Free Web NovelChapter 707: Chapter 10: Monster
In fact, what fans are most looking forward to now is Real Madrid and Barcelona meeting each other in the finals...
staging the "Battle of the Titans".
And judging by the semifinals draw, this isn’t impossible.
Real Madrid VS Sevilla
Barcelona VS Almeria
Given the strength of these two teams, defeating their respective opponents to reach the finals seems not to be a big problem.
...
Although the stands of the Estadio Vicente Calderón weren’t the white ocean of the Bernabeu, but rather a sea of red and white stripes.
Mourinho, however, who was leisurely pacing the sidelines for the entire 90 minutes, was all smiles.
In the post-match interview, Mourinho also gave Chen Zhong high praise, speaking in front of the media: "We all saw what Chen did. He appeared where he was needed and then used his weaker left foot to score a beautiful goal."
"Having him is a blessing. He can meet any requirement, whether it’s defense, organization, breakthroughs, or anything else, he’s practically omnipotent!"
"Unfortunately, for his opponents, when researching Chen, they can’t ignore his left foot anymore."
"Chen has gotten stronger again!"
Mourinho gave Chen Zhong high praise in front of the media, and in the white and red ocean of the Calderon, his gaze, along with the discussions with Francisco beside him, were all about Chen Zhong, Chen Zhong, Chen Zhong.
And coaching Real Madrid in the first season, leading Real Madrid to the semifinals of the King’s Cup, it’s certainly an achievement worth talking about.
Mourinho even had a faint premonition.
Perhaps.
He might achieve the Triple Crown with Real Madrid once more? freewebnoveℓ.com
Whenever he had this thought, he’d tremble uncontrollably with excitement.
This match has also been analyzed by many:
In today’s match, Cristiano Ronaldo no longer played as a shadow forward, as Marcelo shifted forward to the left wing, making Cristiano Ronaldo the sole striker.
Such an arrangement would not hinder, but instead benefit, Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance, especially since this was the tactical system in the Real Madrid match.
Marcelo, adept at breaking through, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, Chen Zhong, and Di Maria, comprised the attacking F4 of the Galaxy Battleship.
At the start of this match, Atletico Madrid used their home advantage to pressure Real Madrid, while Real Madrid countered, threatening the opponent, with Cristiano Ronaldo as the sharp edge of the counterattack.
The Atletico Madrid defenders feared Cristiano Ronaldo’s speed and didn’t dare to press up boldly. With Chen Zhong in Real Madrid, both defense and organization posed challenges for them.
Moreover, once the ball was at Real Madrid’s feet, specifically at Chen Zhong’s feet, Atletico Madrid’s defense found it difficult to have a safety guarantee.
After all, in the 7th minute, when Chen Zhong took the ball in front of the Atletico Madrid penalty area, he faced three defensively embarrassed players rushing up to snatch the ball, yet he easily passed it, a scene that many fans relished.
If Chen Zhong hadn’t used his weak foot, and if Di Maria’s physical contest wasn’t so weak, perhaps a goal would have come sooner than expected.
After withstanding Atletico Madrid’s initial onslaught, the game gradually returned to balance.
Mourinho and Real Madrid also adjusted their strategy.
minutes in!
All-out attack!
And not long after Real Madrid chose to engage in attack, Chen Zhong demonstrated his dominance in the penalty area with a goal.
It was Alonso who coordinated near the big penalty area, Ramos decisively received the diagonal long pass, then opted for a low cross, Cristiano Ronaldo made a dash from the middle, but the ball bypassed him, and finally, Chen Zhong took the ball and scored with his weak foot.
In the following game, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, Chen Zhong, and Di Maria’s front F4 further displayed their power.
Although they didn’t score again, their performance was still notable and commendable.
Many teams began to analyze and dissect their play frame by frame.
As the first half was nearing its end, Cristiano Ronaldo received a short pass from Chen Zhong at the arc of the big penalty area, noticed Di Maria advancing on his right, and cleverly chose a backheel pass, although Di Maria’s breakthrough was thwarted by the opposing defenders, this smooth cooperation showed Cristiano Ronaldo’s increasing importance in Real Madrid’s attack.
Even though he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, in this season’s competition for it, Cristiano Ronaldo was clearly more suited to take the spotlight than Chen.
Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t lag behind at all in this season’s battle with Messi, even maintaining a slight lead.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo experiencing a six-game goalless streak in the new season, he has scored an astonishing 33 goals so far, and he has appeared in 30 matches for Real Madrid, averaging 1.1 goals per game, making any striker other than Messi feel inferior.
While Chen Zhong is the Galaxy Battleship’s top icebreaker, from the data, both forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi still hold the advantage.
However, some choose to believe in Chen Zhong, as he is gradually improving his own data as well.
After the match, some newspapers chose to focus on the pre-match environment.
Before this second leg of the King’s Cup, the uneasy Atletico Madrid fans, controlled by Madrid police, upon seeing Real Madrid’s bus stopping at gate 0 of the Calderon, immediately shouted, "Mourinho, go to hell!" Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was similarly unfriendly to Real Madrid, with the stadium speakers blaring Australian rock band AC/DC’s "Highway To Hell", giving an ominous foreboding.
Of course, there were also discussions about the starting lineup.
Benzema didn’t get a single minute in this match, while Negredo wasn’t even on the list. Cristiano Ronaldo became the center forward, and Marcelo moved to the left.
This unfamiliar Real Madrid certainly made people feel uneasy, and Mourinho didn’t show any indulgence in his response.
"I decide the starting lineup." Mourinho asserted his authority. Many believed he was sending a message to Real Madrid’s general manager Valdano, hoping the latter would not meddle in personnel decisions.
In fact, Mourinho felt that pressure had been on him for months, pushing him to use Benzema.
Just recently, Mourinho and Valdano had disputes over using Benzema. Valdano believed recruiting a number 9 was redundant: "Real Madrid has a number 9 sitting on the bench, we also have Benzema, Morata."
"If the team lacks nothing, it’s goals."
Valdano even defended Benzema: "There’s extreme unfairness towards Benzema. Every time he gets the ball, he’s subjected to scrutiny, but I think Benzema is an excellent player, young, and offers a lot."
Mourinho retorted, saying Valdano didn’t need to use the media as a messenger, he could speak directly to him.
The conflict between Valdano and Mourinho seemed to be intensifying.
Even Chen Zhong heard some rumors, and when someone expressed concerns to him, Chen Zhong always tried to reassure them.
"There’s nothing we can do about it."
Ending a day of training, returning to the room, clearly the team kept winning, but due to the issues between the coach and the general manager, the atmosphere surrounding the team remained unsettling.
Mourinho is capable, but is he really suited for Real Madrid, for long-term coaching here?
This, in essence, is a power struggle between the coach and the general manager, a conflict that inherently exists within the managerial structure of Spanish clubs.
Not only Real Madrid, but even Barcelona faces similar issues, possibly even more seriously.
There are rumors that Guardiola might leave Barcelona...
Chen Zhong pondered while thinking, he didn’t plan to do anything.
Just like the saying that’s recently been circulating in the club...
Coaches come and go, but Chen is here to stay.
