Chapter 368: Heal him at all costs
On October 21st, the Spanish La Liga reignited its battles as Real Madrid faced Espanyol away in the 8th round of the league. The national team training and matches left many players in the team feeling exhausted, and their form and strength couldn't fully recover to their best.
Espanyol reached the Copa del Rey final last season, playing a La Liga derby against Sevilla. Although they eventually lost, the club's top management was very satisfied with the team's performance. Therefore, in the summer, they successfully renewed contracts with many key players, stabilizing their lineup.
The match kicked off amidst the cheers of the fans at the Montju?c Olympic Stadium. Whenever Wang Feng comes to the Catalonia region, he can always feel the fanaticism of the fans here.
The home team did not disappoint the fans' expectations. In the 17th minute, midfielder Darder and forward Luis García took advantage of Real Madrid's defensive lapse to execute a clever combination, successfully breaking into the penalty area, and García fired a powerful shot with his right foot, breaking the deadlock.
After taking the lead, they implemented a full defensive strategy to ensure victory, while Real Madrid showed a bit of sluggishness in their attacks, struggling to break through the opponent's defense.
After several unsuccessful attacks, Wang Feng silently reminded himself not to be anxious. He relied on his physical advantage to constantly roam and stimulate Espanyol's defense, finally waiting for a precious opportunity.
That opportunity came in the 80th minute of the second half. Guti dribbled the ball through the midfield, Robben supported the attack on the right flank, while Wang Feng moved to the center. The Espanyol defense spread out, with Rau?l following closely to Robben, and Wang Feng was marked by two defenders.
Saballeta was in the middle, preventing Guti while being ready to provide support defense on both sides. Wang Feng and Robben exchanged a glance from a distance, and both immediately understood each other's intentions, accelerating simultaneously.
The Chinese superstar dashed fiercely behind the defenders, while Robben made a sudden stop and cut inside, shaking off his marker, and then passed the ball to Wang Feng at the edge of the arc.
Wang Feng didn't stop the ball but directly powered into the penalty area. The defenders, Halk and Torrejo, were half a step behind him and couldn't fully defend him. They dared not make any physical contact with the Chinese superstar.
As he caught up with the ball again, he fiercely swung his right leg, kicking a ground-strike towards the bottom left corner of the goal. The Espanyol goalkeeper, Cameni, dived sideways to save, but his longest finger still couldn't reach the ball.
"Goal! The ball is in! Real Madrid finally equalizes! It's a goal from Wang Feng!"
"Faced with an early goal against and the opponent's full defense, they never found a way to break through, but they never gave up their efforts, and now they finally receive the reward!"
"It can be seen that after the goal, Wang Feng excitedly embraces Robben to celebrate together. This goal also credits the Dutchman. As the league progresses, the new Galacticos' frontline is continuously improving their understanding."
"A slow-motion replay shows that the Espanyol defense appeared a bit flustered under the impact of two world-class attacking players, but of course, this is also related to their high-intensity defense."
"Wang Feng's positioning in the attack has always been a headache for opponents. He's elusive but always finds the right position to receive the ball. Inside the penalty area, he is an unsolvable presence for all defensive players."
With this goal, the Galacticos eventually drew 1-1 with the Catalan powerhouse.
In the midweek UEFA Champions League group stage matchday 3, Real Madrid welcomed Olympiacos at home. Although it was back-to-back matches, the Greek team couldn't bring pressure to the Galacticos.
Shortly after the start of the first half, Wang Feng was fouled by the opponent in the frontcourt. The main referee decisively awarded a free kick to the home team in the frontcourt. The Chinese superstar personally took the free kick and used a classic lob to open the visitor's goal.
The relentless attack from the Galacticos quickly showed its power again. Sneijder passed the ball to Robben on the wing, the Dutchman rushed to the right side of the penalty area, then passed to the near post, and Wang Feng arrived, resisting the defender before shooting with his right foot into the far corner, making it 2-0!
Before the end of the first half, Real Madrid launched another quick counterattack. Diarra intercepted the ball in the backfield and sent a long pass to the frontcourt. Wang Feng successfully formed a one-on-one situation by breaking the offside trap.
Facing the goalkeeper inside the penalty area, he used a feint to bypass the opponent and scored into the empty net, making it 3-0! The home team secured the victory!
The Bernabéu Stadium instantly turned into a sea of enthusiasm as Wang Feng scored his first hat-trick of the season! The fans chanted Wang Feng's name, intoxicated in the team's relentless attacks. Beautiful attacking football befitting the name of the Galacticos!
The cheers and encouragement from the home fans also ignited the blood of other players. Shortly after the start of the second half, Wang Feng and Robben completed a passing combination on the wing. The Chinese superstar crossed to the bottom, and Rau?l, who followed up near the penalty spot, volleyed into the far corner, making it 4-0!
Their slaughter was not over yet. In the 67th minute, excited Sneijder dribbled past three players from midfield, arrived near the penalty area, and suddenly shot, catching the goalkeeper off guard, further expanding the lead for the home team, 5-0!
After this goal, Olympiacos' defense became increasingly rough, with continuous whistles on the field. For this reason, head coach Schuster of the home team substituted key players, signaling not to attack anymore, and the situation stabilized.
In the end, the Galacticos defeated their opponents 5-0, securing their third consecutive victory in the UEFA Champions League group stage. The knockout stage qualification was just around the corner. The goal difference in this match also became the largest in this round of the Champions League.
Although Barcelona's performance in the league was not good, they performed well in the Champions League, consecutively defeating Lyon and Stuttgart, drawing against Glasgow Rangers, and also ranking first in the group stage, showing good form.
Sevilla, with two wins and one loss, also ranked first in the group. Only Valencia, without a single win, ranked at the bottom of the group. Therefore, the Spanish media were very happy. If all three teams advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League, it would be very advantageous for La Liga, the number one league in Europe.
Just as Wang Feng was actively preparing for the next round of league matches, he received bad news from Belgium. Zhang Xiaorui, a young player he sponsored from China, suffered a serious injury while returning home to participate in the provincial sports meet!
This surprised Wang Feng greatly, and he quickly asked for details. It turned out that Zhang Xiaorui's level was indeed much higher than that of domestic youth training players. Therefore, the team he joined performed exceptionally well, defeating opponents one after another all the way to the semifinals.
But outstanding performance ultimately brought not flowers and applause but malicious tackles from opponents, leading to a torn meniscus. What was even more chilling was that when he fell in pain, there were almost no teammates who came forward to care for him or support him, only the team captain asked a few questions.
It turned out that nobody accepted this outsider; he was in their way!
Wang Feng held the phone for a long time, unable to calm down. A surge of anger rose in his heart. He would use his influence to speak up for Zhang Xiaorui, perhaps causing some waves, exchanging for a meaningless punishment and a few glasses of alcohol.
But what's the use? To be honest, it's just a drop in the ocean, just like "paying" back then. He deeply understood that nothing could change, and no one could change anything. "Give him the best treatment, I'll cover all the expenses, spare no effort to cure him!"
In the end, all he could do was this. Wang Feng also instructed to publicize this matter widely, letting the children in training know it as a warning.
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