Chapter 215: Fighting for First Place in the Champions League Group—Li Ang and Zlatan Go Wild
Mourinho once again shielded his young players in his own way.
At the post-match press conference following the loss, he took nearly all the blame on himself—sharply, confidently—leaving the media with no reason to put the younger Chelsea players under a microscope.
And in truth, the defeat wasn't without silver linings for Chelsea.
Mourinho was fairly satisfied with van Ginkel's performance as a lone defensive midfielder.
But the biggest surprise didn't come from van Ginkel—it came from the young defender Tomáš Kalas.
Until now, Mourinho and his coaching staff had been leaning toward loaning out Kalas and Nathan Aké.
Letting them get experience in the Championship or at a lower-table Premier League club.
After all, precocious defenders—especially center-backs—are a rarity.
Talent is important, but experience and consistency often outweigh it for this position.
In Mourinho's mind, Kalas and Aké weren't quite part of his first-team plan yet.
Just like when he was at Real Madrid—Nacho only got his chance after logging years with Castilla and nearly turning 22.
Even Varane had to start from the bench.
Didn't want to be a sub? Then go out on loan and earn your stripes.
But Kalas' performance in the last Premier League match had genuinely stunned Mourinho.
The young Czech center-back didn't just meet expectations—he exceeded them.
What he showed in a live match outshone anything he'd displayed on the training pitch.
His aggressive ball-winning, excellent one-on-one defending, and fluid movement made him the perfect partner for Gary Cahill.
Thinking outside the box, Mourinho began to imagine what a Kalas–Terry pairing could look like as well.
With only David Luiz available as an aggressive pressing center-back, Mourinho felt tempted.
Yes, Kalas was still raw, but now Mourinho was genuinely considering slotting him into the regular rotation.
The only problem? Game time.
David Luiz was healthy and durable. Even if Kalas stayed, he might only get 10 starts in total this season—maybe fewer than five in the league and Champions League combined.
From a development perspective, Kalas would clearly benefit more from going out on loan and getting consistent starts.
Mourinho knew he'd have to sit down and talk to him soon.
Still, discovering a hidden gem like this had him in a great mood.
He wasn't even annoyed at himself for misjudging Kalas before.
After all, it was hard for any coach to spot matchday potential from training alone.
And hey, hadn't he nearly sent Li Ang off to Real Betis when he first got to Madrid?
As long as the diamond was unearthed in time, the bumpy road didn't matter.
Over the next few days, Mourinho's good mood became the subject of locker room chatter.
Li Ang, having watched the full match against Newcastle, already had a feeling what the coach was thinking.
While Kalas was still stressing over whether he'd done well, Li Ang had already pulled him aside to reassure him.
Sure enough, just before their next Champions League clash against Schalke 04, Mourinho had a private talk with Kalas.
His name on the 18-man squad list confirmed his decision: he was staying.
Seeing Kalas grinning like an idiot afterward, Li Ang couldn't help but think back to his own experience—back when he was eager to go out on loan at Mourinho's suggestion.
Kalas had made a very different choice.
And based on what Li Ang knew of Kalas' personality, maybe staying was the better path.
When Chelsea released the official 18-man squad before the match, fans and media immediately took notice.
Both van Ginkel and Kalas—fresh off their league starts—were included.
The message was clear:
Mourinho was serious about developing them.
While van Ginkel had already started making a name for himself, the spotlight now shifted to Kalas.
The young Czech defender quickly became the talk of English football forums.
That, in turn, took some media pressure off Chelsea's other stars ahead of the Champions League clash.
After thorough preparation, Chelsea hosted Schalke 04 at Stamford Bridge on the night of November 6.
Having already faced off in the previous round, both teams knew each other well.
Schalke's goal was simple: get a point.
Chelsea? Finish the job early—secure first place in the group.
Mourinho opened with an aggressive 4-3-3.
Schalke's coach Jens Keller, still reeling from the last defeat, reshuffled his starting eleven heavily.
Most of the young midfielders were benched—only Draxler retained his place.
Boateng dropped into an attacking midfield role, while newly signed striker Adam Szalai started up front.
At 1.92m, Szalai was a traditional target man—physical, combative, and ideal for holding up play in Chelsea's half.
It was a smart plan: soak up pressure at the back, then use the big man to spark counterattacks.
If it worked, great. If not? Drop Boateng deeper and reinforce midfield defense.
Szalai was also useful during set-pieces—Keller had thought of everything.
Before the match, Li Ang shared a friendly hug with Szalai.
The two had played against each other before and exchanged a few warm words.
Now, as the crowd roared and players took their positions, the real fight began.
Chelsea's lineup told the world: they wanted to win the group, and win it now.
And with Li Ang and Ibrahimović on the pitch together again?
They weren't just trying to win—they were ready to tear it up.
That's right—the two were old friends.
Though they had only been teammates in Castilla for about half a season, their relationship had always been good.
Meeting again on a Champions League stage filled both with a sense of nostalgia.
After all, they had once agreed to leave Real Madrid together and chase their futures elsewhere.
Li Ang ended up staying—kept by Mourinho.
Ádám Szalai, on the other hand, made the leap to the Bundesliga and was bought outright by Mainz.
Later, during one of their catch-up calls, Li Ang even joked:
"If you'd just hung on for six more months, everything might have been different."
Six months later, Mourinho arrived. Szalai was 23 at the time, a strong, first-team-ready striker—he would've definitely gotten a chance.
Maybe not many minutes, but at least a spot in the first team—and with patience, he could've tasted that treble-winning season.
Just goes to show how fate plays its little games.
Li Ang stayed against his will, Szalai left just before the coach who would've loved him arrived.
Fate…
But once the whistle blew, neither man held back.
Within the first 10 seconds, the two clashed at the center circle in a contested aerial duel.
Li Ang lost out, but Szalai's flick-on was intercepted by Lampard.
Chelsea, in control of possession, wasted no time in spreading their formation and launching wave after wave of attack on Schalke 04's defense.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea didn't come to play cautious football—they wanted full domination from minute one.
That kind of aggressive pressing naturally left counterattacking opportunities open for Schalke.
But Mourinho didn't care.
Because Schalke's biggest issue—finishing—still hadn't been solved.
With Klaas-Jan Huntelaar injured, Schalke's attacking threat had dropped off a cliff.
Kevin-Prince Boateng, who filled in as center-forward last round, and Ádám Szalai, who started this one, were both the kind of players who struggled to hit double-digit goals in a full season.
They were excellent tactical tools, sure—but not finishers.
So Mourinho had no qualms about launching an aggressive offensive setup.
He was laying his cards on the table:
"I don't believe Schalke can finish."
Of course, Keller understood what Mourinho was trying to do—and he was furious.
But under that anger, he remained calm.
He didn't really have a tactical counter.
His best bet was to hope Draxler would go beast mode and catch Chelsea out on the break.
Maybe that would keep Chelsea's back line a little more honest.
But hopes were just that—hopes.
Despite getting several counterattacking chances, Draxler was shut down repeatedly by the combination of Ashley Cole and David Luiz.
The verdict was clear:
At just 20 years old, Draxler had immense potential, but he still wasn't ready to be the man to break through Chelsea's defensive wall.
Boateng's physical surges did give Chelsea some trouble at first.
But once Terry stepped up?
The Ghanaian-German's attacking game was reduced to long-range potshots from outside the box.
After a few duels, Boateng found himself reminiscing—longing for those AC Milan days when Zlatan shielded him and Li Ang pulled defenders away.
Now both of them were on the other side—tearing apart his current team.
Zlatan, who hadn't scored in several games, was on fire from the first whistle.
By the 10th minute, he had already unleashed two shots.
And then, in the 16th minute, Hazard broke through down the left flank.
His cutback found Zlatan with his back to goal.
Zlatan spun past Matip and, without hesitation, fired a low, reverse-angle shot!
For the aging German keeper Hildebrand, getting down quickly to cover that was just cruel.
The ball zipped past the far post and into the net—Chelsea up 1–0 before the 20-minute mark.
Stamford Bridge exploded.
The roar pierced the night sky, shaking Schalke players to their core.
They barely had time to breathe before Chelsea hit again.
Just six minutes later, Zlatan dropped the ball back in the box, and Li Ang, hovering at the top of the D, unleashed a screamer.
Bang. Goal.
Hildebrand was beaten again.
Keller was losing it.
From the sidelines, he waved desperately, trying to get his team to calm down—slow it down, reset.
But it was too late.
After conceding twice in such quick succession, Schalke's backline was a mess.
Players weren't thinking straight.
Some tried to run more to cover the cracks.
Others froze, unsure if they should stick to the original plan.
The shape looked solid on the surface—but cracks were everywhere.
In the 37th minute, Li Ang and De Bruyne executed a smooth overlapping switch down the right.
Li Ang feinted an inside cut, then suddenly pushed the ball wide and burst past full-back Dennis Aogo!
Flush with confidence after his performance against City, Li Ang now trusted his dribbling and explosive speed.
His dribbling stat had climbed to 82.
That was more than enough to beat mid-to-lower table defenders from any of Europe's top four leagues.
Aogo didn't expect him to be so decisive—and by the time he turned to chase, all he could do was eat dust.
Li Ang cut into the box, drew Matip, and fired a low, deadly cut-back pass.
Zlatan met it first time.
Perfect stride. No need to adjust.
Bang. Goal number two for Zlatan.
Hildebrand never even saw it.
His confidence collapsed.
He was done.
Keller didn't even shout anymore.
He stood there, hands on hips, watching Chelsea celebrate in the corner like a man in a daze.
Mourinho?
He was calm now.
After a brief celebration, he hugged his assistant Holland and clapped with a satisfied smile.
Zlatan couldn't stop grinning during his corner flag celebration.
And Li Ang?
He leaped onto Zlatan's back, waving his arms to fire up the crowd.
The "Milan Brothers" combo had gone full rampage at Stamford Bridge.
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