"Good evening, viewers, and welcome back."

"We're broadcasting the second half of the match between Atlético Madrid and Chelsea."

"Judging from the first half's data, the intense back-and-forth between the two teams hasn't resulted in any chaos, which is quite astonishing."

"Which side will end the suspense next? Let's wait and see."

Before the commentator could finish speaking,

Chelsea, with the kickoff, had already launched a fierce offensive.

Li Kang, in the forty-meter zone, received Drinkwater's pass with his back to the goal.

He didn't release the ball with one touch.

The shadow in his brain spread wildly.

Facing the simultaneous pressure from Gabi, Saúl, and Koke,

The Blues' number 10 continuously stepped with his left foot, adjusting his center of gravity and inclination, followed by a sudden half-turn.

"Unstoppable!"

"Atlético Madrid's concentration of players in the middle leaves a huge gap on their flanks!"

"Li Kang seems to have a third eye!"

"An inswinging long pass finds Azpilicueta, who has a lot of space!"

This season, nearly 53% of Atlético Madrid's goals conceded in open play have come from crosses from the flanks.

Although they haven't conceded many goals in open play overall,

Azpilicueta's nickname is "Cross-Crazy."

Atlético Madrid's defensive line quickly contracted.

Vrsaljko and Filipe Luís guarded the opposite corners of the penalty area.

Godín tightly marked Morata.

Giménez closely followed Moses, who cut inside.

A defensive formation leaning towards a rectangle

allowed Koke, Saúl, and Gabi ample time to fall back into position.

Atlético Madrid's attacking players didn't fall back too deep, staying close to Chelsea's second wave of attack.

"Close-up shot of the foot lifting upwards..."

"Azpilicueta is going to cross!"

"No!"

*Thwack!*

There was no expected spinning arc.

The Blues' full-back, positioned in the thirty-meter zone, passed the ball horizontally to the middle.

Li Kang charged forward, meeting the ball.

Griezmann tried to pull and drag him.

Unable to pull him back.

Unable to drag him down.

*Bang!*

A booming sound that echoed through the night sky.

The ball whistled towards Atlético Madrid's goal!

Fierce and domineering.

Irresistible.

The rectangular defense was instantly shattered!

Atlético Madrid fans were horrified.

Burgos's "detector" was so hot that he couldn't open his eyes.

Oblak moved early again.

His reaction speed was almost synchronized with Li Kang's long shot.

His red glove was clenched into a fist.

While stretching out for a diving save, he punched at the black shadow in his field of vision.

*Thud!*

The ball flew out of bounds like a kite with a broken string.

"Wow!!!"

"Amazing!"

"The third goalkeeper in Europe to block Li Kang's powerful shot with his fist!"

"A breathtaking legendary moment was born at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium!"

"A peak showdown between the world's number one midfielder and the world's number one goalkeeper!"

Livestream.

The chat was filled with comments.

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[Awesome.]

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[Finally showing strength at this time, Chelsea, fifteen-minute kings!]

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[Atlético Madrid is really tough]

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[The match between Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, possession rate isn't ball possession data, but the distribution of stamina at different points in time!]

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[Is it really that mysterious? But I'm really worried that Atlético Madrid's stamina will collapse; this season has been too tragic, with widespread injuries.]

Chelsea fans looked incredulous.

Atlético Madrid fans cheered.

The Wanda Metropolitano Stadium was filled with thunderous applause.

Li Kang staggered a few steps.

Even with titanium alloy protection, his crotch was still slightly uncomfortable.

He rubbed his inner thigh and gave Azpilicueta a thumbs up.

Faintly,

a golden phantom of a blue and white number 10 appeared in his vision.

The blurred phantom radiated a combative, fervent emotion, almost madness.

Maradona?

Griezmann lay painfully on the grass, looking at Li Kang as if he were a monster.

In the distance,

Oblak's expression was normal, his demeanor relaxed, but his right arm, behind his back, trembled slightly.

On the sidelines,

Simeone pulled up his pants and turned to face the stands, excitedly raising his hands to signal the home fans to make even more noise.

Burgos took off the heated "detector" and threw it violently on the grass.

While rubbing his eyes, he muttered, "I've seen two monsters."

He didn't overthink it for too long.

He quickly made exaggerated adjustment gestures to the players.

On the other side,

Dino glanced over twice, his tone grave.

"Boss, Atlético Madrid won't focus on transitional attacks next..."

Tuchel nodded.

"Don't panic, Simeone's tactical evolution missed the players with the highest compatibility."

Chelsea's coach's deployment in this match was conservative.

He didn't start with attacking weapons like Hazard, Pedro, and Willian, but instead reused the "hybrid workhorse midfielders" Drinkwater and Moses, to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Atlético Madrid's midfield.

The Mattress Makers were limited by a transfer ban and unable to complete the changing of the guard at the most appropriate time.

Reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with a healthy lineup was more like a "last hurrah."

The most dangerous, but also the least threatening, spent force.

There is a kind of regret in life, meeting the right person at the wrong time.

Simeone's tactical evolution was exactly like that.

In the 2017/18 season, he perfected the Mattress Makers' autonomous attacking design.

Unfortunately, the old were old, and the injured were injured.

Atlético Madrid's regret was: a healthy lineup of "old, weak, sick, and disabled" met the perfect autonomous attacking deployment.

Marcos threw in the ball.

This time it didn't succeed.

Godín defeated Morata, controlled the ball, and passed it back to the goalkeeper, Oblak.

"Chelsea's overall defensive retreat is very fast."

"Preventing Atlético Madrid from completing the transition attack."

"Hmm... this rhythm?"

"Cholo-taka mentioned in 《442》 magazine!!!"

Oblak passed the ball to Giménez.

The latter was only 23 years old this year. Last season, he was entrusted with an important task in a crucial battle, but unfortunately, he repeatedly made mistakes due to his immaturity. Now he is growing strong, especially in psychological warfare.

He would ask the opposing striker what he ate today, how many people are in his family, what car he drives, the color of the club's flag, who his idol is... After the other party answered, he would repeat the question again.

Atlético Madrid's formation during the autonomous attacking phase became 3-5-2.

Giménez passed the ball to Filipe Luís.

"33-year-old Luís Filipe, who has broken his leg twice."

"Several full-backs who can carry the ball all the way down the flank have emerged in the Super League giants of this era!"

"Widen the attack."

"Go inside."

"Prevent Chelsea from cutting off the connection between the flanks and the center like in the first half..."

"The essence of Cholo-taka is that they form triangular passing positions locally when facing Cruyff's triangle defense."

"Filipe Luís charges all the way, always having two passing options."

"No."

"There are three, including Griezmann, who drops back."

"Start the wall passes."

Atlético Madrid's pace of advancement wasn't fast.

Continuous wall passes.

Griezmann, as the central pivot, was very slow.

Most of the time, he was in a back-to-goal position, becoming the fourth point, making return passes and distributing the ball.

Back to goal,

half turn,

then back to goal again.

It has to be said that as long as he is within the Atlético Madrid system, he is the most comprehensive "world number four" of his era.

Drinkwater and Moses were very passive.

They repeatedly tried to suppress Griezmann, who "lacked physicality."

As a result, the little man always used his skillful reception and half-turn diagonal runs... cleverly dodging.

Can the little man also play with his back to goal?

"Saúl has reached the front line."

"A forward up front, a forward dropping back, an inverted full-back!"

"Too pleasing to the eye! A slow and smooth beauty!"

"Who said Atlético Madrid's autonomous attack is ugly!"

Li Kang's God's perspective had already entered a state of high-speed operation.

Countless red lines spread wildly in the grid.

Cruyff's triangle.

The "slow and perfect" timing of the fourth point's reception.

The constantly switching roles of the fourth point.

Li Kang quickly assisted his teammates.

The golden phantom of the orange number 14 gathered with the wind.

The young Cruyff looked at the Cholo-taka in front of him with disdain.

"The ball has been handed to Filipe Luís again."

"Griezmann is currently lurking between Chelsea's lines."

"It slipped past."

"Carrasco on the outside passes it back again."

"Griezmann lets it slip again."

"Beautiful triangular cut."

"The fourth point is out again!"

"Koke."

At this moment, Chelsea's midfield line and defensive line had overlapped.

Koke wasn't rushed or slow.

He was like an assassin lurking outside the battle.

Suddenly entering the scene, creating a killing opportunity.

Pushing the ball forward,

the ball skimmed across the grass, penetrating the Blues' defense that had been stretched open by Cholo-taka.

Griezmann had already turned and sprinted forward, breaking into the penalty area.

The role of the fourth point switched again!

The Wanda Metropolitano Stadium immediately erupted!

Saúl was closing in at the far post.

The positioning of Atlético Madrid's attacking players seemed to "clamp" Chelsea's goalkeeper, Buffon!

*Bang!*

Griezmann pushed the ball hard, more of a pass than a shot.

Buffon reacted quickly.

Going to ground,

his pink glove hooked the ball.

Vitolo, who was trying to follow up for a shot, crashed heavily into the net.

"Thrilling!"

"Buffon is experienced; his positioning is too good."

"Griezmann didn't control the power of this shot well."

"Was he trying to pass? Or was he shooting?"

Griezmann scratched his head in frustration.

Simeone shook his head helplessly and made a hand gesture to his disciples, pressing down with both hands.

Stamina.

The Cholo-taka of this historical period put a heavy burden on the players' stamina.

Its current significance may be: because the degree of completion is too low, it has not yet become a research topic for the coaching staff of various clubs.

Dino's eyes were burning, and he was frantically taking notes in his notebook.

"The past base is too small. I've finally seen the detailed changes in Atlético Madrid's autonomous attacking phase in this match."

Tuchel couldn't hold back and took off his baseball cap.

It was too uncomfortable to pretend.

He was a little panicked now.

Li Kang shook his head.

God's perspective stopped deconstructing.

He wouldn't be as obsessed with breaking the deadlock as he used to be.

Because Atlético Madrid in front of him had created another football paradox.

The eternal 4-4-2 formation, Cholo-taka, and the current players' style were completely incompatible.

The last link in the attacking chain was still a common routine.

Livestream.

The big screen replayed the entire attacking process.

-

[Is a goal coming? Both sides have missed excellent scoring opportunities!]

-

[No, their Taka has compatible players; Atlético Madrid's Cholo is still in its early stages, just hatching.]

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[It’s good luck to have a complete attacking chain, the 3 local team mates exhausted, the 4th strolls. Why slow? Speeding up would affect the stability of the passes.]

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[What are you talking about? Is there still hope for a big score?]

-

[No hope. Again, Atlético Madrid's possession rate is low; they're not controlling the ball, they're controlling their stamina.]

The match resumed.

Time passed.

The scene became more and more intense.

Atlético Madrid failed to play a perfect Cholo-taka again.

Li Kang was always able to restrain the "fourth point role" in different combat situations.

It wasn't that the system wasn't good, but that the current lineup of players didn't fit, and the eternal 4-4-2 formation was even less suitable.

The current Mattress Makers couldn't perfectly exploit the advantages of the "fourth point role."

Correspondingly, the stamina of Atlético Madrid's veterans couldn't support high-intensity shuttle runs.

With declining stamina,

they often had to stop attacks by fouling.

Drinkwater and Moses's roles were showing.

The two durable and beatable midfielders were getting stronger and stronger.

Chelsea's frontcourt repeatedly gained free kick opportunities, but all the killing opportunities they created were resolved by the godlike Oblak one by one.

Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

The cheering slogans of the Atlético Madrid fans echoed through the night sky.

"Aupa Atleti!!!"

The fan culture of the Mattress Makers was very unique.

Juanfran was the "culprit" for missing a penalty in the 15/16 Champions League final. After the match, he didn't become the target of Atlético Madrid fans' condemnation, but instead became a hero, with his jersey sales skyrocketing 20 times...

88th minute of the match.

Atlético Madrid completed an interception in their own half.

The ball was distributed to Koke.

Griezmann ran horizontally, and the captain, Gabi, sprinted forward to support.

Three points formed.

The ball passed between the red and white striped jerseys.

Where was the fourth point?

Saúl was blocked by Li Kang.

Kanté easily tackled the ball from Griezmann's feet.

It was Drinkwater again.

A powerful long ball forward!

Still looking for Azpilicueta.

"Why is Atlético Madrid's defensive retreat so slow this time?"

"Godín and Gabi are tired."

"Filipe Luís is also tired."

"Morata is sprinting forward at high speed!"

"Li Kang is even faster, running to the far post of the penalty area!"

"Atlético Madrid's midfield doesn't have speed-type players."

"Azpilicueta, what are you waiting for?"

*Bang!*

The Blues' full-back's foot finally lifted upwards in the true sense.

The ball kicked up grass clippings and rose from the ground.

It spun violently in the air, looping towards Atlético Madrid's penalty area.

Morata moved while judging the trajectory of the ball. His hands unconsciously rested on Giménez's chest.

When the two predicted the landing point,

the ball had already entered its descent.

Suddenly, the eyes of more than 60,000 spectators in the stadium were focused on Chelsea's number 10.

Two golden phantoms appeared in Li Kang's vision at the same time.

Orange number 14.

Blue and white number 10.

Cruyff, Maradona.

The next moment,

he made an incredible move.

Simeone was dumbfounded.

Tuchel looked bewildered.

Li Kang faced away from the goal.

His feet stomped hard on the grass.

He leaped high.

His posture was graceful.

A heavenly echo.

A bicycle kick.

Despair surged in Godín and Gabi's hearts; they were so close to preventing the birth of a legendary moment.

They watched helplessly as the black-haired figure in the air was like an eagle spreading its wings.

Oblak paused: That kid seems to be... glowing.

*Bang!*

Ultimate ball sense.

A bicycle kick cannon!

The ball drew a "V" trajectory in Atlético Madrid's penalty area.

Angled spin.

Bounced off the ground.

Oblak was too slow…

In the name of the world's number one goalkeeper, he still couldn't stop this crystallization of consciousness, inspiration, imagination, and flexibility!

0:1!!!

The net of the Mattress Makers was lifted high.

Despairing sighs echoed in the skies of Madrid.

In the Spanish capital, the 21 districts and 1,100 zebra crossings were filled with poems in various forms.

The 60,000 spectators in the stadium almost simultaneously recalled one of them.

'Your wings, leading my soul.'

"Wow! Goal!"

"A great moment!"

"Magnificent!"

"A world-class painting!"

"It's as if he has a pair of wings on his back!"

"Incredible hang time, unbelievable flexibility, shocking precision of touch..."

"A bicycle kick cannon!"

"The helmsman of the Matador Fleet, finally drew his sword against his own people."

Livestream.

The chat went silent for 1 second, then, like a storm, swept across the big screen.

-

[Will it be a game-winner?]

-

[Too handsome!]

-

[Awesome!]

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[Li Mingdeng is amazing!]

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[I'm willing to call him the strongest!]

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[I feel like I'm watching a science fiction film; why doesn't he participate in the pole vaulting event!]

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[Finally broke the duck, lifetime fan!]

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[Atlético Madrid's veterans' stamina... is running out, and many players are injured.]

-

[Who said that? If Li Mingdeng had stopped the ball and adjusted before shooting, Godín and Gabi would have pounced.]

Li Kang lay on the grass.

Morata pounced on him first.

Followed by Moses, Azpilicueta, Drinkwater...

The Blues players stacked up a tall human pyramid in Atlético Madrid's penalty area.

Buffon really wanted to go.

But according to the rules, someone had to stay in their own half.

The Italian goalkeeper could only lie alone on the grass, celebrating in sync.

Chelsea fans who traveled with the team were not loud, but they were full of power.

"Lee!!!"

"Carefree!!!"

The sound was quickly drowned out.

Atlético Madrid fans, with their numerical advantage, cheered on the trailing Mattress Makers.

Oblak picked up the ball and threw it to Gabi.

The Atlético Madrid captain ran towards the center circle while loudly encouraging his teammates.

On the sidelines,

Burgos broke the detector in frustration: "This thing is useless!"

Simeone tried to calm himself down.

He didn't show any sign of frustration.

There was still a chance.

It was only a one-goal deficit.

Anything was possible in a two-legged knockout tie.

On the other side,

Dino put away his notebook.

"Boss, some things go beyond the scope of tactics."

Tuchel agreed: "To hell with tactical ideals!"

The fourth official raised the LED number board, 3 minutes of stoppage time.

The time left for the Mattress Makers was running out.

They didn't give up.

Seizing the last two attacking opportunities, what Cholo? Get lost.

Loft the ball high, smash the penalty area!

Godín and Giménez, two center-backs, took turns becoming the focal points of the attack!

Buffon wasn't flustered at all.

He calmly directed the defensive line.

One early claim of the ball.

One block of Saúl's close-range push.

Both sets of fans were suffering.

One side hoped time would pass faster.

The other side hoped time would pass slower.

Finally,

*Beep! Beep beep~*

When the referee blew the whistle to end the match,

all emotions were released through unrestrained breathing...

The match ended.

Atlético Madrid 0:1 Chelsea.

(End of chapter)