After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

In early April 2019, Barcelona, ​​having just suffered a defeat in the Champions League, was about to face the next round of the league.

The Champions League thrashing at Camp Nou casts a long shadow over the Catalan capital.

Shame, anger, doubt...

These emotions need an outlet.

And this exit, according to the schedule, naturally points to the next game.

La Liga Round 31.

The Catalan derby.

Barcelona will play away against their city rivals, Espanyol.

The RCDE Stadium, home of Espanyol, has never held such complex and eerie expectations as it does today.

For the home team's fans, this is a derby where they must fight with all their might, a battle for dignity.

But for the Barcelona fans who have traveled from afar...

And in terms of the world's attention watching this game through screens.

This is more like a "battle to redeem dignity".

Barcelona must immediately regain their sense of victory and the prestige of a strong team against their "weak" city rivals after being humiliated by Arsenal.

If you lose face against a strong team, you have to regain it against a weak team.

In the locker room before the game.

Espanyol captain Javi López stands in the center.

He bumped fists with each of his teammates.

Including Wu Lei, who was sitting in the corner, his eyes filled with longing and a little nervousness, wearing the number 24 jersey.

"Brothers!" Lopez's voice was deep and powerful, resonating in everyone's ears.

"Look outside! Look at those guys in red and blue jerseys! They just got thrashed by Arsenal in the Champions League!"

Now, they want to vent their anger on us! They want to treat us like pushovers and reclaim their pathetic sense of superiority!

The atmosphere in the locker room instantly became tense.

Anger ignited in the players' eyes.

"I'm telling you, no way! Barca can't do it!" Lopez clenched his fist.

"This is our home! This is Epräd! Not Camp Nou where they can come and run wild as they please! They're restless now, Pique isn't there, their defense isn't solid!"

We'll show them that Catalonia isn't just one color! Today, we'll tear their wounds open even wider! We'll send them back with double the shame! For our fans, for the jerseys we wear, we'll fight to the very end!

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" A furious roar erupted from the locker room.

Wu Lei joined his teammates in shouting, his fists clenched tightly.

Wu Lei has been in La Liga for more than four months, and his Spanish is already quite good.

Although he is still a substitute at the moment and doesn't have much say in the team.

But the captain's words and the team's united spirit made his blood boil as well.

A strong sense of collective honor enveloped him.

Wu Lei also longs to contribute to the team that accepted him.

……

Meanwhile, in the away team's locker room, the Barcelona players looked grim.

Messi silently adjusted his shoelaces, Suarez looked serious, and coach Valverde kept emphasizing "focus" and "forget about the last game."

Barcelona is currently under immense pressure, while Real Madrid is closing the gap, trailing by only 6 points.

We must quell the storm from the outside world with a victory.

He started in place of Pique in this match.

He is 32-year-old Belgian veteran Vermaelen, who has been out of action for a long time.

Valverde originally wanted to field Umtiti.

However, Umtiti's form has been poor since returning from the 2018 World Cup, and a medical examination a few days ago showed that his physical condition is still not optimal.

Therefore, Vermaelen is the only option for this match.

The match began amidst an extremely heated and hostile atmosphere.

The commentator gave an opening warm-up.

"After the three-goal defeat in the Champions League and the red card incident a while ago, Barcelona desperately needs this victory."

Barcelona will unleash all their fury on Espanyol, making it an extremely difficult match for them.

After the match started, Barcelona took the initiative from the very first minute, launching a relentless offensive.

Their passing and control remained fluid and efficient, with Messi, Suarez, and Coutinho constantly attacking Espanyol's defense.

In the 21st minute, Barcelona's strong attack paid off.

Alba made a run down the left flank and crossed the ball, which Suarez cleverly let slip at the near post, rolling the ball to the edge of the penalty area.

As usual, Messi appeared in the most dangerous area, met the ball without making any adjustments, and curled a beautiful shot with his left foot! The ball bypassed the defender and went straight into the top corner of the goal!

0-1!

"Messi! Goooooooooal! A classic Messi goal! Barcelona has taken the lead! They seem to be following the script! The outcome of the Catalan derby is almost a foregone conclusion." The commentary was actually biased towards Barcelona.

The Barcelona fans in the stands erupted in cheers.

The knot in my heart eased a little.

After scoring, Barcelona continued to control the game, while Espanyol appeared somewhat passive, only able to harass their opponents with sporadic counter-attacks.

However, the soldiers of the Parrot Legion did not give up.

They used tenacious running and physical confrontation to thwart Barcelona's attacks time and time again.

Just 45 minutes into the first half, Espanyol earned a corner kick.

Granero takes the penalty.

The ball flew towards the near post in a high-speed arc.

Iglesias stepped up!

He leaped with all his might, managing to grab the landing spot despite being sandwiched between Vermaelen and Lenglet.

He suddenly shook his head!

The ball hurtled towards the goal like a cannonball! Ter Stegen couldn't react in time!

1-1!

"Goal! Iglesias! Header! Espanyol equalize! Just before halftime! This is a crucial goal! It has completely ignited the Cornellà-El Prat Stadium! With the first half about to end, it seems impossible for Barca to mount a comeback in the first half," the commentator exclaimed.

The entire stadium erupted in frenzy.

The Espanyol players embraced each other excitedly.

On the sidelines, Valverde shoved his hands into his pockets as if he were venting his anger. This goal, like a thorn, pierced the nerves that had just begun to relax for Barcelona.

After the start of the second half.

Barcelona continued to intensify their attack; a draw was not an option for them.

In the 55th minute, Rakitic delivered a brilliant through ball from the middle, and Suarez successfully broke the offside trap, broke into the penalty area, and calmly slotted the ball into the far corner past the onrushing goalkeeper.

1-2! Barcelona have taken the lead again.

The pressure is back on the Spanish side.

However, shortly after Barcelona took the lead, weaknesses in their defense began to surface.

Vermaelen, after all, had been out of action for a long time.

There are problems with teamwork and individual performance.

As it turned out, Pique was indeed irreplaceable at Barcelona during that period.

In the 68th minute, Espanyol launched a quick counter-attack, with Roca passing the ball from the center to Darder on the right wing.

Darder dribbled inside, Vermaelen was a little slow to intercept, and Darder created space for him to shoot with his left foot.

The ball, with great force, hurtled straight into the net.

2-2! Espanyol have once again fought back to equalize!

"Darder! A world-class goal! Beautiful! Espanyol never give up! They've wiped out Barcelona's lead once again! Vermaelen's defense has faltered!" the commentator analyzed.

After the draw, the atmosphere on the field became even more tense, and the physical confrontations became more intense.

In the 74th minute, Espanyol's key right winger was unfortunately injured in a challenge and had to stop playing.

Espanyol's head coach Rubi was thinking on the sidelines at that moment.

He initially expected a victory in this match, but after Barcelona equalized twice, his expectation gradually turned into a draw.

After all, they are just a small club. As long as they can hold on to a draw against Barcelona, ​​it would already be a good result.

Let that Chinese kid give it a try.

Rubi then glanced at the substitutes' bench.

"Wu Lei! Warm up immediately and get ready to go on the field!"

At this moment, countless fans watching in front of their screens in China had their hearts in their throats.

"Wu Lei! It's number 24, Wu Lei! Viewers, you didn't see wrong, Rubi has selected Wu Lei! Wu Lei will face this Barcelona team with Messi and Suarez!" In the Chinese live broadcast room, He Wei's voice instantly became excited.

Soon, the fourth official raised a sign:

Number 7 is off, Wu Lei is on number 24!

Wu Lei quickly took off his training clothes, ran to the sidelines, high-fived his teammates, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the field!

At this moment, he represents more than just Espanyol.

It also carries the expectations of countless Chinese fans!

After coming on, Wu Lei was exceptionally active.

His runs were as intelligent as ever, constantly weaving behind the Barcelona defense, especially exploiting Vermaelen's weaknesses in turning and chasing back.

Pique's absence has indeed had a significant impact on Barcelona's defense.

Time was ticking away.

The score remains 2-2.

The Barcelona players seemed a bit impatient, while the Espanyol players grew stronger as the game progressed.

Rubi was very pleased with Wu Lei's performance on the field.

"His positioning is indeed very skillful; hopefully he can hold on for a draw..."

In the 88th minute, Espanyol intercepted the ball in their own half. Darder received the ball, observed the area ahead, and delivered a long, lobbed pass.

The pass was intended to find Iglesias in the attacking third, but it was a little too powerful.

However, just as the ball was flying toward the left side of the Barcelona penalty area, a figure wearing a blue and white striped jersey appeared like lightning.

Number 24! Wu Lei!

He understood perfectly and made a high-speed run from the outside, his judgment of the landing point was extremely accurate.

Vermaelen was completely outpaced by Wu Lei's acceleration, staggered as he turned, and was left far behind.

The reason he was able to leave Wu Lei behind was not so much due to the speed difference, but because he failed to anticipate Wu Lei's movement.

Wu Lei perfectly beat the offside trap.

He beat everyone else to it and, just as the ball was about to hit the ground, he stretched out his right foot and gently tapped it.

An incredibly light and skillful touch sent the ball flying forward as he burst into the penalty area!

One-on-one!

Facing Ter Stegen's attack.

Wu Lei remained unusually calm. He observed the goalkeeper's position and unleashed a low, ground-hugging shot with the instep of his right foot.

The ball was incredibly fast and flew at a tricky angle, heading straight for the far corner of the goal!

Ter Stegen dived to his side, but his fingertips failed to touch the ball!

"Whoosh!"

A crisp sound of something entering the net rang out.

Immediately following was a deafening roar that shook the entire EPRA stadium.

"Goal! Goooooooal! Wu Lei! Wu Lei! Chinese player Wu Lei!! 88th minute! He killed the whole game! Espanyol leads Barcelona 3-2! Wu Lei scored a priceless winning goal!!! Unbelievable! Incredible!" He Wei's voice was completely hoarse, filled with unbelievable ecstasy.

After scoring, Wu Lei excitedly rushed towards the corner flag, opened his arms, and roared to the sky.

All the pressure, all the waiting, all the effort, are completely released at this moment.

His teammates rushed over and surrounded him, vigorously rubbing his hair and patting his back.

On the sidelines, Coach Rubi and everyone on the bench rushed out and celebrated wildly.

In the stands, Espanyol fans went completely wild.

Even many Chinese spectators wearing Barcelona jerseys cheered for Wu Lei.

At this moment, there were no Barcelona fans, nor Messi fans.

At this moment, only Wu Lei's fans are present.

In the final minutes of the match, Barcelona launched a frantic counterattack, but their morale had completely collapsed, and they were unable to create another miracle.

After 4 minutes of added time, the referee blew the final whistle!

Espanyol 3-2 Barcelona!

This was an absolutely stunning upset.

Espanyol decisively halted Barcelona's winning streak in the league, causing them to fail once again after their Champions League defeat, and giving Real Madrid a valuable opportunity.

An unforgettable Catalan derby.

The moment the final whistle blew.

Countless Espanyol fans surged into the stadium like a flood breaking through security personnel.

They wanted to hug their hero!

Wu Lei is undoubtedly the most shining hero of the night.

Excited fans spotted him, and several strong men excitedly lifted him high and carried him on their shoulders!

Other fans surrounded them, shouting, singing, and jumping wildly!

"WU LEI! WU LEI! WU LEI!"

The unified shouts echoed throughout the stadium.

At this moment, this striker from the East became the true king of this stadium.

Wu Lei enjoyed the fans' most genuine and passionate love and respect, his face beaming with a happy yet slightly shy smile.

The camera followed him closely, recording this historic moment.

at the same time,

Across the Channel in London, Yan Yuan was also lying on his sofa at home, watching the highlights of the final moments of this derby match.

When he saw Wu Lei's clever positioning and calm shot that sealed the victory, he was full of praise for Wu Lei.

The footage showed Wu Lei scoring the winning goal.

"Awesome! That was a beautiful shot!" Yan Yuan stood up from the sofa and shouted.

"What's wrong? Did you see some news? You seem quite excited." Lin Jianwei, who was reading on the sofa, asked with a puzzled look, and gently patted Yan Yuan's head.

"Look, look! Weiwei, Wu Lei scored the winning goal against Barcelona!"

Yan Yuan handed the tablet to Lin Jianwei.

"Let me see..."

Lin Jianwei had heard the name Barcelona quite a bit these past two days, so he was also very curious about the result of this match.

She watched the video and said.

"Hmm... his movement looks really smart, like he knows where the ball will go... I remember this player named Wu Lei."

"When Zhejiang team played against Shanghai SIPG, my dad would always go to watch the game. Back then, he always said that Wu Lei was the best player."

"Your dad has a great eye. Wu Lei is really amazing. That winning goal really hit home. It was so satisfying."

Yan Yuan picked up his phone, opened social media, and shared a video clip of Wu Lei's winning goal, along with the caption:

[@Wu Lei, well done, brother! Brilliant positioning, calm finish! Happy for you and Espanyol, this is a precious victory! Tonight, the fans are with you, the glory is with you, keep going in La Liga! #CatalanDerby #LaMatchWinner]

This affirmation from one of the hottest rising stars in European football instantly ignited Chinese social media, and also brought more attention and praise to Wu Lei's goal worldwide.

One is a Chinese-American prodigy who conquered Camp Nou, and the other is a Chinese striker who scored the winning goal against Barcelona.

Yan Yuan and Wu Lei both upset Barcelona at Camp Nou and at their home stadium.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Barcelona.

Messi walked quickly into the players' tunnel with his head down, his back view filled with loneliness and helplessness.

Barcelona's dignity was not restored; instead, it was trampled into pieces amidst the revelry of their city rivals.

This night belongs to Wu Lei, to Espanyol, and to all Chinese fans who believe in miracles.