Chapter 385: The unpopularity spelled out
Totti understood in his heart that the decline of Serie A and the decline of Roma were inevitable. He had received many invitations from top clubs, including Real Madrid and Manchester United.
But he refused them all because he loved the city of Rome and deeply loved the team. He didn't want to see the fans sad and disappointed. Even though it might be difficult to win league titles and Champions League trophies in the future, he would still give his all. This was his own fairy tale, belonging to him and the city.
Back at the Bernabéu, the Galacticos faced Getafe in the 25th round of La Liga. The intense match naturally brought fatigue to the players. Therefore, Iguain partnered with Cassano in the starting lineup, while Wang Feng and Raúl sat on the bench. Gago and Reyes replaced Guti and Sneijder in midfield, and apart from Ramos, all other regular defenders rested.
Getafe did not rashly attack due to Real Madrid's incomplete lineup. Instead, they adopted a tight defensive strategy. Both sides reached a stalemate for a period, and the home team struggled to threaten the visitors' goal.
It wasn't until the 33rd minute that the Galacticos finally got a very good opportunity. Robben and Cassano completed a wall pass on the wing, with the former's cross being headed out by the opponent's defender.
Cassano was the first to reach the ball's landing point and controlled it, then passed it back into the penalty area. Higuain's header from the back post hit the outside of the post and bounced out of bounds.
Although they didn't score, the home fans still applauded and encouraged the Argentine youngster. Everyone could feel his progress.
Seeing the deadlock persist, head coach Schuster substituted Wang Feng in the 55th minute of the second half. The effect was immediate. Five minutes later, he received a brilliant pass from Robben on the wing and used a clever feint to get past the defending player, then cut inside.
At this moment, two other Getafe defenders immediately moved to block him, but the Chinese superstar seized the opportunity to dribble through them, preventing them from forming a blockade.
Entering the penalty area, he lifted his foot and lofted a shot into the top right corner of the goal. Getafe's goalkeeper Abbondanzieri failed to save it, and the ball flew over his head into the net behind him. 1-0! Wang Feng successfully broke the deadlock!
His splendid performance of dribbling past three defenders earned him applause from the crowd. Whether it was evading the defense at the start or dealing with double marking, it was all very beautiful, piercing through the opponent's defense in an instant.
And when the match reached the 81st minute, Real Madrid's midfield intercepted the opponent's ball, Gago sent a lob pass to the front of the penalty area. Wang Feng, with his back to the goal, gently nudged the ball back with his right foot, then turned and darted forward.
The ball flew over the defender Canella's head toward the penalty area. The Chinese superstar caught up and, without waiting for it to land, volleyed with his left foot, once again piercing through Abbondanzieri's fingers.
"Goal! Wang Feng scores his second! This is his 36th league goal of the season, averaging an astonishing 1.44 goals per game!"
"A very splendid one-on-one shot. Even with his back to the goal, the Chinese superstar still managed to make a perfect shot with his superb ball sense. The shot was powerful like a cannonball, and Abbondanzieri had no chance to make an effective save."
In the end, the Galacticos won 2-0 at home against Getafe, taking all three points.
Three days later, the first leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey semi-final officially kicked off. Real Madrid hosted Valencia at home, facing the "Bat Army".
Valencia's performance this season was very poor, currently ranking only 10th in the league standings, almost losing their qualification for European competition next season, and they were eliminated early in the Champions League group stage.
They only had the Copa del Rey as an honor to compete for, so they fought desperately during the match. They temporarily took control of the game and had a chance in the 17th minute with a free kick.
Morientes personally took the free kick, with plenty of power and a very tricky angle. Although Casillas managed to touch the ball, it still slipped into the net from the dead corner.
Before the end of the first half, Valencia's forward Villa was tripped near the sideline by Ramos, and the referee awarded Valencia a free kick. Morientes lofted the ball into the penalty area, Pepe cleared with a header but failed to push it out of the danger zone.
Joaquín won the second ball with a header, Vicente volleyed in front of the goal, 0-2! The Galacticos were two goals behind!
In the second half, Real Madrid launched a fierce onslaught like a tide, but they couldn't break through the visitors' solid defense. In order to defend and preserve the victory, Valencia's head coach made consecutive substitutions, sending on fresh players.
In the 88th minute, the Galacticos' attack was again blocked by defender Canella, and the home team won a corner kick. Wang Feng decided to take it himself.
The ball accurately found Sneijder, who was inserting into the penalty area. The Dutchman jumped high and headed towards the goal, finally scoring a goal. 1-2. In the end, they were defeated at home by the "Bat Army", causing a somewhat unexpected upset.
After the match, Real Madrid's head coach fully praised the opponent's performance: "They worked very hard today, and it can be said that they deserve this victory."
"Our defense obviously had some problems. Both goals were caused by free kicks in the opponent's half. Not to mention Morientes' wonderful long shot, the second goal was completely unnecessary."
"The header clearance lacked power, and we failed to protect the second ball in time. There were also gaps in marking in the penalty area. These three mistakes led to this goal."
"But I don't intend to blame anyone. As you can see, Real Madrid's schedule is very tight, competing on three fronts: the league, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey, with almost a big game every three days. Fatigue and mistakes are inevitable for the players."
"And we scored a goal before the end of the game, so everything still has a chance. It can be expected that the second leg at the opponent's home will be a difficult battle, but we will not be afraid."
Having not scored and only providing one assist, Wang Feng took the initiative to take responsibility after the game. He said, "I'm sorry I didn't play a decisive role. Valencia's defense was very well-organized."
"In terms of physical fitness, they were probably better than us. It can be seen that their desire to win was very strong, and everyone was exceptionally proactive."
Regarding the second leg, the Chinese superstar said he would give it his all, "Since we've made it to the semi-finals, no one wants to fall here!"
Valencia's head coach Koeman expressed his fear of Wang Feng: "I was standing on the sidelines throughout the second half, and to be honest, every one of Wang's attacks made me nervous."
"But fortunately, luck was on our side. I believe our players can continue to perform at a high level when we return home and win the valuable cup championship for the team."
The Dutchman's coaching performance this season could only be described as terrible, completely unworthy of the high salary the club gave him. The Copa del Rey was his last lifeline. If he failed, he would probably have to leave with his bags packed.
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