The Prince of Inter Milan starts with Brother Xiaosa

Chapter 265 Entering the finals again!

The second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in the 2010-11 season started at San Siro!
  The match between defending champion Inter Milan and Premier League powerhouse Tottenham Hotspur at home officially begins amid much anticipation!
  Just like the previous round at White Hart Lane, even though the number of seats at San Siro was more than double, it was still packed today!
  More than 80,000 people flocked to the Meazza Stadium just to cheer for the team they supported.

Will the defending champion reach the Champions League final for the second consecutive year and aim for two consecutive championships, or will Lily Bai make history and challenge for the European championship for the first time?
  Everyone will wait and see!

Inter Milan, playing at home, continued the starting lineup from the first round today, while Tottenham made slight adjustments.

The Lily Legion came to the away game and played 4231 instead.

Crouch's lone forward advanced, with Bell and Lennon on the left and right, Van der Vaart as the midfielder, Modric and Hoddlestone behind him.

The left and right backs are still Asuekto and Joel Luka. Ledley King's injury worsened in the last Premier League game with Chelsea and he was unfortunately missing.

Today's central defender combination is Dawson and Gallas, goalkeeper Redknapp chose substitute goalkeeper Cudicini.

The 37-year-old Italian goalkeeper never thought that when he was about to retire, he would be able to start the Champions League semi-finals for Tottenham.

In terms of reaction speed, not to mention that Cudicini, who is nearly forty years old, has already declined significantly. Even if he did not decline, he would still be far behind Gomez at his peak.

But in terms of experience and stability, he is indeed more trustworthy.

Tottenham head coach Lao Lei also wants to seek no merit but no fault. As long as Cudicini can save the ball that should be saved, that is enough.

“We have two away goals in hand, and although the score is currently tied at two to two, the advantage is actually on our side.

This is the Meazza Stadium, give back to the fans with a victory!
  I believe that no matter what difficulties we encounter, we can successfully reach this year's Champions League final!

We are only a short distance away from defending the title, and I will not allow anyone to affect the team at this time.

The ugly thing to say is up front, no matter who it is, as long as the performance cannot satisfy me, don’t think about having a chance later.

So when the game starts today, give me your best performance! "

At the beginning of the game, Milito swayed sideways in front of the penalty area and shook off Tottenham's defenders before volleying with great force slightly over the goal crossbar.

Maicon knocked the ball across from the right, Milito stopped the ball in the penalty area and responded. Eto'o's low shot with his left foot in front of the penalty area hit the Tottenham center back's leg and missed the baseline.

At their home court, the Nerazzurri didn't have any probing attacks, they simply let go and launched the offensive first!

In the fourth minute, Kolarov's long shot from the left was blocked by Cudicini, and Inter Milan won the first corner kick of the game.

Leo took a corner kick from the right and passed it accurately to the center. Lucio shook his head in front of the small penalty area and scored!

Tottenham goalkeeper Cudicini pounced on the ball but it still hit the inside of the post and flew into the net!
  One to zero!

Inter Milan scored the first goal!
  Lucio scored his second Champions League goal of the season!

Not long after, Maicon broke through from the right and passed in. Leo, who was ambushing behind Milito, got rid of the defense and suddenly broke into the small penalty area and dived for a header!
  Leo's sudden header caught Cudicini off guard and headed the ball directly into the lower left corner of the goal!

Two to zero!
  The home team quickly expanded the score, and the Nerazzurri got off to a dream start!

Tottenham's air defense obviously had problems, and Dawson and Gala's defense also focused on one thing and the other.

Leo scored his sixteenth Champions League goal this season and also set a new record for goals in a single season of the Champions League.

The situation is great for Inter Milan, but head coach Leonardo does not dare to relax at all.

The scene in which Bale scored three goals in a row at home in the group match is still vivid in my mind.

After taking a two-goal lead, Inter Milan took the initiative to slow down the pace of the game.

In the seventh minute, Van der Vaart's long shot hit the Inter Milan defender and hit the bottom line.

Tottenham got a corner kick. For them, they may have to rely on set pieces to find scoring opportunities in the away game.

Crouch easily received Modric's corner kick, but his header was slightly higher.

Crouch's height advantage is too obvious. Even if Bonucci seizes the position in advance, he cannot block the opponent's header.

Fortunately, Gao Lao's header was not within the goal range.

Crouch then tackled Bonucci in the frontcourt and was given a yellow card by the referee.
  Two minutes later, Maicon took the ball with his back, turned around and crossed to the penalty area. He took a long shot with his left foot and missed the far corner of the goal.

Eto'o committed a tackle foul during the frontcourt press and also received a yellow card.

In the 12th minute, Crouch brought down Lucio with another tackle in the frontcourt, and the German referee Brich stopped the game.

If another yellow card is given, England forward Crouch will be sent off, and Tottenham will face the unfavorable situation of having to play more with less in less than a quarter of an hour after the opening.

After hesitating for a moment, Brih called Crouch over, only giving him a verbal warning and showing mercy without taking out his cards.

This made Inter Milan not very satisfied. Leo went to the referee to protest but was almost given a yellow card.

Leo curled his lips helplessly at this.

Bell broke through to the left side of the penalty area to receive the ball, and then he shot high with his left foot under the interference of the defensive player.

In the 27th minute, Maicon made a half-high pass from the right. Eto'o headed the ball in front of the back post, but Cudicini firmly confiscated it.

One minute later, Bell threw the ball from the left sideline into the penalty area. Van der Vaart protested that Lucio had committed a behind-the-back foul, but the referee did not say anything.

In the 29th minute, Inter Milan's attack was interrupted and Tottenham counterattacked quickly!
  Bell received a long pass from the backcourt and cut inward past Maicon, then volleyed with his left foot and hit the side net!
  Kolarov took the ball from the left, Cambiaso dived in front of the baseline on the right and headed the ball over. Unfortunately, Milito's header from far away failed to reach the goal.

Immediately afterwards, Maicon tackled Bell on the right side who had just started to speed up, and also received a yellow card.

In the 41st minute, the Nerazzurri played continuous cooperation in the frontcourt. Leo made a clever diagonal pass. Kolarov passed a cross from the left side of the penalty area. Eto'o turned sideways and volleyed with his left foot but was blocked by Cudicini!
  Then Zanetti passed the ball from the left, Thiago Motta stopped the ball at the top of the arc and bounced with his right foot. The ball hit Dawson's arm in the penalty area and popped out!
  Inter Milan's players collectively protested against the opponent's handball, but the German referee still didn't say anything.

The ball was still in the hands of the home team. Eto'ola went to the left and forced a break through Gallas. His shot from a small angle was blocked by Dawson from the bottom line!

The first half entered stoppage time, and Leo took a corner kick from the left.

Cudicini took advantage of being able to reach out and wanted to take the ball first, but his judgment was wrong!
  Under the interference of Bonucci, Cudicini touched the ball and the line changed and fell to the back point!
  Milito was just waiting in front of the far goalpost!

Facing the marking of Tottenham center back Gallas, Milito kept shooting the ball straight into the goal!

Three to zero!
  The score gap widened again!

After scoring, Milito looked back at Gala and sighed with disdain.

They are both black, but this guy is more talented than Ledley King.

The defensive pressure that Gallas and Ledley King put on Milito was completely different.

At the end of the first half, Inter Milan leads by three goals!

Back in the locker room, head coach Leonardo reminded the players again and again not to be relaxed.

"The last time we were beaten by three goals in a row was today's opponent. We did a good job defending Bell in the first half and continued to do so in the second half."

As he spoke, he looked at Maicon, who was carrying a yellow card.

"You have a heavy defensive task, and you already have a yellow card. I may choose to replace you soon in the second half and replace you with a new force who will be responsible for marking Bell.

Don't think too much about it, just consider it from this aspect, there is no other reason. "

Maicon was a little dissatisfied, but what the coach said made sense. He couldn't say much and could only nod silently.

Less than a minute into the second half, Cambiaso's powerful volley from outside the penalty area hit Gala's face and deflected back.

Two minutes later, Leo's low shot with his left foot hit the left post and popped out!
  Leo thought that he had worked very hard on training his non-dominant foot, but after all, he still couldn't say that he could use his left foot the same as his right foot.

No matter how well his left foot is trained, there will definitely still be a slight gap between it and his right foot.

If the ball he just kicked with his right foot, there is a high probability that it would not hit the post, because he was aiming at the blind spot inside the goal post.

Maicon knocked across from the right, and Eto'o's long shot was blocked by the Tottenham defender.

Knowing that he would be replaced soon, Maicon did not hesitate to use his energy and began to assist frequently.

In the 52nd minute, Tottenham attacked Inter Milan's penalty area for the first time in the second half. Crouch passed the ball to the left. Bell passed Maicon and volleyed with his left foot and hit Lucio's leg to win a corner kick.

Then Asuector's left foot volleyed from a long distance, and the ball bounced slightly wide of the goal.

Trailing by three goals, Lily Legion had no intention of giving up and continued to work hard to find opportunities to counterattack.

It's a pity that Bell received a key defensive treatment, which was completely different from the previous time.

There was no space for him to run, and Bell's speed was also well restricted in positional battles.

This is what intelligence, pre-match analysis, and targeted tactics are all about.

If it's still the same as the first time they met, Inter Milan probably doesn't know anything about many players in Tottenham's team, at least not very well.

This gave Bell a chance to make a surprise move, because before that no one thought that this young Welsh boy could score such a stunning goal.

But as Tottenham made it all the way to the Champions League semi-finals, even the substitute players in their team have been thoroughly studied.

If you know yourself and your enemy, you can win a hundred battles. Now that you have enough understanding of your opponents, the defending champion will naturally not be able to give them another chance to display their full strength.

Just sixty minutes into the game, David Thornton went to the sidelines to start warming up.

Leonardo is quite satisfied with the current state of this "young player".

But with Kolarov and Maicon around, it's true that Thornton doesn't get to play at the left or right backs.

Only when they are injured or need rotation rest, David can get limited playing opportunities.

But at the same time, both Inter Milan's coaches and players still recognize Thornton's ability.

The young Italian international, who has just turned 20, has taken some detours due to the influence of his youthful fame, but in general, under the guidance of Leo, he has not strayed too far and is still making progress.

And it is unknown whether his fate has already deviated from the original development direction. David Thornton, who has occasionally suffered minor injuries but has not suffered serious injuries, still has the opportunity to become the best full-back in the world.

To this day, in the expectation of many people, David Thornton is still a talented player who is expected to grow into a world-class full-back!
  After all, he is only twenty years old now, and his amazing performance against Ronaldo alone when he was eighteen is still fresh in the minds of the Nerazzurri.

What the future holds, who knows.

In short, after coming on as a substitute, David Thornton began to press Bell all the way. Gareth Bale looked at this "follower" who just came on the stage with confusion.

Bell can understand that Inter Milan sent someone to follow him closely, but why does this person seem to have a grudge against him?

Apart from Thornton, perhaps only Leo knew what was going on.

He noticed the two friends secretly starting to compete with each other on the field, and smiled helplessly.

In the 72nd minute, Bell cut in from the left and passed two people, but was immediately tackled to the ground by Thornton who followed him!

David Thornton was given a yellow card by the referee, and Bell fell to the ground in pain.

Tottenham's team doctor came in urgently to check him, and Leo came over worriedly.

Fortunately, he was not injured. After being helped by the team doctor, Bell returned to the court after recuperating for a while.

"Why are you moving so much? It's easy to get hurt!

I asked you to consult more with the seniors on the team but you refused. Just like just now, it is not certain whether the opponent will be injured. What if your knee is injured?
  Don't do this kind of thing in the future where you can injure the enemy ten thousand and lose eight thousand to yourself. Defense does not just rely on hard work and ferocity. Improving your skills is the way to go.

The same goes for attacking. It doesn't mean that you avoid confrontation, but that you play smarter and learn to protect yourself. "

Thornton, who was being scolded at first, was a little unconvinced and wanted to refute, but when Leo finished speaking, he realized that the other party was caring about him, and the rebuttal was not uttered.

"I understand, I will pay attention to it later."

Um? Is this guy so good at admitting his mistakes today?
  Leo was also a little surprised. He had said some words to Thornton more than once. It would be good if he could really listen to it every time.

Thornton's ability is definitely outstanding among his peers, and he is among the best among his peers in both offensive and defensive skills.

But on the field, no one will let him go or anything because of his young age.

When defensive skills are not enough to deal with those first-class offensive players, all Thornton can rely on is his positive attitude and fierce fighting.

This is indeed a way to effectively make up for the shortcomings and strengthen his defensive hardness.

However, there are advantages and disadvantages. Correspondingly, this style of playing also increases Thornton's risk of injury to a certain extent.

If he could be as unafraid of injuries as Leo, or if he had Bashen's abnormal physical fitness, it might be much better.

It's a pity that David Thornton's physical talents do not match his.

Just like many talented young people who have disappeared from the public due to injuries, if he does not find a solution, he will end up like them.

Leo has noticed this a long time ago, so he often reminds himself that this younger brother must learn to play football in a more "scientific and reasonable" way.

At the same time, always pay attention to your physical condition.

This should minimize the possibility of Thornton's career being affected by injuries.

Feeling some dull pain in his left leg, Thornton did not explain anything to Leodo.

He just kept Leo's concern for him in his heart, and at the same time secretly reminded himself to carefully understand what the boss said in the future.

The game continued and Tottenham needed to score three goals in less than twenty minutes to advance.

Can they create this miracle?

In the 77th minute, Modric took a penalty kick from the top of the penalty area. Bell took a step across to David Thornton in the left corner of the penalty area and then pulled out a curved ball with his left foot to shoot. The ball went straight into the near corner!

Three to one!

Tottenham pulled a goal back!
  Thornton cannot be entirely blamed for losing the ball. Bell was really difficult to defend against this time.

Thornton looked at Bell fiercely. If I had his physical condition, I would not perform worse than him!
  Although there are still two goals left, Tottenham really sees hope!
  The Lily Legion, which recovered one point, aggressively attacked in the away game, because if they could not continue to score goals, it would still be a game.

The two Tottenham center backs have already reached the center circle, and there is no need to say more for the other players.

The left and right backs Hector and Joel Luca have already assisted Inter Milan's penalty area.

There was a gap in the blockbuster film. Leo smiled, didn't this give him a chance?

With a wink at Thornton, Leo cooperated with Zanetti in front of his own penalty area to form a trap on Van der Vaart!
  With a poke of his right foot, Leo easily stole the ball from the Dutchman!
  What followed was a long pass that spanned most of the stadium and hit the back of Tottenham's defense!

"Oops!"

Seeing Leo's pass, Bell was the first to realize something was wrong, but his teammates were half a beat too slow to react.

By the time the defensive players started to fight back, David Thornton had already received the pass on the right side and crossed to the penalty area.

Thornton, who was full of speed, ran very fast, and Asuector behind him could only eat dust all the way behind.

Tottenham goalkeeper Cudicini hesitated for a moment, but chose to abandon the goal and attack!
  There were opposing players in front and behind him. Thornton did not panic at all when faced with such a situation. He dunked his right foot to avoid Cudicini's attack and hit the goal with his left foot!
  Cudicini hurriedly ran towards the goal, but how could a person run so fast with the ball?

When he just ran to the penalty spot, the ball had already fallen into the goal line!

Four to one!

Inter Milan seals the victory!

After scoring the goal, David Thornton ran all the way to the sidelines and enjoyed the cheers and applause of the Nerazzurri fans in the stands.

Finally he threw himself into Leo's arms.

"Thank you, boss!"

This kid, Leo smiled and shook his head.

After patting Thornton's back gently, Leo smiled and said:
  "Why are you thanking me? I should be thanking you for giving me an assist.

This goal was scored beautifully! "

David Thornton was delighted, and not just with the goal.

What's more important is that he seems to have found the fearless feeling he had when he was just starting out.

At the last moment of the game, everyone in the audience was already singing the Inter Milan team anthem to celebrate that the team had reached the Champions League final again.

Bell didn't give up yet. After receiving Modric's pass, he dribbled the ball with his head.

After continuously breaking through the defenses of Zanetti and Motta, Bell cut inside and fired a powerful long-range shot with his left foot from outside the arc of the penalty area!
  The ball made an arc and bypassed the defender's blockage. Fortunately, Cesar flew in front of the goal to make a save and held the ball out with one hand!
  At the end of the game, Inter Milan eliminated Tottenham Hotspur, the darkest dark horse in this Champions League, 6-3 in two rounds to advance to the final for the second consecutive year!

When the referee blew the whistle for the end of the game, Gareth Bale, who tried his best, collapsed on the green field of San Siro.

Modric's eyes were red, and he and his Croatian compatriot Joel Luka helped each other off the field.

Van der Vaart stared blankly at the big screen at the San Siro. The score of four to one was so dazzling.

Although it failed, the blooming white lily left a deep impression on all of Europe!

Along the way, they first made a splash in the group stage, defeating Werder Bremen and Twente to advance to the knockout rounds, and then sent two giants, AC Milan and Real Madrid, out of the competition.

In the end, they fell short in the semifinals, losing to defending champion Inter Milan and failing to continue making history.

Life is like this sometimes, full of regrets.

Tottenham coach Redknapp went to the field to hug the reluctant players. They really tried their best.

Leo wanted to comfort his friend, but after seeing Bell's state, he just hugged him silently.

"I lost this time, but it won't be the case next time."

Bale quickly perked up and took off his jersey.

"Exchanging jerseys?"

Leo pushed the sweat-soaked jersey away from Bell in disgust.

"I can't even keep your jersey at home. Let's change it to someone else, bro!"

Bell was not angry after being rejected, but showed a smile.

Leo found Modric who had already walked to the sidelines with a frustrated look on his face.

"Luka, can I exchange jerseys with you?"

Modric looked surprised, as if he was surprised that Leo came back to exchange jerseys with him.

However, the Croatian did not refuse and took off his No. 14 Tottenham jersey and handed it over.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to exchange jerseys, Leo also got the other party's contact information.

There were other people present, so some things were inappropriate to say on the spot.

Until the end of the game against Tottenham, many Inter Milan fans had not come to their senses.

Are you in the finals again?
  Although compared to last year when they created history and won the Triple Crown under the leadership of Mourinho, their psychological expectations have been raised before the start of this year's season.

However, many people still can't believe that they can still achieve such good results after experiencing a coaching change and the team's turmoil.

"Is it possible for us to win three crowns in a row?"

This is the question that arises in the minds of everyone in the Nerazzurri.

As for their opponent in the final, if nothing else, it should be Barcelona, ​​which won the first round.

Of course, the final result still has to wait until tomorrow's second leg match between Barcelona and Manchester United.

“Last season we were eliminated by Manchester United in the Champions League semi-finals, and last season we sent Barcelona back home.

There seems to be some grudges, but no matter who the opponent is in the final, all the members of the team and I will work hard for the championship! "

The next day everyone set their sights on Barcelona, ​​the capital of Catalonia.

Another Champions League semi-final second leg match begins at Camp Nou!
  (End of this chapter)