Chapter 143: Is he a monster?

Chelsea's head coach changes like flowing water, but Mikel is steadfast as iron.

Mikel's life follows the template of a novel's male lead.

At age 17, European media dubbed him the "African Zidane."

Although Zidane himself is African...

At the 2005 World Youth Championship, Messi won the Golden Ball and Mikel the Silver Ball.

Manchester United and Chelsea fought over him incessantly.

After joining Stamford Bridge, Mikel was converted by Mourinho into a holding midfielder and gradually came to be seen as Makélélé's successor.

Countless girls fell head over heels for Mikel at first sight.

Miss World, renowned Hou Lai actresses, international supermodels, wealthy heiresses—crying and shouting they wanted to marry him.

In the end.

He married the daughter of a Russian super-oligarch.

This decision drew opposition from Nigerian netizens across the country.

"How could he marry a white girl?"

"You're black; you should marry a Nigerian girl!"

"If you marry a white girl, I'll never watch your matches again!"

In the face of love, what are skin color and public opinion?

Mikel's steadfastness earned praise from Premier League media and a handsome dowry from his father-in-law's modest ambition.

BayArena.

The fourth official held up the LED number board.

Chelsea fans erupted in cheers, especially the female supporters!

Hiddink shouted excitedly: "John, shut down Leverkusen's number 10!"

Mikel gave a half-hearted nod.

He was somewhat irritated.

He had been content with his bench spot earning £80,000 a week.

Yet Hiddink wanted to make himself the focal point and also keep Matic in check.

Hell, do I even have the ability to edge out Matic?

"Oscar, off the pitch!"

"We saw Matic get up front; his physique and attacking traits mean he can be used as a striker!"

"Mikel partners with Fabregas to form a double pivot!"

Play resumed.

Azpilicueta possesses a specialty: a powerful throw-in.

He took a few steps back, then launched into a run!

The ball resembled a grenade.

It crashed heavily into Leverkusen's penalty area!

Van Dijk kept tight tabs on Diego Costa.

Papadopoulos was easily brushed aside by Matic.

Bang!

Chelsea's midfielders heaved a powerful header.

The ball blasted toward the lower right corner of Leverkusen's goal with lightning speed!

Lai Nuo launched a "Plucking Sand, Falling Goose" move!

He flung himself to the ground and punched the ball clear!

Matic looked surprised, hinting at resignation.

"Amazing save! Lai Nuo!"

"Rumor has it Arsenal and West Ham United are interested in him and are actively negotiating with Leverkusen."

"Lai Nuo's parents are Volga Germans; he hasn't yet played for Germany's national team, and the Russian FA intends to naturalize him."

Lai Nuo felt bitter.

He was merely a Bundesliga whipping boy, occasionally getting beaten by Bayern.

Thus this season, following Li Kang, he reached the Champions League quarterfinals, only to be battered by powerhouse clubs at every turn.

Van Dijk consoled Papadopoulos.

The match entered its closing phase.

Leverkusen's defenders felt immense pressure.

Time passed second by second.

Mikel's arrival fully unleashed Matic's attacking potential.

Chelsea now effectively fielded two big center forwards up front.

The first line of pressing grew even more fearsome.

This increased the pressure on Leverkusen's back‑line to play the ball out.

What about Li Kang?

He was being tightly held by Mikel.

At this point, Chelsea's male lead wielded eighty percent of Makélélé's strength!

He clung without attempting to steal.

I won't compete with you physically.

Just like flies hovering over feces.

Whenever Li Kang touches the ball.

Mikel then charges forward recklessly.

The timing of the pressure and the judgment of the ball's path are very accurate.

Fortunately, his playing style is relatively 'elegant', without too many small movements.

Hiddink is indeed a world-class coach!

Mikel hardly gets any playing time this season under Mourinho!

Hiddink can turn waste into treasure, stone into gold, fully unleashing Mikel's defensive ability, turning him into the most terrifying midfield meat grinder on the Premier League pitch!

We seem to see the contest between Harvey and Mark Lai Lai!

The clash between Deco and Davies!

At the same time.

As Mikel continually loses position.

Lewokusen midfield's ball-holding pressure greatly decreases.

Under the condition of no interference, Calhanoglu's organizing and linking ability is not weak.

Gradually.

Lewokusen's formation advances steadily in an orderly manner.

At the edge of the field.

Dino wondered: 'In Mourinho's tactics, Mikel is an important bus part in the final stage of the match; why does Hiddink use him like this?'

Tuopu Laotou's face broke into a smile: 'Hiddink wants to restrict Li's passing and long shots, and wants to take a victory away from Bei lai yin!'

What a pity, it actually reduces the pressure in our midfield!

That old brat probably still thinks his adjustment is very wise!

On the other side.

Hiddink unknowingly walked to the command area.

His hands crossed in front of his chest.

On his ruddy face, a confident smile bloomed.

After two 'firefighting' experiences, he arrived at the perfect reform: Mikel!

Minute 78 of the match.

Lewokusen advanced into the thirty-meter zone.

Fabregas, struggling alone, constantly directed Mikel to quickly retreat.

His voice was quickly drowned out by the fans' shouts.

Chelsea male lead what and didn't hear.

He and Li Kang were having a great time playing.

If I give up Lewokusen's number 10, Chelsea will face the most dangerous moment!

Kramer sent a diagonal pass.

The ball rolled toward the left flank.

Son Heung-min got there before Aspiliquetta, steadily trapping the ball.

He realized he couldn't turn and break through.

Chelsea's back line is very solid.

William's covering was timely, and Fabregas also came over!

Is Son Heung-min not passing the ball?

The Korean forward glanced at the incoming Calhanoglu.

He struck hard with his right foot.

The ball rolled toward the middle.

Li Kang and Mikel both rushed forward!

Like a ferocious beast breaking out of its cage, they fought for flesh and blood!

Winter!

A muffled sound came from the close-range audio equipment!

The burly, strong Chelsea midfielder was forcibly pushed back several steps!

The instant Li Kang touched the ball.

The brain's shadow madly spread.

In God's perspective.

He had already witnessed the scenery of Mourinho's third defensive line!

The definition is: spatial counter.

The positions of the four players—Yunyanovich, Cahill, Terry, and Aspiliquetta—will not be tricked out by any scheduling or pulling.

They stubbornly hold their respective responsible areas.

No matter how the opponent's passes pull and tug.

Only Chelsea midfield players will be taken away.

The answer has come out.

The breeze by the Bei lai yin river lifted the hem of Lewokusen's number 10.

In his field of vision, a phantom of Real Madrid's number 8 suddenly appeared.

Ke Luo Si.

Li Kang raised his hand and pointed forward.

After a three-second pause.

He lofted a pass with his left foot.

The ball left the ground.

It arced lightly toward Chelsea's penalty area.

That exquisite trajectory tugged at the hearts of fans on both sides!

Mikel, attempting to win the ball back, sighed in disappointment: That kid's deliberate pause was too torturous, right?

On the sidelines.

Tuopu Laotou stared, mouth agape.

Dino shivered.

Hiddink squeezed his water bottle flat.

"How good a pass is, what does it matter?"

"Can teammates create a shot?"

Chelsea's penalty area.

Ji Si Lin had no time to be shocked.

He lunged wildly into the crowd.

He knew: Li Kang would surely send the ball to his forehead!

Ka Si Er pursued relentlessly; as a top Premier League center-back, his judgment of aerial balls was extremely accurate. Though his hang time was average, his leaping explosiveness was terrifying!

"The ball speed isn't that fast!"

"Ka Si Er and Ji Si Lin are challenging for the header!"

"Eh? This ball..."

In midair.

Two tall figures leapt almost simultaneously!

Thud!

The ball struck Ji Si Lin's head precisely!

Is a direct header shot useful?

No.

Yin Wan nuo wei qi and A Si Pi Li Kui Ta, at the moment Li Kang passed the ball, abandoned their flank defense and quickly retreated to the area behind Ka Si Er and Te Li!

The third line of defense.

What does these two men's "positioning" mean?

It's to make up for the two big center-backs' lack of turning speed!

This is one of the ultimate secrets of the Mourinho-style bus!

Ji Si Lin felt a moment of dizziness.

He hadn't even shaken off his hair yet.

The ball had already left his head.

The trajectory's endpoint wasn't Chelsea's goal, but the right side of the six-yard box.

A chubby figure silently surged forward.

Bu Lan Pang!

Tuopu Laotou was so nervous he couldn't breathe.

Hiddink looked horrified.

"Oh dear!"

"Beautiful!"

"Done in one fell swoop!"

Bu Lan Te almost threw his whole body forward!

The chubby legs slammed down onto the ball!

Thud!

Accompanied by a crisp sound.

The ball screamed toward the far corner of Chelsea's goal!

Bayer Stadium, the noise suddenly ceased.

Lewokusen fans were overjoyed.

Chelsea fans felt as if they had plunged into an ice cellar.

All eyes were fixed on the shot's trajectory.

As the ball crossed the goal line,

A golden latex glove silently protruded!

With a slap!

It ended Lewokusen's hope of overturning the lead.

As the ball flew over the end line,

Bei lai yin seemed to emit a sigh of reluctance.

Excellent!

Courtois!

He wasn't just a background!

He is a miracle worker!

Good heavens! How did the Chelsea goalkeeper manage to block the ball!

As the match neared its end, Li Kang lofted a pass to spark the attack, once again threatening Chelsea's goal!

Duan Xuan and He Wei were extremely excited.

More exciting than scoring a goal.

I had thought the match would be dull, but it turned into such an exhilarating showdown!

The livestream.

Comments flew across the screen.

-【Is there anyone who can explain? Why can Li Mingdeng threaten Chelsea's goal? Leverkusen couldn't even get past midfield originally.】

-【Let me explain.】

-【Mourinho's tactical framework focuses more on overall defense; for partial defense, he needs to be on-site to direct, first watching the attack replay on the big screen.】

-【William and Fabregas, drawn in by Son Heung-min.】

-【After seeing Li Mingdeng's hand-lifting motion, Kiessling was the first to make a forward run from midfield.】

-【The key is this deliberate pause! Kroos loves using this trick, catching a gap as the opponent's defense shifts, then delivering the pass!】

-【How did Chelsea change?】

-【The two fullbacks immediately retreated into the penalty area, trying to ease the pressure on Cahill and Terry turning around, thus conceding space on the flanks, leaving Brandt unmarked at this moment!】

-【Kiessling's header flick... no, it's Li Mingdeng's pass that was too fantastical, with a strange curl that made the ball bounce right in front of Brandt.】

-【Thank goodness Courtois was godlike; otherwise Leverkusen would have equalized the away-goal deficit and completed a comeback!】

-【I don't understand!】

-【It's fine if you don't understand; just know that Li Mingdeng is awesome!】

At the sidelines.

Tuopu Laotou faced the nearby stands and clapped vigorously.

Leverkusen fans' disappointment vanished instantly.

The BayArena was soon engulfed in enthusiastic applause.

Dino frantically grabbed a small notebook, his pen flying across the page.

On the other side.

Hiddink's face turned ashen, he clutched his chest in shock.

Trembling, he said: 'Pull Matic back! Don't let Mikel compete with that kid! We must hold onto our away-goal advantage!'

Chelsea's manager completely abandoned the attack.

Mourinho's 'bus' perhaps could not display its final form at Bei lai yin.

Brandt felt deep regret, giving Li Kang a thumbs-up with an apologetic expression.

Li Kang smiled.

The match had not yet ended.

But the system notification tone sounded softly.

【Ding! Mission completed: Lamasia Inheritance Battle!】

【Mission feedback: In such a lopsided showdown, you still managed to break Mourinho's puppet—are you a monster?】

【Congratulations on obtaining: Dark Gold Treasure Chest!】