super storm

Chapter 1612

To use beIN sports commentator Arsene Wenger's words to describe the first half, that is: Both teams chose the best way to win the championship.

But this approach may not be what fans want to see most.

Because they found that Ajax, who had overcome all obstacles and reached the Champions League final, was no longer passionate in the final, and no longer played the kind of pleasing offensive football. It was replaced by a calmer and more conservative style of football, which disappointed many people.

No one will question whether Ajax can play offensive football, because this team used the first [-] official Champions League games this season to prove that they reached the final by relying on offensive football.

But as Mourinho said, "The style of play that worked well in the first [-] games is very difficult to work in the Champions League final, because this is the Champions League final!"

"Any team that reaches the Champions League final is the most successful and stable team in the past season. They will do everything possible to attack the opponent's weakness."

"So we can see that tonight's Liverpool is not the Liverpool we hope to see, and Ajax is not the best Ajax, because this is the Champions League final, no one can take risks in this kind of final!"

But whether it is Wenger or Mourinho, they all gave a very high evaluation of the performance of Yang Yang and Ajax.

"The final data results show that Ajax's ball possession rate in the first half was as high as 60.00%. This is the result of being passive in the first 10 minutes. It can be seen that Yang Yang's team began to dominate the situation on the field after Liverpool's opening attack."

"According to this season's data, Liverpool's average ball possession rate is 50.00%, and the pass success rate is 70.00%10. But tonight, when facing Ajax, even if they have an overwhelming advantage in the first 30.00 minutes, Liverpool's ball possession rate is only 60.00%[-], and the pass success rate is only [-]%[-]."

"Another point, in the first 12.00 Champions League games, Liverpool averaged 150 passes per game, and only 35 long passes, accounting for about 20.00%.

"Many people may not be able to realize the significance of this string of numbers. Let me explain here. This means that Liverpool's game has been strictly cut by Ajax. They can hardly pass the ball, and the pass success rate has dropped a lot compared to usual. This makes Liverpool have to rely more on long passes."

"Among them, we can also find data. Many of Liverpool's long passes go directly to Salah on the right, but Tagliafico's task tonight is more about defense. Coupled with Militao's outstanding performance, Salah's success rate for receiving long passes is pitifully low."

"This is reflected in the game. Liverpool only had one shot on Ajax's goal. It happened in the 8th minute, but that shot failed to create a threat and was easily confiscated by Onana. In the next four to 10 minutes, Liverpool failed to shoot on Ajax's goal again, and the number of shots was pitifully small."

"It is not difficult to deduce from these statistics. The scene looks intense, but in fact, Ajax is suppressing Liverpool. In this regard, Yang Yang's formation and on-the-spot command, as well as his example on the field, all played a key role."

"But then, how do Ajax turn this advantage into goals?"

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The commentary of the two world-renowned coaches far away in the UK did not reach Yang Yang's ears, but Yang Yang also got the data in their hands immediately after the first half of the game.

Regarding this piece of data, Yang Yang's reaction was positive.

"We did a great job in the first half!" Yang Yang took the data and praised all the players in the locker room.

"We basically completed the task of the first half. Although it is a pity that we failed to score, I believe that at this moment, you should all know how cruel the Champions League final is. This is far beyond the intensity and pressure of all our past games."

All the players in the locker room agreed.

Before the game, Yang Yang warned them more than once that the most difficult thing in the Champions League final is not the formation of troops, but how to show their true level, because under the double pressure of the opponent and the game, those with a slightly weaker mental quality will directly lose their feet.

They paid great attention to it before, but no matter how much they paid attention, it would be better to experience it personally.

How hard it is to kick, they can't use specific adjectives to describe it, but it can be reflected in their bodies.

That is the physical fitness that can usually finish playing for nine to 10 minutes. Now they have only played for 45 minutes, and they are starting to feel tired.

You know, for tonight's game, they have prepared for two full weeks.

But really tired!

Even, in the eyes of many people, the 15-minute intermission came too timely.

"Nowadays, there is a difficult problem before us, that is how to score the first goal?" Yang Yang looked at the players and said.

He was sitting on the seat because he was also very tired in the first half.

At the age of 32, after all, it is not as good as it was back then.

"For us, scoring a goal is not difficult. What is really difficult is how to ensure that our goal is not broken by the opponent and win a goal first. This is the most difficult."

All Ajax players nodded in unison, Liverpool's defense is too solid.

In addition to the three tough guys in the midfield, Van Dijk in the back line is also very scary. Together with the goalkeeper Alisson, he looks unbreakable. In the first half alone, Van Dijk and Alisson destroyed at least four or five threatening offensive opportunities of Ajax.

"I looked at it, and now Liverpool are still playing long balls to counterattack, but the success rate of this offensive play is too low, and Salah can't get the ball at all, so Klopp should also have a headache."

"So in the second half, we gave our opponents more space and let them press out again. We seized the opportunity and then counterattacked."

"When counterattacking, pay attention to the two wings. Van Dijk is the strong point of their defense. We have to bypass this point and use more oblique and long passes to mobilize the opponent's defense. Move more and avoid Van Dijk."

This guy Van Dijk is really amazing!
He is like a stinger, standing in front of Liverpool's goal, and all frontal attacks can't pass him.

So much so that the fans in the Premier League joked about him. This season, he unlocked the high-level skills of "one man is invincible", which can be said to be the number one contributor to Liverpool's reaching the Champions League final.

"Luka." Yang Yang looked at Jovic.

The Serbian center originally covered his face with a towel and listened to Yang Yang's words silently. After hearing his name being called, he immediately took off the towel, sat up straight, and nodded towards Yang Yang.

"In the second half, you have to pay more attention. The two of us have to pay attention to the division of labor. Whoever Van Dijk is going to stare at will go around to the front, and the other will run to the back. Then try to pass diagonally to the back from the wings, or transfer to the other side."

Such a simple sentence of Yang Yang is actually behind a very complex tactical coordination routine. These are the past year, especially the past two weeks, Ajax has focused on rehearsals, and the players are also very familiar with each other.

"We Chinese have an old saying that the fist will be more powerful when you draw it back. There is also a saying that it is hard to get."

"Our offense needs space. The larger the space, the better for us, so continuing to press the opponent will not benefit us at all, but it will make Liverpool's strategy more effective."

"So, in the second half, we retreated a little!"

In fact, if it weren't for Klopp's timely adjustment, Ajax made threats twice in a row around 10 minutes, and almost scored a goal.

It's a pity that Klopp is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and the on-the-spot adjustments are very timely.

And this guy is different from the past, he is more pragmatic now.

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At the beginning of the second half, Ajax took the lead.

Everyone was surprised to find that the Eredivisie team had changed their style of play.

The offense is still vigorous and resolute, playing quickly and sharply, but once the ball is lost, they will not entangle in the frontcourt, and immediately retreat to their own half to organize defense.

This is different from the high-post press that was pressed every step of the way in the first half. Liverpool began to get more opportunities to get the ball in the backcourt.

As a result, the Red Army reduced the long pass, and more of it was on the ground to cooperate with the advance.

But Klopp on the sidelines was not at all easy.

When adjusting the midfield, he had an idea to increase the success rate of long passes, but now he finds that the team's long passes have decreased and possession of the ball has increased, but with it, there are also fewer opportunities to hit behind.

Ajax are fast when they go in, and they are also fast when they go back!
Liverpool was also a little uncomfortable with this change in Ajax at the beginning. I was always worried that there was some conspiracy?
But slowly, they discovered that Ajax was really retreating, and they were resolute.

This time they believed it!

Why would you withdraw?

Lack of fitness?Tactical adjustment?Or some other reason?
This is not what the players should consider, but the responsibility of the coach on the sidelines.

The task of the players is that if the opponent retreats, then we should move forward.

Liverpool still hopes to penetrate Ajax's left flank through the attack on the right, led by Salah and Arnold. Even if they can't penetrate, they can still create threats and attract defensive attention.

Just at the second minute, Liverpool adopted this strategy.

Ajax deployed defenses outside the 30-meter area, and the defensive center of gravity tilted to the left to suppress Salah's side.

Liverpool didn't penetrate the right and passed back to Henderson. After the Liverpool midfielder stopped the ball, he made a long diagonal pass, trying to send it to Mane's feet, allowing Liverpool's left forward to sprint to Ajax's right.

But at the moment of passing the ball, Ashraf, who was originally behind the defense line, suddenly sprinted forward, took the first step, intercepted Henderson's long diagonal pass halfway, and dribbled the ball to instigate a counterattack.

(End of this chapter)