Chapter 677
The 6-time champion has already won 5 titles, and the Champions League final begins.
For the next 20 minutes or so, Sevilla launched a furious counterattack, trying to equalize the score.
However, the lineup they fielded was designed for counter-attacking, and its offensive power was far less than their usual lineup.
Sevilla not only failed to equalize, but Real Madrid also seized the opportunity to score again on the counter-attack.
Real Madrid's counter-attack, from initiation to goal, only required three passes, which was very concise and efficient. It was as if they were teaching Sevilla how to play a real counter-attacking game!
Ultimately, thanks to two goals in the second half, Real Madrid defeated Sevilla 2-0, lifting the Copa del Rey trophy again after 18 years!
This is Real Madrid's fifth trophy this season, just one more away from a sextuple!
After winning the championship, Real Madrid simply held a brief celebration on the field before immediately boarding a bus back to Madrid.
Three days later, they will face Barcelona in a crucial match at the Bernabéu Stadium!
This is Real Madrid's last game of the season, and also their most important game of the season!
……
"Go Lin Ge! Although we can't be there to cheer you on, we'll be cheering for you in front of the TV!"
"Brother Lin is awesome! Bring back a six-time champion and show everyone what he's made of!"
"We're all waiting for you, hurry up and finish this game so we can all have some fun together back home!"
Upon learning that Real Madrid had made it to the final, the Chinese national youth team's chat group, which had been quiet for a long time, started to get lively again.
Gao Lin, Cui Peng, and others cheered for Lin Feng in the group chat.
By the end of May, most of the top five European football leagues had concluded.
However, with the World Cup just around the corner, Gao Lin and others didn't have much time to rest. After the league ended, they rushed back to the national team to report for duty.
At this point, apart from a few national team players such as Lin Feng and Feng Xiaoting, the national team's roster was basically complete.
However, because Lin Feng, the absolute core player, is missing, many tactics cannot be practiced.
"Hey, hey, hey, you guys are all so busy wishing Brother Lin well, what about me?"
Feng Xiaoting sent an angry emoji.
"Haha, then we wish you and Brother Lin both the best of luck in winning the championship, is that alright?"
"Come on, there can only be one champion. Lin and I aren't even on the same team, how could we both win the championship? You're not even this perfunctory, you're not putting in any effort at all!"
"Little Feng, I support you taking down Brother Lin and becoming the boss yourself!"
Gao Lin, not wanting to miss out on the excitement, actually started fanning the flames.
"Who are you calling Xiao Feng? You son of a bitch, have you forgotten that I'm older than you? You have no respect for elders!"
Besides, me knocking out Brother Lin? Do you think I have that ability?
Although Feng Xiaoting has made it into Barcelona's 18-man squad, it's uncertain whether he will actually play.
Guardiola clearly trusts Pique, who came through the La Masia youth academy, more, and Pique's performance this season has indeed been good, which has led to Feng Xiaoting's playing time being further reduced.
He has already decided that after this season, he plans to transfer and find a team with less competition.
Although Barcelona offers a better platform and I have indeed learned a lot here, it's not good to always be sitting on the bench.
He is 25 years old this year, in the prime of his career. Such precious youth cannot continue to be wasted like this.
……
Three days have passed in the blink of an eye!
The day of the Champions League final is fast approaching!
Is this still the Bernabéu we know? Why does it feel so unfamiliar?
During the pre-match training session, Real Madrid players seemed somewhat unfamiliar with the changes to the Bernabéu Stadium.
Even Lin Feng was a little dazed. He had been playing here for several years and was already used to all sorts of Real Madrid-style logos.
But all of these things are gone today.
Although the Bernabéu is Real Madrid's home ground, there is no concept of home ground in the Champions League final.
The Bernabéu Stadium was taken over by UEFA two weeks before the match, and after two weeks of renovations, it has been completely transformed into a neutral stadium.
Real Madrid flags, various promotional slogans, and the stands of die-hard fans are all gone.
Real Madrid were also unlucky enough to be drawn as the away team, which meant they couldn't use the home team's locker room that they always used!
Although UEFA has made every effort to become more neutral, Real Madrid still gained a slight advantage.
After all, this is the Bernabéu, and this is Madrid.
Even if Real Madrid fans receive the same number of tickets as Barcelona fans, the large number of neutral tickets will definitely benefit the Madrid fans who have the advantage of proximity.
The Madrid fans who came to watch this match were undoubtedly die-hard Real Madrid supporters.
So even though there isn't a dedicated stand for die-hard fans, the sheer number of people here can still make this place feel like Real Madrid's home ground again!
This was evident from the way the players entered the field to warm up.
The cheers for Real Madrid players were noticeably louder than those for Barcelona players next door.
Guardiola stood on the sidelines, his brow furrowing involuntarily.
This is hardly a neutral stadium; it's clearly the opposing team's home ground!
This was his first time leading a team in the Champions League final, and he never expected to encounter such a once-in-a-lifetime situation.
How did those guys at UEFA come up with the idea of making Real Madrid's home stadium the venue for the Champions League final?
Although the venue for the final was determined before the start of the season, given Real Madrid's strength at the time, wasn't it highly probable that they would make it to the final?
Therefore, this arrangement was unreasonable from the start!
That being said, if the match had been originally scheduled to take place at Camp Nou, Guardiola would probably have given a different explanation.
Although they are at a disadvantage on the pitch, Barcelona has an advantage in terms of physical fitness.
Real Madrid had just finished playing the Copa del Rey final, and the match wasn't decided until the second half, which must have taken a toll on the players' stamina.
Three days may not be enough for them to fully recover.
Therefore, Barcelona may have a significant advantage in terms of physical fitness in this match, and they may be able to use this advantage to their advantage once the match begins.
He's already lost to Mourinho for two years and doesn't want to lose again!
This time, he must defeat Mourinho at the Bernabéu Stadium, in front of hundreds of millions of viewers around the world, and lift the championship trophy that he and his disciples have been dreaming of!
……
This is not the first time the team has participated in the Champions League final. Reaching the final for three consecutive years has made Real Madrid players extremely calm when facing the final.
Inside the locker room, everyone quietly organized their belongings.
Ramos and Pepe were playfully bickering, while Lin Feng and Ronaldo were both wearing headphones and listening to music, occasionally exchanging a few words and sharing their playlists.
Seeing that everyone was so relaxed, Mourinho didn't give a pre-match pep talk, feeling it was unnecessary.
The team is in very good form right now. Apart from a few young players like Di Maria, who are making their first appearance in the Champions League final and are a little uneasy, the other veterans are very calm.
Seemingly noticing the nervousness of several young players, captain Raul stepped forward to comfort them:
"Don't be nervous, just treat it like a normal game."
Barcelona is a familiar opponent to us. We've already figured out their strength and style in the league, so there's no need to be afraid, much less scare ourselves! "Besides, we have Lin and Ronaldo, how could we possibly lose?"
Although this may be his last game for Real Madrid, as captain, he is still fulfilling his duties conscientiously.
"Thank you, Captain!"
The group was initially a little nervous, but after hearing Raul's words, they felt much more at ease.
Especially when Raul mentioned Lin Feng and Ronaldo, the two of them instantly felt reassured, and their tense emotions vanished.
The seasoned veterans at Real Madrid weren't nervous, but the players at Barcelona were incredibly nervous.
Apart from a few veterans from the Dream Team II era, most of the new players in this Barcelona team have no experience participating in the Champions League final.
Adding to their tension was the fact that their opponent was Real Madrid, a nemesis of their team.
In the past three years, Barcelona and Real Madrid have faced each other 10 times, with Barcelona winning only once.
With such a low win rate, who wouldn't be nervous?
clap clap clap!
Guardiola clapped his hands loudly, attracting the attention of his teammates.
"Listen up, guys, here's how we're setting up this game..."
……
"CCTV! CCTV!"
"Dear viewers, you are now watching the live broadcast of the 2009-2010 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Barcelona!"
The classic opening line echoed in the CCTV studio: today's commentary would once again be provided by Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu, two duo beloved by fans.
The match began just as the two coaches finished introducing their respective starting lineups.
Barcelona gave Real Madrid a rude awakening within the first minute.
Maxwell delivered a cross from the left wing, but the pass was poor, ending up behind Ibrahimovic.
For an average person, they might only be able to turn around to protect the ball, pass it back to a teammate following up in the middle to shoot, or reorganize the attack.
But who is Ibrahimovic?
He then lifted his long leg back and attempted a "scorpion kick" shot from 6 meters in front of the goal, but failed to reach the ball due to Thiago Silva's interference.
"Is this a tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo? Ronaldo seems to have used a similar tactic in a match not long ago!"
"Hehe, probably not. This kind of move might be difficult for the average person, but for someone with Ibrahimovic's long legs, using the scorpion kick is very simple and quite threatening. If Real Madrid's defenders hadn't reacted in time, and he had actually completed the shot, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
Zhang Lu appeared to be praising Ibrahimovic, but he actually admired Thiago Silva's performance even more.
Real Madrid really struck gold!
This young Brazilian player has been improving since joining Real Madrid last season.
While he might not claim to be the strongest center-back in the top five European leagues, he is certainly one of the strongest.
It is said that AC Milan of Serie A was the first to be interested in him, but Real Madrid snatched him away.
If AC Milan had known that Thiago Silva was developing so quickly, I wonder if they would have spent a lot of money to snatch him from Real Madrid?
In the opening stages, Barcelona's attack was indeed more proactive and aggressive.
In the 6th minute, Messi broke through to the edge of the penalty area and was brought down by his national team teammate Mascherano.
The referee awarded Barcelona a free kick, which Messi chose to take himself.
Compared to two years ago, Messi's free-kick skills have improved significantly.
But even with Iker Casillas, the world's best goalkeeper at the time, Messi's free kicks still couldn't get past his outstretched fingers.
Real Madrid launched their first threatening attack in the 10th minute of the match.
After a few leisurely passes between Lin Feng and his teammates, including Xabi Alonso, in midfield, Lin Feng suddenly accelerated and delivered a long, over-the-top pass to Higuain in the attacking third.
The young player received the ball and was in a one-on-one situation, but the whistle suddenly blew and the linesman raised his flag at the same time.
Television replays showed that it was a good play; Higuain was not offside when Lin Feng made the pass.
After playing the replay of the goal, the on-site director switched the camera back to UEFA President Platini, who was in the stadium watching the game, giving him a meaningful close-up.
"What a pity, that goal was disallowed!"
"Yes, if the goal hadn't been disallowed, Real Madrid would likely have scored!"
Both commentators felt sorry for Real Madrid.
In the era before Hawk-Eye and VAR, referees had no choice but to accept incorrect calls and appeal after the game; there was no way to fight back during the game.
Anyone who dares to resist will be seen as challenging the referee's authority and may receive a card, or even be ejected from the game.
Fortunately, the Real Madrid players on the field were unaware that they had been wronged. Higuain thought he was really offside and immediately gave Lin Feng an apologetic gesture.
If it's truly offside, the player who made the pass should bear more responsibility.
As Real Madrid gradually found their rhythm, the game became increasingly tense.
Barcelona continues to try to control possession and use their familiar passing and possession tactics to deal with Real Madrid.
However, Real Madrid's midfield lineup is no worse than their opponents', so they naturally wouldn't willingly relinquish the initiative.
Both sides engaged in fierce competition and tackles for control of the midfield, and the number of fouls committed by both teams gradually increased.
In the 18th minute, Lin Feng was penalized for a foul while challenging Keita in the attacking third.
This ruling made Lin Feng frown, feeling that there seemed to be something wrong with the referee's whistle.
Keita is shorter and lighter than me, and he had already lost his balance while being carried by me, so he had no choice but to pull me from behind, which was a foul.
The referee actually called a foul on himself, which is quite baffling.
However, Lin Feng controlled his emotions and did not make any rash moves such as venting his frustration by playing football or complaining to the referee.
If you do that now, you'll really be fooled.
The opponent gives you a yellow card in return, and you can't find any fault with it.
With the help of the referee's whistle, Barcelona gradually gained the upper hand in the midfield battles.
In the 21st minute, Xavi crossed the ball from the middle, but Ibrahimovic's header in front of the goal failed to reach it.
Real Madrid launched a counter-attack, and Lin Feng delivered a precise through ball to Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo dribbled past Pique, who was pressing him, from 20 meters out, and unleashed a powerful shot, but it was brilliantly saved by Valdes.
Higuain, following up, fired a follow-up shot from a tight angle six meters from the goal, but it went wide again, Real Madrid missing a golden scoring opportunity. (End of Chapter)