Chapter 340 Luck is also important

On January 1, 2005, the 21st round of the Premier League, the Christmas finale between Liverpool and Chelsea, which attracted the attention of the whole world, finally began.

As many people expected, even on the road, Chelsea still deployed a sharp offensive formation, which can even be said to be somewhat contrary to the tradition of the Premier League team style and is more like the style of La Liga teams:

Head coach: Petr Cech, three defenders: Paulo Ferreira, William Gallas, Wayne Bridge, defensive midfielder: Claude Makelele, attacking midfielder: Alan Wang, two wingers are Arkin Robben and Damien Duff, two forwards: Joe Cole and Geremi, center forward: Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Looking at the positions of the players on the field, when the commentator got the starting lineup and the player appearance list, he was a little stunned. It is rare to see a team that dares to show this formation with an offensive ability of +n and a defensive ability of -2n at Anfield. This made all the Liverpool fans in the audience feel that it was a serious insult.

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It turns out that the 'pound team' simply looked down upon the Reds' offensive capabilities! ! ?

In fact, Mourinho was not willing to line up such a risky formation.

The Portuguese is best at defense, but as time goes by, Chelsea's record is too brilliant, especially the team's performance in offense is really dazzling, which is of course a good thing, but it is not necessarily the case for the defense. With 4 or 5 goals scored in every game, many defensive players are getting more and more lax about defense, and they even think that it doesn't matter if the opponent scores 1 or 2 goals. As long as we score more goals than the opponent, can't we win! ?

This is the idea of ​​many traditional offensive teams, such as Barcelona and Arsenal.

However, this does not apply to Chelsea! ! At least not to the Chelsea led by Mourinho. But now, the team is really seriously short of players in the back line. Although the winter transfer window has opened, Chelsea still failed to introduce a strong midfielder. Instead, Babayaro became the first player to leave Chelsea.

Now, captain John Terry is suspended, Ricardo Carvalho is still injured, and Frank Lampard has started and played the whole game for countless times in a row. He is not in any match form at all, and his performance in normal training is really unsatisfactory. Mourinho had to let him sit on the bench to rest for a game.

Fortunately, Mourinho still had a good card in his hand to participate in the game - Claude Makelele. With this iron midfielder in the backcourt, he could at least be more assured about defense. However, it was almost impossible to defend Liverpool's attack away from home, so he had to implement many tactics in the minds of the players to strive for victory - score more goals than the opponent! !

On the other hand, Liverpool sent out all their main players. In fact, their substitutes were not very strong. The bench depth was not good, and the strength of the substitutes and the main players was far apart. Coupled with some injuries, Benítez's main lineup has fought for countless times in a row. Perhaps it is because Liverpool's players all have a desire to win that they can still win three consecutive victories in such continuous high-intensity games. Of course, this is also related to the weak strength of their opponents:

Goalkeeper Dudek, four defenders: Finnan, Hyypia, Jamie Carragher, Traore, five midfielders: Garcia, Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Hamann, Riise, but forward Pongler.

Wang Li stood behind the center circle with his hands on his hips, looking at the positions of the Liverpool players on the opposite side, feeling somewhat helpless. Although he was not the head coach, he could see that the opponent's formation could be used for a defensive strategy of human sea tactics, or for an attack with a full formation. This would definitely be a test for Chelsea's defense. Although he was not the team's coach, he still had some understanding of the crisis facing the team's backcourt.

"Score goals!! Score more goals!! Let them know that even at Anfield, their defense can't have any effect on Chelsea's offense." Thinking of what Mourinho said to him before the game, Wang Li's mouth curled up. He knew that this game was worth playing, and the key to victory or defeat almost depended on him alone.

As long as he can maintain his original performance, score 2 or 3 goals against Liverpool and provide 1 or 2 assists, Chelsea's victory will not be a problem.

But what if...

At 6:30 pm London time, the referee Riley gave the signal to slam the ball down, and the game began. From the moment it started, the Red Army fans in the stadium began to cheer for Liverpool non-stop, and the red will instantly dyed the entire Anfield stadium red! !

Captain Claude Makelele won the right to kick off by tossing a coin. As a result, Chelsea launched a fierce attack within less than a minute of the start, showing everyone the team's fierce offensive ability and making the hearts of all the Red Army fans almost jump out of their mouths.

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The strong-willed Icelander Gudjohnson stood in the center circle. When he heard the whistle, he passed the ball to Wang Li behind him with a heel. After receiving the ball, Wang Li slowly dribbled forward, changed direction to avoid the interception of Pongler who was running over, looked up at the positions of the players in the frontcourt, and then kicked the ball to the left.

Now, Wang Li's long pass has been trained to be extremely accurate. His super strength combined with the precise use of internal force has made his footwork very accurate. Of course, the usual free kick training also plays a big role in improving long-range passing ability. Now this kind of long pass is no less than the popular David Beckham. As the offensive core of the team and the initiator of the offense, this ability can greatly help Chelsea's offense - the football passed Xavi Alonso's head in the air and fell directly at the feet of Arkin Robben. Alonso didn't expect that the opponent's 'lone ranger'-like black-haired boy had such an ability to make such a long pass. He hasn't entered the game state yet. When he reacted, the Dutch boy Robben had already dribbled the ball towards Liverpool's half. He waved to his teammates helplessly, turned around and quickly followed.

In the Liverpool backcourt, the handsome Irish boy Steve Finnan, who was closest to Robben, was the first to react. He was just about to run to the left to chat with his national team teammate Duff, but he didn't expect that Chelsea had already attacked near the team's penalty area in a blink of an eye. So, he immediately abandoned his friendship and chose to play the game.

Unfortunately, before he could get forward, Robben made a big change of direction with the ball, turning from the wing and cutting inside to the front of the penalty area, and Finnan could only follow behind him and eat dust... Then, the Dutch boy's signature cut-in and long-range shot were performed again in the Premier League, telling all Liverpool players: Don't underestimate me, I am also capable of scoring goals at Anfield! !

However, a classic save by old goalkeeper Dudek created a big rift in the audience's impression of the Dutch kid's performance as a lone ranger, and the football was saved out of the baseline…Old 'uncle' Dudek stood up from the ground in embarrassment, patted the grass clippings on his clothes, pinched his nose bridge with his left hand habitually, and thinking about the shot just now, he broke out in a cold sweat. That kick was too dangerous. Fortunately, he was old and in poor health, and maybe he could still do it once a night…On the sidelines, Liverpool head coach Neitez was so scared that he stood up directly from the coaching bench. He immediately walked to the edge of the court, yelling at the players to calm down and concentrate on the game. If this situation continued, Liverpool would repeat the mistakes of the last game.

The 'madman' Mourinho was still sitting steadily on the coaching bench, with his arms folded across his chest, looking determined to win, with an aura of 'I own the world with this team in my hands'. The old man seemed to be becoming more and more unfathomable, but in fact he was thinking in his heart that he must maintain the demeanor of the Premier League's number one coach... Before the game, many media expected that this would be an exciting offensive battle, because both teams were good at attacking, but in fact, 5 minutes after the start of the game, they realized that Liverpool was playing a defensive counterattack.

Benítez is not a fool. Although Liverpool's offensive ability is not bad, compared with Chelsea, which scores 4 or 5 goals in every game, the gap is really huge. Especially after Chelsea showed its offensive power at Highbury Stadium, he realized this clearly.

Didn't you see that Arsenal, the team with the strongest offensive power in the Premier League, suffered a crushing defeat in a home game against Chelsea? He didn't think Liverpool's offensive power was stronger than Arsenal's. If they chose to attack, they would die without knowing how.

Obviously, defensive counterattack is the best option.

Although Chelsea has strong offensive capabilities, their defensive capabilities are relatively weak. Even with this weakness, they are still stronger than the average mid-level Premier League team, but they are a bit stretched to defend against Liverpool's counterattacks - even though Liverpool has been declining over the years, their strength is unquestionable! !

In this situation, Liverpool players quickly entered the game state. Taking advantage of Chelsea's unfavorable attack, they launched an extremely fierce counterattack, catching the Blues off guard.

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Joe Cole made a mistake in dribbling the ball and was directly intercepted by defender Hyypia, who passed the ball directly to midfielder Luis Garcia. After receiving the ball, Garcia took two steps forward and made two passes with Xabi Alonso, found a gap and passed the ball to Gerrard in the middle.

The world's best midfielder, Steven Gerrard, deftly passed two defenders and fired a long shot that hit the crossbar and flew out of the bottom line... This counterattack also announced to everyone: Even though Chelsea is indeed very strong, Liverpool is not without the ability to fight back! !

From the opening to now 15 minutes, Chelsea has been in control of the game, but perhaps the players have not really entered the game state. Apart from the threatening attack at the beginning, they have not been able to make any threatening shots. Even Wang Li's volley in front of the penalty area was kicked away, which made the game seem to have entered a tense state.

………Liverpool is by no means a soft persimmon that can be bullied by everyone. When Chelsea did not cherish their opportunities several times, their counterattack finally paid off.

Alonso is a newcomer in the Premier League. At the beginning of the league, his performance was not outstanding. In the last face of Chelsea, he was fooled by Wang Li many times. But now, as the league progresses, his special passing method has left a deep impression on Liverpool fans. His keen sense of the game and precise passing have helped Liverpool win time and time again, and also made Alonso undoubtedly secure a starting position.

In one of Liverpool's attacks, Xabi Alonso unknowingly ran to the left side of the penalty area. Chelsea's three defenders made a mistake in their defense. They did not notice this rising star in the Premier League. Gerrard passed the ball to the left while being closely guarded by the defenders. Although the pass was a bit hasty and the position was not accurate, Alonso was unguarded. So, with a look of a virgin on his face, he swung his right foot and passed the ball to the front of the penalty area, putting Chelsea's goal in danger.

The striker Pongler, who has always been regarded as a "super fake" by Liverpool fans, finally made a contribution this time. After getting rid of the defensive players, he swung the ball without any judgment, leaving Cech with no way to defend. The football rolled directly between Cech's legs and over the goal line.

"Oh my God, Liverpool scored a goal!~~~~~~What a pity!! The goal was scored by the 21-year-old striker Sinama Pongelle. It is incredible that this famous French fake player scored the first goal. In any case, congratulations to him. This is his first goal for Liverpool this season. It was not easy. He had a goal drought when he first came to Liverpool, and now he finally scored a goal..."

"However, it is puzzling that Liverpool can lead Chelsea. We can only say that they are in very good form and have good luck today. However, how long can this lead last? How long can it last? We can only hope that they can hold on longer..."

Graham's commentary was too biased. Many Liverpool fans who were watching the live broadcast on Sky TV almost smashed their TVs and computers. Many decided not to watch the live broadcast on Sky TV anymore. On the contrary, Liverpool has more fans than Chelsea in the world. With the strong rise of Chelsea, the number of fans around the world is also growing rapidly. Many fans do not have the same belief in inheritance as English fans. Instead, they will support the team that performs well and has their favorite stars, which has led to a sharp increase in Chelsea's popularity.

After all, it is good for TV commentators to be neutral, but as a Premier League TV station, even if they have all the broadcasting rights, they must have a camp and cannot take care of everyone's emotions. Therefore, Graham's commentary is still welcomed by most people, which is enough for a commentator.

Back to the topic, in the 23rd minute of the first half, Liverpool unexpectedly took the lead.

………At this time, the big screen showed a shot of Chelsea coach Mourinho who was still sitting calmly in the coaching booth. This "madman" saw that the team was falling behind, but he still sat there with his hands folded on his chest with a calm face, as if nothing had happened.

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"Look at Mr. Mourinho's expression. He sits very calmly, and there seems to be a hint of smile on his face. Seeing this expression, I feel much more at ease. He seems to be calm and composed, and it seems that everything is still under his control. Yes, the games in the first half of the season have proved that this calmness is by no means fake. We should believe him..."

On the pitch, Chelsea captain Claude Makelele couldn't help himself. While 'Mr. Happy', who had just scored his first goal in the first half of the season for Liverpool, was still celebrating the goal with his teammates, he ran to Wang Li, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Alan, I think you should show your strength, otherwise the team will be in danger."

Wang Li was stunned, then turned around and smiled, saying, "Of course, I've been working hard."

"But, in the past ten minutes or so, you dribbled the ball much less times," Makelele asked sincerely.

Wang Li touched the back of his head and said embarrassedly: "I just want to cooperate more with my teammates. You know, the team can't always rely on me alone."

Makelele nodded in understanding. "Okay, I understand what you mean, but there are a lot of people watching this game, and you don't want the team to lose, do you?"

Wang Li smiled and patted the French man on the shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, I will do my best in the competition later."

Looking at the sincere expression of the black-haired boy in front of him, Makelele nodded and turned to run towards the backcourt.

In fact, from the beginning to now, Wang Li did not use his full strength. He was trying to cooperate more with his teammates. Last night, he watched a video of Barcelona's recent game. Even though he was full of disdain for the individual abilities of the players, their ability to cooperate in offense was really beautiful and threatening. They are worthy of being the world's top offensive team.

Although Chelsea's offensive coordination ability is top-notch in the Premier League, perhaps due to the different league styles, it is much worse than Barcelona. According to Wang Li's estimation, it can only reach the middle level of La Liga. Although Chelsea certainly has its own advantages, there may be problems when they really face Barcelona. That's why Wang Li wants to cooperate more with his teammates in the game to try out the effect.

However, it is more important to tie the score now. Once the victory is in our hands, we can play however we want.

Wang Li's idea was good, but after the game resumed, luck was on Liverpool's side.

Chelsea's pass in the midfield was directly intercepted by Gerrard, who passed the ball to his teammates, preparing for a counterattack. After several passes, Gerrard got the ball again at a position 40 meters away from the penalty area. When he saw his teammates were already in the penalty area, he wanted to kick a high pass into the penalty area, but he missed! !

The football flew high into the air, and just when everyone in the stadium thought it would definitely fly out of the bottom line, it spun and headed straight for the dead corner of the goal - a falling leaf ball! !

Many people call this kind of ball a falling leaf ball. Gerrard's kick was definitely a stroke of luck!!

Goalkeeper Cech's heart was lifted again, but the direction of the football was too tricky. He jumped up with all his strength but still failed to stop the ball. As the referee signaled that the goal was valid, the scoreboard on the field became 2:0.

Liverpool lead by two goals.