Chapter 549: Conqueror of Camp Nou
"I don't think anyone expected Real Madrid to take a 3-goal lead so easily before the match started," the two commentators in the sports channel studio were reviewing the first half of the game during halftime.
"Yes, because the situation they showed before the match seemed evenly matched, with Barcelona possibly slightly at a disadvantage, but after all, it's at the Camp Nou, and they can rely on the home field advantage."
"In fact, from the data, it's hard to see that this is a one-sided match. In terms of ball possession, Barcelona has 62%, while Real Madrid has 38%, indicating that Barcelona has the upper hand."
"And in terms of the number of shots and shot accuracy, Real Madrid has 10/6, while Barcelona has 12/5. In fact, both sides have had similar opportunities, but the Galacticos' ability to capitalize on chances is simply remarkable, with 3 goals from 6 shots on target."
"The most focused comparison of key players, Wang Feng contributed two shots and one assist, being involved in all of the team's goals. As for Messi, he is the organizer of most of Barcelona's attacks."
"In fact, we can feel that the Argentine superstar has been very active in this game. His running has reached the highest level of the season, single-handedly driving the attack while not neglecting the defense."
"Unfortunately, Messi hasn't had the decisive impact yet, and other teammates have clearly lagged behind. Neymar, under Pepe's marking, has been ineffective, so it's no wonder the Barcelona coach quickly substituted him."
"The mystery surrounding Villa's performance after coming on as a substitute is puzzling. Barcelona now needs a breakthrough."
"Do you think Barcelona has any chance of staging a miraculous comeback in the second half? Like what Wang Feng did before?"
"I think it's almost impossible. Although Messi is not as fragile as when he debuted, his performance in adversity is nowhere near Wang Feng's, and he can't even compare to Cristiano Ronaldo."
"Well, will the second half see Real Madrid continue to dominate, or will Barcelona launch a desperate counterattack? After a brief advertisement, let's return to the match."
After a brief halftime break, returning to the field, there were no significant changes from either side. Despite Messi's efforts and attempts to boost morale, there was still no improvement.
He seemed like a lone hero facing vast challenges. In the 63rd minute, Messi dribbled on the left side, avoiding Khedira's tackle, cutting inside to shake off Alonso's entanglement, and ran all the way to the right along the edge of the penalty area.
After drawing the entire Real Madrid defense, Messi suddenly sent a diagonal pass. This time, Villa didn't disappoint him, decisively moving forward to receive the ball in the penalty area, and with no one marking him, he pushed the ball into the net to help the home team reduce the deficit.
Messi quickly rushed to retrieve the ball from the net, urging everyone to quickly return to their own half to prepare for kickoff. He still harbored hopes of a comeback victory!
But reality dealt him a heavy blow. In the 78th minute, as Real Madrid attacked in the frontcourt, Wang Feng passed the ball to Morata in the arc area, under Puyol's defensive interference, the Spaniard chose to pass back to the Chinese superstar.
Wang Feng received the ball with his left foot and pushed it sideways to Di Maria on the right, while he himself moved into the penalty area. Di Maria sent a diagonal pass without stopping, and the Chinese superstar successfully timed his run to stay onside and found himself in a one-on-one situation.
Valdes and Messi, not far away, were almost on the verge of collapse. Why had Barcelona's defense become so poor, allowing the opponent to penetrate so easily with just a few passes?
This time, facing the onrushing goalkeeper, Wang Feng decisively chose to chip the ball, which sailed over Valdes's head and into the net behind him. 4:1! He once again completed a hat-trick at the Camp Nou!
On the sidelines, Vilanova felt dizzy, as if he could hear demons whispering in his ear, telling him that his fate of being sacked was getting closer.
Wang Feng's goal became the last goal of the match, but for Barcelona fans, everything was already irrelevant. Many of them had started to leave the stadium around the 78th minute, with only a few loyal supporters remaining, shouting grievances like "Coach out!"
Barcelona had lost the qualification to compete with Real Madrid! The El Clásico had just ended, and various major news media began to report on the process of the match and express their opinions.
"Marca" believed that the Galacticos had completely dominated the Camp Nou, almost ending the battle by halftime. Currently, it's difficult for Barcelona to threaten Real Madrid. They are likely to break the streak of league titles and achieve a new legendary record.
"As" stated that although the Catalan team seemed evenly matched with Real Madrid on the field, the difference in the ability to seize key opportunities was significant, with many chances wasted, which was also their common problem this season.
"The stability of the Galacticos is enough to make all opponents feel despair, which is also their biggest weapon for maintaining good results in the league and Champions League."
Wang Feng, who contributed a hat-trick, was selected as the best player of the match. In the past 6 years, in 11 El Clásico matches, he had been named the best player 8 times, a unique protagonist.
Even because of the Chinese superstar's frequent extraordinary performances at the Camp Nou, many media jokingly referred to him as the "Conqueror of Camp Nou."
"We did well in the first half of the game, being able to break the deadlock first was the key turning point. Next, everyone needs to work together to build on the momentum to secure victory. I only took on the role of the finisher, the real heroes who won the game are all the players on the field," Wang Feng said in an interview.
At the post-match press conference, faced with questions from the media, Barcelona coach Vilanova said that the team did not perform ideally in the first half, conceding goals successively made everyone a bit panicked.
"But from the data, it can be seen that there is not much difference between us and Real Madrid. The game is not completely one-sided, and the score does not represent everything."
"What's the use of data? It's very important. It shows that we still have strong competitiveness. What I want to say is that the league is still long, yes, still long, and we have the strength and opportunity to catch up with Real Madrid."
Even the Catalan media were reluctant to believe Vilanova's words. "Sport" bluntly stated that Barcelona was in its darkest hour. After a dismal defeat at home to their biggest league rivals, their hopes of winning the championship were slim, and they might face another tragic defeat for the sixth consecutive year.
"The biggest culprit for the team's defeat on the defensive end, Adriano's war criminal-level performance, Puyol and Pique's partnership also failed to restrict Wang Feng."
"On the offensive end, Neymar was very dismal, even worse than before. Perhaps he was intimidated by the atmosphere of the El Clásico, but the game is a battlefield, and we don't have much time for him to adapt."
"It is undeniable that Messi worked very hard, once again becoming the highest-rated player on the team, but this effort ultimately did not pay off."
"El Mundo Deportivo" believed that Vilanova's coaching career at Barcelona had come to an end. He was originally brought in to put out fires, and now that the team's performance was poor, he would naturally become the scapegoat.
Many Barcelona fans chose to focus on their own affairs after the match started, only nervously checking the results at the end, but they were still stung by the cruel reality.
No one knows how many people smashed their phones, broke their TVs. They decided to temporarily stop paying attention to Barcelona matches, unless that man leaves Real Madrid and La Liga.
Even some pessimistic fans gave up their faith and turned to support Espanyol, another Catalan team, causing their fan base to skyrocket.
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