Chapter 308: Flashes and disappears
"Unbelievable!" Leading by two goals as they entered the locker room, Raúl couldn't believe it. Was this really their old nemesis, the Barcelona side hailed as the Dream Team II?
Not just him, but also Casillas and Guti, who had faced them multiple times before, felt bewildered. When did Barcelona become so weak?
"They haven't become weaker; it's just that our opening goal caught them off guard," calmly analyzed Wang Feng. "Their minds were in disarray, and coupled with Rijkaard's failure to make timely adjustments, they ended up being suppressed by us."
"But after a period of halftime rest, they will surely recover. In the second half, we'll face a real test." Everyone nodded at his words. The defensive issues of Real Madrid were palpable to every player. If Barcelona regained their composure, the situation would be very dangerous.
"Can we launch another aggressive attack like in the first half?" Guti asked. "Probably not. They're definitely more alert now, and with Barcelona starting the second half with possession, pressing recklessly might create gaps and lead to defensive mistakes."
"Yes, Wang Feng's reasoning is sound," said head coach Schuster as he walked in. "Our second-half tactics must be based on defense, focus on counterattacks, and preserve the lead."
"Barcelona will surely dominate possession in the second half, so we need to tighten our defense. A two-goal lead is not secure; only by defending well can we secure all three points."
Schuster paused for a moment, then continued, "Last season, we lost 0-3 to them here at the Bernabéu, which ultimately led us further away from the league title. So, this season, let's kick off our quest for the championship with a big win!"
The Real Madrid players were filled with passion upon hearing this, all expressing their determination to defend and strike again when Barcelona least expected it.
As the second half began, the Barcelona players indeed appeared more composed. It seemed Rijkaard had provided them with some psychological guidance in the locker room, as their passing became less haphazard, and their attacks more penetrating and threatening.
After the kickoff, the away team created a threat, with Iniesta receiving a back pass and dribbling past the halfway line before sending a long ball to the advancing Eto'o. The Cameroonian striker, unable to turn with his back to goal, laid the ball off to the supporting Messi.
Messi dribbled along the sideline, evading the pressing of Cannavaro and Salgado with his superb dribbling skills, keeping the ball under control.
Seizing the opportunity, the Argentine youngster sent in a cross to the penalty area, where Eto'o and Saviola contested for the ball's landing point. Both players almost simultaneously went for the ball, but Saviola's positioning for the header was superior, and the ball was cleared out of the penalty area.
Near the edge of the penalty area, Deco was unmarked! He lifted his right foot to volley the dropping ball, "thud!" The ball struck the post heavily and bounced out of play.
"Oh, what a pity!" sighed Sánchez. "This was a brilliant attack from Barcelona. Messi used his skill to tear apart the Real Madrid defense, but unfortunately, the final shot lacked a bit of luck."
"Barcelona should play like this. Messi had little chance to shine in the first half, but in the second half, he's been absolutely stunning. He definitely has the potential to become a superstar!"
After that, Real Madrid faced wave after wave of attacks from the away team. Messi became more confident on the ball, consistently breaking through the Galaxy Defense with his dribbling skills.
In the 67th minute, after receiving the ball from Xavi in the frontcourt, Messi quickly dribbled past Bravo and headed straight for the Real Madrid penalty area. Upon entering the box, he sidestepped Salgado and Cannavaro, then shot low past goalkeeper Casillas before falling to the ground.
"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Messi pulls one back for Barcelona with a solo goal!"
"This goal signals Barcelona's counterattack. They haven't given up!"
Watching his teammates dejected and the opponents celebrating wildly, Wang Feng felt helpless. Such flashes of brilliance in scoring were really hard to defend against, especially when it came from a player as talented as Messi.
He walked over to the disheartened Bravo and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, mate. We're still leading, and I'll help you mark Messi later."
Bravo smiled wryly and said, "His speed and dribbling skills are top-notch. It's hard to believe he's just a 19-year-old."
"Don't worry, I've figured out a way to deal with him. I'll help you defend later." Hearing Wang Feng's words, Bravo felt somewhat reassured. After all, as talented as Messi was, he didn't have the strength and experience of his teammate here, who had already won the Champions League with Inter Milan at the age of 19.
Messi was very excited. He hadn't expected to stage such an incredible goal-scoring performance at the Bernabéu. "Maybe I really can save Barcelona!"
After the restart, possession quickly returned to Barcelona's feet. Messi continued his dribbling assault. When he once again evaded Bravo and prepared to enter the penalty area, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him and swiftly cleared the ball out of bounds.
The person was Wang Feng. After the clearance, he smiled warmly at Messi, but in the Argentine's eyes, it seemed like Wang Feng was mocking him, as if his smile was saying, "Don't even think about going any further!"
Fuelled by his frustration, Messi relentlessly challenged the Real Madrid defense for the next period of time. He focused all his attention on dribbling through, but Wang Feng always emerged at the right moment to disrupt his attacks.
Unknowingly, Messi became increasingly isolated, which played right into Wang Feng's hands. When Messi stopped focusing on pulling apart the defense and started trying to do everything himself, Barcelona's proud possession-based style of play completely collapsed.
In the 75th minute, after the ball was once again snatched from Messi's feet, Wang Feng quickly launched a counterattack. After dribbling past the halfway line, he immediately passed to Guti on the wing and quickly surged forward.
Guti took a couple of steps before sending a perfectly timed lobbed pass over the Barcelona defense. The ball soared over the defense, showcasing Wang Feng's speed to full effect as he successfully beat the offside trap and found himself through on goal.
Facing the onrushing Valdés, the Chinese superstar effortlessly sidestepped him with a feint, then calmly slotted the ball into the empty net.
"Gooooooooooooooal! The ball's in! 3-1! Real Madrid have almost sealed the victory!"
"Wang Feng completes a hat-trick! Quick, too quick! Real Madrid's counterattacks and Wang Feng's speed are both too fast. One moment it's Barcelona on the attack, the next it's Wang Feng through on goal."
Beside him, Sánchez said with a solemn expression, "The main reason for conceding this goal was Messi's mistake. What's happened to him? After contributing a brilliant goal, he's suddenly making mistakes left and right?"
Messi tugged at his hair. The moment he lost the ball, he desperately tried to track back to make amends, but the distance between him and the opposition only grew wider. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as Wang Feng breached their defense.
He had made a mistake! Just because he scored one goal, he became blind to everything else. Now, Barcelona's chance of turning the game around had been completely extinguished.
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