This "loose" offensive play made everyone feel Real Madrid's "underestimation."

And soon, Almeria made Real Madrid pay for their underestimation.

In the 21st minute of the match, Almeria crossed from the wing, Negredo leaped high, but Cannavaro positioned precisely, blocking Negredo.

After receiving the ball, Negredo didn't insist on shooting, but instead back-heeled a pass to the oncoming Juanito, who faced the goalkeeper and struck a low shot, only for the quick-reacting Casillas to claw it back from the goal line.

"Beep~"

The referee, after receiving a signal from the linesman, confirmed the goal as valid under the indication of Almeria players raising their hands indicating the ball had crossed the line.

The entire Mediterranean Stadium turned into a sea of joy instantly.

"Well done, Negredo!"

"Juanito was the one who scored!"

"I don't care, it was Negredo's brilliance."

"He's just like his friend Chen, a genius. If only he could stay here forever."

With Negredo's outstanding performance, more Almeria fans became familiar with his story, and among them, his frequently mentioned good friend Chen Zhong naturally also became a celebrity among the fans.

Before the news broke that Real Madrid was going to buy back Negredo, many Almeria fans fantasized about the team loaning or even buying Chen Zhong outright.

Then Almeria's future rise would be firmly anchored.

After assisting his teammate, Negredo ran toward the die-hard fan section, raising his hands, performing unique celebratory gestures between friends, pointing to the sky and the ground, to you and me.

Chen Zhong frowned slightly, not responding to Negredo.

"Juanito completed the goal."

"Negredo ran towards the die-hard fan stand, not celebrating with Juanito."

"He made a never-before-seen celebratory action, seemingly interacting with someone special in the stands."

Real Madrid, after conceding this goal, was somewhat revived, but lacking Chen Zhong and Baptista in the midfield left them a bit short, especially due to the slippery pitch causing Guti and Sneijder to frequently make mistakes in organizing play.

Moreover, with Van Nistelrooy repeatedly missing golden opportunities, the team's goal looked somewhat distant.

"This low shot from Van Nistelrooy."

"Didn't test Diego Alves at all."

"However, during this period, Real Madrid's offensive was becoming more intense."

Emery was pacing back and forth on the sideline, shouting the players' names, and after his calls, the defense's intensity also increased.

The cost was that Almeria received two yellow cards within fifteen minutes, but it also hindered Real Madrid's attack, and by the 40th minute, with Real Madrid's physical decline, Almeria gained several opportunities, with Negredo being the standout performer.

In the 42nd minute, after Diego Alves collected Van Nistelrooy's shot, he directly opted for a long pass from the backfield.

Negredo, carrying Cannavaro, unleashed a powerful shot outside the penalty area towards the goal; if it had been a tad more accurate, Almeria would have had a two-goal lead over Real Madrid.

"Negredo's shot there."

"Really had a bit of Van Nistelrooy's flair."

"Within the Real Madrid team, Soldado has always been seen as Van Nistelrooy's successor."

"But Schuster has always felt his proactivity is problematic."

"Lately, there's been talk of Real Madrid buying back Negredo; if he has this performance and proactivity upon returning."

"Then he will have a place within the team."

In the waning moments of the first half, Sneijder became a bit frantic, using a tactical foul to interrupt an Almeria attack, and also receiving a yellow card.

At halftime, the fans in the stands were abuzz, most discussions about Almeria centered on Negredo and Chen Zhong.

"Why didn't Real Madrid play Chen in this match?"

"I remember in the last match it was because of Chen that Negredo's performance was limited."

"One is the strongest offense, the other the strongest defense; if they were paired together, how strong would we be!"

...

It was precisely because Chen Zhong didn't play in this match, otherwise in the stands there would definitely be more cursing about him, rather than such a harmonious scene.

The second half began with Real Madrid making the first substitution.

Higuain replaced Van Nistelrooy, who couldn't continue due to his recent state being affected by stomach flu and an ankle injury sustained in the first half.

As the second half started, Almeria launched a fierce offensive; the midfield's watered grass made it even more slippery, and during defense, Cannavaro first slipped, getting feinted by Negredo.

But due to habitual leg stretching, he also tripped Negredo in the penalty area, leading the referee to blow his whistle and award a penalty.

The Almeria fans in the stands cheered overwhelmingly, watching the referee run towards Cannavaro, shouting: "Red card, red card."

Or perhaps chanting: "Yellow card, yellow card."

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