Chapter 236: Miracle, defending !
Unlike the Porto players who were celebrating wildly, the faces of the Inter Milan players were filled with despair. Most of them felt that it was over, that there couldn't possibly be another miracle.
Zanetti lay on the ground, and initially, everyone thought he was too guilty to get up. After a moment, they realized something was wrong and rushed over to check on him. The team doctor was called onto the field, and it was eventually diagnosed as a thigh injury.
No wonder he was acting like a malfunctioning machine! Under Mancini's helplessness, he used the last substitution slot, with Emre replacing Zanetti.
The captain's armband needed to be passed on as well. After a brief moment of thought, Zanetti handed it over to Wang Feng, clutching his thigh in pain, and said, "Wang, please, don't give up."
Wang Feng nodded solemnly, taking the captain's armband and wearing it on his right arm. He would become the first Asian captain in Serie A!
On the black giant display board, the bright red numbers indicating the time continued to change every moment. In the blink of an eye, it had reached 104 minutes, yet the score on the field remained 1-2, with Inter Milan trailing.
Wang Feng was panting heavily, feeling gradually overwhelmed by the shadow of failure in his heart. He shook his head forcefully. No, when failure was imminent, what was there to fear?
Inter Milan won the ball in midfield, and Emre, who had just come on, sent a lofted pass to the right flank of the frontcourt. Ribery and Costa contested for the ball, both very fatigued, so neither could win the header cleanly. However, Ribery managed to send the ball forward with all his might.
The ball bounced on the grass, then slowly descended. Wang Feng, shaking off Costinha's marking, arrived at the ball first near the edge of the penalty area. He had no time to hesitate; he was about to face multiple layers of defense.
He saw the ball dropping and used the tip of his foot to strike it forcefully. The ball soared high like a skyrocket, remaining very high even after entering the penalty area. Just when everyone thought it might fly over the crossbar, it suddenly plummeted.
Goalkeeper Baia was taken aback, quickly retreating to the goal line to jump and block. A save like this should be foolproof, right?
No! The flying ball hit the corner where the crossbar and post intersected, bouncing sideways onto the other post of the goal, hitting slightly inside to rebound into the net again!
It was an impossible save!
"Goal! Goooooooooooooooooooal!! In the 104th minute, Wang Feng once again equalizes the score for Inter Milan!"
"It's an unbelievable long-range strike from the edge of the penalty area, hitting the impossible angle! Wang Feng, with his perfect shooting, pulls Inter Milan back from the cliff!"
"Will this sensational match be decided by penalties in the end?"
After scoring, Wang Feng waved his hand gently to stop his teammates from approaching to celebrate. He went into the goal to retrieve the ball and put it back at the center circle.
He wouldn't leave their fate to penalties alone. His teammates looked at each other and silently nodded. Now, their task was to defend well.
The second half of extra time was coming to an end, with players from both sides gradually running out of energy. Long balls and mistakes were becoming more frequent. Until the 118th minute, Inter Milan won the ball in their own half, and Civu sent a long pass deep into the opponent's penalty area.
Wang Feng squeezed out the last bit of energy from his body, chasing after the ball with all his might. He finally caught up with the ball near the edge of the penalty area, with Porto defender Ferreira coming over from his right and Costa providing support on the left.
With Adriano still near the halfway line, unable to run anymore, Wang Feng could only fight alone.
Wang Feng reacted instantly, having already pictured the situation in his mind. He chested the ball down, waiting for it to drop to knee level, then used the tip of his right foot to flick it sideways.
The ball rose along the trajectory, leaping over the pressing Ferreira's head, moving horizontally along the edge of the penalty area. Wang Feng chased after it.
This caught Ferreira by surprise. He rushed forward urgently to stop Wang Feng at all costs. But how could he let him escape easily? So the Portuguese defender abruptly stopped, trying to turn around to keep up with Wang Feng.
But after nearly two hours of play, his foot slipped as he tried to start again. He fell forward helplessly, watching Wang Feng's powerful shot.
The fallen Ferreira and the furious shot from Wang Feng formed an eternal classic scene.
The shot, powered by every ounce of Wang Feng's strength, went into the top right corner of the goal, beyond the reach of Baia!
"Goal! The ball's in!!"
"We've won!! Inter Milan has won!! Wang Feng, the hat-trick hero!!"
The commentator in the broadcast room shouted hoarsely, while Wang Feng, who had exhausted all his strength, knelt on the grass. Sweat streamed down his forehead, blurring his vision. The noisy cheers and inquiries around him seemed distant, making it hard for him to hear clearly.
He felt a bit dazed afterward, only vaguely aware of someone helping him up. Then, he staggered back to his own half, ran a few steps aimlessly after the kickoff whistle blew.
The San Siro Stadium erupted into cheers, with Inter Milan fans waving flags and lighting blue fireworks. The stands were engulfed in a sea of blue.
All the members of Inter Milan's bench rushed onto the field, embracing the heroes of the moment. Head coach Mancini couldn't hold back his emotions, sprinting along the field in his suit, tears welling up in his eyes. This match was too hard-fought!
Seeing Wang Feng standing still, Ribery came over and shook him vigorously. "Boss, we've defended our title, snap out of it!"
Wang Feng's dazed eyes finally refocused, and the cheers around him suddenly grew louder. He asked, "Is the game over? Did we win?"
"Yes! You scored the decisive goal, and shortly after Porto kicked off, the game ended!"
Wang Feng smiled, then collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. Ribery quickly helped him sit down, and at that moment, Wang Feng felt not jubilation but infinite fatigue. He just wanted to have a good sleep, to sleep until the end of time, and forget about training!
Not long after resting, Wang Feng was enthusiastically pulled up by the substitute players and joined their celebration army.
As losers, Porto also deserved respect. They played a game that surpassed expectations, and this Champions League final was destined to go down in history.
So when the Porto players walked up to the podium, the fans in the stands and the Inter Milan players on both sides sent them warm applause.
Many Porto players covered their faces to hide their tears. For them, this might be their last Champions League final, and losing the chance to win the title meant forever missing out on this honor.
But that's how cruel winning and losing can be!
When Inter Milan went up to receive their awards, Wang Feng walked at the end. He lifted the championship trophy on behalf of the club!
UEFA President Johnson hung the medal around Wang Feng's neck and handed him the UEFA Champions League trophy. "Go ahead, our world superstar!"
With both hands gripping the trophy, Wang Feng took a moment to compose himself. He loudly counted down to one and then lifted the trophy high. Fireworks behind the podium also erupted at the same time. Inter Milan were the champions!
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