Chapter 538: Family gathering
The momentum-filled Real Madrid returned to the league but encountered a setback. In the third round of La Liga, they faced Levante away. Ancelotti, perhaps too confident, only sent a substitute lineup, and before halftime, they conceded two goals from Levante's Spanish midfielder Ivi and Uruguayan forward Stuani.
Although Wang Feng, who came on in the second half, scored in the 79th minute after receiving a through ball from Arteta and shooting past the goalkeeper, it wasn't enough to turn the tide. The final score was 1-2, marking the first defeat of the new season for the Galacticos.
After the match, coach Ancelotti admitted to his tactical mistakes in the interview, saying, "Everything is still in the early stages of adjustment, including myself and the team."
"In fact, I'm somewhat relieved that this loss came early, which allows us to see the team more clearly. We won't make such rash mistakes in the future."
Barcelona, on the other hand, had a stunning performance in this round, thrashing Osasuna 8-0 at Camp Nou. Messi scored a hat-trick, bringing his total goals to 5, narrowing the gap with Wang Feng's 7.
Meanwhile, the Valencia and Soldado, who have been performing exceptionally well in the league so far, once again created a miracle by defeating Huesca 1-0 away, becoming the only two teams in La Liga to achieve three consecutive wins.
Another team with three consecutive wins, surprisingly, is the newly promoted Real Betis. Despite their glory in the early 2000s, they gradually declined and were relegated before returning to the top flight after several years in the Segunda Division.
Soldado's goal tally also reached 5, disrupting the dominance of Wang Feng and Messi in the top scorer race in recent years, establishing himself as a rising star player.
Another popular player is the Colombian tiger Falcao, who scored a hat-trick in this round, helping Atletico Madrid to a 4-0 victory over Santander Athletic, proving his worth of �40 million.
Marca commented that Falcao's main task at Atletico is to score goals, and he has perfectly fulfilled this task with 4 goals in 3 matches, proving himself to be a true striker, a tiger in the penalty area.
As claimed by AS, Falcao has proven himself when the team needed him the most, as Atletico drew one and lost one in the first two rounds, falling into the relegation zone. With this victory, the club management can breathe a little easier.
Mundo Deportivo commented, "Atletico's investment in Falcao has paid off. Although his transfer may seem expensive, Atletico has made a bargain."
As described by El Pais, if Wang Feng and Messi are compared to a magnificent symphony, players like Soldado and Falcao are like violin solos, complementing each other and contributing to the exciting La Liga.
Apart from the traditional powerhouses, one of the most eye-catching teams in La Liga so far is probably Malaga on the Sunshine Coast. Backed by Qatari tycoons, they were once dubbed the "Manchester City of La Liga."
This summer, Malaga spent �60 million to bring in a group of stars including Van Nistelrooy, Cazorla, Joaquin, Toulalan, and Mathijsen. After two consecutive wins following the first round of adaptation, they climbed to fifth place in the standings.
Coach Pellegrini also did not hide his ambition. He stated that the team's goal this season is to secure a European spot. Therefore, they will continue to strengthen their squad during the winter transfer window, targeting players like Albiol and Granero from Real Madrid, and Torres from Chelsea.
Back in Madrid, to encourage team cohesion, Wang Feng decided to invite everyone and their families to his villa for a family gathering on their day off, as part of his responsibilities as team captain.
Everyone gladly accepted the invitation, including coach Ancelotti with his girlfriend Berena. When newly joined players like Coentrao, Sahin, and Modric arrived at the Chinese superstar's mansion, they were all very surprised.
"This can be called a manor, right?" the Croatian couldn't help but exclaim. He brought his wife Bosnjak and son Ivan. The little guy was very excited to see the vast play area and played with other kids, while Wang Feng arranged for someone to take care of them.
Coentrao shrugged, "After all, it's the mansion of the world's number one. But Wang is quite low-key. If it were me, I would definitely take a lot of photos and post them on Instagram to attract fans."
Instagram is a photo-sharing social app launched last year. Of course, the Chinese superstar also has an official certified account, but he rarely posts about his personal life, not only on this app but also on all other domestic and foreign social apps.
Everyone enjoyed themselves, some chatting and drinking wine in groups, some playing billiards and table tennis. Wang Feng mingled among them and chatted.
18-year-old Varane pretended to exercise on the luxurious fitness equipment, but was exposed by the Chinese superstar, "Forget it, I haven't seen you so active in training at the club."
"I see Granero playing 'Killzone 3', you'd better go play with him. Although the games in my house are not as comprehensive as those in the club, I'm sure you'll like some of them."
Valane stuck out his tongue and flattered, "So, boss, you also play games?"
"Of course, when I was playing games, you were still wearing diapers."
Alonso, on the other hand, was very curious about the professional training equipment, especially the WATER WALKER, a water treadmill. "This equipment looks too cool. Why have I never seen it before?"
Wang Feng explained with a smile, "This is a water treadmill mainly used to exercise while protecting the legs from additional wear and tear and injuries. It's not yet mass-produced; I had it custom-made."
After trying it out, Alonso found it very effective, especially for athletes of their age, so the Chinese superstar decided to customize two more for the training base in Valdebebas.
During a conversation with coach Ancelotti, the Italian humorously remarked that Wang Feng's mansion is very similar to his ideal retirement home, except for those fitness equipment, he almost wanted to copy it verbatim.
"When Florentino invited me to the Galacticos, he said there were no hard requirements for results this season, but I don't see it that way."
"Wang, I suppose you're not here just for a high salary, right?" the Chinese superstar nodded. "Matching the legends must not make me stop. My peak is not over yet."
"That's good. The form this year seems to be more intense than before. I hope you can take on more responsibilities. We can discuss the arrangements on the field at any time. To be honest, your tactical insight is indeed very sharp. Many times, even I am inspired by you."
Wang Feng was naturally very willing. The difficulties in communicating with Benitez in the past two years had made him feel exhausted. Now, finally, there is an open-minded coach.
This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om