Chapter 670: Chapter 88: First Collaboration!
"Foul!"
"That’s definitely a foul!"
"Is he trying to kill someone?"
The Real Madrid fans in the stands stood up, their faces filled with anger.
Chen Zhong was also clutching his stomach, looking at Boerha Bailelo.
Just now, this "unfamiliar" teammate actually rushed over and elbowed him.
Chen Zhong stopped in his tracks due to the intense pain, losing control of the ball, and Villarreal’s players took the opportunity to quickly clear the ball.
While Real Madrid’s players protested, they looked at the referee, but the referee made no indication and instead, after Villarreal’s counterattack was interrupted, directly blew the whistle to end the first half.
This filled the stadium with boos from the fans.
Real Madrid’s fans were absolutely not satisfied with this decision.
If you’re not giving a red card, at least give a yellow card as a warning! What do you mean by doing this?
Even Boerha Bailelo was a bit surprised because he had done it as a tactical foul and was prepared to receive a card, yet he unexpectedly escaped punishment.
"The referee didn’t intend to issue a card."
"Boerha Bailelo got away with it."
"This should’ve warranted a card."
"At least there should’ve been a warning!"
The commentators rambled on, sparking heated discussions among the fans, as Real Madrid had been on the receiving end of controversial decisions quite a bit lately.
Though they’ve sometimes been favored, more often than not, they’ve been "targeted."
Compared to the "protection" Barcelona receives, Real Madrid does seem a bit blacklisted by the referee.
The boos at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium were deafening, and even after the players had returned to the locker room, there were still many fans outside cursing.
In the players’ tunnel, Boerha Bailelo found Chen Zhong privately.
This early-balding player, who came from Real Madrid’s youth academy, had played twice for the first team but most people had no impression of him anymore.
After leaving Real Madrid, he played for Mallorca and West Bromwich Albion, only putting up some decent performances at Villarreal.
He wasn’t bad in any aspect but also didn’t have any standout qualities.
If one had to say what his characteristic was, it would probably be his fondness for keeping the ball at his feet and controlling the tempo of the game.
However, he didn’t have Chen Zhong’s abilities in long shots, breakthroughs, body play, ball protection, and ball washing...among a series of skills.
He hesitated for a while in the tunnel, then casually walked over to Chen Zhong. Back then, Chen Zhong hadn’t played much for Castilla; they hadn’t played side by side and weren’t familiar.
But now that "monster" had become the core player for Real Madrid, while he, who joined the first team slightly earlier, was wandering outside without making a name for himself.
"Just now..."
"I understand," Chen Zhong patted Boerha Bailelo on the shoulder and said, "If it were me and there was no other way, I would do the same."
"After all, you know, if you let me through, everything might be different."
On the field, the two are opponents, but off the field, aren’t they "old classmates"?
...
"The second half begins."
"The players from both teams are back on the field."
"Real Madrid kicks off."
"Benzema drops back to receive the ball."
"It seems that during the halftime break, the coach had a good talk with him."
The boos from the stands still hadn’t diminished, clearly, the fans still remembered the referee’s outrageous decision before the end of the first half.
After Real Madrid kicked off, the ball quickly reached Chen Zhong’s feet. Since last season, Chen Zhong had been Real Madrid’s midfield metronome.
He controlled the rhythm of the game while also guarding against counterattacks from opponent ball interceptions.
Benzema dropped back to act as a "pivot," doing wall passes with Chen Zhong, also freeing up the middle position, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka to cut into the center.
Mourinho watched this scene from the sidelines, nodding in satisfaction.
If Chen Zhong were placed in the center forward position, Florentino would certainly agree, but for Mourinho, using Chen Zhong as a center forward is a shameful waste.
Moreover, in some respects, although Chen Zhong is perfect in the center forward position, the speed issue always lingers.
On the contrary, if Benzema could act as the supporting role well, then it might be more suitable for Real Madrid, with its three Ballon d’Or winners.
After all, a team does not get better with more stars.
Someone always needs to play the supporting role.
Real Madrid’s success last season and the lack of problems this season are not only due to the players’ outstanding abilities but also Chen Zhong’s "selflessness," as he passes the ball to the right teammates.
Even if a teammate misses, aside from the criticism for missing the chance, one must acknowledge.
When Chen Zhong makes the pass, that person’s position or opportunity is likely better than his own, or at least not worse.
Benzema now is like a nail, pinned in Villarreal’s backfield. Even if it doesn’t make a big impact, it still troubles Villarreal, forcing them to keep an eye on him.
