Chapter 377: After Passing This Stage, the Road Ahead is Smooth
The somewhat stifled way Paris Saint-Germain were eliminated served as a wake-up call for other top European teams.
Chelsea managed to suffocate one of the strongest squads in the Champions League with just one goal over two legs — their defensive prowess was simply too incredible.
The fact that PSG launched a frenzied attack for an entire match at Stamford Bridge and still came up empty only further highlighted Chelsea's terrifying home advantage to all football fans.
It had been three full seasons since any team had conquered Chelsea at home.
This staggering unbeaten record silently warned all of Chelsea's challengers:
If you want to beat Chelsea, you must try to take the lead at your own ground. Otherwise, when you step into Stamford Bridge, you'll be met with nothing but ruthless defeat!
For Chelsea's players, maintaining this home unbeaten streak gave them a significant psychological edge.
After defeating Paris Saint-Germain and advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals this season, Li Ang once again organized a team dinner openly and confidently.
And this time, the media had much less to say.
Though often scolded by fans, the media wasn't brainless — at least this time, they knew to wait until Chelsea actually lost a match before jumping in with their criticism.
Their best chance to see Chelsea stumble would be the upcoming Premier League clash against Liverpool.
If the match were being held at Stamford Bridge, even the media wouldn't dare get their hopes up too much.
But since the next league match would be played at Anfield, it was a different story altogether.
Although Klopp hadn't been able to lead Liverpool into the Premier League top four this season, it was undeniable that under his leadership, Liverpool's fighting spirit had improved significantly compared to the previous season.
It was a mental toughness and bravery on the field.
Maybe in terms of pure strength, Liverpool still lagged behind Chelsea and Manchester City, but in spirit, they had caught up with the elite teams.
What Liverpool lacked was consistency, but at Anfield, their ability to fight in big matches was not to be underestimated.
Chelsea's coaching staff were fully aware of this, and in preparation for the Liverpool match, they carried out targeted training sessions.
As for individual Liverpool players, it would likely be very difficult for someone like Coutinho to shine against Chelsea this time.
And regarding Liverpool's high-pressing, fast-running tactics, Chelsea weren't particularly worried — they were very familiar with that style themselves.
Anything Liverpool could play, Chelsea could play even better; but the tactical depths Chelsea could reach were beyond Liverpool's grasp.
In simple terms, Liverpool at this point was like a "beggar's version" of Chelsea — a similar style without the star power. Chelsea still had a great chance of winning.
Five days after the intense battle with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea traveled to Anfield for the 30th round of the Premier League.
Both teams had ample rest, as neither was bogged down by domestic cup competitions anymore.
Thus, Liverpool fielded a full-strength squad against Chelsea, setting up their strongest available 4-3-3 formation.
Since the departures of Sterling and Suárez, Coutinho and Firmino had stepped up and become the new darlings of Anfield.
Under Klopp's proper utilization and tactical tuning, both players had steadily improved their personal stats.
Firmino had 10 goals and 6 assists in the Premier League this season, while Coutinho had notched 10 goals and 5 assists.
The new duo up front had reliably completed their scoring tasks for the season.
It was just a pity that Daniel Sturridge had been constantly plagued by injuries. Even so, in just 12 appearances, he had scored 7 goals — an incredibly efficient rate.
Many neutral fans felt deeply sorry for Sturridge.
If only he had a healthy body, Liverpool would have had a ferocious new attacking trident, and England's national team could have fielded a deadly Kane-Sturridge combo.
Unfortunately, such a talented forward at the peak of his abilities had been left battling injuries all this time.
For this round, Sturridge was again sidelined, forcing Klopp to push Lallana forward into the attack.
This was the strongest attacking trio Klopp could muster.
In contrast, even a rotated Chelsea frontline looked enviable.
Hazard + Llorente + Salah.
Even in a rotated lineup, Chelsea's attacking trio could break down any Premier League defense.
And sitting on Chelsea's bench were Gnabry and the rested De Bruyne, both ready to come on at any moment.
Klopp glanced at Chelsea's substitutes, then looked at his own bench — where the clueless Benteke sat — and could only shake his head in helplessness.
The match kicked off precisely at 3 PM. Chelsea, who had the first possession, didn't rush to press Liverpool's defense but instead controlled the ball calmly, trying to draw Liverpool's midfield out.
But Liverpool's tactical discipline under Klopp was now far better than before.
Without Klopp's nod, none of Liverpool's midfielders dared to break the pre-set tactical plan and recklessly press.
Faced with Chelsea's constant probing through possession, Liverpool stayed composed, both teams cautiously testing each other.
Seeing this, Li Ang quickly shifted the organizational strategy.
After the opening ten minutes, Li Ang and Kroos started directing more of the ball out to the flanks.
Today, Salah started on the right wing, and compared to De Bruyne, he preferred taking defenders on and driving to the byline. Along with Hazard on the left, Chelsea's wings were at maximum breakthrough capacity.
With less intricate combination play on the flanks, Chelsea's attack looked a bit rougher, but the directness of Hazard and Salah's dribbling put heavy pressure on Liverpool's defense.
Seeing both Hazard and Salah performing well, Li Ang generously handed over the attacking focus to them, allowing them to keep taking on defenders and building rhythm.
With him and Kroos managing ball distribution from midfield, Hazard and Salah didn't need to worry about running out of chances.
It was perfect timing — Llorente, acting as the pivot up front, could focus on making off-the-ball runs, while the rest of the team worked to feed Hazard and Salah.
After feeding the wings with enough ball supply, Chelsea's attacking aggression along both flanks became intense, forcing Liverpool's defense to shrink back further and further.
They had no choice but to tighten up — Moreno and Clyne were decent Premier League fullbacks, but they were far from world-class.
By pulling back the formation, Liverpool could at least concentrate their defensive strength centrally; otherwise, if they insisted on maintaining a high line, it wouldn't just be their flanks getting torn apart.
Klopp's painful but necessary tactical decision proved effective. Hazard and Salah succeeded in reaching the byline more frequently, but their dangerous passes mostly turned into crosses.
By fortifying the central defense, Liverpool didn't have much trouble defending the air. Even though Llorente had a huge aerial advantage, Lovren and Kolo Touré's double marking was tough and resolute.
Without much space to charge forward, Llorente struggled in static aerial duels and couldn't capitalize.
After withstanding Chelsea's first wave of attacks, Liverpool managed to fight back through active midfield pressing, creating a few decent counterattack opportunities.
Liverpool didn't have an exceptionally fast striker, but their quick counters relied more on one-touch passing and cohesive off-the-ball movement.
James Milner acted as the transitional point for counterattacks in midfield, while Firmino played a strong supporting role, with Coutinho and Lallana splitting wide to stretch Chelsea's defense.
Their counterattacks were highly organized; with just a few quick passes to pull apart Chelsea's defense, Liverpool often managed to create shooting opportunities in the final third.
Fortunately, Li Ang had done his homework, tightly marking Firmino throughout the match. Otherwise, the elusive Brazilian striker might really have found chances to threaten Chelsea's goal.
As for Coutinho, known for his superb curling shots, Chelsea's defenders had thoroughly studied him. They forced him onto his left foot every time, denying him any chances to unleash his deadly right-footed shots. After a few targeted defensive plays, Coutinho's influence was reduced to mere passing during counterattacks.
The first half of the match saw both teams going back and forth at a high tempo, making for an exhilarating spectacle.
However, once Mourinho figured out Liverpool's defensive pattern, he decisively made a tactical adjustment, signaling for Li Ang to push higher and join the attack more often.
Previously, Llorente was struggling under heavy marking, but his height and strength gave him a significant advantage over Toure and Lovren.
It might have been difficult for Llorente to head the ball into the net while being double-marked, but holding up the ball under pressure was easy for him.
Mourinho's intention behind pushing Li Ang forward was to further unleash Llorente's potential as a pivot.
This tactical tweak immediately revitalized Chelsea's attacking setup.
Hazard and Salah didn't need to change their playing styles significantly — they continued to reach the byline with ease — only now, the responsibility of finishing attacks shifted from Llorente to Li Ang.
Liverpool's heavy defensive presence inside the box became largely ineffective. Li Ang's powerful late runs posed a massive threat, forcing Liverpool to stretch their defensive line outward.
Klopp didn't hesitate for long, mainly because he had no choice. Eventually, he had to pull several attacking players back to assist in defense.
However, this retreat allowed Kroos and Matić to press high up and organize attacks from the edge of Liverpool's half.
Chelsea's defenders also pushed up aggressively.
The tasks of reaching the byline could be handed over to the fullbacks, allowing Hazard and Salah to operate more in the half-spaces along Liverpool's flanks.
Mourinho's chain of tactical adjustments completely suffocated Liverpool, who struggled to catch their breath under relentless waves of Chelsea attacks.
The pressure forced Liverpool to maintain maximum defensive focus at all times, with no room for error.
But in today's football, very few teams could achieve such defensive perfection — and Liverpool certainly wasn't among them.
To be blunt, Lovren was well-suited to physical battles and direct challenges, but asking him to lead the defensive line and maintain flawless concentration was simply too much.
Toure had once been an outstanding defender at his peak, but now at 35 years old, while still experienced, his abilities had significantly declined.
No matter how strong Klopp's defensive coaching was, relying on these two center-backs just to make it into the Premier League's top six was already pushing the limit.
If they could withstand Chelsea's full-strength attacks, Liverpool would have been sitting comfortably in the top four by now.
Hard resistance was unrealistic, and with their stretched defense, Liverpool couldn't hold out for long.
By the 30th minute, Li Ang unleashed a rocket shot from the edge of Liverpool's penalty area, forcing Mignolet into a fumble.
In the ensuing chaos, Hazard stabbed the ball toward the far post, where Salah charged in and coolly slotted it low into the net!
Li Ang slapped his forehead and pointed at the ecstatic Salah, who was sprinting away in celebration:
"You little rascal, you're making a habit of scoring against Liverpool now, huh?!"
If Li Ang remembered correctly, Salah had scored against Liverpool in several consecutive matches!
It was hilarious — Salah had become a genuine Liverpool killer.
But jokes aside, the team celebrated joyfully.
With the first goal secured, the second half would be far easier for Chelsea.
They calmly withstood Liverpool's counteroffensive and carried their 1–0 lead into halftime.
At the start of the second half, Chelsea switched to their most familiar style — defensive counterattacks.
Liverpool did everything they could to push forward, tirelessly trying to break through Chelsea's ironclad defense, but lacking sufficient creative options, they couldn't find a way.
When Klopp brought on Benteke in the second half, Mourinho immediately responded by introducing Gary Cahill.
Against the pairing of Maguire and Cahill, Benteke's aerial advantage evaporated completely.
In the 76th minute, Li Ang intercepted a poor pass from Coutinho and launched a long ball counterattack. Llorente headed it down perfectly for Hazard, who broke free on goal!
Facing his national team teammate, Hazard showed no mercy, delicately chipping the ball over Mignolet to seal Liverpool's fate.
Chelsea ultimately left Anfield with a commanding 2–0 victory!
After the match, Li Ang encouraged the slightly dejected Firmino and Coutinho, wishing them success in the Europa League.
His genuine support lifted the spirits of Liverpool's young forwards considerably.
After all, Li Ang was regarded as a "blessed" figure in European football — if Liverpool could really go on to win the Europa League this season, it would hardly be considered a failure.
A European trophy and next season's Champions League qualification would be a massive win for Liverpool.
Li Ang's encouragement wasn't just empty words — in his memory, Liverpool originally had a decent chance at winning the Europa League during their resurgence.
They had made it to the final, and the gap in strength between them and their opponents wasn't insurmountable. With the butterfly effect caused by Li Ang's involvement, Liverpool's chances this year might be even better.
Compared to other teams, without any direct conflict of interest, Li Ang naturally preferred to support Liverpool.
His warm post-match gesture instantly earned him widespread affection among Liverpool fans.
After the 30th round Premier League clash between Chelsea and Liverpool, the football world entered another frenzy of excitement.
This time, it wasn't about the domestic leagues — the frenzy erupted because of the Champions League quarterfinal draw.
This year's Champions League knockout stages were stacked with quality — among the final eight teams, only Benfica could be considered an "easier" opponent.
The other seven teams included Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid from La Liga; Chelsea and Manchester City from the Premier League; Bayern Munich from the Bundesliga; and Juventus from Serie A.
Practically every quarterfinal matchup would be a heavyweight clash.
When Chelsea were drawn against Bayern Munich — their old rivals — the excitement among fans reached a fever pitch!
Li Ang was actually quite satisfied with the draw.
Among all the teams in the final eight, Bayern Munich was the only one whose strength was truly comparable to Chelsea's.
Atlético's defensive system wouldn't cause Chelsea too much trouble. After playing two legs against Real Madrid already, Chelsea were quite confident in handling the former Champions League kings.
Juventus, having lost Tevez and Pirlo in the summer transfer window, had seen a significant decline in their attacking power and posed little immediate threat.
Only Bayern Munich, reinforced and strengthened again, remained Chelsea's most dangerous opponent.
Thus, rather than battling a fully evolved Bayern in the final, Li Ang believed it was better to eliminate them now!
After this battle, the path to glory would be wide open!
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