Chapter 681: I Can Do It Too
The twin titans of Madrid not only would determine the victor at the summit of Europe, but also had opportunities on the La Liga stage without giving way to each other.
Messi and Ronaldo, known as the "Twin Beauties," were undoubtedly among the most despondent individuals at the moment. The Argentine star's mind was not on the club itself, as he was solely focused on winning the World Cup. Even returning empty-handed, he could reluctantly accept it.
But Cristiano was different. Portugal had never been a football powerhouse, and he didn't have much confidence in leading the team to lift the World Cup trophy. Therefore, he pinned all his hopes on the league and the Champions League.
In the Premier League, it goes without saying that Manchester City was leading the pack all the way, currently ahead of Liverpool by two points, and barring any accidents, the championship was within reach.
However, the Champions League was a symbol of further advancement for players and teams. Since landing in the top five leagues in 2003, he had pursued it for a full decade, pouring countless efforts and sacrifices into it, but still, there was no result.
After the match, Cristiano's angry roar at the Etihad Stadium was full of resentment and despair. Despite the head coach and teammates being satisfied with making history by reaching the semi-finals and comforting him to try again next year, how many "next years" could there be? The Portuguese was already 29 years old!
Now that Real Madrid had won the Champions League seven times in a row, they were marching towards the eighth consecutive title. It was not an exaggeration to say that the Galactic Battleship was synonymous with the Champions League trophy, attracting countless stars, including Cristiano.
At this moment, his desire was stronger than ever. The Portuguese star admitted that Wang Feng was very strong, but he was also very confident that if he had led Real Madrid in the first place, he could have won at least five Champions League titles!
Indeed, I can do it too!
However, this was ultimately just wishful thinking on his part. Despite Mendes contacting Florentino several times, there was no response. But with the Chinese superstar's contract extension still not progressing, there were more and more rumors swirling around, perhaps indicating that an opportunity would soon come.
Before that, what he needed to do was to work hard, maintain his physical condition at its best, and extend his professional peak.
In May, in the 36th round of La Liga, Real Madrid visited Mestalla Stadium to challenge Valencia.
Not long ago, the Galactic Battleship had lifted the Copa del Rey trophy here, so fans hoped that this lucky ground would once again bring good fortune to the team.
The result did not meet their expectations. In the 27th minute, Carvajal made a defensive mistake while defending a cross, allowing Parejo to seize the opportunity and head home.
And ten minutes later, it was Parejo again who assisted Barja to increase the lead. This young midfielder, a product of Real Madrid's youth academy, performed exceptionally well.
It seemed that every player who left Real Madrid's youth academy without getting a chance in the first team was eager to prove themselves in front of their mother club.
The situation was extremely critical, and Wang Feng was also quite anxious. He didn't want to be left behind at this time.
In the 59th minute, Di Maria broke through on the right and sent a diagonal pass. The Chinese superstar sprinted to the far post and leaped to head back towards the goal, not aiming for the goal directly, but towards the unmarked Ramos at the near post!
The Spanish defender did not disappoint him. Facing the incoming ball, he controlled and shot in one fluid motion, effortlessly sending it into Valencia's net, pulling one back for Real Madrid.
Subsequent attacks from the away team were all in vain, and Pepe even collided and got injured while fighting for the ball with Benatia, forcing him to be substituted.
As the match entered the fourth minute of injury time, with the time wasted by the Portuguese defender gradually running out, Bale received a diagonal pass from Modric on the wing and quickly made a low cross.
Wang Feng's position for a header inside the penalty area was slightly off, and seeing the ball about to slide past him, the Chinese superstar seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He lifted his left foot backward and poked it forward with force, perfectly connecting with the ball.
Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves was about to relax his vigilance when suddenly the ball flew towards the goal. He didn't even see how the opponent shot, and in his haste, his save was a bit slow.
A goal to equalize! The Galactic Battleship eventually shook hands with the Bat Corps with a 2-2 draw.
This result obviously did not satisfy the club, as their lead over Atletico Madrid was only one point. As long as the Bed Sheet Brigade won their match, they would have to relinquish the top spot they had held for almost the entire season.
But Lady Luck favored Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid unexpectedly suffered a 0-2 defeat to mid-table team Levante, creating the biggest upset of this round. It's worth noting that the home team was only ranked 10th in the league, with a gap of 40 points from the leading group.
Not only did the Bed Sheet Brigade fail to catch up with the Galactic Battleship, but they also increased the gap between each other.
Objectively speaking, such a result was inevitable. The continuous high-intensity competition was obviously a bit difficult for Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid had gained a lot of experience from years of confrontation with Barcelona.
"Fate has given us an opportunity. Now it's up to everyone to seize it. We must win this match with all our strength!"
Three days later, in the 34th round of La Liga, the Galactic Battleship traveled to challenge Real Valladolid.
The team from Castile was currently ranked second to last, with a clear gap in strength compared to Real Madrid.
Just five minutes into the game, Wang Feng received a pass from Marcelo in the middle, dribbled past the defense, and fired a powerful shot into the far corner.
Twenty minutes later, the away team launched another attack. Modric and the Chinese superstar passed and cooperated continuously to tear open the Valladolid defense. In the area outside the arc, Di Maria received a cross.
The Argentine winger volleyed fiercely, hitting the far post crossbar and rebounding into the field. Isco seized the opportunity to head the ball into the net, extending the lead to two goals.
With complete control of the situation, the Galactic Battleship could breathe a sigh of relief, as there were hardly any unexpected situations. They focused on playing possession football, firmly keeping the ball at their feet.
In the 65th minute of the second half, Wang Feng received the ball with his back to the goal in the opponent's half, turned to create space for a shot, but was tripped and knocked down by the opponent, resulting in a direct free kick.
Rubbing his ankle, he personally took the free kick. With a powerful and precise low shot through the wall aimed directly at the bottom left corner, the ball deflected off the ground near the goalkeeper, narrowly avoiding his arm and entering the goal.
3-0! The away team secured victory!
This was the Chinese superstar's 50th league goal of the season, and the sixth time he had reached the fifty-goal mark in a single season since joining the Galactic Battleship!
For ordinary players, scoring 40 goals in a season is extremely difficult. In the nearly hundred-year history of La Liga, besides Wang Feng, only Messi has achieved the feat of scoring 50 goals in a single season.
But the Chinese superstar had accomplished this feat six times in eight seasons, so it's no wonder that the entire Spain recognized him as the greatest striker in history, with no predecessors or successors.
With a formidable platform, a unique background, and god-like abilities, this achievement was destined to be irreplicable.
After scoring, Ancelotti replaced Wang Feng and asked with concern, "I saw you rubbing your ankle just now. Is everything alright? Let the team doctor give you a detailed check-up!"
At such a crucial moment, he didn't want the Chinese superstar to have any accidents. "It's nothing serious, just a bit painful where the opponent's studs hit the bone."
The final score did not change, and Real Madrid achieved their desired result of taking all three points.
On the other hand, after making adjustments, Atletico Madrid unsurprisingly did not cause an upset again. They won 2-0 against Elche, maintaining their desire for the championship.
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