The Bernabéu Stadium welcod the fourth round of the Champions League.
Real Madrid would face Chelsea at ho.
For this match, even Chelsea's chairman, Abramovich, personally ca to watch, showing how much importance he placed on it.
However, Abramovich's expression was not very pleasant, and the reason was simple: before arriving in Madrid, he had a conversation with Mourinho.
Abramovich wanted to maintain the previous strategies regarding the team's future, financial fair play, and youth developnt.
Mourinho, on the other hand, believed that Abramovich's choices were too conservative, and that Chelsea was currently at a point where it needed drastic expansion, requiring the introduction of more players to increase its combat power.
A slight disagreent arose between the two parties!
Mourinho was pushing Abramovich to invest more funds. Of course, Abramovich was not a chairman who was reluctant to spend money, which could be seen from his past lavish spending.
But the problem was, this ti it was too much!
In Mourinho's Chelsea revitalization plan, the most crucial part was to acquire Suker.
This was an almost impossible task!
Abramovich had, of course, considered this issue. If Suker was willing to transfer, Chelsea would go all out to secure him, even if it ant risking scrutiny from the financial fair play regulations.
But the problem was, Suker had no intention of transferring at all.
Real Madrid consistently rejected their offers, no matter how many tis they bid, Real Madrid's response remained the sa.
Real Madrid's so-called 'non-transferable' players were truly non-transferable.
Real Madrid was not short of money. As the most profitable football club in the world, they truly had no need to let go of their star player for 'money'.
This plan made no progress, so Abramovich could only settle for a compromise, stabilizing Mourinho by agreeing to acquire Srna.
However, in the past two days, Mourinho had proposed a new demand.
That was to renovate and expand the capacity of Stamford Bridge Stadium to generate more funds, which would allow for more transfer funds without violating financial fair play regulations.
Abramovich was also extrely vexed by this!
The current Mourinho gave him the impression of being overly eager for success, often acting impulsively and refusing to give up until he achieved his goals.
After leaving Chelsea for the first ti, Mourinho seed to be possessed, his tactics beca extrely defensive, and he was desperate for quick success in his objectives.
He could understand Mourinho's brilliant success at Real Madrid, but placing all that pressure on Chelsea's players was perhaps too much.
Although Abramovich believed this group of players was excellent, he also objectively understood that there was still so gap compared to Real Madrid.
Florentino turned to look at Abramovich. As the chairman of Real Madrid, he naturally had to accompany his 'guest'.
He looked at the hint of worry between Abramovich's eyebrows and chuckled to himself.
In terms of coaching, Mourinho was indeed an impeccably excellent coach, but his eccentric personality made it difficult for him to maintain good relationships with others in the workplace.
Wasn't Mourinho being 'driven out' of Real Madrid due to these very reasons?
"Your Belgian, Hazard, is very good!"
Florentino suddenly spoke.
Abramovich on the side imdiately beca a little wary.
Florentino thought Hazard was good, did this an Real Madrid was interested in him?
As Chelsea's current true cornerstone, if Hazard left, it would truly be a devastating blow.
But just then, Florentino changed the subject, turned his head, and smiled; "But Suker is also very good."
Abramovich's cheek visibly twitched.
This old man, was he showing off in front of him?
He specifically ntioned Hazard to highlight Suker.
Although Hazard was indeed very good, to be honest, the current Hazard really couldn't be compared to Suker.
Seeing Abramovich remain silent, Florentino didn't mind, he chuckled and turned his head to look at the pitch, satisfied as long as he had his fun.
Currently, the outside world was praising how excellent Hazard was, but this excellence was still only within the scope of young players.
And if he were to look higher?
Cristiano Ronaldo and ssi, these two great mountains, would already make him breathless, let alone the five-ti Ballon d'or Winner Suker.
At this mont, Florentino suddenly sighed again.
The only regret was that it would be very difficult for Suker to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
Based on Real Madrid's internal conflicts last season, losing too many honors and championships, and it not being a year for international tournants, it would be difficult for Suker to compete for the Ballon d'Or.
Last season, Bayern Munich and Cristiano Ronaldo were the main contenders.
He had also tried so maneuvers, but progress was limited, and he couldn't create enough influence for Suker.
On the field, both teams' players had already walked out and taken their positions in their respective halves.
The starting lineup is as follows:
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Casillas.
Defenders: Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo.
Midfielders: Bale, Kaka, Casemiro, Kroos, Suker.
Forward: Benzema.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Čech.
Defenders: Ivanović, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta.
Midfielders: Willian, Ramires, Oscar, David Luiz, Hazard.
Forward: Schürrle.
"Real Madrid has made so positional adjustnts in this match. Kaka and Kroos have swapped roles, with Kroos officially moving into the main attacking route on the left side."
"At the sa ti, in the right-back position, young Carvajal will start!"
Spanish comntator González announced.
So of Real Madrid's adjustnts were about the future.
Whether it was Srna or Kaka, they were both players who had decided to leave; although not yet publicly announced, their intentions were clear.
If there were no surprises, they would leave after the end of this season.
Under such circumstances, Real Madrid would inevitably have to make so adjustnts.
They could not overly rely on these players who were about to leave.
Kaka moved from the left to the right, and Kroos officially took over the main attacking wide area on the left.
This signaled that Kroos would officially take over Real Madrid's midfield authority.
Secondly, in the right-back position, Carvajal and Arbeloa entered a competition.
Whoever perford more outstandingly would officially replace Srna as the first-choice right-back.
Upon learning this news, Ancelotti imdiately began making adjustnts.
He couldn't wait for these guys to leave before making adjustnts; by then, it would be too late.
Ancelotti rubbed his temples on the sideline until he saw Suker's figure, and only then did his heart slightly settle.
No matter what, Suker was here.
This was his strongest trump card; as long as Suker was there, the ga could be stabilized.
Hoo~~~~
Ancelotti exhaled, turned his head, and looked at Chelsea's coaching bench.
Mourinho stood with his arms crossed, looking at the field. His face clearly showed so fatigue, but he tried hard to keep his eyes wide open, maintaining a spirited appearance.
However, his temples were slightly gray. This young coach, who had once dominated the Premier League BIG6 upon entering the Big Five Leagues, had now beco a world-renowned coach.
However, after repeated setbacks, he couldn't help but feel so sadness and impatience.
Ancelotti would not comnt on Mourinho's coaching in any way, but the latter's personality was indeed a big problem.
He wanted transfer power at Real Madrid, which caused unrest throughout the dressing room.
But Ancelotti had no interest in this whatsoever.
Or rather, he didn't care about these things; as long as the club bought the players he wanted and supplented the squad, that was enough.
As for the relationship with the higher-ups, that required communication and negotiation.
It wasn't about constantly pressuring the other party; under such circumstances, it would ultimately lead to a breakdown in relations.
At this mont, the match was about to begin on the field.
Hazard was constantly exhaling. In this match, Mourinho had given him a lot of tactical freedom.
To prevent him from being restricted, his range of activity was very large, and once he left an area, other teammates had to imdiately fill in.
Although this would increase the pressure on his teammates, Mourinho was willing to invest heavily to unleash Hazard.
There was no other way!
To defeat Real Madrid, it would still depend on Hazard's performance.
Secondly, David Luiz was filling in at the defensive midfield position.
Although David Luiz was originally a center-back, besides his defensive ability, as a Brazilian player, his technique and set-piece skills were exceptional.
These could all help his teammates.
Most importantly, with Terry's return, the defense could still be stabilized.
Lampard, Torres, and others were also on the bench, providing sufficient tactical depth, allowing for both offensive and defensive options. Mourinho had made extensive preparations for this match.
As for Real Madrid, they didn't have many special tactics prepared, but their inherently powerful attacking attributes had already been unleashed.
If Chelsea couldn't withstand Real Madrid's offense, they would inevitably lose!
Beep!!!
At this mont, the whistle blew.
The match officially began!
Tens of thousands of Real Madrid fans erupted in fierce cheers, and the entire Bernabéu Stadium vibrated.
Chelsea kicked off first, and Real Madrid imdiately pressed forward, initiating high pressing.
The speed of offensive and defensive transitions in modern football is very fast, and high pressing is commonplace. Therefore, players in the deep defense also need passing ability.
After receiving a pass from his teammate, David Luiz imdiately passed it to Hazard on the left.
This ti, Hazard did not indulge in dribbling but passed the ball horizontally to Oscar, then pressed forward.
However, as he ran, Casemiro naturally followed him.
But Hazard was not in a hurry; Oscar controlled the ball and transferred it to the other side.
Willian sprinted forward at high speed. Without Casemiro's obstruction, he could directly face Real Madrid's defensive line.
Carvajal lowered his center of gravity, stopped about two ters from Willian, and remained vigilant.
He didn't make too many defensive moves but forced the opponent to slow down.
Just as Willian was thinking about how to get past him, soone suddenly rushed from the side, trying to squeeze between Willian and the ball.
"Dream on!"
Willian imdiately pulled the ball back and turned, blocking the pressing Kaka behind him.
But at the mont he turned, Bale suddenly appeared in front of him and poked the ball to Kroos, who had run into the central area.
Kroos did not hold onto possession but transferred it with one pass to Suker.
Once the ball successfully reached Suker's feet, it ant Real Madrid would enter offensive mode.
Chelsea instantly beca tense.
But just as they were standing by, Suker took two steps forward, suddenly stopped, and then passed the ball back.
"Damn it!"
Mourinho angrily slapped his thigh. Just a few more steps! If Suker had run a few more steps forward, he would have entered Chelsea's defensive trap.
But Suker was still very alert, or perhaps had a keen sense, and made the judgnt imdiately.
After passing the ball, Suker turned to look at Ivanović, Ramires, and others. As he was about to move forward, the three of them simultaneously pressed forward to surround him. Even a fool could see that Chelsea was waiting for him to rush in so they could "make dumplings" (surround him).
He was not a rookie greenhorn.
Passing back to reorganize was the best option.
"The ga has just started, and Suker is playing very cautiously, not rushing forward. This is correct. After losing possession, Chelsea imdiately shifted their defensive focus to the left. If Suker were to move a few more steps forward, he would be cut off from all passing routes and directly forced into a dead end by Chelsea."
González praised Suker's keen sense.
Although he trusted Suker's ball control skills, in such an elaborate defense, Suker could easily face various physical pressures.
One or two might be manageable, but with three people pressing simultaneously, Suker couldn't withstand it.
At this point, passing back was the best option.
Real Madrid began to reorganize and probed forward little by little.
Ancelotti saw clearly from the sidelines that Chelsea's overall movent was more active and more coordinated.
Mourinho is a defensive master, and his team would certainly defend well.
And this Chelsea team embodied that perfect defensive distance, linkage, and other key elents.
In fact, compared to the first-round match, Chelsea was even more complete.
Perhaps Terry's return gave the team more confidence, and their defense had beco much more stable.
Terry was also shouting commands loudly, using his experience to repeatedly have teammates cover gaps.
As a center-back, apart from the Goalkeeper, his vision was the broadest, and he could see the most weaknesses. Therefore, with his reminders, Chelsea, despite frequent movent, was always able to block Real Madrid's attacking routes.
"So difficult to deal with!"
Kroos couldn't help but frown.
Chelsea's defensive movent was too fast; he wanted to thread a pass but couldn't find a good opportunity.
He looked in Suker's direction; Chelsea still had heavy guarding on the left side.
Finally, he chose to distribute the ball to the right wing.
Let Bale try to break through first.
See if he could open a gap on the right wing.
Seeing the ball shift, Suker also stopped and ran towards the center.
But as soon as he ran a few steps, Kroos suddenly moved forward and gestured to Suker, indicating that Suker should stand on the sideline.
Suker was montarily stunned but quickly understood Kroos's intention.
Indeed, as Kroos raised his position, Kaka also instantly moved forward.
Kroos and Kaka stood in the half-space, Suker and Bale stood on the sideline, and Benzema was central.
Real Madrid presented a five-pronged attack.
At the sa ti, Real Madrid's two full-backs also began to stir.
Mourinho narrowed his eyes slightly, and Chelsea players also understood, their overall defense becoming more compact.
They knew very well that Real Madrid's attacking formation was a sign that a storm was about to hit.
Sure enough, the next second, when the ball was passed to Bale's feet again, he directly burst down the wing, putting pressure on Chelsea.
"Mark him!"
Terry shouted loudly for Azpilicueta to stick close to Bale.
Azpilicueta maintained a certain distance from Bale, so he wasn't outrun by the opponent's speed.
But just as Bale was about to cross, he suddenly cut back and passed the ball again to the right half-space.
When Kaka received the ball, David Luiz imdiately followed up to mark him tightly, preventing him from passing into the penalty area or chipping it over.
At this point, Kaka again shifted to the left half-space.
Chelsea's entire defense was also drawn towards the left.
Kroos looked at the ball; he turned his head again to confirm Suker's position, but this ti it was more of an eye-contact exchange.
The mont their eyes t, Suker knew what to do.
Suker imdiately accelerated, darting between the full-back and defensive midfielder Ramires, charging towards the byline.
At the sa ti, Kroos also gently chipped the ball forward to et it.
The ball sailed over Ramires's head and dropped behind him.
Ivanović desperately chased Suker. He saw Suker already making a move to control the ball and wanted to seize the opportunity to win possession.
But Suker did not control the ball forward; instead, at the mont the ball landed, he stepped over it, and as the ball bounced up again, he gently tapped it with his backheel, stopping the ball behind him.
At this point, Suker's front supporting leg showed a clear bending motion, decelerating, cushioning, and turning in one fluid motion.
Ivanović couldn't keep up with Suker's movents at all; he hadn't even anticipated that Suker would control the ball in such a way.
"Suker!!! A perfect touch!"
González roared directly.
When Suker completed his turn, there was no one imdiately beside him.
Suker also imdiately looked up at the goal.
At this mont, everyone in Chelsea held their breath.
Just then, Suker feigned a shot, but his foot gently pushed the ball horizontally.
The ball rolled towards the center. Kroos had made a run into position, and just as he was about to shoot, soone was a step faster than him.
Terry had already slid in, and with one swipe, he poked the ball away.
"Terry!! Chelsea's captain saved their defense!"
"A brilliant read! When everyone thought Suker would shoot, only Terry remained vigilant, keeping his eyes on the passing point, and making the clearance imdiately!"
The ball was poked away, and Oscar received it, about to turn.
This was a golden opportunity for Chelsea to counterattack, but just as he was about to pass, Casemiro directly tackled Oscar to the ground.
His action was incredibly decisive; even if it was a foul, he wouldn't let Chelsea launch a dangerous counterattack.
"Oh~~~ Casemiro! His action was very dangerous. This is a tactical foul. Although he received a yellow card for it, he stopped Chelsea's counterattack!"
Casemiro even, after committing the foul, did not imdiately run away but blocked the penalty spot to prevent Chelsea from taking a quick free-kick.
This is a display of experience!
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