Chapter 632: Chapter 71: Killing the Match

The FIFA Club World Cup final between the Triple Crown winners Inter Milan and the Double Crown winners Real Madrid finally began, free from any disturbances.

Inter Milan attempted to break through Real Madrid’s defense from the start of the match, but Real Madrid’s defense was very solid, and it wasn’t until the 8th minute of the game, after many back-and-forth attempts, that Inter Milan finally managed to find a chance that wasn’t really a chance.

Sneijder took a long-range shot from approximately 26 meters away from the goal, attempting to test the goalkeeper.

The ball ended up flying directly into the stands.

Inter Milan’s lineup in this match was not to be underestimated.

Up front they had "Black Panther" Eto’o, "Prince" Milito, and "Cobra" Pandev.

The midfield was composed of Sneijder, Cambiasso, and Mata, forming the "Horse Carriage," while the defense included Zanetti, Lucio, Cordoba, Maicon, and goalkeeper Cesar, all powerful players.

Inter Milan’s tactical approach in this match was unlike the previous "Mourinho style," and instead resembled a bit of Spanish possession play, yet what good was it when facing Real Madrid, who not long ago defeated Barcelona, the supposed pinnacle of possession play?

They could only resort to an unreliable long shot to barely complete an attack.

"This shot by Inter Milan."

"How should I put it!"

"At least they bravely went for it."

The fans had been eagerly anticipating Inter Milan’s opening attack, expecting some dazzling performance, only to be met with disappointment.

This wasn’t even as effective as replicating Mourinho’s tactics!

On the sidelines, Benitez’s expression didn’t look good; his intentions were commendable.

He wanted to use short passes to penetrate, ultimately finding an opportunity to send the ball into the goal.

But Real Madrid’s defense was incredibly tight, leaving them constantly unable to find opportunities.

On the sidelines, Mourinho also laughed after seeing Inter Milan’s shot.

Come on, little brother, you don’t use my tactics, and this is what you come up with? This?

The players of Inter Milan are capable, but the problem is that Benitez chose to forgo their strengths.

In other words, it’s "highlighting their weaknesses while avoiding their strengths."

"Real Madrid’s attack."

"Chen Zhong has the ball."

"Cambiasso attempts to trip Chen Zhong from behind."

"Chen Zhong stumbled but still managed to pass the ball."

"Lucio!"

"A perfect interception."

When Real Madrid moved, it felt like flowing water; the experienced Inter Milan players, immediately attempted to disrupt Real Madrid’s rhythm with a foul.

But Chen Zhong had a very steady lower body; Cambiasso’s leg hurt, but the opponent still didn’t fall.

If Lucio hadn’t anticipated the play and intercepted the ball’s path, the outcome could have been different.

"The referee blew the whistle."

"For Cambiasso’s foul."

"Pulled out a yellow card warning."

"The foul was quite vicious."

"It’s said he intended to break a leg, and no one would doubt it."

"Free kick for Real Madrid."

"The ball is played out."

"Chen Zhong has the ball."

"Passes to Negredo."

"Negredo returns the ball."

"Chen Zhong!"

Neither team disputed the call; Real Madrid quickly took the free kick, aiming to catch Inter Milan off guard.

The ball reached Chen Zhong, who slotted it to Negredo; Negredo, without stopping the ball, immediately returned it to Chen Zhong. Chen Zhong took a step with the ball, then ran up, and kicked!

At that moment, everyone in the stadium realized what Chen Zhong intended to do.

On the sidelines, Benitez shook his head, his lips trembling, almost unable to contain his "panic"; his eyes scanned his players, eager to see someone step up.

Mourinho’s eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists, waiting for the moment to arrive. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Passed back to Chen Zhong."

"Chen Zhong moves the ball."

"Runs up!"

"Takes the shot!"

"A super long-range shot!"

The noise in the stadium reached an unbearable level, but Chen Zhong was not affected in the slightest.

His breathing was steady, eyes sharp as a hawk.

His gaze was fixed on the direction he intended to "enter."

His body extended, putting full strength into his kick.

Those around could clearly hear the sound of Chen Zhong’s thunderous strike.

"Boom~"

With a dull thud, the ball soared.

The immense force made its trajectory slightly wobbly, yet incredibly swift.

As long as the shot was on target and not wildly off-angle, no goalkeeper could stop it.

At least, Inter Milan’s goalkeeper, Sassel, couldn’t manage it.

He could only watch as the ball "teleported" from afar into the goal, bouncing on the ground with a thud and a hop as it met the net’s resistance.

"Goal!"

"A goal!"

"A super strike from distance!"

"This is Chen Zhong’s first goal for Real Madrid in the Club World Cup."

"1:0"

"Beautiful!"

"Absolutely stunning."

"This shot was from a similar distance as Sneijder’s earlier attempt."

"But the results were completely different."

The commentator’s words resonated with many fans.

Many domestic fans were especially proud, saying, "Look, this is our top player stepping onto the world stage. Sneijder is also a popular candidate for the Ballon d’Or, but look at the similar distance shots. Look at ours, and then at his, tut tut tut."