Chapter 297: Magic Bird's Killer Move, the Forward-Moving Frontless Formation
The penalty was taken by the team's top penalty taker Dybala.
Facing Alisson, Dybala took a deep breath, and after the referee Stiller blew the whistle, he took three steps and accurately pushed the ball into the lower left corner of the goal.
Alisson jumped in the right direction, but Dybala's ball was too tricky and there was still a full two palms' distance between his right hand and the ball.
Just as Dybala raised his hands and prepared to turn around and celebrate with his teammates, referee Stiller blew the whistle, indicating that a player rushed into the penalty area before the penalty kick.
Dybala, who was already dissatisfied with Stiller because of the previous penalty, suddenly became furious.
Although he is very confident in his penalty kick ability, facing Alisson, a goalkeeper who is worth the top three in the world, who can guarantee that every penalty kick can be scored.
Moreover, when the free throw was made and someone was called to cross the finish line early, there was only one possibility, that is, Roma's own teammates violated the rules, which is even more impossible.
This was the fourth time that Stiller was besieged by players in this game, and Van Dijk, Arnold and others also came up to support the referee.
The beautiful host asked several guests what they thought of Stiller's officiating performance tonight. Ferdinand and Gerrard thought that if the referee continued like this, neither side would be satisfied and the game would tend to get out of control. Capello said that Stiller probably did not fully anticipate the difficulties of the game before the game, while Carragher bluntly said that the referee was a piece of rubbish and insisted that the penalty should not have been awarded.
Stiller listened to the headset for a while, then the whistle sounded and pointed to the center circle!
The ball counts!
The broadcast also gave a replay, showing that Arnold and Firmino rushed into the penalty area first.
Now, Van Dyke and others who had just been supporting Stiller turned to Stiller to complain...
Although Dybala, Chen Xiaoliang and others were also punching the air to celebrate, they still felt a little unhappy.
It’s like when the countdown for a rocket launch is over and you’re excitedly waiting for ignition and liftoff, but you’re told that the astronomical conditions are not right and you have to wait a little longer.
Success and failure are both due to Xiao He. Klopp looked at Bajicetic helplessly on the sidelines.
He knew that as a surprise player, this young player had tried his best and performed beyond his level tonight, but the result of being forced into a fight was that he was inexperienced and was taken advantage of by Chen Xiaoliang.
Any experienced defensive player will keep his arms close to his torso when he is forced to use his body to block the opponent's shot.
Moreover, in the previous ball, when most of the shooting space was blocked, if Bajić did not block it and let Alisson save the shot, it might not have gone in.
But even so, Klopp called Bajicetic while Stiller was listening to the headphones, and while encouraging him, he reminded him of the details of the defense against Chen Xiaoliang.
He must keep the young player's mentality steady and delay every moment.
Nunes kicked off from the center circle and the game continued.
Liverpool's attack was very methodical, at least tonight, they were very methodical and seemed to be showing signs of returning to their former glory.
However, the offensive system of high pressing and flank penetration was restrained by Mourinho's 4-2-3-1.
With Roma's double defensive midfielder arrangement, the flanks on both sides outside the penalty area were completely covered, and there was also a Chen Xiaoliang in the middle who could retreat to the top of the penalty area for defense at any time. This caused Liverpool to fall into the same problem as other strong teams facing Roma this season, that is, the only feasible way of attack was to advance to the flanks.
However, both the 31-year-old Firmino on the left and the 30-year-old Salah on the right have been slowly declining from their peak physical condition. If they were 3-4 years younger, Salah would have no problem in dominating the opponent in a one-on-one match, not to mention beating Malaysia in front of him.
In this situation where the team was surrounded but unable to score, had possession of the ball but was also worried about Roma's quick counterattack, Nunez stood up.
To be honest, although Nunez has encountered a lot of doubts and ridicule from fans and the media because of his long-corner shooting problems, in terms of his personal ability, he is indeed a very good player.
As early as when Rangers faced Benfica, Gerrard asked Chen Xiaoliang, who was not yet able to play for the team and was sitting on the bench, to carefully observe the Uruguayan striker.
Despite the red card suspension at the beginning of the season and the rotation, Nunez has scored 9 goals for his new club. The score of 0.6 goals per 90 minutes is not low for Liverpool, which is already in a collective slump.
But the fans obviously have not adapted yet. Comparing Nunez with Mane and Manchester City's Haaland, you know, Haaland's goal efficiency in Manchester City this season is directly aimed at breaking the Premier League history record. In the 30 years since the founding of the Premier League, this crazy performance is something that many legendary stars, such as Henry, Suarez, Rooney, and Ronaldo, have not been able to achieve.
The current single-season goal record in the Premier League is Shearer's 34 goals in the 1994-95 season, when there were 22 teams in the Premier League and 42 rounds of league matches. After entering the 20 teams and 38 rounds, it is Salah's 32 goals in the 2017-18 season.
At the age of 23, Nunez and Salah of the same age are still trying to prove themselves in Rome, while Mane has just made a name for himself in Southampton and has not yet been bought by Liverpool.
In his first full season at Liverpool, Suarez made 31 appearances, 29 of which were starts, and scored only 11 goals.
But at that time, Liverpool was still mired in a dark quagmire where they were suppressed by Manchester United. Not to mention competing for the championship stably, they often lost to Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and other three giants in the fight for the top four.
It is different now. The strong revival in recent years, coupled with two domestic cup titles last season and runner-up finishes in the league and Champions League, have made fans have very high expectations for the new season.
Fans of top clubs are so picky that if a player wants to gain a foothold in a top club, he must be able to withstand huge doubts from the outside world.
This is also an important reason why both head coaches Gerrard and Mourinho did not approve of Chen Xiaoliang joining a top club too early.
Not to mention young players, even many famous players cannot withstand the endless challenges and abuses from fans and the media, and eventually their mentality collapses and their careers go in another direction.
For example, Torres and Shevchenko, two strikers who moved to Chelsea, could never return to their peak scoring form after failing to score in a row.
At this time, with his teammates on both wingers taking turns trying to attack the Roma defense, Nunez, who was both fast and physically fit, began to increase his running range.
Liverpool's three front strikers all have the ability to advance from the flanks and attack through the middle, so with Nunez's active pulling and retreating, the positions of Salah and Firmino also changed accordingly.
In the 34th minute, Dybala received a cross from Kvart outside the penalty area and his long-range shot with his left foot was blocked by Konate, and Liverpool counterattacked to the left.
Nunez held the ball on the side, forced his way past Spinazzola, overtook from the outside, then entered the penalty area and passed the ball across the goal!
The ball rolled directly past the eyes of Patricio who was guarding the near corner. Firmino in the middle and Salah at the back post rushed to the goal at the same time, but both of them missed the ball when they fell to the ground and shot. Finally, the ball rolled out of the other sideline.
The neutral fans who had been waiting in front of the screen for a long time were waiting for this scene.
Is this a shot or a cross?
[The push to the far corner was too far and looked like a horizontal pass]
Comments and comments like this are endless.
Leaning east, swaying west, turning south, pestling north and carrying the aircraft carrier in the center, as one of the five great football players, Nunez has taken on the responsibility of providing a week's worth of jokes for countless fans. Any move he makes on the field will be watched and magnified by the fans, and if he is not careful it will be made into emoticons and animated pictures and circulated in major forums and sports pages.
Three minutes later, Liverpool made a comeback in the positional battle.
Fabinho passed the ball in the middle, Arnold on the right came in and received the ball, then took a few steps and passed it directly to Salah in front of him.
Malaysia and Enzo formed a double team, Salah dribbled the ball sideways and cut inside, and Chen Xiaoliang immediately made a follow-up move.
For a moment, three Roma players formed a double-team on Salah in front of the penalty area.
At this time, all the defensive players of Roma were facing the left side, observing the advancement of the ball, and Nunez took advantage of this and moved diagonally from behind Smalling to behind Gvardiol on the left side of the penalty area.
Salah suddenly kicked the ball before being pressed by three people, and the ball rolled quickly into the penalty area between Malaysia and Enzo!
When Guadiol saw the ball coming towards him, he just reacted and wanted to step forward to stop it, but he didn't expect Nunez, who had been lying in ambush behind him, to rush up and knock the ball with his right heel, and the ball hit the near post and rolled into the goal!
Suddenly, the ground at Anfield shook!
In the KOP stands where diehard fans gathered, countless believers roared, took off their clothes, raised their arms, and hugged each other!
Such a wonderful goal, such tacit cooperation, this is what Liverpool fans imagine Nunez to be like!
Klopp turned around and raised his fists to the supporters behind him!
Every goal scored by Nunez can relieve a layer of pressure for him, and every highlight of Salah can also indicate that the team is back on track!
Guadiol shook his head and raised his right hand to signal to his teammates, meaning that he was looking at the ball instead of the player, causing Nunez to hit the ball in his blind spot.
Chen Xiaoliang waved his hand, pointed at himself, and took the responsibility.
The three people who double-teamed Salah just now all made the same common problem when there are multiple people defending. They thought that with more people against fewer, the opponent would definitely pass the ball, or their teammates would definitely press and kick the ball. But in the end, no one made a move and they just watched the double-teamed opponent pass the ball.
When the game started again, it was already 39 minutes.
Liverpool, who took the lead again, did not launch high-pressure defense, but also did not give Roma any chance to counterattack. As soon as they got the ball, they began to control it. Although Chen Xiaoliang and Dybala both had opportunities for long-range shots, they were blocked by Alisson who was in good form.
The game then entered halftime.
In the locker room, Mourinho did not mention much about the two goals conceded.
Patricio's slip of the ball was really helpless. Goalkeepers are also human beings. No matter how strong a goalkeeper is, it is impossible for him to never make mistakes in his entire life. It is inevitable that he will make mistakes occasionally.
The combined goal by Salah and Nunez does not mean that there is a problem with the team's defense. This kind of goal is just like a long-range shot from 35 meters away that the goalkeeper cannot save. They are all flashes of genius.
But what worries Mourinho is the team's offensive problem.
Chen Xiaoliang received the ball in the middle only about half of the times in normal games. Although Bayicetic "contributed" a penalty kick, his persistence and perseverance did increase the difficulty for his teammates to pass the ball to Chen Xiaoliang.
Although Kwa's breakthrough from the wing was sharp, he was unable to convert it into an effective goal after entering the penalty area.
Dybala has no advantage in the air. Facing Liverpool's central defenders, his ability to compete in the header is almost zero. He also has to face the close defense of Tsimikas at close range. In the one-on-one situation with Van Dijk, Cesco's role as a fulcrum and offensive role are greatly reduced.
Klopp also obviously did some countermeasures when arranging the two central defenders. Since Kva is active on the left, he needs a lot of space to move and pass the ball on the left side of the penalty area. Therefore, in Cesco's tactical arrangement, once Kva breaks through with the ball, he will move to the right side, which is exactly Van Dijk's defensive area.
Mourinho also did not blame Cesco. After all, it was obviously unrealistic .
He started to hesitate in the first half, and hesitated again and again.
He had a tactical plan in mind a long time ago, but he originally wanted to use it to achieve a surprise victory in the Champions League knockout rounds when facing those giants with superb form and strength.
But today's game is too crucial, he can't hesitate any longer.
So, in front of his teammates' surprised eyes and as they listened attentively in silence, he used the tiles on the tactical board to lay out the tactical arrangements that had been brewing for a long time.
In the other locker room, Klopp was also making intensive arrangements. If it were Liverpool in previous seasons, taking a one-goal lead at home would probably mean not only a sure win, but also the ability to press on in the second half.
However, his inconsistent performance this season has forced him to prepare for Roma's tactics in the second half.
However, when both sides returned to the field and referee Stiller blew the whistle again, Klopp never dreamed, or everyone who paid attention to the Roma game did not expect that Roma's striker was gone!
Cesco actually appeared in a position between central midfielder and shadow striker!
And in front of him, was Chen Xiaoliang, wearing number 33, standing at the front!
But Chen Xiaoliang did not play as a forward, because his positioning and movement were closer to the defensive midfielder Fabinho rather than the two central defenders behind him.
This is obviously a kick towards the attacking midfielder.
But Klopp and even the four guests in the live broadcast room couldn't help but ask: What the hell is this formation? !
As experienced football practitioners, they certainly knew that this was a strikerless formation, but where was the way to play with the center forward retreating behind the front midfielder? !
Soon, Rome revealed the answer through practical actions.
Gvardiol made a long pass, and the ball went across half the court. Cesco, who was 195cm tall and had excellent jumping ability, easily overpowered Fabinho, who was 188cm tall, and headed the ball with his back to Chen Xiaoliang who was advancing to the left rib behind him.
Bayicetic continued to pester Chen Xiaoliang, who received the ball in front of him and dribbled towards the penalty area.
Bayicetić pulled, squeezed, and tried every way to interfere with Chen Xiaoliang, but Chen Xiaoliang used his body to withstand his harassment until he stepped into the penalty area line.
Konate blocked Chen Xiaoliang's shooting route in advance, then kept moving sideways, waiting for Chen Xiaoliang to approach.
Luke Walters on the left and Dybala on the right respectively made diagonal runs into Liverpool's penalty area from both sides with the full-backs defending them.
After firing anti-aircraft guns for half the game, Van Dijk suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. The person rushing towards him was no longer Cesco, who was the fulcrum, but Dybala, who was taking the ground route.
Dybala's playing style is typical of not having close contact with any tall central defenders and focusing on flexible movement in space.
The same went for Kva on the other side. His situation was better than Dybala because the central defender Konate on his side went to block Chen Xiaoliang.
Just when there was chaos in the penalty area, Fabinho at the top of the penalty area was also confused.
Who the hell should I guard against?
Was it Cesco, who was loitering beside him, lagging behind?
Or is it Chen Xiaoliang who has already rushed to the penalty area line and is ready to shoot at any time?
Or should we quickly retreat back into the penalty area to defend Kwa?
In front of him were the even more confused Thiago and three forwards. They were preparing to use the half-time break to recover their strength and continue to press Roma's backcourt. How come Roma just kicked the ball past everyone and into the heart of their own penalty area?
Klopp felt that he had seen this trick somewhere before. He thought about it over and over again. The figure became clearer and clearer, and the name seemed to be about to come out, but it always seemed like it was stuck in his throat, just missing one thing but he just couldn't remember it.
It happened in a flash, so he still had a chance to reminisce.
Chen Xiaoliang pushed the ball with his right foot, and the ball rolled past Konate's crotch. When Kva, who had shaken off Arnold, received the ball, the ball was already close to the near post!
Alisson immediately moved towards the near post at full speed. Van Dijk had no choice but to leave Dybala behind and rush towards Kvar!
Kva pushed the ball forward with the inside of his right foot, and the ball passed through the fingertips of Alisson who was trying hard to dive, and the toes of Van Dijk who fell to the ground to make a tackle, and Dybala who followed up from the back point poked the ball in front of the goal!
The ball goes in!
Dybala scored twice!
Liverpool fans, who had just been excited for more than 20 minutes, fell to the bottom again.
In the past few months, they have witnessed many tragedies, overturns, reversals, or missed opportunities at Anfield.
It seemed that the current battle situation was heading in that direction again.
Klopp felt very disappointed, as he never expected that Roma's first attack after the formation change in the second half would destroy all his midfield arrangements in the locker room!
All the high-pressure defense, all the high-ball cross defense in the middle, all the protection of the front of the penalty area, all came to naught with a long pass from the backcourt to outside the penalty area, across half the court!
But he still couldn't remember who that familiar person was.
It's a pity that without him, we can't watch the broadcast while directing the game, because in the live broadcast room, Manchester United legend Ferdinand revealed the secret.
Mourinho is treating Cesco as Fellaini and Chen Xiaoliang as Rooney!
But he didn't expect that when Chen Xiaoliang was helping to explain this tactic in the midfield locker room, he also used the story of Tian Ji's horse racing!
Just like Tian Ji's horse racing, the "middle horse" Cesco, who had no advantage in competing with the "superior horse" Van Dijk for high balls, took the initiative to retreat to compete with the "lower horse" Fabinho for high balls in the defensive midfielder. Once the backcourt encountered Liverpool's high-pressure defense and Chen Xiaoliang was closely watched by Bayicetic and could not pass the ball safely, he would directly kick the ball to the frontcourt to find Cesco.
Cesco used his aerial advantage and back-to-the-basket ability to overpower Liverpool's defensive midfielder, and then Chen Xiaoliang, who had switched to play as a front midfielder, took the second penalty kick.
A two-point kick has a unique advantage, which is that it is unpredictable. Unlike a direct pass, it cannot be predicted by the path of the ball after it is released, or even the angle and posture of the player's foot before passing the ball.
No one knew where Cesco would hit the ball in front, behind, left or right of Chen Xiaoliang, which made it completely impossible for Bayicetic to predict.
Chen Xiaoliang, who spends almost every day with Cesco and practices every day, can rely on his strong tacit understanding to get to the second landing point in the first time.
Once Chen Xiaoliang gets the ball, he will advance as close to the penalty area as possible. With his long-range shooting ability, it is impossible for Liverpool's central defender not to come out to block him. Then the wingers on both sides rush into the penalty area and transform into inside forwards, ready to receive Chen Xiaoliang's pass to end the attack at any time, or pass the ball to Cesco for shooting after he re-inserts into the penalty area.
And because Chen Xiaoliang and Cesco are not in the forward position, if Liverpool's two central defenders have to move forward to defend them, the offside line of the entire team will be greatly exposed to the attacking range of Roma's wingers on both sides, especially Arnold on the right side, who was almost accurately hit by Kovač.
On the surface, the core of this routine seems to be Cesco, but in fact, the real threat is Chen Xiaoliang.
Chen Xiaoliang's forward movement not only allows him to threaten the goal directly with a shot after receiving the ball, but also to use a pass to help the wingers create threats.
When Liverpool was in possession of the ball, an attacking midfielder with almost endless stamina and superb tackling and intercepting abilities kept pressing back and forth against their backcourt, making it impossible for the entire middle of the backcourt to control the ball with peace of mind.
Without Chen Xiaoliang, even if Cesco could head the ball, it would be useless if he could not control the ball at a second point or could not pose a threat after controlling the ball. Instead, the ball possession would be wasted and turned into the ugliest and most primitive long pass.
Four minutes later, Roma repeated the same trick. Spinazzola got the ball on the right and made another long pass to Sesco. Sesco headed the ball and Chen Xiaoliang got the ball. Bajicić could only follow him and eat dust.
Chen Xiaoliang cut in diagonally to the right and came in front of Thiago who was returning to defense. He changed the rhythm and suddenly broke through from slow to fast. Dybala roamed closer and Kvart ran farther away.
Van Dijk could only rush forward like Konate did just now and try his best to block the space for Chen Xiaoliang to kick the ball directly.
Fabinho immediately retreated to the center back position to provide defensive support.
Chen Xiaoliang dribbled the ball to the right side of the penalty area, but still had half a body space to shoot. He brought the ball into the penalty area and swung his right foot slightly backwards. Van Dijk put his hands behind his back and pressed his chest forward. Thiago stretched out his left leg to block the ball!
Chen Xiaoliang didn't shoot! Instead, he dribbled a short high ball back!
Near the penalty spot, a figure took off like a bomber, with the support of wingmen on both sides!
The light shone on him, and as he dived, his back completely obscured Fabinho, who was looking up with fear in his eyes!
Cesco's header was like a dive bomber that suddenly rose up and swung its bomb after diving to the bombing distance, and blasted the ball towards the goal at the fastest speed!
The header from such a close distance was like a penalty kick, forcing Alisson to subconsciously reach out to block it.
"Oh!!!" Ferdinand in the live broadcast room stood up and cheered!
Capello couldn't help but applaud!
Corresponding to Carragher's loneliness are the sighs and shaking heads of the diehard fans in Anfield!
In less than 5 minutes, Roma activated their center and offense with a miraculous change of formation and reversed the score!
2 to 3!
3,000 Roman expeditionary troops danced in the stands.
It feels good to win.
A big win is even better.
But nothing is more satisfying than a thrilling comeback from defeat!
Klopp was anxious. Looking at the Roma players celebrating on the field, he realized that his tactical arrangements had been completely disrupted.
He looked at the bench, then at Chen Xiaoliang, his mind quickly thinking about how to curb this midfield genius who had taken him a lot of thought to find a way to restrain him.
He knew that if he continued like this, another tragedy would be waiting for him.
