Midfielder

The Champions League semi-finals kicked off on April 19th, but the first pair to play were not Chelsea and Villarreal, but AC Milan, who were eager for revenge, met Arsenal.

AC Milan, who fell in the final last season, was determined to complete the task of winning the Champions League this time, especially when facing the Premier League team, these Italian men were very excited.

After Arsenal's slump in the Premier League for almost a season, they finally regained some dignity in the Champions League. It was not easy to break into the Champions League semi-finals. Wenger and his team would not give up.

Anyway, no one would admit defeat, so there would inevitably be a fierce battle between the two teams, especially AC Milan had the home advantage in the first round, and San Siro had not tasted defeat in this season's Champions League.

In addition to preparing for the game, Mourinho was in the mood to organize the team to collectively watch the life-and-death battle between AC Milan and Arsenal. In his heart, he might hope that Arsenal could beat AC Milan twice in two rounds.

"An opponent we are familiar with is always easier to deal with than an opponent who is seeking revenge." Moreover, Mourinho is more familiar with Wenger, and Chelsea obviously has a psychological advantage against Arsenal.

After all, they have also completed a double kill against Arsenal this season. Chelsea may be more comfortable playing against Premier League teams, and the battle with AC Milan last season was actually very thrilling.

If it weren't for Lin Yi's outbreak, it would be hard to say who would win or lose. At least Mourinho is not 100% sure that he can kill AC Milan, especially when the opponent is angry and ready for revenge.

It is really difficult to fight with such a team, so Mourinho really hopes that Arsenal can give the Italians a head start at the San Siro Stadium before the game.

However, he is also very clear about the strength of Wenger's team now. It is really difficult to fight with AC Milan, and it is still away. Especially if you want to get out of it unscathed, it is not something that everyone can do.

But Wenger's team will definitely not be willing to let the other side take any advantage. The whole process of the game is not thrilling, but it is almost the same. The competition between the two sides is actually half a catty against eight taels.

It's just that AC Milan has the home advantage. In terms of the initiative in the attack, they have always maintained high-intensity pressure, but Arsenal's recent practicality has also made the Rossoneri seem a little helpless.

If it weren't for Inzaghi's chance to grab a header from Lehmann's mouth in the 75th minute of the second half, it would have been this non-standard header that scored.

"Luck is not on Wenger's side, but that guy is really like a ghost." I don't know if Cech remembered the Champions League final last season, when the skinny Inzaghi scored in this way.

Now it's just that his lore target has changed from Chelsea to Arsenal, and the score of one to zero has not been rewritten by Wenger's team again. After all, there is no crazy guy like Lin Yi in Arsenal.

"If we meet AC Milan again, I hope that guy won't score like this." However, when Terry and his team saw the ghost-like man roaring on the field, they were really under pressure.

I don't know how many defenders dream of having such a moment to keep a close eye on Inzaghi, but in the end, their endings were all disappointing without exception. The ghost-like man was still scoring goals.

Fortunately, Wenger's team only lost a small goal away from home, and they still have a chance to turn the tables at Highbury. Moreover, they were not always passive in this game, and the quality of their counterattacks was actually quite good.

Henry and Pires both had the opportunity to directly threaten Dida, especially Henry's one-man breakthrough.

If Stam hadn't stretched out his foot at the last moment, I really don't know if the ball could have been scored.

But such a performance finally gave Arsenal fans a glimmer of hope, and they still have a chance.

However, Mourinho has not been able to determine who will make it to the final, and after watching this game, he has also begun to pay attention to the benefits that the home advantage brings to the home team. At least in terms of the referee's penalty scale, the home field still has a little advantage, and Mourinho does not want to be secretly stabbed by anyone.

The first semi-final has come to an end, and the confrontation between Chelsea and Villarreal will follow. On April 20, the duel between the two teams will also start on time at the Love Song Stadium.

The Love Song Stadium may have never welcomed more than 3,000 English fans, including the group match against Manchester United, when there were only less than 1,000 people with the team, but the arrival of Chelsea changed this record.

According to incomplete statistics from local media, at least 4,000 fans came from England. They were not worried about any accidents to the team, but this kind of going out with the team to welcome the victory has become a habit for Chelsea fans.

The Love Song Stadium, which can only accommodate 25,000 people including temporary seats, can be regarded as an experience of the madness of English fans. The roars and shouts here have always belonged to those English fans.

Especially those crazy fans, who always use their volume to remind those Spaniards that we! Chelsea! are the defending champions of this Champions League, and you can only catch up with us now!

This is the habit of Chelsea fans. After winning five championships, they are afraid that others don’t know their great achievements. This is the case in every away game. Because of this, they have also participated in fights.

But no matter what happened, let alone what occasion it was, they were still so arrogant and high-profile.

However, Lin Yi didn't have any objection to such a move, and he would even personally add fuel to the fire.

"This kid seems to be enjoying the cheers." Brito said to Mourinho helplessly, watching Lin Yi look like a band conductor at the end of the warm-up.

"It's good. At least he makes this place look a bit like Stamford Bridge." Mourinho never paid attention to this kind of thing that showed off his personality, and he even encouraged it in some aspects.

The Estadio Estadio has never hosted a game of this level, but this does not prevent local fans from filling all the seats. They may really be expecting Villarreal to continue to defend the Champions League honors belonging to La Liga teams.

However, the head coaches of the two teams were not affected by the atmosphere. Both Pellegrini and Mourinho looked very calm during the warm-up before the game. There was no trace of anything on their faces. Mood swings.

They are calm and silent, but this is definitely not forcing themselves. These two people are the kind of guys whose nerves have been strengthened to the extreme. Maybe their brains are running fast all the time, just thinking about how to kill their opponents.

After a short warm-up, only the noise of the fans was left in the stadium. Both teams were accumulating strength at the last moment. What awaits them next will be a ninety-minute fierce battle. The outcome is: It’s also unknown.

But neither Pellegrini nor Mourinho concealed their tactical intentions. In the first semi-final, everyone wanted to take the lead, so they both pushed their main lineups forward without any reserve.

Chelsea's goalkeeper is still Petr Cech, and the defense is lined up with Terry, Carvalho, Ashley Cole and Bosingwa. In order to be on the safe side in the away game, Mourinho did not risk using the recent A three-back formation.

Makelele, the midfielder, returned to the field after two weeks of rest. Riquelme is the core of the opponent's tactics. Mourinho does not want to give the opponent any chance to breathe. Don't worry too much about Makelele's defense. .

On the two wings, Mourinho arranged a combination of Robben and Ribery. These two guys have been in good form recently, and Villarreal's wing attacks are also very brutal. In order to suppress the opponent, Mourinho Neo wants to fight offense with offense.

The attacking midfielder was Lin Yi, who had no doubts. Mourinho did not let him drop back into the midfield to organize the team. He hoped that this kid could get closer to the opponent's goal. Only in this way could he tear apart the opponent's defense. He needed this kid. Sharper.

One obvious change that Mourinho made in this game was that he did not arrange Lampard behind Drogba. The Chelsea deputy had an ankle problem recently. After repeated considerations, Mourinho resorted to a two-forward combination.

Gerrard is temporarily unable to appear due to suspension. At this time, Mourinho hopes that the forward line can cause more trouble for the opponent. Anelka and Drogba appear together. The two forwards are also ready to go all out this time. impact.

However, Lampard is still sitting on the bench, and with him are tough guys like Cassano and Maniche. If the attack in the frontcourt is not smooth, maybe Mourinho will consider relocating himself. offensive line.

Similar to what Chelsea predicted, Villarreal is also trying its best here. After all, this is their home court. If they lose completely here, it will be difficult for them to have a chance to turn around at Stamford Bridge.

Goalkeeper Barbosa has always been the main starter, and Pellegrini rarely takes the initiative to change this position. The back line is, in order, Venta, Alvarez, Arzu, Arua Barrena, as usual. It's a back four.

Pellegrini has made certain changes in the midfield. Senna and Tachinadi are partnering to guard the middle this time. It can be seen that Lin Yi's fear still makes Pellegrini passive. The choice is sound.

However, with Sorin in the frontcourt, Senna's super physical fitness can also support him to insert from the back row at any time. In this way, Villarreal's midfield has not been greatly weakened, but the attacking rhythm It might be a little slow.

But this kind of rhythm has long been the way Villarreal is accustomed to. Riquelme, who is in the attacking midfielder position, has always dominated the team in such a slow and leisurely manner, but as long as he is there, he will always be full of energy. With murderous intent.

Jose Mari and Forlán, who have been in good form recently, are still Pellegrini’s first choices for the striker. However, Franco and Calleja are also ready on the bench at any time. If necessary, they can become Three forwards.

With such a starting list, anyone who often watches games will know that Villarreal is ready to fight Chelsea at home, and their supporters also want to see a very hot game. of confrontation.

But many reporters believe that the highlight of this game lies in the two styles of Lin Yi and Riquelme. Who can dominate the court? At least in their eyes, this game is between fast and slow, movement and stillness. A kind of difference competition.

However, this kind of game with different styles will not lack excitement, and the facts have proved their prediction. Maybe even the commentator in charge of the broadcast has not finished reading the starting list of the two teams, and they have already begun to fight on a large scale.

Chelsea, who took the lead in kicking off, were the first to attack. Lin Yi dribbled the ball forward after the midfield kick-off. Before Senna intercepted, he passed the ball to the right side of Ribery's advance in time. The scar-faced man took advantage of pure speed. More than Venta.

Then he made a fake move and dribbled past Venta's back-moving tackle, then kicked a very fast half-high cross with his right foot, and Anelka, who had already received the ball in the middle, shot it in a half-air state.

However, due to Alvarez's interference and the long preparation time, Barbosa made a precise side dive to hold the ball, but Chelsea's first attack made Pellegrini's eyelids jump violently.

Such an attack aroused the shouts of Chelsea fans, including the commentator responsible for the English broadcast signal, who did not bother to introduce any players and directly shouted with his hoarse voice, "A beautiful shot!"

"Less than 20 seconds into the game, Chelsea has completed a lightning attack. If Anelka's shot had a little more angle, they might have completed this blitzkrieg. But it can be seen that their competitive state is very good. Even if this is an away game, our defending champions have shown a strong offensive awareness."

However, Brito still muttered unhappily on the sidelines, "It would be great if this ball went in, and the rest of the game would be easier to play." But Mourinho's face has always been calm. Although he is a little regretful, he is not as frustrated as his partner. It would be better if he could score, but it is also acceptable to give the opponent a warning.

Mourinho told his players in the locker room, "Whether the opponent is a dark horse or not has nothing to do with us. Remember, Chelsea is the defending champion. We have won many opponents before, and we will win the game here as well."

This is a manifestation of confidence, not arrogance. Mourinho wants to use such a strong and oppressive style of play to make Pellegrini and his team panic. This is the best choice to hit a novice.

When Ferguson met Porto, he also tried to suppress the opponent in momentum, but he was unlucky to meet two crazy people. Mourinho and Lin Yi were not the kind of people who could be frightened, so he failed.

But Mourinho is now continuing this way, which is to make the opponent lose momentum at home. He does not intend to eat a fat man in one bite, but at least he wants to let the opponent know that you are facing a team that is defending the title!

However, before Chelsea fans could roar enough, Villarreal's counterattack came, still so slow, but Chelsea fans who were used to the fast pace of the Premier League also felt a piercing cold.

Senna dribbled the ball in the middle, and Lin Yi, who was absolutely scarred in defense, could only play a disruptive role. His pressing failed to interfere with the Spanish main midfielder's passing, and Tacchinardi took over his task and continued to advance.

Ribery is a guy who can run faster and has good physical fitness, so he sometimes retreats to the middle to interfere with the opponent's advancement speed. This time Tacchinardi was targeted by him. The Italian was also very smart and did not let the ball stay at his feet for too long. The moment Ribery pressed up, he passed it directly to Riquelme.

Makelele's defense is the number one figure in both La Liga and the Premier League. When he was in Real Madrid, Zidane said in person that the thing he hated most was to meet Makelele in a confrontation.

There is a compliment from a dribbling master. Even if there is some consideration for the French compatriots, Makelele's defense is indeed a bit fierce. I don't know how many offensive players in the Premier League are strangled by this guy in the midfield.

But this time when Makelele faced Riquelme, he didn't succeed in the scramble. Riquelme pulled and dragged his feet, and then used such a simple ball protection action to dodge Makelele with a step.

Maybe outsiders think Riquelme's movements are not fast, or many times, his movements are a bit slow, but people who are familiar with him know that this guy is slow, but in his slowness, he hides a kind of precision that can take lives at any time.

His movements are slow, but each movement is just right. You rarely see Riquelme stumbling in the game. Every movement of his seems to be pre-calculated by the brain.

This time, Makelele was fooled by such a precise action. As soon as his center of gravity shifted, Riquelme had already completed two beautiful escapes. Moreover, he did not dribble too much. After taking two steps forward, he was still more than 30 meters away from the fans. Unexpectedly, he suddenly kicked the ball with his right foot.

Jose Mari and Fran had already started to move at that time, but Riquelme seemed not to see it. When he got rid of Makelele a few steps, he kicked the ball directly. Even Cech did not react.

When Cech found that the opponent kicked the ball, he started to move. The tricky angle of the shot made the Czech man stretch his hands desperately. Thanks to the guy's height of 1.9 meters, otherwise, he would definitely not be able to save it.

Even so, Cech barely used his fingertips to push the football out of the bottom line. This shot made Cech clearly feel his heart suddenly accelerated. If he was not so tall, it is estimated that the ball would have entered the net long ago.

With one thrilling attack after another, the absolute core players of the two teams used this method to let the broadcast camera focus on themselves. Although both of them looked calm, they had already sounded the bell of this duel with sharp attacks. After 90 minutes, who can walk into the player tunnel with a smile?

It all depends on the performance of these two guys, and they will also determine the victory or defeat of their respective teams. . .

(Today is the first game of the Asian Men's Basketball Championship. I hope we can win. By the way, as an AC Milan fan, I am smiling proudly, not only because we tied with Barcelona away, but also because I saw Inter Milan lose, hahahaha)