novelraw Chapter 846 - 590: 54 Goals, Widening the Gap by Three Again! "If I Don't Give It, You Can't Take It!
Chapter 846 - 590: 54 Goals, Widening the Gap by Three Again! "If I Don't Give It, You Can't Take It!
The outcome of the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Dortmund was like an unexpected hammer blow, striking fiercely at the hearts of all Real Madrid fans!
Before the match, everyone believed that the Galaxy Battleship Real Madrid, armed with a championship ambition, would surely unleash a storm at Westfalen Stadium.
They imagined Real Madrid securing the victory of the two-legged showdown in the first leg, just like the match between Manchester City and Juventus, dispelling suspense early on.
However, this miraculous sport of football validates the saying—football is round.
On this grasse pitch, anything is possible, often resulting in jaw-dropping outcomes!
The final score of the match was 2 to 0!
This was Real Madrid's first loss in this season's Champions League.
Not only did Real Madrid fail to exhibit a stormy momentum, but they also played in an extremely embarrassed manner.
Meanwhile, Dortmund, the hosts, played with burning ambition, battling harder as the match wore on.
In the first half, Dortmund's core, Reus, seized the opportunity and scored with a powerful long-range shot past Real Madrid's goalkeeper Courtois, breaking the deadlock.
In the second half, Reus struck again, successfully breaking through Courtois' defense with a set-piece tactic, completing a brilliant double!
When the final whistle blew, the entire Westfalen Stadium was instantly ignited, plunged into a near-frenzied state.
Dortmund's players, some looked up and shouted towards the sky, releasing their inner excitement and joy;
Some raised their arms high, celebrating this hard-earned victory to their heart's content;
Others sprawled directly onto the ground, breathing heavily, relishing every moment of struggle in the match;
Indeed, some rushed straight towards the die-hard fan stands, impatiently taking off their jerseys, hurling them into the air, sharing this glory with the fervent fans!
In stark contrast were the downcast Real Madrid players.
Real Madrid's star player, C Luo, stood there with hands on his hips, gazing quietly at the starry sky above Westfalen Stadium.
Countless camera lenses swiftly focused on him; reporters eager to capture even a trace of his true mental state through his body language and gaze.
Perhaps people silently speculated that with a 0-2 away defeat, such a complete loss seemed to herald Real Madrid's exit, their Champions League journey apparently destined for a full stop here.
Yet, within C Luo's profound gaze, there remained a steadfast light, seemingly declaring to all: Don't worry, back at the Bernabéu, we'll determine the outcome!
After the match ended, C Luo decisively rejected all onsite interview requests from reporters, silently walking back to the player tunnel alone.
This has been a habit developed by C Luo over the years; whenever the team loses, he dislikes being interviewed, nor does he wish to waste words with reporters.
In his long and illustrious top-tier career, C Luo has long understood a truth: On the football field, what truly makes one's words resonate and carry weight is real performance on the pitch!
...
The next day.
At Real Madrid's training ground, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.
Seeing C Luo still sullen, his friend Marcelo was full of concern, stepping forward to gently comfort:
"You've done really well, Cristiano; it wasn't just your problem; our whole team didn't play well in that match."
Hearing Marcelo's words, C Luo did not immediately respond directly.
He slightly frowned, a persistent look in his eyes, continuously emphasizing: "Do you feel fear? No, I do not feel fear; on the contrary, I am excited, because we've been forced to the edge of a cliff. In dire straits, I firmly believe we can make a comeback at the Bernabéu. I've experienced many seemingly desperate matches; I have this confidence, strong confidence!"
Saying this, C Luo suddenly lifted his head, his gaze sharp, staring intently at Marcelo, asking:
"Do you have confidence?"
Seeing C Luo's aggressive gaze, Marcelo couldn't help but tremble.
He has worked alongside C Luo at Real Madrid for many years, witnessing countless times the indomitable look from this Portuguese on the field, but never like today.
C Luo's gaze was like an incredibly sharp sword, straight and stabbing, seemingly forcing Marcelo into a corner, leaving him nowhere to hide.
Under C Luo's gaze, Marcelo even felt an illusion, thinking he was bare all over, with nowhere to hide.
Marcelo steadied himself, then sincerely said: "I do, as long as you have confidence, we have confidence."
"If you have confidence, then defend me well!"
As soon as C Luo finished speaking, he swiftly dribbled towards Marcelo.
At this moment, within Real Madrid, a 1v1 dribbling training was taking place.
On the field, C Luo and Marcelo stood on the same side, and in private, the two were close friends.
Yet once on the training ground, they always tacitly became opponents in offense-defense confrontations.
Seeing this, Marcelo immediately lowered his center of gravity, eyes wide open, staring tightly at C Luo's footsteps, not daring to be careless.