Chapter 299: Some happy and some sad
After the first round of matches, major Spanish media outlets reported on Wang Feng's miraculous performance. "Completing a hat-trick in the 61st minute, the Chinese superstar continues to dominate the attack!"
"Marca" wrote that Real Madrid completely dominated Villarreal in the match, with their attacking prowess evident to all. "The Galacticos unleashed a magnificent offensive surge, leaving all fans thoroughly satisfied!"
The key to all of this was Wang Feng. Despite Villarreal's numerous defensive arrangements against him, he managed to neutralize them one by one.
"More importantly, Wang Feng seems to have fully integrated into Real Madrid's attacking system. His cooperation with new teammates is very tacit, especially that through ball goal which left a deep impression."
"AS" believed that Wang Feng was the most threatening player for Real Madrid. Not only did he score three goals, but he also created numerous scoring opportunities. "The Galacticos' attacking organization is completely entrusted to Wang Feng."
They felt that head coach Schuster made a wise decision. Indeed, for a super attacker like Wang Feng, his multifaceted abilities are enough to deal with various complex scenarios. The coach only needs to plan overall tactical strategies rather than completely restrict players within a framework.
"Schuster has done well in this regard, giving Wang Feng ample room to play. Although many people think he is arrogant, temperamental, and unreasonable, he does have his own wisdom and ideas."
"El País" believed that Villarreal was no match for the Galacticos. "They played very passively, and Riquelme's form visibly declined."
"Perhaps Riquelme is no longer suited to European football. At 28, in his prime, the former Argentine footballer has turned into what he is today, which is somewhat regrettable."
Villarreal coach Pellegrini, in a post-match interview, said, "It's regrettable to lose so badly to the opponent in the first match of the new season. We couldn't gain any advantages on the field."
"Wang Feng is a world-class forward, and his performance is perfect. I noticed that many news reports have mentioned his hard work. Even though he has achieved a lot, he still hasn't relaxed."
"On the contrary, we don't have such players in our team. The difference in the team's core is very obvious, so losing is not surprising."
Pellegrini's words surprised many, as they felt he was semi-publicly criticizing Riquelme, the core player of the Yellow Submarine, who is none other than the former Argentine footballer.
As early as before the start of the season, the two had some conflicts. The Chilean believed that Riquelme, as the core of the team, should work harder, but the Argentine star did not want to live a monastic training life.
Mediation by the club's top management finally eased the situation between them, but this match made the situation tense again.
At the same time, in another highly anticipated match, Barcelona hosted Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou, only to be scored against twice by the visitors before halftime.
This situation left the home fans very dissatisfied, especially upon learning that Real Madrid was leading by a large margin. However, in the second half, Eto'o, Deco, and Messi successively scored to help the team complete a comeback.
Although they won the match, Barcelona's performance still received a lot of criticism. "Sport" believed that Ronaldinho was once again immersed in the dreamlike nightlife, to the extent that he seemed to sleepwalk throughout the match.
"Perhaps the club management should consider completely giving up on the Brazilian. Messi can definitely become the new core of the team."
Despite the widespread praise for Real Madrid, Schuster remained rational, well aware of the many weaknesses in the team, such as defense in the midfield and backline.
So he sternly warned the players not to get carried away. "Our goals are clear: winning the league championship and advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League. We are still far from achieving them."
The second round match against Levante in La Liga just validated his concerns. Since there were midweek Champions League group stage matches, Schuster rotated some key players, and Wang Feng was placed on the bench.
Levante, originating from Valencia grassroots teams, has had stars like Distefano and Mijatovic in its history, and even Cruyff started his career here. However, they have long since lost their former glory, lingering in the Segunda Division for many years and only promoted to La Liga last season with a third-place finish.
Facing such a newly promoted team, Real Madrid's bench lineup still struggled. While the attack was frustrated, defensive issues also arose, allowing the unknown Oliver Kappo to score first.
The Ivorian forward started his career in Ligue 1 with Auxerre, briefly joining Juventus but quickly being loaned to Monaco due to his inability to adapt to the intensity of Serie A. This season, he was loaned to Levante.
Watching Kappo celebrate recklessly, Schuster's face turned pale as he shouted at the players on the field to raise their awareness. However, the effect was not obvious, and the weaknesses of Real Madrid's bench lineup were too significant!
In the second half, the situation did not improve. Wang Feng looked very anxious. He kept looking towards Schuster and finally heard his angry voice: "Wang, get ready to warm up."
In the 65th minute, Wang Feng finally came on as a substitute. His appearance made the Levante players very nervous, increasing their defensive intensity. However, they couldn't contain the performance of the Chinese superstar.
Just four minutes after coming on, he used consecutive dribbles in the frontcourt, followed by a sudden acceleration and shot, almost breaking the hosts' goal. The ball hit the post and bounced out.
Then he created another corner kick opportunity. This time, after the ball entered the penalty area, Bravo got to it first, but his header was cleared off the line by Levante defender Alexis.
In the 74th minute, Wang Feng returned with another attack. He forcefully broke through Levante's right-back Manolo on the right flank and passed it into the penalty area. Inside the penalty area, the inserted Mesia stabbed the ball past Caballero's outstretched hand.
1-1! Real Madrid finally leveled the score!
In the 82nd minute, Wang Feng attacked through the middle again. He passed the ball to Reyes on the right side, quickly entered the penalty area, and Reyes' chip pass coincidentally reached him.
Wang Feng lifted his right foot and used the instep to hit the falling ball, creating a perfect small arc in the penalty area. It wasn't too high or too low, just enough to pass over goalkeeper Caballero's head from under the crossbar and into the net.
Real Madrid reversed the score! With Wang Feng's assist and goal, they ultimately came out victorious.
In the second round of matches, Barcelona finally found their form against Osasuna. They defeated their opponents 3-0, with young talent Messi scoring once again, while Ronaldinho still failed to shine.
With two rounds played, only three teams, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, have won all their matches. Real Madrid leads the standings with a superior goal difference, while Wang Feng, who scored four goals, sits atop the league's top scorers' list.
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