Chapter 335: Familiar plot
When Kaká was forced off the field due to injury, AC Milan suffered a significant blow, both in morale and in strength. The team's attack relied heavily on the Brazilian as the core of their offensive system, so his departure greatly reduced the threat in the home team's forward line.
At the same time, Real Madrid was able to free up their hands from the frantic defense to organize attacks. Therefore, the situation reversed in the second half, with the Galacticos gradually gaining the upper hand.
In the 51st minute, Wang Feng quickly surged into the penalty area, receiving a through pass from Guti. Faced with Carraze, he chose not to cross from the byline but instead flicked the ball to the left with his left foot before taking a shot.
The ball flew fast and fiercely towards the far corner, catching the AC Milan defense off guard. Dida couldn't reach it in time, but unfortunately, it hit the post and bounced back into play, with Maldini clearing it out of the penalty area.
Cheers erupted from the stands, but the hearts of the home team's fans sank continuously. This situation seemed all too familiar, like a replay of past events!
Just 4 minutes later, Real Madrid struck again. Wang Feng received a long pass from Diarra on the right flank and faced Nesta. Instead of going down the line, he cut inside when he saw Raúl in a good position and made a decisive pass to the left.
Carraze urgently stretched his leg to intercept, but the ball bounced back to Wang Feng's feet. The AC Milan defense began to converge near Raúl, so the Chinese superstar took a direct shot with his foot.
This shot caught all the defenders off guard, and goalkeeper Dida had no chance to react. Unfortunately, the angle of the shot wasn't perfect, and the ball flew just above the crossbar.
Wang Feng scratched his head in frustration at the missed opportunity. He realized he had rushed the shot a bit and reminded himself to stay calm. AC Milan was like a trapped beast, bound to reveal a weakness sooner or later.
"Since Kaká's injury, AC Milan seems to have lost some of their vigor. They've only managed one shot so far, and the rest of the time, they've been defending in their own half. This is their home ground, but if the current situation continues, it could be very dangerous for them."
"Let's see how they attack this time. Oh no! Serginho's ball is intercepted by Reyes, and Real Madrid launches a counterattack on the spot."
"He passes the ball to Wang Feng, who rushes into the opponent's half with the ball, his speed is incredible. Nesta tries to block him."
"Beautiful! A wonderful nutmeg pass finds Raúl on the left, the Spanish forward enters the penalty area and passes it back, shot! Goal! Gooooooooooooooooal!"
"Wang Feng falls under Nesta's challenge, but he still manages to poke the ball into AC Milan's net with the tip of his foot at the last moment, goalkeeper Dida couldn't save the team!"
"This counterattack started with Serginho's mistake, Wang Feng took the ball and drove it forward quickly, then used Nesta's positioning problem to nutmeg pass to Raúl, and then entered the penalty area to wait for his chance."
"Raúl's pass wasn't a great opportunity, but Wang Feng's strong physical presence overpowered Nesta. The Italian defender had no choice but to foul him. If this ball hadn't gone in, Real Madrid would probably have been awarded a penalty."
"Wang Feng is Wang Feng. Even when he's on the ground, he never gives up shooting. The shot wasn't very powerful, but the angle was extremely tricky, and Dida had no chance to save it."
"1:2! The Red and Black Legion have come to this point, but they are getting further away from the Champions League quarterfinals!"
After scoring, Wang Feng sprinted to the area where the Real Madrid fans were seated, raising his hands to celebrate with them. The audience wearing the number 10 Inter Milan jersey also stood up to applaud his performance. He scored another goal!
The Chinese superstar also bowed to these fans, expressing his gratitude, which elicited cheers from them. For a moment, their morale was soaring, seemingly surpassing that of the home team's fans, making it difficult to tell whose home ground it was.
This goal ignited AC Milan's fighting spirit, and they launched a counterattack in an attempt to equalize the score. However, there were significant problems with the connection in the midfield and forward line, with Gilardino and Inzaghi not receiving good support, and the wing attacks not flowing smoothly.
After withstanding this wave of attacks, the match gradually approached its end. In the 87th minute, Diarra dribbled past the halfway line and sent a diagonal long pass to Wang Feng on the right flank.
Wang Feng passed it to Raúl in the penalty area, but he was blocked by Maldini and couldn't turn around, so he could only lay it back to Guti on the edge of the penalty area.
Guti adjusted and sent a low pass with his left foot. The ball rolled in an arc, evading Nesta's outstretched leg and reaching Wang Feng's feet.
He stopped the ball with his right foot but didn't choose to shoot directly because there were many defensive players in front of him. Instead, he flicked it sideways with his toe, reaching Raúl further inside. The Spanish forward jumped up and headed the ball into the net once again, piercing through Dida's fingertips.
1:3! Real Madrid further expanded their lead!
When the referee Alexandre Whirl blew the final whistle, the score remained unchanged. The Galacticos won away from home against the Red and Black Legion, one foot into the Champions League quarterfinals.
In the post-match press conference, AC Milan coach Ancelotti expressed his helplessness, saying that the club's luck was very bad, and Kaká's injury caused many problems for the team.
"We had the upper hand in the first thirty minutes of the game. If we had maintained it, the outcome would still be uncertain, but Kaká's injury came too suddenly, and no one was prepared for it."
Ancelotti also revealed that Kaká had a groin strain, which was quite serious and was likely to sideline him for the rest of the season, which was a double blow to the Red and Black Legion.
AC Milan not only had Champions League matches but also were competing with Inter Milan for the league title. The Brazilian's injury would seriously reduce the team's strength, widening the gap they had just managed to close.
In contrast to Ancelotti's heavy heart, Schuster was much more relaxed. The upcoming match at the Bernabéu was almost in the bag, he said: "It was a roller coaster of a game. We encountered some trouble at the beginning, but thanks to Wang Feng's brilliant performance, we ultimately had the last laugh."
"I think for this stadium, the storyline of this game is not unfamiliar, right? Wang has created one miracle after another here." He added mischievously.
Returning to the San Siro once again, Wang Feng also received a lot of attention from the media. "A familiar stadium, familiar opponents, but for me, it's a very novel experience. I'm glad not to have disappointed the Real Madrid fans and my supporters."
Speaking of the goal that equalized the score and Kaká's injury, Wang Feng said, "His aggressive defense caught me off guard. At that moment, his speed had caught up with mine. If Kaká hadn't been injured, maybe this goal wouldn't have happened."
"Football matches are full of uncertainties, and injuries plague every player. I hope he recovers soon."
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