Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Schalke 04 became the first test subject in Chelsea’s upgraded tactical laboratory on the Champions League stage.

While Mourinho’s defensive coaching had always been meticulous, his offensive system was generally seen as relatively conservative.

Compared to tactical maestros like Pellegrini or Guardiola, the attacking schemes Mourinho employed weren’t particularly sophisticated.

But Mourinho had one major strength: he knew how to unleash the full potential of his star players.

With Li Ang, Ibrahimović, Hazard, and Salah all thriving, Mourinho had successfully optimized their skill sets within his game plan.

His offensive concept was simple but effective—use positional pressure and tempo control to create high-frequency attacking sequences, relying on star power to finish the job.

That was the core principle behind his evolving offensive strategy.

From that perspective, drawing a Bundesliga side like Schalke in the opening round of the Champions League group stage was a gift.

Schalke, known for playing wide-open football, left plenty of space in their own half.

Chelsea’s attackers had room to run riot.

Attack for attack. Speed for speed.

But Schalke’s pace and finishing were nowhere near Chelsea’s level.

And once Li Ang put Schalke playmaker Max Meyer in a tactical chokehold early on, it was game over.

Mourinho and his staff were naturally pleased when Chelsea raced to a 3–0 lead.

Still, he knew better than to get carried away.

This attacking rebuild was far from finished.

Yes, it was encouraging.

But complacency kills progress.

For years, Mourinho had focused mainly on building elite defensive structures for every team he managed.

But now, he was investing heavily into revamping Chelsea’s attack.

Some of it came from necessity. Some from personal growth.

After last season’s Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, Mourinho finally admitted to himself: his offensive system needed to evolve.

Football had changed.

Gone were the days of relying solely on one or two megastars.

He no longer had Cristiano Ronaldo at his disposal.

And let’s be honest—how many players on Earth were even in that tier?

Having Li Ang was a blessing.

With him, Chelsea’s floor was high and their ceiling even higher.

If Mourinho just wanted to win the Premier League, he could’ve relied on his old system.

But to dominate Europe like he did with Real Madrid?

He had to adapt.

Mourinho had long admired Jupp Heynckes.

Back in 2011–12, his Real Madrid side had showcased the early prototype of a pressing defense combined with lightning-fast transitions.

Klopp was exploring a similar tactical idea.

But where Klopp was relentless with his full-pitch press, Mourinho was more selective.

His system still gave breathing room to superstars like Ronaldo and now Ibrahimović, asking less of them defensively.

Klopp’s stars, meanwhile—Götze, Reus, you name it—had to press with full intensity.

Still, even Klopp hadn’t completed his ideal version of the system.

Mourinho had pioneered it, albeit in a conservative form.

But it was Heynckes who took that framework and perfected it with Bayern.

Last season, Heynckes’ Bayern mastered pressing and rapid wide-play.

They even developed a new method of building from the back, using full-backs to launch sharp vertical balls after baiting the press.

The old man had learned from Mourinho, improved it, and made it his own.

Mourinho wasn’t afraid to admit it—he couldn’t innovate like Heynckes.

But he could learn, and he was now learning fast.

That’s how football tactics evolved anyway.

Everyone borrowed ideas from each other.

Learn. Adapt. Apply.

Then make it your own.

Bayern’s system last season?

It would work wonders for Real Madrid, Chelsea, or even Dortmund.

He wasn’t sure if Ancelotti or Klopp would copy it too.

But for him? There was no better blueprint for taking Chelsea’s attack to the next level.

And so far, it was working.

Four Premier League wins.

A dominant Champions League opener.

Clearly, Chelsea were headed in the right direction.

When the final whistle blew on a 4–0 victory over Schalke, Li Ang was visibly more excited than usual.

His teammates didn’t know why.

But seeing their leader so pumped gave them confidence for the journey ahead.

Later that night, the squad heard the shock result:

Manchester City had beaten Bayern Munich 3–2 in Germany.

Most of the other Champions League results were as expected:

Chelsea beat Schalke.Barcelona beat APOEL Nicosia.Real Madrid crushed Basel.

No surprises there.

But City beating the reigning Champions League winners?

That sent shockwaves through Europe.

Bayern had dominated both the Bundesliga and Europe last season.

They were still fresh in everyone’s mind as an unstoppable force.

And now?

Taken down by City in their first group stage match.

It was a result no one saw coming.

For the better part of the past few seasons, Manchester City’s image in the Champions League had been—let’s be honest—not great.

In the 2011–2012 campaign, City finished third in their group and were knocked out in the Europa League Round of 16 by Sporting Lisbon.

In 2012–13, despite entering the competition as Premier League champions, they finished bottom of their group—not even qualifying for the Europa League.

Last season, City were dumped out in the very first knockout round by Barcelona.

Yes, it’s true—bad luck in group and knockout stage draws did play a role.

But even with those excuses, City’s performances in Europe were just not convincing.

Add to that the growing skepticism around Guardiola’s coaching credentials at the time, and it’s no wonder fans were stunned when City kicked off this year’s group stage with a shock win away at Bayern Munich.

Suddenly, the man handpicked by Heynckes to succeed him—Pellegrini—became the scapegoat of German football media.

Nobody wanted to hear about declining form from players like Lahm or Schweinsteiger’s fading hunger for titles.

Or the fact that Lewandowski, replacing the title-winning Mandzukic, was still finding his rhythm and needed time to gel with his new teammates.

Nope. For fans and pundits, the reasons didn’t matter.

Only the result did.

In truth, it was a combination of factors:

New coach.

New striker.

Tactical overhaul.

All of it came crashing together—and Bayern lost.

Offensively, Pellegrini’s system wasn’t flawed. But like any manager, he needed time—at least half a season—to truly mold the team.

But patience is not a luxury afforded to managers of elite clubs.

Especially not after a treble-winning campaign.

Guardiola, by contrast, picked the perfect moment to make a statement.

One match. One win.

And suddenly, Guardiola’s City looked like a force to be reckoned with again.

While his teammates felt the tremors of City’s sudden rise, Li Ang wasn’t shaken.

He had long been mentally prepared for ”Guardiola-ball” to take hold at City.

In fact, he thought Bayern’s squad, having just won everything—league, cup, Champions League, then the World Cup—was suffering from a very natural side effect: hunger fatigue.

It was understandable.

After winning everything, what motivation did you have left?

Madrid had the same problem in 2012 after their treble season.

But with fresh challenges set by the club—six trophies, Champions League back-to-back—they pushed forward with renewed purpose.

Bayern? They were now just following in Real Madrid’s footsteps.

Even if they won again, it would only be matching the record—not breaking it.

And with Heynckes retired, Li Ang couldn’t think of any current manager—other than Mourinho or Ottmar Hitzfeld—who could truly command Bayern’s dressing room.

Which is why it was such a shame—at least in Li Ang’s eyes—that the legendary ”Galactic Bayern” faded just when everyone expected them to dominate.

Whether in Madrid or now at Chelsea, Li Ang had always regarded Bayern Munich as his ultimate Champions League rival.

Heynckes’ departure was a loss not just for Bayern, but for football.

Li Ang gave one final sigh for the strongest opponent he had ever faced.

But there was no time to mourn.

The schedule was tight.

Training time was short.

And the first Blue Derby of the season against City was right around the corner.

The English media had been in overdrive during the build-up.

This clash between City and Chelsea was hyped to El Clásico levels, maybe even beyond.

The Premier League’s official Twitter account dropped a matchday poster that went viral.

On the left: Li Ang holding a sword in one hand and a massive shield in the other, leading a charge.

Behind him, Ibrahimović, Hazard, and De Bruyne charged forward, roaring.

Drogba and Lampard brought up the rear, carrying Chelsea’s battle flag.

On the right: Agüero wielded a two-handed greatsword, flanked by David Silva and Cesc Fàbregas.

Nasri and Fernandinho screamed as they raised City’s colors behind him.

The Roman-inspired aesthetic, the tension between the two sides—it caught fire across the internet.

But the Premier League wasn’t done.

The day before the match, they released a new poster:

Mourinho and Guardiola facing each other over a chessboard, locked in a silent battle of minds.

The caption? ”The Ultimate Contradiction.”

Classic.

Was the game going to live up to this level of marketing?

Who knew?

But the hype was already real.

City vs. Chelsea wasn’t just the most anticipated fixture in England anymore—it was a global event.

Of course, Mourinho and Guardiola both hated the way the league had milked their feud for clicks.

If the match didn’t live up to the build-up, the backlash would land squarely on them.

But there was no turning back.

They would have to deliver.

On September 21st, Chelsea’s team bus arrived at the Etihad, trailed by hordes of media vans and photographers.

Mourinho and his coaching staff stepped off first, stone-faced and serious.

Then came Li Ang and Kroos, effortlessly stylish and immediately mobbed by cameras.

Li Ang smiled but declined all interview requests.

He and his teammates quickly slipped into the away dressing room.

Meanwhile, broadcasters around the world started their countdown.

The battle was about to begin.

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