Chapter 767: Battle with the Arch-Nemesis
Every time the national team match day approached, it seemed to bring bad news to Manchester City. Sterling and Sabaleta had just recovered from their injuries and started training with the team, but Gundogan encountered problems again.
The German midfielder was unfortunately injured during the confrontation, and after a detailed diagnosis, it was determined to be a torn right ACL, which could very likely sideline him for the season.
Just as they were about to engage in a pinnacle showdown with Barcelona, this unexpected situation arose. Guardiola's scalp was almost itching with frustration.
In the 8th round of the Premier League against Everton, the Spanish coach decided to strategically give up, placing most of the main players on the bench and fully resting and preparing for the Champions League match.
The Toffees were not to be underestimated. They had long been a disruptor in the English Premier League and had won the league title nine times and the FA Cup five times.
After a fierce battle, Manchester City ultimately lost 0-1 to their opponents, suffering their first defeat of the season.
As soon as the match ended, the Blue Moon team boarded a plane and headed to Barcelona. Both Guardiola and Wang Feng were particularly familiar with this land.
The media naturally didn't miss the opportunity to hype it up and reported extensively: "Catalonia abandons its coach to welcome its arch-nemesis!", "Who truly masters the essence of possession football, Barcelona or Guardiola?"
There were even quite a few extreme Catalan media outlets shouting words like "traitor", transferring their hatred for Wang Feng onto this Manchester City team and its head coach.
"Wang Feng visits Barcelona once again. Will the sole god of Camp Nou continue to shine?" Marca, always fond of stirring up trouble, joked.
Currently, in La Liga, Barcelona was firmly ahead of Real Madrid. However, the competition between the two teams often needed to wait until the second half of the season to see a clear outcome. At this point, they needed to find ways to undermine each other.
And the Chinese superstar was undoubtedly a sharp weapon for this purpose. Just mentioning him at Camp Nou was enough to strike fear into the hearts of Barcelona fans.
Looking back at Barcelona's 117-year history, there had never been such a dark decade.
During the pre-match interviews, many media asked Enrique about his views on this new Manchester City team and whether Barcelona had hope of defeating Wang Feng.
"Whether in the Premier League or the Champions League, Manchester City has shown extremely strong competitiveness. Their strength is unquestionable. Wang Feng has integrated well into the new environment and the new team. He still poses a great threat to us."
"But this is not a battle of individuals. We cannot define how to defeat a player. I just want to say that Barcelona will do everything possible to fight for victory and to appear as group leaders, which will be advantageous for the upcoming knockout stage schedule."
Obviously, Enrique didn't want to delve into the details of the love-hate relationship between Wang Feng and Barcelona. In fact, like most players, he felt a inexplicable nervousness before the battle even began.
Guardiola, on the other hand, was much calmer. When facing the media, he didn't mind mentioning past failures. "Even today, I still feel very sorry. That was one of the peak years of Barcelona, and there weren't many worthy opponents."
"But then we encountered Wang Feng, who was so powerful that we couldn't defeat him even if we tried our best."
"I am fortunate that he is standing by my side now, providing me with strength."
At 7:40 in the evening, with only 20 minutes left before the match began, only a few scattered fans could be seen at the entrances to Camp Nou, still undergoing ticket checks.
Inside the stadium, however, it was a completely different scene. Countless people wearing red and blue jerseys were singing the "Barcelona Anthem" loudly, waving huge team flags.
Everyone attached great importance to this match, so they arrived early to cheer for their team.
In stark contrast to the noise outside, it was quiet in the tunnels where the players were waiting. The atmosphere was very tense.
Facing their old nemesis Wang Feng, the Barcelona players all had solemn expressions. They couldn't muster the enthusiasm to chat, nor did they have any intention of greeting him.
Except for Messi, who reluctantly smiled and nodded at the Chinese superstar, the others all turned away to avoid eye contact with him.
Wang Feng was very familiar with these first-team players. They were Enrique's strongest lineup.
As usual, Ter Stegen was the goalkeeper, with Mascherano, Pique, Alba, and Mathieu in defense.
In midfield were Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic, and up front were the attacking trio of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez.
On the other hand, Guardiola also deployed a 4-3-3 formation for Manchester City, with Bravo in goal.
The backline consisted of Stones, Otamendi, Kompany, and Kolarov.
In midfield were David Silva, De Bruyne, and Fernandinho.
The frontline featured Sane, Aguero, and Wang Feng.
Seeing Barcelona so silent, the Manchester City players also felt embarrassed to make loud noises. They quietly exchanged a few words of encouragement and waited quietly to take the field.
After a moment, the referee team arrived at the front of the line and led everyone onto the field. As they passed through the tunnel entrance, a huge team flag came into view.
Apart from depicting the iconic Barcelona crest, there was also a line of Spanish words below it: "Barcelona is not just a club!"
The UEFA Champions League anthem began playing, but the thunderous cheers almost completely drowned out the music. Compared to the past few years, the fervent atmosphere at Camp Nou seemed to have returned.
"It seems it's time to cool them down again," Wang Feng muttered, gently twisting his neck.
"Manchester City launches an attack. Fernandinho passes to Silva, Silva sends it straight to Sane, Wang Feng comes over to support."
"Oh no, the ball is intercepted by Mascherano."
"The young German is still a bit too eager. He could have passed it earlier, but instead he wasted time trying to show off his skills. Against experienced defenders, this is as good as throwing a sheep into a tiger's den."
"Barcelona quickly organizes a counterattack. Busquets, Iniesta, back to Busquets. Neymar catches up with the ball on the wing, cuts back, passes it to the middle, Messi shoots!!"
"Goal!! Lionel Messi!!"
"The match has just started for less than ten minutes, and the home team takes the lead!"
Nearly 80,000 Barcelona fans at Camp Nou immediately shouted the Argentine star's name in unison, creating an earth-shattering atmosphere.
"Barcelona's spiritual leader plays a crucial role at critical moments. In this highly anticipated match, he scores first. He looks to be in excellent form today. Perhaps this is the best opportunity for revenge!"
Messi didn't celebrate wildly. After just hugging his teammates, he reminded everyone to return to their positions and wait in formation. After countless showdowns, the Argentine knew his opponents very well.
Only those who laugh last laugh best!
In the luxury boxes of the stands, Barcelona president Bartomeu let out a sigh of relief and stood up to applaud the team's performance.
No one truly understood the pressure he was under. After a long period of darkness, the team had to make changes and deliver results. Wang Feng leaving the Bernabeu was a natural signal.
But now he stood in front of him again with Manchester City. Bartomeu hated him, but he couldn't help but feel timid. This fear came from the depths of his soul, as if he had encountered an arch-nemesis.
"Everything has changed. We will eventually defeat him!" The Spaniard silently prayed in his heart.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦