Chapter 342: Manchester United in its heyday
Real Madrid won against Manchester United at Old Trafford! This news spread like wildfire throughout the football world, leaving everyone incredulous. In fact, reaching the semifinals with the Galacticos was beyond most people's expectations.
Look at their lineup. With new signings like Pepe and Heinze unable to play, Real Madrid's midfield and defense appeared vulnerable. Breaking the curse of the round of 16 was already a commendable achievement.
But luck repeatedly favored them. With key players injured for Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and Manchester United, various issues with their opponents always seemed to help the Galacticos navigate through.
"The King of European Football," Wang Feng, was their biggest guarantee of success. Whenever an opportunity arose, he always seized it firmly. So far, the Chinese superstar has contributed 17 goals and 6 assists on the Champions League stage, firmly occupying the top spot in the scorer's chart.
"Wang Feng is truly worthy of the title of World Footballer. If he can lead this Real Madrid lineup to win the Champions League, then there's probably no doubt about this year's annual awards," as described by AS.
"No player in world football has ever won the Ballon d'Or four times. Can Wang Feng make history? Let's wait and see."
On April 30th, in the 32nd round of La Liga, the Galacticos faced Athletic Bilbao away. Next up was the crucial battle against Manchester United. Schuster knew that provoking Cristiano Ronaldo had failed, and they would face the full force of the Red Devils at the Bernabeu.
So the German coach directly abandoned the league, excluding all key players from the Champions League squad, even letting them stay in Madrid to avoid travel fatigue.
At the training ground, Wang Feng and others watched the game. The Galacticos defended with all their might, and although they lacked Wang Feng's sharp attacks, the defense led by Pepe held up well.
It wasn't until the 78th minute that the home team, Athletic Bilbao, broke the deadlock with a brilliant strike from forward Lorente from the edge of the penalty area. 0-1, they ultimately couldn't hold on for a point.
In another match, Barcelona narrowly won 1-0 at home against Levante, with Van Nistelrooy scoring the only goal. Since his hat-trick against Real Madrid, Messi had been in a goal drought for several rounds, causing anxiety among Barcelona fans.
As for Ronaldinho, he had completely given up on staying at Barcelona. While he could still play in top-tier leagues, finding a new club quickly was the right path.
After this round of matches, the gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid was reduced to 5 points, seemingly diminishing the advantage. But as long as the Galacticos were free to focus, they could stabilize the situation. Each win for Barcelona was now exceptionally difficult.
In the second leg of the Champions League semifinals at the Bernabeu, during the pre-match press conference, Ferguson confidently said, "I still hold the view that we can beat Real Madrid."
"In the last game, we had many chances but missed them. This time, we will not make the same mistakes again."
Regarding the conflict between Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney, Ferguson explained, "There's no real conflict between them, just normal disagreements between teammates. Both of them are very eager for victory, which leads to different opinions."
As the players waited in the tunnel before the match, Cristiano Ronaldo whispered to Wang Feng, "Wang, this time I won't let you down. We will definitely win."
Wang Feng smiled faintly, "Let's see what happens on the pitch!"
".Manchester United started very aggressively, almost taking the role of the host in reverse," commented Zhang Jun in the sports channel studio.
"Yes, they are already in a trailing position and need to equalize quickly. Look at their attack this time, Ferdinand's pass to the wing, Carrick rushes forward with the ball."
"Beautiful! Diarra with a clean tackle disrupts Manchester United's attack, and it's a throw-in for the away team."
After the ball was disrupted, Carrick quickly got up and ran out of bounds to retrieve it, then immediately threw it back in for a quick throw-in. Nearby, Cristiano Ronaldo received the ball, used his speed to shake off Cannavaro, and crossed it into the penalty area.
Rooney leaped high near the penalty spot and headed the ball into the Galacticos' net.
Just 8 minutes later, the Red Devils struck again. Ferdinand's through pass found Rooney, who faked a shot and then passed to the advancing Cristiano Ronaldo. The latter shot powerfully again, piercing through Casillas' fingers.
0-2, with an aggregate score of 2-3, Real Madrid suffered a dramatic turnaround, and it hadn't even been 20 minutes into the game!
"This is the peak Manchester United, the epitome of the Red Devils. Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney each contributed a goal and an assist, showcasing the team's attacking prowess!"
"Yes, it's evident that Real Madrid's defense has significant issues. Cannavaro bears a lot of responsibility for the first goal, failing to defend against Cristiano Ronaldo's quick throw-in."
"The second goal reveals Marcelo's immaturity, easily deceived by Rooney's feint and leaving a large gap."
"I'm really worried if they continue like this; they might be stopped in this game. Can Wang Feng save the Galacticos?"
After scoring, the Portuguese celebrated wildly at the Bernabeu, drawing boos from the home fans. But he paid no attention, knowing that one day he would make this place his own, and then all the fans would cheer for him.
Not only Cristiano Ronaldo, but every Manchester United player wore a happy smile. After a tough game last time, they finally got back on track, all thanks to coach Ferguson's guidance.
As long as they maintain their current rhythm, Manchester United will surely eliminate Real Madrid and advance to the final, launching an assault on the club's third Champions League trophy!
Wang Feng and Raúl exchanged solemn glances. They knew the team's defense was poor, but they didn't expect it to be this bad. At this rate, wouldn't they suffer a big defeat?
The morale of the Galacticos hit rock bottom, and everyone didn't know what to do next. Coach Schuster shouted loudly from the sidelines, urging the whole team to defend deeply. With Manchester United's current momentum, they could only temporarily retreat and slowly plot their counterattack. Otherwise, if they were overwhelmed in one go, it would be game over.
Next, the Red Devils continued to attack relentlessly, facing a situation that seemed like they were playing at home. Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney were both playing at their best, constantly threatening the goal, but fortunately, Casillas showed remarkable courage, combined with Ramos's timely blocks, preventing a disaster.
It wasn't until the 30th minute of the game that Real Madrid had their first shot. Wang Feng dribbled the ball swiftly on a counterattack and sprinted to the edge of the penalty area. Without effective support, he got stuck in the defensive quagmire and could only choose to hurriedly shoot, but the ball went wide of the post.
The Chinese superstar, panting heavily, wiped the sweat from his forehead and returned to his own half to defend.
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