Chapter 593: Double Setback

Chapter 593: Double Setback

At the end of October, Real Madrid's journey in the Copa del Rey officially began. Although they were the defending champions from the previous season, due to the continuous injuries, the coaching staff and the club decided strategically to abandon the somewhat redundant domestic cup competition and focus on developing young players.

As a result, key players such as Wang Feng, Casillas, Ramos, Modric, and Arbeloa did not appear in the squad list. However, since the Copa del Rey regulations require more than 7 first-team players to be included, some key players still had to make the effort to travel to challenge Segunda B side Ejea.

With goals from Denis and Nacho, the Galacticos eventually defeated their opponents 2-1. Regardless, it was still challenging for third-tier league teams to pose a threat to them.

On November 4th, in the 10th round of La Liga, Real Madrid faced Zaragoza away.

In historical clashes, the Galacticos had an absolute advantage, and after the start of the match, the away team quickly found their rhythm, frequently launching rapid attacks to threaten the home team's goal.

In less than 15 minutes, they had already earned three corner kick opportunities. As the saying goes, third time's the charm. In the 18th minute, when Real Madrid won their fourth corner kick, Wang Feng delivered it into the penalty area. From a distance of 10 meters, Albiol's header shot was blocked by Zaragoza goalkeeper Roberto but the ball's momentum remained and deflected into the net, making it 1-0!

Just five minutes later, the away team extended their lead. Callejón's shot from a narrow angle in the penalty area was saved by the goalkeeper, but he quickly followed up to score from the rebound.

As the game reached the 43rd minute, Wang Feng made a steal in the backfield and then initiated a quick counter-attack with a solo run. Spotting Morata in a more advanced and threatening position, he promptly delivered a through ball.

The Spanish forward swiftly launched into the penalty area, evaded Roberto's tackle, and slotted the ball into the empty net to score, securing victory before halftime.

In the second half, the Chinese superstar attempted several long-range shots from outside the penalty area. Fortunately, one of them rebounded off the pitch and deflected past the Zaragoza goalkeeper's outstretched hand into the goal.

This was Wang Feng's seventh league goal of the season, making him the midfielder with the most goals in La Liga. Soon after, Ancelotti began rotating the lineup in preparation for the upcoming Champions League group stage matches.

The score remained 4-0 until the end of the game, with Real Madrid continuing to closely pursue the leading group.

Time passed slowly, and the restless Bernabéu once again prayed for their emperor to descend, but Wang Feng was still unable to be everywhere, almost exhausting all his mental energy on defense.

It wasn't until the 88th minute that an opportunity finally arrived. Ramos intercepted the ball in the backfield and passed it to the Chinese superstar, who then carried the ball towards the opponent's half. Using quick steps, he dribbled past Kehl and changed direction to shake off Schmelzer, before teasing Hummels.

He dribbled past three players over a distance of more than 40 meters! The stands erupted into cheers. As long as he entered the penalty area, there was no doubt about Wang Feng's ability; he would surely bring a goal!

Of course, the opponents were aware of this too. Subotic made a desperate attempt to defend from the side, his mind blank except for the determination to stop the opponent.

So the Serbian defender decisively tackled Wang Feng, bringing him down, causing an uproar in the stands. A barrage of boos rained down on Subotic, and the referee quickly arrived, brandishing a red card and sending him off because he was the last defender.

Real Madrid missed a great scoring opportunity, but won a free kick from 25 meters out from the opponent's goal. It was without a doubt that Wang Feng would take it!

The Chinese superstar adjusted his leg guard, stood up under Ramos's support, and said, "Are you okay? That foul just now was very dangerous." The Spaniard asked with concern.

"No problem, even if the opponent doesn't want it, I will still put the ball into their goal!"

Taking a deep breath, Wang Feng placed the ball on the penalty spot and slowly stepped back. Each step recalled countless times of free-kick goals, clear and vivid.

Run-up, shot! The ball formed a new moon in the air, bypassing the wall and rapidly curling back. The renowned Weidenfeller finally witnessed the power of the crescent moon scythe. Despite clearly deviating far from the goal frame, the ball miraculously curved back!

"Swish!" The ball brushed past the goalkeeper's fingertips and thundered into the top left corner of the goal!

With this goal just before the final whistle, Real Madrid ultimately drew 2-2 with Borussia Dortmund, still ranking second in the group.

Similarly, Barcelona encountered a setback. Despite having won three consecutive matches previously, victory over Celtic would have secured their early qualification. However, they were reversed 1-2.

What's worse, the Catalan team had an overwhelming 84% possession throughout the match, while the opponent only had a pitiful 16%. The discourse of possession being useless resurfaced for a moment; efficiency was the key to victory.