Chapter 159: Stanford Bridge Great Escape?

Lewokusen locker room.

Dino was scribbling on the tactics board, preparing to review the first-half tactical details.

He paused.

His right hand holding the pen trembled uncontrollably.

What the hell tactics to talk about.

"As long as we hold the last 45 minutes, we can reach the Champions League semifinals!"

"Our opponents are not nobodies; they're Chelsea!"

"They need to score three goals to eliminate us!"

"Stanford Bridge isn't Istanbul!"

"Lewokusen is just one step away from reaching the semifinals!"

"No one can stop us!"

The assistant coach's words left everyone stunned.

The match intensity was too high; the players were fully committed, with no spare attention for the result.

Champions League semifinals?

At the start of the season, who would have dared to imagine this for Lewokusen!

Reaching the quarterfinals already exceeds the target, right?

Everyone's backs straightened involuntarily.

Blood boiled!

Tuopu Laotou pulled Li Kang to the corner, pressing both hands on his shoulders: "Li, you don't need to keep fixating on Hazard; you've already excellently carried out the coaching staff's assignment. In the second half... play according to your own thinking—it's you who has led the team all the way here!"

Lewokusen's head coach remained calm.

He realized the second-half predicament couldn't be solved with just a bowl of chicken soup.

If trash talk were useful, the Japanese team would have already won the World Cup.

Only after Diego Costa and Oscar came on did Chelsea show their normal level.

Lewokusen had to face the terrifying onslaught of Chelsea at full strength.

The hope of advancement still rested on Li Kang.

In the season when I myself won the "Sanya King," the fierce generals were countless—nothing like today.

The outcome of reaching the Champions League quarterfinals had already far exceeded the club's seasonal goal.

Li Kang nodded seriously, his expression calm.

He seemed to sense the head coach's inner tension.

He instinctively gripped the old man's hand.

Tuopu Laotou stared blankly.

Dino hurried forward, surprised: "Boss? Did you get sand in your eyes?"

Chelsea locker room.

Hiddink roared angrily.

"We conceded two goals in the first half; they could have been completely avoided!"

"Lewokusen's transfer value is only one-eighth of Chelsea's."

"Eliminate Chelsea? Do they deserve it?"

"Your ability to seize chances today is too poor; the team could clearly have been ahead."

"In the second half, I hope to see your fighting spirit..."

The Chelsea players didn't buy it.

Even a star that Mourinho couldn't tame, Hiddink naturally couldn't handle either.

Back then, Di Matteo only needed to be a good cheerleading captain, and Chelsea could lift the Champions League trophy!

Fabregas, Matic, Cahill, and Terry seriously discussed the second-half tactics.

History has already proven it.

The iron-blooded blues never need any chicken soup for the soul!

No matter the time, they always possess the strength to win the championship!

The fifteen-minute break ended quickly.

When both teams' players returned to the pitch,

Stanford Bridge again erupted with a tsunami-like roar.

The blue team flag fluttered in the wind.

"Good evening, friends, welcome back; we are now live broadcasting the second leg of the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal."

"Chelsea versus Lewokusen's second-half match!"

"The score is now 0:2! Lewokusen, playing away, snatched a dream start!"

"The match is about to continue; Chelsea has made two consecutive substitution adjustments!"

"Diego Costa replaces Remy!"

"Oscar replaces Pato!"

"Hiddink is adjusting back to a 4-2-3-1 formation!"

Accompanied by the referee's whistle,

The second half officially began!

Lewokusen possession!

Jisinlin kicked the ball back to Li Kang.

The midfield and forward zones of both formations instantly intertwined.

Li Kang touched the ball in an instant.

The system notification sounded softly.

【Ding! Detected that the match difficulty is too high, the mission has been reset.】

【Mission Name: Stanford Bridge Great Escape!】

【Mission Introduction: Believe in your teammates... they will really concede three goals to a fully powered Chelsea in the first half! You must do something... Good luck!】

【Mission Reward Upgrade: Super Giant Star·Dark Gold Treasure Chest!】

Diego Costa and Oscar came on aggressively.

Li Kang passed the ball sideways to Kramer.

He then passed the ball to the flank.

Boerthos made a forward run to receive the ball.

Smack!

The Samba full-back's movement was a step slower.

Yun Mannovich, who had surged past halfway at some point, ruthlessly intercepted the ball!

"This pass was too careless!"

"Chelsea's flank attack!"

Kramer quickly covered the position.

Yun Mannovich, with just a simple two-step move, shook off Leverkusen's midfielder and sprinted down the flank!

At Stanford Bridge, the blue-clad fans instantly erupted in thunderous applause!

The thirty-meter area.

Bender sprinted forward, finally filling the vacant defensive zone, blocking Yun Mannovich's path.

Chelsea's terrifying Yun Mann did not continue to devour the opponent.

A flick and a sweep.

While creating an angle, he sent a cross!

In front of the arc of the penalty area.

Diego Costa, with his back to Li Kang, held him up, stopped the ball with his chest, and pushed it with the outside of his right foot!

The ball rolled toward the left flank.

"Chelsea's attack is fierce!"

"Oh no! Leverkusen's left flank is exposed!"

Hazard swayed his big hips, lifted his foot to receive the ball, and surged forward!

No longer entangled by Li Kang!

Does Leverkusen still have anyone who can stop him?

The livestream.

Bullet comments flooded the screen.

-【Whenever I see Hazard get the ball near the penalty area, I always feel he will change the score.】

-【Same feeling, a few players really give the audience this sensation.】

-【Why isn't Li Mingdeng continuing to mark Hazard? Is Diego Costa's threat greater?】

-【Because Kramer and Bender, the two defensive midfielders, were completely overwhelmed by Yun Mann, losing their positions; little Li had no choice but to go fill the gap, protecting the back line! Otherwise, Chelsea's mindless charge would break through!】

-【No way? We were leading by two goals in the first half, but will we be equalized in the second half?】

Leverkusen's left penalty area.

Hazard was as if entering an uninhabited realm.

Two consecutive accelerations and changes of direction easily brushed past Hilbert and Jonatan T!

"That's terrifying explosive power!"

"He got past two men!"

"The dribbling king!"

"Can he awaken the sleeping blue lion?"

"Here it comes!"

Hazard entered the twelve-yard range of the small penalty area.

He made the motion of a kicking push shot.

Forcing Van Dijk to leap and block the shot.

Forcing Lai Nuo to adjust his position to block the near angle.

Smack!

The Chelsea star not only possesses peak dribbling skill, but his passing precision is also top-notch!

The ball skimmed the grass, brushing past Van Dijk's side.

It glided lightly toward the center of the penalty area!

Leverkusen's defense once again felt despair!

Diego Costa abstained for a week to prepare for the second leg showdown with Li Kang, letting his body return to peak condition!

He faced the goal and again used his back to hold off Li Kang.

The spectators seemed to see two terrifying beasts locked in combat.

Chelsea's forward's face flushed red; he struggled to lift his right foot, and just as he was about to touch the ball, he lightly gave way.

The ball's motion did not halt!

On the right side of the six-yard box.

A tall figure burst forth!

Matiji!

If a plane breaking through the clouds, domineeringly squeezed open Jisilin and Bulate!

He stretched out his long legs and thrust a powerful shot!

Peng!

A sound of ball contact made everyone at Lewokusen feel chilled; it let Chelsea fans see hope!

The ball lifted the net.

Lewokusen's goal was breached without any suspense!

1:2!

!

"A beautiful thrust shot broke the goal!"

"Less than three minutes into the second half, Chelsea had already pulled back one goal!"

"This is the personal ability of a top-tier star!"

"Azhaer's excellent performance, Diegesicosta's strong physique and ball sense, and Matiji's perfect late run!"

"The three of them changed the course of the match!"

"But the overall strength gap is still too big!"

"Lewokusen's two defensive midfielders couldn't stop Yinwannuoweiqi!"

"Even the three defenders couldn't stop a single Azhaer!"

"Football is a team sport!"

Live broadcast room.

Bullet comments flooded the screen.

-【Strange? How come Lewokusen looks like the villain in a football novel... leading by two goals yet still getting crushed.】

-【I knew it, Chelsea would surely catch up! Little Li did his best, playing both dad and mom; even if he barely made it to the semifinals, he'd likely be bloodbathed by the giants in the semi-final!】

-【Lewokusen's defense can't avoid being out of position; if Li Mingdeng continues to mark Azhaer, Diegesicosta and Ausika could turn the penalty area upside down!】

-【Unstoppable! Lewokusen's two people can't stop even one Chelsea player!】

-【Really at a loss for words; leading two goals in the first half, how does it look like Lewokusen will be eliminated?】

-【Lewokusen's other players are just at this level; we need to respect objective reality—if we exclude Li Kang, the team's total value is ten times less than Chelsea's! What does that mean? Can a $100 keyboard be compared to a $1000 keyboard?】

-【If you include Li Kang, even the pharmacy club's total team value can't compare to a car.】

-【Haven't you watched the national team matches? Li Mingdeng is T0 in the national team, but T1 at the club.】

-【What's the rush? Lewokusen still leads by one goal!】

-【Football is an eleven‑person game; even if you let peak‑era Modeliqi coach the national team, you still couldn't beat the Japanese and Koreans.】