“The Blue Army is indomitable!”

“Even with one less player, they defended Stamford Bridge.”

“Paris Saint-Germain shouldn't be discouraged; they can come back stronger next year. They have a group of talented young stars.”

“Chelsea's 19-year-old Ballon d'Or winner contributed a goal and an assist in this game, once again earning the Man of the Match award.”

“Congratulations to Chelsea for advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals.”

The singing at Stamford Bridge was loud and clear.

Most of the players were lying exhausted on the grass.

The high-intensity sprints and rotations had drained their energy.

However, some clubs in football history have been powerful to the point of being abnormal, such as Bayern Munich in the 2013/14 season, who would finish their Champions League knockout away game and immediately change into sportswear to continue training on the opponents' pitch.

Kanté bent over, panting, and looked at Li Kang, whose face was as calm as ever, with a puzzled expression.

Didn't Li take a stroll tonight?

He ran about the same distance as himself, so how come he wasn't even out of breath?

The iron gate of a little black egg shook his head, not thinking too much, and turned to care for his national team teammates.

Buffon patted Mbappé's shoulder, comforting him: "You were even more of a threat at Monaco last season. I suggest that Paris should sign more proper midfielders, like Pjanić."

"Perform well in the World Cup, and the club might listen to you!"

Mbappé's expression was calm.

Verratti was preparing to catch up with the old Italian goalkeeper. Proper midfielders?

He couldn't help but glance at Rabiot, Paredes, and the others, plus himself… they were all a bunch of unconventional midfielders.

On the other side.

Neymar wanted to clear up the misunderstanding with Cavani, but the latter turned and walked towards the tunnel.

The Uruguayan striker had finally waited for Ibrahimović to leave, thinking he could become the boss of the locker room, but the club signed a new king in the summer transfer window.

After shaking hands with the referee team in turn, Li Kang and his teammates thanked the home fans together.

In the final moments, with ten men against eleven, he and Kanté barely filled the gap through frantic running and coverage, but he didn't feel too tired because Paris's positional attack methods were too simple.

Blue flags fluttered in the wind.

Chelsea fans couldn't hide the joy in their hearts, responding to the players with the most enthusiastic applause and shouts.

Post-match press conference.

Tuchel answered questions from the media.

"No one will blame David Luiz; the football field is full of uncertainties."

"Li's performance in key battles is as consistent as ever; he is a natural big-game player."

"We don't care who our opponent is in the Champions League quarter-finals."

"It's all the same, no matter who we draw."

The confidence in his tone immediately caused a round of applause in the room.

A moment later.

Emery sat wearily in the interview seat, his tone dejected.

"If that penalty had gone in, the result of the game might have been different."

"Perhaps we lost to this year's Champions League champion…"

This immediately drew rebuttals from the French media.

Four hundred million was invested in the summer transfer window, and the result was stopping in the round of 16 of the Champions League?

Jokes like "penalties should be taken in turns" and "create more penalties" once again became ammunition for bombarding the Paris coach.

In contrast, the English media was more sober:

If celebrities and experts from all walks of life come out and say some "foolish things," it is often intentional.

They play the role of a clown, taking the opportunity to deliberately cause widespread discussion and promote the resolution of the problem.

Cobham Training Base.

Inside the meeting room.

The coaching staff was watching live broadcasts of other games.

Tuchel said in a serious tone: "This Bayern is much more terrifying than in the past two seasons…"

Dino asked in confusion: "Boss, didn't you say it's all the same who we draw?"

"…"

The cold wind was bleak.

Fallen leaves fluttered.

A business car drove on the streets of Fulham.

The little assistant, holding a mobile phone, shouted:

"3:0!!!"

"Liverpool have equalized the aggregate score!"

"This is Anfield!"

"The King of Comebacks!"

"Barca can't break through Stamford Bridge, and they can't break through Anfield!"

"A depleted Liverpool team overthrows Barcelona!"

The driver couldn't help but chime in with "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Li Kang was also staring at the tablet.

On the screen, Anfield stadium, a sea of red, conveyed the determination to reverse the situation.

Twenty-three minutes later.

The business car stopped at the gate of the yard.

The little assistant got out of the car and exclaimed:

"4:0!!!"

"The Miracle of Anfield!"

"Barcelona, who were leading for a week, were overturned by Liverpool with four goals!"

"Massacre, tragedy, suppression…"

Li Kang closed the tablet. He could probably foresee that the comments section of Kroos's column would be full of apologies.

The system prompt sounded quietly.

[Ding, mission completed: The Defense of Blue Bridge!]

[Mission feedback: Thrilling! Stamford Bridge with ten men was almost captured!]

[Mission reward: Champions League Legend Platinum Treasure Chest.]

The prize pool was shallow.

There were only the names of a few midfielders.

[Kroos "True Form" Module.]

[Modrić "Back-to-Goal" Module.]

[Casemiro "Side-Stepping" Module.]

[etc.]

[Opening Treasure Chest… Congratulations on obtaining Pjanić "Inversion" Module.]

Pjanić finally fulfilled his talent this season, putting on an explosive performance, with all his shortcomings disappearing, reaching the realm of a half-step master.

Several wonderful escape fragments appeared in Li Kang's mind.

Heel pull and push ball to change direction!

The ultimate escape technique of inverting the true form and back-to-goal.

Two days later.

All of the Champions League Round of 16 knockout matches were over.

The quarter-final list was released: Chelsea, Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City.

At the same time.

A series of news items rushed to the top of the trending searches.

《Stamford Bridge's Divine Ground Shot! Ballon d'Or Winner with a Goal and an Assist!》

《The Miracle of Anfield, Liverpool Reverses Barcelona 4-3 on Aggregate!》

《Devil's Home Ground, the Yellow Hornets Equalize Against Arsenal Again, Advancing to the Champions League Quarter-Finals with the Advantage of Away Goals.》

《Heynckes' Bayern Bloodbathes Old Trafford.》

《The Unstoppable Galácticos.》

《The Steel Defense of the Bianconeri.》

《Full Squad Returns, Atlético Madrid, with its Complete Lineup, Shakes Europe!》

《The Blue Moon Continues to Decline in European Warfare.》

The number of comments, likes, and retweets exploded.

-

[Barcelona fans are crying in the bathroom, leading by three goals and still getting reversed.]

-

[What's going on? Not even one goal? Barca playing against a depleted Liverpool team, and they get beaten 4-0?]

-

[Even if they scored one goal, I'd feel a little better.]

-

[Football is a team sport.]

-

[All is well, Arsenal has returned to the good old days of the Round of 16.]

-

[It's okay, the eliminated players can prepare well for the 2018 World Cup.]

-

[As long as Li Mingdeng doesn't meet Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, or Atlético Madrid, the Champions League quarter-finals will still be easy.]

From the quarter-finals onwards, the teams were not divided into tiers, and the draw no longer had any avoidance principles.

Teams from the same region or league no longer avoided each other.

Teams from the same tier or group no longer avoided each other.

Simply put, Real Madrid could draw Atlético Madrid, Bayern could draw Dortmund, and Chelsea could draw Liverpool.

The entire draw was completely random.

Li Kang, Tuchel, Dino, and others rushed to Nyon, Switzerland, the headquarters of UEFA.

The scenery on the banks of Lake Geneva was as beautiful as ever.

The "punctuality" of the small Swiss country influenced every participating guest.

"Li, we're finally meeting at the draw ceremony again."

Pjanić excitedly patted the seat next to him.

Li Kang smiled.

When he first participated in the Champions League draw, the first friend he met here was Pjanić.

"Have you watched my games this season?"

Pjanić shifted his butt, his tone anxious, his eyes full of anticipation.

Li Kang nodded seriously. The Bianconeri midfielder had stepped into his peak this season.

"I heard that Fàbregas is leaving Chelsea next season?"

"…"

"What do you think of me?"

Another childhood dream of playing for Chelsea?

Pjanić clearly said in interviews that the team he dreamed of playing for as a child was Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's face was stern, and he coughed deliberately twice.

"The ceremony is about to begin."

The LED screen on the main stage played highlights from the Champions League Round of 16 matches.

Li Kang's ultimate ground shot.

Messi's ultimate ground shot.

Li Kang's consecutive dribbles.

Saúl's consecutive dribbles.

Li Kang's extreme curve.

Pjanić's extreme curve.

Origi's volley in front of the six-yard box.

The breathtaking shots made the atmosphere in the venue more and more heated.

That's not right.

How come everyone is copying Li, or being copied by Li?

Pjanić didn't stop, and continued to seriously analyze his characteristics with Li Kang, looking forward to a bright future.

He didn't want to leave Juventus.

But in the Bianconeri's tactical system, in order to fit the future characteristics of the forward line, there seemed to be a better midfield combination solution.

This guy seemed to have a premonition that he would be "accounted for." (financial fair play accounting trick)

Barcelona didn't offer high enough salaries, otherwise he would have arrived at the Camp Nou in 2008.

Real Madrid had no room.

Chelsea might still have a pit left by Fàbregas.

After thinking about it, the midfielder partner that suited him best was Li!

Joining the Blues next season would allow him to climb to the peak of his career.

Coach representative seat.

Zidane glanced at Li Kang from time to time.

Guardiola was scribbling.

Tuchel tried hard to maintain an air of mystery.

Old coach Jupp Heynckes closed his eyes to rest.

Diego Simeone supported his chin, looking worried.

Massimiliano Allegri was listless. He also wanted to talk to the Barcelona coach about "accounting." The accounting of player transactions was not limited to high-level negotiations. The two coaches knew their players better, striving to achieve a "win-win" situation.

It was a pity that Barcelona was eliminated.

The ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner.

The hosts and UEFA officials said a lot of platitudes, which made people sleepy.

After about half an hour.

The draw guest, Andriy Shevchenko, took the stage and announced the official start of the draw ceremony.

Everyone couldn't help but become nervous.

Pa!

The nuclear warhead didn't dawdle for too long, opening two small balls in succession.

"The first pairing result is out."

"Liverpool versus Borussia Dortmund!"

The camera immediately turned to Jürgen Klopp.

The Liverpool coach smiled and shook his head. He had also left a glorious chapter in Borussia Dortmund.

"The second pairing result is out."

"Real Madrid versus Manchester City!"

Suddenly.

The scene erupted in applause.

Zidane and Guardiola almost simultaneously raised their hands and touched their bald heads.

Their expressions were synchronized.

Live broadcast room.

The barrage flew.

-

[What do you think of this one?]

-

[Of course, Real Madrid is favored, but Manchester City is very strong in the league.]

-

[The Blue Moon is still in the process of rebuilding and can't withstand the Galácticos for the time being. Give Guardiola some more time.]

-

[Hard to say, in terms of on-the-spot command ability, if Guardiola doesn't mess things up, he's far ahead of Zidane.]

-

[Zidane: Does the coach need on-the-spot command?]

-

[It's been rumored for more than half a year that Ronaldo is leaving Real Madrid. I hope he has a happy ending at the Bernabéu.]

-

[I want to see Chelsea vs Real Madrid]

Shevchenko wanted to continue opening the balls.

He was temporarily stopped by Marchetti.

Suspense.

They had to leave some suspense.

The UEFA representative said another long string of platitudes.

Tuchel gradually became impatient.

Allegri took a deep breath, his expression twisting into a "囧" shape.

Heynckes yawned.

Simeone swept away his gloom and looked expectant.

Player representative seat.

Antoine Griezmann looked disdainfully at Pjanić and Li Kang, who were chatting.

He hadn't played against Li Kang in recent years.

The biggest regret was the 2016 European Cup when he and Varane were unable to play due to injuries at the same time.

Hmph.

If Li meets me…

Next, his thoughts were interrupted.

"The third draw result is out."

"Atlético Madrid versus Chelsea!"

Tuchel was slightly surprised.

Simeone smiled reluctantly and clapped his hands.

Griezmann's expression stiffened.

Li Kang immediately reviewed the heat map of Atlético Madrid's game footage from God's perspective.

Live broadcast room.

-

[The two teams are going to tear each other apart, forget about the league and domestic cup games, they will definitely suffer a lot of damage.]

-

[Run to death.]

-

[Strangling, strangling, and strangling again.]

-

[Spatial displacement, targeting of blind spots.]

-

[Conclusion: Few goals, a dull match.]

-

[Not necessarily, if both sides go crazy, it will be a goal fest!]

Distant Madrid training base.

In front of the TV, Koke and Saúl couldn't help but cheer when they saw the result.

"I'm going to take Li for a walk around the neighborhood,"

"Let him see our new stadium."

"You can't hurt Li."

"That's right, try not to hurt Li…"

Atlético Madrid veterans looked embarrassed.

There was no need to remind them specifically. If Li Kang was injured and unable to participate in the 2018 World Cup, the offender would have to bear the wrath of fans around the world.

In fact.

Atlético Madrid in this historical period was really not that dirty in European warfare. In recent years, the number of fouls in the Champions League has been very small. They have also reached the final twice, experiencing more games, unless they meet Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Who is the dirtiest team in La Liga? It is Espanyol from the Catalan region.

Saúl emphasized again: "We want to defeat Li in a fair and square manner!"

Assistant coach Burgos, who loved Eastern culture, smiled and said: "You two guys, have you heard the story of the Yongle Emperor and the Jianwen Emperor?"

UEFA headquarters.

The last draw result was self-evident.

However, Shevchenko had to draw the order of the home and away games.

"The fourth draw result is out."

"Bayern Munich versus Juventus."

The rousing Champions League anthem played.

The LED screen on the main stage listed the Champions League quarter-final results for the 17/18 season.

The spotlights flashed wildly.

The camera recorded the close-up expressions of every coach and star.

(End of this chapter)