Free Web NovelChapter 505: Chapter 102: Winning Streak! Another Hat-trick! The World’s Number 3! He Can Really Do Whatever He Wants
1-0!
After the second half began, Benfica unleashed a fierce offensive.
But in the 53rd minute, a quick counter-attack from Dortmund saw Wang Shuo drift to the left wing. He linked up with Reus and Schmelzer, and Schmelzer delivered a cross in front of the goal.
Götze made a late run and scored with an easy tap-in.
2-0!
Then, in the 73rd minute, Wang Shuo stole the ball from Luizo upfield.
After winning possession, Wang Shuo shook off Luizo’s foul, chased down the ball, and broke into the right side of the penalty area before squaring it across the face of the goal.
Reus followed up with an easy tap-in, sealing the score at 3-0!
But four minutes later, Santana fouled Saviola during a defensive play, conceding a penalty.
In the end, Dortmund defeated Benfica 3-1 at home!
With a goal and an assist, Wang Shuo was named man of the match!
...
「Afternoon, October 3rd. Westfalen Stadium, Dortmund.」
It had always been a tradition for Bayern Munich’s top brass to travel with the team for away matches.
As the most football-savvy management team in the world, Rummenigge, Hennes, and the others always maintained tight control over the team.
But for the away match against Dortmund, Rummenigge had not made the trip.
Only Hennes and Sporting Director Nillinger had accompanied the team.
The Bayern executives were warmly received by Laubal, Watzke, Zorc, and their colleagues.
Although it was only early October, Hennes was still wearing a red scarf, which made him stand out in the stands.
Compared to a full-strength Dortmund, Bayern came into the match plagued by injuries.
Goalkeeper: Butt;
Defense: Blavheide, Badstuber, Van Bitten, and Lahm;
Midfield: Planic and Gustavo as a double pivot, with Tony Kroos, Schweinsteiger, and Thomas Müller ahead of them;
Striker: Gomez.
The absence of Ribery and Robben had a huge impact on Van Gaal’s lineup and tactics.
The midfield was another issue.
After Tony Kroos’s return from Bayer Leverkusen, Van Gaal was uncertain about how to best utilize him.
The talented midfielder had been outstanding as a left midfielder in Pharmacy’s 4-4-2 formation.
But in Bayern’s 4-2-3-1 formation, there was no such position.
Schweinsteiger’s role was another difficult decision for Van Gaal.
In their previous match against Dortmund, Klopp’s team had specifically targeted Schweinsteiger with their pressing, completely dismantling Bayern’s play.
The experience had left Van Gaal with a psychological shadow.
So for this match, he pulled a surprise move, deploying Planic and Gustavo as a double pivot, playing Xiao Zhu in the number 10 role, and positioning Tony Kroos on the left.
"Van Gaal still wants to fight for possession!"
Hennes had guessed Van Gaal’s intentions.
Dortmund excelled at high pressing and fast-paced transitions.
If they allowed Dortmund to seize possession and dictate a fast tempo, it would be disastrous for a Bayern side missing both Ribery and Robben. They would be at a significant disadvantage.
That’s why Van Gaal wanted to control possession and slow the tempo down.
"But the biggest threat is still Wang Shuo!" Nillinger said, frowning.
Hennes sighed, his eyes full of regret.
’Was signing Gomez a mistake?’
’Definitely not!’
’But when you compared him to Wang Shuo, it was a terrible mistake.’
Hennes still clearly remembered it. Back when Wang Shuo was at Mainz, Beckenbauer had urged them to seriously consider signing him. He had even been adamant that Wang Shuo would become the fourth-best player in the world, after Ronaldo, Messi, and Kaka.
At the time, Rummenigge hadn’t believed it, and Hennes himself had been skeptical.
’And now?’
’Fourth-best player in the world? Far from it.’
After Kaka’s injury following the World Cup in South Africa, his form had taken a sharp decline. Meanwhile, Wang Shuo’s fame had skyrocketed thanks to the "King of Football" wager, and his star power was now even rivaling that of Ronaldo and Messi.
In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Wang Shuo the third-best player in the world.
The only thing holding him back was the platform of the Bundesliga!
"If we had signed Wang Shuo back then, things would be completely different now," Hennes lamented.
But in this world, there are no do-overs.
Although Wang Shuo had a €60 million release clause with Dortmund, his annual salary was a hefty €8 million.
Bayern had the financial means to sign him.
The problem was that signing Wang Shuo would create even more internal issues at Bayern.
For instance, there was the matter of Ribery and Robben.
Once the wage structure was broken, it would lead to a host of problems.
Unless Bayern was willing to sell Ribery.
"I heard the European Sports Media Alliance has officially notified Dortmund that they’re coming in two days to present an award to Wang Shuo for his 36 goals in a single season!" As Nillinger spoke, he couldn’t help but laugh.
"Given his momentum this season, I’d say Gaid’s 40-goal record is in serious jeopardy."
Hennes knew it all too well.
Fifteen goals in the first six matches—it was absolutely the most astonishing scoring record in Bundesliga history.
The European Sports Media Alliance was coming to Dortmund to present last season’s European Golden Boot Award.
The European Golden Boot Award was originally created by France Football Magazine in 1967, but after it was discontinued, it was taken over and revived by the European Sports Media Alliance.
But they didn’t hold a grand ceremony; instead, they presented the award directly at the winner’s club.
The last time a Bundesliga player won the European Golden Boot Award was when Gerd Müller scored his 40 goals in a single season.
That was nearly forty years ago.
"And that’s not the only piece of good news for Wang Shuo," Hennes said, his voice thick with envy.
