EFB Chapter 424 - 91: Advancing to the Final! Wang Shuo on a Rampage! Renewals and Signings
Chapter 424 - 91: Advancing to the Final! Wang Shuo on a Rampage! Renewals and Signings
’The right wing needs to be strengthened. I don’t think Owomoyela is good enough to handle the Champions League next season!’
After this season’s experiments, Klopp had all but given up on playing Foyelner in the number 10 role.
Even Götze was more effective than Foyelner in that position.
So, they definitely needed someone for the attacking midfielder position.
A backup for Shahin’s position also needed to be brought in.
As the best-performing playmaker in the Bundesliga this season, Shahin’s skill was beyond question.
But when Foyelner played in this position, his performance wasn’t very good either.
If possible, Klopp still wanted to sign a backup.
And then there was the front line.
Although Valdes scored goals, his overall performance was unsatisfactory.
Whenever Wang Shuo was rested, Valdes could never shoulder the responsibility of spearheading Dortmund’s attack.
Signing a high-caliber backup forward was also essential.
Playing in the Champions League next season was an excellent opportunity for Dortmund.
But the club couldn’t possibly shell out a huge sum of money for transfers.
After all, Dortmund wasn’t on solid financial footing.
If they performed poorly in the Champions League and had a subpar following season, the investment would become a heavy financial burden.
Isn’t that how Schalke 04 got into so much debt?
At that point, Dortmund, already heavily in debt, would find its situation only getting worse.
So, Klopp had to figure something out on his own.
Uncle Mustache had his own sense of urgency!
He knew very well that for Dortmund to get results, they had to depend heavily on Wang Shuo.
A leader with exceptional talent, backed by a squad of solid players—that was the standard recipe for winning a championship!
’But the question is, how much longer will Wang Shuo stay at Dortmund?’
’One year?’
’Or two?’
’Europe’s top clubs aren’t blind.’
’Countless scouts have come to Dortmund to watch Wang Shuo recently.’
’With Dortmund’s financial situation, how long can we keep him?’
’If we want to win, we have to seize this strategic window of opportunity with Wang Shuo!’
Therefore, Klopp had to build a competitive squad as quickly as possible this summer.
The transfer activity wouldn’t be massive.
He just needed to build upon the team’s current lineup, strengthening and refining it.
Wang Shuo was Dortmund’s core strength!
...
As Atletico Madrid fell back to defend, the game entered a stalemate.
After coming from behind, Dortmund didn’t continue the aggressive attacks from the opening phase. Instead, they patiently played out the time against Atletico Madrid.
It wasn’t until after the 35th minute that Atletico Madrid, having regained their composure, began to mount a comeback.
The Sheet Army clearly hoped to launch a wave of attacks before the end of the first half, looking to see if they could turn the tables.
Ideally, they would snatch a goal and level the score.
That would take a lot of pressure off for the second half.
Wang Shuo kept running, observing, and analyzing the situation on the pitch.
After [Insight] was upgraded from Regional Level to National Level, Wang Shuo discovered that his understanding of the game had grown even stronger.
Through constant observation, he was able to discern more about the game.
He gained an even clearer grasp of Atletico Madrid’s intentions, especially when he saw them begin to force a counter-attack, with left-back Antonio Lopez repeatedly surging forward to join the offense.
’You want to attack?’
’It won’t be that easy!’
Dortmund wasn’t good at sitting back and defending deep, but pressing high up the pitch was their specialty.
Wang Shuo immediately gestured to Shahin, Hummels, and the others.
Dortmund began to press forward as a unit!
Wang Shuo, in particular, led the charge, putting pressure on Atletico Madrid’s left-back, Antonio Lopez.
In the 39th minute, Wang Shuo tracked Antonio Lopez from the left flank all the way back to the halfway line. With help from Kuba, Wang Shuo successfully poked the ball away.
As Kuba collected the ball, he was immediately pressured by Antonio Lopez.
Assunção, meanwhile, closed in on Wang Shuo, who was moving to receive a pass.
Atletico Madrid’s counter-press was quite strong.
Wang Shuo shouted to Kuba and pointed toward the edge of the center circle in Atletico Madrid’s half, signaling for a quick switch of play.
Shahin would be there.
Atletico Madrid was in a 4-4-2 formation. With Assunção marking Wang Shuo, Raul Garcia had also shifted to that side, leaving Shahin open.
Kuba couldn’t see it, but Wang Shuo’s view was perfectly clear.
The moment the ball left Kuba’s foot, Wang Shuo spun around and sprinted forward.
Shahin surged forward to meet the pass, took a touch to control it, and immediately started dribbling forward.
Raul Garcia moved to block his path, while Assunção scrambled to get back.
As Shahin approached the area 30 meters out, Wang Shuo found himself just behind Assunção. He pointed to the space in front of him, signaling for Shahin to make the pass.
The center-back, Domingos, stood to the right, just outside the Arc Top District. He glanced at Götze, who was at the base of the Arc Top District.
When Wang Shuo had dropped deep, Götze had pushed up to fill the space.
The young Dortmund talent was being closely marked by Pereira.
Meanwhile, Reus had drawn Uyfalusi out to the right side, near the edge of the penalty area.
When Domingos saw Wang Shuo’s gesture and realized Shahin was about to pass, he made an instant decision.
’Intercept!’
Following the trajectory of Shahin’s pass, he was confident he could clear the ball before it reached Wang Shuo.
At the very least, he could block Wang Shuo the moment he received the ball, neutralizing the attack.
With that thought, Domingos shouted to Pereira and charged toward Wang Shuo.
Shahin’s pass angled through the gap between Assunção and Raul Garcia, heading right into Wang Shuo’s path.