Chapter 327: Human Tank, Body of Steel
Chelsea made very little adjustment to the lineup in this game, still using the 3-4-2-1 formation. Enzo and Kovacic continued to start. Potter also explained this before the game. Given Kante's current physical recovery, if he blindly starts and plays the whole game, it is easy for his old injury to relapse.
Potter chose Loftus-Cheek for the right wing-back position today, with Reece James sitting on the bench.
On the front line, Havertz still rushed forward, and behind him, besides Felix, the other person was Mudric.
Mourinho also made some adjustments. Mancini and Ibanez started together, Gvardiol and Smalling took turns to rest, and the right back was also replaced by Binya.
The defensive midfielder is the old and young pair of Perrone and Matic. Abraham finally returned to the starting lineup, and Cesco was rested on the bench.
For Potter, he had to rely on offense to make up for the 3-goal gap and prevent Roma from scoring again to end the suspense of the game. When the three front players were not able to defend effectively after retreating, the variables today appeared in the two so-called wingbacks, Chilwell and Loftus-Cheek.
According to commentator Lou Yichen, this was simply a "surprising" way to win.
Chilwell, who is 180cm tall and weighs 77kg, and Jurgen Klopp, who is 191cm tall and weighs 88kg, were not wing-backs at all for most of the game today. In fact, they became defensive midfielders who moved inward from both sides. Especially when the two original defensive midfielders went into the attack, they were like two stone lions at the gate of a big mansion, one on the left and one on the right, waiting for Chen Xiaoliang to come up at any time.
Then Cucurella and Fofana are more like full-backs, often pulled out to defend Kova and Dybala on the two wings of Roma.
Porter's idea was good, but it was like he was walking into a trap set by Mourinho.
Chen Xiaoliang attempted two consecutive long-distance shots of about 35 meters at the start of the game. Both shots went into the goal frame, and Kepa made two desperate saves and then cursed at his teammates defending in the penalty area for not blocking the ball in time.
Enzo had no choice but to return to the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The old captain, playing at home, made him feel even more difficult to deal with. If he was given a little space, he would easily launch an unreasonable and violent long shot. He could only fall back and stand in the left, middle and right positions of the center with the two "odd" players, ready to surround Chen Xiaoliang at any time.
There is an old saying among the Reds, "History is a mirror that can show the rise and fall of a nation." Clearly, this group of Chelsea fans did not study much about how their club rose in the Premier League and Europe after being bought by Abramovich.
What was the lineup of Mourinho's first team that defeated Manchester United and Arsenal? Let's take a look at Mourinho's lineup today. Even Liu Yue, who was also commentating, saw that Potter was simply treating the symptoms and not the root cause, and did not make targeted arrangements based on Mourinho's overall tactics.
Liu Yue: "Chelsea also used a 4-2-3-1 formation back then. It can be seen that Mourinho's tactical thinking is consistent. In the front is Drogba, the fulcrum bridgehead, on both sides are two fast horses Robben and Duff, behind them is Lampard, the soul of the team who can attack and defend well, behind Lampard are two tough defensive midfielders Makelele and Essien, of course, later replaced by Portuguese international Thiago, and the last four defenders. It doesn't matter whether they can attack or not, but the defense must be tough and solid."
"Look at Roma now. Cesco is still the bridgehead fulcrum. Although Kova and Dybala on the left and right are not as fast as the Blues' wingers back then, their flexibility and dribbling ability, especially their ability to cut inside, are first-class. Behind the three is Xiaoliang, the soul of the team who is also good at both offense and defense. Behind him are two defensive midfielders and four defenders."
"The extent to which Mourinho used Malacia and Celik, who were not very good at attacking, shows that his tactical philosophy is still the same as it was back then."
Lou Yichen: "There is no problem with the midfield and frontcourt, but Roma's current backcourt configuration is still a bit shabby compared to Chelsea at the time. This is also highly related to the fact that Dan Friedkin's investment is far less than that of Abramovich at the time."
If we look at the entire career and whether Robben or Drogba is stronger is a topic worth discussing, then when Mourinho's first team was just taking shape, a healthy Robben must have been the winger that fans were looking forward to more.
Soon, Potter discovered that Chilwell and Cheek's inward movement made the two flanks a playground for Roma's wingers, especially Fofana on the right, who was tortured by Kvart as if he was possessed by the owner of the No. 66 jersey at Anfield.
There's nothing I can do, he's not a full-back at all.
In the 7th minute, Kva took the ball on the left and first broke through towards the left front baseline. Fofana moved to the right, chasing and blocking him, not giving him space. After running two steps, Kva stopped suddenly, changed direction and pushed the ball to the right. Fofana immediately turned and moved to the left.
As soon as he turned sideways, Kva had already pushed the ball back to the lower left side. Fofana tried his best to turn and retreat again, but Kva changed direction half a beat in advance when he was about to complete the action but had not yet finished.
Chick saw that something was wrong, confirmed that Enzo and Chilwell were in place outside the penalty area, and rushed towards Fofana.
But his "rescue" was still a step too slow. Fofana was shaken so hard that his legs were almost twisted into a knot and he tripped himself to the ground!
Kva didn't give Chie any chance, he rushed directly to the corner of the penalty area and shot into the upper corner from a small angle!
Kepa almost used all his life's skills, reaching out to the upper corner of the goal near the goal post. After his fingertips touched the ball, the ball hit the crossbar and bounced out of the bottom line!
Chelsea's defense was all shocked and broke into cold sweats, while Potter, who was standing on the sidelines, finally recovered his breath after Kvar made a series of suffocating passes...
Roma gets a corner kick on the left!
Although the ball did not go in, this almost one-on-one duel-style offense and defense ended with a complete victory by Kovač's one-on-one dribble and shot, igniting cheers from all the Roma fans in the stadium!
Those fans who always felt that their teams seemed to be missing something when facing giants now fully understand that the true talents and world-class stars are not only Chen Xiaoliang and Dybala, but Kvaratskhelia, who almost had no ball to play a year ago, is also one of them!
The old football game "Stone Mine Soccer" promoted him directly from the second-to-last bronze ball level to the highest black ball level, making him one of the most capable players in European football.
This is also the first person since the level mode was introduced in this game. It can be seen that no one expected that this Georgian could set off the whole of Europe in just over half a season.
Lou Yichen: "His name is Kvaratskhelia. In Georgian, kvari means hot, and tskhelia means fire. So the original meaning of his name is hot fire. It must be said that one light and one fire, together illuminate Rome's journey forward."
Liu Yue: "Some fans said that according to his name, he should be called Ke Xiaoliang in Georgian."
They both said: “Hahahaha.”
Kva shook his head, turned around and raised his hand to Abraham who was flanking the middle and Chen Xiaoliang near the penalty area line, indicating that he was "greedy" for the ball.
Chen Xiaoliang didn't take it seriously. He smiled and waved at him, as if he was teasing Kwa, a good friend, for pretending to be the best.
Kva has always been a very typical team player. His classic inverted triangle pass after dribbling past the opponent on the wing and breaking into the penalty area is an important scoring method for Roma this season.
In addition, the ball just now was directly facing the goalkeeper, so it was reasonable to try to shoot.
Liu Yue: "It can be seen that the Roma team is very harmonious and united now."
Lou Yichen: "That's right, come, let's watch this corner kick!"
"Kvaratskhelia opens from the left, Ibanez in front!"
"It's at the back post! Header!"
"Ouch! Cum again!"
"oops!"
“Oh my!”
"Oh my God! Kepa has done a great job again!"
"Four consecutive kicks!"
Lou Yichen was so excited that he couldn't help but slap the table:
"Ibanez hit the far post. Mancini always likes to move at the back post in Roma's corner kick tactics. Chilwell, who was marking him, misjudged the landing point and headed the ball. Mancini forced the ball into the goal from behind."
"Kepa rushed from the near post to the far post to block the ball. Then Abraham poked the ball in front of the goal, but Kouliba blocked it with his body. The ball bounced out. Perrone shot near the penalty spot, but was blocked by Kepa's legs again. Finally, Enzo cleared the ball and kicked it out of the sideline."
"Potter's deployment is really incomprehensible. It is true that captain Azpilicueta and central defender Thiago Silva are injured, but Cucurella, who was bought for 55 million pounds, is called one of the worst signings in team history by many Chelsea fans. It was seen in the last game that he was not very effective as a left central defender against Roma. His defensive ability was average when facing the impact of Chen Xiaoliang and Dybala on the ribs. As a central defender, his height of 173cm is very disadvantageous in set-piece defense."
Liu Yue: "With Loftus-Cheek playing as a right wingback, Potter could actually let Reece James play as a right centre-back and Fofana play as a left centre-back."
"Cucurella is more suitable for the role of full-back or wing-back. When playing as a central defender, especially against Roma, when Dybala rarely goes down the flank, his flexibility and running are actually of limited use. The delicate footwork and organizational ability of La Masia cannot be brought into play because his position is too far back."
Lou Yichen: "We can only say that Porter may have his own ideas, but we may think that he is the one who is in the dark."
Two consecutive waves of attacks created four shots that hit the goal frame in front of the goal. The only defensive backup Chelsea could rely on was goalkeeper Kepa. If it weren't for his high catch and defense, Chelsea would have been behind 4-0 in the total score. Potter, who returned to London, can start looking for his next job in advance.
On the other side, in the coaching booth, Mourinho was calm and composed, like a nobleman who bought tickets to watch the game. He was not at all excited about the series of shots that almost went in. Instead, he sat there leisurely and happily chatting with Forti.
Forti also realized that Chelsea’s current problem can be summed up in one word: chaos.
The club has bought a lot of people, and it's a problem for the head coach to decide who to use and who not to use. The new players don't have stable playing time, so they can't get along with their teammates through high-intensity official games. They are prone to losing their form due to long-term lack of game time. In this case, the atmosphere in the locker room is bound to fluctuate, and some players will definitely worry about their prospects in the club.
For example, Enzo.
The Argentines played very depressed today.
Felix in the frontcourt often retreats to ask for the ball and organize the team, but Mudrick, who joined the team in the winter window at the same time as him, is simply an offensive terminator.
This kind of terminator means that once the ball reaches him, the offense ends.
You say he is not effective, but he can often beat Viña and Perrone with his speed. You say he is effective, but he can't find anyone to pass the ball to and his own shots are not accurate. He is a typical shooter who shoots with chance.
Enzo was also puzzled. One Havertz, one Mudrick, one Sterling...
Doesn’t Chelsea even consider whether a striker can shoot when buying one?
Thinking about the fact that Lukaku, who was bought for 113 million, was rented to Inter Milan for 7.8 million, Enzo understood that they really didn't look at the shooting when buying a striker, or they used the same scout template for defenders when scouting strikers...
In the 17th minute, Mudrick received a straight pass from Kovacic on the left and quickly advanced with the ball.
His speed was so fast that Perrone was left behind before he could even follow him for 5 meters. Binia retreated and prepared to make up for the defense, while trying to create opportunities for Perrone to close the distance again.
Mudrick cut inside, but Perrone couldn't stop him and crashed into him from behind.
“Beep!”
The Spanish referee Mario Sampdoro immediately blew the whistle and gave Chelsea a free kick on the left side outside the penalty area.
This was one of the few opportunities Chelsea had after the opening of the game when they advanced to the front court. Porter felt a little relieved, as after all, Mudrick was effective.
Kovacic took a free kick from the left side, and Chelsea pressed forward. Jurgen Klopp overpowered Ibanez at the back post and responded to Roma with a powerful header.
Patricio did not have the reaction ability of Kepa, but fortunately, with his rich experience, he moved with the ball in advance and pushed the ball directly over the crossbar with one hand.
Chelsea took a corner kick on the right side and 3,500 English fans who came from afar roared loudly. In the past few days, this group of people had caused a lot of trouble on the streets of Rome after drinking. The three layers of security guards surrounded the stands where they were, for fear that there would be more trouble on the scene.
Kovacic took another corner kick, probably because he saw the tall Jorginho header was quite effective, so this time the corner kick was still taken to his near post.
Ibanez could not gain any advantage in the direct physical confrontation with Chick, but Chick did not expect that just when he thought he could win the header again, the dark-skinned Abraham took the initiative to return to defense and headed the ball out of the penalty area.
Abraham holds his breath every time he starts, especially today when he faces his old club at his new club's home ground.
He looked around and couldn't help cursing in his heart: "Damn it, the board of directors bought these bastards but didn't buy me back."
Indeed, most of the Chelsea players on the field now arrived after Abraham left the team, and their performance is indeed not very good.
The ball flew out of the penalty area, and Malaysia, who was wandering around on the outside defense, kicked the ball forward with a long kick.
Enzo, who was defending behind Chelsea, controlled the ball, slowly took a few steps forward, waited for Chilwell to retreat on the left, and then passed the ball again.
Chilwell got the ball on the left side, and Binya stepped forward to defend. The England defender did not choose to make a high cross, but wanted to pass a low ball directly to Mudrick on the flank.
Just as the ball rolled halfway, a red light flashed by. Chen Xiaoliang predicted Chilwell's passing choice and slid to intercept the ball.
What made his teammates and fans shout "brilliant" in their hearts was that he kept the ball firmly under his feet while tackling it, and after getting up, before Mudric came back to steal the ball, he kicked it towards Dybala who was already running forward on the right side, preparing to counterattack, in sync with his mind.
Dybala receives the ball and everything goes smoothly!
Three arrows were fired at once, from Kwa on the left and Chen Xiaoliang in the middle!
Mourinho was like a commander, with his hands crossed on his chest, watching with certainty as his three assault armored divisions rushed into the enemy's heart from three directions, as if the outcome of the battle had been decided before any substantial casualties were caused.
Fofana was chasing Kwa, Chilwell was chasing Dybala, and in the middle there was a bunch of people running back desperately trying to get back to their own hills and positions in time.
In terms of absolute speed, Dybala with the ball had no advantage over Chilwell who was chasing back without the ball, so he kept turning his head to observe while running forward at full speed, and pushed the ball to the left before he was caught up.
Chen Xiaoliang was running wildly in front, and Dybala's ball was obviously not pushed to him, but a No. 24 in a red .
This is a ball passed from one Argentine to another Argentine, and it is also a legacy passed from an Argentine veteran to his younger generations!
And this person is Perrone, who took over the No. 24 jersey after Enzo left!
The Argentine midfielder, whose appearance even resembles Enzo's between the eyebrows, at this moment, used a pass that made the fans in the stands wet their eyes to tell everyone why he was chosen by both Guardiola and Mourinho!
Without stopping the ball, he went straight up and kicked the ball hard with the outside of his left foot. The ball rolled forward quickly along the grass, first straight forward, then turned left and became a diagonal line, and just passed in front of Enzo who was returning to defense, but he was not far enough away to stretch his legs to block the ball, and finally rolled in front of Kva who was running wildly on the left!
"Fuck! Flirtatious..."
Dybala, who had just passed the ball, was still worried. His teammate just passed the ball without any adjustment. Then after the ball was beautifully passed to the other side, he couldn't help but admire it in his heart!
After receiving the ball, Kwa cut right and rushed into the penalty area. Before Fofana caught up with him, he swept the ball to the right rear with his left foot.
Yes, whether it is Dybala, Perrone or Kva, they all moved from the strong side of the right to the weak side of the left, all to adjust Chelsea's defensive focus and attention. However, Roma's counterattack has only one target, that is, the person who made the fatal blow in the middle!
Chen Xiaoliang touched the ball, and Enzo in front of him lowered his center of gravity. He had no way to retreat, so he turned sideways and stuck close to him.
Although Jurgen Klopp and Coulibaly behind Chen Xiaoliang never gave up chasing, they were still five or six body lengths behind.
Enzo had no choice. Even if it was a foul, he had to find a way to slow Chen Xiaoliang down. Only by slowing him down and waiting for Chie and Koulibaly to come up and double-team him could he defend against this attack.
Chen Xiaoliang did not shoot immediately because this was a counterattack and there was only one person in front of him. There was no need for him to force a long shot 30 meters in front of the goal.
He gently pushed the ball with his right foot and moved it slightly forward to the right, trying to create some distance between himself and Enzo.
Enzo came up and blocked Chen Xiaoliang's left shoulder with his right foot, with an impact action included.
Only Enzo, who knew that Chen Xiaoliang would not dive easily, would dare to force a collision like this. If it were some players who particularly loved diving, or players with poor physical balance and strength, they would probably have been knocked away directly.
But Chen Xiaoliang just shook it. He knew that Enzo was willing to risk his honor to defend him at the cost of the last defensive player getting a foul and getting a card. So, he would use honor against honor and resolve the battle in a manly way.
So, just like a Sherman tank hitting a Tiger tank, the motionless Tiger tank still left ruthless tracks on the ground and rolled towards the Blues' penalty area.
The change of direction to the right slightly hindered Chen Xiaoliang's speed, allowing Chike to catch up, but he was still more than a body length behind.
Seeing hope coming, Enzo didn't care whether Chen Xiaoliang had entered the penalty area or not. He stuck his right shoulder on Chen Xiaoliang's left shoulder and blocked Chen Xiaoliang's chest with his right hand, pushing him out and pulling him back.
The referee Mario Samptoro had already put the whistle in his mouth. The Roma fans behind the Chelsea goal in the stands kept shouting. This was a very obvious foul. If it weren't for the principle of offensive advantage, Enzo would most likely have been given a red card as soon as the referee blew the whistle.
According to the rules, if the last defender deliberately destroys the opponent's high-probability scoring opportunity, he can be given a red card. However, if VAR and other means can prove that the defender was clearly heading towards the ball and the foul was not serious, the referee will sometimes give out a yellow card.
But Enzo was obviously not like that. In order to defend against the old captain, he was so desperate that he was bloodthirsty.
This collision made Chen Xiaoliang take a few steps to the right front, and Chick behind him had already reached out and grabbed his jersey.
One Chelsea player was pushing Chen Xiaoliang desperately on his left side, and another was pulling him hard from behind him, but Chen Xiaoliang pressed Enzo's right hand with his left hand to stop him beside him, and kept pressing the ground with his feet to keep moving forward. Chick did hold him back, but he tore off a piece of Chen Xiaoliang's jersey from behind!
Borle, who did not come to Rome with the team because he knew there was a high probability of being eliminated, saw this scene in his luxury apartment in London. His mouth opened so wide that the cigar in his mouth fell on his trousers between his legs. He did not feel any pain for a moment!
Because of the torn jersey, Chick suddenly fell backwards, and Enzo wanted to grab Chen Xiaoliang's arm but he couldn't resist the force of Chen Xiaoliang's blocking him and fell sideways.
Although Kepa was blocking the left near post, his mouth was slightly open at this time. Countless thoughts passed through his mind, but there was only one sentence:
What kind of monster is this? !
Even Kvart and Dybala, who were still running, stopped.
Rationally speaking, the ball was defended like this. If Chen Xiaoliang lost the ball, the referee would definitely call a foul, and the two of them would really not have to run.
Emotionally, the ball has been kicked like this and neither of them can hold on to the other. Why are they still running? Just stand still and watch carefully, and then get ready to rush over and clap and celebrate!
Chen Xiaoliang kicked the ball with his right foot, as if the strength from the close combat with the two men was still accumulated in his body and was about to be poured out all at once. The shot from 2 meters outside the right corner of the small penalty area was so close that it pierced the goal like a wind blade.
"when!"
Kepa subconsciously stretched out his hands. This was his natural reaction as a high-level professional goalkeeper when the ball flew over his head, but it looked like he was surrendering to Chen Xiaoliang!
The ball hit the top of the net, and the sound was caused by the ball knocking the camera off the net!
Everyone in the audience was stunned for a moment, and then they let out the most primitive and animal-like roar as if their souls could no longer be controlled.
Countless people used their cheeks and chins on both sides of their hands, screaming and looking at the fans they knew or didn’t know who were watching the game together, to prove that they were not dreaming, but that tens of thousands of people were watching an incredible scene with them!
Mourinho also stood up and walked to the sidelines involuntarily, looking at Chen Xiaoliang with surprise, and even forgot to celebrate for a moment!
He had only seen two people who could do such a thing in his life, one was his beloved disciple, the African beast Drogba, and the other was the basic Apennine tank Vieri who scored a goal with a defender hanging on his body!
Chen Xiaoliang also knew what kind of goal he had scored.
This is not a super long shot like a rainbow piercing the sun, nor is it a stunning overhead kick, nor is it a light step that dribbles past several people. This is the most primitive, the most unskillful, but also the toughest and the most exciting goal!
He ran to the stands on the sidelines, took off his torn jersey, threw it into the air, then rolled up his right leg's pants, put his hands on both sides of his body and stopped suddenly!
The muscular lines of the upper body and the severely bulging rectus femoris, vastus medialis and vastus lateralis on the front of the thighs are telling everyone that this is a body of steel!
The two commentators in the live broadcast room shouted for a long time, but could not say a word. In the end, Liu Yue, who calmed down first, shouted:
"A heavy sword has no edge, and great skill has no effort!"
Enzo, who fell to the ground, witnessed the subsequent goal-scoring process. At this time, he simply lay on the ground. Like Jorginho who was also lying on the ground, and Kepa who was sitting helplessly beside the goal post, he began to doubt his life.
The Roma players ran towards Chen Xiaoliang with their heads in their hands in disbelief, and when they got close, they put their hands forward, leaned forward, and together with the fans in the stands, made a gesture of worship to their cardinal.
When Mourinho was excitedly hugged by Forti, he remembered that he should applaud instead of sighing.
He looked at Chen Xiaoliang and thought, "Oh my God, what kind of monster did you give me?"
