Chapter 742: Midfield Gems
In the remaining two league matches in March, Real Madrid secured victories. On the 13th, they won 2-1 away against newly promoted Las Palmas, and on the 20th, they swept Sevilla 4-0 at home.
Wang Feng contributed 2 goals and 1 assist, while Iguaín increased his league goal tally to 39, edging closer to his first Golden Boot.
In the following two weeks, the national team matches arrived as scheduled, and thereafter, the Galactic Warship would travel to the Camp Nou for the century derby.
This schedule mirrored the first half of the season, with most players enduring a journey before participating in such an important match.
La Liga remains full of suspense, with Barcelona holding the initiative. However, history has repeatedly shown that their lead is not secure. Coupled with the humiliating 5-0 defeat in the first encounter, Enrique vowed to seek revenge and snatch the league title from Real Madrid.
On the other hand, the Galactic Warship had no choice but to strive for victory. Otherwise, the gap between the two sides would widen further, jeopardizing their hopes of winning the title.
With key players gradually returning from injury, Ancelotti did not resort to risky tactics like moving Wang Feng's position. Instead, he used the familiar 4-3-3 formation, with Navas in goal.
The backline consisted of Ramos, Marcelo, Carvajal, and Danilo. Pepe's fitness and technical level were gradually declining, and this season, he found himself increasingly on the bench.
In midfield, there were Kroos, Casemiro, and Modric.
The front three comprised Wang Feng, Iguaín, and Bale.
This approach by the Italian coach was somewhat unexpected by Enrique. He believed that the tactics used in the first leg had an effect and would likely be continued. Thus, he formulated a specific strategy to counter it.
That was to switch to a 4-4-2 formation, adding Roberto to the starting lineup and relegating Neymar to the bench. Messi would be free to drop back and participate in midfield domination at any time.
However, all these arrangements turned out to be in vain. "He's quite the old fox!" Enrique, looking at Ancelotti not far away with a wry smile, muttered under his breath.
"If you think you can stop us without relying on Wang Feng, then let's see how our team has grown!"
"Barcelona's passing and receiving in the midfield area have become more stable. Adding a player to support to some extent weakened Real Madrid's pressing threat."
"Yes, the home team currently dominates possession by a vast margin, similar to previous encounters between the two sides. However, the old problem still exists; they find it difficult to penetrate into the penalty area."
"During this period, Real Madrid's interceptions have been effective, especially with Modric frequently dropping back to support Casemiro, and Wang Feng's positioning primarily focused on the midfield."
"Although they use a 4-3-3 formation, both the away team's coaching staff and players understand that defending is the top priority when playing at the Camp Nou. They must not allow Barcelona to exploit space."
If Ramos were to take on the role of team captain after Wang Feng's departure, Modric might have to assume the position of tactical core.
This diminutive but well-rounded midfielder was once not recognized by the fans, but the Chinese superstar always held him in high regard and supported him. Modric's growth and development did not disappoint the trust placed in him.
Coming from a poor background, his physical condition didn't seem suitable for football, a high-intensity contact sport. He was neither tall nor muscular, nor particularly fast. Due to insufficient thigh muscle strength, his explosiveness was limited.
However, Modric managed to become one of the best midfield maestros in the world, selected in the top three of the Ballon d'Or.
His balanced technical skills with both feet and his agility in offensive positioning were evident in several threatening attacks by Real Madrid in the first half. This was often related to the combination of the Croatian and Wang Feng.
For example, in the 27th minute, Marcelo intercepted in the back and passed to Modric in the midfield area. At this moment, both sides of him and the front were tightly marked by Barcelona's defense, so Modric chose to pass back to Ramos.
After the ball was passed, Rakitic immediately went to chase, and Modric began to move sideways to an open space. As expected, his teammate quickly found him and passed back.
After receiving the ball, he didn't blindly rush forward but instead passed to Wang Feng, who was making a run on the flank. The Chinese superstar burst forward, while Modric leisurely followed behind.
Seeing that most of the defensive attention was on Wang Feng, Modric suddenly accelerated towards the edge of the penalty area. At this moment, Wang Feng intuitively sent a back-pass.
Modric, seizing the opportunity, received the ball and swiftly dodged Rakitic who was rushing to intercept, but Rakitic managed to block his path.
At the critical moment, Modric quickly changed direction to evade Rakitic's interception once again, then, not daring to delay, he cleared the ball out of the danger zone before other players could close in.
Whether it was the decisive turn to chase the ball, where he kept the ball and the opponent in his sight, thus cleverly blocking his position, or the consecutive dribbles and changes of direction in a very short time and space, it all demonstrated Modric's excellent defensive awareness and technical ability.
In addition to Modric, Real Madrid also had another midfield gem, the 24-year-old Casemiro. The Brazilian actually had a chip on his shoulder when participating in this century derby.
Two weeks ago, he was not called up by the national team coach Dunga. For him, who had secured his position as a mainstay in the Galactic Warship, this was a disgrace, and Casemiro wanted to prove his strength to the world.
The Brazilian defensive midfielder possessed strong physical qualities and interception abilities, as well as the delicate technical characteristics of Brazilian players, making him well-rounded in both attack and defense.
His extraordinary defensive wisdom was a natural advantage, always able to reduce the threat of opponent attacks.
For example, in the 37th minute, Iniesta sent a direct pass to the edge of the Real Madrid penalty area. Suarez, under Carvajal's interference, failed to control the ball properly, and it flew several meters away.
Suarez immediately accelerated to chase, and at this moment, Casemiro, who was originally prepared to join in the defense, immediately changed direction to intercept the ball.
Using his physical advantage, the Brazilian midfielder won the ball first and then skillfully shook off Suarez's entanglement. However, Rakitic also hurried over to intercept him.
At the critical moment, Casemiro quickly changed direction again to avoid Rakitic's block, then, without delay, he cleared the ball out of the danger zone with a powerful kick before other players could converge on him.
Whether it was the decisive turn to chase the ball, where he kept the ball and the opponent in his sight, thus cleverly blocking his position, or the consecutive dribbles and changes of direction in a very short time and space, it all demonstrated Casemiro's excellent defensive awareness and technical ability.
In the first half, both teams fought fiercely, and neither could overcome the other. The score remained 0-0.
Barcelona had a possession rate of 69.1%, holding the upper hand. They had 7 shots with 4 on target, and one particularly threatening shot hit the post.
On the other hand, the Galactic Warship had 5 shots with 4 on target, appearing to be evenly matched.
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