"We have no choice but to fight them to the end!"

In the home team's dressing room, Simeone shouted as he looked at the panting players in front of him.

Simeone's voice wafted through the dressing room, but every player had a serious expression.

1:2, it's a delicate scoreline.

Only one goal behind, it seems like it can be easily chased back.

Considering that the opponent is Chelsea, the difference of this one goal may be close at hand.

But Simeone had to keep attacking.

Not just because they were one goal behind, but also because Chelsea had already scored two goals at the Calderón Stadium, two valuable away goals.

At present, the Champions League knockout stage still uses the away goal system, and sometimes a crucial away goal may determine the balance of victory and defeat between the two legs.

For example, in the Champions League round of 16 last season, Arsenal drew 3:3 with Monaco on aggregate, but was eliminated because they scored one less away goal than their opponents.

Now, Chelsea have two away goals in their hands, and even if they don't score a goal in the next second half, it's a big advantage back in their home stadium.

After all, that means Chelsea could progress to the final even if Chelsea lose 1-0 to Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge.

Then again, there is no team that can win at Chelsea's home ground this season.

No, not even a team that draws, Chelsea's home record is still a terrible total win!

Therefore, in Simeone's view, this second half of the game is already a decisive battle.

And the way of the decisive battle, of course, is to continue the first half of the mutual stabbing game, with unremitting running and attacking, to break Chelsea's goal as much as possible!

Of course, Simeone also knows that there is a relatively high risk in doing so.

The reason is very simple, Atletico Madrid's attacking system requires more physical effort.

Their players in many positions are not as good as Chelsea in terms of individual ability, so to play a decent attack will have to run more, fight more and be more aggressive in defending.

With such a fast-paced game, the physical exertion of Atletico Madrid's players is staggering.

The main thing is that Simeone didn't expect Pan Yi to be so rigid.

According to his assumption, Pan Yi should still play Chelsea's possession advantage when playing away from home, and then slow down the tempo a little, control the ball at his feet and then organize the attack.

But Pan Yi came up directly with a set of 3-2-4-1 attacks.

Moreover, when Atletico Madrid equalized, it was clear that they had played with momentum and kicked harder.

If this were to be changed to any other head coach, he would often adopt a more conservative strategy away from home, first stabilize his position and then try to counterattack, but Pan Yi is biased.

He still let his disciples attack against each other.

It can be said that the first half finally evolved into this kind of fast-paced offensive and defensive battle, which Simeone did not want to see.

This is also the "Yang Scheme" that Pan Yi put on the table.

Let's go against each other and see whose physical strength can last until the end!

And no matter which coach knows, Chelsea have been the most physical team in Europe with the support of Pintus and Vorfath.

They also have the youngest squad in the whole of Europe, and with a player like N'Golo Kante, they simply can't be dragged down.

On the other hand, Atletico Madrid, although they have always been known for daring to fight and fighting tough battles, the human body has limits after all.

With endless running and scrambling, Atletico Madrid players will always show fatigue.

In the famous Madrid derby Champions League final in Pan Yi's previous life, Atletico Madrid was only taken away by Real Madrid because they were bored in the last minute because they were bored with Real Madrid.

Of course, Simeone didn't know that this game existed, but he knew how long his disciple could hold on.

Only now, Atletico Madrid has no way back.

"In the second half, we only had one way, keep attacking! We're going to try to equalise or reverse in the first 30 minutes, or even the first 20 minutes! ”

Simeone is well aware that if the pace of the first half continues, the team will only be physically fit for 20 to 30 minutes at most.

Of course, it's not that Atletico can't run at all after 30 minutes, but they can't maintain that level, and many areas of attack and defense may not be in place.

No matter how high the technical and tactical level of football games is, they must be supported by physical fitness.

Once there is no physical fitness, everything is the moon in the water, the flower in the mirror, it is impossible to play an effective cooperation, and sometimes even a technical move may be deformed.

But the problem is that if you can't score in the first 20 minutes or 30 minutes, it will enter "Pan Yi time".

When the time comes......

——

'Atletico played very well today, but we played even better.

In the away team's locker room, Pan Yi first praised his opponents, but more importantly, praised his players.

The enemy is strong, but you are stronger, and this is really strong!

In the first half, possession between the two sides was basically five-to-five, which is not a very conventional comparison for the "stereotype" of Atletico Madrid or Chelsea.

After all, under normal circumstances, Atletico Madrid will have less possession than their opponents, while Chelsea will be on the high side.

But today's data shows that Atletico Madrid has the courage to press out against Chelsea, and they are really good.

In addition, the two sides are also very close in terms of pass success rate, both reaching more than 80%, which also ensures the fluency of the first half of the game.

In terms of shots, Atletico Madrid had a total of seven shots on goal in the first half, three on target and one goal;

Chelsea had more chances on goal, with eight, five on target and two goals.

That is, throughout the first half, both teams contributed a total of fifteen shots on goal, and it only took an average of three minutes to get one shot on goal!

It was this fast-paced pace and plenty of shots that made the first half quite exciting, and both teams showed the level of a Champions League semi-final team.

Or rather, that's the level of the top teams in Europe.

For Pan Yi, although he predicted that Simeone would uncharacteristically launch an onslaught against himself, he didn't expect Simeone's lineup to do so well.

Maybe this also has something to do with Pan Yi's crossing?

Since Pep Guardiola can take inspiration from Pan Yi's tactics to build his own lineup, Simeone, who is also a "ball idiot", can do the same.

It is precisely because of this that Simeone has given full play to the characteristics of his players to form this set of offensive firepower with Atletico Madrid's characteristics.

Here, once again, Griezmann's role has to be mentioned.

Since he was bought by Simeone from Real Sociedad to Atletico, he has been growing into a world-class star step by step, and he has also developed from a wide player to a central one.

Antoine Griezmann's style of play is also unique, and what makes him special is his unique technical characteristics in football.

Compared to other top attackers, Griezmann is limited by his physical attributes and has a weak foundation against opponents, but he can rely on his solid fundamentals and excellent sense of space transformation to contribute to the team's attack.

He's good on the ball individually, but he's not going to waste his time on the fast break.

As a frontcourt tandem, Antoine Griezmann is able to keep the ball firmly at his feet and distribute it to other attacking players.

As a goalkeeper, his shooting accuracy and goal-scoring feel are outstanding.

In the penalty area, Griezmann not only has a fox-like sense of smell, can find the gap in the opponent's defense and quickly insert it, but also has the best shooting skills, his power is accurate, he judges the landing point and the reaction speed is excellent.

A top player must have excellent physical coordination, allowing him to quickly stretch his body to try difficult side hooks when facing the incoming ball, although he is not tall and not very strong, but he is also characteristic of scoring without the ball in the penalty area.

Antoine Griezmann's final pass was also impressive, as he was a playmaker in the midfield position during his time with the French national team, and his trademark kick and excellent spatial vision gave him a consistent conversion rate of dangerous balls.

He was also known for his ability to break through quickly during his time at Real Sociedad, so he was also a reliable threat set-piece maker.

Atletico Madrid's Griezmann style of play is dominated by a defensive counter-attacking core style of play, and the ball and movement are never delayed.

On this basis, Griezmann's defensive attitude and ability to intersperse without the ball have been greatly improved under Simeone's tutelage.

In addition, in today's attacking style, he also showed his ability to run laterally and tear through the defensive line in depth, and after having center forward Torres by his side to help him share some fulcrum functions, he also maintained Atletico's high-output style of play.

This shows that the smart French striker can always be a threat to his opponents on the field as long as he reduces unnecessary consumption on the field and focuses on his core competitiveness.

In fact, almost all of Atletico Madrid's most threatening attacks in the first half came from Antoine Griezmann, and the Frenchman effectively linked up the team's midfield, which should be said to be very effective.

'So, in the second half we had to force Griezmann to fight us hand-to-hand.'

After briefly analyzing the situation between the enemy and us, Pan Yi looked at Kante with a smile: "How is it, are you ready to catch up with your French countryman?" ”

Kante nodded without hesitation, his eyes visibly shining with confidence.

He understood that the boss was telling him to watch Griezmann and limit his play.

It's not the first time he's done this kind of work.

As Chelsea's toughest ball-grabbing machine, the task of turning off the engine is up to N'Golo Kante as soon as there is an engine player in the opposition squad that needs to be restricted.

As a teammate of the French national team, Kante is very familiar with Griezmann's technical characteristics, so Kante is also confident.

"After this fast-paced battle in the first half, we all felt a little bit struggling, so they couldn't bear it even more."

Pan Yi continued: "As the most important attacking core of Atletico Madrid's midfield, Griezmann is responsible for more tasks with the ball, and his physical exertion will only be greater. ”

"So, N'Golo, your job is to entangle him so that he can't get the ball comfortably. Even if you have the ball, make him uncomfortable and let him spend as much energy as possible on your confrontation. ”

Seeing Kante nod again, Pan Yi turned his gaze to the other players in front of him.

'The second half was the real test. We've scored two goals away from home, so Atletico will try to get the goal and equalise. And we have only one goal, and that is to further expand our lead. ”

"Based on the distance they ran and the level of confrontation in the first half, the technical department has given me an estimate of how long they can maintain a high-intensity attack for a maximum of 30 minutes."

"And we ......" Pan Yi said this, deliberately paused and asked, "How long do you think you can hold on?" ”

"We can hold on to the whole game, boss!" Captain Terry stood up.

David Lewis also said, "Yes, we must outlast them!" ”

The players all laughed.

Pan Yi also smiled: "According to the data, you can maintain the same intensity and play for another 40 minutes." Not much, just 10 minutes more than them. ”

David Louis muttered, "10 minutes, that's a lot." It's enough to cool again......"

The laughter in the locker room was louder.

Pan Yi pressed his hand down, and everyone quieted down again.

"Considering there were only 45 minutes in the second half, that extra 10 minutes at full capacity was really enough."

"But I'm hoping to squeeze it a little bit more and make that time shorter."

"In the second half, we had to speed up the pace of the game from the start, and we had to pull it faster than in the first half, and we had to drag Atletico Madrid into the quagmire of attrition, and then use our physical advantage to take out the opponent in one fell swoop."

"I know it's going to be very hard, but trust me, it's harder than us. When you feel like you can't move on the pitch, then you look at the opponents in front of you, they are even more unbearable than you. ”

'And when they can't stand it, we score goals and extend the lead. At this time, we slow down the pace and distribute our remaining physical energy reasonably. ”

"But at that point, if Atletico wants to fight back again, they will find that they have no strength."

"Come on, let's win this game! As long as they actually win away from home and go back to our Stamford Bridge, they will be out of play! ”

Everyone applauded and rushed out of the locker room shouting!

——

Both sides returned to the pitch.

The two teams swapped venues and set up their respective lineups.

Amid the cheers of the Calderón fans, the referee also blew the whistle for the second half.

It was Atletico Madrid who kicked off first, but Chelsea's overall formation was pushing forward quickly.

This is the Chelsea players are following Pan Yi's instructions and taking the initiative to pull up the rhythm of the game!

Atletico Madrid were quick to get the ball back but Chelsea were quick to press overall, with the attacking five up front pressing first into the Atletico defence.

This is the characteristic feeling of pressure caused by the 3-2-4-1 formation when pressing.

One center, two forwards and two wingers, suddenly pressing over, no matter which team's defenders will be a little pressure.

At this time, Godin took the ball, and after he passed the ball to Savic, Savage directly passed forward with a big foot.

If he slows down any longer, Harry Kane will kill him!

And forcing the opponent to kick the opponent in this way is exactly the purpose of Chelsea's forward pressing.

At the back, Virgil van Dijk snatched the first spot, heading back into midfield and N'Golo Kante picked up the ball.

'N'Golo Kante has been outstanding in his two seasons at Chelsea and he formed a central midfield partnership with David Luiz today, which is both offensive and defensive.

'Look at the combination of the two on this occasion, the ball is at the feet of N'Golo Kante again and then moves to the left.

'Gnabry got the ball and Felipe stepped forward to defend.'

"Beautiful, Gnabry took advantage of the change of tempo, got away from Felipe nimbly, and cut inside with the ball."

"Gnabry hits the door!"

'The German's sudden long-range shot from the edge of the box was of very high quality, but Oblak reacted quickly and was very focused. Apparently he had been aware of Gnabry's coming hand and saved the ball in time. ”

Atletico Madrid sent in a goal kick just past the halfway line, Griezmann tried to protect the ball, but it was directly destroyed by N'Golo Kante, who was close to the defender behind him. The ball was passed to the back of the right and to Virgil van Dijk. ”

'The ball was still at the feet of Chelsea, Van Dijk went forward, passed to N'Golo Kante, and then Van Dijk.

'Virgil van Dijk was very active and bold at right centre-back today. Bench B runs out of space and Van Dijk passes again. ”

"Seat B makes a through pass, Lukaku bursts into the penalty area......"

"Oops, the last shot didn't work, and Oblak showed great courage this time and saved Atletico Madrid again."

'Since the start of the second half, Chelsea have had two dangerous shots in quick succession.

Chelsea have been attacking fiercely during this period, and Atletico Madrid is in danger in front of goal.

And Atletico's offensive often becomes dragging after handing the ball to the feet of Griezmann, the core of his attack.

That's because Kante is in hot pursuit of Antoine Griezmann.

Unlike some defenders who spit fragrance when they mark or make small gestures to affect the opponent's mood, Kante always has a slight smile on his face.

It just so happens that he is the most popular player in the French national team again, and there is even some communication between him and Griezmann.

"You're just staring at me like that, huh? Don't stare at it, my worth will fall if this continues, and my salary will not be high when I renew the contract. ”

"No, my boss wants me to keep an eye on it."

"Well, I'll treat you to dinner after the kick, eat your favorite French food, and go to the best restaurant in Madrid."

"Really?"

"Really, when did I lie to you?"

"Uh...... Can it be discounted? ”

“…… You can also. ”

"The main thing is that my favorite food is dragon food now. Let me tell you, my teammate David Lewis has a particularly delicious Dragon Country dish in the restaurant, called Gong Bao Chicken...... Wait, I'll break the ball first! ”

Kante then leaned his body close to Griezmann and stretched out his foot to break the ball again.

After taking the ball away and passing it to his team-mates, Kante returned to Griezmann: "Where did you just go? ”

"......" Griezmann was speechless, "forget it, let's play football well......"

After the start of the second half, the two teams played very fast at a very fast pace, attacking and defending each other.

The game also continued the excitement of the first half, and it was even more tense and exciting than the first half.

However, in a slight departure from the first half, when the stats were similar for both sides, Chelsea began to move away from Atletico Madrid in terms of the number of shots on goal.

Take Lukaku at the top as an example, although Atletico also sent captain Godin to follow him, Lukaku still got three chances to shoot with his feet.

Add to that the shots of Bench B, Gnabry and Eden Hazard, and in just a dozen minutes, Chelsea have had six shots on goal!

This frequency is even higher than in the first half.

Had it not been for Oblak's extraordinary performance, Atletico's goal might have been breached again.

And what about the shot on Atletico's side?

Or zero.

After Griezmann was firmly contained, the impact on Atletico's attack was too great.

And after the continuous hand-to-hand combat with his fellow countryman Kante, Griezmann, who was not good at fighting, also suffered a serious decline in physical fitness.

At times, even when he could get out of the space to pass the ball, his accuracy dropped a lot, and he was often easily picked up by Chelsea players.

So, while Atletico and Chelsea still seem to be playing well on the pitch and looking evenly matched in possession, the actual threat they pose is far from the same.

Faced with this situation, Simeone didn't have a particularly good solution.

He can't replace Griezmann now, right?

This is tantamount to self-defeating martial arts.

He can only hope that the players on the field can calm down in time, stabilize their position, control the ball, and then slow down the tempo a little bit to play the success rate of attacking.

Antoine Griezmann, in particular, has the potential to change the situation on the pitch with a flash of inspiration at a critical moment.

Simeone even thought of his fellow Argentine countryman, Messi.

Although Messi is one of his biggest enemies in La Liga, Simeone has never hidden his admiration for Messi.

There is a famous scene when Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona, Torres scored, but Simeone was expressionless.

The reporter asked him why he didn't celebrate, and replied: Because I saw Messi warming up.

That's because, a player like Messi, even though he may not have a lot of playing time, even if you may look like you've completely stared at him, even though he may have been walking and hasn't picked up a few balls at all......

But as long as he gets the ball, as soon as he suddenly starts dribbling or passing......

Perhaps, he will be able to cause a goal.

For Simeone, now Griezmann is his "Messi".

Perhaps it is precisely because of the presence of Griezmann that Simeone feels that he can fight against Pan Yi.

Now, Simeone is just waiting for Griezmann to burst out of his true energy and help the team turn the tide!

(End of chapter)