Chapter 746: Meeting Again
After a draw against Manchester City, Real Madrid welcomed Real Sociedad at home in the 36th round of La Liga.
On the day of the match, Madrid was hit by heavy rain. Despite the excellent drainage facilities at the Bernabéu, the field remained very slippery, greatly affecting the passing success rate and coordination of both teams.
The home team was clearly more affected, and the previously advantageous situation became evenly matched.
Just when it seemed like another draw was on the cards, in the 77th minute, the Galactic Warship won a set-piece opportunity in the opponent's half, and Wang Feng pierced through the defense of Real Sociedad with a straight and direct shot.
1-0! Real Madrid secured three crucial points.
Because Barcelona had not given up chasing them, the Catalan team needed to win every game from now on to have any hope of reversing the situation.
When has Real Madrid not needed to win games to consolidate their lead? The closer it gets to the end of the season, the less they can afford to relax!
In the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, the Galactic Warship welcomed the challenge of Manchester City at home.
Just like the first encounter, Pellegrini's strategy was very clear. He focused on defense to suppress Real Madrid's midfield, already setting his sights on extra time or even a penalty shootout.
For many years, the Galactic Warship had no real experience in penalty shootouts. Perhaps this method was the greatest possibility for the Sky Blues to defeat them and advance.
Compared to playing away, Real Madrid was even more cautious when back at the Bernabéu, carefully controlling possession and organizing attacks methodically, never blindly pressing forward, and prioritizing defense to ensure they didn't concede.
The situation was even duller compared to the last encounter. After 45 minutes, the home team only had 3 shots, all hitting the frame of the goal, showing a high efficiency in attacking threats.
The away team didn't even have a single shot. Ronaldo was very active in attacking with the ball, but his teammates lacked support, and their attempts fizzled out.
For most of the time, both sides were passing and battling it out in the midfield.
"Casemiro intercepts and passes to the withdrawing Modric. Look at Modric, he suddenly turns and sends a long pass to the front."
"Wang Feng is rushing up! Is there an opportunity behind him?"
"The ball's height is a bit low, Manchester City defender Otamendi rushes out and heads it away, clearing the ball. It's now at the feet of a Manchester City player."
"Toure controls the ball and slowly advances into the frontcourt. He's observing the situation on the field to make the next move. Now, Real Madrid's formation is quite tight, making it difficult to launch a quick counterattack."
"A long pass to the wing, oh, Casemiro suddenly bursts out again and intercepts the pass, beautifully done! The Brazilian midfielder has stolen the ball from the opponent twice in a row!"
"What will he do this time? Casemiro directly lifts the ball towards the back post, Wang Feng charges forward again, not offside! He's in the edge of the penalty area!"
"He controls the ball, passes it sideways to Iguaín, Iguaín passes it back, shoots!!"
"The ball's in!! Gooooooal!!"
"After nearly 170 minutes of battle in the two-legged tie, we finally have the first goal, coming from Real Madrid, from Wang Feng!"
"Casemiro's consecutive interceptions created scoring opportunities for the team. The Chinese superstar seized the opportunity to move forward, and the cooperation between him and his teammates in the penalty area was impeccable, leading to this hard-earned goal!"
The Bernabéu, which had been silent for a long time, erupted again. The fans, no longer in a sleepy state, waved their flags and banners vigorously, cheering loudly in celebration.
After scoring, Wang Feng slid all the way to the corner flag and was quickly surrounded by his teammates who rushed over.
On the sidelines, coach Ancelotti finally breathed a sigh of relief. Excitedly clenching his fists, he wasn't sure whether to prepare for a penalty shootout, as Real Madrid's last experience with penalties was too distant, making experience and mentality uncontrollable factors.
Ronaldo, frustrated, kicked the turf. He knew that blindly defending would lead nowhere. Wang Feng and the Galactic Warship were not opponents that could be contained by simply defending.
However, the head coach didn't heed his advice, and his teammates didn't trust him. Having the intention but lacking the ability to change the situation, Manchester City couldn't wait any longer!
Mendes's admonition echoed in his mind. Ronaldo gritted his teeth, thinking, why bother going down this path if there isn't even a slight chance? He's already 31 years old and still hasn't achieved anything.
Manchester City's club owner, Mansour, shook his head in the stands, then stood up and left early. There were still more than 10 minutes left in the game, but he knew that the Sky Blues probably didn't have a chance anymore.
"Let's use slow-motion replay to appreciate the entire process of the goal again. The Brazilian midfielder's long pass through the defense, Wang Feng's offside run, and he brings the ball down."
"The ball control is as brilliant as ever, as if the ball is glued to his right foot, the inertia and elasticity seem to disappear."
"A pass to the edge of the penalty area by Iguaín, the Argentine forward then sends a through ball into the penalty area, a simple wall-pass style cooperation, but very effective."
"The main reason for being able to tear open Manchester City's tight defense is speed. Most of the time was spent on Wang Feng's ball control. If he had hesitated for another second, the Manchester City defenders could have caught up with him and resolved the crisis."
"So solid basic skills are one of the necessary conditions to become a superstar."
"If Manchester City can score a goal in the remaining time, they can still reverse the situation and advance with the away goal advantage. But this condition is as difficult as reaching the sky."
As expected by the commentator, trying to quickly switch a team that had defended for nearly 170 minutes to full-on attack mode was clearly beyond Pellegrini's abilities.
"Beeeeep~"
The final whistle sounded, with a score of 1-0, Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League final with a one-goal advantage over Manchester City!
They were aiming for their tenth consecutive Champions League trophy!
"Defense wins championships, but also loses championships!" After the game, many media outlets evaluated the Sky Blues led by Pellegrini in this way.
Undoubtedly, they had means to contain the Galactic Warship's attack, but they also put themselves in a passive position, pinning all their hopes on defense.
And with a very rough counter-attacking setup, despite Aguero and Ronaldo being among the top forwards, they couldn't produce any effect, especially when trailing.
With Pellegrini's departure from Manchester City already certain this summer, the club would undergo another round of restructuring. Their desire to chase the Champions League trophy and become a powerhouse would not change.
On the other hand, at their home ground, Bayern Munich defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1. Throughout the game, the home team controlled over 70% of possession, while the away team focused on defense, showcasing their tenacious and resilient characteristics.
In the first half, a long shot from Oriental Zhuo in the area just outside the penalty box hit Atletico defender Godin's leg, deflecting direction, and the goalkeeper Oblak couldn't save it, giving the home team the lead.
However, later on, Bayern created a penalty kick opportunity, but Thomas Muller sent the ball into the stands, missing a great chance to take the lead.
Fate often punishes those who waste opportunities. In the second half, Atletico Madrid only managed to attack once into the opponent's half. Koke crossed from the wing, and Griezmann's header broke through the home team's defense.
Although Lewandowski scored a second goal in the final moments, due to Bayern's 1-0 loss in the first leg, the total score over the two legs was 2-2.
With Atletico Madrid having scored an away goal and Bayern Munich none, Atletico advanced by this narrow margin, re-entering the Champions League final after a year!
The two Madrid giants once again met at the pinnacle of Europe for a derby showdown.
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