Chapter 200: A sudden lead
It takes over an hour by car from Pinetina to the Meazza Stadium. As the bus entered the outskirts of Milan, the roads were crowded with Inter Milan fans, warmly welcoming the players.
When Wang Feng first came to Inter Milan, there weren't as many fans. It can be said that the spectacular scene now is all created by him. Among the crowd, there were many Asian faces, including Chinese and some Japanese and Korean students.
Wang Feng has become the pride of China and even Asia. Never has any Asian football player achieved such great success!
On the other road leading to the Meazza Stadium, AC Milan's bus was also warmly welcomed. There were many die-hard fans of the Rossoneri, who would never leave the team in times of difficulty.
The main referee led the two teams onto the field slowly. The Meazza Stadium erupted with deafening cheers. Fans on both sides of the stands excitedly waved their team flags, turning the stands into a turbulent sea.
At the start of the match, AC Milan kicked off, while Inter Milan cautiously controlled their formation, with Wang Feng and Vieri pressing the opponent's frontline.
Both sides engaged in fierce midfield battles. AC Milan's 4-3-2-1 formation was somewhat unexpected for Mancini, giving the Rossoneri a slight tactical advantage.
Soon after, AC Milan launched a threatening attack. Rui Costa passed back to Pirlo, who made a precise through ball to find Kaka, who used his speed to shake off Cordoba before passing diagonally into the penalty area.
Shevchenko met the ball inside the penalty area and took a direct shot, but Toldo's diving save defused the danger.
Just two minutes later, AC Milan attacked again dangerously. Rui Costa successfully penetrated Inter Milan's left-wing defense, swiftly dribbling towards the penalty area and passing to the middle.
Kaka at the top of the arc took a long shot, which deflected off Zambrotta nearby and went out for a corner.
Three minutes later, Kaka penetrated again. Like a gust of wind, he bypassed Cordoba and Zanetti's joint defense, cooperated with Shevchenko at the edge of the penalty area, and finally shot at a narrow angle, hitting the post.
This was AC Milan's closest moment to scoring, but unfortunately luck wasn't on their side. Kaka showed a wry smile on his handsome face and exchanged encouraging glances with Shevchenko before returning to the midfield.
Less than ten minutes into the game, AC Milan had launched three waves of attacks, all shots hitting within the frame, prompting Mancini to stand at the sidelines, closely observing the situation with a furrowed brow, surprised by what he saw.
Ancelotti's tactical arrangement was indeed exquisite! The swift transition between offense and defense, and the penetration in midfield were all demonstrated vividly. Mancini couldn't find an immediate solution and could only continue observing.
"Inter Milan's ball, Civu's long pass over the midfield, aiming to breach AC Milan's defense, but there are many AC Milan midfielders. Pirlo wins the ball."
"Inter Milan seems a bit rushed with this pass. AC Milan's midfield distributes to Gattuso. Beautiful! Mark van Bommel intercepts, the ball returns to Inter Milan's possession."
"Don't rush, control the pace of the attack. Mark van Bommel passes to Dalmau. What will Dalmau do? He dribbles into the frontcourt, Wang Feng has already moved into position, and he passes."
At the moment Wang Feng received the ball, he suddenly noticed a slight difference in Zivkovic's positioning, creating a gap in the middle. Seizing the opportunity, he pushed the ball sideways and quickly surged towards the frontcourt.
It was the first time AC Milan used this lineup in a real match, inevitably there were some flaws, and the 4-3-2-1 formation demanded extremely high positional awareness from the players.
By the time the defending players reacted, neither Zivkovic nor Nesta, who attempted to block and cover, could intercept Wang Feng in time.
He was like a sharp sword, instantly piercing through AC Milan's thick defense line. Facing the final barrier, Maldini, Wang Feng pushed the ball slightly to the side and accelerated past him.
The 35-year-old veteran couldn't withstand Wang Feng's speed and impact, quickly falling behind. After catching up with the ball inside the penalty area, Wang Feng took a direct shot at a narrow angle. The ball soared over Dida's fingertips and into the top left corner of the goal.
"The ball's in! Goooooooooooooooal!"
"Inter Milan's quick counterattack breaks through AC Milan's defense. With his unparalleled speed and agile positioning, Wang Feng breaks the deadlock for Inter Milan!"
"Thirty minutes into the first half, AC Milan has dominated the field with their new formation, constantly threatening Inter Milan's goal. But Wang Feng is Wang Feng, always seizing every fleeting opportunity to deal a fatal blow to the enemy!"
When Wang Feng broke through, Mancini excitedly raised his hands. At the moment of the goal, he couldn't control himself anymore, running along the sidelines celebrating.
Although he couldn't find a tactical solution to crack AC's formation, the feeling of having a superstar was different! Mancini somewhat understood how Cooper felt back then. No need for special arrangements; entrust the attack to Wang Feng, and he would bring surprises to the team!
Unlike Mancini's excitement, Ancelotti shook his head with a bitter smile, returning to his coaching seat. His tactical arrangement was not the issue. In this clash of titans, the 4-3-2-1 formation indeed had the effect of suppressing the opponent.
But it's the people executing the tactics. They would always make various mistakes and oversights, which could be corrected if detected in time. But Wang Feng was too sharp. The time Zivkovic showed a flaw didn't exceed a minute, even spectators couldn't react in time.
Yet Wang Feng, amidst the chaos, immediately noticed and exploited it. His ability to read the game and understand tactics could only be described as terrifying. "Wang will definitely become an excellent coach after retirement, much better than me," Ancelotti joked self-deprecatingly.
The sudden lead changed the dynamics on the field. AC Milan's veterans gradually recalled the fear of being dominated by Wang Feng and Inter Milan. They became hesitant in their ball handling, leading to a sluggish offense.
In the 41st minute, AC Milan launched a counterattack. Gattuso quickly made a long pass, but it was too far ahead. Kaka desperately chased after it, even diving in, but couldn't reach the ball.
Three minutes later, another pass from Gattuso to the frontcourt, but this time with less force. Kaka had to retreat to receive the ball but got caught in a double team. He had no choice but to pass back and reorganize.
The players' mentality was faltering! Kaka wiped the sweat off his face, looking at Gattuso helplessly. Gattuso shook his head apologetically, wearing a look of regret.
He then turned to look at Wang Feng. At this moment, the Chinese was chatting and laughing with Materazzi. What would Wang Feng do in such a situation?
Having watched countless recordings of Wang Feng's matches and aimed to emulate him, Kaka had long found the answer in his heart: score! Score to awaken teammates, reverse the situation!
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