"Real Madrid strikes back! They're fast! It's a 4v3 up front!"
"Modric is still on the ball, and both sides are positioning well!"
"Right-back Danilo is making a run!"
"Modric with the through ball! Beautiful!"
"Danilo takes advantage and breaks into the penalty area! The goalkeeper is ready to attack..."
"Strike! Danilo sweeps it to the middle!"
"Cristiano—"
"Ronaldo!! He scores!!"
"His form is incredible; he has scored in nine consecutive games!"
After scoring the goal, Ronaldo ran to the sidelines excitedly, jumping high! He then turned around and showed off his signature celebration to the fans.
"Siu—"
The scoreboard now showed Real Madrid leading 4-0.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane glanced at the opposing bench.
"Is it Su Luo? I admit you're strong."
"But my BBC team is in such good form. How will you handle it?"
On the other side, Sevilla coach Emery looked blankly at Zidane, his expression filled with pain.
Four days later, Real Madrid would head to Berlin to face Union Berlin in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Real Madrid had just beaten Sevilla 4-0 in La Liga, extending their winning streak to five games! They were only one point behind Barcelona, had reached the Copa del Rey semi-finals, and made it to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Real Madrid had a chance to win the treble!
Ronaldo, who was in top form and named MVP of the match, also spoke to reporters.
"Ronaldo, you're in great form recently. Do you have the confidence to eliminate your opponents in the next Champions League match?"
Ronaldo faced the camera with a serious expression.
"We are confident we'll advance. Su Luo has scored many goals, but football is a team game. Our team is stronger and more experienced, and we believe we can crush our opponents!"
Not only was Su Luo looking forward to this duel, but Ronaldo had been waiting for it as well. Seeing Su Luo score more goals in the Champions League than him only fueled Ronaldo's competitive fire. With Messi already a rival, Ronaldo now faced another challenger to his status.
Ronaldo wanted to prove to the world that not just anyone could compare with him!
Eager to compete, he had already sent a challenge to Su Luo in advance.
On the other side, Su Luo stood in the player interview area, accepting questions from the media.
With his outstanding performance, Su Luo also won the Man of the Match award.
In an away game against Hannover, Union Berlin defeated their opponents 3-0 with a rotated lineup. Su Luo scored twice with an overhead kick and indirectly engineered a goal. His league goal tally had reached an astonishing 48 goals!
At this point last season, all the German media were in awe, but now, they were hardly surprised. Anything less than 60 goals wasn't news anymore.
"For the next Champions League match, our team is very confident. Real Madrid is a strong team, but we also have a good chance of winning."
"What about the impact of Alex's absence? Alex is the leader of our defense, and I'm very sad about his injury. But Lisandro has been performing very well; he's more than capable of stepping up."
"Who is better, me or Ronaldo?"
Hearing this question, Su Luo just smiled.
"After the next two rounds, you'll know."
"Su, I might not be able to watch your first round live..."
"But I'll be there for the second leg at the Bernabeu."
On the other end of the phone, Taylor's voice sounded a little guilty.
After the release of the "Style" MV they filmed together, the song shot to the top of the Billboard and major charts. Su Luo's appearance in it caught the eyes of the whole world.
"The Golden Boot winner and the pop queen are dating!"
"Taylor Swift's new boyfriend? He's the hottest Chinese player in Europe!"
"Is Su Luo changing his girlfriend? The new one is quite famous!"
These rumors elevated Su Luo's status even higher in the team. His teammates, who already admired him on the field, now respected him even more.
"Su, I want to learn from you! Teach me how to charm girls!"
Quining couldn't wait to learn from Su Luo, envious of his ability to win over everyone's dream girl effortlessly.
Su Luo was a bit helpless. He was just as confused about these relationships. Why?
Not only his teammates but also Josephine and Erica were jealous. In the MV, there were several intimate scenes between Su Luo and Taylor Swift. Their expressions didn't look like acting unless Su Luo was a prodigious actor.
For this reason, Josephine, who had never been jealous before, was very unhappy. It took Su Luo a long time to convince her that he and Taylor Swift were just colleagues.
Erica, on the other hand, was in a good mood. She didn't mind competing with Josephine and welcomed another rival.
"I'll watch your game in two days!"
"Okay, I'll leave you a VIP ticket."
Su Luo easily gave her a box ticket. Josephine already had a membership season ticket and would be in the diehard stands with Uncle Hans and the others. Erica would be in the box, so there wouldn't be any conflict.
Tickets for the game against Real Madrid had skyrocketed to 10,000 euros, nearly 40 times the usual price! Previously, the highest ticket price for a Champions League final was only £8,000. This showed the immense enthusiasm of the Berlin fans.
Aside from matches against Manchester City, Juventus, and Sevilla, this was East Berlin's biggest game yet! Everyone wanted to see the superstar in action.
Looking around the world, there are still quite a few fans of Ronaldo and Messi.
"You think we have a chance in this game? It feels like it might be tough."
In the East Berlin base bar, the core members of the Steel Alliance gathered to chat about the upcoming Champions League quarter-finals.
Before facing Manchester City and Juventus, everyone was relatively relaxed. As everyone knew, the team was participating in the UEFA Champions League for the first time, and just experiencing the atmosphere of the competition was enough. There were not many expectations regarding their performance.
Unexpectedly, Union Berlin won against all the teams and qualified! They even eliminated Arsenal with a big score, making it to the top 8! Union Berlin fans couldn't help but daydream. What if they could make it to the top 4, or even the finals?
Then, the draw ceremony paired them with the formidable Real Madrid. Everyone's expression became complicated.
"This is indeed the strongest opponent we've faced, but so what? Real Madrid also plays with 11 men," Uncle Hans said calmly, addressing everyone's concerns.
"Have you noticed that the tougher the opponent, the better Su performs? No matter what kind of adversity he encounters, he always steps up when it matters," he added.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Hogan, Su Luo's number one fan, said proudly, "In my heart, he has already surpassed Ronaldo and Messi. He's the best in the world."
"Me too," Bud agreed.
"Who doubted Su Luo initially?" Hogan asked.
"Back then, who would have thought a Chinese player could be so good?" Bud recalled, sneering. He had once doubted Su Luo and had been ridiculed by his friends for it.
"By the way, how is Anya doing recently?" Hogan asked, changing the subject.
"Her condition has stabilized, but she still needs observation," Uncle Hans replied. "It's about time for her meal. I'll take it to her," he said, finishing his beer and leaving the tavern.
Everyone sighed. Anya, a beloved member of the Steel Alliance, was deeply loved by everyone. Unfortunately, she had been suffering greatly.
"What? Hospitalized?"
"Yes, the daughter of the head of the fan association... The club decided to organize a visit. Su, you're the captain..."
"No problem, I'll go," Su Luo responded immediately to Hofstadter's suggestion.
After training that day, he took Quinine, Kimmich, and Forsberg to the hospital to visit Anya.
Anya, the daughter of the head of the fan association, was a familiar face to Su Luo. He had seen her many times, and Josephine often mentioned her fondly. Unfortunately, just before the match against Real Madrid, Anya had suddenly fainted at school. Su Luo learned that she was suffering from malignant clonal disease of hematopoietic stem cells, or leukemia.
No wonder she always wore a hat, regardless of the weather. After three years of chemotherapy, her hair had fallen out. Her condition had stabilized but had recently worsened.
In the hospital ward, Su Luo saw a weak Anya lying in bed. Her face was paler than before, and she looked visibly frail. Embarrassed about her bald head, Anya hid under the blanket upon seeing Su Luo.
"Anya, it's okay. You look good anyway," Su Luo quickly comforted her.
"Really?" Anya peeked out from under the blanket.
"Yes, very cute!" Kimmich and Forsberg nodded enthusiastically.
Anya was overwhelmed that a star player from the first team had come to visit her. Since she needed rest, Su Luo didn't stay long. He chatted briefly and gave her a signed team jersey, conveying the club's well-wishes.
Before leaving, Anya mustered the courage to call out to Su Luo.
"Su, I won't be able to attend the next game, but I'll be cheering for the team from here!"
"With your support, we'll be even more confident. We'll definitely bring you a victory!" Su Luo said, bumping fists with Anya, who smiled sweetly.
"I've always believed you can do it!"
In the corridor outside the ward, the three players were silent. Kimmich suddenly spoke up.
"Su, what if we disappoint her by losing?"
Real Madrid seemed like an insurmountable giant to him. Su Luo patted him on the back.
"That's why we have to work harder. We can't let her down! We can't let the Steel Alliance down."
As they left the hospital, the sky was gloomy, and there was a feeling of an impending storm. Forsberg looked at the sky, then at Su Luo. Normally pessimistic, he now felt a firm belief emanating from Su Luo and regained some confidence.
"Fortunately, we have a superhero on the team."
At the same time, a passenger plane was descending through foggy clouds. Cristiano Ronaldo peered out, catching a glimpse of Berlin below.
"That Chinese player is down there somewhere, right? God willing, I finally have a chance to defeat him with my own hands!" Ronaldo clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 80+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new One Piece fanfic! 🎉
[One Piece: Become A Pirate Starting From Cp0]