Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 489: Barcelona's Crushing Defeat—The End of the Dream Team III Era

Shortly after Lin Quan scored his third goal, Cristiano Ronaldo, playing at the Santiago Bernabéu, scored a direct free kick to complete his hat trick. Overjoyed, Ronaldo ran across the field with arms outstretched, shouting in triumph, and when he reached the corner flag, he celebrated with an enthusiastic knee slide. This goal not only signaled Real Madrid's advance to the next round but also, in Ronaldo's mind, meant he had won his personal duel against Lin Quan.

A hat trick—he had done it! Ronaldo was now impatient to find out the result of the other match. He needed to confirm if Lin Quan had scored only two goals. Although he didn't know the outcome yet, Ronaldo understood how difficult it was to achieve a hat trick in the Champions League knockout stages, so he didn't think Lin Quan could easily accomplish this feat. Although he had lost to Lin Quan multiple times in the past, this time, he felt he had finally won.

It was a bit of a pity, though, that Lin Quan might not even realize this was a competition, making Ronaldo's victory feel somewhat less satisfying. But that didn't bother him too much; if Real Madrid made it to the semifinals or even the final, and as long as Manchester City wasn't eliminated, Ronaldo would still have the chance to face Lin Quan directly and exact his revenge.

As he thought about this, a smile crept across Ronaldo's face. He could already picture the journalists, media, and fans showering him with praise after the match, calling him Real Madrid's savior, the king of the Champions League, a goal machine, and many other titles that would be thrown his way. Ronaldo relished being in the spotlight, especially when the media compared him to other top players, which filled him with satisfaction.

For many years, Ronaldo had seen Messi as his greatest rival, believing that the Argentine would be his lifelong adversary. But then Lin Quan, a rising star, came onto the scene, overshadowing both veterans with his performances and popularity, which put a lot of pressure on Ronaldo. Lin Quan's emergence had effectively ended the long-standing rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo, even leading some to question whether Ronaldo still deserved to be called one of the two best players in the world. This deeply bothered Ronaldo. Although he had no personal grudge against Lin Quan, he felt a strong urge to defeat him and prove his worth.

However, Ronaldo's joy didn't last long. When he learned that Lin Quan had also scored three goals and had done so even earlier than him, his good mood instantly vanished. "Damn, just by one minute!" It was no wonder Ronaldo was frustrated; Lin Quan had scored his third goal in the 76th minute, while Ronaldo had done so in the 77th minute. Although the difference was only one minute, Lin Quan had completed his hat trick first, leading many media outlets to report Lin Quan's achievement before covering Ronaldo's brilliant performance.

Although several media outlets did cover Ronaldo's hat trick at the Bernabéu, the sequence of events led to more attention being focused on Lin Quan. Under the reports about Lin Quan, there were far more comments and congratulations than under those about Ronaldo. For someone as prideful and competitive as Ronaldo, this situation was incredibly frustrating.

"Lin Huang (a nickname for Lin Quan) is just too strong! A hat trick in the Champions League knockout stage, and against a team like Paris Saint-Germain, no less!" "Ha, and the French media was hyping Neymar to the heavens before the match, but this game exposed Neymar completely." "Neymar isn't as good as Lin Huang, but I think PSG's loss has a lot to do with their coach!" "Definitely. PSG's lineup isn't bad—Neymar, Di María, Cavani, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marquinhos—their combined worth isn't much less than Manchester City's, but their performance has been poor. I think the difference mainly lies in the coach."

After Ancelotti left, PSG was managed by Laurent Blanc, a French coach. Compared to Ancelotti's extensive experience and accolades, Blanc's coaching experience was limited, and he didn't have many achievements to his name. So it was natural for people to doubt his abilities. In fact, after losing this match, PSG informed Blanc that his contract wouldn't be renewed. It was clear they realized their coach didn't match the quality of their squad. If they wanted to succeed, they needed to address every weakness.

While many fans were praising Lin Quan, someone chimed in with, "I think Lin Quan isn't that great. Compared to a top player like Ronaldo, he's still far behind!" This comment caught the other fans by surprise, and someone immediately asked, "Oh? And why do you say that?" "It's simple: both scored hat tricks, but Ronaldo scored with his head, feet, and even a direct free kick—he's a master of all trades. On the other hand, Lin Quan scored all three goals the same way. His attacking arsenal isn't nearly as varied as Ronaldo's. Compared to a seasoned, all-around player like Ronaldo, Lin Quan still has a long way to go!"

After typing this out, Ronaldo felt a bit smug. He hadn't resorted to childish arguments but had laid out the facts and made his case. Now no one could refute him, right? Of course not—he was the most complete forward on the planet! Just as it should be!

"Haha, this guy has a point—Lin Huang's heading isn't great! Dog emoji" "So true, he hasn't mastered the art of diving either! Dog emoji" "Just wondering, has Lin Huang ever even dived? He doesn't even seem to roll around on the ground!" "Yeah, didn't you see he added a dog emoji?" Ronaldo didn't understand what the dog emoji meant, but his instincts told him these people weren't saying anything good.

"You can keep denying it, but when it comes to being an all-around player, Lin Quan clearly isn't as good as Ronaldo. Ronaldo is still the greatest player on this planet!" "Oh yeah, Ronaldo is definitely more complete. He can dribble from his own half, sprint 70 or 80 meters, and score after a solo run. He can break through entire defenses on the wing or in the middle, often taking on two or three defenders at once. Ronaldo also has excellent playmaking skills, capable of playing in multiple attacking positions. When teammates are missing, he steps up as the team's playmaker, not only scoring goals himself but also setting up his teammates. On top of that, he maintains a single-scoring rate of over 90% and a 100% penalty success rate. He wins the La Liga Golden Boot and the Champions League Golden Boot every year and leads the competition by a wide margin!"

"Weren't you all about presenting facts and evidence? Well, I've just laid out Lin Huang's stats—how do you respond to that?" "Haha, while Lin Huang might not be great at headers, his attacking methods aren't one-dimensional. Scoring directly from free kicks isn't a problem for him either—he's done it before. And when it comes to versatility, Lin Huang is right up there with the best. He can play almost any position in the front and midfield, and you could even put him as a defensive midfielder or full-back if needed, considering he originally played as a full-back."

"Yeah, the only positions Lin Huang can't play are probably center-back and goalkeeper since those require a certain height! Dog emoji" "Come on, don't exaggerate. Lin Huang isn't that good. According to him, he's just slightly better at shooting, dribbling, and dribbling past opponents." "Brother, did you forget to add the dog emoji?" "Exactly—can you call it 'slightly better' at dribbling when the defenders are nearly traumatized after facing him, sometimes even falling to the ground in fear?" "Boateng: You might as well just give them my ID number!"

"Whatever Lin Huang says, not even a dog would believe it!"

The fans continued their lively discussion, but the person who had initially defended Ronaldo didn't post any more comments. Perhaps they had been convinced or simply felt outnumbered and decided to keep quiet. Some curious fans investigated the person's account and found that all of his comments and likes were related to Ronaldo—clearly a die-hard Ronaldo fan.

Although Lin Quan had stolen some of the spotlight, with both players scoring hat tricks, it was inevitable that people would compare Lin Quan and Ronaldo. Compared to Messi, these two had been more consistent this season, at least not missing many matches due to injury. However, in terms of consistency, Lin Quan still had the edge. Over the past few seasons, he hadn't missed any matches due to injury, and his fitness was always excellent. A player like him was every coach's dream!

While most agreed that Lin Quan's performances had been better and more consistent, there was still a lot of praise for Ronaldo's ability to maintain such a high level of performance at 31. Many believed that as long as Ronaldo kept performing at this level, Real Madrid should show him respect by offering him a contract extension or even a raise. After all, Ronaldo had become a veteran at Real Madrid, having played for the club for seven seasons, making him one of the longest-serving players on the team.

However, it seemed people had forgotten that Real Madrid had never treated its veterans kindly. Over the past decade, only Zidane had retired on his terms. Players like Raúl, Casillas, Hierro, and Redondo were all let go after their form declined, with the club opting not to renew their contracts and allowing them to leave. Despite Ronaldo's greatness, he was no different from any other player. If he failed to win the Champions League with Real Madrid, he would be no different from any other star who had passed through the Bernabéu. If he showed signs of decline, Real Madrid would likely offload him to save on wages and possibly earn a transfer fee, which they could then use to buy someone like Lin Quan.

Of course, Ronaldo was highly disciplined and kept himself in top condition. Given his current form, he could likely maintain his peak for another two or three years. So Real Madrid might still be willing to renew his contract, provided both sides could agree on the terms.

...

With two of the three superstars scoring hat tricks in the second leg of the knockout rounds, the public was eager to see how the third would perform. On April 14, the other two Champions League quarterfinal matches took place. Despite Benfica taking an early lead at home, Bayern Munich came back to win 3-2, securing the third spot in the semifinals. After Bayern claimed the third spot, everyone assumed this year's Champions League semifinals would look just like last year's, with Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

Now, with Bayern, Real Madrid, and Manchester City already through, only Barcelona remained. Considering they had won their first-leg match at home and that Atlético Madrid's main striker, Fernando Torres, was suspended due to a red card, most believed Barcelona's progression was almost certain.

However, reality proved everyone wrong.

At the Vicente Calderón Stadium, 24-year-old Antoine Griezmann shattered Barcelona's dreams with two goals. Messi, who had been expected to shine, had a quiet match, failing to score as he watched Griezmann lead Atlético Madrid to a stunning comeback.

After the match, Atlético players celebrated wildly, while Barcelona's players were left dejected. Messi's despondent figure was particularly heartbreaking for many fans. What was supposed to be a new beginning for Barcelona turned out to be the end. Neymar's departure had a more significant impact than anyone had anticipated. Without Neymar to help share the load, Atlético focused all their defensive efforts on Messi, repeatedly fouling him and giving him no space to operate.

Simeone and his players knew that if they could shut down Messi, there was nothing to fear from Barcelona. "It's a bit heartbreaking to see Messi like this." "Yeah, he couldn't do anything against Atlético." "It feels like Atlético's playing style is a real counter to Barcelona. They never seem to have an easy game against them." "Atlético plays a tough, physical game, and they're great at closing down space. It makes sense that a technical team like Barcelona would struggle against them." "I think Messi has to take some of the blame. If you want to wear the crown, you have to bear its weight. As the team's superstar and leader, he has to shoulder that responsibility. But his performance in this game didn't live up to expectations." "It's just that he didn't have enough support. Iniesta is past his prime, Xavi has left, and even the rock in their defense, Puyol, is long gone. This Barcelona isn't the invincible team it once was." "It looks like the Dream Team III era is truly over."

(End of Chapter)

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