Chapter 394: Defend or fail
In the first half, neither side scored again. After a brief halftime break, Schuster made substitutions, replacing the out-of-form Heinze with Marcelo. The Brazilian defender was not only younger and more energetic but also more involved in the attack. Real Madrid had to counterattack.
At the same time, he also substituted Diarra with Gago, hoping to further strengthen control in the midfield and attacking areas. Liverpool did not make many adjustments, and Benitez was very satisfied with the performance of the starting players.
In the 68th minute, the Galaxy Battleship created an opportunity. Wang Feng received a through pass from Sneijder on the wing, immediately attracting two defenders, Alonso and Carragher.
Alonso positioned himself on Wang Feng's side, constantly disturbing the ball at his feet, while Carragher stood behind him, preventing the Chinese superstar from turning around and occasionally extending his leg to disrupt the attack.
Despite such tight marking, Wang Feng still managed to control the ball without losing possession. However, prolonged stalemate would inevitably lead to a disadvantageous situation, requiring a prompt decision.
At this moment, Raúl had already run nearby to provide support, but Carragher skillfully intercepted the passing lane, making it easy to intercept the ball if it were passed.
So, the Chinese superstar decisively decided to attempt a breakthrough on his own! He lightly flicked the ball twice with the tip of his foot. The first flick was not high, just to test the control strength and evade the opponent's pressure.
After gauging the situation, he suddenly exerted force on the second flick, lifting the ball high over his own head and behind him. It also passed Alonso, and at the same time, Wang Feng twisted his waist and exerted abdominal strength, forcibly pushing aside Carragher to turn and chase the ball.
Successfully breaking through under the tight marking of the two defenders! Carragher was surprised; he never expected Wang Feng to escape the defense. He could only choose to step forward to defend.
After cutting inside into the penalty area, the Chinese superstar saw Carragher coming forward and sent a horizontal pass to an unmarked Raúl. The Spanish forward easily scored, giving the Galaxy Battleship their first goal of the match.
"Gooooooooooooooal!! The ball is in!"
"In the second half, Real Madrid finally pulled one back, a powerful shot from Raúl, but the actions before the goal are just unbelievable!"
"Wang Feng was tightly marked by two defenders, with almost no space to control the ball, but he managed to break through the double-team with a delicate flick!"
"Let's watch the slow-motion replay again. Oh my God, these two flicks completely controlled the ball. Alonso and Carragher seemed to apply tight pressure, but in reality, there was no chance for interception."
"After the breakthrough, instead of being greedy, the Chinese superstar passed the ball to Raúl in a better position. Carragher failed to defend, but this can't be blamed on him. If he didn't stop Wang Feng, he would have faced the goalkeeper directly. I think everyone understands what that means."
"It can be said that 80% of the credit for this goal belongs to Wang Feng's brilliant breakthrough, and 20% to Raúl's precise shot."
Conceding such an incredible goal, Liverpool's team became a bit panicked. Benitez urgently made substitutions to stabilize the situation, bringing on the physically fit Riise and Pennant, and instructing them to remind other players that the team was still leading and there was no need to panic.
His timely adjustments had a good effect. The home team's confidence was rekindled, and they couldn't afford to let a comeback happen again! As the match reached the 82nd minute, Real Madrid's Robben and Raúl formed a combination on the right side of the field. After Raúl entered the penalty area, he made a back pass to find Wang Feng.
The Chinese superstar's powerful shot hit a defender and bounced back outside the penalty area. Gerrard was the first to reach the ball, then launched a quick counterattack. He found Torres, who had advanced from the backline.
Facing Marcelo's defense, the Spanish forward used his speed to overtake him, entered the penalty area from a narrow angle, and took a shot. The ball drew a strange arc in the air, finding the corner of the goal.
Casillas stretched his body to the extreme in mid-air, but still couldn't prevent the ball from entering the net. 3-1! Liverpool once again extended their lead!
The atmosphere at Anfield Stadium boiled like boiling water, with the Reds' fans going crazy. They seemed to see the team avenging Real Madrid, reaching the final, and eventually lifting the Champions League trophy, a glory that should have belonged to them long ago!
Torres scored a hat-trick! Wang Feng, who was desperately defending, kicked the turf in frustration. He didn't expect the Spanish forward to choose to shoot from a narrow angle instead of passing to Kuyt in the middle. He played with confidence, and his shooting accuracy was high.
Soon, the final whistle sounded, and Liverpool won a splendid comeback at home with a score of 3-1 against Real Madrid!
The Real Madrid players looked very frustrated, with Marcelo hanging his head in regret. If he had run a little faster and blocked Torres's shot more decisively, the last goal wouldn't have been scored.
Schuster's expression on the sidelines was also complicated. Before the game, he was confident that the team had a psychological advantage over Liverpool, but the result was unexpected.
Wang Feng also lowered his head, but no one noticed the blazing fire in his eyes.
"The Galaxy Battleship walks away from Anfield in defeat, and the Chinese superstar can't save the day. The defense of the title might just be a mirage!" The next day, this exciting showdown appeared on the front pages of major media outlets.
The clash between Torres and Wang Feng was the focus of the report. Although everyone had high hopes for the "Spanish Golden Boy" before the match, no one expected him to perform to this extent, almost overshadowing the Chinese superstar.
While several goals were due to mistakes in the Galaxy Battleship's defense, it also fully demonstrated his outstanding ability to seize opportunities, placing him firmly among the ranks of world-class players.
Furthermore, learning from last year's lesson, Benitez said in a post-match interview, "We haven't achieved the final victory yet, so the whole team will remain vigilant."
He reiterated his requirements in the team meeting, stating that they wouldn't celebrate for now and would continue to intensify their training. If anyone showed signs of complacency, they would be severely punished.
The players naturally understood and approved of the coach's approach. The British newspaper "The Times" believed that Benitez was very wise, and the Galaxy Battleship would not have any chance of a comeback.
Spanish media believed that Real Madrid still had hope, highly praising Wang Feng's performance of facing two defenders alone, "He is such a fighter who can create opportunities even in desperate situations."
At the same time, many media outlets criticized Heinze, believing that his decline in level was very serious and he was no longer suitable to be the team's starting defender.
Schuster did not make any comments on this, only saying, "Playing away in the first leg, the team did not fully demonstrate its strength, but we are not far behind, and we have scored a valuable away goal."
"Next, we will continue to focus on training and strive to regain our best form. Anything is possible at the Bernabeu."
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