Chapter 449: Smother
Real Madrid and Chelsea clashed in the Champions League quarter-finals last year, and perhaps the biggest change for the Blues is the arrival of their new coach, Scolari.
Similar to Mourinho, who achieved great success, Scolari also emphasizes pragmatism, so their tactics still prioritize solid defense before considering offense.
Moreover, the Brazilian coach even specializes in training players in foul tactics. He believes that when unable to stop the opponent, fouling is an effective defensive method, a strategy likely to be used specifically against the Chinese superstar.
The first-leg encounter between the two sides took place at Chelsea's home ground, Stamford Bridge. The home team deployed a defensive counter-attacking formation, a 4-5-1 setup, with Cech in goal.
The defenders were Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, and Bosingwa.
In midfield, there were Mikel, Ballack, Lampard, Essien, and Malouda.
Upfront, the lone striker was "The Beast" Drogba.
Chelsea kicked off the first half, while Real Madrid opted to press high early on to force mistakes from their opponents. However, Scolari's tutored Blues had a plan, successfully neutralizing the threat of the Galacticos.
Seeing their initial efforts thwarted, the visiting team quickly retreated to prevent Chelsea from launching a counterattack. Drogba's physicality left a deep impression on the Real Madrid defenders. Soon after, Chelsea advanced into Real Madrid's half, but the ball was intercepted by Diarra.
Subsequently, he delivered a straight pass to Wang Feng in midfield. The Chinese superstar swiftly surged forward, with Mikel and Bosingwa chasing closely behind. However, his speed was simply too much, and the distance between both sides grew wider and wider until they approached the penalty area without a proper interception.
Seeing Wang Feng closing in on the penalty area, Ivanovic had only one thought in mind: not to let him penetrate further. So, he decided to make a decisive tackle.
The Chinese superstar wanted him to come closer! Wang Feng lightly tapped the ball to the right, seemingly aiming to move laterally to find space for a shot. Ivanovic was taken aback; if Wang Feng managed to shoot from this distance, it would be dangerous.
At that moment, a Chelsea defender immediately stretched out his left leg to interfere. But just then, Wang Feng suddenly flicked the ball back with his right foot, bypassing Ivanovic and shifting to the left.
A trick like a fried meatball! A simple footwork move made Ivanovic easily lose his defensive position, all due to Wang Feng's intimidating presence and lightning-fast agility.
At this point, a gap appeared in front of the Chinese superstar from the left to the penalty area. So, with a light touch, he split from the defender and charged into the penalty area. Faced with goalkeeper Cech's block, he directly passed the ball to the right.
Arriving, Iguaín almost faced an empty goal, but his shot was too powerful, grazing the crossbar and flying out of the net.
Wang Feng helplessly shrugged at Iguaín, his expression seemingly saying, "What are you doing, buddy? How did you manage to miss such an easy shot?" The Argentinean gestured apologetically, admitting it was his fault, and ran back to the midfield shaking his head.
Almost conceding an attack to Real Madrid, Scolari on the sidelines urged his players, shouting, "Defend! Stop Wang Feng at all costs!"
If Mikel or Bosingwa had made a decisive foul tactic just now, the Chinese superstar wouldn't have had a chance to threaten the frontcourt. The Brazilian coach was very unhappy with their performance.
Time slowly passed, and both sides gradually became deadlocked. Chelsea frequently used unconventional tactics to stop Real Madrid's attacks, leading the referee to repeatedly stop the game.
In the 25th minute, Wang Feng dropped back to midfield to receive the ball and immediately turned to advance. At this moment, three defenders closed in on him. He wanted to attempt to dribble past them but was immediately held back by Essien from behind.
Naturally, the referee awarded a foul against the home team, but this position was obviously unable to pose a threat to Chelsea's goal, and Real Madrid's attack was once again defused.
The first half of the game finally ended intermittently. After the break, the home team continued to implement foul tactics, constantly using minor actions to intercept Wang Feng and the Galacticos' attacks, causing considerable annoyance.
Their actions weren't significant, coupled with the home advantage, the referee often only penalized fouls without issuing cards, making Chelsea even more reckless.
The Galacticos players gradually became frustrated, while the Blues successfully seized fleeting opportunities. In the 76th minute, Terry intercepted Sneijder's pass, then immediately launched a long ball to the front. Nearby, Pepe and Coentrao failed to clear the ball in time.
Drogba pounced on the loose ball like a beast unleashed, waiting for such an opportunity throughout the game. Pepe, realizing the situation, hurriedly chased after the ball, but was still half a step slower than the Ivorian.
He reached the ball first, flicking it over the Portuguese defender's head. Then Drogba continued to dribble into the penalty area, forming a one-on-one against Casillas.
Facing Casillas, the Chelsea forward calmly feinted, causing the Spanish goalkeeper to dive to the ground before easily slotting the ball into the empty net. 1-0! The Blues broke the deadlock!
This goal delighted Scolari even more, as he became more determined to execute his tactics, substituting with the fresher Anelka and Belletti to contain the visiting team.
This scoreline remained until the end of the game, as Real Madrid suffered a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
After the game, Real Madrid coach Schuster harshly criticized Scolari, calling it a "disgusting match." He said, "Chelsea committed an astonishing number of fouls throughout the game, disrupting the rhythm and continuity of the match. I believe no viewer would want to see such a contest."
"Football is about passion, filled with a visual feast of technique, not a tasteless affair," the German added. He also stated that when they return to the Bernabeu, he will show the Blues what a real victory means.
Scolari, however, dismissed Schuster's comments, saying, "We are the winners, there's no issue with this tactic, the players did not violate the rules of football competition."
He emphasized everyone's fighting spirit and believed it was this spirit that could stop the terrifying attacks of the Galacticos. "In the Champions League matches before this season, Real Madrid scored in every game, with a total of 25 goals in 10 matches, averaging 2.5 goals per game. This is a terrifying figure."
"But under Chelsea's ironclad defense, they interrupted this goal-scoring streak. I firmly believe that even when we go to the Bernabeu, the players will still be able to limit Real Madrid's performance and ultimately eliminate them to reach the Champions League final!"
The process of this game also sparked heated debate in the media. Spanish media led by Marca strongly criticized Chelsea's approach, suggesting that referees should impose heavier penalties after multiple foul judgments, to prevent the game from becoming ugly.
On the other hand, British media led by The Sun believed it was just a tactical characteristic. Although not worth promoting, occasional use against strong opponents was acceptable.
While the public discussion was lively, UEFA officials did not provide a clear stance. Apparently, they are still observing the situation, as such dull games would indeed lose many viewers, but whether to restrict them requires further observation.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦