This actually reflects some deeper issues.
It shows that Real Madrid this season is not absolutely dominant and far from the very top.
As a result, they've often found themselves on the back foot.
This is also consistent with their internal situation this season.
A team divided into factions—the locals, the Brazilians, and the international superstars—each fighting for influence could hardly deliver perfect performances on the pitch.
With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.
The score from the previous leg was 2–1.
Real Madrid had scored an away goal.
In this match, they only needed to score once to take the lead.
But what makes Chelsea truly daunting is not their wealth or willingness to spend.
It's the head coach they brought in from Porto at great expense... José Mourinho!
A defensive mastermind, he has taken the art of defending to its peak.
Above all, he believes in the philosophy of "1–0 is enough."
Generally speaking, once his team takes the lead, their opponents can forget about scoring.
His defense is so tight it's like parking a bus in front of the goal.
How do you break through that?
So while both sides lined up in a 4-1-3-2 formation, Real Madrid played a typical attacking game, whereas Chelsea relied on classic defensive counterattacks.
For this match, Chelsea stuck to the style they know best—deep, disciplined defense.
For a full thirty minutes, Real Madrid had 77% possession.
They managed thirteen shots.
Yet not a single one truly threatened the goal.
"Sigh, Mourinho's defensive tactics are just too strong. Real Madrid can't find an opening."
"Lots of attacks, but not a single effective chance inside the box."
"And that's with Chelsea missing another genius winger, Arjen Robben. If Robben were here, Chelsea probably would've already scored on a counter!"
Arjen Robben, the Dutch wing prodigy.
If Duff and Ashley Cole are Chelsea's devilish duo, then Robben and Duff would be the upgraded version of that deadly pair!
Unfortunately, injuries plagued him too often.
The "glass man" label was well-deserved.
This would seriously affect the heights he could reach in his career.
Real Madrid once had great interest in him.
If he could overcome his injuries in the future, Madrid would most likely try to bring him in.
...
In the 37th minute, the tide turned.
A Real Madrid pass was intercepted, and Chelsea launched a counter.
Duff tore down the wing and whipped in a cross.
Drogba soared, unmarked, beating Casillas to the ball and heading it home.
The net bulged.
Casillas' lack of height and reach was brutally exposed.
"GOAL! The Drog!"
"One–nil! The aggregate is now 3–1! Chelsea look safe!"
On the pitch, Drogba slid across the grass in celebration, carving three lines into the turf.
Don't ask why there are three marks with only two knees.
If you ask, you're not an old fan!
"Luxemburgo's face looks grim."
"The Bernabéu has fallen silent."
"The camera pans over the Madrid fans—disappointment and despair written all over their faces."
"This goal doesn't just widen the gap. More importantly, it gives Chelsea an away goal."
"Before, one Madrid goal could have won them the tie. Now, even two goals would only level things."
"To advance, Madrid must score three times without conceding again!"
"And that's almost impossible. Mourinho's teams might concede once, but three times in a single match? Never!"
"Drogba's strike is worth its weight in gold!"
Some couldn't understand why Madrid fans fell into despair so quickly.
The commentator's explanation made it crystal clear.
Sure enough, after scoring, Chelsea dug in even deeper.
...
In the 41st minute, Beckham delivered a cross from the flank.
Aside from high balls, Real Madrid couldn't get anything into the box.
But Ronaldo, carrying a slight injury, wouldn't throw himself fully into aerial duels unless absolutely necessary.
Beckham's earlier brilliant passes had come to nothing.
So he wised up, stopped aiming for Ronaldo, and looked for Su Hang instead.
Sure enough, Su Hang rose and won the header.
He flicked the ball backward.
With his "ramen noodle hairstyle," Su Hang outjumped Chelsea captain Terry to win the aerial battle.
His intention was simply to create a chance with the flick.
But under Terry's pressure, the ball unexpectedly turned into a direct shot on goal.
Cech leapt across, pulling off a brilliant save to keep it out.
Ronaldo pounced for the rebound.
But Cech, sprawled on the ground, made another desperate dive—like something out of a comedy film—and smothered the ball.
Ronaldo, unable to pull his foot back completely, still kicked at it, thudding the ball against Cech's arms.
He didn't put much force behind it.
Even so, it sparked a heated clash between the two teams.
In the end, the referee gave Ronaldo a stern warning.
"Oh! Ronaldo's getting impatient."
"Cech's performance has been flawless. His fundamentals and reactions are top class!"
"Su Hang's header was Madrid's most dangerous effort so far. They'll need to create more chances like that!"
...
In the 45th minute, Figo's long shot earned a corner.
Beckham swung it in, and Samuel's header rattled the crossbar.
This chance replaced Su Hang's earlier header as Madrid's most threatening effort of the first half.
The irony?
It came from Samuel, a center-back, not a striker.
Beep!
The whistle blew, ending the first half.
Both sides returned to their dressing rooms.
Chelsea, no doubt, would double down on their defense.
Especially after that corner exposed gaps in their set-piece marking.
They weren't going to give Samuel another free header in the second half.
Meanwhile, in the Madrid locker room...
Luxemburgo was tearing into his players.
His criticism wasn't entirely wrong—after all, they had conceded and failed to score, meaning they were clearly second best.
If you're not playing as well as the opposition, you deserve to be scolded.
But... wasn't the coach's real responsibility now to adjust tactics and find a way to give his team an edge?
The sight left the Madrid players in a daze.
Su Hang included.
He couldn't help but think back to his first time with Madrid's senior squad, that Copa del Rey final under Queiroz.
He glanced down at the captain's armband on his arm.
With Raúl, Guti, and Salgado all absent, the band had naturally fallen to him.
As Real Madrid's captain, he had a duty—to lead the team to victory.
...
Get early access (35 chapters ahead) plus other series available only on P@treon
[email protected]/GhostParser