Chapter 669: Revenge Match, Passionate Showdown
On March 18th, in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Real Madrid welcomed Schalke 04 at home.
Due to their significant victory in the first leg, the Galacticos had no pressure in this match. Ancelotti sent out a large number of rotation players, including Morata, Jesé, and Nacho, with eight Spanish players starting.
It's worth noting that the last time they had more than seven Spanish starters in the Champions League was back in 2002 in the group stage against Genk. In the knockout stage, it dates back even further to 1996 against Juventus.
Just three minutes into the game, Jesé was knocked down by Kola?inac while attacking. He held his leg in great pain, and Wang Feng immediately went over to check on him. "Jesé, where does it hurt? How do you feel? Can you keep going?"
The young Spanish player gritted his teeth and said, "I feel a sharp pain in my right knee." Wang Feng's heart sank, and he quickly called for the team doctor. After a brief assessment, they decided that Jesé needed immediate medical attention.
As a result, Ancelotti had to replace Jesé with Bale, which equaled Real Madrid's earliest substitution record in the Champions League.
As Jesé was being carried off on a stretcher, he felt both pain and fear, while Wang Feng comforted him from the side. "Don't worry, focus on treatment. You're still young, and you'll be back on the field soon!"
Hearing the captain's firm words, he gained some courage for some reason. Perhaps it was because the Chinese superstar brought a strong sense of security to everyone.
This incident did not affect the home team's morale too much. In the 21st minute, Casemiro launched a long pass from midfield to find Morata at the edge of the penalty area. Morata chested the ball and pushed it to Bale, who was making a run on the wing.
The Welsh star quickly crossed the ball, and Wang Feng, near the goalpost, made a close-range volley into the net. 1-0!
Eleven minutes later, Schalke 04 launched a full-scale attack, while Real Madrid's forwards retreated deep. Bale intercepted the ball in the backcourt and immediately started a counterattack.
His speed was remarkable, and only the Chinese superstar and two defenders from the away team managed to keep up. It became a two-on-two situation in the front.
Facing the block, Bale calmly made a diagonal pass, and Wang Feng received the ball, dribbled past the defenders with ease, accelerated into the penalty area, and scored one-on-one against the goalkeeper!
The goalkeeper chose to rush out, but the Chinese superstar calmly chipped the ball over his outstretched hand into the net. 2-0!
With a brace from Wang Feng, the first half ended with a dominant performance. In the second half, after Bale intercepted the ball in the opponent's half, Morata's angled shot from the corner of the small penalty area hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the net.
Illarramendi quickly rushed forward to control the ball and passed it back to Morata, whose shot finally broke through Schalke 04's defense.
3-0! Real Madrid secured a comprehensive victory at home, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 10-1 aggregate score.
This was another massive victory for the Galacticos after their 8-1 win against Barcelona. However, they failed to break the record for the largest margin of victory in the history of the Champions League knockout stage.
As soon as the game ended, Wang Feng found the team doctor to inquire about Jesé's condition. He learned that Jesé needed treatment and would require about two months to recover, with a chance to make it to the World Cup if lucky.
"Not too bad. Just focus on recovering. Leave the rest to us," the Chinese superstar comforted Jesé at his bedside, and Jesé nodded.
Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, also from La Liga, advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals successively. This season, the eight Champions League spots were divided among Spain, Germany, France, and England, without any upsets from smaller leagues. Serie A remained in a state of decline.
In addition to the top three La Liga teams, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund from the Bundesliga, Manchester United and Manchester City from the Premier League, and Paris Saint-Germain from Ligue 1 also advanced.
Later, the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw was held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Real Madrid once again encountered Borussia Dortmund, a formidable opponent from last season, when Wang Feng struggled to advance with a 4-5 aggregate score.
Regarding the draw result, Ancelotti said, "Dortmund is undoubtedly an excellent team. The atmosphere at their home stadium left a deep impression on me."
"Their defensive organization is orderly, and their counterattacks are exceptionally sharp. The Yellow and Blacks' football is simple yet efficient. To win, we need courage and technical prowess."
The official statement from Real Madrid on the matchup also acknowledged the favorable draw, with the head of the public relations department, Blattergno, stating that the club's luck was good. "We faced them four times last year, so we have a deep understanding of Dortmund."
"So the team can be well prepared. Everyone's form is excellent this year, and we believe we can overcome them again and strive for another consecutive championship!"
Facing Real Madrid fired up the entire Borussia Dortmund team. Lewandowski updated on his social media platform: "Revenge! Destroy the Galacticos, onward!"
Reus said in an interview, "They are indeed a great team, but to lift the Champions League trophy, we must tear down greatness. We were just a step away last year, and this year, we will make up for that regret."
Compared to the confident Dortmund players, the outside world was very pessimistic about them. Spanish media generally believed that Dortmund would find it difficult to reach the heights of last season.
Marca commented, "Borussia Dortmund is no longer the Bundesliga monster." The team lost their organizational core, G?tze, last summer, and with Subotic, Kehl, and Schmelzer all injured, it was very disadvantageous for the Yellow and Blacks.
What's more important is that Lewandowski is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards and will miss the first leg against Real Madrid.
Klopp's strongest weapon is the spirit of attack. They are a team with great depth and boldness, posing a significant threat on counterattacks. With space and speed, they can cause high damage to opponents.
The key to all this lies in the Polish striker. Last year, he scored four goals to push Real Madrid to the brink, and his replacement, Aubameyang, does not have the same ability.
ABC believed that Borussia Dortmund would not pose as much threat to Real Madrid as they did last season. Injuries have plagued them, and G?tze's departure was a fatal blow.
"Perhaps most people only see Lewandowski's dominance in the frontcourt but fail to understand G?tze's contribution. It can be said that his understanding and organization of the attack created the Dortmund youth storm."
"This is also why, after losing the German midfielder, the Yellow and Blacks lost their competitiveness in the Bundesliga and withdrew from the title race early."
Furthermore, Borussia Dortmund would find it difficult to catch Real Madrid off guard as they did last season. Ancelotti would devise better tactics based on their past encounters.
"Of course, Real Madrid's weaknesses are completely exposed in Klopp's eyes, but they have Wang, the superstar, to fill in the gaps, something Dortmund lacks internally."
The other quarter-final matchups were equally passionate. Barcelona would face Manchester City in a strong showdown, with the "two beauties" meeting again on the Champions League stage. Countless media and fans were eagerly awaiting the final result.
From the history of their encounters, Ronaldo and Messi had traded victories. But this match had a deeper significance. Both sides wanted to win their first Ballon d'Or trophy of their careers and become the new kings of the world football scene after Wang Feng.
So besides the World Cup stage, Champions League matches were equally crucial.
Bayern Munich would play against Manchester United, while Paris Saint-Germain would face Atletico Madrid.
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