The Premier League civil war between Manchester United and Chelsea is considered to be the most suspenseful matchup in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Ancelotti's team did create many opportunities in this campaign, but Chelsea's simple and crude offensive mode
Obviously lacking some wisdom than Manchester United, the Blues midfielder led by Lampard and Essien is full of impact, but the front three can only rely on their personal abilities to fight alone most of the time.
In contrast, Manchester United's attackers are undoubtedly lucky because they have Li Yu, a dominant passing master who assisted his teammates three times in two rounds.
At the beginning of the game, Manchester United was completely passive on the scene. The desperate Chelsea fired three arrows and bombarded Manchester United's goal. Torres' header, Anelka's long shot, and Lampard's outflank all missed the goal.
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But objectively speaking, Chelsea's offense did not create an absolute chance. Instead, Manchester United, after stabilizing their position, used an efficient and indirect set-piece second attack to complete the goal.
In the 43rd minute of the game, Li Yu won a perfectly positioned free kick for Manchester United in front of the penalty area. Although the free kick was cleared by Chelsea players, Rooney, who was waiting in front of the penalty area, immediately launched a second wave of attacks. Manchester United
No. 10 moves the ball in a wide area
To the right, Giggs turned back to O'Shea and quickly moved forward. O'Shea understood and sent a through ball. Li Yu got rid of Anelka's defense and broke into the penalty area to send a low pass. The ball passed through the gap between Cech and Terry.
After going straight to the back post, Hernandez outflanked Alex and scored.
In a rematch, Ancelotti replaced the inactive Torres with Drogba, and the pressure on Manchester United's defense increased sharply.
In the 76th minute, "Warcraft" stopped the ball with a textbook chest and turned around and volleyed past Van der Sar's fingers. For a time, Chelsea saw hope of reversal. However, at the critical moment, Li Yu stepped forward.
Less than 1 minute after Drogba scored, Li Yu used a wonderful half-high ball in front of the penalty area to assist Park Ji-sung, who was unmarked on the left, to score a diagonal shot, thus extinguishing Chelsea's counterattack momentum in one fell swoop.
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After the game, Manchester United's No. 9 said frankly: "Chelsea played very well in this game. We know very well that our opponents want to score goals on this field, and we also need to use goals to consolidate our advantage. I think we did a great job.
, two key goals helped us reach the semi-finals, especially the second goal that came very timely, which helped us quickly stabilize the situation after conceding the goal."
In addition to frequently excelling on the offensive end, Li Yu also demonstrated his defensive ability that had been severely underestimated before.
In the 52nd minute, Chelsea launched a long pass and fast break. Anelka headed the ball back. As soon as Ramirez caught the ball, Li Yu, who was chasing after him, poked the ball down from behind.
It seems that Ferguson made a wise decision to let Manchester United's No. 9 completely free on the pitch during the game.
In the 65th minute, Drogba received a long pass from Cech and leaned on Vidic to stop the ball. However, Li Yu intercepted the ball at the moment Drogba stopped the ball, and then passed the two people on the spot.
Launch a counterattack. In the 89th minute, Manchester United's No. 9 was still running tirelessly across the field, but this time, he appeared in the penalty area again and intercepted Kalou's cross for O'Shea.
In the whole game, Li Yu's running distance reached 12.75 kilometers, which was nearly 1 kilometer higher than the second place Carrick. You must know that Park Ji-sung, who is known for his active running and abundant physical strength, only ran 11.06. kilometer.
Take a look at what happened in the 69th minute of the game. Rooney broke through to the right in a quick counterattack and sent a high-quality cross. Apart from Hernandez, who was fighting for the top spot, only one Manchester United player was able to outflank him, and that was Li Yu, who had been supporting near the center circle before, just as Rooney completed the breakthrough, Li Yu had already sprinted half the court to the goal, and faced Rooney's cross and shook his head at the line of the small penalty area to attack the goal. Drawing an arc and going straight to the far corner of the opposite corner, if Cech had not kept his center of gravity very stable and chased back in time to save the ball, Giggs would have sealed the victory for Manchester United.
Opta's post-match statistics show that Li Yu sent a game-high 4 threatening balls in this campaign, two of which were converted into assists. In addition, there were two tackles and two clearances. As a guest player, Li Yu was free in the game. However, Manchester United's No. 9 perfectly played the two roles of attacking midfielder and defensive midfielder, and freely integrated Xavi's master passing and Cambiaso's stream-of-consciousness defense.
And the hat trick of assists in two rounds is destined to make Li Yu a nightmare that Chelsea players will find difficult to escape from for a long time to come.
After the game, Ferguson praised Li Yu's performance and said he had injected three great mental attributes into the team - balance, calmness and experience.
There is no doubt that the 22-year-old Li Yu is still one of the indispensable key players of Manchester United. The young man who chases the wind perfectly interprets another football style with his lightning speed and explosive power. It can be seen that Li Yu's technical awareness Already in a state of transformation.
More outbreaks can often influence the situation of the battle in a more elegant way.
After eliminating Chelsea, Manchester United is making steady progress towards another "Triple Crown" after 1999, if the miracle can be replicated.
Ramirez received a red card, and Chelsea's Champions League hopes were dashed. Although Drogba's goal once caused a stir, the Manchester United people quickly extinguished their illusions. In the stands of Old Trafford, Abramovich looked blank, resting his chin on his hand, as if he couldn't figure out why fate had struck him again.
The Champions League has become a knot in Abramovich's heart. He spent a lot of money to buy Torres in the winter, and the goal was the Big Ear Cup, but in the end it was all in vain. Since joining Stamford Bridge in the 2003-04 season, Abramovich and Chelsea have worked hard for the Champions League. Eight years later, but still empty-handed.
Mourinho once said that in order to win the Champions League, in addition to the strength of the team, it also depends on the factor of luck. Abramovich must have the deepest understanding of this. In the past 8 years, the bad luck in the Champions League has been like a curse, firmly The fate that has trapped Chelsea cannot be broken no matter what.
Among the Champions League semi-finals in the 2003-04 season, Chelsea was the number one favorite. The remaining three opponents, Monaco, Porto and Deportivo La Coruna, were not traditional powers. However, Ranieri suddenly made substitutions in the good situation of 11 against 10 in the away game. This move led to the loss of the whole game (11 against 10 but lost from 1 to 1 to 1 to 3, and after 2 to 0 at home, he was pulled by 2 goals in a row). That was Abramovich's first experience in the Champions League, but it was not the same as the bad luck he encountered afterwards. In comparison, this weirdness is nothing.
Chelsea's curse of "bad luck in the Champions League" has not escaped even the Champions League strongman Mourinho. The three years the madman coached were the period when the Blues' lineup was at its peak, but they did not even reach the finals threshold.
In the 2004-05 season, Luis Garcia's controversial goal-line goal eliminated the Blues. In the 05-06 season, Del Horno's direct red card in the first half was too harsh. Mourinho left "Barcelona can't win when 11 of me are on the court."
"I" famous saying, and UEFA's response to the host
The referee's arrangement is also quite controversial (the referee Hague is a good friend of the retired referee Frisk, who was angrily reprimanded by Mourinho and retired); in the 2006-07 season, Chelsea was eliminated by Liverpool on penalty kicks and watched 0-3.
The total score of the penalty kick, the madman couldn't help shaking his head and laughing...
The cruelest trick of fate was the decisive battle in Moscow in the 2007-08 season. When Terry walked to the penalty spot, the Chelsea people were ready to cheer, but the Blues captain slipped, proving the horror of this curse. The year that followed was bad luck.
In the continuation, against Barcelona 11 against 10, but was defeated in the last minute of stoppage time, and n penalty kicks were not awarded in the process. Human factors were added to the teasing of fate.
With Chelsea's strength, it is obvious that they are capable of winning the Champions League. Their achievements in reaching the semi-finals five times in eight years are beyond the reach of ordinary teams. However, from the semi-finals to the final and even the final championship, the Blues have always been a bit unlucky.
, there is no luck at all. In the past two years, Chelsea's cycle has come to an end. They lost to Inter Milan and although they missed a penalty kick in the first round against Manchester United, their overall performance was still not as good as their opponents.
Elimination is not a surprise.
Chelsea’s persistence in the Champions League was even considered by Ferguson to be a “phenomenon.” “The Champions League has become an obsession for Chelsea,” Sir Alex Ferguson said. “They obviously signed Torres for the Champions League, and Abramovich really spared no expense for the Champions League.
The Champions League is a great competition, but because
Being obsessed with the Champions League is really torturing myself. For a long time, I also had this obsession. After losing to Dortmund in the semi-finals in 1997, I thought we would never win the Champions League." Regarding Ferguson's statement, Ancelo
Di naturally disagreed: "This is not a devil, this is a dream."
It took Ferguson 13 years to win his first Champions League title. It seems that Abramovich will also have to go through this long and painful torture. Ranieri, Mourinho, Grant, Scolari, Hiddink, Ancelotti...
…How many famous marshals have stepped forward to break this demonic barrier?
Successive after another, those who can lead Chelsea to win the Big Ear Cup are destined to be recorded in the history of the Blues, but now it seems that there are two Champions League masters (Mourinho and Ancelotti) who are capable of winning two trophies.
Everyone has missed their mark, who will be the final answer?
Another peculiar phenomenon accompanying Chelsea's "curse of bad luck in the Champions League" is that since Abramovich took over in the 2004 season, any team that eliminates the Blues will enter the Champions League final without exception, and most of them will win the championship (5 out of 7 times).
(win the cup in the end). Is this really an arrangement and a mockery of God? When will Chelsea be able to endure all the hardships?
Trailing 0-1 in the battle of life and death, Ancelotti's substitutions came faster than usual. At halftime, Chelsea made adjustments. Drogba came on and Torres came off. The Spaniard made his 13th consecutive substitution.
The effort to "break the drought" in this game failed.
Torres started the game, proving that Ancelotti has not given up on him. The Italian said at the weekend, "Torres may be able to score our most important goal this season," and he was naturally referring to the "decisive battle" with Manchester United. But in
In 45 minutes, the Spaniard once again disappointed. Except for a slightly threatening header in the 12th minute, his overall performance was still weak at other times. In the 22nd minute, Torres even missed the ball when he volleyed in the penalty area.
, Golden Boy obviously hasn’t found the long-lost feeling on his feet.
This is the 13th consecutive game without a goal for Torres (1 game for Liverpool, 2 games for the national team, 10 games for Chelsea), with a total of 863 minutes. In his career, he has had similar ball droughts twice, one in February 2002.
From April to September 2005, he failed to score in 14 games. The other time was from April to September 2005, when he failed to score in 17 consecutive games. I don’t know when this third time will end.
Facts have proved that Torres' starting spot not only wasted a starting spot, but also reduced the playing time of another threat. Drogba performed well after coming off the bench, not only scoring a goal, but also performing consecutive breakthroughs. Watching Warcraft
of bravery and peace
Will Lottie regret not letting him start? From scoring against Stoke City to playing Wigan in the last round, Drogba's condition has improved significantly. The Warcraft of that year were very likely to make a comeback. Unfortunately, in the most important game of the season
In one game, Chelsea only gave him 45 minutes.
After the game, Ancelotti avoided the question about Torres. He just said: "We have to believe in him. We have to wait until he improves." The Italian sounded very helpless. He has to use it even if he is not in good condition. Is it true?
According to media reports, it was Abramovich’s order to start Torres in the starting lineup?
Five years ago, Abramovich spent 30 million pounds to buy his beloved striker Shevchenko and assigned him to Mourinho. However, the actual results made the Russians disheartened. Sheva's performance was always unsatisfactory, and Shevchenko's performance was always unsatisfactory.
He had to play, which once caused trouble for the Madman's formation. "Daily Mail" commented that as long as Abramovich's personal recommendation of signings comes to Chelsea, it seems that they will be in trouble. Sheva is like this, and Torres now has this
sign.
When evaluating this game, the British News Agency compared Torres with Hernandez. "Could the contrast be any clearer? Hernandez, a 7 million pound signing, couldn't stop scoring goals.
Helped Manchester United reach the semi-finals of the Champions League; Torres, a £50m signing, has forgotten how to score goals. So it's not about how much you spend, it's about whether you spend it wisely."
Before the game, Ancelotti used Crespo as an example to ask everyone to be patient with Torres, "Crespo didn't score a single goal in the first six months in Milan, but he scored two goals in the Champions League final...
..." Now, the Spaniard has missed his "last chance" this season. He is out of the Champions League and can only guarantee the top four in the league. Even if he breaks the goal drought in the next league, it will have little meaning.
Just this week, an outrageous rumor hit the newspapers. The Daily Mail revealed that Abramovich was considering selling Torres in the summer. This news appeared on April 11, before the league match with Manchester United. The report stated
, Abramovich's patience is running out. If there are no signs of Torres' recovery before the end of the season, he will listen to offers from other teams. A Chelsea insider said: "I know the boss is not satisfied with his investment. He
Maybe even sell Torres in the summer, even though I just bought him."
Sold out half a year after buying. Liverpool once did such a "foolish thing". In July 2008, they bought Robbie Keane for 20 million pounds. In January 2009, he sold it back to Tottenham for 15 million pounds, becoming England's top club.
A big laughing stock in the transfer market.
Judging from the current situation, the "Post" news about Abramovich considering selling Torres should be just a groundless rumor. After all, the Spaniard is only 27 years old. Unlike Sheva who was already in the twilight of his career, his body has not yet "
"Destroyed", there is still hope of recovery, but if it keeps playing like this, it is difficult to say how long the patience of Chelsea people can last.
Chelsea lost 1-2 away to Manchester United and were eliminated from the Champions League. Torres' starting position became a focus of discussion after the game. Blues coach Carlo Ancelotti rarely admitted that sending the Spaniard to start might have been a mistake.
Torres had no performance in the first 45 minutes and was replaced by Drogba at halftime. After the appearance of Warcraft, he performed well and scored a goal, continuing his good form in recent games. In this regard, Ancelotti admitted that maybe
A mistake was made. "Maybe yes, it may be yes, but I have said many times this season that I want to start Torres in these types of games and play these types of tactics."
"Drogba played very well in the second half. I hope he puts more pressure on the forward line because we need to score goals. Drogba is full of physical fitness and can use strength in the forward line. This is why I replaced Torres."
After this game, Torres has not scored in 13 consecutive games (including the Liverpool period and the Spanish national team), and the total time has reached 817 minutes. This state obviously should not be the main force, but Manchester United coach Ferguson believes that Chelsea has suffered 5
Due to the price tag of tens of millions of pounds, I had to bite the bullet and let Torres start.
Ferguson said: "A lot of people thought Drogba would play, but I think, having signed Torres at such a price, they have to let him play. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I don't think they will exclude Torres.
"
In the past, it was said that Torres was the nemesis of Manchester United and Vidic. Ferguson said that this was a trick of the media. Manchester United's defenders can deal with any attacker. "Torres has played against us several times before, and he scored at Old Trafford."
Some goals were scored against us at Anfield,
But overall, our defense against him was okay. As for him being our nemesis, it is completely concocted by the media. He is an excellent player, but with the experience of Vidic and Ferdinand, they should be able to cope with the best players in the world.
Good players are top players themselves."
However, Ferguson believes that it cannot be concluded that signing Torres was a bad deal. "At that time, they had the opportunity to sign Torres. I don't think anyone was willing to miss it. Everyone said at the time that it was an extraordinary deal.
"
"You can't criticize Ancelotti for this. This is a good signing. It may not be effective at the moment, but Torres is a young man and has many seasons left to play."
Chelsea is destined to have no championship this season, and in the past, any other coach who did not win the championship was fired by Abramovich. At present, Ancelotti is not sure about his future. He said that it is up to the boss Abramovich to decide. "I
I have not considered this. I have to continue working and try my best. As for whether to stay, this decision is not made by me."
