Chapter 564: A Different Ending for the Two Giants
As the main referee blew the final whistle, Bayern players remained kneeling on the field, unwilling to rise. They once again lost due to two small mistakes.
Wang Feng walked to Dong Fangzhuo's side, patted his shoulder, and helped him up. "You did your best. I believe all the fans in China would applaud you at this moment."
In the two series, Dong Fangzhuo's performance could definitely be described as the core strategy, as he became Bayern's main attacking option.
Dong Fangzhuo showed a wry smile. "Wang, even though I said it two years ago, I have to say it again now. You have to take me along with you, win the St. Belay Cup, and set a new record!"
The Chinese superstar nodded heavily, and the two embraced each other, a scene that became the headline photo for many domestic media outlets.
Years later, looking back, everyone realized that this was one of the peak moments of Chinese football, with the two major powerhouse players meeting in the Champions League semi-finals.
Although Chinese football experienced a long period of benign development in the following years, it couldn't replicate this glory until much later when new talent matured in a new environment.
Compared to Dong Fangzhuo's decline, Robben remained much calmer. He knew better than anyone else about the Chinese superstar's strength, and losing to him was not shameful.
"Congratulations, Wang. I believe you can surpass history. Although I couldn't follow you to that step," the Dutchman said with regret and resignation.
The honors he achieved at Real Madrid were enough to make him a legendary star in his own right, and that was satisfying enough for him.
A day later, the battle between Barcelona and Chelsea at Camp Nou also concluded. This do-or-die battle for the Catalan team ended in a 2-2 draw.
Just 11 minutes into the game, Chelsea's key central defender Cahill was injured in a tackle and had to leave the field, completely disrupting the coach's plans.
Subsequently, Barcelona took advantage of this, scoring two goals in quick succession. Adding insult to injury, Chelsea's soul, Terry, had physical contact with Sanchez during a confrontation, and the referee directly showed him a red card, sending him off.
Trailing and down to ten men, Chelsea seemed resigned to being eliminated.
But the team's tenacious character was displayed vividly at this moment. Not only did they withstand wave after wave of Barcelona's attacks, but they also launched strong counterattacks.
Just before halftime, Ramirez's long-range shot from outside the penalty area reversed the momentum once again, as Chelsea regained the advantage with an away goal!
This goal made the Barcelona players increasingly anxious, especially facing the opponent's stubborn defense, which seemed unbreakable.
In the 65th minute, Fabregas broke into the penalty area and won a precious penalty for the Catalan team.
As the designated penalty taker, Messi stood at the penalty spot, his legs somewhat weak. The damned memories of failure gradually flooded his mind, the countless efforts that never yielded good results.
Considering his age, he was already 25 this year with nothing to show for it, while Wang Feng won his first Ballon d'Or at the age of 20, the gap between them was like a chasm.
Sometimes he felt like he was born for football, invincible on the field, always full of energy and confidence.
But why did God send someone like Wang Feng to crush him? The criticisms from the outside world were not wrong; he was indeed not as good as the Chinese superstar, a fact Messi himself had to admit. No matter how much effort he put in, he couldn't reach Wang Feng's level.
Family and friends advised him to wait, and the club's higher-ups reassured him not to rush, but now he was wasting away his peak years of his career, and he was getting more and more afraid of waiting.
Lost in his thoughts, the referee blew the whistle for the penalty kick. Messi took a deep breath, ran up, and shot!
The shot deceived the goalkeeper Cech, but the ball hit the crossbar hard, much like hitting the hearts of the Camp Nou fans.
Messi ultimately missed the chance to be the savior; he wasn't a football god, just a star.
In stoppage time, as the Chelsea team's spirits waned, Fernando Torres, the once golden boy of Spain, scored the winning goal, sealing Barcelona's fate.
A season with nothing to show for! Everyone could anticipate the torrent of criticism that would follow for the Catalan team.
Vilanova announced his resignation as head coach immediately, and the club quickly accepted it. There were also voices within the club calling for Rosell to step down as well.
This situation was reminiscent of Laporta stepping down years ago. Obviously, some people were quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes, taking advantage of the team's poor performance. The situation was murky and confusing.
Apart from blaming the club's management for poor transfers, the biggest responsibility for the team's failure undoubtedly fell on Messi, who missed the crucial penalty.
"He felt extremely guilty. After that game, he cried in the locker room for a long time," Sanchez later said in an interview.
At this moment, countless Catalan fans and media outlets were harshly criticizing Messi. "He is the most incompetent core," commented Mundo Deportivo, while Sport stated, "Barcelona has no way out relying on Messi!"
It was the media led by Marca and AS that began to defend him, pointing out that Messi's ratings were always among the top of the team throughout the series. His performance was impeccable.
"In the end, it was just Barcelona being completely overwhelmed by Real Madrid. Blaming Messi's mistakes in this situation is just scapegoating."
Some extreme fans vented their frustrations online, mocking Messi as the "rating-type king" who never scored a win.
The different endings of the two giants in La Liga also brought about two completely opposite public opinions.
For Real Madrid, they now had over 20 days to prepare for the Champions League final, an unprecedented luxury.
On April 29th, in the 35th round of La Liga, Ancelotti decisively rested his players and suffered a 0-2 defeat away to Sevilla.
On May 3rd, in the 36th round of La Liga, Real Madrid welcomed Athletic Bilbao at home. In the 36th minute of the match, Wang Feng broke the deadlock with a long shot from outside the penalty area.
Unfortunately, the away team equalized in the second half, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
On May 6th, in the 37th round of La Liga, the Galaxy Battleship challenged Granada away.
Carvajal opened the scoring for the team, and later, substitute Wang Feng scored another goal under Granada's assist, leading them to a 2-0 victory.
In these three matches, the coaching staff tried many different tactical arrangements. Zidane and Hierro also put their ideas into action. It could be said that these were practice matches with no pressure for results.
The final round of the league was scheduled for May 14th, with Real Madrid hosting Mallorca.
The two sides eventually drew 1-1 and shook hands. After the game, an awards ceremony was held, and when Wang Feng lifted the championship trophy, the Bernabéu instantly turned into a boiling sea.
The players didn't have time to celebrate as they rushed non-stop to Munich, Germany. This year's Champions League final would be held at the Allianz Arena.
Chelsea, their opponent, was in the same situation. With no hope in the league, they focused all their energy on the Champions League.
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