Chapter 431: Reborn team
On the evening of December 14th, the highly anticipated century derby is about to unfold at the Camp Nou Stadium. For Barcelona fans, this day has been long-awaited. Nearly a hundred thousand seats were filled in the stadium, despite the light rain, which failed to dampen their fervor.
Looking back at the past two seasons, feelings of dismay, pain, and confusion lingered. Not only did the team's performance plummet, but they also witnessed their arch-rivals ascend to the throne, which was an unacceptable outcome no matter how you looked at it.
Fortunately, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Barcelona fans keenly felt the vitality and strength of this team in the new season. This time, they are determined to strike down Real Madrid and reclaim their glory!
As the players of the Galaxy Battleship stepped onto the Camp Nou field, they were still greeted by boos. But this time, the boos carried a strong sense of confidence, as if telling the visiting team players, 'You are about to face a big defeat, so tuck your tails and roll back to Madrid.'
At this moment, both head coaches stood on the sidelines, with Guardiola appearing indifferent while Schuster showed signs of worry. For Barcelona, with their best lineup, in their best form, and with home advantage, everything seemed perfect. Even Guardiola, no matter how cautious he was, had to admit, they were destined to win!
However, the German felt somewhat uneasy. Perhaps it was indeed wise to listen to the assistant coach's suggestion and strive for a draw or a narrow loss? The home team's momentum was too strong; from players to fans, everyone wanted to redeem themselves, and this collective momentum would converge into a sharp blade, fiercely breaking through all obstacles in its path.
Barcelona lined up in their favored 4-3-3 formation, with Valdés in goal.
In defense: Alves, Piqué, Puyol, and Abidal.
In midfield: Xavi, Yaya Touré, and Iniesta.
In attack: Messi, Eto'o, and Henry.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Casillas in goal.
In defense: Ramos, Ashley Cole, Marcelo, and Pepe.
In midfield: Diarra, Sneijder, Robben, and Gago.
In the forward line: Wang Feng, playing slightly withdrawn as a free man, and Higuaín acting as the focal point up front.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! We are about to bring you a spotlight battle in La Liga, also known as the century derby, with Barcelona hosting Real Madrid at home."
"In the previous 233 century duels, Barcelona has had a slight advantage, with 93 wins, 50 draws, and 90 losses. However, in the 156 league matches, Real Madrid's 69 wins, 30 draws, and 57 losses have put them in a better position."
"Yes, but it's clear that the home team has the advantage at the Camp Nou. In 78 league matches, Barcelona has won 44 of them."
"In the past two years, Real Madrid has been very successful in building the Galácticos around Wang Feng, while Barcelona has experienced a series of storms, such as core departures and changes in management, leading to a decline. Therefore, in their encounters, Real Madrid has remained undefeated."
"With the emergence of the new core, Messi, and the rebuilding and integration of the Barcelona squad, they have shown tremendous strength at the start of the new season, shocking La Liga and even European football."
"So, this match will be their revenge, and Real Madrid will definitely not sit back and wait. We believe both sides will bring you a splendid and exciting game."
"Barcelona has won the kickoff for the first half, Messi and Eto'o are standing at the center circle, the referee's whistle blows, and the game officially begins!"
"Beep~" Both sides started the game with a lot of intensity. Just 1 minute into the game, Ramos fouled Messi in midfield as he was about to break through, prompting the referee to blow the whistle promptly to stop the game.
"Keep your actions in check, otherwise, I don't mind showing cards or even sending you off the field to cool down," warned the Spanish referee, indicating his experience and understanding of the importance of controlling the game.
In the 2nd minute, the home team had their first shot on goal, with Abidal unleashing a long-range shot from outside the penalty area, narrowly missing the post. This attack ignited the passion of the fans, who stood up and cheered.
One minute later, Messi dribbled past Ramos on the right side of the penalty area and attempted a shot into the far corner. But Casillas stretched his body to make a brilliant save, barely tipping the ball out for a corner.
"Oh, a very threatening attack! Thanks to Saint Iker's brave save, Messi is unstoppable in one-on-one situations with the defense, reminiscent of Wang Feng."
"Look at this corner kick from Barcelona, Iniesta sends it to the far post, and goooooooooooal! The ball is in! Eto'o scores!"
"Just 2 minutes into the game, Barcelona takes the lead through a corner kick! Piqué heads the ball to the far post, and Eto'o follows up with a volley into the net."
"A fantastic corner kick tactic, the home team's high point in the penalty area causes chaos, and the Cameroonian forward takes advantage of the opportunity. Barcelona gets off to a dream start!"
After taking the lead, the home team continued to organize attacks steadily. Henry's long-range shot from the left went wide of the near post. Messi and Eto'o combined with quick passes to penetrate into the penalty area, but Messi's shot was blocked by Diarra, and Xavi's header from Iniesta's cross was saved by Casillas.
In the blink of an eye, Barcelona had planned several threatening shots, while Real Madrid had yet to create a single meaningful attack. Possession was firmly in the hands of the opponents, and the crisis in the backline made it difficult to break through.
This situation was dangerous, they had to push forward to force Barcelona to retreat, otherwise, their aggressive pressing would be unsustainable. So, Wang Feng found several midfielders and defenders, hoping they would be more decisive and resolute in their passing, sending the ball forward, and he believed in them!
In the 11th minute, Cole blocked Eto'o's shot inside the penalty area, and the ball rebounded to Diarra, who immediately launched a long pass to the midfield. The Chinese superstar swiftly ran to the drop point and played it back to Robben.
Real Madrid launched a quick counterattack, and the Dutchman passed it forward to Wang Feng. Wang Feng then passed it to Higuaín, who advanced to the edge of the penalty area, only to see his final shot blocked by Puyol's sliding tackle.
Higuaín got up from the ground and looked apologetically at the Chinese superstar, only to see him nodding his head, indicating with his eyes. It turned out that after Puyol's interception, he didn't choose to pass forward but instead passed back to goalkeeper Valdés.
Counter-pressing! The Argentine youngster instinctively approached the edge of the penalty area, and Robben, who had also run the entire way, understood and quietly moved between Puyol and Valdés to block.
At this moment, Barcelona's goalkeeper had no choice but to pass the ball to Piqué nearby, who then passed it to Alves under Wang Feng's pressure. Barcelona's possession mentality was ingrained no matter the circumstances.
However, they overlooked Real Madrid's determination to press and the changing conditions of the wet midfield. Seeing Sneijder also closing in, Alves turned and took a couple of steps before passing back to goalkeeper Valdés.
The Spaniard stopped the ball and assessed the situation before deciding to pass it to Piqué. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to exert force, he saw Wang Feng swiftly rushing out to block between him and Piqué. Would passing it over cause it to be intercepted?
A moment of hesitation made him change his mind about passing to the sideline to Puyol. However, the inertia of his muscle exertion made this low, flat pass very awkward, coupled with the damp field conditions, resulting in the ball deviating from its optimal trajectory.
Puyol, seeing this, quickly moved forward to receive, but there was someone faster than him, it was "The Little Wizard" Robben! The Dutchman successfully intercepted ahead of the Barcelona defenders and then, without hesitation, assisted Wang Feng with a back-heeled pass.
The ball immediately returned to the center, surprising Valdés, who sprinted towards the ball, but it was too late. Wang Feng took the ball first, deftly flicked it past, and easily sent it into the home team's net!
"Gooooooooooooooooooal!! The ball is in!! Real Madrid equalizes!!"
"Oh my God, Barcelona's defense made a fatal mistake! Goalkeeper Valdés' pass deviated, and Robben's quick interception and back-heeled assist helped Wang Feng score."
"Having dominated, pressing the Galaxy Battleship with all their might, the home team never expected to see all their efforts go to waste due to a single mistake in the backline. It must be said that Real Madrid and Wang Feng's ability to seize opportunities is too strong. This was only their first shot of the game!"
Visit freewe𝑏(n)ovel.𝘤ℴ𝑚 for the best novel reading experience