<h4>Chapter 268: He didn''t lose</h4>


    Returning from Virreal to Mn, the Nerazzurri weed their 33rd Serie A match against Ascoli, with an Italian Cup match scheduled just three dayster. Therefore, all the main yers were kept on the bench.


    Wang Feng originally thought he mighte on as a substitute if the team couldn''t break the deadlock. However, the yers performed exceptionally well, with forwards Cruz and Martins consecutively breaching the visitors'' goal, leading Inter Mn to a 2-0 victory.


    On the evening of April 11th, at the Udine Friuli Stadium, in the second leg of the Italian Cup quarter-finals, Inter Mn faced Udinese. The score in the first leg was 2-2, with Udinese securing two away goals, giving them an advantage.


    The other semi-final match was between Roma and Lazio, with Inter Mn being the strongest team among the four. Therefore, although the Italian Cup was not initially part of the team''s n for the season, as long as it didn''t affect their Champions League campaign, it was worth fighting for.


    Once the match started, Udinese''s tactics were straightforward. They persisted with a defensive counter-attacking strategy, aiming to prevent Inter Mn from scoring while holding onto their advantage.


    This strategy indeed kept Inter Mn''s attacks at bay in the first half. Despite the Nerazzurri having around 70% possession, they managed only seven shots, and the score remained 0-0.


    In the second half, Inter Mn''s frontline became more active, especially Wang Feng''s energetic runs, and Udinese''s defenders inevitably became distracted, exposing a loophole.


    In the 63rd minute, Zti''s long pass found Pizarro on the left nk, who then dribbled towards the left side of the penalty area. After attracting defenders to the bottom line, he suddenly stopped the ball and made a back pass in a triangle.


    Wang Feng, who followed up, received the ball and shot with his foot, cing the ball into the near corner of the goal. The nearby defending yers couldn''t block it in time, and although goalkeeper De Sanctis dived to save, the ball still grazed the inside of the post and entered the.


    1-0! Inter Mn sessfully reversed the aggregate score!


    At the moment of the goal, Udinese coach Sanniti sped his head in his hands, showing an extremely frustrated expression. Their goal was breached by Inter Mn once again!


    If they hadn''t been so conservative and had yed as decisively as they did in the first leg, would the oue have been better? Sanniti was uncertain, as the two-legged tie was very unfriendly to smaller teams like theirs that asionally cause upsets!


    Since they were already behind, Udinese''s continued defense was futile. Sanniti sessively substituted two attacking yers, intending to take a risk. However, once their defense was breached, it meant Inter Mn''s attacks would be even easier.


    In the 77th minute, Wang Feng and Ribery formed a wall-likebination on the right nk, and when Wang Feng received the ball inside the penalty area, he didn''t encounter the tight defensive wall as he did in the first half. So, he easily chipped the ball to the back post, where Adriano arrived with a header to seal the victory for the team!


    With a total aggregate score of 4-2, Inter Mn eliminated Udinese to advance to the Italian Cup final. The final format remains a two-legged tie, with Roma eliminating Lazio with an aggregate score of 2-1.


    On April 14th, in the 34th round of Serie A, the city of Mn hosted the Derby de Madonnina, with Inter Mn facing AC Mn. Due to Juventus'' unbeaten streak, only AC Mn had a chance to challenge their championship position, as Inter Mn had already withdrawn from the race.


    Moreover, with the Champions League semi-finals starting midweek, head coach Mancini made a surprising decision to field a reserve team. This was an extremely rare urrence in the history of the Mn Derby.


    Seeing main yers like Wang Feng sitting on the bench, Inter Mn fans quickly understood the situation and were very understanding of the team''s approach. After all, AC Mn had been eliminated from both the Champions League and the Italian Cup. If they didn''t strive for something in the league, they would end the season empty-handed.


    Therefore, both on and off the field, the atmosphere was very harmonious. AC Mn, who fielded their full-strength lineup, dominated the game, while Inter Mn defended with all their might. The coach''s only requirement was not to lose by arge margin.


    It wasn''t until the 31st minute that AC Mn opened the scoring through Kaka. In the 55th minute of the second half, Kaka assisted Inzaghi to extend the lead. Five minutester, Kaka dribbled through the center and scored his second goal with ease.


    Seeing the team gradually copsing, Mancini substituted Wang Feng in the 70th minute to strengthen the attack. The effect was immediate, as the heavily pressed Rossoneri had to divide their defense, and their attacking momentum was hindered, slowing down the pace of the game.


    In the 85th minute, Inter Mnunched a counterattack. Emre, retreating to the midfield, turned and sent a straight through ball to prate the defense. Wang Feng quickly initiated a forward run and caught up with the ball in the area about thirty meters from the goal.


    Facing the defense of Maldini and Cafu, he calmly controlled the ball under his feet while slowly approaching the edge of the penalty area. Just when Cafu felt he couldn''t retreat any further and decisively moved forward to press, Wang Feng suddenly flicked the ball to the right.


    Evading Cafu''s foot, he fiercely kicked a long shot at the edge of the big penalty area, and the ball drew a curved arc in the air, curving into the top left corner of AC Mn''s goal.


    1-3! Wang Feng pulled one back! Inter Mn avoided a massacre, and this score remained unchanged until the end of the match.


    Inter Mn cleanly lost the Mn Derby! Although many people understood the Nerazzurri''s starting lineup before the match, it was still unexpected for them to send on Wang Feng only after falling three goals behind.


    "Inter Mn has broken AC Mn''s unbeaten record. Mr. Mancini, why did you make such a lineup arrangement, and why didn''t you let Wang Fenge on earlier?" a journalist asked at the post-match press conference.


    "That record is quite interesting, isn''t it?" Mancini replied with a smile. "But more than that, I care about the trophies. We just finished a tough Italian Cup semi-final and are about to face the Champions League semi-finals."


    "There''s no problem with rotating yers, and sending Wang Feng on was just to let him get a feel for the game in preparation for the uing challenge against Arsenal."


    AC Mn coach Ancelotti also stated that while winning the Mn Derby after a long time was indeed pleasing, the more important goal was the fight for the league championship. "Even though Juventus has shown an unstoppable defending title form, we will never give up until thest round."


    Kaka, who was named the best yer of the match, also epted an interview. A reporter asked, "In this match, you contributed two goals and one assist, while Wang Feng only scored one goal. This is your first victory against a Chinese yer. What are your thoughts on this?"


    Kaka replied solemnly, "No, he didn''t lose. Wang Feng was only on the field for 20 minutes and still managed to score against AC Mn''s fully armed defense. This is a performance that only top strikers in the world can achieve."


    "I''m still chasing after him." The Brazilian''s tone changed, full of confidence. "But I can feel that I''m getting better and better, and I believe this is not an impossible task."