Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

There were still few signs of spring in London at the start of March. The temperatures remained low, but at least on March 1st, the skies were dry—a perfect day for a match.

With daylight saving time not yet in effect, the time difference between England and China remained at eight hours. That meant the League Cup final, kicking off at 4:00 PM in London, was broadcast at midnight in China.

A late night, yes, but still manageable for most fans. Especially for such a high-stakes match.

Every broadcasting platform with rights to the game had been pushing promotions for days. Over at PPTV, they even set up a full-scale live event.

Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu teamed up for commentary, while General Fan (Fan Zhiyi) took on the role of sideline reporter, ready to interview Leon pre- and post-match.

Naturally, this drew in the majority of Chinese fans, all tuning in via PPTV for the live broadcast.

The English FA and Chelsea’s commercial department welcomed the attention. With the schedule set, Fan first spent twenty minutes awkwardly chatting with the FA’s representatives and Chelsea’s Global Business Development officer.

And then, ahead of schedule, Leon—having just completed warm-ups—appeared on camera.

Fan and Leon were already quite familiar with each other, having met often during Leon’s visits to China. After a warm hug and a few laughs, they dove straight into the interview.

”Confident about today’s game? I could feel Chelsea fans’ excitement the moment I landed in London,” Fan said with a grin.

”Of course I’m confident,” Leon replied. ”Since I joined Chelsea, I’ve never lost to Spurs. They remind me of Atlético back in the day—talented, sure, but when they face us? They just can’t win.”

He didn’t hold back.

Took a jab at Spurs. Threw in Atlético for good measure.

Fan chuckled awkwardly, clearly not expecting such a bold opener.

”Alright then… it’s good to have that confidence. We just received both teams’ starting elevens—Spurs are going all in today. You’ve never faced them at full strength before.

So let me ask, on behalf of all the Chinese fans—has Chelsea’s coaching staff prepared accordingly?”

Fan wasn’t just asking for himself. This was the question on every fan’s mind.

Chelsea had dominated Spurs in previous matchups, including a recent league draw that was more of a strategic sacrifice, with several starters rotated.

But this time was different. Spurs were back to full strength and riding a three-match winning streak. They were in top form—dangerous.

Most Chinese fans still believed in Chelsea, but there was unease.

Leon scratched the back of his head and gave a reassuring smile.

”Tactically, there’s no need to worry. The coaching staff has done their homework. If things don’t go well today, it’ll be because we players didn’t execute properly—not because of tactics.

Of course, that kind of situation doesn’t happen often. I’m confident we’ll keep Spurs under control. We’ve got this.”

Another bold statement.

Fan quickly wrapped up the interview before Leon could tempt fate by saying ”we’ll definitely win.”

Still, Leon’s confidence came through loud and clear—and fans in China felt it.

It only made them more curious. What kind of tactical game plan had Mourinho prepared that made Leon so sure?

They didn’t have to wait long.

Ten minutes later, both squads stepped onto the pitch behind the referees for the pre-match ceremony.

Chelsea and Spurs had both sent out their best XI. The stadium buzzed with star power.

Maybe the lineup wasn’t as glitzy as last season’s Chelsea vs. City showdown, but it was still well above the average League Cup final.

A London derby. Spurs hungry for silverware. Chelsea built to win.

This would be war.

After the anthem and handshakes, the players took their positions. Pochettino paced the sideline, face tense and focused.

He’d thrown in every card he had.

To secure midfield stability, he deployed Dembélé and Dier as a double pivot, leaving Ryan Mason—his favored deep-lying playmaker—on the bench.

That was a major departure from his usual philosophy, but he had no choice.

Previous clashes with Chelsea had taught him the hard way—if you couldn’t contain Leon’s late runs, there was no point even talking about victory.

Pochettino had learned his lesson: cup finals were about results, not style.

He had to take a page from Mourinho. Build a wall. Then think about scoring.

City had repeatedly been broken late by Chelsea simply because they lacked a proper target man. Spurs didn’t have that issue.

Harry Kane might not win aerial battles against Chelsea’s big defenders, but he was solid at receiving and distributing the ball in deep areas.

And if that didn’t work, Pochettino could send Fazio forward as a surprise target man.

Spurs had weapons. The real question was whether their midfield could stand up to Chelsea’s pressure.

Leon’s previous performances had clearly left a psychological scar.

The referee’s whistle brought him back to the present.

Kickoff.

Wembley erupted with noise as fans from both sides roared into action.

Leon, having just received a back-pass, did what he always did—survey the battlefield.

Today, he was flanked by Kroos and Matic.

Their opponents? Eriksen, Dembélé, and Dier.

Leon didn’t even bother registering Eriksen’s pressing.

Seeing that Dembélé wasn’t pushing forward aggressively, but instead holding position, Leon immediately took mental note.

Up front, Spurs’ attackers were pressing hard.

They were young, full of energy, obedient to their coach. They chased with intensity.

But something was off.

Their pressing system lacked depth.

With the two holding midfielders focused on maintaining shape rather than joining the press, there was a visible disconnect between the lines.

The forwards pressed.

Chelsea absorbed.

Then reset.

And again.

The press became predictable, ineffective. More of a delay tactic than a genuine disruption.

Leon could see it. He understood Pochettino’s hesitations and defensive mindset.

He smiled to himself.

The sword hadn’t even left its sheath yet…

And already, Spurs were bracing for its cut.

”So it really is just early-stage Pochettino at Spurs, huh? Still clinging to hope? This tactical setup is just...”

Leon didn’t feel insulted. After all, Pochettino hadn’t yet grasped the full picture of Chelsea’s tactical construction. He couldn’t possibly understand how devastating Chelsea’s ball retention and build-up from the back could be.

Guardiola understood—that’s why he was the first to adapt.

Pochettino was making adjustments now too, but it wasn’t enough. Or maybe, Chelsea just hadn’t punished him badly enough yet for him to truly understand.

With Chelsea calmly controlling possession from deep, slowly drawing Spurs’ attackers into a daze, Leon finally made his move—his first true attacking attempt of the match.

His sudden forward run was a signal.

Kroos, holding the ball on the wing, quickly played it back into the center. Leon accelerated past Eriksen’s attempt to press him, driving straight past the halfway line.

Dembélé stepped up to meet him, smartly keeping his distance rather than diving in, working to contain Leon’s space.

His defensive approach was a far cry from the rash, over-eager Bentaleb Leon had faced before.

This double pivot—Dembélé and Dier—was clearly why Pochettino had dared to say he was confident before the final.

It was a solid pairing, easily among the Premier League’s top three defensive midfield duos.

But Dembélé had misread the situation.

Leon had no intention of charging into that midfield wall.

Sure, Chelsea were the best in England—arguably in all of Europe—at launching deadly central runs from midfield.

But they were just as comfortable tearing you apart from the wings.

Leon was not only the most lethal attacking midfielder in the game today—he was also among Europe’s top playmakers.

Maybe it was because Kroos had taken on most of the orchestration duties this season that people had forgotten how Leon had singlehandedly carried Chelsea’s attacking rhythm last year.

So when Leon pushed up past midfield only to calmly play the ball wide to Hazard and De Bruyne, launching the wingers like guided missiles...

Some fans felt a sense of déjà vu, like this version of Leon had been lying dormant.

This was vintage Leon—distributor and orchestrator.

With Kroos joining in and helping to stabilize the rhythm, Chelsea’s wings opened up like a blooming flower.

And that forced Spurs’ fullbacks—Danny Rose and Kyle Walker—who had both instinctively pushed forward early, to retreat and defend.

With those two pinned back, Spurs’ flanks lost their width, and their counterattacks became toothless.

Chelsea were using attack as defense—nullifying Spurs’ strengths by pressing down hard on the very lanes Spurs needed most.

Dembélé and Dier, stuck in the middle, became the most awkward players on the pitch.

If they shifted wide to help, who would track Leon?

If they stayed central, their fullbacks were left to die one-on-one.

And once the wings cracked, what—was Ibrahimović suddenly not a threat anymore?

Pochettino looked at the rapid shift in match momentum and frowned.

Not far away, Mourinho casually sipped water and gestured calmly while chatting with Holland about Spurs’ defensive vulnerabilities.

It was simple: break one part of Spurs’ tactical shape, and the rest would unravel with it.

Chelsea had the power to break through down the wings or through the middle.

Spurs didn’t have the resources to patch both.

Their defensive structure was far behind Chelsea’s.

If Mourinho called for Hazard and De Bruyne to track back, they would—and they’d do it in a way that didn’t compromise Bertrand or Azpilicueta’s roles.

Spurs couldn’t match that.

Walker was talented, but facing a peak-form Hazard one-on-one? Good luck.

If Pochettino pulled one of the holding mids wide to help, Leon would move.

That was the sword hanging over their heads—ready to fall at any moment.

Pochettino hesitated, then ultimately chose to absorb Chelsea’s wing pressure.

In his eyes, Leon was the greater threat.

Between two evils, pick the lesser.

Let Chelsea bombard the flanks. It would be tough, but maybe Spurs could hold.

But if Leon started dancing freely in midfield?

The final would be over before it even began.

He trusted his defenders. He trusted his plan.

But on the pitch, Spurs’ defenders weren’t nearly as convinced.

Their backline was cracking, and still no reinforcements from midfield?

They weren’t facing amateurs. This was Hazard and De Bruyne.

Walker was beyond frustrated.

He was doing everything he could—but he just couldn’t contain Hazard in full flow.

In the 21st minute, Hazard took the ball up the left wing again.

Walker dropped cautiously, watching every twitch.

Then—Hazard exploded.

A sudden burst of speed to the byline.

Walker turned to chase, but Hazard pulled the brakes and spun inside, cutting into the box.

Fazio and Vertonghen didn’t charge toward Hazard or mark Ibrahimović.

Their eyes were on the edge of the box—checking for Leon.

That was the warning Pochettino had drilled into them: ”Don’t let Leon arrive unmarked.”

But Leon was still calmly standing at the arc near midfield.

Seeing that Fazio didn’t step, Hazard grinned and fired a curling shot toward the far post.

Lloris knew he was in trouble the second Hazard planted his foot.

He dove.

Stretched every inch of his frame.

But it wasn’t enough.

The shot flew past his fingertips and crashed into the top corner.

Wembley erupted.

Leon, standing near the center circle, broke into a smile.

He high-fived Kroos and Mascherano before jogging forward to join the celebration.

On the sideline, Pochettino stood frozen.

Meanwhile, Mourinho clapped with controlled joy.

He glanced over at Pochettino and shook his head.

In the chess match of tactics—Pochettino still had a lot to learn.

Because sometimes...

A sword is most terrifying when it stays in its sheath.

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