Chapter 361: Breakout
On the last day of August 2007, the entire Real Madrid team flew to Monaco to prepare for the European Super Cup match. It's worth mentioning that their opponent was still Sevilla, as the latter won the UEFA Cup last year.
Since the first European Super Cup match in 1974, the Galaxy battleship had never touched this honor, which was quite embarrassing for one of Europe's top clubs.
More importantly, they had come very close to winning the European Super Cup in 2002, only to be defeated by Inter Milan led by Wang Feng at the time. Now, the tables had turned, and it was time for Wang Feng to bring the trophy back to the Bernabéu!
The night before the match, UEFA held a grand awards ceremony and the Champions League draw. Real Madrid emerged as the biggest winner, with several awards including best goalkeeper, best midfielder, and best forward going to the Galaxy battleship.
When UEFA President Platini announced the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for the 06-07 season, everyone expected only one man to receive it.
"Wang Feng!"
The Chinese superstar stood up in a suit with a smile, applauding the crowd around him, then slowly walked to the podium and received the heavy trophy from Platini's hands.
He lifted the trophy, which he won over Liverpool's Gerrard and his own teammate Raúl, emphasizing the effort of the entire Real Madrid team in his acceptance speech.
"Without their contribution, the Galaxy battleship wouldn't have won the Champions League, and I wouldn't have won this trophy, so I want to dedicate it to all my teammates."
Once again, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. This was Wang Feng's fourth time winning this prestigious award, and since its inception in 1997, no other player had defended the title.
But Wang Feng had not only defended it but also surpassed everyone else by a large margin. What's more crucial was that only by dethroning Real Madrid from the Champions League could he, as the core of the team, be stopped from winning.
From the current situation, whether it was the long-standing stars like Kaká and Ronaldinho, or the rising stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, none could shake the dominance of the Chinese player in the world of football.
But with such a "big boss" leading the way, it was believed that many proud young players could also be motivated to unleash their full potential.
In the subsequent Champions League draw, Real Madrid's luck was considered above average. They were drawn with Werder Bremen, Lazio, and Olympiacos.
Werder Bremen finished third in the league last season and was one of the main reasons Bayern Munich missed out on the Champions League, but their overall strength was not outstanding.
As for Lazio, in recent years, they rarely had the opportunity to advance to the Champions League knockout stages, as their financial problems became more prominent, forcing them to focus on the league.
Olympiacos, on the other hand, was a recognized weak team, so as long as Real Madrid didn't underestimate them, it would be difficult to capsize in this group.
However, unexpected situations could arise in the Champions League, and Wang Feng still believed that the club needed to take their opponents seriously.
The luck of several other La Liga teams varied. Valencia was grouped with Chelsea, Schalke 04, and Rosenborg, facing a tough challenge to advance.
Barcelona's group included Lyon, Glasgow Rangers, and Stuttgart, providing a promising outlook for qualification.
Sevilla was grouped with Arsenal, Sparta Prague, and Bucharest Stars, which also seemed competitive.
The day after the draw, at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, the match between Real Madrid and Sevilla officially kicked off.
Facing a Spanish derby on the stage of the European Super Cup was a great honor for La Liga.
The Galaxy battleship, with the banner of revenge held high, launched an attack right from the start. Robben swiftly inserted from the wing, then passed the ball back to Wang Feng inside the penalty area.
Seeing his shooting angle blocked, the Chinese superstar moved laterally with the ball when he reached the other side of the penalty area and suddenly unleashed a powerful left-footed shot.
Unfortunately, the angle of the ball was too tricky, slightly deviating from the post and hitting the bottom line.
Real Madrid continued to control the pace of the game. After several rounds of coordination, the connection between midfield and attack gradually became smoother, providing defensive stability and further assistance in attack.
In the 23rd minute, Sneijder sent a straight pass to the frontcourt. Facing Sevilla defender Alves, Wang Feng suddenly changed direction with a swift dribble, passing by him effortlessly. Alves didn't expect this move at all.
The Chinese superstar then entered the penalty area and shot with his right foot before other defenders could catch up. The ball pierced through the Sevilla goal like a cannonball.
"Goooooooooooal! The ball's in! Wang Feng has indeed found his form again, and Real Madrid leads 1-0!"
"Faced with the blockade of the Sevilla defenders, Wang Feng once again showed off his amazing dribbling skills, changing the trajectory of the ball with a single dribble."
"The moment they faced each other, I even thought they would collide, but the Chinese superstar seized the opportunity, breaking through Alves almost miraculously."
With the first goal, the rest of the match became much easier. Ten minutes later, Robben's breakthrough was disrupted by Dragojevic, giving Real Madrid a chance for a corner kick.
Diarra threw the ball back to Wang Feng outside the penalty area. The latter controlled the ball gently at his feet.
Sevilla defender Navarro stood not far away, staring at Wang Feng without blinking, preventing him from launching an attack on the defense.
But Wang Feng had more than one attacking method. Seeing Navarro leaving an obvious gap, Wang Feng immediately chose to shoot, catching the Spanish defender off guard.
The ball drew an "S-shaped" curve in the air, bypassing Navarro and heading straight for the near corner of the goal. Goalkeeper Palop prepared to save.
But he didn't expect the ball to curve again in the air, heading towards the far corner of the goal, and by the time he adjusted his position for the save, it was too late!
2-0! Wang Feng scored his second goal!
Against the same opponent, the previous two matches were exceptionally difficult, but this match was incredibly easy, mainly because of Wang Feng's outstanding performance!
In the second half, Wang Feng completed another wall pass with Robben on the wing. The Chinese superstar dribbled into the penalty area and lifted the ball to the far post, where Raúl leaped to head it in again, making it 3-0!
In the 81st minute, Real Madrid's defense intercepted Sevilla's attack, and a long pass from Cole to Wang Feng in midfield initiated a rapid counterattack.
Robben's speed was also very fast, and he and Wang Feng raced into the opponent's half together. Seeing the opportunity ripe, Wang Feng immediately sent a curved pass to Robben's feet.
After entering the penalty area, Robben took a direct shot, but unfortunately, the ball hit the post and bounced back into the penalty area. At this critical moment, Wang Feng leaped out and headed the ball into the Sevilla goal, making it 4-0! Wang Feng completed a hat-trick!
With the extraordinary performance of the Chinese superstar, the Galaxy battleship finally lifted the long-awaited European Super Cup!
Wang Feng received a flurry of praise from the media after the match. They could only once again admire the player's strong adaptability, full of expectations for Real Madrid's performance in the new season.
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