Chapter 103: A Perfect Start! Clash of the Geniuses
Some teams celebrate, others grieve—
There's no better way to describe the opening round of this Premier League season.
Benítez's Liverpool kicked off the campaign in the season opener, playing away against Sheffield United.
The result? A disappointing 1–1 draw.
And not only that—they lost two key starters, Riise and Carragher, both forced off with injuries before halftime.
With Jagielka and Robert Kozluk holding down the center-back pairing, Sheffield United managed to completely neutralize Liverpool's attack.
But the biggest issue?
Liverpool didn't have Xabi Alonso in the squad.
That was the root of their poor performance.
Back in London, another 1–1 result drew massive attention.
Arsenal, playing their first official match at the brand-new Emirates Stadium, hosted Aston Villa.
Before each season, the Premier League sends clubs a survey to get their preferences on scheduling—who they'd like to face and when.
Reportedly, Arsenal specifically requested to open at home.
Understandable—it was their debut at the Emirates, and the first match of the new season. A historic occasion.
The league granted their wish.
And they even gave Arsenal a relatively easy opponent—Aston Villa, who had finished 16th the previous season.
On paper, Arsenal should've taken care of business.
Over 60,000 Gunners fans filled the Emirates to the brim.
But to everyone's shock, Arsenal trailed for most of the game and could only scrape a draw in the end.
You could say Aston Villa really spoiled the party.
Before the match, Martin O'Neill had publicly vowed to "ruin Arsenal's celebration."
And he delivered.
Of course, Villa's tactics were… not pretty.
They parked the bus with ruthless discipline.
With Henry gone, Wenger deployed Adebayor and van Persie as a front two.
But tactically, neither could replicate Henry's influence.
In midfield, Hleb, Fabregas, and Ljungberg were all technically sound, but they lacked pace.
Against Villa's ironclad defense, Arsenal had all the passing but no penetration.
It wasn't until Aaron Lennon came on in the second half that things changed—his pace on the right finally broke Villa open, and he assisted Gilberto Silva for the equalizer.
Arsenal's defense also looked shaky.
Gallas and Kolo Touré made a decent pairing at center-back, but they were vulnerable in the air.
With Ashley Cole gone and Clichy still recovering from injury, youngster Hoyte started at left-back and struggled.
On the right, it was Eboué—also a liability.
Arsenal's problems are, frankly, kind of ironic.
Henry had just one year left on his contract, and his transfer fee was only £15 million.
Given Arsenal's financial struggles—and the fact they missed out on Champions League qualification this season—they took a big hit.
Wenger chose not to spend, instead promoting youth from within.
The problem? Arsenal's young talents weren't exactly lighting it up.
Take Aaron Lennon, for example.
He'd been tearing it up at Bayswater Chinese, in top form.
But for the opening match, Wenger still went with Ljungberg.
Is it caution? Or just stubborn conservatism?
While Liverpool and Arsenal stumbled out of the gates, Manchester United came out blazing.
Ferguson's side demolished Fulham 5–0 at Old Trafford.
The biggest change was in the attacking third.
Rooney bagged a brace and added an assist.
Ferguson stuck with a 4-4-2:
Up front: Saha and Rooney.
Midfield from left to right: Giggs, Carrick, Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Defense was the same as last season: Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, and Evra.
The link-up between Ronaldo, Rooney, and Saha was fluid and deadly.
The Portuguese winger scored as well.
With Carrick and Scholes controlling midfield, United's attack flowed with ease.
Giggs, too, looked sharp on the left.
From the opening round alone, United announced themselves as title contenders.
In the post-match press conference, Ferguson publicly threw down the gauntlet to Chelsea and Bayswater Chinese.
The godfather of Old Trafford stated that these two teams were the ones he was most wary of in the title race.
Between the lines, he was saying Arsenal, Liverpool, and even much-hyped Spurs didn't concern him at all.
Of course, whether that was genuine or just mind games—who knows?
"Because of the rise of Chelsea and Bayswater Chinese," Ferguson said, "we have to be at full throttle right from Round One."
"This season will be a new kind of test for any team hoping to win the Premier League."
Classic Ferguson—never without a jab or two.
But he quickly pivoted.
"Of course, I'm very happy with the team right now. We've just achieved the best opening result in our Premier League history."
Yep. Still about self-praise.
…
Chelsea under Mourinho remained the most closely watched team in the league this season.
Also the team Yang Cheng paid the most attention to.
Not because of anything personal—he simply wanted to see how Mourinho would manage the egos and dynamics of his superstar squad.
In the Community Shield, Mourinho had paired Shevchenko with Drogba in a 4-4-2 formation.
A logical move.
You don't bench players that expensive.
The midfield in that match was Essien, Lampard, Ballack, and Robben.
But they lost to Liverpool.
Back in league play, Chelsea hosted Manchester City at the Bridge.
This time, Mourinho looked more composed.
He dropped Ballack, used Robben and Wright-Phillips on the wings, with Essien and Lampard in the center.
Chelsea cruised to a 3–0 win over City.
But a lot of issues still showed.
First, the two strikers.
Drogba and Shevchenko just didn't click—no chemistry at all.
Wright-Phillips was poor on the right wing, and Ferreira offered no support going forward.
As a result, Chelsea's attack leaned heavily to the left.
And the central midfield pairing?
Essien and Lampard are not organizers. Their positioning in defense was also lacking.
Yang Cheng watched the game live—and also sent scouts to observe in person.
If Mourinho dared use that lineup against Bayswater Chinese, Yang Cheng would make him regret it.
Of course, in fairness, Mourinho's situation was tough.
He didn't buy Shevchenko—he was given Shevchenko.
For that kind of money, there was no way he could leave him on the bench.
And with Drogba being a vital tactical piece, he had to play too.
So the two-striker system was locked in.
Then what?
How do you structure the midfield?
4-4-2 is a completely different beast from 4-3-3.
Makelele could still hold down the anchor role in a 4-3-3, but in a two-man midfield?
At his age, and with his declining stamina, it was asking too much.
Shevchenko on the wing? Please.
He's 30, a lifelong striker.
He doesn't have the speed or explosiveness to play wide.
Honestly, Wright-Phillips might even be better there.
Bottom line—Mourinho wasn't buying a superstar.
He was inheriting a problem.
…
In terms of first-round performance, the headlines belonged to Manchester United, Chelsea, and Bayswater Chinese.
After their matches, United topped the table, followed closely by Bayswater Chinese, with Chelsea in third.
The media praise was expected.
Yang Cheng saw it coming a mile away.
To Yang Cheng's surprise—Walcott was on fire again!
The Times, in an article penned by the well-known journalist Ralph Joy, carried the headline: "A New Hero for the New Wembley."
Unbelievable.
It was a match played for Bayswater Chinese, yet somehow they managed to tie it back to Wembley Stadium and even the England national team.
The Observer was even more direct. In its player ratings for Bayswater Chinese, Arshavin—who had scored a brace—was given the highest score, but Walcott came in second.
Why? Because his entrance made the game "more entertaining to watch."
Yang Cheng was left speechless.
Seriously? They're licking boots this hard?
He had placed Walcott on the left flank precisely to expand his positional versatility and round out his development.
For instance, that assist to Džeko? Delivered with his left foot.
That one pass spoke volumes about his recent progress.
But the headlines?
The Sun was already calling him the "new Henry," claiming that with Thierry gone to La Liga, Walcott was destined to be the next superstar left winger in the Premier League.
"His pace, technique, dribbling, and ball shielding all resemble Henry!"
Some media even took cheap shots at Sven-Göran Eriksson.
Why didn't England go far in the World Cup?
"Because he didn't listen to me and left Walcott off the squad!"
"A once-in-a-generation 17-year-old genius for England?"
"What? Too young?"
"No, no—Pelé won the World Cup at 17!"
Seeing the British media get this shameless actually put Yang Cheng at ease.
Now he truly understood why England seemed to have an endless supply of so-called "prodigies."
Behind closed doors, though, he warned Walcott not to get caught up in the media hype.
Keep your head down. Stay focused. Keep improving.
…
Premier League Matchday 2.
Chelsea? Just as Yang Cheng had predicted.
After Middlesbrough were thrashed 0–4 by Bayswater Chinese in the opener, Gareth Southgate learned his lesson. He fielded a 5-4-1 at home, committed to counterattacking.
It worked.
Middlesbrough pulled off a 2–1 upset over Chelsea.
Shevchenko managed just three shots all game, scoring once.
Drogba had a few attempts but came up empty.
Post-match, the media lit into Mourinho, accusing him of using a 4-4-2 that left Shevchenko completely isolated without midfield support.
Three shots for a striker of Sheva's caliber?
An embarrassment.
Without consistent service, how do you expect him to score?
Meanwhile, Manchester United crushed Charlton Athletic 3–0 away from home.
Liverpool, with Xabi Alonso pulling the strings, won 2–0 at Anfield against Newcastle—Xabi notched a goal and an assist.
Arsenal scraped by Wigan 1–0 thanks to an 88th-minute winner from Adebayor.
Yang Cheng's team, meanwhile, faced a stubborn challenge away at Aston Villa.
Martin O'Neill's squad had already spoiled Arsenal's home opener and were hoping to do the same to Bayswater Chinese.
But within four minutes, Arshavin scored—setting the tone.
The Russian now had goals in back-to-back Premier League matches.
In the 61st minute, Inler's strike sealed the deal.
Gareth Barry did manage a thunderous long-range goal in the 81st to pull one back, but it wasn't enough.
Bayswater Chinese held on for a 2–1 away victory.
After two rounds, both Bayswater Chinese and Manchester United had six points.
Ferguson's side topped the table by virtue of goal difference.
…
With Matchday 2 in the books, Bayswater Chinese turned their attention to the weekend's UEFA Super Cup.
As UEFA Cup champions, they were set to face none other than Barcelona, the reigning Champions League winners.
It was a case study in how poorly top European clubs managed their pre-season prep.
Barcelona had just wrapped a whirlwind 10-day tour of the U.S.—a grueling stretch of matches, travel, and commercial events across multiple cities.
Then, they returned to Spain and went straight into more fixtures.
On August 17th, they played the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, beating city rivals Espanyol 1–0 away.
On the 20th, they won the second leg at home 3–0, taking the trophy with a 4–0 aggregate.
Then on the 22nd, they hosted Bayern Munich at Camp Nou for the traditional 41st Joan Gamper Trophy.
Rijkaard's squad steamrolled the German giants 4–0.
Just three days later, on August 25th, they were set to face Bayswater Chinese in the UEFA Super Cup.
And yet, on the 24th, all their players had to travel to Monaco for UEFA's awards gala and the Champions League group stage draw.
So ever since returning from the U.S., Barcelona had been on a non-stop schedule.
Meanwhile, buoyed by big wins in the Super Cup and Gamper Trophy—not to mention an excellent U.S. tour—the mood around Barça and Catalonia was euphoric.
On the front page of Mundo Deportivo on the 24th, the headline boldly read:
"Next Match, Monaco—How Many Goals Will We Win By?"
…
After the Champions League third qualifying round wrapped up, British media began projecting the seedings for the group stage.
This was Bayswater Chinese's first ever Champions League appearance—and only their second in Europe.
Yes, they had stunned the continent by winning the UEFA Cup last season.
But UEFA's coefficients are based on five-year performance.
As a result, Bayswater Chinese were slotted into Pot 4.
That made for a very interesting landscape.
In Pot 4, aside from notoriously tough away trips to clubs like Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray, and Spartak Moscow, there were also Bayswater Chinese and Hamburg.
The northern German club had also been absent from Europe for years.
Pot 3 featured teams from Portugal, France, and notably Werder Bremen—another very tricky opponent.
Chelsea? Only Pot 2.
So was Bayern Munich, whose recent lackluster European runs had hurt their ranking.
Pot 2 also included Roma, Lille, and Celtic.
Naturally, people started saying:
Anyone who draws Bayswater Chinese is getting a group of death.
Since UEFA's award gala had nothing to do with the UEFA Cup, Yang Cheng and his players didn't head to the Grimaldi Forum early like Barcelona did.
Instead, after finishing their afternoon training in London, they headed to Heathrow and boarded a flight to Nice.
One of the club buses—sponsored by MAN—was already waiting at the airport in Nice to pick them up.
Once Yang Cheng and the team arrived, they headed straight to their pre-booked hotel in Monaco.
After settling in, Yang Cheng received a call from Adam Crozier.
…
Pot 1: Real Madrid.
Pot 2: Bayern Munich.
Pot 3: Sporting Lisbon.
When the draw was finalized, Brian Kidd's face turned pale.
This is insane.
A true group of death.
"We're in the group of death for real? Come on!"
"I'm telling you, there's some shady business going on here. UEFA loves this kind of drama—players facing their old clubs!"
Adam Crozier, who had just rushed over from the Grimaldi Forum, couldn't help but laugh.
"Brian, we said this was likely."
"I know it was a high probability," Kidd shot back. "But why couldn't we get one of the low ones for once?"
Adam Crozier turned toward Yang Cheng with a look of utter helplessness, while the latter burst out laughing.
"Alright, alright, Brian, sit down. Calm down," Yang Cheng said.
"I can't calm down!" Brian Kidd was still fuming.
Yang Cheng, of course, understood. The structure of the draw was designed to limit the rise of new clubs.
Chelsea were incredibly strong and still ended up in Pot 2—who could they even complain to?
And Manchester City's future would be even worse—how many times would they get drawn into a group of death?
"Actually, our draw isn't too bad. At least we didn't get one of the Milan clubs."
Now they had real problems.
With Juventus' collapse, Inter were feasting.
After adding Vieira and Ibrahimović, their overall strength skyrocketed.
They had even come close to signing Robben after failing to land Ribéry.
Thankfully, Chelsea held on to him—if Robben had gone, Inter might've truly taken off.
Then there was AC Milan.
Under that fat old man Ancelotti, they were an absolute nightmare to play against.
The Christmas tree formation, a rock-solid backline, and Kaká given total freedom to roam.
Add in Seedorf and Pirlo pulling the strings from midfield?
How were you supposed to beat that?
And worst of all—since Milan had no shot in Serie A, they were going all-in on the Champions League.
No one wanted to face a team like that.
Sure, Capello's Real Madrid were also dangerous—but their shaky defense couldn't compare to Milan's steel trap.
As for Bayern, they'd become a real threat after signing Ribéry.
Their 0–4 loss to Barcelona in the Gamper Trophy?
Didn't count.
The Bundesliga had already started, and Bayern had sent out a B team to fulfill the fixture. Most of their key players were rested—Ribéry didn't even feature.
So Yang Cheng had to wonder—
Why were Catalan fans and media so smug?
Beating Bayern's second string 4–0—was that really something to brag about?
They even ran a front-page headline asking:
"How many goals will we win by next match?"
What a joke.
"Adam," Yang Cheng asked with interest, "did you get a look at Barcelona's players at the Grimaldi Forum? What did they seem like?"
He'd specifically asked Crozier to keep an eye on Barça's squad.
"Most of the players were there," Crozier replied. "They looked fine—just a little tired."
Yang Cheng nodded slightly.
Barcelona were terrifying right now.
In the just-completed UEFA awards ceremony, Barça took home four of the five major individual honors.
Best Goalkeeper: Lehmann (Arsenal)
Best Defender: Puyol (Barcelona)
Best Midfielder: Deco (Barcelona)
Best Forward: Eto'o (Barcelona)
Best Player: Ronaldinho (Barcelona)
Dominance, plain and simple.
And after winning the Champions League last season, they had only gotten stronger over the summer by adding Thuram, Zambrotta, Gudjohnsen, and Henry.
Rijkaard's "Dream Team II" was now positively overflowing with stars.
"You think Rijkaard will start any of the new signings?" Crozier asked.
Yang Cheng shook his head. He didn't know.
"It depends on his mindset."
After a pause, Yang Cheng continued, "If he's blinded by their recent string of victories and thinks we're easy pickings, then he'll probably go all-out in attack."
"But if that's the case, then Thuram, Zambrotta, and Henry—those three haven't had enough time to integrate."
All three had played in the World Cup final, then took long vacations before reporting to Barça.
By the time they joined, Barcelona were already on their U.S. tour.
There hadn't been enough time for tactical cohesion.
If Rijkaard chose to attack, he wouldn't risk playing unintegrated newcomers.
But even without them, Barça were still monstrous.
Their front three: Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi.
Midfield trio: Deco, Xavi, and Tiago Motta as the deep-lying pivot.
That front six alone was terrifying.
"So your plan is...?" Crozier looked at him nervously.
"Run them ragged. Push the tempo. We absolutely cannot let Barça control possession, dictate tempo, or control the match."
"We have to drag them, from the very first minute, into a fast-paced, high-intensity, Premier League-style brawl."
"Even if we don't score early, we need to drain their stamina—then finish them in the second half."
Hearing that, Crozier felt a surge of confidence.
He looked over at Brian Kidd, who'd been sulking just minutes ago. But now, talking about the Super Cup, the assistant coach looked fired up again.
They had been preparing for this match for days.
To go toe-to-toe with Barcelona—a chance like this didn't come around often.
Even more impressive, Yang Cheng—still a month shy of turning 27—was displaying ruthless tactical clarity and veteran-level composure.
He had Barça's weak spot nailed down tight.
"Didn't Mundo Deportivo ask how many goals they'd win by?"
"Let's answer them—on the pitch."
…
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Stade Louis II in Monaco!"
"Up next: the 2006 UEFA Super Cup!"
"La Liga giants Barcelona versus last season's Premier League dark horse, Bayswater Chinese!"
"Both clubs had incredible European campaigns last year—Barcelona winning the Champions League and La Liga, and Bayswater Chinese shocking everyone by taking the UEFA Cup and finishing second in the Premier League."
"As a result, British media are looking at this match with great expectations."
"They're hoping Bayswater Chinese can redeem the humiliation Chelsea suffered in this competition last year."
"As the broadcast pans across the stands, we can see Barcelona president Joan Laporta seated beside former IOC president and Barça member Juan Antonio Samaranch."
"A quick note—this is the first UEFA Super Cup appearance in Bayswater Chinese's history."
"They were a newly promoted Premier League side last season, yet achieved remarkable results."
"And the most astonishing part? Their manager—who is also the club's owner—is Yang Cheng, a 26-year-old from China!"
"He's widely regarded as a prodigy among coaches."
"Which is why many are calling tonight's clash a battle of brilliance: the most talented team versus the most talented coach!"
"Now, led by Italian referee Stefano Farina, the two teams are walking onto the pitch."
"Let's take a look at the starting lineups."
"First, Barcelona:
Goalkeeper: Víctor Valdés
Defense: Sylvinho, Puyol, Rafael Márquez, Belletti
Midfield: Tiago Motta (holding), Deco and Xavi (center)
Attack: Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Messi"
"Both teams are using a 4-3-3 formation. Now for Bayswater Chinese:"
"There are some changes tonight."
"Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
Defense: Leighton Baines, José Fonte, Laurent Koscielny, Maicon"
"It's unclear exactly how their midfield will be arranged—we'll likely have to wait for kickoff to see the structure."
"Alongside their regulars—Yaya Touré, Lassana Diarra, and Luka Modrić—there's also Gökhan Inler."
"With four natural midfielders starting, could Bayswater Chinese be using a four-man midfield?"
"Up front: Džeko paired with Arshavin."
…
Just six seconds after kickoff, Bayswater Chinese made their intentions crystal clear.
As the ball was played back to Yaya Touré in the center circle—before Eto'o could even close him down—Touré had already zipped a pass to Inler.
The Swiss midfielder launched a long pass forward.
Džeko, positioned near the center circle on the left side of Barcelona's half, controlled the ball on his chest and laid it off to Modrić.
Without taking a touch, the Croatian sent a sharp through ball to Arshavin in the final third.
Arshavin tried to burst between Belletti and Márquez, aiming to break through the two defenders.
But after colliding hard with Márquez, Belletti swept in and stole the ball cleanly.
Ball lost.
Barcelona wasted no time transitioning. A quick forward pass pushed the ball across the halfway line, landing on the right for Messi.
But just as the Argentine received the ball, Inler closed in behind him.
Messi, trying to shield, crashed directly into Inler's body—and nearly went down.
The referee blew the whistle immediately, calling Inler for a foul.
The free kick was far from the box—no real threat.
But Inler's move had served its purpose.
Bayswater Chinese players now understood the referee's standard.
European officiating was clearly stricter than the Premier League's.
Each ref had his own tendencies, so it was common to "test the water" early in the match.
That's exactly what Inler had done.
If the attack came from Ronaldinho's left flank, it would've been Lassana Diarra's job to test him instead.
But even so—it wasn't just testing.
Yang Cheng's game plan had clearly emphasized physicality.
That was Bayswater Chinese's advantage.
After the restart, Belletti pushed forward and passed the ball to Messi in the half-space, with Baines tracking him closely.
As soon as Messi touched it, Inler was on him again.
Messi tried to release it to Xavi in midfield.
But Yaya Touré suddenly stepped up and intercepted.
The Ivorian charged into midfield like a battering ram.
In front of him, Deco and Xavi looked small—literally. He had both the height and bulk advantage.
It was like watching a semi-truck barrelling toward two compact cars.
And Yaya was feeling himself.
Before even reaching them, he tried a Marseille turn—
Only to trip mid-spin and awkwardly offload the ball to Modrić to avoid disaster.
On the touchline, Yang Cheng buried his face in his hands.
"A bunch of damn clowns," he muttered.
…
From the opening whistle, the game's tempo had been ramped up.
Bayswater Chinese flooded the midfield.
Just two or three minutes in, it was already obvious what Yang Cheng's tactical setup was.
The back line remained the same, but the midfield was different.
Inler, Yaya Touré, and Lassana Diarra operated more like a triple pivot—three defensive midfielders.
Arshavin was pushed up to partner Džeko in a two-forward system.
Modrić played just behind them, in an advanced playmaker role.
It looked a bit like a 4-3-1-2.
But it was more nuanced.
Džeko had freedom to drift wide, while Arshavin hovered near Barça's defensive line, sniffing for space.
This was the strategy.
Use Džeko's ability to hold up play, Modrić's passing and progression, and create lanes for Arshavin to make penetrating runs.
Meanwhile, Maicon and Baines weren't bombing forward as they normally would.
They were locked onto Ronaldinho and Messi.
Inler and Diarra were tasked with quickly shifting to whichever flank the ball went—cutting off central dribbles or diagonal runs from Barça's wingers.
This targeted pressing was proving effective.
In the early minutes, neither Ronaldinho nor Messi could hold onto the ball.
Let alone break into Bayswater's defensive third.
When they won the ball, Bayswater Chinese didn't try to build slowly.
They went direct—medium and long-range passes straight to the front.
If Džeko couldn't hold it, he dropped it to Modrić.
Bayswater played like they were facing a titan—disciplined, compact, and sharp.
Barcelona, on the other hand, played loose.
Every time they had the ball, it was passed around with flair.
They were confident in their tiki-taka—and clearly trying to slow the game down to their rhythm.
But Bayswater Chinese would immediately counter-press and kick the tempo back up.
That constant jolt was uncomfortable for Barça.
Even their star midfield trio—and forwards—were making uncharacteristic passing errors.
The battle raged mostly around midfield.
Barça's center-backs—Márquez (1.83m) and Puyol (1.78m)—were physically outmatched by Džeko.
Before the match, Yang Cheng had highlighted that in the locker room.
"Get the ball to Džeko—again and again."
In the opening 10 minutes, both sides had traded control and momentum, but no one had carved out a clear chance.
In fact—neither team had even taken a shot.
Then came minute 11.
Messi had the ball on the right side again.
Inler shadowed him tightly, forcing a pass to Belletti.
But as the ball left his foot, Messi already regretted it.
Baines anticipated, stepped in, and deflected the ball behind Messi.
Inler pounced before Xavi could react, driving a grounded pass across the halfway line.
It was at least 25 meters.
Džeko had dropped deeper on the left side of Tiago Motta, trying to receive—but Márquez was glued to him, making control difficult.
The Bosnian glanced forward and, instead of trapping it, one-touched the ball back toward midfield.
Right to Modrić.
The Croatian raced to meet the pass, stopping the ball and, before Xavi could close in, pushed it forward about 15 meters with another low pass.
Again—targeting Džeko.
The Bosnian forward was on the move but stopped again, this time laying it back into the center for Modrić.
It was a quick give-and-go—a one-two over roughly 15 meters.
And it worked.
Modrić broke free of Xavi.
But now Motta was rushing over for the double-team.
Džeko was ready to burst into the box.
If Modrić could thread it, he'd beat the line—and set up Arshavin.
But the moment he saw Motta closing in, Džeko aborted the run and circled back, calling out to Modrić.
"Luka, here!"
Modrić, under pressure from two, calmly worked the ball—then chipped a delicate outside-foot pass over the line.
Džeko saw Arshavin hugging the offside line—coiled and ready.
He knew what to do.
Chesting the ball down toward the right, Džeko turned sharply, shaking Márquez, and fired a grounded pass behind the defense.
At that very moment, Arshavin broke free from Puyol with a lightning sprint—perfectly timing his run to stay onside.
The entire stadium gasped.
Valdés came charging off his line.
But by the time he reached the penalty spot, Arshavin had already touched the ball into the box's left channel and smashed a shot past him into the Barça net.
The Russian didn't stop—he sprinted straight through the end line.
Only then did the crowd explode into thunderous applause.
"Goal!!!"
"11th minute—Bayswater Chinese slice through Barcelona's defense with a brilliant counterattack!"
"1–0!"
"And the scorer is the Russian, Andrey Arshavin!"
Arshavin, overcome with emotion, sprinted toward the touchline, pointed directly at the live TV camera, and tugged at the Bayswater Chinese crest on his chest. He kept jabbing at it, muttering something in Russian.
But before long, he was mobbed by his celebrating teammates.
…
Scoring in the 11th minute—this was the perfect start for Bayswater Chinese.
On the touchline, Yang Cheng clapped hard, applauding his players.
At the same time, he urged them to keep up the pressure on Barça—especially disrupting their rhythm.
But when the game restarted, Barcelona were stunned to find that despite conceding, Bayswater Chinese didn't back off. They continued playing with the same aggressive tempo.
Even worse—not only was the pace high, but they weren't afraid to foul.
Every time Barça tried to build a smooth attack, they were fouled.
And decisively so.
It was maddening for the Catalans.
If, in the first ten minutes, Barça going without a shot seemed normal, as time went on and that trend continued, it became... interesting.
By the 20th minute, even the commentators were pointing it out.
"Barcelona have plenty of possession, but their passing is disjointed."
"More importantly, once they reach the final third—whether it's Ronaldinho or Messi—they struggle to make the final pass."
"In short, they lack the killer ball!"
So, when did Barcelona take their first shot?
The 23rd minute.
It came after Modrić fouled Xavi during a defensive retreat.
Ronaldinho took the free kick directly—but sent it over the bar.
With Ronaldinho and Messi being tightly marked, Eto'o couldn't provide the link-up play needed to connect both wings.
Barça's front three played like isolated islands—every possession felt like a solo act.
Yang Cheng had assigned Koscielny to mark Eto'o, with José Fonte covering behind.
The Cameroonian forward found no joy either.
On the other hand, every time Bayswater Chinese won the ball, they immediately played it forward—targeting Džeko.
After summer training, Džeko's physicality had improved noticeably. His hold-up play looked more confident.
Being ambidextrous, he could receive on either side. As long as he turned, he could deliver dangerous passes.
Arshavin's pace on the break made Barcelona's defenders miserable.
By the 35th minute, Barça had started settling for long-range shots.
Needless to say, low-percentage chances.
Neuer gave them no openings.
Eventually, the first half ended 1–0 in favor of Bayswater Chinese.
…
As the halftime whistle blew, Yang Cheng stood on the touchline, eyes glued to the Barcelona players.
He noticed several of them—Ronaldinho, Deco, Eto'o—gasping for air.
Xavi, off in the distance, stood with his hands on his hips, breathing heavily.
Clearly, the high tempo of the first half had drained them.
Of course, if Barça could slow the game to their pace, retain possession, and control rhythm, it would become Bayswater Chinese's nightmare.
Yang Cheng's strategy worked only if his players also kept up their intensity—his squad just had the better fitness edge.
"They're wearing down!"
Back in the dressing room, Yang Cheng excitedly shared his observations with the players.
In truth, his own players had expended a lot of energy too.
Just—not as much as Barcelona.
"I'm sure they'll start making substitutions in the second half. That'll be our chance!"
He pulled out the tactics board.
Based on what they'd seen so far, he identified key areas.
He stressed again and again that Maicon and Leighton Baines needed to limit their forward runs.
"Remember, your job is to defend!"
"You're going up against the two best attackers in the world—Ronaldinho and Messi!"
"Don't give them even a sliver of space. Stick to them like glue!"
"Inler, Lassana—you too! Stay sharp. No slacking, and no gambling!"
All the players he named nodded firmly.
"We're up 1–0, so we can afford to be patient."
"In the second half, compress the pitch even more. Keep the formation tight, got it?"
"When we win the ball, hit it forward fast—go for the counter."
"But once the counter ends—whether we score or not—we must immediately regroup and maintain our shape. Do not allow them more than 20 meters of open passing space. That's a hard rule!"
This Barcelona under Rijkaard wasn't like Guardiola's future version—their passing wasn't as suffocatingly intricate.
Still, they had a deep offensive toolkit—medium passes, long balls, crosses from wide. They could strike in many ways.
"One more thing," Yang Cheng added, lowering his voice.
The players immediately focused.
"The first goal in the second half… will decide the direction of this match."
His tone was firm—absolute.
In his three years of managing this club, Yang Cheng's predictions had rarely been wrong.
The players trusted him completely.
"But…" He paused, then intensified his delivery.
"While we think about scoring—what's more important is not conceding."
"We're already leading. Got it?"
He believed they understood that.
But he said it again—just to make sure.
…
Second half began.
As both teams walked back onto the pitch, Yang Cheng immediately spotted a change.
Rijkaard had made a halftime substitution.
Iniesta was on for Xavi, pairing with Deco in midfield.
That caught Yang Cheng by surprise.
But then he remembered the image at the end of the first half—Xavi, hands on hips, gasping for breath.
If even Xavi was gassed, the rest couldn't be much better off.
Yang Cheng stepped to the touchline and raised his voice.
From the kickoff, Bayswater Chinese went straight for the throat.
Barcelona tried to use the restart to slow the game down—passing between center-backs at the back to regain rhythm.
But Bayswater Chinese pressed high.
Džeko, Arshavin, and Modrić led the charge, with the midfield line pushing up as well.
Puyol was forced to go long, lofting a pass toward Eto'o upfield.
Koscielny rose up and beat the Cameroonian in the air, heading it down to Yaya Touré.
The Ivorian shielded the ball against Iniesta, who had come on buzzing with energy, and passed it to Lassana Diarra.
Bayswater Chinese quickly sent another direct ball to Modrić.
Tactically, everything stayed consistent with the first half.
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