Chapter 386: Champions League top 8

Chapter 386: Champions League top 8

On the evening of March 2, 2008, at 8 p.m., at the Cologne Pinault Stadium, in the 26th round of La Liga, Real Madrid faced Valencia away.

This was not a difficult game. Valencia, although one of the oldest teams in La Liga history, had only won a provincial league championship once in the early 20th century. Most of the time, they wandered in the lower leagues, and even playing in the top league was a luxury.

So far this season, they were ranked fifth from the bottom in the league standings, still a long way from securing their place in the top flight. However, Valencia had always been a small-market team, making it difficult for them to invest heavily in development.

After the kickoff, the away team took the initiative and launched a fierce attack. Just 5 minutes into the game, Robben shook off the defender on the wing and crossed the ball to Wang Feng on the right side of the penalty area.

The agile Chinese superstar flicked the ball with his heel, sending it to the feet of the oncoming Higuain. The calm Argentine youngster calmly slotted the ball into the net to open the scoring for the Galacticos.

Real Madrid's onslaught was far from over. In the 18th minute, Sneijder's long pass from the center found Wang Feng, who shook off two defenders and leaped to head the ball into the net, effortlessly breaking through Valencia's defense once again.

Ten minutes later, Sneijder orchestrated another attack. He and Guti engaged in a series of consecutive passes, penetrating all the way to the edge of the penalty area before suddenly shooting from an acute angle.

Seizing the opportunity, the Chinese superstar slid to the ground and made a diving shot, beating the defending player to the ball. It flew into the air and over the goal line, hitting the inside of the net. 3-0! Before the end of the first half, the Galacticos had already secured victory!

In the second half, the away team slowed down the pace of their attack, but the situation on the field remained overwhelmingly in their favor. In the 64th minute, Wang Feng was substituted off. His performance of two goals and one assist in this match was enough to earn him the title of the best player, even Valencia fans couldn't help but applaud him. Upstodatee from n(0)/ve/lbIn/.(co/m

In the final moments of the match, Cassano scored again for Real Madrid, sealing the score at 4-0. They swept away the gloom of their cup defeat with a resounding victory.

26 rounds, 38 goals! When Cristiano Ronaldo received this news, he felt as if his heart was bleeding. As the undisputed ace of Manchester United, he felt that this season, both his individual strength and the team's support had reached their peak.

"But Ferguson is Ferguson, he actually managed to placate Cristiano Ronaldo and the team in such a short time, bringing them together like a rope. This is probably something that many coaches can't achieve."

Just as the Frenchman feared, in the 7th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo was blocked by two defenders on the wing. He immediately engaged in a passing combination with Hargreaves and broke through to the bottom line.

This time, he didn't choose to forcefully cut inside and shoot from a tight angle, as the success rate would certainly be low. Instead, he opted for a precise curved pass, finding Rooney in front of the goal. After hitting him on the head, the ball bounced into the net. 1-0! Manchester United took the lead!

Cristiano Ronaldo's rationality paid off. The goals he had eagerly wanted naturally came. In the 24th minute, while Rooney drew away the defense, he decisively shot from long range, piercing through the goalkeeper's fingertips.

Old Trafford Stadium instantly turned into a sea of celebration. The voices that had once mocked and insulted the Portuguese superstar all disappeared, replaced by praise and cheers.

Next, Manchester United's morale surged, attacking more smoothly, and scoring two more goals in succession, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice and Tevez scoring one.

When the referee blew the final whistle of the match, the score stood at 4-0 for both sides, with a total score of 5-1 over two legs, Manchester United eliminated Lyon and advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals!

Back in the dressing room, the Portuguese couldn't help but pay attention to the news of Wang Feng and Real Madrid's match on the same day. He opened his phone and searched for it. Sure enough, the Galacticos also achieved victory, defeating their opponents 2-0 at the Bernabeu, and also advancing with a total score of 5-1.

Wang Feng contributed with one goal and one assist in this match, and his performance was also very impressive. Among all the winning teams, both Real Madrid and Manchester United showed strong dominance, making them strong contenders for the final championship.

"If we can meet them in the final and defeat them, that would be the best ending," Cristiano Ronaldo thought to himself.

Entering the Champions League semi-finals, the eight teams also reflected a new pattern in European football. Among them, the Premier League occupied four seats, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea all not falling behind, presenting a thriving scene in the English league.

La Liga occupied two seats, with Real Madrid and Barcelona, while the Bundesliga occupied one seat, with Schalke 04, and there was one dark horse from the Turkish Super League, Fenerbahce.

Serie A was completely wiped out, no longer living up to the glory of the "little World Cup" years, while Ligue 1 still lagged behind.

Real Madrid's quarter-final opponent was Chelsea from the Premier League.