Chapter 173 Actively change formation! The goal is victory!
Inter Milan quickly took the lead away from home, causing the Korean media to collectively go wild.
"Chen Xiaoliang is lost in the Nerazzurri's midfield stranglehold"
"The Reds were completely defeated in the confrontation with Barrera"
"Europe's worst golden boy? The Ballon d'Or may lose its credibility!"
"Mourinho did nothing for 14 minutes, Chen Xiaoliang was supported, and Roma was facing defeat"
A large number of similar negative headlines appeared on the social accounts of Korean media, and many Korean fans left comments:
[That's it? He's not even worthy of carrying Son Heung-min's shoes]
[If this can win the Copa Award, then Son Heung-min can definitely win the Ballon d'Or]
[Just because you played against two weak teams and got some stats, you think you are a top star? ]
Of course, there are also rational Korean fans who refute them:
[In the previous match against Tottenham in London, Chen Xiaoliang and Sun Kai fought for the entire game. At least under his defense, neither of them had a chance]
[Chen not only has data against weak teams, but also has good performances against Lazio, Fiorentina, Milan and Juventus. Moreover, he was one of the best players on the field in the two games against Manchester United last season.]
The discussions outside the stadium became more and more heated, and the game on the field seemed to have really begun.
Roma's advancement became faster, and Inter's overall defensive formation became tighter.
However, Brozovic and Barella kept running, sweeping and intercepting in the midfield and backcourt, making it impossible for Roma's two wings to effectively pass the ball into the penalty area.
There was a lot of thunder but little rain, and the number of shots on target remained awkwardly at "0".
How can you score a goal if you can’t even touch the goal?
The frequent high passes by Bigna and Veretout were ineffective. Under the double air defense system of Bastoni and Skriniar, Cesco was outnumbered. Even if he managed to win the header, he could not make a powerful header or accurate pass.
Zaniolo, who is not good at heading the ball, can only wander around, but either the ball cannot be passed to him, or he is targeted by Barella or Brozovic as soon as he receives the ball.
Although he is 190 cm tall and has fast speed and good dribbling skills, these are based on the premise that there is a certain amount of space. Although he looks tall and strong, he has no advantage in physical confrontation.
In the already narrow space in Inter Milan's backcourt, with the nearest of the two fiercely pressing midfielders stepping forward to implement close defense, Zaniolo's characteristics and abilities could not be fully reflected.
Obviously, Inter Milan's coaching staff and analysis team have done sufficient research, not only on the tactics of the entire Roma team, but also made detailed targeted arrangements for each player.
However, Mourinho is no ordinary player. He is still one of the coaches who has won the most major championships in European history.
When it comes to being a head coach, Inzaghi, who only started coaching the first team in 2016 and has only won two Italian Super Cups and one Italian Cup, may not be qualified even if he wants to be Mourinho's apprentice.
Although Mourinho has had bad luck in recent years and has gradually fallen behind his old rival Guardiola in the competition for the number of trophies and is unlikely to catch up, the Portuguese madman has become a little more introverted as he grows older, but the number of tricks in his head has increased exponentially.
Inzaghi will study his team, and he has naturally made detailed preparations for Inter Milan.
On the sidelines, after a cross from Binya was blocked, Mourinho raised his right hand and made the number 4.
Roma began to change their formation.
In the 18th minute, Binya threw the ball out of bounds on the left side, Veretout stepped forward to receive the ball, and Chen Xiaoliang suddenly started and sprinted to the left flank!
Barrera follows closely!
Veretout passes the ball!
The distance between Barrera and Chen Xiaoliang was getting longer and longer, and his speed was obviously not as fast as Chen Xiaoliang!
As he was about to receive the ball on the left side outside the penalty area , D'Ambrosio, who played as the right center back in this game, came up to double-team him.
Chen Xiaoliang caught up with the ball and made a cross with his left foot!
Bastoni and Skriniar in the penalty area are on high alert!
They know very well that the connection between Chen Xiaoliang and Cesco is Roma's most threatening offensive method!
But this ball...why did it fly out of the penalty area?
Cesco retreated from the penalty spot with the ball, Bastoni stayed in the penalty area, and Skriniar still followed Cesco closely.
Coming to the top of the arc, there is also his teammate Brozovic.
Cesco jumps high, ready to head the ball!
Skriniar did not jump.
In this position, so far away from the goal, and without the inertia bonus of retreating to compete for the header, it is impossible to create a threatening header.
As a 26-year-old main central defender of a top club worth 65 million euros, his judgment was absolutely correct, and just as he expected, Cesco's header did not have much speed.
But the one with speed was a figure that inserted diagonally into the penalty area!
It turns out that Cesco's retreat was for a header pass!
"In the penalty area, it's Zaniolo!"
"Bastoni is the only one defending him!"
"Zaniolo adjusted the ball onto his left foot"
"Bastoni blocks it with his foot!"
“Shoot!”
"Handanovich dived for the ball!"
"The 37-year-old Slovenian goalkeeper saved the team!"
"Roma gets a corner kick!"
On the left side, Veretout chose to take a quick tactical corner kick. In order to prevent Inter Milan from launching a quick counterattack, Roma's high defensive points did not step forward to participate in the attack during this corner kick.
The ball was passed back to Binya to reorganize the attack.
Cesco, who was originally active in the restricted area, completely withdrew from the restricted area.
Although Skriniar was still following him, Bastoni couldn't find anyone to defend for a while.
Zaniolo's shot just now flew to the left side of the goal, and Handanovic turned sideways to save the ball.
Inter Milan, who almost lost the ball, realized that Roma's offensive tactics had changed.
The director cut the camera to Zhang Kangyang in the audience, accompanied by the club director Ausilio.
Zhang Kangyang's expression was serious, completely lacking the excitement he had when his team scored a goal just now.
Those involved are often confused, while those who are watching the game can see things clearly. At this time, Inzaghi Jr. and his assistant coach Faris, who were in a "God" perspective on the sidelines, seemed to have seen through Roma's formation changes.
However, it was just a threatening attack. They still have to wait and see what Mourinho is up to.
On the wing, Binya received the tactical kick and passed the ball back to Cristante further behind.
The Italian controlled the ball and waited for a moment before making a long pass directly to the front court.
This time it’s Cesco again!
He retreated to the top of the penalty area again. After Zaniolo's shot that almost lost the ball, Skriniar did not dare to rush out of the penalty area without restraint and press closely. Instead, he stayed inside the penalty area line and watched Cesco's every move.
Although Brozovic, who was defending Cesco, was not short at 181 cm, he looked particularly petite next to the 195 cm Cesco.
Moreover, as a defensive midfielder whose specialties are endurance, running and interception, handling high balls is not his strong point.
Cesco encountered almost no obstacles, and he easily leaned on Brozovic and nodded back to Chen Xiaoliang who had been waiting for a long time behind him.
Chen Xiaoliang received the ball and passed it straight through!
The ball passed through the narrow gap between Brozovic and D'Ambrosio!
Veretout, who did not retreat to the defensive midfielder position after the tactical kick, made a counter-run and received the ball on the left side of the penalty area!
Seeing the defense line being torn apart in an instant, Inter Milan's defensive players in the midfield and backcourt immediately retreated towards the goal like the tide receding!
Seeing that D'Ambrosio and Dumfries were about to rush to his side, Veretout did not dare to stick to the ball, and aimed at the right angle to make a reverse triangle pass!
It's Zaniolo again!
He specifically chose to attack the area defended by D'Ambrosio. Barrera, who was nearby, had to take care of Chen Xiaoliang while retreating. Brozovic's speed could not keep up with him. D'Ambrosio had just blocked Veretout and had no time to turn around. This area seemed to be a vacuum!
This time Zaniolo adjusted to his right foot, aimed at the upper right side of the goal, shook his ankle, rubbed the arch of his foot, and kicked out a curve ball!
Handanovic did not react and watched the ball draw an arc in front of him!
The cheers of Roma fans in the stands have reached their throats!
"well!!!"
The cheers suddenly turned into sighs!
The ball hit the goal post and flew out of the bottom line!
The substitute players and coaches on the sidelines were all crying and lamenting, and Zaniolo himself was covering his face with his hands and frowning.
Zhan Jun: "Brother Jianxiang, Mourinho's gesture just now seemed to clearly ask the players to change their tactics. Cesco on the field at this moment reminded me of a player Mourinho once coached!"
Huang Jianxiang: “Who is it?”
Zhan Jun: "The Belgian air master, the explosive Fellaini in Everton and Manchester United!"
Huang Jianxiang: "Now that you put it that way, it is indeed very similar. I remember that when Mourinho was at Manchester United for a while, whenever he couldn't make a breakthrough in attack, he would send Fellaini on the field.
Let him receive the long pass from the backcourt at the front of the penalty area and use headers to create opportunities for the striker, or if that doesn't work, just rush into the penalty area and compete for the header like a center forward and score with a header. "
Zhan Jun: "That's right! Facing the defensive dominance of Skriniar in the penalty area, Cesco took the initiative to withdraw from the hinterland and played aerial work with Inter Milan's midfielders. Brozovic and Barella's biggest weakness is high-altitude balls.
If Skriniar follows out, a vacuum will be created in the penalty area; if he doesn't follow out, no one will limit Cesco's powerful aerial ability!
Both attacks almost scored! If Zaniolo's shooting skills were a little better, the score would not be 0-1! "
Huang Jianxiang: "Let's see how Inzaghi changes the formation."
On the sidelines, Inzaghi was discussing countermeasures with Faris.
The solution had already been included in the plan and the players had undergone special training, but whether it would produce other negative effects still needed to be weighed.
Faced with Faris's strong suggestion, Inzaghi finally nodded in agreement.
Rather than worrying about potential threats, it is better to address the immediate dangers first.
When Handanovic was about to kick the goal, Faris shouted and Inter players immediately understood.
They are not rookies, they are the defending champions.
Although the two moves just now were quite dangerous, they couldn't scare them.
The defense encountered some troubles, but the offense still had to continue.
Handanovic made a short pass to Brozovic, who passed it to Barrera.
The hot Italian midfielder was watching as Chen Xiaoliang charged towards him.
This is a head-on confrontation!
At this time the system sounded!
【Dong Dong Dong】
[Enemy detected: Nicolo Barrera]
[Rival Mission: In this game, the rival's passing, steals, interceptions, headers, and assists are all less than the host's and no goals are scored]
[Restriction conditions: Player rating after the game, enemy rating is lower than the host]
[Mission Reward: 1 Legendary Star Card of the Enemy's Team]
The content of this task is obviously different from the previous ones against Vlahovic and Chiesa!
It is no longer required that the opponent has no goals or assists, but rather that all five statistics are lower than yours!
After all, a midfielder is different from a striker. He will not score goals or assist in every game. It would be unreasonable .
The requirement of this task is equivalent to comparing which of the two midfielders is more comprehensive and which one plays a greater role on the field!
Accept the mission!
Chen Xiaoliang's already high morale instantly increased by several percent!
This kind of confrontation is interesting!
Before, the match between the two forwards was more of a confrontation between offense and defense, but now, it is a contest between two midfielders with the same position, similar playing style and similar style!
Although he felt Chen Xiaoliang's aggressive attack, Barrera did not panic at all.
He pulled the ball back, preparing to move to the right to create a safe distance before passing it to Dumfries on the right side.
Chen Xiaoliang had already predicted Barrera's actions through the illusion created by the marking attribute. He stretched out his left leg and tackled the ball that Barrera passed silently!
"What?!"
Barrera's heart was shocked !
My sudden and smooth short pass was actually blocked by him!
Fortunately, he did not have physical contact with Chen Xiaoliang. He immediately retreated and controlled the ball, while Chen Xiaoliang got up as quickly as possible and chased after him again.
Barrera dribbled towards the middle, trying to get rid of Chen Xiaoliang's defensive range. Chen Xiaoliang pressed closely and the skill of [Good at Close Defense] automatically took effect!
Barrera and Chen Xiaoliang fought hard, neither giving in.
Chen Xiaoliang withdrew his strength, and Barrera's force suddenly had no support. He staggered and slowed down. He hurriedly poked the ball back to Brozovic before falling to the ground. Seeing that Chen Xiaoliang was pressing so hard in the middle, the latter immediately passed the ball to the left.
Inzaghi couldn't help but shout on the sidelines: "Don't stick to the ball! Pass the ball as soon as possible!"
Barrera was depressed and wanted to refute a few words, but he held back.
He is the head coach after all!
As a midfielder with a strong sense of teamwork, he has never been one to stick to the ball. But he wanted to pass the ball just now, but Chen Xiaoliang didn't give him any chance!
Huang Jianxiang: "Two people are fighting! Both of them used all their skills in the back and forth just now! One tried his best to steal the ball, and the other tried his best to control the ball!"
Zhan Jun: "In Barrera's previous passes, such scenes were rarely seen. Under Chen Xiaoliang's close pressure, he looked a bit embarrassed. If it was Pogba who likes to stick to the ball, it would not be surprising!"
On the left, Perisic received the ball, and Ibanez turned sideways and calculated the distance, preventing him from breaking inside and blocking his route to the bottom.
It has to be said that Ibanez's unexpected appearance in this position did have a significant impact on Inter Milan's left-wing attack, especially Perisic personally.
The Serbian is already quite old. At 32, his physical condition is not as good as Dzeko and Pedro. Although his speed is still excellent when running at full speed, the first few steps for a breakthrough winger are much slower than in his peak years.
Facing Ibanez, he was not sure if he chose to force his way past him one-on-one.
But luckily he had help.
Among Inter Milan's midfield trio, except for Brozovic who firmly guards the center as the defensive midfielder, there is no specific restriction on the positions of Barella and Calhanoglu in the attack.
The Turks, in particular, were elusive in the frontcourt, roaming around, always ready to demonstrate their superb final pass ability.
Perisic encountered difficulties today, so he appeared on the left wing much more frequently.
At this time Perisic slowly took a few steps forward, then passed the ball with his right foot to Calhanoglu who came to support. The latter turned around and pretended to advance to the middle, which was Cristante's defense area.
Although Cristante is slow, Calhanoglu's speed is almost the same as his.
Cristante did not rush to grab the ball, but just blocked Calhanoglu's passing space with close range.
Calhanoglu suddenly sent a straight pass towards the bottom line of the penalty area. Ibanez and Cristante were stunned and saw Perisic still in front of them.
This isn't a one-two pass... who was it passed to?
Who should I pass it to? To their offensive center!
Lautaro rushed diagonally and Mancini's speed was simply unable to catch up with him!
He is the fastest player among Inter Milan's tall and fast forwards!
Lautaro received the ball 1 meter inside the left penalty area line, and Mancini was still chasing him with his long legs!
The Argentine forward adjusted the ball to his right foot, which was his favorite foot.
Seeing his teammate in the middle, the "Gao" one, coming up, he directly kicked the ball and passed it to the middle!
"Lautaro kicks the ball and crosses it!"
"Dzeko follows up in the middle!"
"Smalling in front and Kumbulla in the back!"
"Dzeko jumps!"
"The ball was passed a little too low and Smalling touched it first and headed it out of the penalty area!"
Lautaro saw that his pass was just a little bit away from an assist and let out a sigh, "Ouch!"
He looked towards the restricted area.
Maybe the kick I just made was not too low, but at the moment of passing it, I was thinking about the little black fat boy hidden in the deepest part of my heart.
He was 2 centimeters shorter than Dzeko, and his cross was probably 2 centimeters lower.
There's no way, I'm used to it. When I kick the ball, I still can't help but follow the muscle memory from last season.
It’s just that the fat guy still seems to be not used to returning to London this time, and the fans there don’t love him very much.
Yes, the British in London are not as friendly, tolerant and generous as the folks in Milan.
Every time I contact him and hear him say everything is fine, I always think of the scenes from last season and feel a little sad.
If he were still there at this moment, he would definitely turn around in the penalty area, show me his white teeth, and then give me a solid thumbs up.
Although this veteran player transferred from Roma is also a well-known figure, three months of running-in is still too short.
In order to help him adapt to this place, I had to frequently move to the wing like the fat boy, passing the ball and assisting him.
I don’t know if I’ll have the chance to reunite with Fatty. Without him in the team, my assists have dropped a lot, and the joy I feel after scoring a goal has also decreased a lot.
But life must go on and this game must be won.
Then when the fat boy is unhappy in London, I can say to him:
"Come home, let's fight together again. I'll catch your kick with your left foot, and I'll watch you dribble past the defense."
