Chapter 72: The final
The Europa League final will be held at the Westfalenstadion in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, which is the home stadium of Borussia Dortmund, a team competing in the Bundesliga. After the league's award ceremony, team manager Bill Albert personally led the team to Germany.
Meanwhile, the final opponent, Alavés, had already arrived at their destination and checked into a local five-star luxury hotel. After settling in, head coach Abdul-Stam immediately convened the coaching staff to discuss tactics.
Alavés also reached the Europa League final for the first time, so everyone in the team was highly focused. Although head coach Stam is not widely known, he has served in mid-table teams in La Liga and the Bundesliga for years. This season, he led Alavés through all the hurdles to reach the final stage, indicating his capability.
Despite Genk hailing from the lesser-known Belgian Pro League, they recently eliminated the formidable Liverpool. Hence, Stam didn't dare to be complacent. With less pressure from their league performance, they arrived in Germany early to adapt to the local conditions and weather.
"I've carefully studied the two matches between Genk and Liverpool. Wang Feng is the key to Genk's victories, while the rest of the team's level seems to be weaker," analyzed Stam. "Wang Feng scored all five goals in the two matches, while the other players, although they had some chances, lacked finishing ability."
Assistant coach Rosendo Pochek nodded and asked, "So, are we supposed to contain Wang Feng's attack? But how? Even Liverpool couldn't manage it with their defense?"
"We can't realistically contain Wang Feng entirely. Our defense is relatively weak, so I plan to engage in an attacking battle with Genk. We have talented strikers such as Havi Moreno, Ivan Alonso, and Yodick Kluyff, along with the experienced midfielder Antonio Carmona," Stam replied.
"With so many players, can't we match Wang Feng's goal efficiency? Regardless of how many goals he scores, as long as we score one more than him, it's enough."
"We'll start the game with aggressive attacks, catching the opponent off guard. The crucial point is the first 45 minutes of the first half. Once we take the lead, we can focus on defense, and I believe Genk's spirit will quickly fade away."
Stam continued, "Regarding Wang Feng, we can't completely ignore him either. Let Kosmin Contrera mark him closely. I believe it will cause him some trouble."
On the other hand, Genk was ambitious. They had already surpassed the strongest opponent, Liverpool, and now they were facing another newcomer in the Europa League final. Team manager Albert believed they could defeat their opponents and win the club's first Europa League trophy!
For top clubs, the Europa League might seem insignificant, as they are more focused on the Champions League. However, for mid-table teams in the top five leagues and second-tier European teams like those in the Belgian Pro League, the Europa League is still highly attractive.
The fans of Alavés from La Liga were evident, organizing a group of nearly five thousand people to come to Germany to cheer for their beloved team. Belgian fans were even more enthusiastic. Not only Genk's fans but also supporters of many other teams were preparing to come to witness this historic moment for a Belgian Pro League team.
The event garnered significant attention domestically in Belgium. King Albert II of Belgium even attended the match with royal family members, causing the German government to pay extra attention to the match's security and deploy nearly a thousand police forces.
As the first Chinese to stand on the Europa League final stage, Wang Feng received great recognition and comprehensive coverage from the domestic media. CCTV Sports Channel would start broadcasting live the day before the final, reporting real-time updates on the eve of the match. Many professional football commentators and retired legends were invited to review Wang Feng's journey and analyze his performance.
At the same time, a large group of reporters was on their way to Germany to provide full coverage of the event, bringing firsthand information to domestic fans.
This was the biggest event in Chinese football apart from the World Cup qualifiers this year.
Amidst great anticipation, the game finally began. Both teams fielded their strongest lineups. Genk adopted the conventional 4-4-2 formation, with Wang Feng and Jason Aldridge leading the attack. Alavés, on the other hand, deployed a reinforced midfield with a 3-5-2 formation.
Alavés launched a wave of attacks right from the start. In the 3rd minute, midfielder Alonso's through pass tore apart Genk's defense, allowing Moreno to take a shot inside the penalty area. However, Gareth Barry came forward at a critical moment, blocking what seemed to be a sure goal.
The Belgian fans at the stadium exclaimed in relief. Only after the ball was completely cleared did they breathe a sigh of relief and applaud Barry's excellent performance.
Yet, Alavés' aggressive attack eventually paid off. In the 19th minute, Moreno and little Kluyff showcased a delicate combination play outside the penalty area. Continuous lateral passes and runs left Genk's defenders in disarray, and Moreno eventually scored with a shot, opening the scoring for Alavés.
Stam on the coaching bench excitedly waved his fist. Everything was going as he expected. Alavés, attacking with all their might, was not afraid of any opponent. He glanced at the Genk coaching bench next to him, where head coach Antonis sat calmly on the bench without a trace of anxiety.
Was he feigning composure? Stam silently pondered. Let's see how he keeps his cool when facing the second and third goals.
Antonis wasn't pretending to be calm. Although the current situation was unfavorable for Genk, he had witnessed too many times where Wang Feng didn't disappoint. He believed Wang Feng would not let him down this time either.
After scoring, Alavés visibly relaxed, and their attacking momentum gradually slowed down, giving Hengkou a chance to counter.
In the 31st minute, Genk initiated an attack. Barry passed the ball to the left flank, where Aldridge received the ball near the edge of the penalty area. He intended to pass it to Wang Feng in the middle, but Alavés had packed their defense inside the penalty area, intercepting the ball beforehand.
Following the interception, Alavés chose not to launch a quick counter-attack but instead decided to retain possession and slowly organize their attack. Contrera passed the ball back to another defender, Jared Decco.
Unexpectedly, Aldridge, who had caused the turnover, immediately attempted to win the ball back, seeking to make up for his mistake. Decco felt a bit flustered under Aldridge's pressure and hastily attempted a long clearance to the midfield.
However, the clearance lacked power and was intercepted by Barry in the forward position. He saw Wang Feng pulling out of the penalty area without any defenders around him, so he decisively passed the ball to him.
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