Chapter 731: Old Position
In the fourth round of the Champions League group stage against Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid secured a narrow victory with Wang Feng assisting Carvajal to score the only goal of the match.
With this result, the Galactic ship secured the top spot in the group with 3 wins and 1 draw, accumulating 10 points. Leverkusen followed closely behind with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, totaling 7 points.
Since both Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmo FF had only managed 1 win and 3 losses, accumulating 3 points each, Real Madrid secured their spot in the round of 16 with two matches still remaining.
Next, the team faced Sevilla in the 11th round of La Liga, away from home.
The away team started well, and Wang Feng quickly assisted Iguaín in opening the scoring. However, in the first half, Marcelo was forced off due to a muscle injury, and in the second half, just as the half began, Ramos was fouled by Sevilla's defender Ivo Ivo in a challenge, resulting in him being injured and taken off.
Losing two key defenders in quick succession dealt a heavy blow to the Galactic ship, allowing the home team to capitalize and score three goals in response.
Although the Chinese superstar managed to dribble past three players and score a goal in the dying moments of the game, it wasn't enough to stage a comeback. Real Madrid ultimately lost 2-3 to Sevilla.
With this round of matches concluded, Barcelona topped the La Liga standings with 9 wins, 2 losses, and 27 points, while Real Madrid followed closely behind with 8 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss, and 26 points, sitting in second place. Atletico Madrid secured the third position with 7 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses, and 23 points.
For Ancelotti, the situation ahead posed a headache as Real Madrid was set to face Barcelona in the upcoming El Clásico at the Bernabeu.
With a shortage of defensive players, how would they withstand the formidable attack of Barcelona's front three?
"In the El Clásico over the past few years, our ability to defeat Barcelona repeatedly was not primarily due to dominating possession and controlling the game," analyzed the coaching staff of the Galactic ship before the match.
"The most important thing was maintaining a tight formation, especially forming a strong barrier in midfield to prevent the Catalan team from penetrating through possession."
With Wang Feng's rich experience in battling Barcelona, he naturally agreed with the analysis. Snatching possession from Barcelona's midfield would be extremely difficult.
"Xavi's departure surely had some impact on Barcelona, but Messi quickly filled the gap. He, along with Busquets and Iniesta, formed a new core of possession for the team."
Unlike Martino, who wanted to implement his own style, Enrique decisively returned to the possession-based tactics established during Guardiola's era, and it proved to be deeply ingrained in the spirit of the Catalan team's football.
Hence, the Spanish coach could lead Barcelona back to the ranks of Europe's top teams, just behind Real Madrid.
"The battle in midfield will be key to the outcome of this match. Once breached, our thin defensive line will be directly exposed to the opponent's strong firepower," said Ancelotti.
"Wang, I hope you can take on more responsibilities. Your control of the situation, judgment of timing, and defensive abilities are on par with any top midfielder in the world."
The Chinese superstar nodded understandingly. It seemed he would temporarily resume his duties as a defensive midfielder to intercept Barcelona's attacks outside the penalty area.
"Of course, I also hope that you can fully seize the opportunity to press forward and put more pressure on Barcelona, making it difficult for them to advance with the ball."
"Barcelona's attack is top-notch, but their defensive capabilities are their weak point, relying on the midfield to barely maintain balance between attack and defense."
"So what we need to do is to press in midfield, aggressively win back possession, and then launch quick counterattacks. With the added speed and impact, we might just be able to pierce through their defense!"
The more they discussed, the more feasible the plan seemed. The most important part was entrusted to Wang Feng, who had never disappointed.
With two weeks left before the El Clásico and the international break approaching, it was clearly not good news for the clubs as players would be exhausted from traveling for national team duty.
Fortunately, both Real Madrid and Barcelona faced a fair situation, with many internationals in both squads. For the Galactic ship, Wang Feng stayed in Madrid as usual without needing to return to Asia.
On the other hand, in Catalonia, it was unclear how the club, players, and national team negotiated. While Neymar and Suarez returned to their countries to play, Messi stayed behind, indicating his seriousness about the upcoming match.
After the intense international matches concluded, players gradually returned to their clubs. Real Madrid organized detailed examinations for them to promptly assess their injuries, physical conditions, and other situations to consider for the upcoming lineup arrangements.
When Ancelotti received Barcelona's starting lineup, it was already after the pre-match warm-up, and the players were making their final preparations in the dressing room.
In goal was Ter Stegen, with Alves, Pique, Mascherano, and Alba in defense.
In midfield were Iniesta, Busquets, and Rakitic.
Up front, the formidable trio of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar remained unchanged.
"As I expected, this is the strongest lineup Enrique can field. They previously won the Spanish Super Cup with this lineup," Ancelotti commented.
"Their opponents have limited room for adjustment. On paper, they are indeed very powerful, but how much they can unleash at the Bernabeu remains to be seen," the assistant coach remarked.
"Well, let's execute the tactics we discussed earlier. This is our home turf. Let's go and secure the victory as usual!"
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