Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Zhan Jun didn’t know if the Madridistas at the Bernabéu could hold it together, but he was sure that Real Madrid fans back in China definitely couldn’t.

Even he himself felt a little conflicted the moment he saw Li Ang score against Real Madrid.

It couldn’t be helped — that Mourinho-era Real Madrid team had come so close to perfection: results, trophies, performances, they had it all.

Li Ang had completed a full set of club honors at Real Madrid.

He had grown at the best club in the world, progressing from a squad rotation player to a regular starter, from an ordinary player to a global football star.

Maybe Li Ang back then wasn’t as powerful as he was now, but the image of him wearing the Real Madrid jersey occupied a special place in the hearts of countless Chinese fans.

It was the beginning of his success, and that era carried so many beautiful memories for Chinese fans.

Many classic films from around the world convey the same sentiment:

Time passes, there’s no going back — move forward without regret or hesitation.

Looking at it now, Li Ang had truly achieved that. His career decisions had been rational; he had won the personal honors he sought.

He always pushed forward, never regretting, never looking back.

But for his fans, many of whom were Real Madrid supporters to begin with, it was inevitable they would be trapped in nostalgia for those glorious days.

They loved Real Madrid, and they loved Li Ang.

And so their emotions now were inevitably conflicted.

Joy and sorrow intertwined, and all they could do was smile bitterly as they watched the familiar figure on the screen, raising both hands, refusing to celebrate.

The young boy was no longer a boy; he had become a powerful and mentally resilient leader. But this time, he wielded his blade against the very club he had once defended.

The tens of thousands of Real Madrid fans at the Bernabéu felt exactly the same.

They couldn’t bring themselves to boo their ”Little Lion,” and cheering was out of the question, so all they could do was remain silent.

After his teammates finished celebrating, Li Ang once again clasped his hands together towards the Bernabéu stands.

It was his personal apology to the Real Madrid fans.

He had to give his all in this match — it was respect for Chelsea, but also respect for Real Madrid.

Yet on a personal, emotional level, he felt a deep, complicated connection.

He would never forget the ”favoritism” and support he received from the Real Madrid fans.

So he chose to apologize with clasped hands.

This scene left commentators around the world deeply moved.

But the battle on the pitch would not lose its intensity over a brief moment of sentiment.

On the contrary, with the home team trailing, the Real Madrid players suddenly ignited with anger!

This was still a time when Cristiano Ronaldo hadn’t fully transformed into a pure ”poacher,” and Bale wasn’t permanently struggling with calf injuries.

Just last season, Cristiano Ronaldo had delivered one of the peaks of his career.

Sixty-three goals over the season, the most in world football!

Seventy-nine total goal contributions, second only to Li Ang!

He was still the most devastating left winger in the world — no question about it!

And when he became ”angry,” coupled with the constant attacking support of Marcelo behind him, Real Madrid’s left flank remained the most fearsome attacking line in the world.

Not to mention the right flank, where Real Madrid had the combination of Bale and Carvajal.

Even though Benzema was having a poor game, Real Madrid’s twin-wing attack strategy was still terrifying.

Once the match resumed, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale took turns launching aggressive assaults down the flanks against Chelsea’s defense!

Modric moved forward again, supporting his teammates’ breakthroughs on the sides, while James occasionally delivered dangerous forward passes when he found the chance.

Li Ang’s goal had not only broken the deadlock but had also forced Real Madrid to go all out.

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale hadn’t pushed too hard, perhaps thinking it wasn’t worthwhile to batter themselves against Chelsea’s compact defense.

But now, they had no choice — even if they had to gnaw through it tooth and nail, they were determined to break Chelsea’s flanks!

Sensing the change, Li Ang quickly dropped back, knowing exactly how terrifying Cristiano Ronaldo could be when he exploded into action. He positioned himself as an auxiliary right defensive midfielder.

Mourinho immediately adjusted the formation too: Chelsea switched to a 4-2-3-1, with Li Ang and Matic dropping deeper to help the fullbacks withstand the wing assaults.

Hazard and De Bruyne also retreated into midfield, leaving only Suarez up front in Real Madrid’s half, waiting for counterattack opportunities.

Chelsea, once again solidly anchored in their own half, continually disrupted Real Madrid’s attacking rhythm.

Luckily, the first half was already nearing its end. After unleashing six shots with no reward, Real Madrid had to momentarily cease fire, waiting for the second half to continue their assault.

During the halftime break, Mourinho once again praised the team’s resilient defense.

Playing at the Bernabéu against the strongest group-stage opponent, Chelsea’s conservative tactical approach was absolutely fine.

On paper, Chelsea still slightly outmatched Real Madrid.

Thus, with more margin for error, Mourinho was naturally going to focus on defensive solidity first.

Winning would be ideal, but even if they didn’t, Mourinho was content to take one point away from the Bernabéu.

Of course, if Chelsea were clearly weaker than Real Madrid, Mourinho’s tactics would be entirely different.

He might have risked an all-out brawl on the field, trading blows aggressively to fight for top spot in the group.

Li Ang understood the coaching staff’s reasoning for this tactical setup.

But he was mentally prepared for unexpected developments.

He knew that this Real Madrid team was extremely resilient.

Getting an early lead didn’t mean you could just sit back and relax against them.

They often exploded with tremendous fighting spirit and relentless attacking power in the second half.

In terms of hard-fought battles and big-match experience, this Real Madrid side was still much more seasoned than Chelsea.

Li Ang never underestimated his opponents, and he certainly didn’t underestimate his former teammates.

He braced himself — no matter what unexpected events might unfold, he would be ready with a response plan.

After the short halftime break, Chelsea and Real Madrid switched sides and resumed battle.

Compared to the intense midfield battle at the start of the first half, Chelsea immediately conceded initiative at the start of the second half, letting Real Madrid dominate possession.

This suited Chelsea’s counterattacking strategy perfectly — but it also played right into Ancelotti’s hands.

Real Madrid began calmly organizing their attacks in midfield, no longer displaying the urgency and frustration of the last ten minutes of the first half.

Modric completely smoothed out the attacking routes up front. James Rodríguez, meanwhile, relinquished some ball control, playing more like a second striker close to Chelsea’s penalty area.

Seeing this unfold, Li Ang’s heart sank slightly.

He instinctively glanced at Ancelotti, who stood on the sidelines with his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow.

At that moment, Li Ang silently overturned his earlier judgment about Ancelotti’s use of Modric.

”I was too shallow... a manager of this caliber couldn’t possibly not know how to use a midfield core properly. Maybe...”

For some reason, the image of Florentino Pérez surfaced in Li Ang’s mind again.

After all, following the 2014 World Cup, it had been Florentino who insisted on bringing in the new superstar James Rodríguez.

The stars that Florentino Pérez bought not only had to be used but had to be heavily relied upon.

Ancelotti was a smart man — he was well aware of whom Florentino wanted to promote.

Moreover, he was indeed capable of using a classic number ten like James Rodríguez effectively. So, was it possible that even if Ancelotti wanted to give more tactical weight to Modrić, he had to, for the sake of Florentino’s plans to create a new Bernabéu darling, let James act as the supposed midfield core on paper?

As Li Ang thought through this possibility, everything suddenly made sense — Ancelotti’s starkly different usage of Modrić and James between the first and second halves became clear!

And looking at it now, Ancelotti’s decision to push James further up the pitch was quite clever.

Since Benzema wasn’t playing his role effectively today, pushing another ball-handling player up front would ease the pressure on Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale.

James moved closer to Chelsea’s penalty area, still operating in central zones, and wouldn’t feel out of place.

Meanwhile, Modrić was free to take full control of midfield organization.

And let’s not forget Benzema!

With James pushed up to the front line, Benzema was freed from being the lone striker; he could now drop deeper to fill the gap in the attacking midfield.

Could Benzema receive the ball, move, and make late runs into the box from a deeper role?

Of course, he could!

Though Benzema sometimes looked lazy, when he was in the mood, he was undeniably a top-class, all-around attacker.

Thinking about this, Li Ang’s view of Ancelotti shifted.

And barely two minutes later, Benzema’s deeper positioning confirmed Li Ang’s analysis!

”Wow, is Benzema switching places with James? He’s quite good at dropping deep to receive the ball! Maybe Ancelotti lets him practice as a playmaker sometimes during training,” joked Coach Zhang in the studio.

But on the pitch, Chelsea’s defenders weren’t laughing.

Ancelotti’s seemingly simple adjustment had completely disrupted Chelsea’s defensive arrangements.

Previously, Kroos had been marking James. But now, with Benzema operating as an attacking midfielder, Kroos was no match for him in terms of speed or physicality!

A ”supersized” James was causing chaos for Chelsea’s midfield and defense.

Mourinho couldn’t sit still anymore — he glared toward Ancelotti with a grimace.

His old friend had thrown him a real tactical headache.

With one simple positional tweak, Ancelotti had simultaneously activated both Benzema and Modrić.

Now, to continue limiting Real Madrid’s offensive organization, Chelsea would have to push Li Ang and Matić higher up.

But if they pushed up?

Benzema and James could switch back instantly, and Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale would find even more space on the flanks!

This wasn’t a simple tactical puzzle — it was a nightmare scenario!

Mourinho could see the situation clearly, but even he struggled to find a perfect countermeasure at the moment.

All he could do was admire Ancelotti — the world-class manager from Serie A had pulled off a masterstroke.

He was forcing Chelsea to abandon a purely defensive stance and engage in a direct firefight!

Li Ang, on the field, felt the shift even more acutely. Real Madrid’s attacking pressure had surged, and it was now relentless!

It wasn’t just isolated waves of attacks anymore — they were launching continuous, coordinated assaults on Chelsea’s defense!

Li Ang knew exactly where Real Madrid’s new rhythm stemmed from:

Modrić’s orchestrated organization combined with Benzema’s linking passes.

James, planted centrally, not only relieved pressure from the flanks but also posed a direct long-range shooting threat.

Previously, when Benzema dropped deep, he could only safely pass backward under pressure.

But now, James could receive the ball and immediately shoot from his effective range!

Chelsea had to respect his shooting ability.

And whether Li Ang or Matić moved centrally to limit James, it would only free Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale to wreak havoc on the flanks.

”We have to change! If we don’t, we’ll just wait to die passively!”

Li Ang made up his mind — Chelsea’s best option was to push forward and fight Real Madrid head-on.

They were still leading by one goal, and psychologically they had the upper hand. Li Ang believed they could handle it.

He was just waiting for a word from the bench — a gesture from Mourinho.

As soon as Mourinho gave the green light, Li Ang was ready to lead a high-pressing counteroffensive to seize back control!

Li Ang had full confidence, but Mourinho was still discussing quickly with Holland, not rushing into tactical adjustments.

Their caution, however, gave Real Madrid time and opportunity.

In the 62nd minute of the second half, Real Madrid’s patient buildup finally yielded their best attacking chance of the match.

Modrić once again linked up with Benzema, who this time shielded the ball skillfully against Kroos and laid it off to Casemiro, who was charging forward.

The Brazilian defensive midfielder aggressively drove the ball into Chelsea’s defensive third. Matić had no choice but to step up and confront him.

Casemiro then neatly played the ball wide to Bale!

Without Matić’s support to double-team, Bertrand was easily beaten by Bale in just two strides!

Having successfully broken into Chelsea’s defensive zone, Bale didn’t get greedy.

Using the outside of his foot, he curled a magnificent cross into the box!

But Casemiro, who had followed the play into the penalty area, was just a decoy — Bale’s cross was aimed at the top of Chelsea’s penalty arc!

There, James calmly drew his bow and fired without even controlling the ball — a full volley shot!

Li Ang immediately abandoned Cristiano Ronaldo and lunged toward James!

But just as he tried to block, James’ shot was already unleashed!

Oblak moved early on his line, diving desperately toward the far corner!

Spectators both at the Bernabéu and in front of their TVs couldn’t tell if he got a touch.

But James’ fierce volley smashed into the inside of the far post and bounced back into the box!

Chelsea fans at the stadium had a sudden emotional rollercoaster — from panic to relief in an instant!

But before they could even exhale their relieved cries, a white-shirted figure suddenly emerged from the chaos inside Chelsea’s penalty area, lunging forward to poke the loose ball!

”James’ long shot! It hit the post! But wait—Cristiano Ronaldo with the follow-up! It’s a goal!!! Oblak couldn’t reach it, and Ronaldo levels the score for Real Madrid!”

The ball rolled into Chelsea’s net without any doubt!

Oblak was a fraction too late on the second save attempt and slammed the turf in frustration!

Li Ang could only offer a wry smile, watching Cristiano Ronaldo sprinting toward the corner flag in wild celebration.

”I knew it...”

The Bernabéu erupted into a frenzy of celebration.

After enduring over 60 minutes of frustration, they could finally release their pent-up emotions!

But the man who orchestrated it all, Ancelotti, remained as composed as ever.

Standing calmly in front of Real Madrid’s jubilant bench, he raised an eyebrow once more, his expression serene, hands on hips, completely unshaken!

This was the aura of a true Serie A-bred top coach.

This was Carlo Ancelotti!

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