Chapter 231: An insurmountable record
The joy of winning the league in advance filled the entire city of Milan. Everywhere on the streets, you could see Inter Milan fans wearing blue and black jerseys, with most of them choosing Wang Feng's number 10 jersey.
A small number of fans, unable to buy Wang Feng's jersey, had to choose other numbers. Ribéry was the second choice, while the newly joined Adriano, who performed exceptionally well, became the third favorite.
Inside the club's cooperating factories, workers were working overtime to produce merchandise. The boss spared no expense in paying high overtime fees because the profits were enormous!
In addition to regular match jerseys, there were training kits, three-peat commemorative editions, and more. Anything with Wang Feng's imprint was being snatched up like crazy.
In restaurants, bars, and malls, many places displayed Inter Milan's logos and flags. Excited fans discussed whether Inter Milan could win the Champions League trophy again this season and continue their glory next season, among other topics.
Amidst the festive atmosphere, the most miserable were the fans of AC Milan. Every time they went out, they were pierced by the surrounding blue and black atmosphere.
After a week of rest and revelry, Inter Milan welcomed the 32nd round of Serie A, facing Lecce away. With no pressure from league standings, the club unusually gave the players a few extra days off and only assembled for the away game two days before kickoff.
Coach Mancini fielded a full lineup of substitutes, as the club would focus on the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, using the league matches for squad rotation.
In the first half, the two teams fought to a 1-1 draw. In the 70th minute of the second half, in order to let Wang Feng find his competitive form, the coach substituted him in.
Wang Feng's performance was outstanding. He first scored with a header after receiving a cross from Zanetti, then contributed a long-range screamer from outside the penalty area.
With two goals in 20 minutes, Inter Milan won 3-1.
Midweek, in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, Inter Milan hosted Monaco at San Siro.
This match was of hellish difficulty for Monaco. The defeat in the first leg left everyone feeling hopeless. With a two-goal deficit and four away goals conceded, how could they possibly overturn the tie?
Sometimes, when underdogs doubt their own abilities, they lose the courage to forge ahead.
In the first half, Inter Milan seized an opportunity. A long pass from the back by Zanetti found Wang Feng outside the penalty area. He held off Ibara behind him, then passed to Ribéry on the right flank.
Ribéry dribbled into the penalty area and shot before the goalkeeper could block, extending Inter Milan's lead and pushing Monaco into the abyss.
In a gesture of reciprocity, Ribéry quickly assisted Wang Feng with another goal. Dribbling on the right, he suddenly stopped and turned, evading Gueye's defense, then passed across the box.
Wang Feng, at the near post, despite Ibara's interference, managed to push the ball into the net.
2-0! Inter Milan completely secured victory, leaving no chance for a comeback. They eventually eliminated Monaco 6-2 on aggregate to reach the Champions League final!
In another match, José Mourinho's Porto was relentless. They eliminated Chelsea with a total score of 1-0. Facing the ironclad defense trained by the "Special One," Chelsea's lavishly funded frontline had no answers.
Chelsea owner Abramovich watched the entire match from his luxury box. He developed a keen interest in Porto's coach and pondered how to bring him under his own banner.
At the post-match press conference, Mourinho boasted again, "We will avenge our loss in the UEFA Super Cup and bring the Champions League trophy back to Porto!"
On May 9th, in the 33rd round of Serie A, Inter Milan hosted Parma at home. The Crusaders, eager for a European qualification spot, gave Inter Milan an early scare when Gilardino scored in the 5th minute.
Just 7 minutes later, Gilardino and Bresciano's combination tore apart Inter Milan's defense, with Bresciano widening the lead.
Less than 15 minutes and two goals conceded! Although Inter Milan had no pressure from the standings, they definitely didn't want to suffer a defeat at home. Seeing the precarious defense, coach Mancini had to replace Maicon early to stabilize the backline and bring on Wang Feng to lead the attack.
The two substitutes, forced to work overtime, didn't disappoint the coach. Soon, the defense stabilized. Facing a top team in Serie A, it was difficult for a full lineup of substitutes to shoulder such responsibility.
In the 57th minute of the second half, Emre's cross found Wang Feng, who headed in a goal for Inter Milan.
In the 69th minute, Inter Milan won the ball in midfield. Cambiasso quickly passed to Zanetti in the front, who sent a direct pass to the backline. Wang Feng, offside trap successfully beaten, charged into the penalty area. He swayed past Parma's goalkeeper Frey and scored into the empty net.
Wang Feng once again scored two goals, helping Inter Milan equalize!
Unfortunately, the draw didn't last until the end of the match. In the dying moments, Inter Milan's defense made a rookie mistake, directly passing the ball to Parma forward Gilardino, who naturally didn't miss such a good opportunity.
Inter Milan lost 2-3, but the fans in the stands still applauded the home team, especially Wang Feng. As he walked back to the locker room from the player tunnel, fans kept shouting his name hoarsely.
Inter Milan once again dominated the front pages of major European media, using the bright red number "50" as the cover headline, reporting Wang Feng's achievement of scoring 50 league goals!
"This is an insurmountable record. It's hard to imagine anyone breaking it again. The only possibility is probably himself." All the media had the same thought: this number was astonishing.
Fifty goals also set the record for the highest number of goals in a single season in the history of the top five European leagues. Currently, the highest single-season goal record in La Liga is 38 goals by Sarra in the 1950-1951 season, when he played for Athletic Bilbao.
In the Bundesliga, the highest single-season goal record is 40 goals by Müller in the 1971-1972 season, while he played for Bayern Munich.
In the Premier League, there are two players who share the record for the highest number of goals in a single season: 34 goals by Shearer in the 1993-1994 season and 34 goals by Cole in the 1994-1995 season.
In Ligue 1, the highest single-season goal record is 44 goals by Skoblar in the 1970-1971 season, when he played for Marseille.
Many of these records were achieved with 20-team leagues and 38 rounds of matches, but don't forget, Serie A currently has only 18 teams and 34 rounds of matches, and Wang Feng achieved such a miracle in just 33 rounds.
"In addition to the 50 goals, Wang Feng also has 13 assists. He's almost involved in every goal Inter Milan scores. His role is crucial to the success of the Nerazzurri." So praised the Italian newspaper "Gazzetta dello Sport."
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