Chapter 740: The Era Will Eventually End
After the awards ceremony, the Real Madrid team returned to Madrid on a chartered plane from Zurich, Switzerland.
When the media widely reported the news of the return of the Chinese superstar after a year, rumors about his transfer surfaced once again.
This time, it seemed more certain. According to Sky Sports in the UK, Real Madrid had given up on keeping Wang Feng and had secretly reached an agreement with him that he would leave while also securing the team's future.
Subsequently, authoritative media outlets such as Kicker in Germany and L'équipe in France also reported similar news, all suggesting that the probability of the Chinese superstar staying at the Galacticos was very slim.
This statement sparked widespread discussion among fans. It is well known that the Chinese superstar's contract with the club will expire this summer, and more and more people are pessimistic about him staying.
He has created unprecedented success for this club. What kind of contribution can he make before leaving?
On January 17th, in the 20th round of La Liga, Real Madrid faced SD Huesca at home. Wang Feng returned to the starting lineup, and they launched a fierce attack from the beginning, eventually winning 5-1.
Seven days later, they faced Real Betis away, where fluctuations in performance led to a 1-1 draw for the Galacticos.
However, Real Madrid did not despair. On January 31st, in the 22nd round of La Liga, the team returned to face Espanyol at home.
Just 39 seconds into the game, the home team launched their first attack. The Chinese superstar received a through ball from Modric, dribbled past the defenders, and shot from outside the box, catching the opposing goalkeeper off guard, 1-0!
Ten minutes later, Kroos intercepted the ball in midfield and passed it into the penalty area. Wang Feng, at the edge of the small box, fell to the ground and shot, the ball almost squeezing between the goalkeeper's hand and the post into the near corner.
It was a perfect shot in terms of timing and angle, not a mistake by the Espanyol defense, but rather the Chinese superstar seizing the opportunity.
In the 33rd minute, Bale ran out of space on the wing, attracted defenders, and sent a diagonal pass. Wang Feng, following up, scored from close range in front of the goal.
3-0! A hat-trick!
Since partnering with Iguaín, the Chinese superstar's shooting and goal statistics have decreased significantly, but no one can ignore that he is still the most threatening player in front of the goal.
Despite being three goals ahead, the home team was not satisfied and continued to press Espanyol.
Just before halftime, Nacho crossed into the penalty area, Wang Feng headed the ball forward, Iguaín attracted attention from defenders with his movement, and Kroos quickly headed in from the back post, further increasing the lead.
At the beginning of the second half, in the 57th minute, Bale sent a cross from the wing, Modric received the ball near the edge of the penalty area, dribbled past the defender, and passed diagonally. The Chinese superstar, running at high speed, evaded the defender's tackle and shot with his right foot to score, 5-0!
"A poker! Oh my god! Wang Feng scored a poker!"
"Can you imagine a 33-year-old veteran making such moves? The speed and explosiveness in that moment make me feel like he's 22 again!"
"How many more times does he need to shock us? Crazy Wang Feng, crazy Real Madrid!"
It wasn't over yet. Just as Ancelotti was preparing to substitute Wang Feng with Hesse, the home team attacked again. Wang Feng and Modric continued to pass and move, tearing apart the defense.
As the Croatian midfielder's shot in the penalty area was blocked by a defender, Wang Feng controlled the ball ahead of everyone else, dodged the goalkeeper's save, and slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Five goals!
The entire Bernabéu Stadium exploded like a powder keg, and cheers and screams could probably be heard for miles around.
Countless people shouted the name of the Chinese superstar and the title "Diwangros." The television broadcast captured them one by one, with many fans shedding tears and some even crying out loud.
They were joyful for the victory at this moment, but also saddened by the imminent departure.
"Ladies and gentlemen, no matter how reluctant we are, the era of Wang Feng's Real Madrid will eventually come to an end, perhaps this summer."
"Yes, he is getting older. We can see that Wang is no longer the first choice for the entire game, he no longer sprints across the field like an iron man, his intensity in challenges has greatly decreased, and even his absence due to injuries is increasing."
"I think the reason he chose to leave is not because of any conflict of interest, but because he wants to forever freeze his peak time here, unwilling to gradually become a burden and disappointment to the beloved fans."
"So we don't need to be overly sad. He has already given us the best. In the Bernabéu, in Real Madrid, he has never been defeated!"
As the fourth official showed the red number 10 electronic board to substitute Wang Feng, nearly 100,000 fans stood up and applauded thunderously.
The Chinese superstar walked slowly to the sidelines, shook hands and hugged the young Hesse, and the captain. "No matter what happens in the future, you will always be my senior, my captain!"
The Spanish youngster's eyes were a little red, apparently guessing something. Not only him, but many players in the team also understood that the probability of Wang Feng staying at Real Madrid was very low.
They were not discouraged or panicked by this. Instead, they cherished the days of fighting side by side with the Chinese superstar even more, determined to let the captain leave with full satisfaction!
Wang Feng patted Hesse on the back, wanting to say something encouraging but didn't know where to start. He could only offer encouraging eyes, everything was understood without words.
With the momentum of the big victory, the Galacticos defeated Granada 2-1 and Athletic Bilbao 4-2 respectively in the following matches, continuing to sit firmly atop the league standings.
Barcelona, ??on the other hand, was not willing to be outdone. Although they still had to balance the Copa del Rey matches, they did not make any mistakes in the league. Coach Enrique believed that this was the best and perhaps the last chance to defeat Wang Feng and overthrow Real Madrid.
"Do you want to keep playing football forever under the shadow of the Real Madrid led by Wang Feng?" At a Barcelona team meeting, the Spaniard spoke passionately.
"If he leaves the club this summer, how will history judge us? Will it say that we are all a bunch of failures, a bunch of cowards forever being trampled underfoot!"
"The biggest contributor to defeating Wang Feng is time, but it cannot be just time. Barcelona must also play a role. Come on, guys, work harder, let the opponents leave the mainstream league in embarrassment, and completely erase the shame of the past!"
After this league match, the fire of the UEFA Champions League knockout stage was ignited. In the first leg, the Galacticos faced AS Roma away.
For Real Madrid, this was not a very difficult challenge. A lightning start once again played its role, allowing them to achieve a dream start.
After Bale took the free kick, the away team's midfielders stumbled a few times in the center circle, and Casemiro saw Wang Feng and Iguaín charging into the opponent's half and asking for the ball.
The Brazilian midfielder sent a precise long pass to the left, and Iguaín, taking advantage of Wang Feng's movement to attract defensive attention, controlled the ball in the penalty area and scored the opening goal.
Of course, compared to the resilience and patience of Roma, the Spanish team, Roma, did not allow the opponents to take advantage and establish a winning position. The two sides remained deadlocked until the 64th minute of the second half.
Modric took a free kick near the sideline in the opponent's half, floated the ball into the penalty area, and the Chinese superstar shook off the defenders and headed in, widening the lead to 2-0.
This result held until the final whistle, and the Galacticos achieved their desired victory and an away goal, with hopes of advancing.
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