Chapter 543: Blame and questioning

Chapter 543: Blame and questioning

On October 19th, Real Madrid hosted Lyon at the Bernabeu Stadium for the third round of the Champions League group stage.

The two teams had met several times on the European stage in recent years. Perhaps before Wang Feng joined the Galacticos, there was some fear of their opponents, but since the Chinese superstar became the captain, their dominance over Lyon was very evident.

This game was no exception. Right from the start, the home team pressed forward relentlessly amidst the cheers of the fans, leaving no space for the visitors.

"Lyon seems completely powerless to fight back," assistant coach Sanior laughed, and Ancelotti's lips curled up, "Yes, home advantage is one thing, and the pressure from the frontline led by Wang Feng is too much for the opponents."

"He's just turned 28, right?" Sanior nodded, "It's unbelievable. The more we interact with the Chinese superstar, the more we feel that he contains boundless energy within him. People often comment that he's a football king, but I think he has surpassed that title."

"If he can maintain his peak for a few more years, I believe Real Madrid will definitely shock the world!"

As they were talking, there was a change on the field. In the 12th minute, Di Maria received a diagonal pass from Alonso on the right, dribbled past two defenders, and then entered the penalty area, shooting with his left foot.

The powerful shot hit the post and rebounded into the field. In the blink of an eye, Wang Feng, like a god of war, was the first to react, volleying the ball into the net, hitting the top corner of the net.

"Goooooooooooooooal! The goal is in! I said Real Madrid would score sooner or later!"

"They've been attacking Lyon fiercely since the start of the match. After missing several chances in a row, they finally got results. Di Maria's breakthrough shot hit the post, and Wang Feng followed up in time to score."

"It has to be said that the Argentine's technique is good, but his ability to score at crucial moments needs more practice. The reason why the Chinese superstar scores so many goals is that he hardly ever misses good opportunities in front of the goal."

"This not only means superb technique but also signifies strong confidence. As long as I have the chance to kick, I can score, and no one can stop me!"

"Valverde, get out!" While the Bernabeu was filled with sighs of admiration, the Camp Nou was cursing their team's coach with all kinds of words.

What's wrong with Barcelona? Everyone wanted to ask this question. Although they haven't lost a game in 8 rounds, they have had 3 draws, allowing Real Madrid to open up a 3-point lead. With Levante's 3-0 victory over Villarreal, they were overtaken by the poorest team in La Liga and dropped to third on the points table.

No one would deny that the Catalan team would definitely regain the second place in the following matches, but what about the title? A 3-point gap is like a chasm, and they've stumbled here many times.

Moreover, being suppressed by Levante is also a great humiliation for Barcelona. The opponent's budget this season is only 22 million euros, one twentieth of Barcelona's, and the total team salary is only 6.5 million euros, not even one player's salary in Barcelona.

After blaming Ronaldinho, Rijkaard, Eto'o, Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Guardiola, and now Valverde for several years, fans finally turned their attention to Messi.

Why can't he score in every game? Why can't he step up in crucial moments to save the team?

It's quite a coincidence that in three draws this season, Messi didn't score, but in other winning games, he scored in all of them. So, it's easy to associate that it's because the Argentine cannot score that the team cannot win.

ABC used an exaggerated headline to attack him, "Messi is Barcelona's Biggest Cancer!"

The article stated that since the Argentine won the La Liga title in the 04-05 and 05-06 seasons like a leg-hugging man, he hasn't led the team to any honors in the league and Champions League.

"He occupies absolute control over the ball, seemingly omnipotent, with beautiful on-field performances and post-match ratings, but the team loses the game."

"People often compare him with Wang Feng, but in the author's opinion, it's like heaven and earth. If he's really so powerful, he should at least win crucial games and lead the team to win three consecutive league titles or three consecutive Champions League titles."

With someone taking the lead, the overwhelming questioning towards Messi swept in, even Mundo Deportivo and Sport did not defend him anymore, but instead, faintly expressed reproach.

Cruyff wrote in his column, "Messi is already 24 years old this year. As the core, he needs to bear the responsibility for the team's results. Whether it's winning or losing, he's the first person to bear the brunt."

Faced with public pressure, the Argentine felt overwhelmed, and even considered fleeing Barcelona. Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, and other good friends have been comforting him.

"This is too extreme. It's everyone's responsibility that the team didn't win the game. Why blame it all on one person?" Iniesta said indignantly.