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Chapter 83: Stunning performance
When the game reached the 10th minute, Inter Milan's Cordoba was disrupted by the opponent while dribbling in midfield, earning a chance for a throw-in.
Slovak center-back Gresko threw the ball with all his strength, passing it to Zanetti in the middle. Zanetti steadied the ball and carried it forward, facing the approaching defenders, and passed it sideways to Conceicao in the middle.
Conceicao glanced at Wang Feng's position in the frontcourt and delivered a straight pass behind Perugia's defense.
At this moment, Wang Feng quickly surged forward, but Perugia's two defenders, Maria and Loretto, sandwiched him, constantly squeezing him and making some subtle pulling movements to disturb him.
Wang Feng indeed felt the strong resistance. His sprint speed slowed down. If it were in Belgium, he would have broken free from the defense and formed a one-on-one situation long ago.
But his usual extra training paid off. Wang Feng stabilized his lower body, firmly holding his position, caught Conceicao's pass, and kept the ball steady at his feet, but couldn't easily shake off the defending players.
At this moment, Wang Feng had a flash of inspiration. When dribbling sideways in the penalty area, he suddenly flicked the ball behind with the tip of his foot and then made a quick stop and turn.
Maria and Loretto, who were exerting force, suddenly lost their balance, showing defensive loopholes. Wang Feng seized the opportunity, caught up with the ball, and directly shot with his right foot, rolling the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
"Goooooooooooooooooal! In the 10th minute, Inter Milan broke the opponent's goal first!"
"From Wang Feng's splendid shot near the edge of the penalty area, the ball entered the goal from a dead angle, giving Mazzantini no chance to save."
"We can see that Wang Feng completely withstood the fierce confrontation of two defenders and still demonstrated such exquisite footwork. It seems that the media's pre-match claims that he couldn't adapt to Serie A's intensity have been fiercely refuted." 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝘰𝓋𝘦𝘭.𝑐𝘰𝓂
"With Inter Milan taking the lead, they can finally breathe a sigh of relief. After experiencing the historical low point of last season, I believe the entire team was tense, hoping to start the new season with a win."
After scoring, Wang Feng clenched his fists, leaped over the advertising boards, and ran to the stands where the home fans were, roaring with his head raised.
In the past month, the constant belittlement and criticism from the media had greatly irritated him. Now, this goal slightly relieved his pent-up frustration.
Teammates also rushed over, surrounding Wang Feng. Materazzi patted Wang Feng's head and said, "Kid, I knew you had it in you the first time I saw you. I didn't expect the first goal to come so quickly. You're going to soar."
Vieri hugged Wang Feng's neck and said, "Wang, your move was fantastic. Clearly, you don't look strong, but how did you maintain such stability in your stance?"
After Inter Milan took the lead, the situation on the field gradually tilted towards the home team. They played more relaxed, while Perugia seemed hesitant in both attack and defense.
In the 41st minute, Inter Milan launched a quick counterattack after winning the ball in the backcourt. Materazzi passed the ball to Di Biagio after crossing the midfield, and Di Biagio sent a straight pass to Wang Feng.
Wang Feng was chased by defenders on both sides, preparing to double-team him. So, he repeated his previous move, not stopping the ball but flicking it behind with his right foot and then surging forward after catching up with the ball.
Between retreating and advancing, he broke through the encirclement of two Perugia defenders and scored another goal, making it 2-0.
As Wang Feng scored his second goal, he ran while waving his fingers. His teammates followed him in celebration, feeling that Wang Feng's performance was completely different from his performance in the preseason matches, full of passion and threat.
Inter Milan's attack seemed to become smoother, and once the striker's form improved, the entire team would appear rejuvenated.
Even the Inter Milan fans in the stands, who were initially skeptical of Wang Feng, completely changed their minds. They cheered his name, and even some fans holding signs saying "We need Ronaldo" temporarily put them down, impressed by Wang Feng's stunning performance.
The first half ended with Inter Milan in the lead, and in the dressing room, Perugia's atmosphere was gloomy. No one had expected that a rookie could cause such trouble.
Head coach Oralei frowned and said, "Everyone, put away your disdain for Wang Feng. Don't believe the media's claims about him. They're too irresponsible."
"Otherwise, we'll become a complete background, suffer a big defeat, and also contribute to Wang Feng's reputation. In the second half, we must tightly mark him. Maria and Loretto, your performance in defending Wang Feng in the first half was unacceptable. I hope you can make changes in the second half."
"Solyano, I'll send you on in the second half, replacing Frizas. We'll change our formation to 5-4-1, and you must closely mark Wang Feng in the backline, timely covering. In the second half, we'll focus on defense and counterattack, trying to narrow the score difference."
"Everyone, in this game, I hope you will do your best, but don't have any psychological burden. Play to your full potential. Inter Milan is stronger overall, but we are not without the ability to fight. Adjust well, and let's play a beautiful counterattack in the second half."
Perugia's players nodded in agreement. They had indeed seen many reports belittling Wang Feng before the match, coupled with Wang Feng's unimpressive performance in Inter Milan's preseason matches, so they couldn't help but be somewhat dismissive.
Could an eighteen-year-old Asian boy really adapt to Serie A's style of play? Unfortunately, reality had given them a harsh slap. Wang Feng not only adapted but also scored twice.
"I absolutely can't let Wang Feng perform anymore in the second half. I'll educate him severely and let him know that Serie A is not that simple," thought Solyano, who was preparing to enter the field.
After the break, Perugia stood their ground against Inter Milan's attacks and even used counterattacks. In the 65th minute, forward Bazzani scored a goal, bringing the score back to 2-1, causing the home Inter Milan fans to feel anxious once again.
However, Inter Milan's players quickly refocused, firmly controlling the game's situation. In the 77th minute, Wang Feng received a pass from Conceicao on the right flank.
He used consecutive step-overs to deceive Perugia's left-back, Solyano, and then prepared to cut into the penalty area. But unexpectedly, the off-balance Solyano turned around and swept Wang Feng down.
Wang Feng felt a pain in his foot and fell to the ground. Inter Milan's players quickly surrounded him, and the referee promptly stopped the match.