When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 213 Roy, you must be happy, you must be blessed.
On September 29, 2004, in the away team's locker room at Stamford Bridge, Monaco's right-back Elfaki sat on the bench with a gloomy expression.

Last winter transfer window, due to fierce competition within the team caused by Maicon's arrival, he was loaned to Rosenborg in the Norwegian Eliteserien at the last minute of the transfer window.

Monaco won the treble that season, winning the French Ligue 1, the French Cup and the Champions League, but he missed out on these titles because he was on loan.

After returning from his loan spell this season, Elfakiri discovered that Maicon had already transferred to Chelsea with Roy.

He got his wish and secured a starting position, but fate played a cruel trick on him.

In the second round of the Champions League group stage, he will face Roy directly.

“What a hell”

Before Elfaqiri could even finish his grumbling, Evra interrupted him with a laugh, "Ha! I haven't heard you mention missing out on the Champions League for three hours."

A burst of laughter erupted in the locker room.

Elfaqiri grabbed a towel and threw it at Evra: "Shut up! What do you know, someone who's won so many medals?"

Meanwhile, Monaco's central defensive pairing was huddled in a corner, whispering to each other.

Squillaci: "The key is to guard against his cut inside from the left and shot; that move is deadly."

Gevitt: "Ha, what if he just accelerates and eats you alive? That's insane explosive power."

Squillaci: "Then create an offside trap!"

Givet: "Come on, he always manages to dance on the offside line. Besides, his dribbling is so thin, what if..."

Squillaci: "If all else fails, just let him cross from the byline!"

Givet: "Let him go down the wing? Then we'll need at least two guys marking him on the side of the box! Who's going to cover Drogba and Duff? Lampard loves to dive into the box, and Makelele and Mendes are always taking long-range shots from outside the box. Maicon was more like a winger than Giuly last season!"

Squillaci: "Damn, there are direct free kicks too."

The two suddenly fell silent.

Givet: "How about we pray he doesn't have a runny foot today?"

Squillaci: "Damn, the more I talk about it, the more I feel like I can't defend against this guy at all. Forget it, let's just treat him like a regular striker. Thinking too much will only cause trouble."

“Listen, lads.”

Just before taking the field, Blanc stood with his hands on his hips in front of the tactics board: "This team achieved an unprecedented treble in Ligue 1 last season, securing the league title eight rounds early. They won all six of their Champions League group stage matches, turning the defenses of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Arsenal into dust under their relentless bombardment! Finally, in Gelsenkirchen, they lifted the Champions League trophy by stepping on Porto's shoulders! This is Monaco, a glorious team that will go down in history!"

His gaze swept over every face in the locker room.

Those veterans who lifted the Champions League trophy last season, those substitutes who finally got their starting spot, and those new faces.

"Deschamps went to Italy with the prestige of being a treble-winning coach, and now he's on the Juventus bench directing things. To be honest, I really envy him. Giuly went to Turin with him. And the guy who was most feared among you last season—yes, Roy—is now wearing Chelsea's blue shirt, waiting for us at the other end of the tunnel."

"I know some of you still have photos of your Champions League medals in your pockets. You still dream about that scene every night. Some of you are still regretting missing the championship. Some of you didn't even have time to get to know your teammates."

He patted the team badge on his chest.

"But today, everyone is on the same starting line. The Stamford Bridge fans don't care what we won last year. They'll just see a bunch of crazy guys in red and white jerseys running wild on their turf."

"Now, let them remember Monaco's name, just like they did last season at the Munich Olympic Stadium, the Bernabéu, and the Highbury Stadium."

New captain Bernardi was the first to stand up and give each of his teammates a high-five.

When the locker room door was pushed open, the clamor of Stanford Bridge surged in like a tide.

Bernardi, Adebayor, Ribery, Arshavin, Saviola, Aldonin, Evra, Gilvert, Squillaci, Elfaqiri, and goalkeeper Roma.

Although Monaco lost key players like Roy and Giuly, the squad still boasts talented players in their prime such as Bernardi, Roma, and Squillaci.

Blanco took over a young team with an average age of less than 25. Ribery, Adebayor, Arshavin and other young players all had the sharpness of newborn calves in their eyes.

This Monaco 4231 is like a sharp scalpel.

The front four are small players: Ribery, Arshavin, Saviola, plus Adebayor, who has the attributes of a shadow striker. They can switch positions and make runs at any time, making the opponent's defense fall apart.

Bernardi and Aldonin formed a double pivot in midfield, acting as both sweepers and playmakers, while the two full-backs, Evra and Elfakiri, made significant forward runs.

Despite their average height being insufficient, the team's running ability is astonishing, often using tidal waves of sprints to wear down their opponents.

The most fatal flaw is that these young people have no idea what conservatism means.

This Monaco team continued its highly aggressive tactical style from last season, maintaining the rhythm of attack and defense through high-intensity running coverage and flexible formation changes.

The attacking group in the frontcourt maintains frequent positional interchanges, combined with the full-backs' large forward runs, forming a multi-layered attacking system.

On the defensive end, an aggressive pressing strategy is adopted, relying on the mobility of all personnel to achieve a wide range of interception coverage.

The overall tactics exhibit typical characteristics of modern attacking football, maintaining possession while possessing the ability to quickly and directly transition into attack.

As long as the ball is at their feet, they dare to play ground passing games starting with goalkeeper Roma.

Everyone in European football knows that this team, wearing red and white stripes, excels at using a youthful storm to overturn experienced powerhouses.

Mourinho stood at the door of the away team's locker room, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

If we lose this game.

No, even if the game is ugly, even if Chelsea manages to advance, his reputation will be shattered.

"They still lost to Monaco even with Roy on the team?"

He could already imagine how the media would write it.

Last season they were humiliated by Monaco, and now that Monaco's top scorer is on their team, if they stumble again, where will they put their face?

But this Monaco team is no pushover either.

After eight rounds of the new Ligue 1 season, the team remains undefeated with seven wins and one draw. Their only draw was against Caen in the third round.

In the last round, they played away against Lyon and managed to win 1-0 thanks to Arshavin's 83rd-minute rebound goal.

Including this match, Monaco has now failed to gain the upper hand against Lyon in head-to-head encounters for three consecutive seasons.

This treble-winning team hasn't lost any of its fierceness.

The lights at Stamford Bridge were blinding, and the roars of Chelsea fans shook the grass.

Monaco's players lined up and walked out of the tunnel, their red and white jerseys standing out starkly against the blue sea of ​​the stands.

The shouts of the traveling fans suddenly broke the cacophony.

"Allaz Monaco!!!"

The roar erupted from the away stands, carving a path through the boos of 40,000 people.

Chelsea fans stared at the group of Frenchmen, somewhat bewildered.

There were also a few Monaco die-hards scattered throughout the stands.

The legend of this red and white team last season was too dazzling. Even though their strongest striker is now standing on the opposite side wearing the blue jersey, their confidence as Champions League winners has not diminished in the slightest.

The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge suddenly became subtle: this is the difference between having won the Champions League and not having.

Chelsea's rubles can buy superstars, but they can't buy the arrogance that comes with winning the Champions League.

They desperately need a real trophy to shed the "nouveau riche" label.

The moment Roy stepped out of the locker room, the entire stadium erupted in a deafening roar.

Monaco fans waved their red and white flags wildly, and several voices burst from the crowd: "Le Démon!!!" He looked up, waved to the away stands, and a tear glistened in his eyes.

At that moment, the melody of the Champions League theme song was resounding throughout Stamford Bridge.

"Beep——"

The whistle blew, and Chelsea kicked off.

Roy stood in the center circle, his blue jersey number 10 standing out brightly under the lights of Stamford Bridge.

Monaco's players are watching him closely. Arshavin, Aldonin, and Saviola, these new signings, have all witnessed how the "Demon King" in his red and white jersey ravaged Europe last season.

Now, he has become an opponent.

Drogba passed the ball back to Lampard, and Roy immediately started his run down the left flank.

Monaco's defense tightened instantly; they knew better than anyone how terrifying this man's explosive power was.

The game started.

Chelsea kick off.

After Lampard received the ball, Chelsea immediately began to control possession.

Makelele provided solid support in the defensive midfield position, while Monaco's attacking quartet consisted of Ribery, Arshavin, Saviola, and Adebayor.

They quickly pressed forward, attempting to disrupt Chelsea's play from their own half.

Roy received the ball on the left wing, and Elfakiri immediately closed in.

He first feigned cutting inside, then suddenly stopped and flicked the ball over the top of the knee of the Monaco right-back's intercepting leg.

Bernardi anticipated his intention, moved laterally to block him, and rammed Roy hard with his shoulder, forcing him towards the sideline.

But Roy's left foot stuck to the ball like a suction cup.

Just as the ball was about to go out of bounds, he suddenly stepped on it and turned, his back pressing against Bernardi as he squeezed through the gap between him and Elfakiri!

With a gentle push from the instep, the ball was delivered precisely to Lampard's feet.

Lampard understood immediately and launched a long diagonal pass behind Monaco's defense.

Squillaci chased after him frantically, but when he saw the blue figure darting towards him like a ghost, his legs trembled involuntarily.

He shoveled the shovel, and flew sideways, his right leg fully extended and his left arm outstretched to maintain balance.

"boom!"

Both players' toes poked the ball at the same time.

The moment the ball bounced, Roy tapped his forehead lightly and staggered over Squillaci.

Squillaci missed his target and could only watch the blue figure pass by him.

Stamford Bridge erupted in a tsunami-like roar as the number 10 figure pierced the penalty area like a sharp sword, leaving only the despairing figures of Monaco's defenders behind him.

"Roy gets the ball! A beautiful turn and breakthrough! Lampard's long diagonal pass, Roy catches up! Squillaci's sliding tackle bounces up! Roy heads it on! It's past him!! A one-on-one opportunity!! Roy bursts into the penalty area!! He takes a low shot!!!"

Roy dribbled into the penalty area, suddenly slowed down, and raised his right foot as if to shoot at the far corner.

Roma immediately lowered their center of gravity and made a save.

Givet also rushed in from the side to block the far corner.

"boom!"

Roy suddenly twisted his ankle and pushed the ball towards the near post.

Roma managed to throw a powerful right punch as he fell to the ground, barely managing to block the ball.

The ball bounced high, grazing Drogba's head as it flew towards the edge of the penalty area.

Bernardi chased back desperately, and just before Lampard could extend his foot, he poked the ball out of bounds with his toe.

A gasp rippled through Stamford Bridge, followed by a sigh of disappointment from Chelsea fans.

Roy touched his nose and grinned.

He pointed a finger at Rome from afar.

Rome slapped his gloves hard and yelled at him.

Their eyes met, and they both suddenly burst out laughing.

Monaco's counterattack was equally sharp.

Arshavin dropped back to receive the ball, made a clever turn to get rid of Makelele's entanglement, and then passed it straight to Ribery who was making a forward run.

The French winger faced Maicon, and after two consecutive stepovers, he suddenly cut inside, but Terry's timely cover blocked his shooting route.

For the first ten minutes of the match, both sides were testing each other.

Chelsea created threats through Roy and Duff's runs down the flanks, while Monaco relied on Arshavin and Ribery's agile runs to find openings.

Roy was particularly active, and every touch of the ball left Monaco fans with mixed feelings.

They were familiar with his threat, but now he was wearing the opponent's jersey.

Monaco's right flank is under siege.

Alfakiri was always cautious when he got close, forcing Bernardi to frequently cover for him.

When Roy received the ball for the fourth time, the entire Monaco defense leaned towards him.
But this time he suddenly passed the ball back to Makelele, and Chelsea instantly gained open space in the middle.

Chelsea controlled possession in their own half, while Monaco's front four surged forward like a tidal wave, with Arshavin and Ribery making frantic runs to try and cut off passing lanes.

Roy dropped back to the mid-court line to support Makelele, and Bernardi immediately closed in.

He used his back to shield the defender, then with a quick flick of his right foot, he passed the ball to Lampard before turning and making a run forward.

Lampard was pressed by Aldonin and immediately passed the ball back to Roy, who had cut into the middle.

Elfakiri rushed forward, Roy turned to his right and sent a low pass, the ball passed in front of Monaco's center-back Givet and found Duff, who then received the ball and advanced.

Duff was blocked by Evra and passed back to Roy.

This time, Bernardi and Arshavin double-teamed him at the same time. Roy stepped on the ball with his right foot and pulled back, then suddenly flicked it with his heel to Abidal who had made a run forward, and then started running again to shake off the defense.

Monaco's pressing tightened like a vise, but Roy always managed to find a gap.

His three passes – receiving the ball, getting rid of it, and distributing it – were like surgical precision, dismantling the opponent's high press and stabilizing Chelsea's rhythm.

Abidal crossed the ball, and Drogba flicked it on with his head at the near post.

Evra burst out from the side, leaping into the air and kicking the ball out of bounds.

The referee pointed to the corner flag, and Lampard jogged over to place the ball.

Chelsea's tall players surged into the penalty area, while Monaco's defense stood tight, marking their players closely.

The commotion at Stamford Bridge subsided temporarily as everyone awaited the outcome of the corner kick.

(I woke up with a stiff neck this morning, but it's only gotten better tonight so I can sit for longer periods. The content isn't very long, I'll finish writing it tonight.)

(End of this chapter)