Suker was once again preparing to receive the ball on the wing.
But this ti, instead of stopping in place, he sent the ball towards the rib area the mont he received it, then accelerated his explosive power and sprinted forward.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Lampard could only reach out and pull.
Suker's speed decreased, and Cahill rushed over again, clearing the ball away.
Suker couldn't help but grin.
Lampard, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.
If Suker had gotten through, the situation would have beco very unfavorable.
"Chelsea's defensive coordination is really good, but Suker is also gradually finding his rhythm, and he's constantly trying various ways to break free!"
Said British comntator Rowell.
But Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger next to him had different opinions.
"The pressure is getting bigger and bigger; Lampard hasn't even been able to participate in the attack!"
Lampard, as a midfielder, was stronger in offense than in defense.
But now he was being tightly restricted to the backfield by Suker.
While Chelsea's goal was defense, this was too draining on Lampard's stamina.
Once the ga ti was extended, under pressure and constant running, Lampard's performance would only decline further.
"John Obi Mikel or Bosingwa should take on more defensive duties!"
"But they are prone to fouling! Once they get a card, Real Madrid will aggressively attack that flank!"
"They are playing too passively!"
Wenger shook his head; so far, Chelsea hadn't launched a single counterattack, constantly taking hits.
They were almost always clearing the ball, finding it difficult to keep possession.
And even if they managed to control the ball, they would quickly lose control under Real Madrid's pressing, thus losing possession.
Most crucially, Kaka and Khedira also started moving forward.
This was a sign of Real Madrid further intensifying their attack.
And on the flanks, Srna and Marcelo were also eager to move.
Once Suker or Gareth Bale pulled into the rib area, Srna and Marcelo could imdiately surge forward, creating a five-pronged attack.
The only good news was that 15 minutes of the match had passed smoothly.
Real Madrid, despite constantly attacking, had not yet scored.
Moreover, Chelsea was intentionally avoiding giving Real Madrid corners, and set pieces were handled with extre caution.
It must be said that Chelsea had done very well defensively so far.
But constantly doing this wasn't a solution; they had to launch counterattacks to put so pressure on Real Madrid.
Otherwise, the defense would collapse sooner or later!
"Too much pressure, it's too crowded up front, no space!"
Suker turned his head and shouted, "Drop back a bit, create space!"
Suker could dribble and break through in small areas, but Gareth Bale needed a running lane.
So far, Gareth Bale's right wing was almost completely blocked.
Suker also couldn't find an opportunity quickly under Chelsea's coordinated defense, so the situation beca deadlocked.
Suker didn't want to give Chelsea this sense of defensive accomplishnt; these guys were the type to get more excited the more they played, and once they thought they could defend, the counterattacks would co even more fiercely.
At Suker's suggestion, Real Madrid stopped their aggressive attacks.
Instead, they dropped back to midfield and began to make further adjustnts.
Aggressive attacks were useless, so they would try probing passes, then suddenly launch an attack through Kaka's change of tempo.
And in this kind of forward run, Suker could also temporarily enjoy freedom of movent.
At the sa ti, Suker began to touch the ball frequently, constantly passing.
He did this hoping to draw more defensive power to the left side, allowing Gareth Bale on the right side to be freed up.
Just as Suker said, Gareth Bale needed a running lane.
He needed a space to sprint into.
To achieve this, Real Madrid needed to tilt Chelsea's entire defensive line towards the left.
Chelsea Head Coach Di Matteo frowned as he looked at the field.
He had a strong sense of unease; Real Madrid was constantly passing the ball to the left, while also drawing Chelsea's defense to tilt towards the left.
This way, Gareth Bale on the right wing would be freed up.
Di Matteo frowned; they had already thought about this issue before the match, but the final discussion concluded that they could only rely on Ashley Cole's individual ability to mark him.
Suker was too great a threat; they couldn't divert too much defensive force.
The first wave of challenge was coming!
Gareth Bale was also observing the field; he could clearly feel the pressure around him loosening.
Although Chelsea's players kept turning their heads to check his position, Gareth Bale was confident that with his speed, he could shake them off with his first touch.
The only problem was Ashley Cole; he had to get past him.
This was a challenge Gareth Bale had to face alone; his teammates had already helped enough, and if he couldn't even do this much, he truly wouldn't deserve the title of a Real Madrid player.
At this mont, Suker received the ball in the rib area, and Gareth Bale saw Chelsea's players swarm towards Suker as if in a reflex.
That defensive intensity made Gareth Bale wince.
If it were him, he would have lost the ball imdiately.
But Suker was Suker after all!
He maintained possession while also picking out the ball and passing it to Kaka.
Seeing this, Gareth Bale knew it was his ti to shine.
Gareth Bale first started to create distance on the right wing; the greater the distance, the less Chelsea's defensive recovery effort would be.
Indeed, after Kaka received the ball, he pulled it back and turned, facing the right side.
"Run!"
Gareth Bale suddenly accelerated, beginning to sprint rapidly forward along the wing.
At the sa ti, Kaka drew back his leg like a bow and arrow, sending a long pass forward!
The ball was perfectly delivered into the open space on the right.
Chelsea's full-back Ashley Cole quickly rushed towards Gareth Bale; other players couldn't get there in ti, so he could only rely on himself to contain Gareth Bale and buy ti.
But just as the ball was about to land, Gareth Bale suddenly stopped sharply.
Ashley Cole also instinctively stood still, maintaining his distance.
But at that mont, Gareth Bale suddenly pushed the falling ball forward.
At the sa ti, he slipped past Ashley Cole's side.
"Gareth Bale! A touch and a pass! He's in the box!"
David Luiz lowered his center of gravity, staring intently at Gareth Bale.
Gareth Bale pushed the ball forward; he wanted to combine with Benzema for a forward attack.
But David Luiz anticipated this passing direction and suddenly slid in, poking the ball with his toe.
The ball then rolled to Ashley Cole's feet, and Ashley Cole imdiately cleared it with a big kick to prevent any mishaps!
"Oh!!! Gareth Bale got past Ashley Cole, but the final pass was intercepted by David Luiz; if Benzema had gotten to that ball, Chelsea would have been in danger!"
British comntator Rowell couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Although Chelsea's defense was tenacious, every ti it felt like playing with fire.
The pressure was too great!
Under this defensive pressure, could Chelsea really last through the first half?
"Again!"
Suker clapped his hands vigorously, giving Gareth Bale a thumbs-up in encouragent.
Gareth Bale had done very well; he withstood the pressure and got past Ashley Cole, and although the final pass wasn't perfect, it still created a significant threat.
This ant that Real Madrid's attack was starting to work.
Gareth Bale got past him once, so he could do it again next ti.
How much longer could Chelsea hold out?
That also needed to be questioned.
"The right wing is breaking through!" Mourinho also breathed a sigh of relief; his expression was no longer so serious.
With two flanks, as long as one flank broke through, Real Madrid could continuously exert pressure.
The worst scenario was if neither broke through.
It was clear that Suker was being extrely restricted.
Therefore, Suker's explosive period would mostly be in the second half, when stamina decreased, Suker would further apply pressure.
So in the first half, with Suker drawing defense, Gareth Bale needed to take on more of the attacking responsibility.
This was also Real Madrid's pre-match arrangent, and even though 20 minutes had passed, they still managed to execute it.
As long as it worked, it was fine.
After all, given Real Madrid's ability to capitalize on chances, goals would co quickly in this situation.
"It's open!"
Suker watched Gareth Bale sprint rapidly on the right wing; he wasn't in a hurry to surge forward.
This was not the ti to sprint forward.
Benzema was up front, and Suker mostly just needed to create a distraction to help his teammates open up space.
"Why isn't he going yet!"
Bosingwa was almost dying of anxiety.
Suker and Kaka were standing on his left and right sides.
Kaka had already started to push forward.
But Suker didn't move!
"Forget Suker, defend the far post!"
Lampard roared.
Bosingwa imdiately turned and rushed towards Kaka.
But he was still a step slow; Gareth Bale crossed, and Kaka headed the ball at the far post.
Bang!
Čech made a miraculous save, narrowly tipping the ball out.
The ball fell into the penalty area, instantly creating a chaotic scramble.
Benzema, David Luiz, and Cahill were all vying for the ball.
Suker was also on the periter, craning his body to look inside.
Bang!
At this mont, Benzema poked the ball.
But he couldn't control the direction well, and Čech, while on the ground, used his calf to block the ball out again.
"Oh! Čech, two consecutive saves!"
The ball flew out of the penalty area, and Suker's eyes lit up as he saw where it would land.
He imdiately chased the ball and took a powerful shot.
But just as Suker shot, Lampard pushed Suker, causing him to lose his balance slightly.
However, Suker still managed to keep the ball down.
The shot wasn't powerful, but the angle was incredibly tricky.
Just as the ball flew towards the goal, a figure suddenly appeared at the far post, heading the ball out once again.
"Drogba!!!!"
"Oh my God!! How did he track back to the goal line!! But this ti, his return helped Chelsea defend the goal, it was incredibly close!"
"Real Madrid had three shots, Čech made two consecutive saves, and Drogba desperately tracked back to save the goal."
"These Chelsea veterans stepped up in such a dangerous mont!"
There were gasps of astonishnt on the field, and Chelsea fans also gave enthusiastic applause.
They praised this extre defense.
On the sidelines, Mourinho was also filled with emotion.
His feelings were complex.
He felt so regret because Real Madrid couldn't score.
But he also felt so relief because Drogba, Čech, and Lampard were all players he had personally developed.
Their performance deserved applause.
"Damn it!"
Suker couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Although Lampard interfered with him, Suker thought that shot was a certain goal from that angle.
Who would have thought that Drogba would make an extre recovery and clear the ball?
Therefore, this Chelsea team truly has incredible resilience!
"Well done!"
Lampard and Drogba embraced tightly.
At this mont, Lampard was also very excited.
When he saw Suker still keeping the ball down despite the interference, his heart sank halfway.
But Drogba's miraculous appearance pulled them back from hell.
"I saw the situation wasn't right and imdiately tracked back," Drogba said seriously. "Every one of us has defensive responsibilities, that's what the Head Coach told us in the first training session!"
The 'Head Coach' Drogba referred to was clearly Mourinho.
Lampard also nodded, "Hold on a little longer, we will find an opportunity for a counterattack!"
Drogba nodded, "I understand!"
He didn't doubt Lampard.
After so many years as teammates, they fully trusted each other.
However, Lampard was still very nervous internally.
That was easy to say, but Real Madrid's attacks were getting stronger and stronger; how much longer could they hold on?
Lampard turned to look at the ti.
34 minutes!
11 more minutes!
Lampard felt ti was passing too slowly.
On Real Madrid's side, although they couldn't capitalize on this opportunity, their morale was soaring even higher.
11 minutes?
That's enough!
"Kaka!"
Suker actively sought out Kaka.
"We'll make a cross-run, try your best to pull away either Lampard or John Obi Mikel for !"
Suker didn't want to wait until the second half.
He had already started to feel that Chelsea was constantly adjusting their state; if these resilient veterans couldn't be crushed in one go, they could turn the ga around with their rich experience and tenacity.
Moreover, besides this track-back, Drogba had been largely idle.
Suker naturally dared not underestimate the threat of the Beast Drogba in front of the goal.
Therefore, Suker believed they had to score in the first half and be in a leading position.
"I understand!"
Kaka nodded.
He would not question Suker's decision; after all these years and so many Champions League matches, it had been amply proven that in crucial monts, one must trust Suker.
Although playing this way would sacrifice himself to so extent.
But as long as it could activate Suker, it was worth it.
After Kaka finished communicating, he then found Alonso and briefly inford him.
After all, Alonso's support was also needed here.
Once the three decided, they imdiately prepared to try it out.
For caution, Alonso also pulled in Marcelo, indicating an overlapping run to further interfere.
The ga reached 38 minutes, and Real Madrid was still using the left wing to draw attention.
But Suker's touches were no longer limited to creating space on the right wing; instead, he was waiting for the timing of the cross-run.
Finally, at 41 minutes, Suker seized an opportunity.
John Obi Mikel, seeing Kaka dribbling forward, actively approached Kaka.
And as he ran forward, a gap would inevitably appear behind him.
Suker suddenly burst forward.
Kaka then slid the ball forward, and it happened to go right through John Obi Mikel's legs again.
"Kaka's through ball, Suker's run!"
With Real Madrid's sudden cross-run, Chelsea's defense instantly beca sowhat disorganized.
And Suker did not pass to Kaka, who was making a diagonal run forward to the left, but rather laid the ball off towards the half-space, then turned and continued to advance forward himself.
When Alonso rushed to the ball, Kaka, Suker, Benzema, and Gareth Bale almost simultaneously completed their forward runs.
Chelsea faced their biggest defensive crisis yet.
"Danger!!"
The English comntator Lowell couldn't help but exclaim.
At this mont, Alonso aid at Suker's running position and suddenly chipped the ball.
The ball sailed over the defensive line, falling towards Suker's head.
Of course, Suker would not wait for the ball to drop in place.
Suker raised his arms, bracing against the defenders on both sides, preventing them from interfering with him.
At the sa ti, he suddenly leaped up.
Čech also quickly moved to the left, and just as he rushed to the left goalpost, Suker chose not to shoot but to head the ball across.
Suker flicked the ball to the far post on the right side.
With the continuous shifts, Chelsea's defense was completely bewildered.
As the ball was about to land, Gareth Bale arrived like a shot, with a sliding shot, powerfully sending the ball into the goal.
With the sudden change in rhythm and the sudden shift in attack, Chelsea's defense could not stabilize the situation; they conceded a goal!
"Goooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!!!!"
"Gareth Bale!!! The star from Wales has scored a crucial goal for Real Madrid in the Champions League final!"
"At 42 minutes, Real Madrid finally scored, and Chelsea's stubborn defense was finally torn open."
"Suker and Kaka's cross-runs, Alonso's perfectly weighted chip pass, Suker's header across—all of these made Chelsea's defense chaotic!"
"Exactly! This is how we should play. Chelsea's defense is tight, but they still can't withstand our changes in rhythm!"
"Well done!"
Spanish comntator González jumped up and cheered.
At Allianz Arena, tens of thousands of Real Madrid fans instantly erupted in thunderous cheers.
In distant Madrid, in various bars, Real Madrid fans were also cheering loudly, all celebrating this goal.
Gareth Bale excitedly ran towards the corner flag, sliding on his knees in celebration.
His expression was incredibly thrilled; a goal in the Champions League!
This was the mont he had dread of, and now it had finally co true.
Indeed, his shot was perfectly placed, but his teammates' choices in this attack left him even more amazed.
Gareth Bale opened his arms towards Suker.
The two embraced tightly!
"Well done! Great Sage!"
Great Sage?
Gareth Bale didn't understand, but he didn't care; he was too excited.
Great Sage it is!
At the sa ti, he also gained a new appreciation for Suker.
Suker's individual combat ability was very strong, but his choices and performance in crucial matches were even more astonishing.
When the situation was deadlocked, Suker's choices often provided them with a way to break the stalemate!
Just like this ti!
Although he was the one who scored, Suker and Kaka's cross-runs pulling the defense were the greatest contribution!
Reviews
All reviews (0)