Chapter 210 The Shark Smelling Blood

Although Zidane seems to be playing on the left in Real Madrid's formation, in fact, he is more often pulled to the center, more like a virtual side, while the entire left is more out of the way. Fuck Robert Carlos.

In this game, Ye Qiu specifically adjusted the team's defensive position in response to Real Madrid's tactics. Among them, Yaya Toure was used to replace Arteta. A very important reason was the Ivorian's defensive ability. , covering a wide area, which can free up Mascherano to the maximum extent.

Maicon's position in this game is more advanced. The advantage of this is that he can not only target Robert Carlos' forward penetration, but also use Mascherano as a corner to double-team Zidane to the maximum extent. It limits the French people's activity space.

Moreover, since Maicon is positioned higher up, he has more opportunities to directly participate in the frontcourt attack. Zidane himself hardly participates in counterattacks on the spot, so as long as his own side has the ball, Maicon will boldly move forward if he has the opportunity.

After the opening, Ajax's two wingers played very lively and quickly, trying to avoid Makelele's defense zone as much as possible.

Because Zidane and Figo are not actively involved in defense, Real Madrid's two wings are often in an awkward situation of one-on-one or even one-on-two, and the two central defenders must be at their maximum. Keeping an eye on Ibrahimovic as much as possible makes it difficult to rush to the wing, which makes Real Madrid's wing defense very passive.

Although Real Madrid played with a double midfielder in this game, Guti's position was relatively advanced and he was not very aware of returning to defense. Therefore, on the defensive end, they relied more on Makelele, but the French midfielder only had It is difficult for one person to cover the entire field.

Ajax sometimes plays on the left, sometimes on the right, and sometimes moves back and forth between the left and right wings. This makes it difficult for Makelele to take care of the defense of both wings at the same time. The whole person is exhausted and inevitably It will be dense and sparse.

Just like this time, Sneijder passed the ball to the right, and Maicon entered the 30-meter area of ​​Real Madrid after running forward. He took the ball at a 45-degree diagonal and passed the ball to the front of the penalty area to find Ibrahimovic. The Swede pressed Hierro with his head. The ball came back, and Van der Vaart, who was pulled from the right to the center, got the ball and quickly kicked it toward the front baseline. He also quickly jumped in and directly used his speed to break through Helgra and pass to the back point.

At this time, Ibrahimovic had already shaken off Hierro and quickly entered the penalty area, but he still didn't have time. He could only watch the ball passing in front of Real Madrid's goal and was helpless.

But Robben on the left rushed to the penalty area before Salgado, intercepted the ball in front of the left baseline, then picked up a half-high ball, and then went to Ibrahimovic again. At this time, the Swede happened to come to the small penalty area.

Hierro, who had already blocked Ibrahimovic, thought the ball would go out of the baseline. Unexpectedly, Robben saved it again. He looked a little surprised. Before he could block Ibrahimovic, he saw Sweden The center had already faced Robben's ball with ease. He stopped his chest, raised his left foot, and fired a gravity-defying shot. The ball went straight into Real Madrid's goal!

“The ball is in!!!!”

"Just 10 minutes into the first half, Ajax took the lead in breaking Real Madrid's goal!"

"Oh my god, very, very skillful cooperation. The Ajax players seemed to have more fighting spirit and desire to compete. Robben did not give up when the ball was about to go out of the baseline, and directly chased it to the baseline. In the end, he successfully intercepted the ball and passed a very beautiful cross to Ibrahimovic! ”

"Real Madrid's defense has always been the most uneasy part for all Real Madrid fans. They have the most powerful offensive group in the world, but they also have the most worrying defense. Facing Ajax like this Skilled and smooth attack, Real Madrid’s defense is simply difficult to deal with!”

The on-site commentator was a little surprised that the deadlock was broken so early in the game. After all, in such an important final, a goal will often determine the next trend of the game and will also affect the fighting spirit and morale of both opponents.

When Ye Qiu saw Ibrahimovic scoring the ball from the sidelines, he was so excited that he got carried away. He opened his arms crazily, rushed to his assistants and players on the bench, and hugged them one by one to celebrate. , and finally, facing the live broadcast camera approaching him, he held his right fist and let out a roar.

"We will definitely win, we will definitely win!!!"

The Ajax players on the court were already celebrating like crazy on the sidelines, while the Ajax fans in the stands were equally crazy. There were even countless Ajax fans who were already dancing and dancing over there. , they can't imagine how excited they would be if the team really beat Real Madrid to win the championship.

"Ajax got into the game very quickly at the start. They looked very aggressive from the first minute. On the other hand, Real Madrid didn't look very excited after the start. This gave people the illusion that this was not the Champions League. The final was a very tasteless Copa del Rey match.”

"Of course, Real Madrid's slump is also suppressed by Ajax to some extent, which makes it difficult for them to play at the rhythm they are familiar with and accustomed to, and Ajax enjoys this very much. Attack and defense at a fast pace.”

"We got the news before the game. Ajax came to Old Trafford nearly two hours in advance to warm up and train before the game started, while Real Madrid came an hour in advance. There was even a Spanish media reporter who found that the Real Madrid superstar did not sweat after warming up when he was interviewing him."

"Perhaps, from this little insignificant detail, we can clearly see that the two teams have two completely different attitudes towards this Champions League final. Real Madrid is indeed the strongest team in today's football, but it is far from being able to defeat a strong enemy casually."

"Of course, this is just a goal, which sounded the alarm for Real Madrid. Bosque should make adjustments and changes as soon as possible, especially the players' mentality, which must be reversed."

"Another point is that the head coach is at the tactical level. In the competition, Ye Qiu seemed bolder, but also more targeted. He used Yaya Toure to replace Arteta and used the Ivorian to help Mascherano, which further restricted the space for Zidane, Guti and Raul to move, making it difficult for them to display their technical advantages at will. "

"And after the opening, he invested heavily in the attack, which seemed bold, but in fact it was very effective against Real Madrid's defensive disadvantages. Ajax launched more attacks through the two flanks, and the flank attack was precisely Ajax's advantage. It was difficult for Makelele to take care of both flanks at the same time. "

When he said this, the commentator on the scene also felt helpless. In the Champions League, especially in the knockout stage, which is more targeted, although offense is important, defense is equally important. If you can't balance offense and defense, you basically have no chance to go to the end, even for Real Madrid, which is so strong in offense.

…………

…………

Bosque did not expect that Ajax would play so risky at the beginning, but he also clearly saw that his Achilles' heel was firmly grasped by Ye Qiu, and he did not relax.

After taking the lead by one goal, Ajax seemed to have some conservative consciousness, and began to consciously slow down the rhythm, gather troops and start to stabilize defense. Their defense started from the center line, and the defense line entered the 30-meter area of ​​their own side. It was not considered a retreat, but it was in order.

Real Madrid's offense and defense were torn too much. Offense was offense, defense was defense. The whole team seemed to be separated into two parts. When Real Madrid launched an attack, when this group of Real Madrid superstars entered Ajax's half, they would be very panicked to find that there were always two or three Ajax players around them.

Ajax's three lines were kept very compact, and the distance between players was kept at a suitable distance, maintaining echo and contact, and their active frontcourt pressing and oppression, active running and coordination, enabled their players to effectively separate the Real Madrid players who advocated individual performance into pieces.

As a result, the dreamlike passing and receiving cooperation was destroyed by the reckless running, and the mercury-like attack was covered by the foul whistles one after another. Real Madrid's offense, which has always been proud and proud, could not pose any threat in front of Ajax's tight defense system.

Zidane lacked the support of his teammates and was tied up by Ajax. Raul tried hard but could not create opportunities for his teammates. Figo faced Abidal on the right and did not take much advantage. Ronaldo was alone in front waiting for the pass behind him.

But in Bosque's view, these are not terrible. What is really terrible is that this group of players obviously lack fighting spirit.

Last season, Real Madrid performed very well, with a relatively balanced offense and defense, because the double defensive midfielder was a combination of Elguera and Makelele at the time. These two players still provided good protection for the back line. But this season, in order to stabilize the defense line, Bosque retreated Elguera and partnered with Hierro, resulting in problems in the midfield.

Last season, the players were obviously more eager. Figo and Zidane, the two superstars, were eager to prove their worth in front of the team and the fans, so they worked very hard. In addition to the core players such as Raul, Guti, Morientes, etc., Real Madrid's entire midfield and frontcourt were still very diligent.

But this season, after experiencing the peak, this group of Real Madrid superstars have obviously become lazy.

Everyone has a competitive heart. In the eyes of Zidane, Figo and others, why doesn't Ronaldo need to run or press in front? Is it just because he can score? Does it mean that you don't have to run if you can score?

Well, I can pass the ball well and break through the defense, so I won't run and save my energy to do my own work!

Of course, Zidane and others may not have this kind of mind, but to some extent, the increasingly heavy superstar style makes the entire Real Madrid team look very lazy, losing its integrity and enthusiasm. Many times, they have to rely on the individual performance of superstars to determine the trend of the game, and individuals are always the most unreliable, because everyone makes mistakes and has ups and downs in status.

This situation will not be noticed when things are going smoothly, because when they are victorious, everyone will only focus on the shining stars, but no one will notice the hidden dangers lurking behind the brilliance of the stars.

Another equally worrying thing is the loss of power of local leaders.

If it were normal, as the captain of the team, Hierro would definitely stand up and criticize his teammates' laziness without hesitation, and control the locker room with his unique strength as a captain, but in the past two seasons, Hierro has done less and less of this.

It's like now on the court, he hardly calls his teammates, because he can't!

The 35-year-old Hierro has long passed his peak. He is not a central defender. Although he performed well after returning to play as a central defender, he has been criticized by fans and media in the past two years as he gets older.

If the criticism from fans and media in the past still cannot shake Hierro's position in the locker room, then with more and more superstars joining, Hierro will have to face an embarrassing situation, that is, how to use his identity that is criticized by fans and media to command those superstars praised by the media and fans, so that they can put down their posture and do what they want.

Bosque saw all of this, but he did not give any effective solution. It was like now on the court, Real Madrid fell behind, facing Ajax who had stabilized their defense, and facing the attack that had been delayed, Bosque still had no solution.

Perhaps, no one had ever told Bosque that the local leader's loss of power was also his responsibility, because he relied too much on family-style management and wanted to have a good relationship with the superstars, which indirectly led to the promotion of superstar behavior and the loss of power of the local leader.

But this matter was very difficult for both the chairman of Real Madrid and the head coach of Real Madrid, and it was difficult to simply blame one party.

…………

…………

Slowing down the pace and defending and counterattacking steadily, it seemed that Ye Qiu's Ajax seemed to want to keep the score of 1:0 first.

Even the on-site commentator felt in the following ten or twenty minutes that the rush after the opening seemed to be just Ajax's occasional madness, more like using the opening to dampen Real Madrid's spirit. The real theme of Ajax in this game was still defensive counterattack, and they still had to consolidate their defense first.

"Ye Qiu's idea is indeed not wrong. After all, such an important game should be more stable."

But in fact, only everyone in Ajax knows that slowing down the pace and defending and counterattacking are just strategies that Ye Qiu arranged before the game. Because the team cannot maintain a fast pace for a long time, it is necessary to appropriately release control and initiative to hook Real Madrid.

From the first goal, Real Madrid launched a round of counterattacks. On the one hand, Ajax consolidated its defense through tight defense and effective foul delay tactics, and on the other hand, it organized sharp counterattacks again and again, but basically only focused on two or three troops.

This undoubtedly further boosted Real Madrid's offensive. Roberto Carlos was very active on the left, frequently and actively stepped forward to participate in the attack, in order to equalize the score as soon as possible, or even reverse Ajax.

Zidane was strangled, Guti was in a backward position, and Figo was restricted by Abidal. Real Madrid's entire offensive system was suppressed by Ajax. It seemed that they had the initiative, but there were not many opportunities to threaten. On the other hand, Ajax's counterattacks could remind Real Madrid's fragile defense and let them not get too complacent.

But when a team lacks integrity and the offense and defense are torn apart, the contradictions between the players become very large.

The offensive players in front don't care about the defensive problems behind them, and they don't care about the hidden dangers. They attack forward as soon as they get the ball. Defense is not their responsibility at all. When the offensive players attack forward, what should the defensive players do? If they don't follow up, the offense will not work at all. Moreover, with Ajax's strength, once the ball is lost, the defensive players cannot enter the defensive position in the first time, which will inevitably lead to Ajax's large-scale pressure, and the defense will definitely not be able to defend.

But if they follow up, what should they do with the gap behind them?

You know, Hierro is 35 years old and his speed is not good at all. Elguera himself is not a speed type. The combination of these two central defenders has fatal weaknesses in chasing back and turning. Once they press forward and are hit from behind by the opponent, what should they do?

What's more terrible is that Roberto Carlos is a left back, but he looks more like a left winger, actively participating in the attack, and doesn't care about the life and death of the defense behind you, so many times, Real Madrid's defense looks more like four people.

Salgado, Hierro, Elguera and Makelele.

Ye Qiu obviously saw through this. He noticed that Roberto Carlos likes to insert and often runs away from his position, while Hierro and Elguera are slow, and Makelele is a standing midfielder, so he immediately conveyed to the players on the court that the counterattack should be a long pass to the right.

Therefore, starting from the 30th minute, Ajax's counterattacks were all on the right side. Van der Vaart and Maicon frequently got opportunities on this side. One of them was a very threatening counterattack. Van der Vaart dribbled the ball from the right and passed it to Ibrahimovic who was coming in from behind after passing Elguera.

After the Swede got the ball, he used his body to suppress Hierro on the one hand, and on the other hand, he used his skills to pass Casillas who was attacking. However, this trip made Ibrahimovic's subsequent shot angle also lost, and he was forced to pass back, but Makelele arrived in time and destroyed the ball before Robben.

This attack that almost resulted in a goal made all Real Madrid fans tremble with fear. They even wondered, this was the nth time they launched a counterattack from the right, why didn't Real Madrid's coach and players realize that they had to block the left?

There is a saying that goes, when it rains, it pours.

It's not that Bosque doesn't want to do it, but his current situation is that if he wants to change, he will have to rob Peter to pay Paul!

In a word, there is no card to play!

But Ajax is like a hungry shark swimming in the sea. As long as he smells blood, he will rush up and devour his opponent regardless of everything!