Stumbling

"Oh, the French referee Raims blew the final whistle of the game. It's a pity that Real Madrid, led by our Chinese superstar, fought for 90 minutes but ultimately lost 2-3 to Shakhtar Donetsk, missing out on defending the UEFA Super Cup."

"This isn't a good sign because just a few days ago, they suffered two defeats in the Spanish Super Cup and now they've lost to a Ukrainian team that's not as strong as them. It's adding insult to injury."

"Yes, most of the Real Madrid players were off their game in this match, especially in the midfield and defense. Ashley Cole, Pepe, and Diarra, three veterans, need to take the main responsibility, conceding three goals consecutively."

"The only consolation is that Wang Feng scored twice in this game. His form seems to be improving, but it wasn't enough to save the team."

"Now we're seeing the replay of all five goals. Shakhtar Donetsk forward Agahowa received a through pass from Kobin in the penalty area and scored to give his team the lead."

"Soon after, they combined again, with Kobin sending a reverse pass from the baseline, and Agahowa scored his second at the far post. This goal was a result of a marking error in Real Madrid's defense. Pepe should have shifted towards the right, not crowded the middle with Cole."

"Then Wang Feng took control of the game. This was his first goal, dribbling past center-back Serna on the right, then lofting a ball that looked like a cross or shot, and although Higuain didn't touch it, the ball grazed the left post and went into the net."

"The second goal was even more spectacular. Granero passed, and the Chinese superstar positioned himself near the edge of the penalty area in the middle, holding off two defenders with his back to the goal, executed a bicycle kick to sweep the ball, fast and sharp into the bottom right corner, leaving the Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper helpless."

"The most regrettable was the last goal of the game. Everyone thought it would go to extra time, but Diarra lost concentration and passed the ball directly to Louis at the back, who didn't miss the chance, rushing into the penalty area and scoring the winning goal for Shakhtar Donetsk."

"Shakhtar Donetsk, the last champion before the restructuring of the UEFA Super Cup, successfully won the European Super Cup, drawing a conclusion to this competition."

"Since the expansion of the Champions League, the competitiveness of the UEFA Super Cup has greatly declined. Therefore, UEFA has decided to make changes. The biggest change in the new season is that the champions can now secure a place in the next season's Champions League, which I believe is quite attractive to mid-to-low-tier teams in the five major leagues."

"For Real Madrid, they need to think about how to adjust their tactics and mentality to face the upcoming league, cup matches, and Champions League journey."

Through the large French windows, Florentino stared at the pitch in silence for a long time. What he feared most had happened: Real Madrid's overall performance had inevitably declined.

Beside him, Zidane suddenly spoke: "Sir, you don't have to worry so much. From what I see, things haven't gotten extremely bad yet."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" the former French star continued, "It's evident that the players are mentally lax, but the most important person, Wang Feng, is still performing at a high level, which serves as a bottom line."

"That's an interesting perspective. Are you suggesting that in critical moments, we can rely on Wang Feng to perform, and even if the results are poor, they won't be that bad?"

"That's the feeling he gives me," the Frenchman said confidently. "The only problem is probably the overall tactical changes made by the head coach. I can feel that the Chinese superstar is playing a bit awkwardly on the field, and his autonomy has been greatly diminished."

Florentino pondered for a moment before saying, "It seems that Benitez is not suitable for coaching Real Madrid. How about you? Are you interested in taking over now? It's been considered for several years."

Zidane rubbed his bald head. "Let's wait a bit longer. How about I go to coach Real Madrid Castilla first?" Florentino nodded at the suggestion; it would be good for him to accumulate experience from the bottom up. He had high hopes for the Frenchman.

After the official start of La Liga in September, the situation was not much different from what Zidane had said. Real Madrid struggled through the early stages, securing 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in the first 10 rounds, earning 22 points and ranking second in the standings.

It wasn't comparable to the previous season, but it wasn't too bad either. Drawing against Deportivo La Coruña at home, losing to Sevilla and Atletico Madrid away, was also not unexpected.

Wang Feng contributed 10 goals in 10 matches, still topping the goal-scoring charts with an average of one goal per game, and he also had 5 assists.

Their old rivals Barcelona led the standings with 8 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 25 points, showing less dominance than the previous season.

Messi was on fire with 8 goals, while Ibrahimovic also performed well, often acting as a pivot in the attack, forming a good chemistry with the Argentine star.

However, the highly anticipated Kaka had some ups and downs. He scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist at the start of the season, then went through several rounds of goal drought.

The Brazilian knew that his old injury seriously affected his performance, especially his explosive power and speed. When he was young, he could keep up with Wang Feng, but now he might be left two steps behind.

But he didn't want the public or the club to know about this, as Kaka was eager to participate in next year's World Cup. If he were to miss league matches for treatment at this time, it would be difficult for him to be selected for the national team.

On the Champions League stage, the performance of the Galacticos was also inconsistent. After 4 rounds of group stage matches, they had 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 7 points, ranking second. AC Milan topped the group with 3 wins, 1 loss, and 9 points, surprising many people.

After a 3-0 victory over Zurich, they were forced to a 0-0 draw by Marseille, then won 2-1 against AC Milan at home. But they couldn't gain any advantage at the San Siro Stadium, losing 0-1 to the Rossoneri.

In four matches, the Chinese superstar contributed 3 goals and 1 assist. The attacking firepower relied entirely on him, as Higuain continued to struggle.

In the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid started from the fourth round, and Benitez rotated the starting lineup. Their opponent was Alcorcon from the Spanish Segunda Division B. In the first leg away, they were held to a 0-0 draw at the San Domingo Municipal Stadium, making the whole city seem festive as if celebrating a holiday.

Back at home, Van der Vaart scored for the team in the final moments, and with a 1-0 aggregate, they managed to advance to the next round.

On November 22nd, in the 11th round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Santander. In the 22nd minute of the game, Wang Feng dribbled along the right side, performed a quick stop and cut inside, deceiving two defenders with consecutive feints, then suddenly shot with his left foot, sending the ball into the top left corner of the goal, 1-0!

In the 71st minute of the second half, receiving a straight pass from Sneijder inside the penalty area, Wang Feng didn't stop the ball but shot directly, piercing through the Santander defense again, helping the team to a 2-0 victory in the end.

After this match, Real Madrid was about to face the century-old derby in the league, trailing Barcelona by just three points in the standings, very similar to last season!