Chapter 255

The match against Wolfsburg is on Wednesday night, Real Madrid is playing away, and countless reporters and media cameras are waiting on the sidelines for Real Madrid's bright stars.

Cristiano put a wristband on himself in the players' locker room as he listened to Mourinho's pre-match mobilization in the locker room.

They had a conversation, but it was not a result that satisfied both parties. However, this was within the expectations of both Cristiano and Mourinho.

They are just like this. No one can completely convince the other, but they will try their best to find and find a balance.

Cristiano doesn't know whether the result this time will be different from the past, but their common goal is to win the final.

"The game begins! The first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals! Bundesliga powerhouse Wolfsburg takes the lead in launching a fierce attack on Real Madrid!"

The white wave of Wolfsburg's home jersey makes people think that the white army on the field is Real Madrid.

"Wolfsburg midfielder made a long pass to the left wing! Midfielder Arnold got rid of the defense and made a reverse pass into the penalty area! German striker Schurrle made a run into the penalty area!"

Wolfsburg's attack was precise and sharp, without much hesitation.

The commentator knew that this was a very likely offensive opportunity, so he stared at the big screen intently. The next second, he and his partner exclaimed at the same time: "Schurrle fell to the ground! His teammates raised their hands to signal! Does this seem to be a foul?"

The screen turned to a slow-motion replay, showing Ramos and the opponent chasing the ball at the same time. Ramos scooped up the ball from behind and kicked it at the same time, hitting the opponent's striking foot.

"The referee is determining whether this action is a foul - yes! That's right! This is a foul in the penalty area!! Wolfsburg gets a penalty!!" The commentator took a breath and said loudly.

Ramos rushed towards the referee in defiance, but was quickly stopped by his teammates.

He could only watch the ball hit the goal in front of him.

"The ball goes in! Wolfsburg leads Real Madrid one to zero!"

Casillas' fingertips brushed the ball, only changing its trajectory slightly, but could not change its fate of still crashing into the net.

Ramos wiped his face and the game continued.

Wolfsburg's attacking momentum was very strong, and Real Madrid was in a passive situation for almost the entire first half.

And this continued into the second half. After Wolfsburg changed sides, not long after, there was another series of clever crosses from both sides, and then a push shot in front of the goal in the penalty area once again put the ball into the Real Madrid goal!

The whole stadium was boiling with excitement because of this goal that increased the score!

"Real Madrid's form today is a bit off, their shooting efficiency is too low!" The commentator looked at the field, and this round of attack finally came to Real Madrid. "Bale chased the ball from the wing! He made a high cross into the penalty area before it went out of bounds!"

"Great opportunity!! Benzema dives to head the ball!"

"——The ball flew over the crossbar and hit the audience directly!"

The commentator sighed and said, "That's what I said! Today's shooting efficiency is too low! Even the offensive opportunities are always suppressed by Wolfsburg. Real Madrid is really not in good shape today!"

The ball went around and around.

Kaka seized the opportunity to steal the ball in the midfield. He hardly needed to look up to confirm Cristiano's position and directly passed the ball to Cristiano's feet on the wing.

Cristiano glanced at the situation on the field. He was being guarded vigilantly by the opponent's central defender on the wing, making it difficult for him to enter the penalty area or break forward. Without hesitation, he quickly passed the ball back to Marcelo in the middle.

"Marcelo kicked the ball into the penalty area! But unfortunately it hit the wall!"

"The ball bounced back, and Wolfsburg seized the opportunity to launch a quick counterattack!"

Even though they were leading by two points, Wolfsburg did not slow down their offensive momentum.

Wolfsburg midfielder Arnold ran straight from the backcourt at full speed, and the Real Madrid players all went all out to press towards their own goal -

"Ronaldo is very fast! He caught up quickly, but Arnold made a long pass directly past the opponent and found his teammate Schurrle on the right!"

"Schurrle made several adjustments! He only had one defender, Varane! Schurrle shot directly! The ball flew away!"

However, Real Madrid did not have much chance to breathe, as another ball was lobbed in from a small angle on the sideline, and another shot from the front, but this time Casillas held it tightly in his arms.

"Casillas' save gave Real Madrid some breathing space, but they don't have much time left! Wolfsburg is still leading 2-0 in the game! The next round at home for Real Madrid may be particularly difficult!" said the commentator, taking a breath.

Casillas signaled everyone to press towards Wolfsburg. With less than five minutes left in the game, he kicked the ball forward.

Cristiano ran quickly, staring closely at the arc and trajectory of the ball, then jumped up suddenly to compete for the point, but immediately he felt a pulling force behind him pushing him down heavily.

He was dragged to the ground, and the Portuguese slammed the grass in anger, turning to the referee with his arms outstretched in protest.

The referee verbally warned the opposing central defender. The Brazilian Dante shrugged his shoulders and turned to give Cristiano a slightly provocative smile.

Cristiano lowered his eyes.

Kaka quickly ran up, blocking Dante's sight, frowning and whispering a warning to his compatriot, then pulled Cristiano up from the ground and patted the boy on the back: "Cris, look at me, ignore him, you know him."

Cristiano didn't say anything, just nodded and ran away.

He had a tough time playing throughout the game and had difficulty getting many touches of the ball. Being more involved in defensive runs back and forth meant that he couldn't appear on the offensive end at the same time.

"Ronaldo was pulled down in a header! The referee gave a verbal warning. There seemed to be a bit of tension at the scene, but it seemed to be quickly calmed down."

"Ronaldo seemed to be rarely involved in the offense in this game, and appeared more in defense! He did interrupt Wolfsburg's attacks several times, but this did not make much difference in turning the game around. Real Madrid needs a shooter who can stand up in key occasions!"

The final whistle of the game was blown, and the coaching team of Wolfsburg hugged each other excitedly on the sidelines, as if they had completely defeated Real Madrid and got a ticket to the semi-finals.

Seeing this, Mourinho said nothing and strode off the field. The camera on the field immediately followed the Portuguese coach until he was completely out of sight.

Cristiano was almost lying on the grass exhausted, gasping for breath, until Kaka came and pulled him up. He then hugged Kaka, closed his eyes sadly and buried his head in the other's neck.

They once experienced a situation where everything was lost in a season, and now, this feeling of powerlessness seems to be happening again.

Kaka hugged him tightly. He knew what Cristiano was thinking, but he also knew that Cristiano only needed these few seconds to recover. He quietly accompanied him until Benzema, James and others adjusted their breathing and came over. They hugged each other, and then he slightly loosened his arms around Cristiano.

The post-match interview was the worst hit area tonight. Even when they walked into the players' aisle, there were angry Melingers on both sides throwing paper balls at them, not to mention the subsequent interviews.

Casillas led the team into the interview room. Cristiano and Kaka followed behind them and sat in the row of seats for post-match interviews.

Mourinho did not appear in the back interview area. After this big loss in the Champions League, he was the first to leave the stadium, but has disappeared until now.

The last time someone disappeared like this was Cristiano.

It's like two Portuguese can't be present at the same time.

The spotlights in the audience flashed, as if they smelled the scent of blood, making them extremely excited.

Two Portuguese who acted recklessly. This is almost recognized by the whole world, and it is enough to give Florentino a headache.

A Portuguese who dares to speak and a Portuguese who dares to do, these two people are like pure football maniacs. I am afraid there is nothing else they care about except football.

Cristiano looked at the reporters in front of him. He really wanted to leave, but he couldn't leave all these troubles to his teammates and Kaka, especially when Mourinho was not present.

He knew that if he didn't show up, Kaka would be asked questions about him by the reporters, and he didn't want to get Kaka into trouble, so he showed up here.

"Ronaldo, what role do you think you played in this game? What did you do?"

"Ronaldo! What do you think is the problem that led to the team's loss today?"

"We saw a big defeat. Did you expect to get such a result against Wolfsburg? Real Madrid seems to have left the Champions League stage."

"Ronaldo, why is it so hard for you to score away from home?"

“…”

Countless waves of sound came towards him, which was what Cristiano had expected.

He showed up here, and he knew what he had to face, although he still felt angry and ridiculous when he heard these stupid and biased questions.

As for Kaka, his expression suddenly changed, and he almost picked up the microphone before Cristiano.

But Cristiano was still one step faster than him.

"Since I came to Spain, can you name anyone who has scored more away goals than me? Is there anyone?" Cristiano took the microphone and looked at the reporters in the audience with an expressionless face. He once had the confidence to ask this question, and he still has the confidence now.

He pulled the corner of his mouth, looked at the press box that was suddenly silent, raised his eyebrows and sneered: "No, none of you can say it."

"I don't have anything else to say." He pushed the microphone and sat in his chair.

Kaka took a deep breath and looked at the audience. He knew that the last thing he needed at the moment was to throw anything into this group of excited reporters. It would be ignored by this group of people, or it would be like water falling into a frying pan, making everything worse.

Several thoughts flashed through his mind quickly, but in the end he just lowered his hand and gently patted Cristiano's thigh, indicating that if Cristiano wanted to leave, he could just leave. He knew how capable these reporters were in making up stories, angering the players and then turning the tables on them.

——He hoped Cristiano could leave here, get some fresh air, and do anything better than staying here. His eyes fell on Cristiano's face.

Cristiano did not leave. He let out a breath. He wanted to see what the reporters would say next.

Besides, as he said, he couldn't leave Kaka here.

Sure enough, when he pushed the microphone forward, the reporters below seemed to wake up, and they came forward and asked Cristiano questions in a tone that was even crazier and more intense than before -

"But you didn't score in this game, did you? You didn't help your team get even one goal back, don't you think that's a problem?"

"Ronaldo..."

Reporters from the audience swarmed in, and Ramos and Casillas opened their hands and scolded those reporters who were trying to poke their guns and short distances in front of Cristiano even across the isolation line.

Ramos' face darkened, half joking, but there was not much smile in his eyes: "Hey you guys! I don't want the security to come up, that would be a bad scene!"

Just as he finished speaking, Mourinho strode in from outside. With a stern face, he strode to his seat and sat down: "Ladies and gentlemen, what did I hear outside just now?"

He grabbed the microphone without hesitation, and the microphone emitted a very harsh electric sound: "If any of you want to target Cristiano, then you are in trouble, because I will not allow anyone to touch him."

Mourinho's voice lowered, his face stern, and he looked at the reporters in front of him without a smile, making them realize that he was not joking.

"He doesn't need to score goals, nor does he need to be crowned the key man of the game. He just needs to keep working hard like this, and no one can touch him. Do you understand?"

Cristiano tilted his head to glance at Mourinho. There were several people between them, but at this moment everyone was staring at the few square centimeters of the table, as if they could see a flower.

The reporters below the stage all fell silent, as if they were stunned by Mourinho's words. Then, the head coach, who had arrived late, stood up first:

"That's it for the interview. I guess that's enough for you to write about - and I'm very happy with the performance of my players. They did what they could. If you have to find a reason for the loss, then this is my question and this is my answer. You can write it anywhere you want."

After Mourinho finished speaking, he took the lead and walked out. He nodded at Cristiano and the others and waved his hand. Immediately, a group of players stood up as if they had been granted amnesty and followed him out.

The reporters who were left in the back interview area were suddenly shocked and started chattering among themselves.

"Oh my god, did you hear what Mourinho said?! He said 'don't touch him'!? I thought they had a feud and were at loggerheads!"

"I really didn't expect him to say things like this, and what else, 'You are in trouble', 'Because I don't allow anyone to touch him'?? Is he crazy? One of my inside sources told me that after the last Copa del Rey game, he scolded Ronaldo to tears in the locker room! This is a person??"

"Really? I don't believe it. Ronaldo scored two goals in the last game! He didn't score a single goal in this game, and he still said something like 'he doesn't need to score goals'? Come on, is this what the coach said? What nonsense!!"

"Am I crazy or is Mourinho crazy? And Ronaldo! He is too arrogant! Does he think no one in Spain scores more goals than him? Has he forgotten about Leo Messi??"

"This season, Barcelona is way ahead of Real Madrid in the league standings!"

"But it's true that Leo Messi's goal tally is not as high as Ronaldo's... Ronaldo scored more goals, but they also conceded a lot of goals."

“…”

The back-collection area was bustling with activity, and many people had already finished their first drafts with great enthusiasm.

Sure enough, there is never a shortage of press releases where there are two Portuguese people.

The defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final became a hot topic in the following weeks.

Even though there are new games every week, the Champions League is always different.

It is more dazzling and more valuable than international competitions such as the World Cup and the America's Cup, which are more restricted by national regions. This is why every player strives to win a Champions League trophy.

Just a week before the second leg, the media were still looking for new topics based on the results of the first leg, and the match between Real Madrid and Wolfsburg was naturally the center of the topic.

Wolfsburg's central defender Dante made some great defensive contributions in the 2-0 win over Real Madrid.

When he left Bayern and came to Wolfsburg, he wanted to prove that his defensive ability was still at its peak. This time, defending Real Madrid and the incredible striker Ronaldo allowed him to vindicate himself beautifully.

He even felt that Cristiano Ronaldo was not as scary as the legend said.

The opponent is like a fish trapped in a net. He may have some abilities, but he cannot display them at all due to his own defense. Dante thought smugly in his heart.

The fans on those social media platforms have deified him.

He laughed and told the interviewer: "...Defending Ronaldo? That's easier than defending my son. He's not that good, seriously."

When this interview was released, it happened to be the day before the quarter-finals. This statement, which was tantamount to a provocation, undoubtedly put another huge pressure on Real Madrid and Cristiano.

In the locker room, James angrily took down the newspaper. He whispered dissatisfiedly: "That guy is talking nonsense! At most, he stole the ball from Chris!"

"He was just anxious to prove himself, stepping on Cristiano to prove his defensive strength," Varane said, pointing out coldly, "After all, that was Cristiano."

Benzema glanced at his national teammate who was talking freely, pursed his lips and looked at Cristiano: "Cristiano, this doesn't mean anything. We all know that this is their method. They just want you to be nervous and make mistakes before the game."

Modric nodded in agreement, and he took over Benzema's words and said: "But they are destined to be disappointed."

Cristiano looked at his teammates in the locker room, smiled, put his arm around the Croatian's shoulders, and raised his chin to the others: "Of course, this is the Champions League. Whatever they say will not affect the final result of this game - we will win, and we will win by a large margin. We have to go to the final!"