and although he tried to close his legs, he was still a step too slow. Wang Feng brushed past him.
Successfully breaking through the two defenders! Wang Feng accelerated through the midfield and quickly reached the edge of the penalty area.
Valencia defender Pelegrino closely followed Wang Feng, trying to stop him from advancing further. He dared not make any big movements because Wang Feng was within range for a free kick.
However, there were constant body contacts and small movements with hands. Wang Feng managed to control the ball, using his left hand to block Pelegrino, then suddenly made a quick stop.
Pelegrino couldn't stop his steps and stumbled forward. Wang Feng flicked the ball to his left foot and continued to advance, successfully getting past him.
Near the edge of the penalty area, Reviere looked nervously at Wang Feng approaching him. He watched as his teammates were shaken off one by one, and his fear grew.
Wang Feng continued his speed, leaning his right shoulder as if he was going to the right side. Reviere instinctively reacted, adjusting his balance with Wang Feng's rhythm.
But Wang Feng unexpectedly used his right foot to pull the ball back and turn, executing a graceful Marseille turn to slip past Reviere. The last defender in the penalty area, Caponi, was shocked to see Reviere being shaken off and hurriedly stepped forward to block.
Wang Feng reacted swiftly, using continuous shifts in weight and footwork to make Caponi misjudge.
Swerving past him! The only one standing between Wang Feng and the Valencia goalkeeper, Canizares, was Caponi. When Wang Feng reached the sideline of the penalty area, Canizares had already focused all his attention.
Seeing Wang Feng's superb dribbling skills, continuously bypassing two defenders, Canizares had to admit that Wang Feng's ability was truly strong. At this moment, he could only take a chance!
Seeing Canizares rushing out of the goal to tackle the ball at his feet, Wang Feng calmly flicked the ball to the left, easily evading the goalkeeper's hands.
Then, he skillfully avoided Canizares and, after catching up with the ball, scored into the empty net with a side-footed shot.
After scoring, Wang Feng leaped up excitedly, waving his clenched fist vigorously in the air, expressing his excitement.
Turning his head, he expected to see his teammates rushing over to celebrate, but the scene he anticipated did not appear. At this moment, both Valencia and Inter Milan players on the field were dumbfounded, and there was a moment of silence in the stands. Even the referee momentarily forgot to blow the whistle, as if the whole world had been paused.
The first to come to their senses was the referee, whose whistle broke the silence of the entire stadium, followed by bursts of exclamation and sighs from the Mestalla Stadium. The Inter Milan fans in the stands began to chant Wang Feng's name in unison.
Inter Milan players ran to Wang Feng, with Materazzi grabbing him and shaking him desperately, "Do you know what you've done? Oh my God, you alone pierced through Valencia's entire defense line!"
Zanetti also put aside his usual composure, rubbing Wang Feng's hair vigorously, laughing and saying, "You little rascal, you!"
In the commentary box, the commentators woke up as if from a dream, shouting, "Six players! Wang Feng dribbled past six players and scored against Valencia's goal!"
"I don't know how to describe my feelings right now. Fans at the stadium and viewers in front of the TV, you are fortunate to witness a magical game!"
"Wang Feng started from midfield, dribbled past Albertda, Rufete, Pelegrino, Reviere, Caponi, and Canizares, performing a crazy dribbling show and scoring a goal to overturn the score for Inter Milan!"
"Now they lead Valencia 2-1 on aggregate! Faced with this incredible goal and the limited time left, does Valencia still have the morale to continue the game?"
On the coaching bench, Benitez rubbed his smooth head, showing a bitter smile and a desperate look. He knew this game was over! With more than ten minutes left in the game, it was impossible to adjust the players' mentality!
As expected, the game resumed, and Valencia's players on the field were at a loss, especially when facing Wang Feng's attacks, they were like frightened birds.
The game ended with only Revier receiving a yellow card for fouling Wang Feng, and everything else remained unchanged. Inter Milan eliminated Valencia and entered the Champions League semi-finals!
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om