Chapter 141: Into the Finals! Yang Cheng's Eye for Talent Is Unbelievable!
Wembley Stadium, London.
It was the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, and Bayswater Chinese were hosting Chelsea at home.
Only eight seconds after the match had begun, when Pepe controlled the ball in the backfield and pushed it forward, Chelsea's midfield and defense had already started retreating rapidly.
Pepe launched a long pass that sailed past the halfway line and landed in the attacking third.
Džeko, with his back to goal, began to run back toward the ball.
The Bosnian striker ran about 30 meters before the ball dropped in front of him.
He leapt high, twisted his neck, and flicked the ball with a glancing header toward the space behind him.
Arshavin cut in diagonally from the right channel toward the center, got in front of Makelele, and used the outside of his left foot to take down Džeko's header.
At that moment, he was completely surrounded by players in blue shirts.
If time had frozen at that instant, you'd see there were six Chelsea players around him.
And that didn't even include Ferreira, who was marking Di María on the left.
Arshavin's first touch was brilliant, but just as he settled the ball, Makelele closed in and pressed tightly against him.
The experienced French defensive midfielder was clearly taking advantage of Arshavin's lack of physical strength.
Sure enough, as soon as Makelele got close, Arshavin lost his rhythm on the ball.
Ballack seized the opportunity and booted the ball forward with a big clearance.
It looked like a clearance, but it was actually a pass.
Drogba had dropped back from Chelsea's attacking half to his own half and was tightly marked by Pepe.
But the Ivorian striker didn't stop the ball; instead, he laid it off directly to Malouda, who was near the center circle.
The Chelsea left winger controlled the ball, turned, and looked to push forward.
Maicon had already tracked back and was positioned directly in front of Malouda.
But just as Malouda crossed the halfway line with the ball, a player in a red jersey suddenly charged in fast from the side.
Lass Diarra, though not tall, was excellent at using his body. He slid in from the side, shoved Malouda aside with his backside and back, and cleanly stole the ball.
It was practically a highway robbery!
Even more outrageous was how smooth and practiced Lass's entire motion was, giving Malouda no time to react.
This was clearly a move honed through countless repetitions!
You'd wonder just how many times he'd done this in training.
After losing the ball, Malouda immediately tried to win it back. Seeing that Lass was about to launch a counterattack, he reached out and grabbed Lass's arm.
Thrown off balance, Lass fell to the ground.
The referee immediately blew the whistle.
Malouda was called for a foul.
Frustrated, the Chelsea winger raised his hands toward the referee in exasperation.
He just shoved me with his ass and you didn't blow the whistle—but I give him a little tug and you call a foul?
As he turned around, he saw Lass Diarra grinning wide, flashing his white teeth, and extending a hand toward him with a cheerful smile.
Grudgingly, Malouda reached out and pulled his French national teammate up.
What could he do? They were international teammates, after all.
People often said Lass was like a young Makelele.
And they weren't wrong!
Same height, same physique, and even that relentless defensive stickiness—exactly the same!
…
From the very start of the match, both teams jumped straight into a knife-edge, close-quarters battle.
Neither side was willing to show weakness.
The tussle between Malouda and Lass Diarra was just a small episode in the match.
Chelsea quickly struck back.
When Leighton Baines played a through ball down the left, trying to combine with Di María for a break, Ferreira committed a tactical foul near the halfway line, tripping Di María.
The Portuguese fullback knew full well that once Di María started running with the ball, there'd be no stopping him.
That was Chelsea's strategy for tonight.
Foul early!
Never let the danger get to their own third, especially not within the 30-meter zone.
Everyone knew that Bayswater Chinese had a player named Gianni Vio.
Giving away a set-piece in the attacking third was asking for trouble.
Though the match had started off intense, both sides were actually playing very cautiously.
Bayswater Chinese didn't launch their signature high-tempo pressing attack.
The main reason was that the team had just taken a hit in the league, and Yang Cheng wanted to give them time to settle.
As for Chelsea, they were even more cautious, avoiding any reckless forward pressing.
Over the past few years, every time they faced Bayswater Chinese, Chelsea had been battered black and blue.
Grant wasn't about to get careless again.
Yang Cheng's tactics at the start focused on stability and controlling possession.
Using their passing and movement superiority, the goal was to gradually infiltrate Chelsea's half.
Chelsea's midfield was anchored by Makelele, with Lampard and Ballack ahead of him.
That trio provided a strong defensive presence and could also launch counters.
Up front were Malouda, Drogba, and Anelka.
In defense: Ashley Cole, Terry, Carvalho, and Ferreira.
Aside from Essien on the bench, Grant had pretty much fielded his strongest possible lineup.
And even with Essien, the main debate wasn't about which midfielder to bench for him.
It was whether Ferreira should start at all.
Di María had been in great form in the Premier League this season, especially with his dribbling and speed on the left.
Ferreira?
Average in both attack and defense—he might not be able to handle Di María.
Not to mention Arshavin, whose movement off the ball was unpredictable.
Many believed Essien should've started.
But the Ghanaian "Buffalo" was a natural midfielder, and his positional awareness in defense was a concern.
In the end, Grant went with Ferreira.
Yang Cheng wasn't in a rush.
He wanted to start the game cautiously and slowly take control through passing and possession.
After a few minutes of warming up, Yang Cheng saw that his team looked stable and walked to the touchline, signaling to Maicon to push up more and actively join the attack.
Lass Diarra would be covering behind him.
Bayswater Chinese were attacking from left to right, and Maicon was right on Yang Cheng's side of the pitch.
Once he got the instruction, he immediately became more aggressive in his forward runs.
The first real ball into Chelsea's penalty area came in the 4th minute. Maicon broke down the right side, reached the edge of the box, and faced Ashley Cole before delivering a sharp cross to the far post.
Unfortunately, Di María couldn't arrive in time, and the ball rolled out for a goal kick.
…
"Mourinho's old defensive setup is really something else!"
As Yang Cheng walked back toward the bench, Brian Kidd handed him a water bottle and sighed helplessly.
"Combined with this group of players, they're not making even the tiniest mistake."
More than ten minutes had passed, and Chelsea had been on the back foot, barely holding any possession.
That kind of prolonged ball starvation was lethal for any team.
Especially on a psychological level.
No one liked to be on the receiving end the whole time.
Yet Chelsea's defense remained watertight.
There wasn't even the smallest gap.
Long balls? Džeko was being tightly marked by Terry.
Short passes? The midfield was flooded with Chelsea players.
"Technically, they're using a triple-pivot midfield—Ballack and Lampard both dropping back to help cover the flanks."
"So, they're deliberately giving us the wings and concentrating their strength in the middle and half-spaces."
Yang Cheng had seen through Grant's intentions.
Chelsea were playing defensive counter-attacks tonight.
A cautious, conservative version of it.
"The attacking styles we're best at... none of them are very effective against Chelsea tonight."
Yang Cheng's latest instructions were all about calming the team—urging everyone to stay patient, keep passing and probing.
No rushing.
Because once you start rushing, mistakes happen—and if Chelsea pounces on one, concedes first, it'll be real trouble.
Now, the Entire Match Had Only One Shot on Goal
And that one shot came from a long-range effort by Bayswater Chinese.
Chelsea, up to this point, hadn't even managed a single attempt.
But the match wasn't boring, nor was it dull.
It was just that Bayswater Chinese had been unable to get the ball into Chelsea's penalty area.
The Blues' defense was like an impenetrable wall, sealing off the penalty box completely with not even the tiniest gap to exploit.
Although Bayswater Chinese held most of the possession, their defensive effort after losing the ball was just as intense.
And Chelsea still didn't get any opportunities.
Especially Drogba.
Yang Cheng had specifically instructed Pepe to mark him closely for this match.
As a result, the Blues hadn't even managed a single shot.
"Gianni."
Yang Cheng turned to Gianni Vio, seated beside the bench, and chuckled. "We might be relying on you soon."
Gianni Vio waved his hand as if to say, "No problem."
Brian Kidd and the others all chuckled.
If there was debate about who was the most important person on the coaching staff, that was understandable.
But if you asked who contributed the most to the team's goals,
it could only be Gianni Vio.
Everyone in the football world knew this Italian data analyst, who came from a banking background, carried with him over a thousand set-piece routines.
In recent years, he'd also started researching corner kicks and all kinds of other match data.
Every time he stood on the touchline, the opponents of Bayswater Chinese would get nervous.
Because of this, even Brian Kidd and the rest admired—and even idolized—Yang Cheng more and more.
Back when Yang Cheng invited Gianni Vio to join the team, no one thought much of it.
Set-pieces? Just data analysis, right?
But now, set-pieces had become one of Bayswater Chinese's deadliest weapons.
Time and again, in key moments, they'd turned the tide of matches.
And every time Gianni Vio's set-piece arsenal worked its magic, everyone's respect for Yang Cheng deepened.
If not for Yang Cheng's foresight, where would they be now without Gianni Vio?
Inter Milan had even tried to poach him recently.
But the Italian flatly refused.
His reason?
He'd grown used to life in London.
But everyone knew—he genuinely enjoyed working and living with Bayswater Chinese.
In this match between Bayswater Chinese and Chelsea, why was the team able to stay so composed?
Why did no one ever doubt their chances of winning?
It was because they had this set-piece weapon!
As for Gianni Vio, no one really knew how he came up with so many routines.
Somehow, he just did.
…
Time ticked away.
Both teams continued to test each other's patience.
It was a battle of wills—who would slip up first?
Even though there weren't many shots or dangerous chances, the rhythm of the game was quite fast due to the back-and-forth exchanges.
Just like this one in the 28th minute.
After winning the ball in midfield, Bayswater Chinese faced an immediate counter-press from Chelsea near the halfway line.
Modrić quickly played it back to the defense.
Leighton Baines stopped the ball with the outside of his left foot and nudged it toward the sideline, then picked his moment and launched a long pass.
The English left-back wasn't known for his long balls, but this one landed right behind Ferreira.
Di María made a speedy run forward, beat Ferreira to the ball, and brought it under control.
At that point, the Argentine winger had already reached the edge of Chelsea's penalty area on the left flank.
With Ferreira chasing from behind, Di María calmly dribbled, adjusting with small, quick steps. His entire body moved in a rhythm, swaying with a graceful, almost hypnotic flow.
It was like a willow branch swaying in the breeze.
Because Di María was tall and lanky, with long and thin legs, the way his body moved made him look like a noodle in motion. That's why, back when he played in Argentina, his nickname was "El Fideo" — The Noodle.
Now, with a one-on-one chance against Ferreira, Di María closed the distance using those tight, rhythmic touches, forcing Ferreira to react.
The moment Ferreira stuck out a foot, Di María reflexively cut the ball toward the byline, leaving Ferreira in his dust, and whipped in a curling cross with his left foot.
Only then did everyone realize—he hadn't been wasting time.
He'd been waiting for Džeko and Arshavin to arrive.
His cross had deliberate inward curl.
As the ball floated above Chelsea's six-yard box, it spun slightly outward,
perfectly timed for Džeko to charge in and launch himself at it.
A diving header!
It was a gorgeous delivery, and Džeko's header was just as brilliant.
But what no one expected—Cech's save was even better.
The Czech goalkeeper flung himself through the air, stretching to the limit, and batted the ball away with one hand.
Only then did the stadium erupt into gasps from the fans.
Followed by a collective sigh of disappointment.
On the touchline, Yang Cheng grabbed his head, momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Damn it, that Czech head of yours was supposed to be under our protection!
I went through all that to save your skull, and this is how you repay me—by saving our shot?!
You had to admit—Cech, un-cracked skull and all, was a beast!
"It's fine, it's fine!"
Yang Cheng strode to the sideline, clapping hard and shouting encouragement to his players.
"Keep playing like that! No rushing! Stay steady and patient!"
That cross from Di María and Džeko's diving header—it had been the most threatening attack of the game so far.
It also highlighted the difference between Di María and Ashley Young for Bayswater Chinese.
The Argentine's dribbling down the left—Ashley Young couldn't replicate that.
So Yang Cheng signaled for the team to focus more on the left flank.
Di María stayed close to the left sideline, working to stretch Chelsea's defensive formation.
…
That near-goal moment fired up Bayswater Chinese.
The players started to open up their game more.
Especially the attacks down the left, targeting Ferreira.
Di María quickly got another chance on the ball.
This time, it came from a pass by Modrić.
He received it near the left touchline again.
Facing Ferreira, he executed a series of feints, then—no one knew exactly when—he suddenly poked the ball between Ferreira's legs, sprinted around him, and chased it down.
Even in such a tight space by the sideline, he could still pull off something magical.
That kind of individual skill—only South Americans could pull it off.
But this time, Carvalho was ready.
Just as Di María approached the penalty area, Carvalho stepped in and, unable to stop the ball cleanly, tripped him instead.
A free kick for Bayswater Chinese, just outside the left edge of the penalty area.
Wembley Stadium erupted.
All 90,000 fans were on their feet, applauding.
Especially when they saw Gianni Vio dash out from the coaching bench to the sideline to issue instructions.
The crowd exploded in thunderous cheers.
Bayswater Chinese fans loved seeing Gianni Vio!
"Not long ago, a British media outlet did a fan survey,"
"Gianni Vio ranked as the most popular coach on Bayswater Chinese's staff—after head coach Yang Cheng, of course."
"Many fans said that every time Vio appears on the sideline, they start anticipating a goal."
"But that's also Chelsea's nightmare."
"The Blues know they're in for trouble when he shows up…"
And just when everyone thought Bayswater Chinese were going to fully capitalize on this free kick—
especially now that Gianni Vio had rushed to the sideline—
everyone assumed they'd at least wait for Pepe and Yaya Touré, the two aerial threats, to move up the field.
Unexpectedly, Di María Had Barely Placed the Ball When—Goal!
Just as Di María placed the ball, Arshavin jogged over. The two quickly exchanged a few words.
Then, the Russian bent down as if to adjust the ball—suddenly, he poked it to Di María and sprinted laterally to his right.
Di María, quick on the uptake, didn't stop the ball. He immediately returned it into Arshavin's path.
Arshavin received the ball just outside the left edge of the penalty area and, with his right foot, chipped a curling ball toward the space in front of the six-yard box.
Džeko initially faked a run to the far post, then sharply cut back toward the center of the six-yard box. As the ball dropped, he launched a header aimed at the bottom left corner of the goal.
The entire move happened so fast, no one had time to react—the ball had already flown into Chelsea's net.
"GOAL!!!"
"Bayswater Chinese with the quick free kick!"
"Arshavin delivers a brilliant through ball, and Džeko finishes it with a close-range header!"
"32nd minute of the first half—Bayswater Chinese strike first!"
The entire stadium erupted into thunderous cheers from the fans.
Chelsea players protested furiously.
But the referee signaled that the quick free kick was legal and the goal stood.
Not only were the fans stunned—even Yang Cheng and his coaching staff were caught off guard.
They hadn't expected the players to take a quick free kick either.
They glanced over at Gianni Vio.
The old Italian calmly walked back to the bench and sat down like some master swordsman returning to seclusion after delivering a perfect strike.
Yang Cheng, Brian Kidd, and the rest of the staff all burst into laughter.
"Gianni!" Yang Cheng shouted with a laugh.
Gianni Vio immediately turned around.
"I'm giving you an extra drumstick after the match!" Yang Cheng shouted.
A drumstick?
What the hell?
The confused look on the Italian's face—if someone had taken a picture, it would've made a perfect meme.
But the expression on Grant's face was even more priceless.
The goal had come out of nowhere—he didn't even have time to react.
…
After conceding the goal, Chelsea started to panic a little.
At the very least, their previously composed defensive setup could no longer be maintained.
At this point, their best-case scenario was to snatch an away goal.
But the Blues had a plan.
Starting from the 35th minute, they began pressing.
They fully utilized Drogba's height—first laying the ball off to the edge of the box for Ballack, who fired a long shot.
Then it was Drogba again with a knock-down header, setting up a charging Lampard for a header on goal, but Neuer caught it securely.
Pepe fouled Lampard outside the box and received a yellow card.
That meant the Portuguese center-back would miss the next leg.
Later, Ballack took a direct free kick and blasted it high.
But just as Chelsea were mounting attacks, in the 43rd minute, Bayswater Chinese won a ball on the right wing.
Lass Diarra intercepted and quickly passed it to Maicon.
The Brazilian burst down the right sideline, breaking through Chelsea's pressing. Then, with a diagonal long pass, he launched the ball toward the left flank.
Both Di María and Ferreira sprinted at full speed.
In the end, the Argentine got there first, reaching Maicon's pass, then nudged it past the onrushing Carvalho, who'd come over to cover. He then whipped in a cross toward the six-yard box.
Džeko again launched into a diving header.
Terry had already been blocked out by Džeko—he couldn't do a thing.
But at the critical moment, Cech rushed off his line and punched the ball away with both hands.
The Chelsea keeper collided hard with both Džeko and Terry—
All three went down.
The ball bounced outside the box.
Arshavin, who had intentionally slowed down earlier, was there to pounce.
He brought the ball down with his chest and, without waiting for Lampard, Makelele, or anyone else to close down, unleashed a fierce shot with his right foot.
The ball flew into the open goal at blistering speed.
"ANOTHER GOAL!!!"
"43rd minute of the first half—two goals in just 11 minutes for Bayswater Chinese!"
"This time it's Arshavin!"
"But a large part of the credit goes to Maicon."
"That long pass from the Brazilian was exquisite."
"Chelsea pushed too far up and got sliced open at the back."
"2–0!"
"Bayswater Chinese now firmly in control of the tie."
…
The first half ended with Bayswater Chinese leading 2–0.
During halftime, Yang Cheng praised the players for their outstanding performance.
But he also pointed out a few issues—not major ones, mostly minor details.
What he stressed for the second half, however, was one thing: Drogba.
For much of the first half, Chelsea were trying to play through the ground and find Drogba directly.
Pepe had done well defensively during that phase.
But in the latter stages, as Chelsea began launching more aerial balls, Pepe's limitations started to show.
To be honest, looking around Europe at the time, there probably wasn't a single center-back who could confidently say they could completely shut down Drogba.
Stronger guys weren't as fast or agile.
Faster, more agile defenders weren't as physically dominant.
And the craziest part?
This giant had decent footwork too—he was aging like fine wine, becoming more dangerous with time.
So how do you defend him?
Yang Cheng figured maybe only a prime Lucio could go head-to-head with Drogba.
As for Pepe, he was still just a bit short of that level.
Yang Cheng specifically reminded the players that Chelsea would go on the offensive in the second half.
For Bayswater Chinese, the key would be to find chances to launch threatening counterattacks.
As long as their counters posed danger, Chelsea wouldn't be able to throw everything forward.
And Yang Cheng's prediction was spot on.
As soon as the second half started, Chelsea launched a full-scale attack.
The match's tempo skyrocketed instantly—both sides entered high-speed mode.
Chelsea's entire offense revolved around Drogba.
First, he set up Malouda for a long shot that threatened Bayswater Chinese's goal.
Then Anelka received a pass from Drogba, shook off Leighton Baines, and fired just over the bar.
The most dangerous moment came in the 54th minute.
Ashley Cole overlapped and crossed into the box.
Pepe and Drogba both went up for it, but neither could get the upper hand.
Thiago Silva reacted quickest and cleared the ball.
Then came a long shot from Ballack, and another from Lampard…
In the first ten or so minutes of the second half, Chelsea took six shots.
That was more than they had managed in the entire first half.
But Bayswater Chinese weren't pushovers.
In the 58th minute, Arshavin broke past Lampard during a counter and played a through ball.
Maicon burst down the right side, charging all the way into Chelsea's penalty area.
With a feint, he shook off Terry, cut inside, and blasted a shot—
Cech dove and saved it!
The shot had real venom behind it!
Everyone broke into a cold sweat.
Especially Chelsea.
Only then did they realize—Maicon was Brazilian.
Even though his style looked very "European," a Brazilian was still a Brazilian.
Give him a sliver of sunlight, and he'll light up the world.
After that, Chelsea dialed back their attacking intensity slightly.
But Bayswater Chinese remained alert.
Grant made the first substitution.
In the 70th minute, he brought on Joe Cole for Ballack.
It was a move to boost midfield passing and dribbling ability.
Yang Cheng didn't make any changes.
The entire front and midfield setup of the team was still running smoothly.
The Only Real Concern at the Back Was Pepe
There weren't many issues in defense—except for Pepe.
Carrying a yellow card, Pepe was clearly a bit hesitant when defending, especially when marking Drogba.
But there wasn't much Yang Cheng could do about that.
Right now, the only player on Bayswater Chinese's roster who could barely keep Drogba in check was Pepe.
Thiago Silva had great defensive ability, but he lacked height and was at a clear disadvantage against Drogba.
Koscielny and José Fonte also couldn't stop him.
So, Yang Cheng had Yaya Touré drop back a little to help support Pepe.
The match returned to the same kind of equilibrium as in the first half—
only now, the roles had reversed.
Chelsea patiently tried to organize threatening attacks, while Bayswater Chinese focused on solid defending and counterattacks.
Most of the battle was taking place around the midfield line.
Even though Chelsea had Drogba as their aerial target, they still couldn't find a good way past Bayswater Chinese's defense.
By the 80th minute, Yang Cheng brought on Gareth Bale for Di María, letting him make some runs down the left.
Time ticked away quickly.
Suddenly, it was the 88th minute.
Just as it looked like the match was nearing its end, Chelsea won the ball in their own half and launched a quick counter.
A long ball from the back was sent toward the right side just outside Bayswater Chinese's penalty area.
Drogba charged forward alone. He used his body to shield the ball from Pepe, controlled it with his chest, then laid it off to Malouda.
The two had developed excellent chemistry back when they played in Ligue 1.
After joining Chelsea, Malouda continued to be Drogba's most reliable partner.
Without stopping the ball, the Frenchman returned it to Drogba.
The Ivorian, back still pressed against Pepe, spun around and controlled the ball—then immediately tried to break through.
In a normal situation, Pepe might have gone in with a strong tackle.
But now, with a yellow card hanging over him, he was hesitant.
Plus, Thiago Silva was already rushing over to help.
Just as it looked like the two were about to double up and trap Drogba,
the Ivorian suddenly unleashed a thunderous strike.
From about 23 meters out, Drogba's shot flew toward Bayswater Chinese's goal like a missile.
Neuer had been sharp all game, reacting quickly and diving to the side.
He got a hand to it—
but couldn't stop it.
The ball came at him too fast and too hard. It deflected off his hand slightly but still smashed into the net.
1–2!
Only then did the entire stadium erupt with gasps and shouts.
On the visitors' bench, Grant was celebrating like he'd just met Santa Claus—pumped with joy.
Yang Cheng, Brian Kidd, and the rest could only shake their heads in frustration.
"That's Drogba for you," Yang Cheng couldn't help but say.
That kind of shot—there's no stopping it.
If you had to nitpick, maybe you could say Pepe hesitated on the tackle.
But with a yellow already in his pocket, a reckless move could've meant a red.
More importantly, it was a long-range effort.
Who would've thought that in the 88th minute, Drogba could still unleash a rocket like that?
"In the next leg, Pepe will be suspended—who's going to mark Drogba?" Brian Kidd sighed.
Yang Cheng nodded.
But there was no way around it.
"Thankfully," Yang Cheng muttered, "there's only one Drogba in the whole world."
…
In the end, Bayswater Chinese beat Chelsea 2–1 at home.
After the match, many media outlets agreed that it had been a closely contested battle.
Bayswater Chinese had a slight edge, but Chelsea were far from out of the fight.
Judging by the first half, the home team had dominated,
but the second half was clearly in Chelsea's favor.
"Drogba's goal kept Chelsea's hopes alive."
"The second leg at Stamford Bridge will be a true clash of titans!"
Coincidentally, in the other semifinal, Manchester United drew 0–0 away at Bayern Munich.
Over 90 minutes, neither side scored.
Hitzfeld was known for crafting airtight defenses, while Ferguson's United were equally famed for their solid backline and sharp counterattacks.
In the end, neither team found the net.
As The Times put it:
"In the Champions League semifinals, all four teams are clearly playing with extra caution."
"Among them, Bayswater Chinese stand out for their unique pass-and-move style."
"But going to Stamford Bridge, Yang Cheng's team faces a minefield."
Chelsea manager Avram Grant publicly praised Drogba's goal in the post-match press conference.
The Israeli coach believed that Drogba's strike had laid the groundwork for a comeback in the return leg.
"We will overturn Bayswater Chinese at Stamford Bridge!"
Especially with Pepe suspended—
that was a huge blow to Bayswater Chinese.
Media outlets began speculating on possible solutions,
but most agreed: Drogba was in red-hot form and almost impossible to stop right now.
As for title odds, all four teams were nearly neck and neck.
Manchester United and Bayswater Chinese held a slight edge,
but Chelsea and Bayern Munich were close behind.
This ultra-competitive Champions League semifinal had captured the attention of fans all over the world.
…
Back in the Premier League, Round 37 had arrived.
Manchester United were up against West Ham United.
Just three minutes in, Ronaldo opened the scoring.
In the 24th minute, he struck again to make it 2–0.
In the 26th minute, Ronaldo assisted Tevez to score the third.
Ferguson made early substitutions at halftime to conserve energy for the second leg.
Bayswater Chinese played at home against Tottenham Hotspur.
Yang Cheng also rotated his squad.
In the 16th minute, Walcott provided an assist from the right wing, and Lewandowski scored.
After that, Bayswater Chinese switched to a defensive counterattacking setup.
It was a low-effort strategy—
and with speedsters like Gareth Bale and Walcott on the flanks, Spurs didn't dare push up too high.
In the second half, Yang Cheng used all three substitutions early to rest key players.
In the end, they won 1–0 at home against Spurs.
It was Lewandowski's second straight match scoring the lone goal—6 points from two 1–0 wins.
The Polish striker had shown massive improvement in the second half of the season.
…
Stamford Bridge, London.
Second leg of the Champions League semifinals.
Bayswater Chinese traveled to face Chelsea, entering the match with a 2–1 lead on aggregate.
Both sides made tactical adjustments.
Chelsea replaced Anelka with Joe Cole, putting him in the starting right wing slot.
They also subbed in Essien for Ferreira, who had struggled in the first leg.
Bayswater Chinese, on the other hand, replaced the suspended Pepe with Koscielny.
As everyone speculated how Bayswater Chinese would handle the pressure of an away game,
Yang Cheng dropped a bombshell right from the kickoff.
Bayswater Chinese opened with their trademark high-tempo press,
launching an aggressive, suffocating high press to take the fight straight to Chelsea.
The Blues didn't back down either.
Playing at home and trailing on aggregate, they were eager to equalize as soon as possible.
The match immediately exploded into a fast-paced, end-to-end battle.
The first shot of the game came from a midfield setup by Joe Cole—Ballack played a through ball.
Drogba, from almost the same spot as his goal in the first leg, fired a long-range shot.
This time, Neuer made the save and pushed it out for a corner.
Chelsea's momentum surged.
But in the 10th minute, Di María tracked back and stole the ball from Joe Cole—then launched a lightning-fast counterattack.
The Argentine Charged Forward at Blistering Speed
In an instant, he had crossed the halfway line and reached Chelsea's 30-meter zone.
Bayswater Chinese's front three worked in perfect harmony.
As soon as Essien stepped up to press, Džeko immediately made a diagonal run toward the left side of the penalty area.
But Di María didn't pass to him.
Instead, he played a horizontal ball across the pitch.
Arshavin sprinted forward through the center to receive it.
Just as Arshavin took the pass, Džeko reached the left side of the arc at the top of the box.
Carvalho was tracking him relentlessly.
But the Bosnian striker suddenly came to a stop, glanced at Arshavin, then burst forward again—this time diagonally toward the penalty spot, raising his hand to call for the ball.
His raised arm was like a beacon.
Arshavin had been waiting for it.
The Russian caught up to the pass just before Lampard and Ballack, and without taking a touch, threaded a perfect through ball forward.
The ball zipped past Makelele, slipped by Terry, and rolled into the box.
Džeko arrived on cue, controlled it with his left foot near the penalty spot, then fired a low shot with his right.
The ball followed a straight path, drilling into the bottom-right corner of Chelsea's goal.
Cech dove desperately, but he couldn't stop it.
On the touchline, Yang Cheng leapt into the air the moment the goal went in, overcome with excitement.
Brian Kidd and the rest of the staff rushed out of their seats, shouting in joy.
"Just ten minutes into the match, a lightning-fast counterattack from Bayswater Chinese!"
"A brilliant link-up from the front three—Arshavin with the pinpoint through ball, and Džeko stayed composed to finish it off!"
"1–0!"
"4–2 on aggregate!"
"But most importantly—it's an away goal!"
"Chelsea scored a precious away goal in the first leg, but now Bayswater Chinese have one too."
"The rest of the match is going to be very tough for Chelsea."
"Do the Blues push forward and risk conceding again?"
…
To everyone's surprise, after conceding, Chelsea chose to sit back and defend.
Meanwhile, the away side, Bayswater Chinese, kept pressing aggressively up the pitch.
Yang Cheng's team repeatedly threatened Cech's goal.
Clearly, Grant had his own considerations.
Yes, Chelsea needed two goals to draw level—
but if Bayswater Chinese scored another away goal, the Blues would need four.
For a team not known for firepower, that would be a mountain to climb.
Faced with a tough dilemma, Yang Cheng went all in—pressing high and attacking.
Grant opted for a counterattacking setup.
There was no right or wrong in the choice—only whether it led to victory.
Starting Koscielny in place of the suspended Pepe sent a clear message from Yang Cheng:
they were here to attack, even away from home.
They were going to push their defensive line high.
How to stop Drogba?
They weren't going to.
Yang Cheng's strategy was to push the line up, let Drogba go for the first ball,
and have Bayswater Chinese focus entirely on controlling the second ball and cutting off Chelsea's follow-ups.
And the plan worked brilliantly.
Though Drogba remained dangerous, Malouda stayed too wide,
Joe Cole was more of a dribbler and passer,
and with Bayswater Chinese pressing hard in midfield,
Lampard and Ballack didn't dare surge forward recklessly.
This was evident all throughout the first half.
Chelsea couldn't create much with their counters.
Instead, Bayswater Chinese created multiple close calls in front of Chelsea's goal.
Unfortunately, none resulted in a second goal.
And once Chelsea locked down their defense, breaking through became much harder.
After switching sides in the second half, Bayswater Chinese kept up their proactive approach,
sticking to the same tactics as the first half.
Chelsea made their first substitution in the 55th minute—
Anelka came on for Joe Cole.
This put them back into their preferred shape, giving Drogba a secondary partner up front.
The change paid off quickly.
In the 62nd minute, Drogba received a long ball on the counter,
shielded it with his back to goal, and laid it off.
Anelka controlled the ball, broke into the right side of the box, and fired a shot.
Neuer reacted quickly and parried it.
But no one expected Drogba to come storming in,
smashing the rebound straight into the net.
1–1!
That made it two goals for Drogba across both legs!
Stamford Bridge erupted, chanting his name.
The entire stadium was celebrating.
Grant made a second substitution:
Kalou came on for Lampard, further boosting their attack.
With thirty minutes to go, Chelsea needed at least one more goal.
But Yang Cheng didn't panic.
What he had on the pitch was the strongest lineup he could field.
At this point, all he could do was trust his players.
Time kept ticking away.
Chelsea weren't just fighting Bayswater Chinese anymore—
they were racing the clock.
The pressure on the Blues kept building.
In the 76th minute, Chelsea tried another long pass into the box for Drogba.
Yaya Touré headed it clear from the edge of the area.
Modrić brought it down on his chest.
Facing Lampard, he feinted left, then spun right.
He was knocked off balance by Lampard's physical challenge and slipped—
but before falling, the Croatian midfielder managed to toe the ball forward to Arshavin.
The Russian burst in from the right half-space, shook off Ballack, and surged forward.
Makelele rushed in, but the fearless Arshavin didn't back down.
He feinted a move to the right, then cut sharply left, finding a narrow seam past Makelele.
Then he slipped a perfect through ball with his left foot.
Inside the box, Džeko used his body to hold off Carvalho,
received the pass with his back to goal, turned left, and struck with his left foot.
The entire sequence was smooth and fluid.
By the time Cech dove, the ball had already slipped inside the left post.
The entire Stamford Bridge crowd froze in shock.
All you could hear were the shouts of joy from the Bayswater Chinese players.
Even the substitutes stormed out of the dugout,
rushing to the touchline and piling onto Džeko and his teammates in celebration.
"2–1!!"
"Džeko again!!"
"At the critical moment, the Bosnian striker bags a brace!"
"Arshavin's dribbling past two defenders was phenomenal—
but Džeko's control, turn, and finish were just as stunning!"
"2–1, aggregate 4–2!"
"Chelsea's situation just got much worse!"
"They now need to score three more goals to overturn the tie!"
"In many ways, Džeko's goal just killed the game!"
"Yang Cheng's eye for talent is terrifying!"
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