Chapter 620: Eating, Sleeping, Defeating Bayern
As expected, both sides lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
For Real Madrid, Casillas was in goal.
The back four consisted of Ramos, Arbeloa, Coentr?o, and Marcelo.
In midfield, Wang Feng partnered with Alonso, while the three attacking midfielders were Callejón, Modri?, and Morata.
Up front was the lone striker, Higuaín.
For Bayern Munich, Neuer was in goal.
The back four comprised Lahm, Boateng, Dante, and Alaba.
In midfield, Martínez and Schweinsteiger formed the double pivot, while the three attacking midfielders were Dong Fangzhuo, Thomas Müller, and Robben.
Leading the line was Mand?uki?.
"The match is kicked off by Real Madrid. Morata and Higuaín are standing inside the center circle, waiting for the whistle. The referee in charge is the Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi, who is officiating his seventh Champions League final. It's worth mentioning that since 2010, every time he has refereed a match involving Bayern, they have lost. Could this be an ominous sign?"
With the sound of the whistle, the game officially began. The Galaxy Battleship quickly passed the ball to the back, while Bayern immediately pressed forward, showing their intent to play at a high tempo.
Wang Feng received the ball and passed it to Ramos, who then played it to Marcelo on the wing. The Brazilian surged forward into the opponent's half but was quickly closed down.
Under pressure from Schweinsteiger and Müller, Marcelo's back pass was intercepted, and Müller swiftly controlled the ball and surged forward.
This was where the role of the defensive midfielder came into play. When the wingers made mistakes, the defensive midfielders could quickly shift to cover the flanks.
The Chinese superstar intercepted from the side, blocking the passing lane while forcing Müller towards the wing. Seizing the opportunity, he made a strong tackle to sweep the ball out of play, disrupting Bayern's attack.
Müller shook his head in frustration as he watched the ball being cleared. He retrieved it from the sideline and quickly threw it back onto the pitch, and the battle between the two teams continued. In the first ten minutes, the players fought fiercely, with possession changing hands frequently but no clear chances created.
When Real Madrid had an attacking opportunity, Alonso played a through ball to Modri?. The Croatian midfielder surged forward but was challenged, managing to control the ball and pass it back into the middle. Wang Feng met it with a powerful shot from outside the box, but it narrowly missed the crossbar.
This shot made both Bayern players and fans break out in a cold sweat. Coach Heynckes felt his heart pounding. He feared nothing except for the Chinese superstar's incredible long-range shots, which left no room for error.
In the 14th minute, Dong Fangzhuo received a through ball from Alaba and started to run towards the center. Wang Feng moved forward to intercept, attempting to dispossess him with his dribbling.
Dong Fangzhuo feinted to the right, pretending to make a breakthrough from that side. The Chinese superstar followed his movement, shifting his weight towards that direction.
Seeing Wang Feng's reaction, Dong Fangzhuo smiled. He then flicked the ball with his right foot towards the left, fooling Wang Feng and creating space to attack the goal.
Just as he was about to smile, Wang Feng surprised Dong Fangzhuo by not immediately attempting to block him. Instead, he cleverly tilted his body towards Dong Fangzhuo's direction and slid to the ground, using his long legs to poke the ball away before Dong Fangzhuo could control it!
Caught off guard, Dong Fangzhuo watched as the ball, just two steps away from him, was taken away. He collided with Wang Feng's leg and fell to the ground, further diminishing his chances of recovering to defend.
Of course, this move required lightning-fast speed to poke the ball away before the opponent could control it, and the raised leg couldn't be too high, or else it might be deemed a dangerous foul by the referee.
"Beautiful! A clean tackle, and Wang Feng wins in his first direct confrontation with Dong Fangzhuo!"
"However, his dribbling feint just now was also very skillful. From Dong Fangzhuo's body language, we can see the confidence of a world-class star, who is confident to perform any move against any opponent."
In the following attacks by Bayern, Wang Feng disrupted their play twice in a row. Once, he slowed down Robben's rapid advance and eventually forced the Dutchman to play the ball out for a throw-in. Another time, he intervened just as Müller and Dong Fangzhuo were combining to play through Arbeloa, intercepting the ball and knocking Dong Fangzhuo down in the process.
"Come on, be a bit gentler with your tackles. We still have the Confederations Cup to play together next. It's not good for me if you injure me," Dong Fangzhuo rubbed his sore arm, half-complaining, half-joking.
"Come on, I'm already a very civilized defensive midfielder. If I were more aggressive, you would have been benched long ago in the Bundesliga. I won't go easy on you," Wang Feng chuckled and scolded.
Dong Fangzhuo shook his head helplessly and could only continue to battle it out with the Real Madrid defense.
The momentum on the field gradually shifted in favor of Real Madrid. Just as the Galaxy Battleship fans were eagerly anticipating an imminent goal, the situation suddenly took a dramatic turn.
In the 34th minute, Robben crossed from the wing, but the tight defense in the box prevented Bayern from finding an opening. Ramos cleared the ball to the edge of the area, where Müller regained possession.
Wang Feng immediately moved forward to press and attempted to dispossess him. In his haste, the German midfielder took a weak shot from a tight angle, seemingly posing no threat, but Casillas inexplicably fumbled the ball, allowing it to roll forward uncontrollably.
Just as the nervous Real Madrid players began to relax, the unexpected happened, catching everyone off guard.
Mand?uki? reacted swiftly, being one of the closest players to the loose ball. He stretched out his leg and poked it into the back of the net, giving Bayern the lead!
Wembley Stadium fell into a moment of silence, followed by cheers from the Bayern fans clad in red. The team had unexpectedly taken the lead!
The Real Madrid fans in white jerseys stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what had just happened. Conceding such a goal was simply inexplicable.
"What just happened? Casillas made a very basic mistake. He failed to secure the ball and instead gifted it directly to the opposing forward Mand?uki?!"
"I think the Bayern players were also surprised. Mand?uki?'s quick reaction stems from his sharp instincts as an attacker. This goal has easily breached the defenses of the Galaxy Battleship."
"This gift is crucial for Bayern. Their inability to break through has put the Bundesliga giants in a difficult situation. We were just saying that as long as Real Madrid could seize a counterattacking opportunity, they would win easily."
"Unexpectedly, the situation changed drastically. It can be said that our previous predictions have been completely overturned. Bayern now has a great chance to maintain their lead and ultimately lift the trophy!"
Heynckes couldn't hide his excitement. Despite his age, he ran along the sidelines for a couple of steps. This goal was a lifesaver for the team!
On the other hand, Ancelotti furrowed his brows in silence. In a final like this, such a low-level mistake could have a huge impact on the players' morale and mentality. Casillas was showing signs of aging, and it seemed like it was time to find his successor.
Casillas felt despondent as he picked himself up from the ground and raised his hand in apology to his teammates. When his eyes met Wang Feng's, instead of finding blame or frustration, he felt a warm sense of comfort and encouragement, which eased his spirits.
At the same time, the Chinese superstar rallied his disappointed teammates, saying, "Everyone, remember how we beat Bayern before, how we dominated just now. Conceding a goal means nothing. To me, playing against Bayern is as routine as eating and sleeping. Let's give it our all, victory will surely be ours!"
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