Bab 389: Attack of Warcraft
Real Madrid lost to Valencia and missed the King's Cup final. This result surprised everyone. Even though they lost 1-2 in the first round, everyone believed they could turn it around in the second leg.
Another semifinal was equally surprising, as Barcelona lost 1-2 to Santander and missed the final as well. Both giants of La Liga fell, a rare occurrence in the history of the King's Cup.
Barcelona faces more pressure than Real Madrid. Despite their strong pursuit in the second half of the league, they currently sit only third in the standings due to their early season shortcomings. They are 13 points behind Villarreal in second place and have almost no chance of contending for the championship.
With their elimination from the King's Cup, their hopes now rest on making a breakthrough in the Champions League. Otherwise, they will end the season empty-handed.
Of course, Real Madrid cannot be complacent either. Although they have been comfortably leading the league, Villarreal is chasing closely behind. They need to shake off their disappointment and prepare for their match against Sevilla in the 29th round of La Liga, which is just three days away.
Just five minutes into the game, the Galacticos conceded a goal as Fabiano scored after receiving a cross from Navas.
When it seemed like Real Madrid would suffer another defeat, Wang Feng stepped up. In the 21st minute, Real Madrid won a free-kick opportunity. Guti lofted the ball into the box, and Wang Feng rose high to head it in, equalizing the score.
Before halftime, Wang Feng and Robben displayed excellent teamwork. Sneijder sent a long pass to the Chinese star, who then passed it to the advancing Robben. The Dutchman sprinted into the box and passed it back to Wang Feng, who calmly slotted it in with his right foot, scoring his second goal.
In the second half, the home team dominated. In the 69th minute, Guti dribbled past defenders and crossed to the middle, where Wang Feng controlled the ball and fired a powerful shot with his right foot, completing his hat-trick.
In the end, Real Madrid defeated Sevilla 3-1 at home, securing all three points.
In the World Cup qualifiers, China will face Australia in the second round at home. Learning from past experiences, head coach Alihan decisively recalled overseas players such as Wang Feng, Dong Fangzhuo, and Zheng Zhi, placing them in the starting lineup.
Dong Fangzhuo has now established himself as a key player for Bayern Munich and is likely to win the Bundesliga title this season. Thus, he has gained considerable popularity not only among domestic fans but also internationally.
Their combined efforts put great pressure on the Australian defense. In the 14th minute, Wang Feng and Dong Fangzhuo combined near the edge of the penalty area, with Dong Fangzhuo delivering a precise pass to Wang Feng, who executed a difficult sliding shot to score the opening goal.
In the 33rd minute, China launched another attack. Zheng Zhi sent a long pass from the back, finding Wang Feng on the wing. Wang Feng dribbled past Australian defenders, entered the penalty area, and passed it back to Dong Fangzhuo, who calmly slotted it home, doubling the lead to 2-0.
Although Australia pulled one back in the second half, China secured victory with Li Weifeng's header from a corner kick in the 82nd minute, winning 3-1.
Meanwhile, as Wang Feng participated in the World Cup qualifiers, Real Madrid faced Valencia in the 30th round of La Liga away from home.
Facing the team that eliminated them once again, Real Madrid launched relentless attacks but Valencia capitalized on their chances to take the lead.
In Wang Feng's absence, young talent Iguain stepped up, taking advantage of Valencia's lax defense to score the equalizer after receiving a pass from Robben.
With the score tied at 1-1, Real Madrid avoided leaving empty-handed. However, this season, Valencia seemed to be their nemesis, as they had not won against them in their last three encounters, with two draws and one loss.
Fortunately, as the league approached its end, Villarreal showed signs of weakness. Hindered by injuries to two key players, they suffered a 1-2 defeat to Mallorca in this round, widening the points gap to six. It would be challenging for the Yellow Submarine to catch up.
In the Champions League quarter-finals, Real Madrid will play the first leg at the Bernabeu. This schedule somewhat disadvantages them, as they need a big win at home to have confidence going into the away leg.
Upon arriving in Madrid, Chelsea's coach, Grant, expressed confidence in an interview, saying, "We have made sufficient preparations and definitely have the ability to stop Real Madrid."
As an emergency replacement for Mourinho, the Israeli coach has performed admirably, stabilizing the team and guiding them to second place in the league, trailing closely behind the in-form Red Devils. He also made notable contributions in the Champions League.
Grant is also confident against Wang Feng and Real Madrid, as Chelsea is the only team that has defeated the Chinese star in the Champions League in recent years. Although he wasn't the coach at the time, the team's overall lineup and core remain unchanged, giving him confidence to achieve results comparable to Mourinho's.
However, what Grant doesn't know is that the club president, Abramovich, is currently scouting for a new coach. Regardless of Grant's performance, Abramovich has no intention of appointing him permanently.
Emergency measures are just that. Chelsea should have a more renowned coach, rather than someone who previously managed Hapoel Haifa or Portsmouth FC.
Drogba, as the undisputed attacking core of the team, also gave an interview, saying, "Wang Feng is undoubtedly the best player in the world right now. It's a huge challenge to face him."
"But haven't we succeeded before? I'm honored to have won the league and Champions League trophies in my first season with Chelsea, so I will work even harder to maintain this glory."
As football becomes increasingly popular domestically, not only La Liga where Wang Feng plays and the Bundesliga where Dong Fangzhuo plays, but also the Premier League, has attracted the attention of many fans.
Drogba possesses formidable physicality and explosiveness, and he is a nightmare for almost all Premier League defenders with his high-speed dribbling. When he dribbles, there are no fancy moves, only endless power. Therefore, many domestic fans jokingly call him "the Beast."
With the Beast's arrival, one wonders if Real Madrid and the Galacticos can withstand it.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone