Chapter 609: Source of Power
After taking the lead, Real Madrid continued to press against Barcelona relentlessly. Wang Feng sent a through ball, but Iguain's shot from inside the penalty area went over the crossbar. Carvajal's cross from the side was headed by Alonso but saved by Pinto, while Modric's long-range shot from outside the penalty area narrowly missed the target.
As injury time approached, the Chinese superstar dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area and then passed it to Marcelo, who was making a run down the flank. Facing Alba's block, Marcelo lifted the ball towards the baseline.
Wang Feng caught up with the ball before it went out of play, passed it back to the middle with a backheel, and Modric lifted his leg to feign a shot, causing Pique to fall to the ground to block, drawing the attention of the goalkeeper as well.
However, the Croatian midfielder, in an instant, changed his shooting stance to a push and passed the ball horizontally to the oncoming Morata, who easily slotted it into the net. 2-0!
After a brief halftime break, Barcelona barely stabilized the situation. However, in the 50th minute, they suffered another blow as Real Madrid earned a corner kick from the left side.
The Chinese superstar ran into the penalty area, raised his right hand high, and Alonso, who took the free kick, lofted it towards the near post. Wang Feng quickly emerged from the crowd and headed the ball from 14 meters out, sending it into the net past the outstretched fingertips of the goalkeeper, making it 3-0!
"Gooooooooooooooooal! Wang Feng's header finds the net! He extends the lead to 3-0, and Real Madrid secures the victory!"
"A surprising long-range header! He was almost stepping on the edge of the penalty area, and the power was incredible, flying from the left side of the goal directly to the right side."
After scoring, the Chinese superstar rushed to the corner flag area to celebrate with Alonso, embracing him in joy. "It's unbelievable! Absolutely incredible!" Even Wang Feng himself felt like he was dreaming.
They had brainstormed this tactic during their daily training sessions, realizing that few teams deliberately deployed defensive forces at the far post, but after winning the header, they could only choose to head the ball immediately, or else they would quickly be surrounded.
The Galacticos had tried this tactic many times with low success rates. Only occasionally could Wang Feng execute it successfully, so the team considered it a bonus to their attacking arsenal.
Next, Neymar assisted Pedro in pulling one back for Barcelona, but the final score settled at 3-1, with Real Madrid securing the victory in the El Clásico and drawing level with the Catalan team on the league table, only trailing by goal difference.
"A massive defeat!" After the match, all fans and media had only one thought in mind: Barcelona had suffered a complete defeat. Apart from possession, all other statistics favored Real Madrid.
High possession doesn't necessarily mean controlling the game. Barcelona only had 5 shots throughout the game, 2 in the first half and 3 in the second half, while the Galacticos had 9 shots in the first half and 8 in the second half, totaling 17 shots.
What's even more embarrassing is that the team's core, Messi, didn't manage a single shot, a situation that has been unprecedented in all matches this season.
After the match, the official La Liga player ratings gave the Argentine star a score of 4, the lowest for both teams, a rare occurrence.
"Messi, Barcelona's humiliating defeat reflects reality!" This was the summary of the El Clásico by "Daily Sports", stating that the Argentine urgently wanted to prove himself and that his poor performance in the first encounter was purely accidental.
In that game, under Wang Feng's tight marking, he couldn't score as freely as usual, but at least he had some decent offensive contributions. However, this time, even getting a shot off became a luxury.
"Fans don't just want Messi to score goals; they want him to step up in crucial moments. Unfortunately, he hasn't grown to that level yet."
In response to the criticism, Messi, for the first time, spoke out in interviews. In the past, he had remained silent: "I want to take on more responsibility, but my body is struggling. The fatigue from playing multiple games in a row keeps hitting me."
Barcelona coach Roura also defended the team's defeat: "We played one more Copa del Rey match than our opponents midweek, and our physical and mental states were not as good as theirs. Losing is normal."
"Everyone subconsciously thought that Real Madrid's strength had greatly diminished due to injuries, but look at their current performance in the league and Champions League. They are still one of the top teams in Europe," said "World Sports Daily".
However, "Mundo Deportivo" disagreed. "Barcelona has failed to keep a clean sheet in 13 consecutive official matches, the first time since 1962 in the club's history."
During the past period, people were blinded by the big wins and overlooked the problems in the team's defense. As the offense gradually weakened, defense became the main culprit for the collapse.
"Alves and Pique's form is declining, and Puyol is showing signs of aging. Barcelona's peak generation is gradually fading away."
"Absolute protagonist of the El Clásico," "Marca" described Wang Feng, who scored twice, in this way. He has repeatedly contributed classic moments in direct confrontations with Barcelona, and this game's clever tap-in and long-range header will be forever remembered.
Due to his high-level performance on both ends of the field, the official La Liga ratings gave him a perfect 10.
Looking back, the Chinese superstar has scored 24 goals in 7 years as a guest at the Camp Nou, with at least two goals each time and even a six-goal haul, becoming the player with the most goals in the history of La Liga at this stadium.
"It was a great game for the team. Everyone performed excellently, and we were fully focused from start to finish, ultimately achieving victory."
When interviewed, Wang Feng admitted that playing at Camp Nou always excited him more than ever: "Beating Barcelona is always a huge source of motivation, not to mention the connection with the championship. After being eliminated from the Copa del Rey, we can focus more on the league and Champions League."
On March 5th, Real Madrid traveled to Manchester to challenge the Red Devils. This UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg match, without Cristiano Ronaldo due to suspension, was almost certain to have no suspense. Coach Ancelotti made some rotations.
However, even without the Portuguese star, Manchester United showed resilience, and they even opened the scoring in the 48th minute, with Rafael passing the ball, and Welbeck and Benzema's shots from the right side of the penalty area were blocked.
Varane's clearance was intercepted, and Nani crossed from the left side of the penalty area, with Welbeck poking the ball into the net from the edge of the small penalty area.
Despite missing their Portuguese star, Manchester United became more united, and their offensive tactics were no longer one-dimensional. This made David Moyes, the successor appointed by Ferguson on the coaching bench, nod with approval, suggesting that Cristiano Ronaldo was far from being an indispensable presence in the team.
In the 66th minute, Wang Feng made a cross, and Modric received it, took a few steps past Carrick, and then unleashed a powerful shot from 20 meters out, hitting the inside of the right post and deflecting into the net. The Croatian midfielder equalized for the Galacticos.
Just four minutes later, Modric chipped the ball into the penalty area from midfield, and after a header back by Iguain, Morata volleyed it into the net.
In the end, Real Madrid defeated Manchester United 2-1, with a total aggregate score of 6-1 over the two legs, advancing to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
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