Chapter 326: The Battle for a Place Among the Giants – The Most Iron-Blooded Champions League Final!
When Li Ang scored Chelsea's third goal, Di María, oddly enough, didn't feel as devastated as he had expected.
On the contrary, a sense of relief washed over him.
The turmoil he had experienced at Manchester United this season far outweighed the challenges he had faced during several seasons at Real Madrid.
Back at Madrid, there were factional divides in the locker room and a few internal issues, but everything remained within manageable bounds.
At least Mourinho had been given the authority to manage the locker room from the higher-ups, and whenever problems did arise, they were typically resolved behind closed doors.
The only major incident that really went public was the fallout with Casillas.
Di María had once thought that internal issues were common across the major clubs in Europe.
After all, these were the flagship clubs of their respective leagues—letting problems spiral out of control would not only damage team performance but also the commercial image of the club.
But after transferring to Manchester United, Di María was truly in for a rude awakening.
The numerous issues within the club were simply too much for him to take.
Putting aside the aging facilities at the training base—something that could easily be dealt with during the offseason by a club of United's size—the real deal-breaker was the utter chaos in the management of the club by its higher-ups.
That was what Di María found most shocking and baffling.
The lack of professionalism, the excessive meddling in football affairs, and the disconnect between season goals and on-field reality…
Di María genuinely couldn't believe that such things were happening at a club that was supposed to be one of football's elite.
The dressing room lacked unity, and the higher-ups were stirring up trouble—no world-class star could reasonably expect any success from this version of Manchester United.
At the beginning of the season, Di María had thought Li Ang's words made a lot of sense.
After all, he was past the stage of being starved for glory.
At United, he could earn a hefty salary, turn a blind eye to the chaos, and just ride out the contract before chasing the next big paycheck elsewhere.
But now, he felt like staying at this mess of a club was just wasting the hard-earned reputation he had built over the past few seasons.
It simply wasn't worth it!
There were other clubs in Europe that paid well and came with less drama.
Last summer, Higuaín had even called him personally, inviting him to join PSG.
But Di María hadn't resisted the persuasion of his agent and was still attracted by Manchester United's "big club prestige."
Looking back now, that decision was a massive mistake!
Hopefully, this summer window would give him a chance to make a better choice…
And Di María wasn't the only one at United with thoughts of leaving.
Falcao, who had tried his luck in the Premier League but struggled to adapt; van Persie, now abandoned by Van Gaal; and Juan Mata, who had once been wooed to the club by Moyes—they were all in a similar boat.
If United had managed to secure a top-four finish this season and qualified for the Champions League, perhaps everything could've been smoothed over.
But as things stood now, they were very likely to fall short.
Whether or not a club is playing in the Champions League has huge implications for star players.
Their status within their national teams and even their club positioning often hinges on it.
With Europa League football looming again, it was only natural that the dressing room was growing restless.
Meanwhile, the "culprit" behind all of this—Li Ang—was celebrating with his Chelsea teammates on the pitch.
He was just one assist away from achieving a 20-goal, 20-assist season in the league.
And with three league matches left for Chelsea, it wasn't a tall order for him to deliver one more assist.
Scoring two goals today was an unexpected bonus for him.
He also had one more makeup game to play, giving him a schedule advantage and no real pressure to perform.
If Suárez and Cavani somehow managed to snatch the Golden Boot in the final stretch, he'd have to accept it and move on.
As the celebrations died down, Li Ang noticed Mourinho signaling for a substitution on the sideline.
He anticipated it and jogged toward the bench.
Soon after, the fourth official raised the substitution board—Mourinho was indeed swapping him out for Kroos.
To roaring cheers from nearly 40,000 Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge, Li Ang hugged Kroos as he exited the pitch, then embraced Mourinho firmly on the sidelines.
"Well done! Take a good rest. Save your strength for the match against Bayern!"
Mourinho patted his shoulder with genuine encouragement and high expectations.
Li Ang nodded with a smile, then high-fived his teammates on the bench and raised his arms to rally the home crowd into an even louder celebration.
There were still nearly 20 minutes left in the match.
If United mounted a desperate comeback now and miraculously turned things around, Li Ang's champagne-style celebration would become a joke.
But from the looks of it, United's players lacked the grit and resilience that their predecessors were once famous for—the legendary "Red Devil Spirit" that fans used to rave about.
And Mourinho was never the type to hand the opponent a comeback opportunity after taking off his star player.
Shortly after Li Ang was subbed off, Mourinho used a dead-ball opportunity to make two more changes—taking off Hazard and Lampard for Matić and Gary Cahill.
Chelsea immediately shifted to a full defensive setup.
With Matić and Cahill on, their aerial defense was significantly bolstered.
United's long-ball bombardment in the final moments failed to yield results.
In the end, United suffered a 1-3 defeat at Stamford Bridge—coming with high hopes, leaving in bitter regret.
This victory not only shattered United's grip on the top-four race but also completely deflated the fragile unity the squad had finally built.
With two rounds left, Spurs were now three points ahead and only had to face Sunderland and Everton—both of whom had already secured safety from relegation.
United, on the other hand, had to face Arsenal first, then Hull City, who were still fighting for survival.
The schedule alone seemed to spell out the end of United's top-four dreams.
As the saying goes, one man's joy is another man's sorrow.
Arsenal, usually the center of attention at this point in the season, had already secured Champions League qualification early this year.
Without their usual last-minute top-four drama, many fans felt like something was missing from their Premier League experience.
Fortunately, the Champions League semifinal between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid was heating up again, rekindling interest among fans.
On the night of May 12, with their backs against the wall, Real Madrid went all out at the Bernabéu, trying to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg against Atlético.
Unlike the previous match, where they had been decimated by injuries, Real had several key players returning just in time for the clash.
But Atlético, holding a two-goal advantage, went for the most conservative and brutal defensive strategy imaginable.
They barely even attempted counterattacks—Simeone had no intention of giving Madrid any transitional play.
And the whole team executed that strategy to perfection.
The tempo was completely broken up, and Real struggled to string together even five minutes of sustained attacking play.
With the match being so physically demanding, both teams were drained.
By the 70th minute of the second half, a total of five players had been subbed off due to sheer exhaustion.
Li Ang watched from the bench as Casemiro broke down in tears, overwhelmed with emotion.
This was Dragon Bro's last season at Real Madrid.
Xabi Alonso's contract was expiring this summer, and he had decided not to renew. After this season, he'd leave the club as a free agent.
Though Alonso had had a stellar career at Real, ending his final season with no silverware was a bitter pill to swallow.
The Real players gave everything they had on home soil, but their opponents were equally determined and managed to protect their 2-0 first-leg advantage.
As the final whistle blew and Atlético erupted into wild celebration at the Bernabéu, Ancelotti could only stand with hands on hips, then walked over to offer his congratulations to Simeone.
He Ultimately Paid a Heavy Price for His Stubbornness—Real Madrid's Three-Front Title Chase Ends in Total Defeat, and the Most Iron-Blooded Champions League Final Awaits!
In the end, he paid a painful price for his obstinance. Real Madrid's ambitious pursuit of titles on three fronts ended in complete failure—eliminated from all competitions. Everyone knew that Ancelotti's time at Real Madrid had come to an end.
To be fair, under his leadership, Real Madrid had maintained its elite status in European football, and their overall performance had still been impressive.
Their style of play had become more aesthetically pleasing, and their results were respectable. Unfortunately, in the past two seasons, Real had been stopped in the Champions League semifinals by the meteoric rise of Atlético Madrid.
The price of relentlessly relying on his main squad was clear—across two seasons, Real had only one Copa del Rey title to show for it.
Failing to win either La Liga or the Champions League for two straight seasons was never going to satisfy Florentino Pérez.
On the broadcast, Cristiano Ronaldo could be seen pursing his lips and shaking his head repeatedly.
He had truly given his all, but in that first leg against Atlético, injuries had decimated the squad. It wasn't anyone's fault—it was just fate.
No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, reality was reality.
Tonight at the Bernabéu, tears filled the air. Those tears held the pain of Real Madrid fans, but also the jubilation of Atlético supporters.
For two consecutive seasons, Simeone had led his team to the Champions League final. His star was burning brighter than ever, and he had become one of the hottest, most talked-about managers in European football.
In the post-match interview, Simeone expressed his desire for revenge against Bayern in this year's Champions League final.
When a reporter from Marca pressed him—did that mean he would rather not face Li Ang and Mourinho again in the final?—Simeone only smiled and gave no direct answer.
That silence was filled with meaning.
German reporters, on the other hand, were eager to declare on behalf of Bayern, "See you in the final!"
But the reality Bayern faced offered little to be confident about.
With Atlético having already secured their spot in the final, fans turned their attention to Munich.
On the evening of May 13, Chelsea's well-prepared starting XI took the stage at the Allianz Arena in Munich!
With a full-strength lineup, Mourinho deployed his most trusted 4-2-3-1 formation for this away leg.
After being heavily exposed in midfield in the previous round, Pellegrini made significant tactical changes for this match.
He finally decided to start Javi Martínez, pairing him with Schweinsteiger in the defensive midfield—Bayern fans' most trusted duo.
However, Pellegrini didn't abandon his faith in Thiago and Götze.
As a result, Müller had to sit on the bench, and even Robben—despite an excellent performance off the bench in the last match—was left out of the starting eleven.
When Bayern's starting lineup was released, the skepticism came not only from the German media but also from England's sports press.
After all, just last summer, Jupp Heynckes had led Bayern to great success with a proven system.
That tried-and-tested formula was right there. Heynckes might have stepped down, but most of Bayern's coaching staff remained unchanged.
Now, in a do-or-die situation, Pellegrini still insisted on his own tactical ideas and refused to adapt. This baffled many in the media.
But regardless of support or criticism, Bayern's strategy had been set. Pellegrini had made his tactical choice.
Even if there were frustrations, Bayern fans at the Allianz had no choice but to back their coach and players.
With home-field advantage, Bayern launched into the match just like Real Madrid had the night before—attacking fiercely from the start.
But Chelsea weren't about to turtle up and park the bus like Atlético.
Mourinho's staff went big: right from the kickoff, Chelsea matched Bayern's intensity with high pressing and lightning-fast counterattacks.
The thrilling pace of the match far exceeded everyone's expectations.
For Bayern, this was excellent news. Chelsea weren't sitting deep, which gave them more chances to attack.
Even if their own backline was exposed to Chelsea's counterattacks, it was still better than getting slowly suffocated by a parked bus.
Bayern's offense was as fiery and aggressive as ever.
Though Chelsea joined the shootout, Mourinho had laid out layered defensive instructions.
Still, Bayern gained the early momentum and carved out several dangerous chances.
In the 4th minute, Ribéry's cut-in and low shot earned Bayern the match's first corner.
In the 11th minute, Lewandowski connected with a curling cross from Götze and smashed the post with a near-post effort—an action that greatly lifted Bayern's spirits.
Chelsea's early pressing suddenly seemed a bit reckless. Many fans began hoping Mourinho would abandon the high line and just fall back to defend.
But at a crucial moment, Li Ang dropped deeper and, with Matić, weathered Bayern's storm.
Then they seized the opportunity to launch a deadly transition.
In the 18th minute, after Matić intercepted a Bayern pass, he fed Li Ang, who used two tight spins to shield the ball and shake off the pressing attackers.
Once he broke through Bayern's first line of pressure, he surged forward, drawing Javi Martínez out of position.
With Bayern's defensive structure imbalanced, Li Ang sent a swift through ball to the flank, where De Bruyne was already sprinting forward.
Martínez couldn't keep up, and De Bruyne followed up with a pinpoint cross-field long pass.
It found Hazard, who had broken behind Bayern's backline!
Lahm was just half a step too slow. In his younger days, he might have caught up and made the crucial tackle.
But now, his legs couldn't match the pace of a winger like Hazard anymore.
That half-step gap only widened.
Hazard drove to the byline and delivered a low cross across the box!
Ibrahimović went to ground for a sliding finish!
So did Boateng—but neither of them made contact with the ball.
At the back post, Li Ang arrived at full speed. With just a simple touch, without even needing to strike it hard, he tapped the ball into Bayern's net!
The Allianz Arena fell into complete silence.
In that vast stadium, only the ecstatic screams and cheers of thousands of traveling Chelsea supporters could be heard.
Bayern's players looked stunned.
They had started stronger, looked more dangerous…
And Chelsea scored on their first counterattack like it was nothing?
Pellegrini could only shout instructions from the sideline, trying to stabilize his players' shaken morale.
But Chelsea smelled blood. They fully withdrew, and the match shifted into the exact style they thrived in: defend and counter.
The more aggressively Bayern attacked, the more dangerous Chelsea's counters became.
In the 43rd minute, Bayern pressed high again—and Chelsea struck like lightning! Another goal!
All suspense vanished.
In the second half, Chelsea bunkered down and didn't allow Bayern a single goal.
With a 4–0 aggregate score over two legs, Chelsea marched triumphantly into the Champions League final!
When the final whistle blew, Li Ang dropped to his knees and let out a skyward roar!
Back when he transferred to Chelsea, he had told the media his goal was to restore Chelsea's former glory and fulfill their broken Champions League dream.
Now, he had already accomplished most of that promise. Chelsea had reclaimed Premier League dominance and now returned to the Champions League final.
Just one step remained. If they could take that step, Chelsea would truly become one of the Premier League's elite, and Li Ang would reach the pinnacle of personal achievement.
Atlético needed this Champions League title for their own legitimacy too.
So, this year's Champions League final wouldn't just be a title decider—it would be a war to join the ranks of football's elite.
It would be the most iron-blooded Champions League showdown in years!
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