Chapter 614: The Crisis, A New Star Shines
After 30 rounds of La Liga matches, the title race was heating up, with Real Madrid and Barcelona tied on points. However, Barcelona led the table due to a superior goal difference of 5.
Atletico Madrid, in third place, was holding steady, while the battle for the final Champions League spot was intense. Real Sociedad, in excellent form since the new year, had taken the lead, leading Valencia by four points.
As Athletic Bilbao's performance declined, Real Sociedad became the flagbearer of Basque football, defeating both Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in successive matches.
Coach Montanier had fielded a younger and more technically adept squad, making Real Sociedad the La Liga club most reliant on youth development after Barcelona. They even fielded starting lineups directly from their youth academy.
According to statistics from the British Daily Mail, the top three European clubs with the most local youth talent in their first teams were Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Bilbao, while clubs from Ligue 1 occupied positions 4 to 8. Real Madrid did not make the list.
This indicates that Real Madrid does have the ability to develop youth talent, but they tend to prefer sending young players to other clubs for development.
While the competition at the top of La Liga was fierce, the relegation battle was particularly dismal. Five teams had not accumulated more than 30 points after 30 rounds, a situation unprecedented in history, leading to a continually decreasing relegation line.
Deportivo La Coruna temporarily secured safety with a four-game winning streak, thanks in part to their competitors such as Celta Vigo, Zaragoza, and Granada stagnating.
In the 31st round of La Liga, Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at home, with goals from Higuain, Morata, and Modric, with Wang Feng contributing an assist.
In the 32nd round of La Liga, the Galaxy Battleship challenged Real Betis away. The Chinese superstar opened the scoring with a long-range shot in the 21st minute, and then assisted Alonso in breaking the deadlock of the home team.
With additional goals from Carvajal and Campbell for each side, the final score was 3-1, with Real Madrid again securing all three points.
Meanwhile, Barcelona also defeated their league opponents successively, with both teams vying for the title neck and neck. Then, almost at the same time, they departed from Spain to prepare for their respective Champions League journeys.
Barcelona played against Bayern Munich a day earlier, with Muller contributing two goals and an assist, while Robben and Dong Zhuo successively scored to help the team sweep Catalonia 4-0.
Before Real Madrid fans could revel in schadenfreude, the Galaxy Battleship faced Borussia Dortmund in the subsequent match. In the 11th minute, while Wang Feng was contesting with Dortmund midfielder Gundogan, he accidentally twisted his ankle.
After receiving simple treatment on the sidelines, the team doctor recommended personnel adjustments to the coaching staff. Although the Chinese superstar had strong recovery abilities, as he aged, his recovery time also slowed down.
Considering the upcoming second leg match and the subsequent league competition, and realizing that he could not play at full strength by staying on the field, Wang Feng agreed to leave the field early for treatment.
Therefore, Ancelotti substituted him with Isco. At that time, no one could have predicted that this action would plunge Real Madrid into utter despair.
Dortmund's striker Lewandowski, with assists from Gotze and Reus, completely pierced through the Galaxy Battleship's defense line. Starting from the 21st minute, he scored four goals consecutively, achieving a legendary performance.
Real Madrid's best chance came in the 71st minute of the second half, when Carvajal's cross found Higuain at the back post, but Higuain failed to score from close range.
The Chinese superstar witnessed the disaster unfold from the hospital, unable to calm his emotions, watching the team suffer a devastating defeat but powerless to do anything. This was the second time in his career!
The first time dates back to the 2006 World Cup semi-final against the host Germany. In that match, he played with an injury and scored a goal but could not prevent the opponent from scoring four goals to eliminate the Chinese team.
Would the situation have been better if he had stayed on the field? At this moment, Wang Feng truly felt the troubles caused by aging. Perhaps he was still at the peak of football, but sooner or later, he would gradually exit the stage of history.
He clenched his fists tightly, unwilling to decline at this moment!
"A shocking defeat that shakes the football world! The top two La Liga giants suffer their worst defeats in the Champions League since the restructuring 24 years ago!"
After the match, overwhelming news swept through the entire football world, making people feel as if the world had undergone a drastic change overnight. Was this still the invincible Galaxy Battleship and the feared Universe Barcelona?
The German magazine Kicker was quick to publish a comment on its official website: "The outcome of Real-Barca's elimination is already set, the Bundesliga's twin powers will meet in the Champions League final!"
The article pointed out that such a disastrous defeat in the Champions League semi-finals was extremely rare, and a comeback victory was impossible.
"Real Madrid and Barcelona undoubtedly play the roles of tragic heroes. Barcelona only managed one shot on target throughout the match, and the highly anticipated Messi once again drowned in the game, committing six mistakes, equaling his personal record for mistakes in a single season."
"Real Madrid, on the other hand, collapsed entirely after Wang Feng left the field prematurely, their defense became leaky, and their attack wasted the opportunities that were hard to come by, especially Higuain's miss from an open goal."
The Sports Bild provided a detailed analysis of Dortmund's "magic weapon" in defeating Real Madrid, fully utilizing an overall offensive and defensive strategy, especially the multiple threats posed to Real Madrid from all sides of the attack.
With the absence of the Chinese superstar, the Yellow and Blacks often gained second or even third attacking opportunities, and this sustained pressure always forced the opponents to make mistakes.
As absolute heroes, Lewandowski and Thomas Muller became the focus of discussion. While everyone always believed that under the football god Wang Feng, Messi and Ronaldo monopolized the ranks of superstars, it now appeared that other players were not far behind.
Especially Lewandowski, strong in physique and excellent in technical skills, very calm in handling the ball, he was a rare all-around center forward. It was believed that after this match, his value would soar, becoming the target of many top clubs.
Returning to Madrid with a devastating defeat, the entire Real Madrid team appeared very despondent and low-spirited. The dreamlike dynasty finally came to an end. Unexpectedly, about 100 fans gathered at Barajas Airport to wait for the team.
They held up various banners with words of support and encouragement, making every player feel warm. Even the most critical ones would not blame too much, because the club had done enough.
"Let's try harder next year, I believe in you, Wang!" A beautiful female fan squeezed to the front and shouted towards the Chinese superstar. He then looked at her and reluctantly showed a smile, nodding heavily.
Seeing Wang Feng respond, nearby fans also began to shout, gradually rallying everyone around, making it feel not like facing a defeat but like welcoming a triumph.
This was the prestige and charm of the Chinese superstar!
Barcelona, on the other hand, did not have such a good situation. According to Mundo Deportivo, extreme fans appeared at the Barcelona El Prat Airport. From coach Roura and core Messi to defenders like Pique and Alves who made mistakes, they all faced insults and curses.
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