Lazio gradually found their own rhythm, while Milan was led along by Lazio's pace, forced to react passively time and again.

Faced with this situation, Ancelotti realized the danger and called Chen Zhong over to the sidelines, directly and frankly expressing his demand!

Tackle! Tackle them!

With Gattuso injured and Maldini suspended, there was a lack of a powerful player to act as the "steadying force" for Milan.

This steadying force needs to act as the team's "core" in defense, the "lubricant" in organization, and the "spearhead" in attack.

In Milan's lineup, neither Pirlo, Beckham, Seedorf, nor Kaka could shoulder this responsibility; only Chen Zhong could do it.

Tactical fouls, tackle!

Make the match fragmented!

No matter how, disrupt Lazio's rhythm, don't let them attack wave after wave comfortably, while Milan can only passively respond.

This is Ancelotti's test for Chen Zhong, and it's the first step in building a new tactic around Chen Zhong.

"He can do it!"

"I know he can!" Ancelotti is the kind of person who can build tactics around a player's strengths, and everything Chen Zhong did at Real Madrid indicated that he could take on this responsibility.

"Perhaps."

"The team's formation needs to be adjusted as well." Ancelotti, with a thoughtful gaze, considered pushing Chen Zhong forward, making Milan's frontline...

Pato

Seedorf, Chen Zhong, Kaka

Pirlo, Beckham

In such a pentagon during organization, all balls were to be passed to Chen Zhong. His ball protection and pivot abilities made the team's ball distribution smooth. In defense, Chen Zhong could also be the first line of defense, and in attack, the first battering ram.

"Hm?"

"Chen Zhong!"

"This has already happened three times."

"Ledesma is down on the ground again."

"What exactly did Ancelotti say to Chen Zhong?"

Lazio's formation is a 4312, focusing on short passing through the middle. Although they could use the wings, without any adept wingers, Lazio clearly didn't have this intention.

This is also a mainstream form in Italy, lacking skillful breakthroughs on the wings.

It often puts Italian teams at a disadvantage in the Champions League.

For example, Juventus reigns supreme in domestic leagues, but in the Champions League, they are flummoxed by the flying wings of powerhouse teams, often getting thoroughly overwhelmed.

This match, because Chen Zhong frequently sliced through and anticipated play in the middle, caused Lazio's passing to become somewhat "blocked," and now he often used his body, slide tackles, and tactical fouls, making Lazio's players increasingly agitated.

When Ledesma fell to the ground once more, he couldn't help but butt heads with Chen Zhong.

Cristian Daniel Ledesma, an Argentine player who once played for Boca, wasn't new to big matches and wouldn't shy away from this level of physical confrontation.

"Kid!"

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"If you continue like this, I won't be polite to you either!" This was roughly what Ledesma was expressing. Ledesma spoke so quickly that Chen Zhong could only guess his meaning from body language, expressions, and a few keywords.

Ledesma originally wasn't very angry.

However, when he realized the other party didn't understand what he was saying.

The anger just soared straight up.

I speak standard Argentine Spanish, although slightly different from Spain's Spanish, but with such standard grammar, you don't understand what I mean?

If I had to describe Ledesma's mood in three words, it would probably be "what the hell."

Ledesma was at the center of the entire team, and as his mind started to be filled with anger and impatience, Lazio's offense inadvertently became somewhat discordant.

"Lazio's attack."

"Chen Zhong!"

"Slide tackle!"

"Ledesma is down on the ground!"

"The referee blew the whistle, awarding a free kick."

Ledesma winced on the ground for a while before finally getting up, the referee walked over and fumbled in his pocket, ultimately not giving a yellow card but verbally warned: "You need to curb your actions. If you continue like this, I'll give you a yellow card."

In football matches, every referee has their own standards and guidelines, and this one was relatively lenient. He would warn once or twice before considering a card.

Chen Zhong nodded in agreement, simultaneously casting a wary glance at Ledesma.

This time, Ledesma was trying to trick a set-piece and aiming to get a yellow card on Chen Zhong.

A defensive player with a yellow card feels like having shackles, making them feel constrained.

Sarate took that free kick, but unfortunately didn't even get past the wall, directly headed away by Chen Zhong.

The pace of the Italian league is relatively slow, often taking 7-8 minutes for a decent attack. They will patiently control the ball and look for the opponent's weaknesses.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.