Chapter 397: Chapter 50: Chen, Struggling Alone? (Part 2)

Naturally, Real Madrid is not short of money, and Pellegrini’s remarks, in another sense, could be understood as saying that Villa is not worth that much.

Of course, the most surprising thing is Pellegrini’s tough tone. After Kaka’s “injury absence,” many experts confidently said that Valencia might win at home!

Since Pellegrini stepped up, Valencia’s head coach Emery naturally wouldn’t back down either. He came to Valencia from Almeria, hoping to realize his ambitions through the platform of Valencia.

Last season, despite financial difficulties and even delays in player salaries, he led Valencia to become third in the league and successfully entered the Champions League. This season, although they lost Albiol,

David Navarro, who returned from a loan at Mallorca, perfectly replaced Albiol this season.

This center-back, who once gained fame for kicking Inter players in the Champions League, is also full of fighting spirit. Before the match, he declared, “If any team is afraid of this match, it’s definitely Real Madrid!”

This also sparked a lot of media interest in Mata, wanting to know the views of Valencia’s current front-line core, who came from Real Madrid’s youth academy and was denied promotion to the first team in the summer of 2007.

However, Mata appeared very calm in front of the cameras, saying, “I have no desire for revenge against Real Madrid.”

“But as a player of Valencia, I hope Valencia can win.”

The media loves to stir up antagonistic emotions between the two teams, but Emery didn’t fan the flames as the media wished. Instead, he coolly stated, “Real Madrid is now at the top of the league.”

“We are challengers, and in our home, we will get the points we deserve.”

“I once worked with Negredo at Almeria, but in Valencia, if I had to choose between Negredo and Villa,”

“I would choose Villa.”

“Of course, Negredo is also an excellent player, but Villa is more suitable for the team’s current tactics.”

Emery’s comments ended the “debate” between the two teams, but the reporters were obviously reluctant to let the buzz fade away, so they started discussing the impact of Kaka’s absence on Real Madrid.

Among them, Chen Zhong’s long-pass ability this season was a key point of discussion.

Since returning from Milan, Chen Zhong has developed a variety of skills, with long shots and long passes being the fans’ favorites.

Compared to Chen Zhong’s powerful shooting, his long passes could only work precisely with Kaka’s positioning and cooperation, so Kaka’s absence was analyzed by the media as Chen Zhong’s long passes being “blocked.”

Some even directly said that Chen Zhong was “a single tree unable to make a forest.”

And online, many people started to “critique” Chen Zhong.

[Chen’s passing skill has always been limited. A truly great passer guides players’ movements.]

[Without Kaka’s outstanding movement and positioning, Chen Zhong’s long passes are just big clearances by a defensive player!]

[Honestly, I have never been optimistic about Chen. I think Chen should honestly play as a defensive player in the backfield.]

[A Chen appearing in the football desert of the East? Is he really that much of a genius? I think he’s just being hyped.]

[Just for the Eastern market! After scoring a few long shots, the entire team revolves around him. If it were Cristiano, I think he would have scored more goals and done better.]

[He doesn’t deserve his current salary; Messi is stronger than him.]

…

Despite Chen Zhong’s outstanding performance this season and winning the Golden Boy Award, no matter how excellent a player you are, there will always be people dissatisfied with you. Just like Ronaldo, maybe over time, some will also talk about his honors, claiming he was just hyped up.

As Chen Zhong becomes more well-known, naturally, there are those who like him, dislike him, or feel indifferent.

He is not “money”; he cannot be liked by everyone. Even money itself, some people say, “I don’t like money, I’ve never touched money.”

Luckily, time is fluid.

Matchday has arrived soon.

Whether those who doubt, ridicule, and try to find fault with Chen Zhong in this match, whether they start a celebration or leave disappointed, depends on how Chen Zhong performs in the match.

“Dear audience!”

“Now broadcasting live for you is the 14th round of the La Liga.”

“The match between Valencia at home against Real Madrid.”

“In this match, Valencia is fielding their main lineup.”

“Villa, Silva, Mata, and other players are ready to go!”

“And for Real Madrid’s side, Kaka is absent due to injury, and Callejon replaces Kaka’s position.”

“Before the game, both teams had been boasting, each full of fighting spirit!”

As the commentary continued, players from both teams entered the field in an orderly manner. When the names of Valencia players were announced on the broadcast, there were rounds of applause and cheers.

However, when Real Madrid players took to the field, each name announced was met with boos from Valencia fans.

Especially when the announcement reached Chen Zhong and Albiol, the boos became even sharper.

Even as Chen Zhong walked out of the players’ tunnel, he could clearly hear some extreme Valencia fans hurling loud curses from both sides.

Cristiano Ronaldo looked a bit uneasy at Chen Zhong. You have to know, usually, the player subjected to such treatment is often a key player of the team.

The fans were attempting to influence the opponent’s performance and mentality in this way.

But now…

Valencia’s fans seemed more focused on Chen Zhong.

Chen Zhong noticed Cristiano Ronaldo’s gaze and smiled, mistaking it for C. Ronaldo’s concern for him. However, he had gotten used to these insults since the first season he played for Real Madrid.

He even saw it as a form of motivation.

The louder you curse, the harder I’ll play on the field.

After a series of ceremonies, Valencia won the kickoff.

“Valencia with the kickoff.”

“Very calm ball control.”

“Emery clearly has studied Real Madrid.”

“He did not attack hastily, patiently keeping the ball at their feet, waiting for Real Madrid to show a flaw first!”

Before the match, Valencia ramped up their rhetoric fiercely, almost proclaiming themselves and Barcelona as the only heroes of the world.

But this performance during the match made Real Madrid fans laugh.

They thought Valencia would be much stauncher!

But what was the result?

Just this?

As Mata took the ball on the wing only to be intercepted by a Real Madrid player and pass it back, booing could be heard in the stands of the Mestalla Stadium.

This was from the Real Madrid fans.

And this action also aroused dissatisfaction among Valencia fans.

In our home stadium, can we let you be “arrogant”?

On the field, both teams were still probing, but in the stands, the fans of both teams were already organizing “confrontations.”

“Attention!”

Chen Zhong shouted loudly while pointing at David Silva’s position and then leaned towards Villa.

Valencia’s main attacking strategy revolves around the small coordination of David Silva, Villa, and Mata. As long as these three are locked down, Real Madrid can take whatever punches they throw, while Valencia might not withstand Real Madrid’s counterattack.

Emery clearly realized this, which is why he was so cautious in this match.

However, this Spanish coach clearly isn’t a “blockhead” either; he soon found a way to break through.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep