Chapter 661: Disruptor Atletico Madrid
In the fifth round of the Spanish King's Cup, Real Madrid welcomed Osasuna at home.
Wang Feng, who had just won the Ballon d'Or, displayed his trophy at the Bernabeu and then started the match. Key players like Casillas, Ramos, and Modric were rotated.
In the 27th minute, the Chinese superstar made a strong breakthrough from the right and passed the ball back with a backheel triangle. Di Maria shot from 15 meters in front of the goal, making it 1-0!
In the 55th minute, Loi fouled Wang Feng in front of the penalty area, giving Real Madrid a free kick from 25 meters.
Wang Feng called Bale over: "It's time to test the results of your free kick training these days. I'll make a fake shot first, and then you follow up with a direct shot."
The Welsh star was a bit nervous, "Are you sure I can do it?"
"Just practicing won't lead to improvement. Don't worry, we're still in the lead. You can do it!"
As the main referee blew the whistle, the Chinese superstar made a run-up, but instead of kicking the ball, he leaped over it, catching Osasuna's defense off guard. They didn't expect Wang Feng not to take the first shot.
Bale, who arrived in time, struck a low shot. The ball went through the chaotic wall and into the bottom corner of the goal, despite the goalkeeper's attempt to save it, it still found the net.
Is this a goal? The Welshman was still in disbelief until Wang Feng ran up to him and said, "You really didn't let me down," then he finally reacted with a hearty smile.
Although the confusion caused by the Chinese superstar played a crucial role against Osasuna's wall, Bale's angle and strength in shooting were also remarkable. Talent and hard work always create miraculous progress.
In the end, Real Madrid defeated their opponents 2-0, advancing to the King's Cup quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate score over two legs. Their next opponent would be Espanyol.
On January 18th, in the 20th round of La Liga, the Galacticos faced Real Betis away.
Just six minutes into the game, the visitors broke the deadlock. Di Maria crossed from the side, and Wang Feng took a direct shot from 25 meters, the ball hitting the net heavily, leaving goalkeeper Anderson with no response.
Eleven minutes later, the Chinese superstar dribbled past two defending players, then passed into the penalty area. The shot by Iguain hit the crossbar and Bale scored with a follow-up.
In injury time of the first half, Modric made a through pass, and this time the Argentine forward seized the opportunity with a powerful shot from 14 meters into the near corner.
In the 61st minute of the second half, Di Maria crossed from the side, Diadak cleared the ball with a header, Wang Feng chested the ball at the top of the arc, then volleyed with his left foot as it fell, piercing through Anderson's fingers again.
The Danish goalkeeper, who was hit by two world-class shots, began to doubt life. He had just transferred from Ligue 1's Guingamp to Real Betis last summer, and now he faced the prospect of the team being relegated. Although not all of it was his fault, he was one of the goalkeepers who conceded the most goals in La Liga.
Leading by four goals, Ancelotti made substitutions to conserve strength. In the final moments of the match, Morata scored again, making it 5-0.
At the post-match press conference, the Italian coach smiled and said, "Tonight's game was great. We can sleep well tonight."
Regarding Wang Feng's two astonishing long-range goals, Ancelotti said it was a routine operation for the Chinese superstar, who has scored countless miraculous goals. At the same time, the Real Madrid coach believed that breaking the deadlock as early as possible was crucial for the team's development.
"There is no doubt that Wang undertook and excellently completed this task. The performance of other players also did not disappoint us. Every detail was executed perfectly, and everyone's efforts made the game simple."
The heavy defeat in this game meant that Real Betis was sinking deeper into the relegation quagmire. The club immediately announced the dismissal of their head coach Garitano, who had only been in charge for a month and a half. Argentine Gabriel would become the team's third head coach of the season.
Last season, Real Betis qualified for the UEFA Europa League, successfully advancing from the group stage. However, their performance in both competitions led to a complete collapse in the league.
Although Wang Feng did not kill Betis directly, Betis died because of him, adding another entry to his list of coach-killers.
After the King's Cup quarter-finals, Real Madrid faced Espanyol in two matches. In the first leg, Wang Feng dribbled past three defenders and scored the winning goal, securing a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid.
In the second leg, the Chinese superstar sent a deadly through pass to pierce through the defense, and Bale's dribble and shot completely sealed the victory.
With a total score of 2-0 over the two matches, the Galacticos advanced to the King's Cup semi-finals!
In between cup matches, there was the 21st round of La Liga, where Real Madrid faced Granada at home.
Wang Feng continued his consistent performance, orchestrating attacks and providing an assist, helping the team win 2-0.
On February 2nd, in the 22nd round of La Liga, the Galacticos faced Athletic Bilbao away.
The Basque team put a lot of pressure on Real Madrid at San Mames Stadium. After failing to score from continuous attacks, Athletic Bilbao forward Gomez seized an opportunity to open the scoring.
In the 71st minute of the second half, Ramos, who was not rational, got into a conflict with an opponent player and received his second yellow card of the match, resulting in a red card.
In the end, the away team couldn't turn the tide and lost the game 0-1.
Although they suffered a frustrating defeat, the Galacticos still topped the league standings with 19 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, accumulating 58 points. Following closely behind was Atletico Madrid with 18 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, and 57 points. They remained unbeaten with 3 wins and 2 draws in the second half of the season.
In contrast, Barcelona faced Valencia at home. Despite taking the lead, they were eventually beaten 2-3 after being equalized, overtaken, and then overtaken again.
In the five league matches after the winter break, the Catalan team performed extremely poorly, with consecutive draws against Atletico Madrid and Levante, a loss to Valencia, and only victories against Malaga and Elche, effectively dropping 7 points.
They currently have 16 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses, and 50 points, ranking third in the league standings, trailing the leading group by 3 wins. Based on past experience, it can be said that they have basically withdrawn from the title race.
With the current situation, many people exclaimed that La Liga has changed, the era of Real Madrid and Barcelona's duopoly has ended, and the new disruptor, Atletico Madrid, has emerged on the historical stage.
It is still remembered that just over two years ago, the Royal Legion, Real Betis, was eliminated from the King's Cup by a third-tier team, and their league position approached the relegation zone, step by step sliding into the abyss.
But the appearance of Simeone changed everything. He is undoubtedly the creator of Atletico Madrid's miracle. Compared to Valencia, who always aimed for the third position, the Royal Legion obviously had greater ambitions.
Since the beginning of this season, apart from losing to Real Madrid led by Wang Feng, they have never feared any opponent in their strong confrontations. Especially when they defeated Athletic Bilbao at San Mames Stadium, they became the only La Liga team to take victory from there.
"By surpassing Real Madrid, we can win the title!" Simeone said to all Atletico Madrid players: "This is our best opportunity. I know it's very difficult, but it's not impossible."
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