Chapter 301: Can't you cheer up ?
In two matches, one draw and one win, although the results were not bad, Real Madrid's performance was clearly unsatisfactory.
Marca believes that Wang Feng's joining has greatly improved Real Madrid's attacking ability. "In three league matches and one Champions League match, he has contributed 8 goals and 3 assists, maintaining his status as the world's best."
"The problem for Real Madrid lies in their defense. Cannavaro, who was newly introduced in the summer, did not play a strong defensive role, and Carlos is troubled by injuries."
"More importantly, Real Madrid's bench depth is completely insufficient. As Schuster said, they need to quickly identify candidates and seize the opportunity of the winter transfer window to maintain their competitiveness in both the Champions League and the league."
Real Madrid legend Pachín expressed in an interview that pursuing attacking football is understandable for the club, as fans love to watch exciting matches, but there must be a balance between offense and defense.
The defender from the 1960s was very dissatisfied with Real Madrid's current defense: "Cannavaro as the defensive core? He can't do it! As he ages, his speed and reaction clearly decline, and he is inadequate against the attacks of younger players."
"Carlos is also not good enough. He is getting older, and Real Madrid needs to develop young and energetic defenders."
Real Madrid's performance left people with mixed feelings, and Barcelona is no exception. In the first round of the Champions League group stage against Levski Sofia, Ronaldinho finally opened his account, scoring a goal to help the team win 3-0.
But returning to the third round of the league against Santander, they were forced into a 2-2 draw. Ronaldinho was invisible, and Messi twisted his leg in a challenge, needing at least a week off.
Coach Rijkaard was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, having a bad feeling that they might lose to Wang Feng again this year!
So the day after the match, the Dutchman specially invited Ronaldinho to the Barcelona training base, preparing to have a good talk with him.
The two chose to talk in the coach's office, with Ronaldinho looking tired and saying, "Boss, if you have something to say, please say it today."
As he spoke, he yawned several times. He had been out playing with many girls last night and had exhausted himself. Now he just wanted to get a good sleep.
Rijkaard looked annoyed and said, "Can't you be more energetic? Look at what you're saying!"
"Don't you want to defeat Wang Feng anymore?"
Ronaldinho was taken aback by his words, then said indifferently, "He plays his game, and I play mine. Why compare? I'm tired of it!"
In Ronaldinho's mind, he had already achieved great success, winning league titles, World Cup titles, and the Ballon d'Or. Why bother trying so hard?
Even if he didn't win the Champions League, so what? Let Wang Feng be the world's number one, as there were Maradona, Pelé, Beckenbauer in the past, and Ronaldo in the present. They were all hard to surpass.
Now it was Rijkaard's turn to be dumbfounded. Just a while ago, wasn't Ronaldinho having a back-and-forth battle with Wang Feng? How come he suddenly lost his fighting spirit? He thought Ronaldinho was just playing around, but he didn't expect the Brazilian's attitude to become so unbearable.
Despite Rijkaard's attempts to persuade and encourage him, and even resorting to threats, Ronaldinho remained unmoved. "If you continue to indulge like this, I'll bench you!" The Dutchman was truly angry.
Ronaldinho shrugged. "The club's higher-ups won't allow you to do that, Frank. Why are you so angry? You've already led the team to two league titles. Isn't that enough?"
"Just get out of here!"
And so the two parted ways, with Rijkaard alone in his office, angry, while Ronaldinho prepared to go back to sleep. As he passed the training room, he heard some commotion inside.
Wasn't it supposed to be a day off? Why were there still players training so diligently at Barcelona? Ronaldinho was curious and walked in, only to see Messi undergoing recovery training, with the team doctor nervously looking after the Argentine youngster.
Ronaldinho couldn't help but feel angry. He had just been injured, how could he start training immediately? His heart truly cared for his South American compatriot and acknowledged Messi's talent.
"What's wrong with you? Why don't you recuperate properly and still push yourself to train like this?" Messi was also surprised to see Ronaldinho, as he usually wouldn't come to the club on his days off.
"I feel fine, it's the doctor who's being too nervous and making me rest for a week. God, not being able to play for a week is torture. I need to recover quickly. I never want to experience last season's injury again."
Last season, Messi tore his right quadriceps muscle in the Champions League round of 16, leading to him being out for the rest of the season and missing the exciting showdown with Inter Milan.
Sitting in the stands of the Parc des Princes, Messi witnessed Wang Feng's stunning performance, and while he was deeply impressed, he also harbored deep doubts. Even if he hadn't been injured, could he really defeat Wang Feng?
He lacked confidence! Knowing that Wang Feng had transferred to Real Madrid in La Liga, Messi realized that one day he would have to face this giant himself. So he dared not rest for a moment, only continuous training and improvement could make him feel a little relieved.
Ronaldinho looked at the 19-year-old with a complex expression. When had he wanted to chase after Wang Feng like this, wanting to defeat him, even if only once, but what he got was countless failures.
Ronaldinho wanted to persuade Messi to give up the fight with Wang Feng, but also hoped that this Argentine youngster could accomplish what he himself had not achieved. Maybe it was really possible, after all, Wang Feng was "already" 23 years old, while Messi was four years younger.
So the Brazilian patted Messi on the shoulder. "Come on, youngster, we're all rooting for you!" With that, he turned and left, perhaps fighting for one more season wasn't such a bad idea.
In the fourth round of La Liga, Real Madrid challenged Real Betis away. This team was initially formed by a group of young Sevilla football enthusiasts and officially obtained the royal title in 1915.
Apart from a distant league title in ancient times, Real Betis has always hovered around the relegation zone in La Liga, not due to a lack of ambition from the club's management, but rather due to unfortunate circumstances.
In 1998, the club brought in Brazilian international Denílson for a world-record transfer fee, but unfortunately, he turned out to be a "flop", not only failing to bring results but also causing the club to face financial crisis.
This season, their performance still lacked competitiveness, and Schuster used a rotated lineup, but unlike usual, he placed Wang Feng in the starting lineup.
Just five minutes into the game, the Chinese superstar used a long shot from outside the penalty area to open the scoring for the away team, and then continued to create threats one after another, forcing the home team to focus on defense and to some extent, compensating for the weakness of the defense.
Bravo and García further extended the lead for the Galacticos, and Wang Feng, having achieved his objectives, was substituted in the 65th minute. In the 79th minute, Real Betis finally pulled one back through forward Edu.
3-1! Real Madrid secured a valuable three points away!
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