Chapter 763: Manchester Derby
Son Heung-min watched as Wang Feng celebrated wildly on the sidelines, his face filled with astonishment and wariness. He's too strong!
The scene of his goal just now, equalizing the score, was almost identical to his own. It was from the same position at the top of the arc, and the same curling shot.
Even the trajectory of the ball in the air and the angle at which it entered the goal were almost identical, definitely intentional!
Thinking about how he had to work hard throughout the entire game to make that shot, while the Chinese superstar could perfectly replicate it with his first touch after coming on, the South Korean young talent felt his vision blur.
This is the only god in the world of football!
Once, Son Heung-min was proud to be likened to the "future Wang Feng" by the South Korean media. Now it seems like a pure case of overestimation, purely sitting in a well and watching the sky. No wonder his father was always very unhappy and reprimanded him whenever he mentioned it.
The reason he has achieved what he has today is inseparable from the sober and strict family education he received.
In the end, with Wang Feng's goal, the Chinese team defeated South Korea 2-1 away and won their opening match in the twelve-team qualifiers.
Five days later, on September 6th, they hosted Iran at the Workers Stadium, and the Chinese superstar returned to the starting lineup for this match.
With such a powerful weapon in the front line, attracting the constant attention of three or four defending players from the away team, undoubtedly gave other attacking players a lot of space.
After Wu Lei broke through one-on-one three times in a row, he finally received a through ball from Feng Miao and scored with a low shot to open the scoring for the home team.
Shortly after, Zhang Fanlin's forward run resulted in another goal to extend the lead. In the final moments of the game, the Chinese superstar seized the opportunity to send a diagonal pass into the box, and Dong Fangzhuo, who followed up, scored from a tight angle to completely seal the victory.
3-0! China team's victory over Iran!
The countless domestic fans who came to watch the game at the scene became even more convinced that with Wang Feng, the Chinese team still belonged to the top tier of the world and remained the unrivaled king in Asia.
Just as everyone was celebrating the back-to-back victories, the national team had no time to linger and immediately embarked on their journey back to the European stage.
For Manchester City, this international break was not good news. After detailed diagnosis and examination by the team doctors, Fernandinho, Sabalyta, and Sterling all suffered injuries and muscle strains of varying degrees.
They would need at least a month of rest and would inevitably miss the upcoming match against their cross-city rivals, Manchester United, at Old Trafford.
This made Guardiola quite a headache. Although the team's bench strength was sufficient, he preferred to use well-tested combinations in important matches rather than change things hastily.
"This is an unexpected setback. We can try going back to 4-3-3," assistant coach Brian Kidd suggested.
The Spanish coach put his hand on his forehead. "This is also a plan. Injuries so early in the season, maybe we can take this opportunity to train another lineup to cope with the pressure of multi-line operations in the future."
"Go call Wang over and let him participate in our tactical discussion. Regardless of the arrangement, we must rely on him to execute it."
The injuries to three key players, one each from the defense, midfield, and attack, also made the Manchester media lament their misfortune. They saw the team's excellent start to the season but faltering in important matches just before the start of the Champions League.
On September 10th, in the fourth round of the Premier League, Manchester City faced Manchester United away.
This local derby was hailed as the "first major test" for Guardiola and Wang Feng because the Red Devils were the first strong opponent they encountered on their journey to the title.
Every year, the Premier League champion stands on the shoulders of its equally big opponents to reach the supreme position.
Moreover, Manchester United and Manchester City have always been at odds, especially since the Red Devils lost the fourth place to the Sky Blues in the dying moments of last season, missing out on a spot in the Champions League. It can be said that all the new and old grievances are combined, and they will definitely not let each other off lightly.
Before the match, both sides announced their starting lineups. Mourinho adopted a 4-5-1 pure defensive counterattack formation, with goalkeeper De Gea.
The back four consisted of Valencia, Blind, Rojo, and Smalling.
The five midfielders were Mata, Herrera, Pogba, Lingard, and Rashford.
Leading the front line was the center-forward Ibrahimovic.
Their conservative approach even at home left many "noble" Red Devils fans very dissatisfied, and they picked up their keyboards to criticize Mourinho.
Mourinho didn't care about this at all. Even if someone said his football was "ugly," he didn't care. Compared to glamorous failures, he preferred ugly victories.
On the other hand, Guardiola lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, with goalkeeper Bravo.
The back four consisted of Kolarov, Kompany, Otamendi, and Stones. Sabalyta's absence would undoubtedly have some impact on the stability of the defense, but Kolarov was also an experienced veteran, and Guardiola believed he could make up for it.
The midfield three were David Silva, Fernandinho, and Gundogan.
The front trident consisted of Nolito, Aguero, and Wang Feng.
On the day of the match, about sixty thousand home fans flooded into Old Trafford Stadium, a rare sight in Manchester United's sluggish ticket market since Ferguson retired.
When the live commentator introduced the away team's starting lineup, every name was greeted with boos from the crowd. Before the battle even began, the smell of gunpowder filled the air.
As soon as the referee's whistle blew, both sides engaged in intense midfield battles. Gundogan, who replaced Fernandinho, became the focal point of the Red Devils' attention.
Mourinho's insight proved to be sharp indeed. The German midfielder was a bit nervous in his first start, and his playing style was rather soft, making him the perfect target to focus on.
Continuous mistakes and lack of coordination meant that many of Manchester City's passes were cut off by Gundogan. Especially in the 11th minute, after he received the ball, he kicked it to the wing at high speed, catching Nolito off guard.
The camera panned to the two players. The Spanish forward smiled helplessly and shrugged, while the German midfielder pursed his lips, his face serious.
"Gundogan is too nervous. Clearly, he did well in Nuremberg and Dortmund, and he had some impressive performances as a substitute in the previous few games. Why does he seem so lost as soon as he starts?"
"Maybe it's because he's facing a special opponent like Manchester United. The pressure and burden on him are greater, but I think players shouldn't think too much on the field. Keeping a calm mind and treating every game as usual is one of the keys to maintaining their form."
"The Red Devils have a clear goal, focusing on the German midfielder at both ends of the field. This can disrupt the smooth passing game of Manchester City and make it easier to tear open their defense."
Seeing this situation, Wang Feng actively retreated to provide support and fill in the gaps. After a joint defensive effort to clear the ball out of bounds, he patted Gundogan on the shoulder. "What's wrong, buddy? You're not playing like yourself at all."
The German barely smiled. "This game is too important, and I don't want to make any mistakes. But the more I think about it, the more my body doesn't listen."
The Chinese superstar chuckled. "You're just overthinking it. Even if the sky falls, it won't be your turn to hold it up!"
"Besides, I have plenty of experience in derbies. Relax, we'll definitely win this game."
"Take it easy, just bring out your usual performance from training, and it'll be enough!" With that, he patted Gundogan's shoulder again and then returned to the intense game.
Although they had only fought side by side with Wang Feng for a little over a month, his magical performances had long been widely spread in the European football world. Everyone thought it was incredibly lucky to be teammates with the Chinese superstar.
At this moment, Gundogan deeply felt the same way. When he was lost and anxious, perhaps he could try to transfer the burden to Wang Feng.
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