Chapter 556: Isn't This a Free Pass to the Top Four?
After returning to Madrid from Moscow, Real Madrid, the new movement of La Liga, Sevilla announced the dismissal of head coach Marcelino after experiencing 8 winless rounds, to be honest, it's somewhat unexpected that he could hold on until now.
The Seville team is currently only ranked 11th on the points table. The club's top management urgently hopes to make a quick impact like Atletico Madrid did by changing the coach, sprinting for the European competition in the final stage.
Former Real Madrid "Five Eagles" member Gonzalez, took over as the head coach. He was a core striker for the team from 1984 to 1996, scoring a total of 96 goals. After retiring, he also served as the coach of Real Madrid B team.
His excellent coaching experience with Huesca made him a target for mid-table teams in La Liga, and he was also considered by Real Madrid when they were selecting a coach at the beginning of the season.
However, he had conflicts with the top management of the Galacticos before, which made cooperation between the two sides difficult. After comprehensive evaluation, they chose the Italian Carlo Ancelotti.
Sevilla has high expectations for the new head coach. The club's president, Del Nido, said, "I believe he can lead the team to fourth place."
In their first match after the coaching change against Osasuna, Gonzalez had a good start. With goals from Medel and Trochowski, they defeated their opponents 2-0, achieving their first victory in nearly 9 rounds.
Sevilla is in high spirits, while Valencia's top management is somewhat helpless because their key midfielder Banega had a bizarre car accident.
The incident occurred when the Argentine was driving to the team's training base. He stopped for gas midway, but forgot to pull the handbrake, resulting in the car slipping forward and injuring his leg.
After a doctor's diagnosis, Banega's ankle was fractured and he would need at least 6 months of rest. In other words, his season is completely over. Such a strange and unlucky incident casts a shadow over the club's hopes for a top-three finish.
This accident also serves as a warning to all players, including Wang Feng. Nobody knows when accidents will happen, so everyone needs to be careful.
The schedule for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League started earlier than the UEFA Champions League, so they have already determined the 16 teams that advanced, with all three La Liga teams making it through.
Atletico Madrid thrashed Lazio, Valencia narrowly defeated Stoke City from the English Premier League, and Athletic Bilbao overturned Lokomotiv Moscow. But unfortunately, they will face Manchester United in the round of 16.
A fiery Cristiano Ronaldo, in an interview, stated that the Europa League is already in the bag for the Red Devils; they are clearly a level above all other participating teams.
Such a contemptuous tone immediately drew the ire of the media and opponents. If Manchester United is so strong, how did they end up being eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League? Athletic Bilbao forward Muniain retorted, "Cristiano Ronaldo? Sorry, is he not that famous? I know the football king Wang Feng and the superstar Messi, they are the widely known outstanding players."
He knows how to provoke Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese promptly smashed his own phone and vowed to give the other party a lesson.
On February 26th, in the 24th round of La Liga, Real Madrid welcomed Rayo Vallecano at home.
Obviously, the home team had not completely "thawed" from the cold of Moscow, but with a clever through pass from Wang Feng on the edge of the penalty area, Morata broke into the heart of the defense and scored the only goal of the game, helping the team to a 1-0 victory.
Seven days later, in the 25th round of La Liga, the Galacticos traveled to Barcelona to challenge Espanyol.
Just 5 minutes into the game, Wang Feng passed the ball to Iguaín on the wing, who shot but was saved by the goalkeeper. Real Madrid won a corner kick.
Alonso lofted the ball into the penalty area, and the Chinese superstar leaped like a god and headed the ball into the net, helping the away team open the scoring.
This goal seemed to sound the horn for Real Madrid's attack. Di María soon cut inside from the wing and scored, expanding the lead for the team. Modric and Alonso also scored, leading them to a 4-0 halftime lead.
The Croatian scored his first goal since joining the Galacticos, showing his excitement and surprise. From now on, his journey with Real Madrid will surely become smoother.
In the second half, just before Wang Feng was substituted, he quickly increased his goal tally to two with a long-range shot. Then the game entered garbage time, and when the final whistle blew, the score remained 5-0.
On March 11th, back at the Bernabéu, the Galacticos welcomed Real Betis in the 26th round of La Liga.
In the 17th minute of the game, Khedira sent a precise through pass during a counterattack, and Wang Feng, at the 12-yard position on the right side of the penalty area, shot and scored.
Six minutes later, Khedira distributed the ball again, Di María broke through and crossed, and the Chinese superstar, stationed at the corner of the small penalty area, scored with a sideways volley, expanding the team's lead.
What was originally thought to be a situation easily controlled suddenly changed dramatically in the second half. Castro and Santa Cruz each scored for the away team to equalize.
The final result was fixed at 2-2, and the Galacticos' winning streak of 9 league games came to an end.
Although they still lead Barcelona by a considerable margin in points, after the match, in the dressing room, Ancelotti reminded everyone not to get carried away, "Conceding two goals in the second half is completely unacceptable. Even if we have a slight advantage, if anyone drops the ball on the field, I will not hesitate to bench him!"
As the unique leader in the team, if Wang Feng stands with the head coach, then he will have supreme power. This is the case with Ancelotti now, so everyone remains silent, expressing their positive attitude.
"In the last encounter between the two teams, it was a pity for Lokomotiv Moscow. To be honest, Real Madrid's performance throughout the game was not outstanding, but Wang Feng relied on his individual ability to score a precious away goal."
"Yes, now they are coming to the Bernabéu at a comprehensive disadvantage. Simply defending means elimination. Moscow must find a way to attack and score goals, which will inevitably lead to an unstable defense."
"Both teams' players walked out of the tunnel onto the field, and it can be seen that they all look very serious. I believe the Galacticos will not make the mistake of underestimating the opponent again."
"As for the starting lineup, for Real Madrid, Khedira and Pepe can play, while for Moscow, it is basically the same lineup as the last match, with Honda replacing Iniesta. His recent performances have gradually gained the trust of the head coach."
In the first half, the away team kicked off. Honda passed to Dumbia, who then passed back to organize the defense. The Galacticos' midfield and frontcourt players pressed aggressively, as this is the Bernabéu!
After several passes back, Moscow couldn't advance to the frontcourt. Helpless, Honda retreated to receive the ball, and Sembrás passed it to him. Just as he was about to control the ball, Wang Feng suddenly darted out from the side and skillfully took the ball away.
The Japanese forward was taken aback and hurriedly chased after him, but the Chinese superstar's speed was too fast. In just a few moves, he shook off Honda and dribbled past a defender, then rushed into the vicinity of the penalty area and made a cross.
Iguaín's header from the far post was slightly wide of the post. "A beautiful steal and counterattack, but Iguaín's shot at the end was a bit lacking."
"Yes, it's a pity. Wang Feng's interception and breakthrough just now were truly seamless. From this perspective, Honda Keisuke's movements appeared stiff and slow."
"Haha, but he is indeed a very outstanding Asian player. You can't compare him to Wang Feng. Apart from a few like Dong Fangzhuo domestically, there really isn't anyone who can match him entirely in terms of technique."
"That's the significance of playing in Europe. As the Most Valuable Player of last year's Asian Cup, Honda has made significant progress. Even playing in a secondary league like Moscow, he has gained a lot. I believe he definitely has the ability to land in one of the top five leagues next. Even joining a top club is not impossible."
Sixteen minutes into the game, Moscow launched their first attack into the opposition's penalty area, but it was intercepted by Ramos. He immediately passed it to Khedira.
The German dribbled past the midfield and passed it to Wang Feng. After taking two slow steps, Wang Feng suddenly accelerated. Beside him, the defender Bereszynski hurriedly extended his leg to poke the ball away, but the Chinese superstar swiftly changed direction with a backheel, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground.
Pushing all the way to the edge of the penalty area, Wang Feng saw the opposing goalkeeper positioned forward. He lifted his toe and sent a lob towards the far corner. Munua was shocked, retreating while jumping, stretching his arm to its fullest to save.
However, the ball still slipped past his fingertips, swerving past the inside of the post and into the goal. 1-0! Real Madrid takes the lead!
Boom! This goal completely ignited the passion at the Bernabéu. Fans waved placards with Wang Feng's name, chanting "Dios" continuously. At this moment, he was the god of the Bernabéu!
All the Moscow players were stunned by this scene. What could they use to defeat such a strong opponent?
Real Madrid, growing more confident, quickly launched another attack. Di María passed the ball to Wang Feng on the wing, who took two steps before passing it to Iguaín.
The Argentine received the ball with his back to the goal, pressed closely by a defender. Seeing the Chinese superstar making a forward run, he cleverly passed it back to him with his right foot.
But Wang Feng didn't receive the ball, instead, he cleverly let it pass through, knowing there was another defender marking him closely. On the other side, Di María found space to easily receive the ball.
At this moment, the defender marking Wang Feng had to shift to defend Di María's side, leaving space behind him. Wang Feng leaped and volleyed with his left foot, the ball sneaking under the crossbar and hitting the net.
"The ball's in! Real Madrid's second goal comes so quickly!"
"Iguaín, Wang Feng, and Di María formed a triangular passing combination in the forward area, and Wang Feng is the most agile among them!"
"Let's slow down and appreciate the entire attacking process. When Di María passed the ball, he and Iguaín were positioned on either side, while Wang Feng was slightly behind, forming an inverted triangle."
"The Chinese superstar passed the ball to Iguaín and then made a forward run, drawing defenders. When the three formed a straight line, he intentionally let the ball pass to Di María, knowing that there was no one marking the Argentine midfielder nearby, which would surely draw high attention from the Moscow defense."
"At this moment, Wang Feng continued his run into the penalty area, turning the formation into a regular triangle. Di María's timing for the pass was also very clever, just bypassing the defender's head to find the advancing Chinese superstar."
"If he had chosen to control the ball at this moment, he would have been closed down by Ignashevich and the goalkeeper, blocking his shooting path. But a king is a king. Wang Feng jumped directly and volleyed."
"This kind of shot requires precise power and angle control. But for Wang Feng, it seems like child's play. Perfect teamwork combined with a brilliant finish, together creating a great goal!"
After this, Moscow completely lost their resistance. In the 63rd minute of the second half, the Chinese superstar sealed the victory with a long shot from outside the penalty area, securing his second hat-trick of the season in the Champions League.
3-0, with an aggregate score of 4-1 over two legs, Real Madrid eliminated their opponents and advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals!
The remaining seven teams also determined their places later. Lyon drew 1-1 with Greek side Olympiacos, eventually advancing through a penalty shootout, causing countless media to look at each other in surprise. It was practically handing a spot in the semi-finals to the Galactic Battleship.
Five consecutive titles are not the limit. Could Real Madrid challenge for six? It's beyond everyone's imagination.
UEFA President Platini couldn't help but feel helpless. He didn't intervene, but he definitely didn't want Real Madrid to break through history so easily. "Getting past this round is good, but the semi-finals and finals will be tough." That's how he comforted himself.
Another La Liga super team, Barcelona, also easily progressed. They thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 10-2 over two legs, seemingly venting all their frustrations and leaving the Germans bewildered.
AC Milan narrowly eliminated Arsenal with a score of 4-3, setting up a clash with Barcelona in the quarter-finals. One of the focal points of this series will be whether Kaká, who has shown signs of returning to form at San Siro, can prove his worth against his former club.
Zenit St. Petersburg lost 3-4 to Benfica, while Chelsea edged out Napoli in a penalty shootout. Mourinho will lead the Blues to face his former team from the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
Inter Milan drew 2-2 with Marseille but was eliminated due to an away goals disadvantage. Ribery shed tears on the field. Since helping the Nerazzurri win ten consecutive league titles, they have gradually declined. Looking back, the rising Juventus and steadily developing AC Milan have surpassed them. Everything seems to have returned to how it was over a decade ago, when the Inter dynasty seemed like a dream.
Ribery was no longer the young man who constantly complained to his seniors. At the age of 29, he had become a pillar of the team, second only to Zanetti in terms of seniority and importance.
When Wang Feng called to console him, the Frenchman calmly said, "I'm fine, captain. Actually, I've come to terms with it. I've already achieved too much glory, and I've even had the chance to challenge you. My career is already fulfilled."
"I once thought about leaving Inter for a better platform, but I couldn't bear to leave everything here. I'll continue the journey with everyone, like Zanetti. So I'm really grateful that you brought me to Italy."
Although Wang Feng disliked the corrupt and competitive environment of Serie A, he still admired the camaraderie among the top clubs. Many old players could retire at their clubs.
Returning to the Champions League, Marseille's opponent in the quarter-finals was Bayern Munich, who eliminated Basel from the Swiss Super League with an 8-0 aggregate score. Dong Zhuo scored four Champions League goals in the process.
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