Midfielder

When Chelsea meets AC Milan, everyone knows what kind of confrontation this is. Control and counter-control will be the main theme on the court. Mourinho is never used to being led by others, so he requires every player on the field to concentrate highly.

"We must entangle the opponent from the beginning of the game and not let the opponent control every corner calmly. I need you to limit the opponent's random insertion and running in the half, and don't let AC Milan play the rhythm they are used to, otherwise we will be in trouble."

Whether in the locker room or in the previous training session, Mourinho has emphasized this to his players, and has repeatedly emphasized it many times. Even in the Chelsea locker room, this sentence was written in the most conspicuous place for everyone to see.

Mourinho is not warning his players, because he has watched no less than 20 recent AC Milan game videos recently. As long as the Rossoneri control the rhythm of the game, they have become the protagonists on the field without exception, with a winning rate of more than 90%, which is not terrifying.

Except for two games where they were unlucky and their shots didn't go into the net and were counterattacked by the opponent, AC Milan controlled the rhythm of every game in its own powerful way, not only in terms of rhythm and scene, but also in terms of efficiency, which made the opponent very desperate.

Don't say that this is because AC Milan's level in the domestic league is too high, so it can win so easily. Don't forget that they are also the same in the Champions League. Except for the game with Eindhoven, it is almost so powerful that people can't do anything about it.

AC Milan's helpless control is not only shown in the lethality in the frontcourt, but more because they can rely on this control to make the opponent feel helpless, and even use the method of controlling the midfield to reduce the possibility of the opponent's attack, and tightly clamp the opponent's every pressure.

Facing such a team, you can't expect to contain it from beginning to end on the field, but Mourinho needs to let the players do one thing, that is, in their own half, don't give the offensive players of AC Milan too much freedom, and don't let them play as they please.

This is the experience Mourinho gained from the confrontation between AC Milan and Juventus. It was the only game that AC Milan failed to control. Juventus' midfield was not gorgeous, but they had enough strength, which forced AC Milan's midfield to fight with the opponent.

Juventus did not have any decent opportunities throughout the game, but they used such defense and toughness to mess up AC Milan's efficiency and rhythm. Piero almost disappeared from the field and defeated Dida's goal with a free kick.

Mourinho is looking for AC Milan's weaknesses from such game videos. Maybe it is not a weakness, but this way can make the opponent lose their own rhythm. In this peak confrontation, as long as you can make the opponent feel flustered, you have already won the advantage.

Anyway, Mourinho doesn't care how badly his team plays. Even Lampard has to retreat when needed. Only Lin Yi and Drogba can really stay in AC Milan's half. Robben and Duff are the kind of quick knives who withdraw and then stab out.

From the center circle to the front of their own penalty area, they don't leave any room for the opponent to move in this range. They contain and press and mark people. If this is a zone defense, then now Mourinho wants to expand the scope of this area and put pressure on AC Milan.

If they can't control their advancement throughout the game, then squeeze these guys into a small space. Anyway, for Chelsea, they must rely on their strong bodies to set obstacles for the opponent in their own half and compress the opponent's activity space as much as possible.

The current AC Milan is not a typical Italian team. They not only have strong defensive capabilities, but in offense, they are more like the gorgeous Brazil. They can often rely on the personal abilities of their players to create killing opportunities in the midfield and frontcourt. Their individual and overall combat capabilities are quite outstanding.

Shevchenko, Crespo, including Kaka and Seedorf, these guys are like a sharp knife. No matter who is given a gap, they can turn into a terrifying killer and give you a fatal blow at any time. Mourinho doesn't want these guys to wreak havoc in front of him.

Since Chelsea can contain Barcelona's offensive group at home and away, Mourinho now requires his players to use the same toughness to strangle AC Milan's offense here, and not leave any easy opportunities for opponents to cut in or intersperse.

However, when the game started, Mourinho found that he still ignored Ancelotti's confidence in winning. AC Milan actually attacked hard in the opening stage. It can be said that they have been pressing all the way since the kick-off, and there is no intention to stabilize the position.

Originally, in recent games, AC Milan relied on the skilled cooperation between players to control the frontcourt, and then slowly looked for opportunities. Looking at their opening goal rate of less than 5%, it can be seen that this is not a group of players who are used to playing that kind of blitzkrieg.

Compared with the offensive, the players of AC Milan believe more in their own skills and overall coordination. They believe that the skilled techniques and tacit understanding between each other can allow them to tear through all defenses, but after the opening, Mourinho saw a scene that he did not expect.

After Kaka and Shevchenko kicked off in the center circle, the Brazilian boy did not choose to pass the ball to the backcourt to wait for Pirlo's organization. Before Drogba could react, he had already spread out his speed and flew past the African elephant with the ball.

When Lampard and Drogba were ready to intercept, Kaka had already cut into Chelsea's half with the ball. Lin Yi might be the first person to realize the threat. He almost stuck to Kaka the moment he started, but he failed to stop the Brazilian boy.

There was no way. Lin Yi was not a defensive player at all. His tackle was easily shaken by Kaka with a fake move. After passing three opponents in a row, Kaka did not choose to stop and wait for his teammates' support. He was still madly rushing with the ball.

It was not until Makelele came up that Kaka slowed down for the first time. However, before the others came up to help, Kaka had successfully passed the ball. The Chelsea defense line, which was disrupted by his breakthrough, was rarely in chaos at such a moment.

Maybe even these tough guys didn't expect that AC Milan's attack would be so fierce, and it was so fierce in the opening stage, which was a bit beyond everyone's expectations. When Makelele rushed up, there was a short defensive gap in the middle.

For those natural killers, such a defensive loophole represents an opportunity. Shevchenko is undoubtedly such a killer who may kill people at any time, so his keen sense of smell accurately captured Kaka's pass, and the Ukrainian shot directly at the top of the arc in the penalty area.

At the moment when Shevchenko kicked, there was no one around him. This is basically difficult to see in Chelsea's usual games, especially in the middle, they almost never let the opponent have such a leisurely shot opportunity, but now, Shevchenko can even choose to adjust.

A world-class shooter will never waste such an opportunity. Shevchenko's shot went directly to the lower left corner of the goal with the sound of the wind. At this time, Terry and Carvalho could only watch the opponent calmly complete this high-quality shot.

But Cech became Chelsea's savior at this time. He made a save almost at the moment when Shevchenko kicked the ball. The advantage of early movement and his height and arm length became the guarantee of saving the goal. He flicked his fingertips hard to save the football from the bottom line.

"Come on! Don't let the opponent kick so easily!" Cech, who successfully saved the goal, also yelled at his own people for the first time. It can be seen that he didn't want to try such a critical moment again. After all, he couldn't make accurate judgments in advance every time.

Not only was Cech a little excited, but even Mourinho made a gesture to the players on the sidelines to open their eyes. He didn't want to see such a scene in front of his goal again. This time he avoided it, but no one could guarantee that he would be able to do it next time.

However, AC Milan's attack did surprise Mourinho a little. He subconsciously looked at Ancelotti, who was also standing on the sidelines. The Italian didn't seem to have any annoyed expression because Shevchenko's shot didn't go in. He seemed to be very calm all the time.

"That cunning Italian guy." Mourinho didn't want to admit anything, but now he could only say that he also made mistakes. He still underestimated the experience of a championship-level coach in such a big game. Although he had considered a lot, there were still loopholes.

It was obvious that the guy also noticed the tactical arrangement that his team had been used to in so many recent games, so he simply changed it in such a decisive battle. Such a subtle tactical change almost made AC Milan score with the first shot after the opening.

Maybe Ancelotti's calm expression now is also a restless heart. After all, this is the final, and he may also regret that shot.

If it goes in, then the rhythm of this game will be firmly in their hands, and they can wantonly exert the power of counterattack, but now it seems that God and luck are on Chelsea's side, and AC Milan has to continue to put pressure on their defense.

No matter how strong the defense is, there will be loopholes. The moment just now seemed to let Ancelotti grasp a certain feeling. . .