When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 242 Three Heroes Fight for the Seal in the Locker Room, One Man Breaks Through the Camp Nou

On February 25, 2005, at noon, Mourinho announced the starting lineup for the Champions League match that evening during the team's lunch.

Due to the recent poor performances of midfielders such as Mendes and Smertin, he decided to adopt a more conservative defensive 4-3-3 formation.

This lineup features Cech in goal, with the defense consisting of Abidal, Carvalho, Terry, and Maicon from left to right.

In midfield, Makelele and Desailly formed a double defensive midfield pairing, while Lampard played as the attacking midfielder.

Up front, Duff played on the right wing, Gudjohnsen in the center, and Roy on the left wing.

Desailly's return to the starting lineup brings several key advantages to the team: First, the experienced veteran can provide stable defensive interceptions, relieving pressure on the back line.

Secondly, his excellent teamwork with Makelele effectively protects the space in the backfield.

Most importantly, Desailly's excellent game reading ability can help the team better control the pace of the game, which is especially important in crucial competitions like the Champions League.

His return has solidified Chelsea's midfield defense, providing a strong backing for the attacking players in the front.

This lineup arrangement raises a delicate question regarding the selection of the captain.

With both Terry and Desailly returning to the starting lineup, Desailly, as the first captain, should wear the captain's armband as is customary.

However, in reality, Desailly made very few appearances throughout the season, while Terry, as vice-captain, fulfilled his captaincy duties almost the entire season.

To complicate matters further, Roy performed admirably as interim captain during the two games Terry missed, perfectly fulfilling his duties.

Therefore, deciding who will serve as the on-field captain in this starting lineup is a decision that requires careful consideration.

At this moment, the Chelsea players exchanged glances, their eyes all focused on Mourinho.

However, the Portuguese coach seemed completely oblivious to everyone's gaze and continued to enjoy his lunch.

In the midst of this delicate silence, Desailly broke the deadlock: "I've missed too many training sessions and matches this season, and I haven't had enough tactical integration with the team. The captain's armband should be given to the person who can best lead the team to victory, the person who can best implement the coach's tactics on the field, and I think Roy is the most suitable."

Terry's face was grim, and his fists clenched unconsciously under the table.

He had anticipated this situation, but in his opinion, the captaincy should be handed over naturally only after Roy brought home an important championship trophy for the team, preferably after a glorious moment like winning the Champions League.

That would be both respectable and leave the media speechless.

But what does this mean? The team hasn't won anything, and they want to strip him of his armband just because of his performance in two games?

He's already got the headline in tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: "Honors dropped, Chelsea dressing room in turmoil."

Worse still, tabloids like The Sun will surely exaggerate and say that Terry has lost the coach's trust.
Roy glanced at the table and smiled as he spoke, "Boss, Desailly and Terry are both here, just follow the rules. If you really want to change the armband, why don't we wait until we pull off something big at Camp Nou? Right now, the brothers should focus on finishing the game first."

He could have easily gotten the captain's armband at that point, but doing so would have directly caused a rift with Terry.

Terry is one of the best center-backs in the Premier League. If he gets angry and transfers because of this, it would be a huge loss for Chelsea.

Moreover, with a crucial Champions League match just around the corner, team unity is far more important than individual captaincy.

Roy has yet to win a major championship with the team, so it would be difficult for him to gain the respect of the team if he were to rush to become captain.

If they lose in subsequent matches, they are likely to be accused by the public of "seizing power and causing morale to collapse."

Roy tapped the table with his knuckles, the crisp sound bringing all the discussion to an abrupt halt.

"Brothers, we really had a frustrating first two games, which made those Barcelona guys start to look down on us. Deco even said in the media that all the Premier League teams are weak, and that Chelsea and Arsenal's winning streaks have no real value. Now is not the time to dwell on such trivial matters. What we should really be thinking about is how to put on a great show at Camp Nou. What does it matter if we're at the top of La Liga? We need to give them a resounding victory to remember who the real Champions League champions are. Once we walk off the pitch stepping over Barcelona's corpse, all the doubters will naturally shut up, and that's when our prestige will truly be established."

His approach was simple: put the matter aside for now, let everyone know about it, and when the time is right, things will naturally fall into place.

In politics, you can't be soft when you need to be tough, but you also have to give people a way out when necessary.

You need to save face, but so do others.

We must achieve our goal without embarrassing anyone.

2005年2月23日晚8点30分，诺坎普球场即将进行欧冠16强首回合较量。

Inside the players' tunnel, two lines of players prepared to enter the field.

Roy quickly scanned the Barcelona lineup: Villa, Eto'o, and Aimar formed the attacking line.

Deco and Xavi anchored the midfield.

AC Milan legend Albertini played as a defensive midfielder.

The back line consists of Van Bronckhorst, Puyol, Marquez, and Belletti.

Goalkeeper Valdes.

Barcelona appeared to have fielded a 4-3-3 formation, but there was actually a hidden strategy behind it.

Aimar played as a winger on the right wing, while Villa and Eto'o formed a two-striker partnership.

This arrangement not only leverages the tacit understanding between the two forwards, but also allows Aimar, who excels at ball control, to link up play on the right flank and in midfield.

The team has a large number of technically gifted players in the attacking third, who are extremely adept at penetrating and maneuvering in tight spaces. This tactical design makes Barcelona's attack more layered and varied.

Roy looked at his old teammate Max and gave him a brief greeting: "Raphael, long time no see."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, but Max's smile seemed somewhat forced.

Back in his Monaco days, Roy had urged him to stay for another year, but he insisted on going to Barcelona.

The following year, Monaco won the treble, and now that Roy has moved to Chelsea, the two have unexpectedly met in the Champions League.

Roy's pre-match comment, "When you stand at Camp Nou listening to the Champions League anthem, you'll remember what I said today," is now stuck in Max's mind like a thorn.

The melody of the Champions League was echoing in the stadium, but he couldn't hear it at all.

“Vamos Barca!!!”

The Camp Nou fans were already in a frenzy even before the match started.

As the Barcelona and Chelsea players emerged from the tunnel, the entire stadium erupted in cheers. Red and blue scarves billowed like waves, and the roars were deafening.

Young Gerard Piqué and his family sat in the stands at Camp Nou to cheer on Barcelona.

He was born into a typical middle-class family; his father was a well-known lawyer, and his mother held an important position in a hospital.

What's even more special is that his maternal grandfather, Armando Bernabéu, served as the vice president of Barcelona, ​​which made him a Barcelona member from birth and one of the youngest lifetime members in the club's history.

Pique is especially fond of his sick cousin Luisa, who loves football but cannot bear the blow of losing.

To make his cousin happy, Pique secretly resolved to keep winning on the field.

Luisa tilted her little face up and asked Pique, "Can Barcelona win today?"

Young Pique ruffled her hair: "Of course we can win! Look at our attacking line, look at our control of the midfield, what is Chelsea?"

He pointed to the Chelsea players on the field, especially Roy.

"That guy used to play for Real Madrid, and now he's gone to Chelsea. What a traitor. Just wait and see, today Camp Nou will be their nightmare."

"So don't worry, we'll definitely be able to go home smiling later."

The curses from Camp Nou surged toward Roy like a tidal wave.

He stood on the left wing, flexing his wrists, his gaze calmly sweeping across the field.

Deco and Xavi were keeping a close eye on him; one had been defeated by him in last year's Champions League, and the other had watched from the bench at the European Championship as he led France to eliminate Spain.

Eto'o's eyes were filled with anger. Before the match, Roy called him a "traitor with psychological trauma who wanted to kill his father" and vowed to clean house for Real Madrid.

The whistle blew, and Eto'o kicked the ball hard to Aimar.

Aimar passed the ball to the backfield, and Albertini quickly passed it to Xavi on the right.

Xavi observed the forward positions and found that Chelsea had already set up a tight defensive system.

Makelele and Desailly blocked the central passage from the front and back, while Lampard formed the first barrier in front of the two.

Chelsea maintained a compact 4-3-2-1 formation in defense, with Maicon and Abidal firmly guarding the flanks.

Xavi chose to pass the ball back to Aimar, who had dropped back to receive it.

As Aimar received the ball, he noticed Roy closing in to block him, and immediately turned and passed the ball to Villa on the left wing.

When Villa received the ball, Chelsea's Maicon quickly pressed forward, but the Brazilian defender blocked his cutting inside lane in time.

Villa could only pass back to Deco near the center circle.

When Deco received the ball, Makelele was already right there with him.

The Portuguese midfielder tried to get past him with a feint, but Makelele maintained an arm's length defensive position.

Deco could only pass the ball back to Xavi.

At this point, Barcelona had completed three lateral passes, but they were still unable to break through Chelsea's midfield defense.

Before receiving the ball, Xavi noticed Desailly moving towards him. He skillfully controlled the ball with the outside of his right foot, then turned 180 degrees to avoid Desailly's challenge.

This skillful move earned applause from the fans in the stadium.

The instant he turned, Xavi astutely noticed Eto'o's forward run and immediately delivered a penetrating through ball.

Eto'o, like a black lightning bolt, sped forward through the gap between Terry and Carvalho.

The Cameroonian skillfully controlled the ball with the instep of his right foot. Facing the onrushing Carvalho, he pretended to shoot but suddenly flicked the ball to the left, easily getting past the Portuguese defender who had lost his balance.

Cech had already covered the near post, and Eto'o calmly passed the ball diagonally to the left side of the open space.

Villa arrived quickly and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area.

The ball headed straight for the top right corner of the goal, and Cech leaped into the air, striking the ball away with one hand.

Before the Chelsea players had fully retreated to their defensive positions, Deco had already made a quick run into the edge of the penalty area.

He forcefully received the ball, first feinting past Terry who was rushing to tackle, and then unleashing a right-footed shot into the far corner.

With a "bang," the ball slammed against the outside of the post and bounced back into the field.

In the critical moment, Maicon demonstrated an astonishing speed in his pursuit.

The Brazilian defender cleared the ball out of bounds with a long kick before Villa could attempt another follow-up shot.

A collective sigh of regret immediately filled the Camp Nou stadium.

Chelsea players, still shaken, shouted to each other to adjust their positions, while Barcelona players quickly spread out, preparing to launch their next attack.

This attack, which lasted for nearly two minutes, fully demonstrated Barcelona's delicate passing and control abilities and exquisite teamwork.

Roy scanned Barcelona's attacking line. Although Ronaldinho and Giuly were missing, the attacking combination in front of him was still not easy to deal with.

Villa roams down the left flank; this Spanish striker is known for his elusive movement and exquisite shooting skills.

Eto'o in the middle is like a cheetah poised to pounce, ready to unleash his explosive power to tear through the defense at any moment.

Although Aimar on the right wing is small in stature, his passing and dribbling are still sharp. This trident, although lacking superstars, can be described as pragmatic and efficient.

In the 5th minute, Barcelona controlled the tempo of the game through patient passing.

Chelsea did not adopt a high press, but instead maintained a compact defensive formation.

On the left, Van Bronckhorst received the throw-in and completed a one-two pass with Deco, who had dropped back.

At this point, Chelsea's right winger Duff did not press forward, but instead retreated to the vicinity of the midfield line.

After receiving the ball in midfield, Xavi astutely observed Eto'o's run and delivered a precise through ball that pierced the gap between Makelele and Desailly.

Eto'o received the ball in the middle and displayed amazing explosiveness. He first used a feint to get past Desailly who was pressing forward, and then quickly changed direction to try to break past Makelele.

But the experienced French defensive midfielder stayed in front of him, forcing him to slow down.

Just then, Chelsea's right center-back Terry pressed forward decisively and made a clean tackle to clear the ball out of the danger zone.

The ball rolled to Villa's feet on the left wing.

Facing Chelsea's right-back Maicon's defense, Villa did not choose to break through, but instead passed the ball to Deco who was making a run forward.

The Portuguese midfielder dribbled inside, drawing Terry's attention, and then suddenly flicked the ball back with his heel to Eto'o at the edge of the penalty area.

At this point, Chelsea's defense quickly tightened up, with Makelele and Desailly dropping back to the edge of the penalty area to block most of the passing lanes.

Eto'o unleashed a powerful shot from 16 yards out, but Cech parried the ball over the crossbar.

After this attack, Chelsea's defense became more compact, especially the excellent understanding between Maicon and Terry on the right flank, which successfully limited Barcelona's attacking space on the left.

In the following minutes, although Barcelona continued to control possession, Chelsea's tight defensive formation, especially the excellent support from right center-back Terry and right defensive midfielder Makelele, made it difficult for Barcelona to create any more threatening attacking opportunities.

Xavi and Deco had to make more lateral passes to find openings.

Mourinho was yelling at the top of his lungs on the sidelines, gesturing with his hands to indicate defensive positions.

His voice was almost drowned out by the deafening roar of the Camp Nou crowd, as the roars of more than 90,000 Barcelona fans crashed onto the field wave after wave.

Chelsea players were clearly not used to it. English teams are used to the open and high-scoring style of the Premier League, while Barcelona's delicate short passing and intricate runs left them missing their targets repeatedly.

Deco and Xavi's consecutive one-touch passes in tight spaces always drew cheers from the stands, forcing Makelele to expand his defensive range.

Whenever a Chelsea player has the ball, they are met with a deafening chorus of boos.

As soon as Roy received the pass on the left wing, the entire South Stand erupted in shouts of "Madridista!" (Real Madrid dogs).

Cech kept gesturing to his teammates, signaling them to stay calm.

The pitch at Camp Nou seemed to tremble with the shouts of the home fans.

Messi, watching from the stands, kept his eyes fixed on Roy.

When the Frenchman received Abidal's pass, Barcelona's encirclement immediately tightened. Belletti intercepted head-on, Xavi approached from the right front, Aimar closely marked him from behind, and Deco was also waiting for an opportunity not far away.

Roy gently pushed the ball forward with his right foot, and just as the four players were about to surround it, he suddenly used the outside of his right foot to jerk the ball backward.

This sudden stop caused Aimar to lose his balance as he lunged forward, staggering towards Roy.

Harvey was thrown off balance by the change in rhythm, his legs spread apart, and for a moment he was unable to turn around and chase back.

Roy quickly cut the ball forward with the inside of his right foot, followed by a deft flick back with the inside of his left foot.

Belletti's tackle missed by a hair's breadth; his cleats grazed the ball as he passed it.

When Aimar lunged again, Roy skillfully twisted the ball with his right foot, creating an opening between the two.

Belletti and Aimar repeatedly stretched out their legs to interfere, but Roy made just the right adjustments with each touch of the ball, leaving the defenders always just a little bit short.

After successfully breaking through, Roy passed the ball to Lampard and then quickly moved forward.

When the ball returned to his feet, Messi clearly saw that Roy feinted to the left with his shoulder as he received the ball, but swayed his waist to the right, and his right foot pretended to pass the ball but suddenly stomped around it.

This series of feints was executed flawlessly, without a single unnecessary movement.

Although his footwork wasn't top-notch, every move he made was precise and deadly.

What's most terrifying is his explosive power; once he breaks free from the defense, he hurtles away like a cannonball.

Messi unconsciously clenched his fist; this effortless breakthrough style was exactly the type of technique he admired most.

"Roy received the ball on the left side of the penalty area. Barcelona's defense was on high alert, and it would be difficult to force his way through."

Max stood firmly on the edge of the penalty area, keeping a close eye on his former teammate Roy.

Belletti pressed close to Roy's back, while Xavi quickly closed in from the side, forming a pincer movement.

Roy didn't force a breakthrough, but calmly passed the ball to Abidal on the left flank.

Abidal received the ball and immediately passed it back, clearly not wanting to hold onto it in dangerous areas for too long.

The moment Roy received the pass back, he suddenly flicked the ball sideways with the outside of his right foot.

The ball passed precisely between Xavi's legs as he took a step, and as Xavi turned around, he blocked Max's attempt to intercept it.

Belletti desperately chased back, but Roy had already moved laterally with the ball and reached the right side of the penalty arc.

He flicked the ball three times with his right foot, adjusting his shooting angle with each touch. When Belletti finally caught up, Roy's right leg suddenly straightened, and he struck the bottom of the ball hard with the instep.

At the moment of shooting, his supporting foot slightly lifted off the ground, and his whole body maintained perfect balance.

Puyol tried to block it, but it was too late; the ball flew straight towards the top right corner of the goal.

Valdes lunged toward the right side of the goal, his arm fully extended, but he was still a beat too slow.

As he slammed heavily onto the goal line, he could hear the massive sighs of over 90,000 Barcelona fans simultaneously.

The dull thud of the ball hitting the net was drowned out by the sound, but the goalkeeper knew without turning around that the ball had gone in.

The Barcelona flags that were waving in the Camp Nou stands suddenly dropped, and the home fans' head-holding gestures spread like waves across the stands.

Valdes slowly propped himself up, his gaze sweeping over the ball still spinning in the goal, then over the Chelsea players celebrating wildly, before finally slamming his fist on the turf.

In the 14th minute of the match, Roy suddenly unleashed a long-range shot from the edge of the penalty area, and the ball curved into the net.

Before Barcelona's defense could react, the score had already become 0-1.

In the VIP box, Laporta and Rosell both frowned, while Cruyff exchanged a glance with Stoichkov.

No one spoke, but the heavy atmosphere said it all.

Laporta extinguishes his cigar:

"We cannot afford to lose this game. Inform Rijkaard immediately that we must adjust our tactics in the second half, especially by adding more players to mark Roy. Also, have Iniesta and Maxi Lopez on the bench start warming up; the midfield needs more creativity."

Russell cursed with a grim face, "That damned Frenchman! He's so ungrateful! He rejected our offer twice, and now he's causing trouble at Camp Nou!"

Cruyff, wearing that beige sweater, stood in front of the VIP box glass with his arms crossed.

He watched Roy celebrate with his Chelsea teammates, his face expressionless, until the referee signaled for the Barcelona players to return to the center circle to restart the game, at which point he frowned slightly.

"This goal looks simple, but every step was carefully considered. Roy's timing in passing the ball back to Abidal and then asking for it was smart, which allowed him to avoid being double-teamed immediately. Then the most crucial move was the nutmeg of Xavi. He deliberately slowed down the pace to lure Xavi into stretching his leg, and then seized the moment when the center of gravity shifted to complete the breakthrough."

"Those three touches before the final shot were very skillful. The first touch was to confirm Belletti's position, the second was to observe Max's defensive route, and the third was to actually adjust to the shooting point. This ability to remain calm and observant during high-speed confrontations is truly the mark of a top striker."

"Valdes' positioning was actually fine, but Roy's shot had an added spin, and the ball dipped suddenly at the end of its flight, which is why it still went in even though the goalkeeper touched the ball. Our defenders all did what the tactics required, but today we faced the individual brilliance of a world-class player."

Two minutes later, Deco received a pass back from Xavi near the center circle, looked up to observe, and then launched a long pass.

The ball flew across the halfway line and landed precisely on the left side of the penalty area. Eto'o instantly started his run, shaking off Carvalho's marking, and Terry was forced to move laterally to cover.

Chelsea's defense dropped back as a whole, and Makelele promptly moved to the edge of the six-yard box to block the cross, but Eto'o opted for a volley, the ball grazing the crossbar and going out of play.

Cech loudly instructed Terry and Carvalho to switch defensive duties.

In the 19th minute, Albertini received a cross from Van Bronckhorst 30 yards from the goal.

Chelsea maintained a compact defensive formation.

Desailly immediately moved forward to interfere, Gudjohnsen tracked back to form a second barrier, and Lampard blocked Albertini's pass to Xavi.

Instead of passing the ball, the Italian veteran unleashed a low shot with the outside of his right foot. The ball slid along the grass and eventually went wide of the right post.

In the 27th minute, Duff received a pass from Makelele near the center circle.

After observing the situation, he suddenly used the outside of his right foot to deliver a penetrating through ball, which precisely passed through the gap between Deco and Albertini.

Roy understood perfectly and suddenly started moving the moment the pass was made, successfully beating the offside trap.

Max was noticeably a beat too slow to turn around, and Roy quickly left him three body lengths behind with just two big strides.

Roy dribbled straight into the penalty area, where Valdes had already rushed out of his goal.

Just as he was about to shoot, the linesman mistakenly raised his flag to indicate offside.

The referee immediately blew his whistle to stop the game, and Chelsea players immediately surrounded the linesman to protest.

Mourinho roared at the fourth official, clearly seeing that at the moment Duff passed the ball, Roy was actually at least half a body length behind the last defender, Max.

From the 27th minute until halftime, Chelsea used a tight defensive system to firmly limit Barcelona's attacking penetration.

Makelele was always positioned in the crucial area 10 meters in front of the defensive line, and whenever Xavi or Deco tried to send a through ball, he was always able to move laterally in advance and accurately intercept the passing route.

Desailly focused on marking Aimar, using his physical strength to cut off Barcelona's attacking connections on the right flank.

In the 33rd minute, Desailly brought down Xavi with a flying tackle as he was about to pass the ball. Although this tactical foul earned him a yellow card, it successfully disrupted Barcelona's attacking rhythm.

Barcelona began to strengthen their defense after their attack was thwarted.

In the 35th minute, Albertini tackled Roy from behind and was shown a yellow card by the referee.

In the 38th minute, Aimar successfully intercepted the ball from Roy on the right wing, but as soon as he turned around, he was tackled by Roy who quickly chased back, resulting in a verbal warning for Roy.

In the 41st minute, Belletti pulled Roy's jersey while defending on the wing and was also shown a yellow card.

Faced with Chelsea's impenetrable defense, Barcelona could only attempt long-range shots, but Albertini and Deco's three long-range shots were blocked by Chelsea players with their bodies.

Just before halftime, Xavi finally got a chance to shoot from the edge of the penalty area, but Makelele, who had tracked back, made a timely save.

The tension between the two sides escalated during this period, but Chelsea managed to maintain their 1-0 lead until halftime thanks to their tight defensive system.

Barcelona lacked sufficient dribbling and finishing ability in the attacking third, but Xavi and Deco's possession and organization in midfield were clearly superior to Chelsea's. Roy was forced to frequently drop back to the left side of midfield to receive passes, which resulted in Chelsea lacking a focal point in their attack, leaving Gudjohnsen isolated up front.

Barcelona's defense performed admirably, with Puyol making several crucial defensive plays: in the 23rd minute, he used his body to block Roy's breakthrough, and in the 42nd minute, he accurately anticipated and intercepted Lampard's through ball.

Max and Van Bronckhorst also maintained a stable defensive position, making it difficult for Chelsea's fast counter-attacks to proceed smoothly.

However, due to the lack of direct threat to the goal in midfield, Barcelona's possession advantage did not translate into sufficient attacking threat.

Mourinho made three targeted adjustments at halftime:
First, he instructed Roy to drop back less and stay in the left winger position to wait for counter-attack opportunities, while also asking Duff to move inside more to support Gudjohnsen and maintain the forward support position.

Secondly, he arranged for Makelele to drop back between the two center-backs, and when Barcelona had possession, Chelsea's defense switched to a five-man backline, with Desailly specifically marking Xavi and limiting his playmaking.

Finally, he moved Lampard further forward to specifically disrupt Albertini's passing, forcing Barcelona's attack to rely more on the flanks. Mourinho emphasized that once possession was secured, they must immediately find Roy or Duff to launch a quick counter-attack, avoiding a midfield battle with Barcelona.

Listen up, guys.

Mourinho surveyed the dressing room, his voice low and resolute: "We're leading 1-0 now, but the second half is where the real battle begins. They'll launch a furious comeback at Camp Nou, and that's exactly the moment we're ready for."

He walked to the tactics board and tapped it: "Remember three key points: First, every clearance must be clean and decisive, don't give Barcelona a second chance to attack. Second, after winning the ball, Makelele immediately passes it to the wing, Roy makes a full-speed run down the left flank while Duff simultaneously cuts diagonally to the right flank, and Gudjohnsen stays in the center to hold off the central defender, forming a three-pronged counter-attack."

"Thirdly, in the second half, continue to disrupt Barcelona's rhythm with physical confrontations, making their passing flow difficult. Makelele should mark Xavi closely, and Desailly should focus on Deco, cutting off their connection. Puyol is aggressive in pressing? Gudjohnsen, you should specifically contain him, creating one-on-one opportunities for Roy and Duff. Remember, Barcelona's biggest weakness is chaotic play; we need to turn the beautiful Camp Nou pitch into a wrestling ring!"

“I’ve worked under both Robson and Van Gaal, and lived in Barcelona for several years. It’s a place that’s hostile to outsiders. We must hold onto our lead and try to score again. We absolutely cannot give Mundo Deportivo and Sport the opportunity to write anything about Barça turning things around at Stamford Bridge.”

At the start of the second half, after Chelsea kicked off and passed the ball around a few times, it reached Roy on the left wing.

He caught a dangerous shot, first feinting left and right, then pulling the ball to the right with the sole of his right foot, suddenly changing direction and dribbling past Xavi who was trying to tackle him.

He then performed two bicycle kicks, swerving to the right to shake off Albertini, only to find that Deco had already come to cover from the right.

Roy stopped abruptly, flicked the ball backward with the inside of his right foot, and got past Albertini again.

In a moment of desperation, the Italian veteran grabbed Roy's jersey and pulled him to the ground.

Roy sat on the ground and raised his hand to protest to the referee, but the referee only gave Albertini a verbal warning and did not give him a second yellow card.

Rijkaard on the sidelines immediately signaled Iniesta to warm up, knowing that Albertini could no longer keep up with Roy's pace.

In the 57th minute, the fourth official raised the substitution board.

The second half of the day is on the 22nd, and the first half is on the 24th.

Albertini, panting heavily, walked to the sidelines and high-fived Iniesta.

Applause erupted at Camp Nou as fans hoped the young midfielder could change the course of the game.

In the 62nd minute, Deco received the ball in midfield and suddenly sent a diagonal pass. Villa quickly made a run down the left flank, and with a sudden stop and change of direction, he shook off Maicon's marking.

He crossed the ball from near the byline, but the ball's trajectory was unpredictable and headed straight for the far corner of the goal.

Cech reacted quickly, taking two steps back and calmly catching the ball on the edge of the penalty area, defusing the threat.

Cech launched a counter-attack with a quick throw-in, and Abidal, under pressure from Aimar, passed the ball directly to Lampard in midfield.

Lampard passed the ball directly to Roy on the left wing without making any adjustments. Roy dribbled for more than ten meters before suddenly changing direction. He first used his right foot to flick the ball towards the sideline, then stopped abruptly and cut inside to pass it back to Lampard who had made a run into the box.

At this moment, Belletti and Xavi were both drawn out of their defensive positions by Roy, allowing Lampard to make a long run into the left side of the penalty area.

When Lampard passed the ball to Roy again, Belletti attempted a diving tackle but missed, and Roy then passed it back.

Lampard, understanding perfectly, made a run into the left side of the penalty area to receive the pass and deftly passed it to Roy, who had already circled into the penalty area.

Roy dribbled past Marquez three times with his right foot to get rid of him. Facing the combined attack of Iniesta and Marquez, he suddenly feinted with his left foot, and as the two players shifted their weight, he cut to the right and unleashed a powerful shot into the near corner from a tight angle before Puyol could cover.

Despite Valdes's best efforts, the ball was too fast and slipped under his arm and into the net.

He was constantly on guard against Roy's signature chip shot into the far corner, and his positioning and center of gravity were biased towards the far post.

Max had blocked most of the space at the near post with his body, leaving Roy with a very narrow shooting angle.

Even so, Valdes still managed to make a save the moment Roy kicked the ball.

Although he couldn't stop the goal, it was enough to prove his excellent reaction speed.

Chelsea extended their lead to 2-0.

"GOL!!! Roy! Roy!! A genius strike! Chelsea's counter-attack was like flowing water, Lampard passed the ball, Roy started! Change direction! Dribble past his opponent! Shot!! Valdes was helpless!!! Roy's fatal blow! Camp Nou fell silent, Mourinho raised his arms and roared! 2-0! The suspense is over! Roy! Roy! Tonight he made Barcelona tremble!!"

For a moment, the entire Camp Nou crowd was stunned.

The figure of the number 10 running and celebrating in Chelsea's white away jersey is strikingly similar to the Madrid team they despise the most.

When the scoreboard lit up "0-2", the deathly silent stadium suddenly erupted in a shrill chorus of boos: Roy, who had just torn apart Barcelona's defense, was a player who came up with the Real Madrid youth academy.

The French winger charged toward the corner flag amid a chorus of boos, his right index finger pressed to his lips, his left hand clutching the Chelsea crest on his chest.

His gaze swept across the stands, as if to say, "The louder the noise, the worse the defeat."

On the bench, Morientes suddenly stood up, clenched his fist, and waved it forcefully towards the Barcelona stands.

This former Real Madrid player, who is unable to play in the Champions League due to transfer clause restrictions, poured all his emotions towards his arch-rivals into this tense action.

His face flushed red, he shouted to the field, "Well done!"

Roy turned around and saw this, then gave a thumbs-up to the bench.

Rijkaard then substituted Aimar with Maxi Lopez.

In the 67th minute, substitute Maxi Lopez himself didn't expect to become the key player.

Iniesta dribbled past Lampard and Desailly on the left wing before crossing the ball to the edge of the penalty area. Eto'o flicked the ball to the ball, and the 1.89-meter-tall Argentine striker, holding off Terry's close marking, broke into the right side of the penalty area and calmly slotted the ball into the far corner from 14 yards out!

The ball grazed Cech's fingertips and rolled into the net, pulling one back for Barcelona, ​​making it 1-2.

Camp Nou erupted in cheers. Maxi ran wildly in celebration, glancing incredulously at his boots. This was actually his first goal while wearing a Barcelona jersey.

After pulling one back, Barcelona went completely berserk, with the entire team pressing forward and launching a relentless attack.

In the 69th minute, Deco passed the ball back to Iniesta, whose low shot from outside the penalty area was easily caught by Cech.

Mourinho immediately substituted Gallas for Abidal to strengthen the defense.

Just one minute later, Maxi Lopez backed down Terry and set up Eto'o, whose powerful shot from 18 yards hit the side netting.

In the 72nd minute, Deco crossed the ball from the right wing, Maxi's shot at the near post caused Cech to fumble the save, and Terry made a dramatic clearance on the goal line.

The most dangerous moment came in the 73rd minute. Maxi's weak shot from the right wing turned into a low cross, and Eto'o skillfully evaded Carvalho and Maicon in the six-yard box. His close-range shot was tipped over the crossbar by Cech with a diving one-handed save!
A huge sigh erupted throughout Camp Nou as Mourinho, on the sidelines, tugged at his tie and gasped for breath. Chelsea had nearly been equalized by Barcelona's relentless attack in those four minutes of furious turmoil.

Mourinho brought on Joe Cole in the 76th minute in an attempt to control the game, but Barcelona's attack remained fierce.

In the 80th minute, Deco and Xavi's consecutive shots were blocked by Terry's body.

In the 83rd minute, Xavi played a brilliant through ball, and Maxi Lopez's close-range shot was blocked by Cech's leg.

Two minutes later, Van Bronckhorst crossed the ball from the left, and Eto'o's volley was once again blocked by Terry.

In the 88th minute, both Xavi and Deco's long-range shots were easily saved by Cech.

In stoppage time, Barcelona's relentless attack continued.

Iniesta's close-range shot from 7 yards out was miraculously saved by Cech.

Despite being outmaneuvered in midfield, Chelsea maintained a one-goal lead thanks to Roy's counter-attacking prowess and Cech's outstanding performance.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Chelsea finally seized a fatal counter-attack opportunity.

After observing the situation in the backfield for a moment, Terry delivered a precise long diagonal pass, which crossed the midfield and found Roy, who was making a high-speed run down the left flank.

The French winger sprinted along the sideline like a white lightning bolt, and Max desperately chased after him, blocking him inside to prevent him from cutting inside and shooting.

At the same time, Puyol sprinted back from the center to the penalty area to cover, while Gudjohnsen had already quietly moved in from the far post.

Roy dribbled the ball to the edge of the penalty area and suddenly stopped, then cut the ball to the right with his right foot. This beautiful change of direction caused Max, who was off-balance, to stumble and fall to the ground.

Just as Max struggled to his feet, Roy had already gently flicked the ball with his right foot, cutting into the danger zone from the left side of the penalty area.

He adjusted his footing, preparing to deliver the fatal blow with his left foot, but Belletti, who had been frantically chasing back, slid in at the last second, blocking the shot with his body.

In that split second, Roy demonstrated the adaptability of a top-class shooter.

He changed his mind at the last minute, switching from a left-footed shot to a soft flick, and then using his right foot to push the ball across the middle.

At that moment, Gudjohnsen cleverly moved from the right side to the edge of the six-yard box and easily slotted the ball into the empty net.

Madrid TV's passionate commentary:
"Goal!!! GOL—Gudjohnsen! Gudjohnsen! The Blues' twin stars have torn Barcelona apart! Roy shines at Camp Nou with two goals and an assist, and the Icelander delivers the final blow in the last moments!"

"Look at this counter-attack! Terry's long pass, Roy surges down the left flank like a white lightning bolt! He outmaneuvers Marquez, fools Belletti, and calmly crosses at the last moment, completing the link-up! Gudjohnsen taps it in at the near post, 3-1! Barcelona are utterly routed!!!"

When the final whistle blew at Camp Nou, Xavi stood there panting heavily, sweat dripping down his chin.

He and Deco practically tore Chelsea's midfield apart with their passing tonight.

Lampard was completely outmaneuvered throughout the game, and Mourinho didn't even dare to field a technically gifted defensive midfielder, leaving him to rely on two physically imposing defensive midfielders to hold his own.

But all of this was no match for Roy's white lightning bolt.

As Xavi watched the opposing number 10 celebrate with his teammates, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: If this winger who left Real Madrid wore the red and blue jersey, how many one-on-one chances would he, Deco, and Iniesta give him each game?

With the physical strength and explosiveness that Roy honed in the Premier League, it's almost unimaginable what he could do against those weak full-backs in La Liga.

But now, that illusion has been completely shattered with the score of 3-1.

Iniesta squatted down to tie his shoelaces, actually trying to hide his reddened eyes.

Deco remained expressionless; this was his third loss to Roy.

They had 65% possession and an 89% pass completion rate, but lost to three counter-attacks.

Ironically, both men who decided the match bore the mark of Real Madrid.

Xavi walked up to Roy, reached out for his jersey: "We'll win next time. Barça will be stronger, next game at Stamford Bridge."

Roy handed him the jersey, smiled, and said, "You guys don't have a chance this year."

"As long as I'm here, you won't have a chance at Stamford Bridge. At home, I'll be even more ruthless."

The Barcelona fans who hadn't yet dispersed from the stands suddenly erupted in angry boos.

Roy heard the boos from the stands, glanced up, ignored them, and turned to walk towards the away team's section.

He raised his hands to applaud and thank the Chelsea fans who had traveled from afar.

As he was leaving the field, Rijkaard stopped him and said, "You played very well, but we were a bit unlucky, otherwise the result might have been different."

Roy smiled and replied, "The heavy snow can't blind Chelsea's eyes. That's what Ruud Gullit said."

Rijkaard smiled and raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.

Roy suddenly stopped at the entrance to the players' tunnel, turned around, smiled, and shouted towards the Camp Nou stands:
"Barcelona, ​​salute to the victors!"

(End of this chapter)