"Beautiful! Gareth!" Li Shiguang waved his arms excitedly as he watched the ball fly into Chelsea's goal, roaring at the field, "That was beautiful! Guys, keep playing like that! Don't retreat so aggressively anymore. Hold your ground, push forward and show them what you're capable of!"
In the Sky Sports studio.
Reinkel was acting like a madman. He circled the commentary booth several times before returning to his seat, putting his headphones back on, and shouting.
"Gooooooooooooooooool——!! Gareth Bale!!! The Welshman has given Leeds United the lead away from home——!! He continues his incredible goal-scoring rate. This prodigy, nurtured by Leeds, has given his mentor a huge gift in this crucial match!!!"
"Although Chelsea, playing at home, launched a fierce attack from the start and posed a significant threat to Leeds United's goal, I have reason to believe that after Bale's goal, it will be impossible for them to continue their all-out offensive pushes. If Leeds United capitalize on this counter-attack opportunity again, they will be in dire straits!!!"
Jon, unable to hide his disappointment, stood in stark contrast to Lineker. He buried his face in his hands, slumped over the commentary box, and looked extremely distressed: "I told you, be careful on the left... this goal... Grant's formation today is entirely to blame. If Carvalho can catch up with Bale, I'd rather believe England can win the next World Cup!"
Jon wasn't the only one suffering.
The camera pans to the stands at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea fans, dressed in blue jerseys and wearing blue scarves, looked bewildered. One second their team was pressing their opponents and launching a fierce attack, and the next second the opponent breached their goal.
This is like a roller coaster ride.
As a football fan, sometimes it's really hard to accept.
Not only that.
Since Abramovich took over Chelsea, this marks the third time the team has reached the Champions League semi-finals.
But every time.
Chelsea fell short of the final.
Compared to the previous two times.
Chelsea not only managed a draw against Leeds United in the first leg, but also secured a crucial away goal.
Before Bale scored this goal, Chelsea's attack was already quite fierce.
All these conditions combined.
Most of the Chelsea fans in the stands had a certain feeling.
This year is Chelsea's best chance to reach the final and win the Champions League trophy!
But reality is cruel.
Bale's attack dashed the hopes of the fans in the stands.
In the blink of an eye, the team they supported fell into a disadvantageous position, and the deafening cheers gradually turned into boos...
certainly.
Of everyone present, the one who was the most upset was undoubtedly Grant, who stood on the sidelines with a dark expression.
These players who were eliminated this season still have the opportunity to strive for this goal next season.
But as the interim coach, all he had left was the Champions League as his only lifeline. If Li Shiguang pulled this straw away, then he probably wouldn't have Chelsea as a platform to compete for the Champions League next season.
He glanced helplessly at Li Shiguang, who was hugging Bale as he ran back to the bench to celebrate his goal.
Grant felt like his brain was a complete mess...
····
After the game restarted.
Chelsea's momentum was noticeably weaker than before.
Li Shiguang knew very well.
They wanted to counterattack, but they were afraid that Leeds United would seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack again, so they were hesitant in their attack. The most subjective manifestation of this was that the two full-backs, Joe Cole and Ballack, dared not push forward too far.
Jon's pre-match prediction has come true.
Grant's 3-5-2 formation today has been completely transformed into a 5-3-2.
Leeds United, however, is different.
Once they gained possession, Modric and Alonso orchestrated a steady advance into Chelsea's half.
As one side gains and the other loses, the other gains.
Gradually, the initiative on the pitch shifted into Leeds United's hands.
Sixteenth minute.
Ribery broke through from the right wing, using his speed to force his way past Joe Cole before crossing to the middle. Kaká cleverly let the ball slip past him at the near post, allowing Ibrahimovic to follow up with a powerful shot. Although the shot grazed the post and went out of play, it gave Cech and the Chelsea fans in the stands a real scare.
Five minutes later.
Leeds United are making a comeback.
Kaka received a pass from Modric in the middle, turned and sent a through ball to the left flank.
Bale burst through the crowd, overtook Ballack to stop the ball, and immediately lobbed it into the penalty area.
Adriano outjumped Terry at the far post to head the ball, but Cech tipped it over the crossbar.
The thirtieth minute.
Bale, who was in superb form today, contributed to the attack once again. He received a cross from Kaká on the left flank and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, almost beating Cech's crossroads.
Facing Leeds United's siege.
Chelsea also tried to launch counter-attacks.
However, Li Shiguang also learned from the previous game regarding Drogba, the only player in Chelsea's squad who could hold onto the ball.
In any case, Chelsea's counter-attacks mostly involved long passes directly to Drogba, and they weren't very threatening in other areas.
So Li Shiguang simply assigned three people to guard against this Ivorian monster.
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