Chapter 928 - 23: He’s Back!
Neuer attempted to explain that Chen Zhong was tripped outside the penalty area.
VAR intervened to review.
The slow-motion replay was played repeatedly: Chen Zhong first poked the ball, and Tah’s foul occurred cleanly and swiftly one step inside the box! Red card and penalty, irrefutable evidence!
The Allianz Arena was engulfed by a massive wave of boos and sighs of frustration.
Tah hung his head low, no longer arguing, and trudged heavily towards the player’s tunnel.
Bayern Munich, down to ten men, faced an enormous dilemma.
On one side, Bayern Munich fans were unhappy, and on the other, Real Madrid fans were equally dissatisfied. They saw clearly that Chen Zhong had already poked the ball through, and it was an open goal.
The ball could have easily rolled into the empty net.
A red card and a goal, that would be fair, and not just a penalty!
Real Madrid’s medic anxiously checked Chen Zhong’s injury. With the medic’s help, Chen Zhong stood up, moved his ankle a bit, his face showing pain, but his gaze remained resolute.
He refused the gesture to be substituted, personally holding the ball as he walked towards the penalty spot.
Mbappe handed the ball to Chen Zhong. Under such invisible pressure, even though he wished to take the penalty, he could only exhale when Chen Zhong was on the field.
It’s okay, it’s okay, he’s already 35.
He’s about to leave.
Right now, Real Madrid is his, but the future...
It will surely be mine.
Mbappe, with determination in his eyes, looked at Chen Zhong, filled with anticipation for the future.
Neuer stood at the goal, arms outstretched, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s, trying to add pressure to Chen Zhong.
The entire stadium was silent, only the sound of heartbeats remained.
Run-up, rhythm change, shot!
Neuer guessed the right direction and dived to his side!
But Chen Zhong’s penalty was powerful, with a tricky angle, it struck fiercely inside the right post and smashed into the net!
Neuer’s fingertips grazed the ball, but couldn’t stop it from going in!
0:3! Aggregated score 3:3!
Real Madrid, thanks to Chen Zhong’s penalty, miraculously equalized the aggregate score!
"GOOOOOOOOOAL!!! Chen Zhong!!! Terrifyingly calm! He withstood immense pressure! After being savagely fouled, he personally put the penalty away! Scored twice! Aggregate score 3:3! Real Madrid clawed back from the edge of hell! Now, both teams are back on the same starting line, but Bayern Munich is down to ten men!!"
The commentator went completely wild.
The visiting stands went completely berserk, a white wave swept through the Allianz! Several Chinese students were in tears, screaming Chen Zhong’s name at the top of their lungs.
Alonso clenched his fists tightly and swung heavily, unable to suppress his excitement.
Kompany, with a face as calm as water, swiftly adjusted, substituting a forward for a center-back, aiming to hold the draw and drag the match into extra time.
Clearly, Kompany’s strategy was obvious, first secure the defense, then talk about others, making the game a pure battle of offense and defense.
Bayern Munich, down to ten men, retreated entirely, plugging the penalty area completely.
Neuer resolutely blocked again and again, turning away Real Madrid’s tidal wave of attacks.
Chen Zhong became the primary "target" for Bayern Munich, even with one less player, Bayern’s players relied on their numerical advantage to tightly encircle him.
Time ticked away, and the match entered the last ten minutes of stoppage time.
Real Madrid gained a throw-in in the front court.
Valverde launched it powerfully towards the penalty area, amidst a melee, the ball was headed by a Bayern defender but not far enough!
Chen Zhong, lurking at the top of the box, keenly captured the second drop point!
Without the slightest hesitation, with his body almost losing balance, he swung his right foot with all his might at the descending ball before it hit the ground!
At that moment, Chen Zhong seemed to return to his younger days, where he often scored for Real Madrid with such volleys, so much so that many fans online regarded him as the second "wonder goal" specialist after Ibrahimovic.
This was a stunning volley!
Chen Zhong’s form was very graceful.
"Bang!!"
The ball, like a cannonball, with fierce spin, whistled through a thick crowd of Bayern Munich players in the box, piercing directly into the top left corner!
Neuer leaped into the air, stretching to his limits, his fingertips seemed to touch the ball, but the force was too great, the angle too tricky!
It even gave Neuer the illusion that his fingers might break.
The ball slammed heavily into the underside of the crossbar, then bounced hard into the net!
0:4!!! Aggregated score 3:4!!!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The commentator’s voice was completely hoarse, leaving only the most primal, most fevered roar!
"Chen Zhong!!!!!! A world-class volley!!!!!! Hat-trick!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!! Decisive strike!!!!!! He did it! He single-handedly dismantled Bayern Munich’s defense! From 0:3 to 4:3! An epic comeback! A night belonging to Chen Zhong! A night of miracles for Real Madrid!!"
The Allianz Arena fell silent, only the visiting stands erupted with a roar hysterical enough to overturn the roof!
White scarves and flags waved wildly! Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius... all the Real Madrid players crazily rushed toward the man standing with arms open, like a king, in front of Bayern Munich’s box!
Chen Zhong didn’t run to fetch the ball again; he stood where he was, roaring to the sky! All the pressure, all the doubts, all the difficulties, dissipated in this yell!
He pounded his chest with force, pointing at the loyal Real Madrid supporters who traveled far, battling to the end with the team!
Kompany stood by the sideline as if in a daze, his gaze empty.
Alonso, on the other hand, was tightly embraced by his assistants, the Spanish coach with tears brimmed with excitement.
There was little stoppage time remaining.
After the kickoff resumed, Bayern Munich’s players were disheartened, without the will to fight.
Kompany stood in a daze on the sideline; he did not want to surrender. It took him some time to rekindle Bayern Munich’s players’ fighting spirit, but there was no miracle till the end of the match.
Even in the end, when Real Madrid began playing possession on the field, wearing down Bayern Munich’s stamina time and again, the referee didn’t even give the full stoppage time and blew the whistle to end the match right after Real Madrid players passed the ball safely one last time!
Final Score: Bayern Munich 0:4 Real Madrid (Aggregate Score: Bayern Munich 3:4 Real Madrid)
Real Madrid completed another historic, breathtaking comeback in Champions League history!
And Chen Zhong, with a hat-trick and a dominant performance, once again announced to the world that he remains the strongest football player on the planet!
Real Madrid fans in the stands went wild, shouting Chen Zhong’s name as they had for nearly the past 20 years.
Chen Zhong looked up at the Real Madrid fans and began running, then made that iconic gesture again.
He jumped, he landed, he displayed his jersey and number.
And the Real Madrid fans in unison shouted, "Chen!"
When the frenzied celebration slightly subsided, Chen Zhong walked towards the player’s tunnel. At the entrance, he stopped.
Tah was standing there, the ferocity gone from his face, leaving only immense frustration and an indescribable respect. Chen Zhong extended his hand proactively.
Tah was taken aback, looking at Chen Zhong’s sincere eyes, finally reaching out and shaking it firmly. The two did not converse, but everything was understood without words.
In this match where they tangled endlessly, a career peak Tah still lost to Chen Zhong.
Ultimately, experience, will, and that fleeting moment of transcendence determined the outcome.
Chen Zhong patted Tah’s arm, turned, and walked into the tunnel, greeted by deafening cheers and champagne showers in the locker room. Under the night sky of the Allianz Arena, the sadness belonging to Bayern Munich was spreading, while a white legend belonging to Real Madrid was adding another radiant new Chapter.