Real Madrid's sudden change of pace, from the right wing to the left wing, Suker's turn was also very clever; he feigned a breakthrough towards the front right, then suddenly used the outside of his foot to spike and turn, and his pass was extremely decisive, without any sloppiness. However, Chelsea was also alert enough, Cahill held his position and thwarted Real Madrid's attack!
But the danger still exists, Real Madrid's corner kick!
Kroos stood in the corner area ready to take the kick. Suker, Benzema and others were already ready on the edge of the penalty area.
Kroos glanced at the penalty area, then took the kick without any hesitation.
The ball arced and dropped towards the penalty area, he was naturally looking for Suker.
Suker was also ready to start immediately, but the moment he started, a resistance suddenly appeared. Someone pressed his chest, which prevented Suker from starting quickly.
And by the time Suker reached the landing spot, it was already too late; the ball flew over him to the back post.
There, Kaka and Azpilicueta were in fierce contention, neither able to get the better of the other. The ball passed through the entire defense and flew out over the other sideline.
Suker immediately turned to look at Cahill.
He was certain that at the moment he started, Cahill had pressed his chest, hindering his movement.
Although he also failed to head the ball, it simultaneously cost Suker the chance to compete for it.
"Chelsea's defense this time is very decisive, a typical man-marking tactic. Regardless of the ball's trajectory, they use their numerical advantage to man-mark. As long as they prevent the opponent from heading the ball, Chelsea can stabilize the situation!"
"It has to be said that Mourinho's Chelsea has put some thought into aerial tactics, which makes it very difficult for Real Madrid to break through this man-marking tactic!"
No sooner had the commentator finished speaking than Hazard in the front field waved his arm and shouted loudly: "Counterattack!"
Azpilicueta immediately threw the ball over.
Hazard, with his back to the direction of attack, gently brought the ball down with his left foot, but before he could make his next move, Casemiro had already closed in instantly.
"So fast!"
Hazard thought to himself.
Real Madrid's close marking this time exerted a lot of pressure, especially Casemiro, who constantly pressured Hazard with his body and strength.
Hazard shielded the ball, his back against Hazard, only by using his entire body weight could he contend with Casemiro.
Suddenly, Hazard saw some space on the left side.
He suddenly bumped backward, pushing Casemiro away some distance. Taking advantage of this gap, he hooked the ball with his foot and immediately turned towards the open space.
Casemiro saw Hazard's direction of advance and pounced again, sticking to him.
"So annoying!"
Watching Casemiro stick to him, Hazard felt extremely uncomfortable.
He continuously moved his feet, and his body constantly shifted left and right, trying to deceive Casemiro's center of gravity.
But Casemiro's center of gravity was lowered, staring intently at the ball, making no movement whatsoever.
"Damn it!"
Hazard felt a bit anxious.
He gently dribbled the ball forward, and Casemiro indeed moved!
"Good opportunity!"
Hazard's eyes lit up. He continued to push the ball to the right with the same foot, two consecutive touches in a short time, finally slipping the ball through Casemiro's legs, while also allowing himself to move to the other side.
But just as he was about to get past Casemiro, a large buttock suddenly blocked his path forward.
Hazard, unable to avoid it in time, fell directly to the ground.
"That's a foul!"
Hazard lay on the ground, protesting to the Referee.
But the Referee was unmoved, shaking his head and signaling for play to continue.
Hazard angrily pounded the ground, then turned to glare resentfully at Casemiro.
Casemiro, on the other hand, shrugged and turned to give Ramos a thumbs up.
This 'butt-out technique' really works!
He learned this move from Ramos.
When his center of gravity shifts and an opponent is about to get past him, as long as the distance isn't too far, it's a sure thing every time!
No matter how agile Hazard was, he couldn't avoid his butt-out technique.
"Very good!"
Ancelotti on the sidelines couldn't help but nod in admiration: "Casemiro's performance is getting better and better."
"His mindset has relaxed, he's not as tense as before, and he's willing to make some moves, even if they might result in a foul, but he's decisive enough!"
Ancelotti: "He is a single defensive midfielder, the last line of defense in front of the backline, so he naturally has to do this. Even if he can't make a tackle, he has to successfully interfere and wait for his teammates to press up!"
Zidane nodded.
He had just seen that Ramos was almost in position. Even if Hazard had gotten past, he would have been disrupted by Casemiro, and facing a prepared Ramos, he wouldn't have been able to make a second dribble.
"Hazard is being targeted, Real Madrid's marking on him is very tight, this requires releasing some pressure in other positions."
The English commentator said nervously.
The situation was becoming somewhat unfavorable for Chelsea; someone had to step up, either by performing themselves or by providing some help to Hazard.
"Pass to me!"
Hazard was still calling for the pass; he was playing a bit hot-headed, constantly wanting to get past Casemiro.
Just as he was about to receive the ball, Casemiro suddenly surged forward. After a fierce tussle, Casemiro practically held Hazard, and was the first to poke the ball out with his toe.
"Casemiro! He's been brilliant this game, constantly disrupting Hazard's receiving and dribbling, which makes it very difficult for Chelsea's attack to advance."
Spanish commentator González said with a smile: "If Chelsea doesn't make some changes and lets Hazard continue to play like this, he will eventually lose his impact."
As González said, Hazard was under too much pressure.
If this continued, his physical and mental state would both take a significant hit.
"Pass to me!"
Hazard called for the pass again, but this time Lampard hesitated.
Even if he passed it, Casemiro behind him would surely interfere with him.
The situation would be the same as before.
Just then, Lampard, amidst the crowd, suddenly saw a figure moving horizontally.
He stood sideways, pointing at his feet, signaling for a pass.
Lampard's eyes lit up, and he immediately threaded the ball through.
"Lampard threads the ball to Oscar! How will the young Oscar deal with this ball?"
Oscar deftly chipped the ball, and it flew over Kaka's head to Ramires.
Ramires quickly sprinted forward, while Oscar also accelerated diagonally forward, continuing to close in on Ramires.
Just as Marcelo was about to rush up, Ramires decisively crossed the ball to Oscar.
Oscar feigned receiving the ball, but suddenly stepped over it.
"Oh~~~ that fake!"
The ball went through, precisely passed to Hazard's feet.
But Oscar didn't stop, continuing to surge forward, while also creating an angle for a through ball.
As long as Hazard threaded it through, Oscar would have a one-on-one situation.
But the problem was Hazard didn't pass. He pushed the ball horizontally, opened up the angle, and shot directly at the goal.
The shot was of good quality, but it was still bravely saved by Real Madrid's focused Goalkeeper, Diego López.
"Hazard chose to shoot himself, but wouldn't it have been better to thread it through?"
The English commentator shook his head.
In this attack, Hazard indeed played a bit too selfishly.
Oscar created an excellent attacking opportunity, using his run to create a one-on-one chance. As long as Hazard threaded the ball, Oscar would have a clear run at goal.
But the problem was, Hazard didn't choose to thread the ball.
The chance Oscar created was also wasted for nothing.
Oscar also shook his head regretfully. About this, he couldn't say anything.
After all, he was the team's star player, and he could only applaud and give Hazard a thumbs up.
The latter was also a bit embarrassed, and also gave Oscar a thumbs up, indicating it was a good dummy.
"Oh~~~ that feint was very imaginative, very ingenious." Kaka said, staring at Oscar.
Suker, beside him: "Why are you so excited?"
Kaka awkwardly scratched his head.
Suker rolled his eyes impatiently: "Chelsea's attack is about to pick up. That Brazilian kid's passing is very clever. If this continues, it might activate Hazard."
Kaka: "His name is Oscar!"
Suker: "I don't care if he's Oscar or Grammy."
He slowly exhaled.
"The probing phase should be over, it's time for us to exert ourselves!"
Hearing this, Kaka also nodded vigorously.
The match had just begun, and Real Madrid had been testing the waters, but now they were starting to apply pressure.
Especially in this match, Bale was not on the field; Di Maria was chosen instead.
This was to highlight Suker's role.
Facing Chelsea's ironclad defense, Ancelotti did not choose to bypass these obstacles by stretching them out wide.
Instead, he focused on the left flank, using the strongest force to directly overwhelm the opponent.
After several continuous offensive probes, Real Madrid had already figured out some of Chelsea's defensive routines and methods.
Therefore, they no longer needed to probe further, but instead directly applied pressure.
Also, Chelsea's counterattacks were indeed very troublesome. Hazard was now being marked tightly by Casemiro, but this put a lot of pressure on Casemiro and the defense.
Casemiro was currently unable to provide full coverage and could not simultaneously mark both Hazard and Oscar.
Therefore, if either of them was left unmarked, it would create an unfavorable situation, so Real Madrid also needed to use offense to pressure Chelsea.
"Defense, be careful! Midfield, follow up at all times!" Mourinho shouted from the sidelines, "They're going to attack!"
Suker turned to look at Mourinho. This guy was truly sharp.
They had only attempted a few passes, playing with a bit more determination in their offense, and Mourinho immediately made his judgment.
But judgment is one thing; whether they could stop it was another question.
"First, increase the intensity on the flanks!"
Azpilicueta nervously looked at Suker.
Although he was a Spain player, he had never directly faced Suker.
He started his career at Osasuna, while Suker was still playing in Serie A.
And when Suker came to Real Madrid, he transferred to Marseille in Ligue 1.
He joined Chelsea in the summer window of 2012.
And this was his first encounter with Suker.
He had heard countless tales of the 'Left Flank's Nightmare' title.
Suker's rise was accompanied by the brutal reality of right-backs across the football world being repeatedly torn apart.
So many talented wide players had been schooled by Suker, so Azpilicueta naturally felt immense psychological pressure.
Before the match, he had searched for a lot of information, studying and researching.
At the same time, he had also sought advice from Mourinho.
But Mourinho's warning was, 'Never let Suker get into a one-on-one situation.'
The implication was...
"Captain, he's coming!"
"Luiz, pay attention to my position! If I get beaten, cover immediately!"
Azpilicueta began frantically calling for help.
Suker hadn't even gotten close to him, yet he saw Chelsea's entire team moving towards the left flank in a surrounding motion, which made Suker almost laugh out of exasperation.
Don't you have any pride?
Just calling for help like that?
Suker stopped sharply, lightly passing the ball horizontally to the right with his foot.
"They've switched! I'll stick to Suker!"
Azpilicueta roared again, and Chelsea's defense also moved instantly.
Suker turned to look at Azpilicueta, who was also warily looking back at him.
His eyes held a hint of caution, nervousness, and unease.
Even without possession, he extended his hands, loosely marking Suker.
Suker tried to push off a few times, but this guy would immediately stick close again.
"Well done!"
Mourinho also shouted loudly from the sidelines, praising him.
Suker couldn't help but shake his head.
He had expected Mourinho to target him, but he hadn't expected it to be in this manner.
No matter where Suker ran, he was faced with at least three Chelsea players marking him.
And it wasn't a sequential pressing; it was a swarm, giving Suker no space to operate, directly pinning him down.
If Suker released the ball even slightly late, he would definitely be surrounded and dispossessed by Chelsea.
"Chelsea's restriction on Suker is very strong!" Zidane said.
Ancelotti raised his eyebrows, shaking his head, "It's useless. It's only somewhat effective now, but Kaka, Kroos, Di Maria, and even Benzema, they all have the ability to help Suker solve these problems."
Indeed, seeing Suker heavily surrounded, Kaka was the first to push higher.
"Suker, wide!"
Kaka called out a reminder, while he himself ran towards the half-space, drawing Lampard's attention.
You like to stick to Suker, do you?
Then I'll push forward and occupy the half-space.
If Lampard ran towards Suker, Kaka's area would be open.
If he didn't, then it would create a one-on-one situation for Suker, which would be Azpilicueta's nightmare.
Sure enough, seeing Real Madrid's change in formation, Lampard dared not approach Suker.
Kaka pushed higher, distracting Lampard's attention.
But Chelsea also dared not relax their defense on Suker.
"Oscar! Drop back!"
Lampard roared.
Oscar decisively dropped back to receive the ball.
But with Oscar dropping back like that, the entire formation had to retreat.
"Shouldn't it be Hazard and Ramires dropping back?" Zidane couldn't help but say.
Ancelotti was also a bit confused.
Oscar was clearly an attacking initiator, capable of acting as a central pivot in the attacking midfield, yet he was called back.
Suker also noticed this, and could only say that Mourinho was too obsessed with defense.
The transformation of Oscar, if it could follow Mourinho's vision, could indeed add more weapons.
But what Mourinho didn't know was that, through his transformation, Oscar would change from a creative midfielder into a workhorse, mass-produced midfielder.
Calling Oscar back was to make him join the defense and at the same time initiate counterattacks from the back.
But...
Suker gently cushioned the ball with his instep.
As he cushioned the ball, he intentionally slowed down a bit, hoping someone would rush him.
As long as they committed, Suker was confident he could beat them.
But neither Oscar nor Azpilicueta, they kept a distance, constantly watching Suker, showing no intention of pressing forward.
Until Lampard roared, "Go press! What are you staring at?!"
Oscar reacted first, immediately pressing.
But Azpilicueta's reaction was a step slower.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Suker executed a V-drag, evading Oscar's press, and at the same time, a feigned shoulder drop shifted Oscar's center of gravity. Then came the versatile La Croqueta, squeezing directly between Oscar and Azpilicueta.
The two defenders were simply beaten by Suker!
"Oh~~~ Suker!! He's past them!!"
"Suker has entered the box! Chelsea are in danger!"
After Suker entered the penalty area, he looked up towards the goal, his body slightly to the side of the ball, feigning a shot.
After Cahill frantically slid in to block, Suker spun the ball with his foot.
He bypassed Cahill with both himself and the ball.
And at the moment of landing, Suker had already completed his adjustment. As the ball dropped, his left foot struck the ball fiercely.
Thump!
This shot was like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of Chelsea fans, making them feel a skipped heartbeat and their breathing heavy.
And when they saw the ball pass through the Goalkeeper's grasp and into the net, they were even more disheartened.
Conceded!
They conceded again, damn it!
Allowing Suker such an opportunity was simply suicidal.
"Oscar! Why couldn't you keep up! You should have kept up with him, you should have stopped him!"
Mourinho was furious!
He believed Oscar should constantly stick to Suker, and only then could Suker be prevented from entering the penalty area.
But in reality, Oscar simply couldn't keep up with Suker's rhythm.
The two-stage change of direction completely threw off Oscar's balance.
Facing Mourinho's accusations, Oscar spread his hands in frustration.
Make him mark Suker?
Wasn't that overestimating him a bit?
Not to mention, his current transformation was not yet complete.
Even if it was successful, what then?
Which of the defenders Suker had beaten wasn't top-class?
There was no way!
Simply no way!
If he couldn't keep up, he just couldn't keep up!
If he could keep up, would he be taking this abuse?
If he could defend Suker, he would be a core player in both offense and defense wherever he went.
Oscar turned to look at the celebrating Real Madrid players, his heart full of helplessness.
He felt that ever since he came to Chelsea and met Mourinho, nothing had gone smoothly, and even playing football was no longer as enjoyable.