Chapter 645: Scorpion's Tail
"Martino has made a significant change in Messi's positioning in this game," analyzed Zidane, assessing the situation.
"In the past 20 minutes, Barcelona has formed a total of six attacks and four shots, with only one completed by the Argentine at the beginning."
"During other times, he played more of a role in disrupting the defense, organizing the attack, and even rarely participated in the final assist," added Zidane.
Ancelotti furrowed his brow, "Yes, this Messi is more difficult to deal with than when he's tasked with finishing."
"Because he has Neymar with delicate footwork and Suarez with outstanding scoring ability to rely on."
"But we can't just divert our defensive focus from the Argentine, as he himself is a lethal weapon."
"It's really a headache. We can only see how our counterattacks unfold."
Despite being one goal ahead, Barcelona didn't slow down their offensive pace, quickly creating another opportunity.
This time, during a Real Madrid attacking play, the ball was intercepted by Piqué in Barcelona's half. Piqué immediately delivered a long pass over the top, and Messi, timing his run perfectly, received the ball onside and entered the penalty area.
Fortunately, the experienced Pepe had been marking the Argentine closely, using all his tricks within the rules to disrupt Messi, forcing him to reluctantly aim for a near post shot.
Casillas securely caught the ball without causing any danger. Nonetheless, all Real Madrid fans still felt a cold sweat. Was this still the opponent they knew? How come they were resorting to long balls behind the defense?
Wang Feng roamed around his teammates, reminding them not to view Barcelona with old eyes anymore, but to be more alert to their varied attacking methods.
"Don't panic, we're only trailing by one goal, take it easy!"
"Gareth, your handling just now was a bit sluggish. Form a quick combination to avoid mistakes."
"Luka, control the midfield. Pressing too high can lead to gaps."
The Chinese superstar pointed out the issues that arose during the match. With his extensive experience and prestige, all the players nodded in agreement, promptly adjusting their playstyles.
The period after conceding the first goal is often the most dangerous, as the opponent is likely to capitalize on the momentum and widen their lead.
As long as this phase is held off, the stage for counterattacks can be set.
Therefore, Real Madrid intentionally controlled the pace of the game in their own half, luring Barcelona to press forward, and indeed, to maintain their intensity, they invested heavily in attacking.
Wang Feng kept a relatively deep position, using his explosive acceleration to bridge the gap between him and the defensive line.
If he were to position himself too far forward, not only would he be ineffective in assisting the defense, but he would also be susceptible to being marked by multiple defenders, making it difficult to receive the ball.
At this moment, the Chinese superstar was like a leopard lurking in the grass, ready to pounce and deliver a lethal blow to his prey at any moment.
And he didn't have to wait long for this opportunity.
"Messi passes to Neymar in the middle, who wants to dribble past with a rainbow flick, but Carvajal blocks the position and intercepts the ball!"
"The Brazilian star has grown a lot, but he still carries a hint of nonchalance and immaturity. At this moment, he should pursue a concise and efficient attack, not showboating."
"Pass the ball to Wang Feng, and Real Madrid has a chance!"
After receiving the ball, the Chinese superstar quickly initiated his run, smoothly evading Busquets who attempted to block him, and stormed towards the center line.
At this moment, Alves rushed to provide support, intending to double-team with Busquets, but Wang Feng wouldn't let him have his way.
With a powerful touch angled to evade Alves, who couldn't block him in time with his outstretched hands, Wang Feng caught up to the ball and formed a partial two-on-one situation with Bale.
So he decisively passed to the Welshman, while also wisely running past him from the front, diagonally moving towards the sideline.
As only two Barcelona defenders, Mascherano and Vermaelen, were concentrated in the middle area, with Mascherano slightly closer and Vermaelen a bit further away.
Once Wang Feng advanced towards the middle, he would easily fall into a double-team situation and struggle to receive the ball effectively, but there was ample space towards the sidelines.
As Bale approached the edge of the penalty area, Mascherano had no choice but to stick close, leaving him with no room. So he calmly passed the ball to the Chinese superstar.
Wang Feng received the ball and made a quick inside cut into the penalty area, intending to pass behind Mascherano, who swiftly turned to slide tackle.
But at this moment, Bale found himself in an open space again. The Chinese superstar stopped the ball with a quick stop and then passed it to Bale.
Without stopping the ball, Bale directly aimed for the far corner with a powerful shot, slicing through Ter Stegen's outstretched hand and piercing into the goal.
"Goooooooooooal! In the 39th minute of the match, Real Madrid equalizes!"
"This is an extremely impactful fast counterattack, and it's Real Madrid's standard offensive rhythm!"
"Wang Feng started from the back, continuously evaded Busquets and Alves, and passed the ball to Bale."
"His movement is very interesting. Instead of going towards the center, he goes towards the sideline, which is worth learning for most attacking players."
"Finally, he formed a wall-pass with Bale, leaving Mascherano at his mercy."
"Before the end of the first half, both sides are brought to the same starting line, which is crucial for the Galacticos!"
As the halftime whistle blew, the score remained unchanged, and head coach Ancelotti was relatively satisfied with the situation.
Although Casillas's mistake led to the first goal, no one would dwell on the past; looking forward is the right path.
"Let's continue this momentum. Barcelona may dominate possession, but don't let them dictate the game. We need to control the rhythm ourselves."
As the second half began, the home team once again took the initiative to attack, with Alves pushing forward along the right flank and delivering a cross.
Iniesta chested the ball down at the top of the penalty area, then turned and volleyed, but Carvajal threw himself to block, diffusing the danger.
By the 72nd minute, Modric intercepted the ball in the middle and was about to launch a quick counterattack, but Barcelona, having learned their lesson, quickly closed him down, forcing Real Madrid to resort to positional play.
After several passes, the ball came to Bale's feet. He forcefully surpassed Vermaelen and crossed from the byline, the ball hitting the opponent's leg and deflecting. Despite the strong force, it still looped into the penalty area.
Wang Feng rushed to the landing spot, although he was sandwiched between Alves and Mascherano, he used his sharp judgment to arrive at the best position.
Seeing danger approaching, an anxious Alves glanced towards the referee's direction and then quietly moved to block his view with his back.
At the same time, he forcefully pushed with both hands against the Chinese superstar's waist, catching him off guard.
Wang Feng staggered away from the falling range of the ball. At this moment, if he fell deliberately, he might miss a great opportunity.
Because Alves' foul was very subtle, and in such an important El Clásico, at the Camp Nou, the main referee might not be willing to award a penalty.
But Wang Feng was unwilling to accept this outcome. He cleverly lost his balance and raised his right foot before falling, stealing the ball with his heel ahead of the two defenders.
"Boom!" A highly difficult scorpion kick volley!
The ball drew a rainbow arc in the air, flying over the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and grazing the bottom of the post before falling into the net!
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com