Free Web NovelChapter 773: Chapter 40: The Elite 8
In the new season, Mourinho has been emphasizing the need to eliminate psychological shadows. It’s not just about entering the round of 16, but about hoping to reach the finals and even win the final championship.
Real Madrid believes the reason the team didn’t win the Champions League last season was because the coach Pellegrini lacked the genes for it, whereas Mourinho is a master at winning championships.
To date, Mourinho has never lost a final he has entered...
Moreover, the underestimation of Lyon is not only due to the big win in the first leg; Mourinho himself is also an important factor.
Don’t forget, Mourinho is a master at dealing with Ligue 1 teams, whether at Porto, Chelsea, or Real Madrid. The Portuguese "madman" can always restrain the Ligue 1 teams.
Including the first leg of the round of 16, Mourinho’s career has seen 11 encounters with opponents from Ligue 1, achieving an overwhelming advantage with 8 wins, 2 draws, and only 1 loss.
The only defeat was in the 2002-2003 UEFA Cup third round, where Porto lost 1-0 away after securing a home victory of 3-0.
Nevertheless, the Real Madrid coach and players have urged fans to come to the stadium to cheer for the team and put pressure on the opponent.
The Marca states that Real Madrid fans will definitely support the team enthusiastically, just like the previous six Champions League round of 16 knockout stages. However, the fan support in the previous six times did not become a decisive factor, proving that the decisive factor is truly the players, not the fans; football is won on the pitch, not in the stands.
Regarding the match lineup, although the Portuguese player’s leg injury hasn’t fully healed, the situation has greatly improved. In fact, few believe he would miss such an important match against Lyon.
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Mourinho hope to take the risk, with the Portuguese playing in this life-and-death battle against Lyon, and then resting during the Derby de Madrid against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Although Lyon cannot be called a true giant, and neither their investment nor club size can compare to Real Madrid, this French club has won the love of many fans worldwide with its solid progress.
In recent years, they have been dominant against Real Madrid and have great insight into dealing with Real Madrid’s stars.
In this match, Lyon’s Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez will start, and this Argentine striker gave Real Madrid a lot of trouble last season and scored a hat-trick in Ligue 1 last week.
Bastos is suspended due to accumulating yellow cards and cannot play, and Sissoko’s participation is also questionable, although his chances of playing are high.
The match started with both teams observing a moment of silence for the victims of the earthquake in Japan.
After kickoff, both teams played at a fast pace. Chris fouled the Portuguese in the backfield, and Chen Zhong got ready to take the free kick. At the time, Chen Zhong’s characteristics were about to reach Level 3, and a free kick from 30 yards away was within his range.
Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t argue much, although he muttered to himself and looked displeased. However, having just recovered from his injury, he found a reason to convince himself.
Chen Zhong adjusted his breath from 30 yards, took a sprint, and blasted the shot.
Acting as the wall, Real Madrid players quickly scattered, and the ball pierced through the gaps of the wall like a cannonball towards the goal.
The goalkeeper’s reaction speed was very fast but still couldn’t stop the ball.
1:0
Real Madrid took the lead right at the beginning, scoring with Chen Zhong’s free kick.
Lyon fans, who held some expectation of a miracle, felt instantly dead inside, with some radical Lyon fans even turning off their TVs directly.
Real Madrid fans completely relaxed, and in the ensuing match, Real Madrid fully controlled the game pace.
In the 4th minute, Marcelo made a direct pass to Chen Zhong. Facing the advance of the French genius goalkeeper Lori, Chen Zhong struck the ball, letting it slip past Lori’s hands and roll into the goal.
2:0
By this time, most fans had realized that Real Madrid’s offense was very sharp, while Lyon’s counterattacks lacked sufficient threat, even rarely gained chances with crosses directly going off the bottom line.
After conceding 2 goals, Lyon slightly stabilized the situation. In the 18th minute of the match, Chen Zhong was fouled by Lyon players after taking the ball, causing furious reactions from the Real Madrid fans in the stands.
That free kick spot was very wide; neither Chen Zhong nor Cristiano Ronaldo chose to take it, instead running into the penalty area, with Alonso opting to cross from the free kick.
The ball curved through the air, showcasing Alonso’s ability in long passes.
Chen Zhong was encircled by multiple players, but Alonso’s pass wasn’t aimed at Chen Zhong; it was for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese headed the ball from 14 yards, but Lori’s positioning was decent and he held the ball tightly.
In the 27th minute, Chen Zhong took the ball in midfield, seeing Lyon players eyeing him fiercely, and immediately delivered a long pass. The Portuguese cut into the penalty area on the left and blasted a vigorous shot from 20 yards but was tipped over the crossbar by Lori.
The French Door God only seemed like a true guardian when facing players other than Chen Zhong.
Real Madrid continued pressing, while Lyon remained devoted to their defense and counter strategy.
In the 37th minute for Real Madrid, Chen Zhong initiated an attack, passing the ball to the side where Cristiano Ronaldo was. This time, the Portuguese didn’t choose to advance like before; instead, he faked a pass to Marcelo.
Marcelo dodged Chris, then away from Lovren’s tackle, and unleashed a fierce shot from 15 yards, with Lori unable to stop it, watching the ball go into the net.
3:0
Real Madrid has completely killed the game.
The first half ended with a 3:0 score between the two teams; although the second half remained, nobody believed Lyon could turn the tables.
With the start of the second half, Lyon changed their strategy, adjusting their defense to become more solid. Chen Zhong eased the players’ anxious minds, keeping the ball under control and playing with passes to exhaust Lyon’s patience.
Lyon, after all, was trailing and quickly showed cracks.
In the 66th minute for Real Madrid, Chen Zhong seized the timing, delivering a precise chipped pass to Benzema on the left. Benzema brought the ball down with his chest, performed a pendulum dribble to evade the defensive player ahead, facing Lori who abandoned the goal, and struck, scoring again.
Benzema didn’t choose to celebrate but instead put his hands together to apologize to his former team.
Seeing the 4:0 score, Lyon fans felt relieved and applauded Benzema.
With the match proceeding to this point, it nearly lacked suspense, and Real Madrid started making substitutions, sending in Di Maria, Adebayor, and Granero.
Both Real Madrid and Lyon seemed indifferent, almost dead, with Kaka, Chen Zhong, and Benzema going off.
Mourinho’s intent was very clear: to prepare for the upcoming Derby.
In the final moments of the match, Granero orchestrated an attack, with Di Maria performing an over-dribble facing the French genius goalkeeper Lori, striking the ball skillfully above the goalkeeper and changing the score to 5:0.
Real Madrid secured a 5-goal victory over Lyon at home, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals, where their next opponent will be a Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur.
When the whistle blew for the match, Mourinho waved his fists expressing inner joy.
And led by Chen Zhong, Real Madrid players also expressed gratitude to the fans, thanking them for their support.
Since Chen Zhong joined Real Madrid’s first team, the curse over Real Madrid has gradually been lifted, and this year marks Real Madrid’s second entry into the last eight. Last season, if it weren’t for Pellegrini’s "adjustment," Real Madrid might have even had a chance to reach the finals.
