Chapter 234: Controversial, backward !
On the morning of the match, major news media outlets reported extensively on the remarks of Inter Milan's head coach Mancini, suggesting that this was his confidence to continue dominating European football.
Wang Feng no longer needs analysis, as the media has shifted its focus to Ribery. The 21-year-old Frenchman has had a remarkable season, and it is reported that he has officially been called up to the French national team, preparing to participate in this year's European Championship.
Ribery's position in the Inter Milan lineup is as an attacking midfielder. He possesses strong dribbling skills, excelling in breakthroughs on the wings. His comprehensive technique is also evident in his passing ability, combining outstanding vision with precise passing to assist Wang Feng in scoring multiple times.
His ball control and dribbling skills are also excellent. Thanks to his rugged appearance and strong physique, Ribery can hold his own against defensive players.
In his first season in Serie A, many people thought that a player coming from French lower leagues would not be able to adapt to the strong Serie A, and would soon be eliminated. However, his outstanding performance has silenced these critics, making even Recoba a substitute.
Similarly, Porto also has a similar player in their lineup, 27-year-old Brazilian Deco, who also plays as a midfielder.
Deco's passing skills have also been unanimously recognized by the media and professionals, with an effective passing rate that can be described as excellent. His dribbling skills are simple yet effective, without flashy moves.
Ribery was very happy with the praise from the media, and even before the match, the smile on his face had not completely subsided, making him look somewhat ferocious.
As both teams stood in the player tunnel awaiting entry, Porto's players occasionally cast determined glances, indicating that coach Mourinho's encouragement had been effective.
The referee for the match is Ken Ransen from Germany.
Inter Milan's starting lineup is no different from their regular starting lineup, using a 4-4-2 formation, with Toldo in goal.
The defense consists of Cordoba, Materazzi, Civu, and Zambrotta.
In midfield are Makalele, Zanetti, Ribery, and Dalmat.
Up front are Adriano and Wang Feng.
Porto, on the other hand, adopts a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Baia in goal.
The defensive line consists of Paulo Ferreira, Jorge Costa, Carvalho, and Valente.
In midfield are Mendes, Costinha, and Maniche.
Deco plays as an attacking midfielder, with Delray and Alberto upfront.
As expected, Porto still won't engage much in ball possession, instead utilizing Deco to link up the midfield and attack for quick defensive counterattacks.
With Ransen's whistle, the final officially begins! Inter Milan kicks off first, launching an early attack. After Ribery breaks through on the wing and sends in a cross, neither Adriano nor Wang Feng can reach it, and the ball is cleared by Ferreira.
Wang Feng, who missed the chance, shakes his head. He feels that Porto's defense is indeed tighter than it was at the beginning of the season. Mourinho really has some tricks up his sleeve.
Porto, too, is not to be outdone, launching a counterattack in the 4th minute. After Costinha intercepts the ball and passes it to Deco, Deco controls the ball with his back to the goal, turns to shake off Saniol's mark, and sends a lob into the penalty area.
Alberto quickly gets on the end of it, but under Zambrotta's interference, he manages only a weak shot that Toldo easily collects.
Zanetti specifically runs over to Zambrotta, praising his effective defense and continuously reminding the defensive line to stay alert and not make mistakes due to complacency.
Inter Milan, despite Porto's sharp counterattacks, does not become timid. They calmly keep possession of the ball, continuously organizing attacking opportunities. However, the Portuguese champions seem to have parked a bus in defense, making it difficult for Inter Milan to find that final breakthrough.
Moreover, their defensive tactics are top-notch. When Wang Feng organizes an attack, Porto's defensive players always choose the right moment to foul and disrupt, resulting in free kicks that often do not directly threaten the goal.
And when Wang Feng tries to sprint past his marker, they always manage to catch him offside. Less than ten minutes into the game, Wang Feng has already been caught offside twice, much to his frustration, as he prides himself on his timing.
However, he still manages to unleash a long-range shot from outside the box, but unfortunately, it goes wide, almost grazing the post and flying out for a goal kick. This is Inter Milan's first shot of the match.
Yes, it's not until the 20th minute of the game that Inter Milan completes their first shot. Despite controlling possession and the pace of the game, Porto's defense seems impenetrable, making it difficult for Inter Milan to find that crucial final shot.
The deadlock is broken in the 25th minute, with a counterattack by Porto. After Deco floats the ball into the penalty area, Zambrotta and Delray tussle for it, and amidst the chaos, Delray goes down, prompting the referee to point to the penalty spot from a distance!
There's a roar from the stands, with countless Inter Milan fans in blue and black jerseys emitting deafening boos, believing that this is definitely not a penalty!
Zambrotta also wears a surprised expression, quickly rushing to the referee Ransen to explain: "Please, I didn't foul at all. It was just a simple collision!"
Inter Milan defenders nearby also crowd around, appealing to the referee, but the German maintains his serious demeanor, sticking to his decision, and warns: "Back off, or I'll show you cards!"
The TV broadcast replay is showing the situation at the time, with the commentator regretfully saying, "From the slow-motion replay, there doesn't seem to be a clear foul."
"But Porto's counterattack was too fast and sharp, even the referee couldn't keep up. From a distance, it looked like Delray was fouled and went down, it's a subconscious subjective judgment."
Wang Feng doesn't understand what subjective judgment means, he only knows that in the face of the failed attack, Inter Milan is now trailing! Delray steps up to take the penalty, and successfully breaches Toldo's defenses.
At this moment, he fervently hopes that the referee could take a look at the slow-motion replay to correct this penalty decision. Of course, this technology called VAR won't appear for another decade or so, and he certainly wouldn't know about it now.
At the end of the first half, the score remains 0-1, with Inter Milan behind.
In the locker room, everyone is consoling Zambrotta, "This is not your fault at all. You defended cleanly!" Materazzi adds from the side, "Do you think it's because UEFA doesn't want to see consecutive champions, so they subtly favor Porto?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Head coach Mancini walks in, "This is the highly anticipated Champions League final, there's absolutely no chance of that happening!" He adds, "But mistaken judgments are also part of football, aren't they? Think about Maradona's 'Hand of God'."
"Everyone, we're just one goal behind, and there's still forty-five minutes left. Let's pull ourselves together!"
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