Li Shiguang was quite satisfied with everyone's performance today.

Aside from a slight lack of chemistry with the veteran players, the new recruits have met Li Shiguang's requirements in all other aspects.

Ultimately, there was no dramatic turn of events in the match.

Near the end of the first half, Torres was fouled on the edge of the penalty area, giving Leeds United a free kick in a very good position.

Rivaldo scored with a perfect shot into the corner, giving Leeds United a three-goal lead in the first half.

After a 15-minute rest.

At Li Shiguang's request, in order to conserve energy, the players slowed down the pace of the game, which allowed Portsmouth to score a consolation goal in the 87th minute.

Leeds United ultimately defeated Portsmouth 3-1 to advance to the next round of the FA Cup.

However, something left Li Shiguang speechless: their next opponent was Manchester United, who had just defeated Aston Villa...

····

There wasn't much time for Li Shiguang to lament Leeds United's bad luck.

In preparation for the must-win game next weekend, Li Shiguang didn't even give the players a day off this week. On Monday afternoon, the players resumed training at Thorpe Arch.

On Saturday night, less than twenty days after their last encounter, Leeds United and Chelsea faced off again, but this time, the venue was Stamford Bridge!

As the highlight of the 23rd round of the Premier League, and without exception, almost all television stations in England chose to broadcast this match today, including Sky Sports!

"Jon, what do you think of tonight's game? How many goals do you think Chelsea will lose at home?" Before the game started, Lineker quickly grabbed Jon to chat, while also trying to set a trap for his partner.

"Get lost!" Jon looked at Lineker with a wicked grin on his face and didn't fall for it. "You should be worried about how many goals Leeds United will lose. Leeds United only managed to win by one goal in the last game by luck. Without Cannavaro's unrepeatable clearance, Chelsea could have at least taken a point from Elland Road."

Lineker actually agreed with Jon's assessment that Leeds United's victory in their last encounter did have an element of luck, as Chelsea almost entirely controlled the game in the second half.

But Leeds United today is different from Leeds United last month!

Lineker first nodded in agreement with Jon's statement, but then raised a new question: "But Jon, I remember when I watched Leeds United play Portsmouth last week, you yourself said that Leeds United had filled their last gap."

“Indeed, it’s undeniable that Alves’ arrival can make Leeds United fans forget about Maicon. But this is Chelsea’s home ground, and…” Jon remained noncommittal about this, but after a pause, he picked up Chelsea’s starting lineup from the table, “and judging from the starting lineup, Mourinho has made quite a few preparations today…”

····

"Xavi, forget about that number 5 for now, move up there and give Luca a passing lane!"

However, no sooner had Li Shiguang finished speaking than he watched helplessly as Ballack snatched the ball from Modric's feet.

Ballack then took a few steps and, just approaching the edge of Leeds United's penalty area, unleashed a long-range shot. However, the shot was too straight and was easily caught by Schmeichel.

"That's it, Michael! Keep up this intensity!"

Seeing Ballack complete another shot, Mourinho, who was standing nearby, didn't shy away from Li Shiguang, clapping his hands vigorously to applaud Ballack and shouting encouragement to his player.

Frowning as he looked at the little Schmeichel lying on the ground, Li Shiguang's mind was racing, trying to find a way out of the predicament!

The first half has been going on for almost half an hour, and this kind of scene has happened many times before. Lampard, Ballack, and even Drogba have all taken shots from this position, and all of them were opportunities that came after they intercepted the ball from Leeds United's two defensive midfielders.

Mourinho did not use his signature 4-3-3 formation that he has dominated in the Premier League today. Instead, he used a 4-4-2 formation that he rarely uses.

Before the match, Li Shiguang guessed that Mourinho might eliminate Shevchenko, who hadn't performed well last time. However, to his surprise, in addition to Shevchenko not playing today, Robben was also benched. Drogba and Kalou, the Ivorian compatriots, appeared on Chelsea's front line. But that's okay. For Cannavaro and Kompany, Robben, who is more agile than Kalou, might be even more difficult to deal with.

But after the game had been going on for a while, Li Shiguang realized something was wrong. Mourinho, the old man, had focused his tactics on dealing with his two defensive midfielders, preventing Modric or Alonso from turning and passing the ball comfortably!

Modric always had a Lampard by his side, Alonso always had a Ballack by his side, and Essien was always hovering around them as a mobile unit.

Whenever Modric or Alonso receives a pass, two players immediately surround them and press them closely. In terms of physical attributes, they are indeed no match for Chelsea's big men in midfield.

Alonso is slightly better; he can still carry one player and pass the ball back to the defensive line. Modric is the worst off; if he reacts even a fraction of a second slower, the ball will be intercepted.

Moreover, Lampard and Ballack played very intelligently. After winning the ball, they didn't rush into the Leeds United penalty area. Instead, they exploited the gap between the Leeds United defense and defensive midfield. As long as the two forwards created a little shooting angle for them, they would immediately unleash a powerful shot!

····

“Leeds United doesn’t look too good!” Lineker’s tone was worried, and his face was not good either. “It’s been 5 minutes since they last used short passes to get through midfield, and during that time Chelsea have been pressing them firmly in their own half.”

"Hahaha, Gary, I bet Chelsea are very close to scoring." Jon completely ignored his partner's worries and instead added insult to injury for Lineker.

“Not necessarily!” Lineker frowned, looking at the relaxed Jon. “I admit Chelsea were in good form today, but Leeds United’s defense was still very solid. Especially Schmeichel, you could see from his first few saves that he was extremely focused on the pitch! I think Chelsea should be wary of Leeds United’s counter-attacks!”

But Jon immediately refuted Reinkel's statement and firmly stated his own opinion.

"Gary, haven't you noticed yet? Mourinho has found Leeds United's weakness! Think carefully about the midfield battles between the two teams at the start of the game! Leeds United's two defensive midfielders have been heavily marked! Frankly, without their passing options, it seems unlikely that Leeds United will be able to mount their usual perfect counter-attacks today..."