Football: Starting with the Crescent Moon Slash

Chapter 89 Turmoil

Since April, time seems to have been sped up, with the league and Champions League running in parallel. Even after winning the El Clásico and returning to the top of the standings, Real Madrid's players still face considerable pressure.

The transfer rumors surrounding Jiang Yan gradually subsided, and the atmosphere within Real Madrid was strangely peaceful.

Jiang Yan continued to play in the following matches as usual.

A few days later.

At the Volkswagen Arena, Real Madrid travels to Germany to face Wolfsburg.

"Zhuangdianertai, Zhuangdianertai! Welcome to the Volkswagen Arena to watch the Champions League match between Wolfsburg and Real Madrid."

"The first half of the match must have been unbelievable for many fans, as Wolfsburg actually took a 2-0 lead!"

"German international Julian Draxler, the team's key attacker, has scored a goal."

"Another national team player, André Schürrle, although he was marked by Jiang Yan and barely touched the ball, still managed to break through Real Madrid's goal with a penalty kick."

"Not only the forwards, but also the defenders, Naldo and Gustavo, performed brilliantly."

"Compared to Wolfsburg, Real Madrid, exhausted from the El Clásico four days prior, played so passively in this match!"

[No way, is our team going to lose?]

[2-0, Wolfsburg is so strong this season!?]

[What a huge upset! I knew William Hill's 1.44 line was a no-go!!! Why couldn't I believe it?!]

Wolfsburg missed out on a top-six finish this season and have no relegation pressure, so they'll definitely be pinning all their hopes on the Champions League, unlike Real Madrid, who face immense pressure in La Liga!

[After all, this is the opponent's home ground. Let's see if we can find a way to pull one back in the second half. The game won't be truly over until we get back to the Bernabéu.]

……

In the second half, Wolfsburg continued their attack.

Real Madrid were forced to defend in a low press.

At the start of the second half, Benitez substituted Isco and Casemiro for Modric and Kroos.

"Benitez has made two substitutions; it seems he's going to make one last stand against Wolfsburg!"

"Draxler!"

"Jiang Yan intercepted the ball!"

"This striker, who has been constantly linked with Paris Saint-Germain, was utterly helpless against Jiang Yan!"

"Long pass!"

boom!

Jiang Yan delivered a long, leaf-like pass that found Cristiano Ronaldo in the attacking third.

Cristiano Ronaldo dribbles to the wing.

Wolfsburg's pursuit was very fast.

Facing Naldo, who had performed well in the first half, he simply controlled the ball repeatedly and outmaneuvered him.

In the first half, Ronaldo was out of form and his shooting touch was off, causing him to miss many excellent opportunities. Even so, it was wishful thinking for Naldo to defend Ronaldo one-on-one.

Naldo, who was beaten, truly experienced what it means to be a world-class player.

All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo as he cut inside.

"Cristiano Ronaldo's consecutive stepovers!"

"A disguised form of..."

"It's created some space!"

"Break the door!"

boom!

Wolfsburg's goalkeeper Castells leaped into the air and punched the ball away.

"Oh dear! What a pity!"

Before Zhan Jun could finish speaking, the director's camera had already focused on Jiang Yan at the top of the penalty area.

"Jiang Yan! A clever move! There's no open space in front of him!"

Facing the incoming ball, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

boom!

With a loud bang, the ball flew like a cannonball into the top corner of the goal.

Goal!

"Another powerful shot to the goal!!"

Real Madrid pulls back!

……

Even though Jiang Yan pulled one back, Real Madrid's momentum had already shifted, and after half a season, they tasted defeat once again.

Real Madrid suffered a 1-2 defeat at the Volkswagen Arena.

At the post-match press conference, Benitez remained remarkably calm in the face of reporters' tricky questions:

There is an old Chinese saying: "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; one defeat does not mean anything."

"As you can see, my team has delivered a result that satisfies the fans this season."

"Back at the Bernabéu, we'll get back to form and show no mercy."

……

Two days later.

La Liga Round 32.

Real Madrid will host Eibar.

Eibar, founded on November 30, 1940, is a small-town team located in Eibar, Gipuzkoa province, Basque Country, Spain. They were promoted from the Segunda División in the 2013-14 season.

Interestingly, after the promotion, La Liga faced a shortage of funds and had to overcome the crisis by crowdfunding shares from fans worldwide (including a large number of Chinese fans).

The characteristics of this small team are naturally focused on stable operation and avoiding relegation, making them representative of community-based clubs in Spanish football. Their nickname, "Gunsmith," originates from the local traditional arms manufacturing industry.

The white cross on the team emblem symbolizes the local history.

……

At the Bernabéu Stadium, Benítez made numerous personnel changes, with Jiang Yan and the two elders of Xuanming sitting on the bench.

Jesé and young Arbeloa both made their appearances.

In the stands, Real Madrid fans sang their team anthem. After a narrow defeat in the Champions League, they hoped to achieve a resounding victory in the league.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to CCTV5, La Liga Round 32."

"Let's look at today's lineup... Benitez is very bold in his selection! He has Castilla academy players in the forward, midfield, and defense."

"It's worth mentioning that Eibar's starting lineup also includes two players who came through Castilla's youth academy!"

"Castia's blood-regenerating ability is truly terrifying!"

Even so, it will be very difficult for Eibar to take points away from home...

……

The outcome of the match was not in any suspense.

Real Madrid defeated Eibar 4-0.

Cristiano Ronaldo has three goals and one assist, continuing to lead the scoring charts.

The two head coaches shook hands. Benitez looked somewhat haggard, showing no signs of having won a resounding victory.

……

Inside the live stream room.

[Cristiano Ronaldo was involved in 4 goals! It seems even Ronaldo has figured things out since Jiang Yan arrived!]

I thought Suarez would take the top scorer spot this year, but Ronaldo has been amazing!

[The fact that a single bet is being offered even without Jiang Shen (a famous investor) shows it's a trap! I got a 3,000 yuan salary this month, so I went all in on Real Madrid, and now I've turned 3,000 into 5,000!]

[That's all for now, looking forward to the Champions League match in four days!]

……

"Zhuangdianer Station! Zhuangdianer Station! Welcome to the second round of the 15/16 season Champions League quarter-finals."

Real Madrid will host Wolfsburg!

"In the last round, Real Madrid narrowly lost 1-2 to Wolfsburg, suffering their first defeat in the second half of the season, which can be described as a huge upset."

"Real Madrid will definitely avenge their defeat this time back at home."

"Mr. Zhan is right. It's no exaggeration to say that the whole world is watching this match. Will Wolfsburg be able to fight their way to the final like Porto did back then, or will this established powerhouse emerge victorious?"

……

At the pre-match press conference, Benitez was asked about Wolfsburg.

He said with a smile, "Porto? Wolfsburg is a respectable opponent, but we will not be content to be the background. Our key players are full of energy, Ronaldo is in great form, and Jiang Yan has also returned to his peak."

"Cristiano Ronaldo, Jiang Yan, and Navas are the core of our three lines. As long as the three of them are there, defeat will be far away from Real Madrid."

……

Meanwhile, inside the locker room, everyone gathered together to cheer each other on.

Jiang Yan stood at the front of the crowd, his gaze sweeping over Cristiano Ronaldo, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro... these battle-hardened superstars, his expression remaining very calm.

……

"The match has officially begun. Benitez is showing no mercy today, with the BBC trio attacking from the front, and Jiang Yan partnering with Modric and Kroos in midfield."

Bernabéu Stadium.

A sea of white cheers surged in the stands, each shout seeming to warm up for an upcoming goal.

Real Madrid showed their fangs just three minutes into the game.

Modric deftly chipped the ball through the middle, sending it over Wolfsburg's entire defense.

Cristiano Ronaldo made a clever forward run, controlling the ball, turning, and firing a shot in one smooth motion.

"To strike at the mountain and scare the tiger!"

boom! !

The ball grazed the post and went wide of the goal line.

"What a pity!!! That shot was just a hair's breadth away, but Real Madrid's attacking momentum is excellent today!"

Real Madrid's attacks came wave after wave. Ronaldo relentlessly attacked down the left flank, Benzema drew defenders in the penalty area, and Bale used his speed to split the flanks.

15 minutes.

Jiang Yan received the ball in midfield and, facing Gustavo's challenge, gently flicked his toe to get past him on the spot.

"Beautiful ball control! Jiang Yan's midfield control is becoming more and more mature!"

Look up and observe, a precise through ball pierces the defense!

Cristiano Ronaldo beat the offside trap and is one-on-one with the goalkeeper!

"Jiang Yan's pass! Ronaldo is here!!!"

Castells rushed out to block, but Ronaldo calmly slotted the ball into the far corner!

"Goal! Goal! Goal!!!!"

"Jiang Yan's assist! Ronaldo scores with a long-range shot, leveling the aggregate score at 2-2!"

"Not only that, Real Madrid also have a valuable away goal in hand."

"This away goal could be the key to a comeback!"

The entire Bernabéu erupted in cheers! White scarves were waved wildly.

But Real Madrid did not stop their attack.

One goal is far from enough.

Benitez wants a resounding victory, a dominant victory, and a winning streak!

In the 26th minute, Jiang Yan launched another attack from midfield.

He and Kroos played a one-two, and then he suddenly unleashed a long-range shot!

Heavy artillery fire at the door!

The ball, spinning fiercely, hurtled straight into the top right corner of the goal!

"Here we go again! Jiang Yan unleashes a long-range shot from outside the box! A powerful shot that blasts the ball into the goal!"

"2:0!"

Less than half an hour into the first half, Real Madrid led 3-2, taking the lead on aggregate!

"A mere lift of the foot and it's a world-class goal... Professor Zhan Jun, I think we need to redefine the concept of a world-class goal."

Wolfsburg was completely stunned. Draxler attempted several dribbling breakthroughs, but Jiang Yan anticipated them all.

The second half began with the teams switching sides.

Wolfsburg's all-in attack only gave Real Madrid more room to counter-attack.

Jiang Yan used Bell's "Overtaking on a Curve - Soaring Through the Clouds" skill pack to stage a famous scene of overtaking on a curve.

"Jiang Yan! Overtaking in the outside lane! Am I seeing things?"

"Did he learn Bell's secret techniques?!"

Jiang Yan raced all the way to the vicinity of the penalty area, then glanced up at the center of the penalty area.

The optimal route to score has already appeared in his mind.

"Jiang Yan! Begin the inside cut!"

After overtaking on the outside, he didn't slow down at all. With a gentle flick of the outside of his right foot, he cut directly from the wing into the penalty area!

He single-handedly dismantled Wolfsburg's entire defense.

Naldo rushed forward to block, but Jiang Yan paused, his body suddenly sinking, and he made a shooting feint!

The goalkeeper was instantly fooled, and the defenders all stretched out their legs to block.

"Jiang Yan actually has a killer inside-cutting move!"

"A chip shot!"

"They're here!!!!"

"3-0!!! Jiang Yan scores his second goal!"

"4-2 on aggregate!!! Real Madrid kills the game!"

Tens of thousands of fans at the Bernabéu stood up, waving white scarves and flags wildly.

……

Beep—beep beep!!!

The referee blew the final whistle.