Chapter 323: Lost in the top 16 again ?
From January 28th to February 18th, Real Madrid played four more La Liga matches. In the 20th round, they faced Villarreal away. With Wang Feng scoring twice and providing an assist, they defeated the Yellow Submarine 3-1.
In the 21st round, they hosted Levante at home. Guti, the "Golden Wolf," exploded with a hat-trick, while Wang Feng also found the net once, securing a 4-0 victory.
In the 22nd round, they challenged Real Sociedad away. Despite conceding first, Wang Feng provided assists for both Raul and Reyes to turn the score around. Although he didn't score himself, he still earned the title of the best player of the match.
In the 23rd round, they faced Real Betis at home. Wang Feng scored a goal in the first half and assisted Ramos's header in the second half, securing a 2-0 victory and avenging their King's Cup defeat.
So far, Wang Feng has contributed 35 goals and 12 assists, averaging an astonishing 1.5 goals per game, nearing the record for most goals in a single La Liga season!
Marca commented that Wang Feng is "unstoppable," becoming a nightmare for all opposing defenses in his debut La Liga season. It's rumored that several teams are gathering to discuss how to stop him.
He is also a top candidate for the European Golden Boot award this year, having won it for the past five years in a row. Even the editor-in-chief of World Soccer magazine joked that the award could be named after Wang Feng.
However, the Daily Sports newspaper sarcastically remarked that Real Madrid sacrificed the team's attacking firepower to boost Wang Feng's goal tally. They pointed out that Raul scored 19 goals last season but has only scored 9 so far this season.
This kind of provocative reporting naturally displeased the Real Madrid players. Raul refuted these claims in an interview, saying, "I'm happy to play alongside Wang Feng. If you look at the match statistics, you'll see that his shot volume isn't high. His high goal tally comes from efficiency."
"After all, I only care about the final victory, not about the number of goals. Therefore, fluctuations in form and statistics are normal. Wang Feng's contributions are crucial to Real Madrid leading Barcelona in the league standings."
After this match, Real Madrid secured six consecutive league victories, continuing to lead the league standings strongly. Barcelona also kept pace, winning three out of four matches, with a draw against Osasuna in the 21st round.
As a result, the gap between them and the Galaxy Battleship widened to three points again. However, both teams remained focused on the national derby in the 26th round, aiming for a comeback at Camp Nou.
In these recent matches for Barcelona, Ronaldinho's form improved rapidly, much to the satisfaction of coach Rijkaard. It seems he still needs some external motivation. With Van Nistelrooy competing for a starting position alongside him, Ronaldinho's gloomy mood has improved significantly.
When Messi returns from injury, the Dutch coach is confident they can teach Real Madrid a lesson at Camp Nou, seeking revenge for their humiliating defeat in the first half of the season.
"Welcome back, dear viewers. Now, we bring you the second half of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich."
"The current score on the field is 0-1, with Bayern scoring through Schweinsteiger in the 23rd minute, putting the Galaxy Battleship at a disadvantage at home."
"Let's see their latest attack. Wang Feng receives the ball on the left, defended by Bayern's No. 22, Lahm. Passes to Guti, back to Wang Feng, beautiful! A give-and-go, Wang Feng enters the penalty area."
"Shoots!!!! Oh no, the ball hits the post, Guti follows up, shoots!!!! Oh my, it's over the crossbar."
"What happened to Guti? He had an almost open goal but still managed to shoot high. Earlier, Wang Feng's angled shot also hit the post. He rarely misses such opportunities."
"Since the beginning of the game, Real Madrid's attacking intensity has been high, but they have repeatedly missed chances. Instead, Bayern took advantage of a counterattack to break the deadlock. Could the Galaxy Battleship be heading for elimination in the Champions League Round of 16 again?"
Feeling frustrated, Wang Feng touches his face and then runs back to the midfield. He was a bit rushed with that last shot. If he adjusts a bit more or crosses, he should have a better chance.
The Chinese player's mentality has indeed become somewhat impatient. Since the start of the game, his teammates' performance has been very poor. Perhaps it's because they've been eliminated in the Round of 16 for two consecutive years, so they have a psychological shadow.
But this is the Santiago Bernabeu! If they can't win at home, won't it be even more difficult at Bayern's Allianz Arena?
They are not only facing the powerful Bundesliga champions but also enormous mental pressure. From the team management, coaching staff to the players on the field, they all need to overcome this pressure.
For this reason, Schuster deployed the safest lineup currently available. With new signings unavailable, the backline consists of Ramos, Cannavaro, Cicinho, and Salgado.
In midfield, Diarra, Emerson, Guti, and Reyes were chosen, although Emerson's form has not fully recovered, there are no better options at the moment.
The Galaxy Battleship has played very chaotically in the first half of the season. They want to take advantage of home ground, but they are also afraid of conceding goals, making both offense and defense awkward. After Bayern took the lead, they became even more flustered.
Just as Real Madrid continued to attack in an attempt to equalize, another huge blow struck. It was in the 67th minute when Santos capitalized on Emerson's mistake to intercept the ball and initiate a quick counterattack.
Makaay and Podolski followed closely behind, forming a three-on-three situation in Real Madrid's defense. When Santos reached the edge of the penalty area, he passed the ball to Podolski, who then outran Cannavaro near the baseline and crossed to the far post.
Salgado and Makaay were both there! The tall Dutch striker pressured the Spanish defender and headed the ball into the goal, creating a rainbow in the air as the ball firmly landed in the net.
0-2! Bayern once again extended their lead! Wang Feng, who was desperately tracking back, arrived in the penalty area just in time, watching the ball go into the net with anger and frustration. How could they concede another goal? He retrieved the ball from the net and kicked it fiercely towards the center circle.
In the luxurious box at the top of the Bernabeu, Florentino frowned as he looked at the field. Beside him, club general manager Baldano shook his head helplessly, "The players' mentality is too poor, they've made many mistakes and wasted many opportunities."
"If we lose to Bayern at home, the second leg could be really dangerous."
Suddenly, Florentino asked, "Wasn't Moratti feeling the same way back then?" Baldano was puzzled by the question, "The team is in a disadvantageous position; someone has to step up."
"Wasn't Inter Milan also facing various difficulties back then? Wang Feng always managed to lead the team to victory in the end. I believe he can do the same at Real Madrid!" Florentino said firmly.
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