For the trip to London, Rafael Benitez and the coaching staff produced a lot of documentation about Chelsea.

Includes all league and FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League match reports, player data, and an in-depth analysis of what the two teams did well and where they failed.

The coach's office alone fills the desk, and the opponent is studied in great detail.

Of course, it's not just Liverpool, it's Chelsea who believe in Mourinho as well.

The two semi-finals are not only about the millions of euros in prize money, but also about the finals and the championship, about the potential income of more than 100 million euros, and about the more than 10 million euros in prize money for winning the championship.

If this is to run a company, a business with a turnover of more than one billion, which company is not exhausted to study?

Even, in order to be able to better prepare for this game, Benitez also made special arrangements in the players' rooms.

Yang Yang and Aurelio were placed in the same room.

It is clear that both of them will start, one as a left winger and the other at left wing-back.

The reason why they were arranged in a room was to hope that they would have a chance to study how to take out their opponents in the game.

The night in London was peaceful, just like the previous away games.

Yang Yang chatted with Su Ye on the phone for a while.

She and Curlan and other female dependents also came to the away stadium with the team, and they also lived in the same hotel with the team, but they were not allowed to visit each other.

Afterwards, Yang Yang chatted with Aurelio for a while, and then fell asleep.

At the super training ground, he simulated Chelsea's central midfield defence for training and familiarised himself for an evening.

He hopes to be able to perform better tomorrow at Stamford Bridge.

But what he didn't know was that something had happened in the room next to him.

It wasn't until he woke up the next morning, washed up, and walked out of the room that he noticed something was wrong.

……

"What's going on?"

Yang Yang looked at Gerald in front of him in surprise, and his first reaction was to laugh.

Gerald was wearing a pair of pajamas, his hair was a little messy, and he looked very listless.

And the reason why Yang Yang could see at a glance that he had a problem was because of his red and swollen lips.

If you have watched the movie "East Becomes West", you must have an impression of Tony Leung's sausage mouth inside, and now Gerald is almost like this, but it is not as exaggerated as the redness and swelling, but it is very obvious.

This made Yang Yang want to say to him, brother, you really look like Tony Leung!

Although, Gerrard may not know who Tony Leung is.

"Did you kiss something dirty?" Carragher asked with a laugh.

The people around him couldn't help laughing.

Gerald almost flew up and kicked him to death, but in the end he just glared at his friend viciously, sulking.

"Are you alright?" Yang Yang walked over and asked with concern.

Gerald looked up at Yang Yang, his bloodshot eyes full of resentment, "Are you okay?" Tossed all night. ”

Everyone immediately looked at Crouch, and their eyes were full of questions, Peter, how can you kiss Steven like this?

The England highman was innocent, "I don't know, I fell asleep early." ”

"He slept like a dead pig." Gerald said quietly.

At this time, the team doctor, Mark Waller, walked over with head coach Rafael Benitez and Yesterdam, apparently briefing the coaching staff on Gerrard's current situation, and everyone knew what was going on.

It's too much pressure!

Professional players are also a high-pressure profession, not only to face opponents, but also to face the fans in the stands, as well as the audience in front of the TV.

But even these players who have been kicked out will inevitably continue to struggle with pressure and anxiety.

So, the abuse of sleeping pills has always been a very serious problem for professional footballers.

This is the reason why Yang Yang's sleep is angry and resentful wherever he goes.

The big war is imminent, and it is a sworn enemy of the same country, Gerrard is the captain of the team, to say that there is no anxiety, not much pressure, that is impossible.

Especially in recent years, the England national team has never been able to find an effective solution to the problems between Gerrard and Lampard, and Gerrard must be bent on proving himself.

As a result, his soul is very strong and can withstand everything, but his body is starting to be a little overwhelmed.

Last night, in the middle of the night, Gerald suddenly felt unwell, his lips were red and swollen, and there was pus inside, so he went to find Mark Waller.

After the team doctor diagnosed, he was prescribed painkillers, disinfection and antibiotics, hoping to allow him to temporarily remove the redness and swelling, and then check it after returning from the game, but he didn't expect that instead of going away, the pain was even more severe, so he had no choice but to go to the dentist in London overnight.

'Maba, that dentist must be a Chelsea fan, I can smell the smell of Stamford Bridge on him, he deliberately tossed me so that I couldn't play tonight, it must be!' Gerald grumbled.

Yang Yang and the others looked at each other, and they couldn't help but laugh in their hearts.

Steven Gerrard has been looking forward to this game for a long time and has been preparing for it since he was drawn to Chelsea.

Because, two years ago, that is, in 05, Liverpool also stepped on Chelsea's corpse in the semi-finals to reach the final.

That time, Liverpool won the final and staged the Istanbul miracle.

And whether it is luck or not, someone deliberately arranged it this way, in this year's Champions League semi-finals, Liverpool met Chelsea again, which made Gerrard not have a reverie?

Yang Yang still clearly remembers that shortly after he arrived at Liverpool, Xavi Alonso told him that Gerrard, a fortune teller, had said that he had a hunch that Liverpool would reach the final this year.

"Boss, don't worry, I'll go to the swelling in a while, I will definitely be able to play tonight's game, it's a big deal to take a little painkiller." Gerald said with great determination, and his desire to fight was very strong.

Benitez turned his head to look at Mark Waller, the team doctor looked at Gerrard, and then at the manager, looking a little dilemma, "He's even having a bit of a hard time eating now, besides, it's not good to eat too much of painkillers." ”

Drug abuse, this is an old problem for the vast majority of professional players.

After Yang Yang came to the Premier League, he found that in the Premier League, the problem of drug abuse was even more serious.

Of course, Premier League players are generally more tough, and they are born with a bloody nature that cannot be left in the line of fire with minor injuries.

"The abscess is gone, and the mess in my mouth is cleared, but I still need to take a break."

"But I think I can!" Gerard said with certainty, "I sleep in the middle of the day, and I will be refreshed again in the afternoon." ”

No one in the team will have doubts about the bloodiness of the Liverpool captain, but ......

…………

…………

Benitez ultimately opted to start Steven Gerrard.

It may not be a very wise choice, but it should be the right one.

The Premier League team is very special, and unlike Ajax, where Yang Yang played before, the Premier League team, especially like Liverpool, is a team that places a lot of emphasis on tradition and spirit.

For example, they can take everything from the locker room from decades ago and keep it as it is now, even if it's small, outdated, and doesn't have all those modern facilities, but it doesn't matter.

For Liverpudlians, it's something they've been holding on to all these years.

It's like the Hillsborough Massacre Memorial outside Anfield, even after so many years, they are still trying to find a truth and never give up.

From this team, to its players, to its fans, from their bodies, words and deeds, and even in their blood, you can feel a very unique strength.

If it were in any other team, the manager would never have allowed a start like Gerrard, but at Liverpool, Benitez agreed, and all the other players felt normal, as if it would be strange if Benitez refused.

Yang Yang has always been a very calm and rational person, and he didn't feel anything unusual about Gerald's matter.

Perhaps, from his first day at Liverpool, Gerrard has been there.

Whether it's home or away, injury or fitness, anytime it's a Liverpool game, he's always there, either in the pitch or in the stands.

As for Gerrard's play, Yang Yang just stepped forward and said with concern, "I can't stand it, remember to say it quickly." ”

"Rest assured, I'll hold out until the whistle blows at the end of the game!" Gerald said, looking up at his chest.

Everyone else stepped forward.

……

Gerald should have rejoiced, for the redness on his lips had subsided after a nap at noon.

This allows him to avoid playing with a sausage mouth, otherwise it will definitely be a big laughing stock for the whole world.

So, the captain of Liverpool couldn't help but show off to his teammates with some pride, "Look, I'm right, right? ”

Everyone immediately ridiculed again.

Yang Yang smiled bitterly, although he couldn't understand this idea of the English player, he also fully respected it.

As Xavi Alonso has said, this kind of thing is the norm in the Premier League, and foreign players either accept and integrate into them.

If you really can't accept and integrate, then you can only leave.

And this should be what Van Basten said, the most important thing to move to an unfamiliar team and league is to actively integrate into local life, so that it is possible to be successful.

……

The team arrived at Stamford Bridge two hours early.

Chelsea arrived around the same time.

Two teams who know each other well are about to face off in the Champions League semi-finals.

The match not only captured the attention of all fans across the UK, but also around the world.

Liverpool have been in excellent league form by beating Chelsea home and away twice this season, but none of that will be of any use to tonight's game.

Before the game, everyone also felt that it was impossible for either side to come up with any surprise tricks in this game.

Whether it is Mourinho or Benitez, it is impossible to give the opponent too many chances, and the key is to see who has the better ability to grasp the opportunity and who makes fewer mistakes.