Chapter 404: Absolute peace
Time passed gradually amidst the alternating attacks and defenses. Real Madrid had slightly higher ball possession than Manchester United, but fewer shots on goal, as they focused more on midfield organization, with Wang Feng frequently dropping back to support.
The Galacticos maintained their lead until halftime, but the players faced immense pressure. In the locker room, Schuster first praised the team's first-half performance, exceeding his expectations by both scoring a goal and holding off the opponent.
This shows that Real Madrid's defense has made significant progress. I still remember the chaos in the first season after taking over the team, except for Wang Feng's performance in attack; everything else was a mess. They were often torn apart by opponents, causing fear and trembling among the spectators.
It's fortunate that the young players can carry the team's burden. The second half between Real Madrid and Manchester United is expected to be a high-intensity battle, where physical fitness will be a significant factor.
After the break, Manchester United continued their quick attacking pushes, trying to threaten Real Madrid's goal with more direct and diagonal passes behind their defense, relying on the impact of Ronaldo and Rooney.
The Galacticos naturally had countermeasures. On one hand, they intercepted in midfield to prevent easy breakthroughs; on the other hand, they occasionally caught the opponents offside.
Due to his rapid acceleration, Ronaldo was caught offside several times. In the 51st minute, he received the ball in an obvious offside position and had a one-on-one chance to score, but unfortunately, he couldn't escape the attention of the linesman and referee.
Frustrated, the Portuguese kicked the ball towards the stands from inside the goal. Tevez quickly ran up to him and said, "Cristiano, calm down. We still have many opportunities. Have you forgotten what Mr. Ferguson said?"
Ferguson knows his protégé too well; if he doesn't succeed in attacking for a long time, he will surely get frustrated, so someone must remind him. Only when the Portuguese calms down is he the most dangerous.
Real Madrid maintained their lead until the 88th minute, with both teams making substitutions during this time, but neither team managed to score again.
At this point, with Real Madrid controlling the midfield, Sneijder was preparing to push forward when Anderson, who had just come on for Manchester United, seized the opportunity to slide tackle and take the ball away.
He then passed it to Scholes to launch a quick counterattack. The English midfielder's accurate long pass found Tevez in the forward area. Tevez, with his back to the goal, held off Diarra behind him and headed the ball to Ronaldo on the flank.
The Portuguese quickly bypassed the defense and rushed into the vicinity of the penalty area. Pepe, who was familiar with his attacking style, quickly rushed out of the penalty area to tightly mark him.
Seeing no way to advance, Ronaldo slowed down and waited for his teammates' support. He deliberately looked up at the penalty area; at this moment, Rooney and Tevez had already moved into the penalty area, waiting for an opportunity.
Seeing this scene, Pepe quietly prepared to block his passing route, but unexpectedly, the Portuguese suddenly flicked the ball sideways with his left foot, using considerable force. The ball quickly rolled towards the center.
And he followed the ball laterally, immediately raising his foot to shoot!
The ball soared towards the stands, but halfway through, it suddenly dipped, catching Casillas off guard, and hit the bottom corner of the goalpost, bouncing into the net.
"Goal! Manchester United equalizes the score just before the end of the match!"
"Cristiano Ronaldo! He saves the Red Devils with a fantastic side volley!"
"The powerful and precise strike breaks through Casillas's ten fingers. The Galacticos' defense clearly didn't anticipate him shooting from that angle."
"The match started with Wang Feng scoring for Real Madrid, and they maintained their lead for almost the entire match. Just at this critical moment, Ronaldo stepped up, proving his worth to the world!"
"Both sides are back on equal terms again. With regular time running out, it seems this exciting duel will have to be settled in extra time or even a penalty shootout!"
"Beep~" The referee's whistle sounded as expected. The Real Madrid players, panting heavily, walked back to the locker room, somewhat disappointed by the last-minute equalizer.
Schuster, on the other hand, was much calmer. He encouraged the players, saying, "Guys, do you think winning the Champions League is easy? That Manchester United is easy to defeat?"
"Think about the opponents we've faced along the way, Chelsea, Liverpool, all strong teams, but they still lost to Manchester United in the league, allowing the Red Devils to defend their title."
"So it's not surprising that they can draw with us. What comes next is the real test, 30 minutes of extra time and possibly a penalty shootout!"
"Get your spirits up, guys. We've come this far; we can't afford to fail now!"
After a brief rest, the tense and thrilling extra time officially began. In the first 15 minutes of the first half of extra time, Manchester United dominated, buoyed by their recent equalizer, launching a frenzied attack against the Galacticos.
Fortunately, Real Madrid's young defensive players had excellent mental and physical fitness, resisting immense pressure to guard their goal tightly, preventing the Red Devils from securing a victory with one burst.
As the second half of extra time approached, both teams' energy reserves were almost depleted, inevitably slowing down the pace. The respective coaches were already preparing to think about penalty shootout tactics.
In the 120th minute, with only stoppage time remaining before the end of the match, Real Madrid controlled the ball and launched an attack. Robben dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area from the right flank and then passed it to Wang Feng inside the penalty area.
At this moment, two nearby defenders quickly moved to block him. The Chinese superstar received the ball with his back to the goal and took two steps backward, both to move away from the penalty area and lower the defenders' vigilance, and to create space.
Then, he suddenly hooked the ball backward with his left foot, turning his body in the process, using his explosive power to easily get past the approaching Ferdinand.
After catching up with the ball, Wang Feng flicked it sideways with his left foot again, cutting inside while avoiding Vidic's fierce charge, stepping on the edge of the penalty area. Without waiting for Vidic to further defend, the Chinese superstar immediately raised his foot to shoot.
The ball spun in the air, looping towards the top left corner of the goal. With a "clang~" sound, it hit the intersection of the crossbar and the post's inner side, then bounced into the net.
"Goal!! The ball is in!! A last-minute winner!! Unstoppable from the corner!!"
"Just as extra time is about to end, Wang Feng shoots a deathly arc from the side of the penalty area, as if the Grim Reaper's scythe is harvesting Manchester United's lives!"
"Until the last moment, we'll never know what will happen on the pitch. That's probably the charm of football!"
"Let's take another look at this fantastic goal. After receiving Robben's pass, the Chinese superstar moves back and forth, leaving the stumbling Ferdinand behind."
"Vidic's aggressive defense is a bit too much, and Wang Feng easily gets past him. Then he shoots without hesitation, even though this could be the team's last attack!"
"The ball goes into the corner where van der Sar has no chance to save it. He must have been the most desperate person at that moment; I can even hear his prayers."
"Unfortunately, fate didn't favor Manchester United in the end. The ball hit the corner of the goalpost, but it was on the inside, so it rebounded into the net without a doubt!"
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