Chapter 167: Surrounding Barça! The Strongest Striker in World Football!
Tactically successful, strategically a failure.
That was how The Times of London summed up Chelsea's performance after the battle at Wembley.
The paper still gave Hiddink high marks for his coaching.
They argued that, putting aside the two goals conceded in the first 11 minutes, Chelsea executed their tactical plan against Beisworth Chinese FC exceptionally well for most of the match.
"Even though they looked passive on the surface and at times dropped into a deep block, completely giving up on attacking..."
"Chelsea still managed to prevent Beisworth Chinese FC from scoring again for the remainder of the game."
"In that sense, Hiddink's targeted defensive tactics worked."
The Times especially highlighted Ivanović.
This was only the Serbian defender's second Champions League appearance this season, and his second in over three months.
But with Bosingwa injured and Hiddink lacking trust in Ferreira, he had no choice but to turn to Ivanović.
To protect him, Hiddink even pushed Essien ahead of him on the flank.
But the trade-off was obvious—Chelsea's right-sided attack was completely sacrificed.
"Whether in tactical planning or on-the-pitch execution, Chelsea was not inferior to Beisworth Chinese FC."
"This was a clash of the highest level—top-tier strategy, tactics, and individual quality."
"From manager to players, both sides showcased the best the Premier League has to offer."
Despite the tense, competitive atmosphere, the match itself was, for long stretches, fairly subdued—because both teams effectively neutralized each other.
So why call it a strategic failure for Hiddink?
Because of the start.
"Hiddink clearly didn't expect Yang Cheng to invest so many resources—so recklessly—into an all-out blitz from kickoff!"
"He underestimated Yang Cheng and Beisworth Chinese FC's resolve."
"Yang Cheng clearly understood that if Chelsea were allowed to settle into their defensive shape, it would become increasingly difficult to break through. So he threw everything into the opening minutes."
"To the extent that he didn't care about what was behind him—he just wouldn't stop until he scored."
"Everyone knew Beisworth Chinese FC was good at starting strong, but no one had ever seen them commit this heavily to it."
From a strategic perspective, and within the context of a two-legged tie, The Times argued that Yang Cheng had made the right call.
Had they not scored early, Beisworth Chinese FC might have struggled to break Chelsea down later and potentially conceded instead.
Best case scenario? A goalless draw.
But by risking everything early and scoring twice,
they gave themselves a comfortable buffer and allowed the rest of the match to be played on their terms.
"Once Yang Cheng pulled ahead strategically—daring to pour everything into the opening phase and getting the breakthrough—Hiddink's entire tactical setup was rendered irrelevant."
"This match forced all the doubters to reevaluate Yang Cheng's managerial credentials."
"As Hiddink himself said in the post-match press conference—
Yang Cheng's growth and transformation are undeniable. He now possesses the tactical command of a world-class manager."
But this was still just the first leg.
And the beauty of the Champions League knockout format is that there's always a second round.
The Times acknowledged that Beisworth Chinese FC's 2–0 lead was well-earned.
But the second leg at Stamford Bridge remained decisive.
After seeing the first-leg result, Hiddink would reassess everything—
including Chelsea's strengths and weaknesses.
More than likely, he'd adopt a more attacking approach back at home.
That meant starting wingers like Kalou or Anelka was very possible.
Beisworth Chinese FC had Pepe to anchor the defense,
but Thiago Silva had visibly struggled against Drogba.
Chelsea would likely target this again in the second leg.
But if Chelsea committed more to attack, their defense would no longer be as airtight—
creating more space for Beisworth Chinese FC to exploit.
Ultimately, The Times concluded,
Beisworth Chinese FC had the advantage and the upper hand strategically,
but the 2–0 lead did not guarantee qualification.
Everything hinged on the second leg.
What made things trickier for Beisworth Chinese FC was the timing:
Between the two legs of the quarterfinal, they had to play Premier League Matchday 32.
Chelsea would face Bolton at home—
a side with no real stakes in the table, neither threatened by relegation nor chasing anything.
Chelsea's pressure would be minimal.
And they needed the win to chase a top-four finish.
Beisworth Chinese FC, on the other hand, had to visit Manchester City.
Yang Cheng's side had a healthy lead at the top,
but City were locked in a fierce battle for the top four.
Eriksson's men would give everything.
Yang Cheng might have to make some difficult choices.
...
After the 2–0 win at home, Yang Cheng wasn't the only one receiving endless praise.
Džeko, who scored both goals and was named Man of the Match,
was also showered with acclaim from fans and media around the world.
As Beisworth Chinese FC's top scorer, Džeko had now scored over 20 goals two seasons in a row.
Last season: 25 goals in the Premier League.
This season: 22 goals in 31 matches so far.
And that included games where he didn't even start or only came on as a sub.
His goal efficiency this season had surpassed last year's.
And the Bosnian striker was earning glowing reviews across the board.
The Guardian ran a feature detailing how Džeko had gone from a midfielder worth just £50,000—
mocked by many when Yang Cheng called him a "genius"—
to one of the best strikers in the world.
At the press conference, Yang Cheng named him directly:
"To me, he's the best striker in world football!"
"Not one of the best—the best."
The Guardian analyzed how, compared to other top strikers, Džeko wasn't necessarily the best in any one area:
Not as physically dominant as DrogbaNot as explosive as TorresNot as commanding in the box as Ibrahimović
But he's complete.
Even compared to someone as versatile as Ibrahimović,
Džeko offered better tactical discipline and team contribution.
Especially in goal efficiency.
He was the kind of striker who guaranteed goals,
a far more reliable finisher than Ibrahimović.
The Sun also published a feature on Džeko,
pointing out that his consistent excellence over the last two seasons
had drawn the attention of multiple European giants.
"A Catalan media outlet conducted a fan poll, asking thousands of Barcelona supporters which player they most hoped to see join the club—Džeko was the overwhelming favorite, becoming the striker Barça fans most wanted."
"Head coach Guardiola has also repeatedly praised Džeko in the press, stating that the Bosnian center-forward is exactly the type of striker he desires most."
"Meanwhile, in Madrid, both Marca and AS have reported that Florentino Pérez is set to return to Real Madrid this summer, and aside from Cristiano Ronaldo, Džeko is one of his most coveted star targets."
"Not to mention, in the Premier League, Chelsea want Džeko to replace the aging Drogba, and Manchester City are also after him to further boost their attacking firepower…"
The Sun was adamant: this summer, it will be nearly impossible for Beisworth Chinese FC to keep hold of Džeko.
The player who once cost them just £50,000 is poised to ignite a transfer war across Europe.
"The Bosnian striker may even rival Ronaldo as the most expensive player of the summer window!"
...
April 11th, afternoon — City of Manchester Stadium.
For Manchester City, this was a crucial match.
They were still chasing a top-four finish.
After losing 0–2 away to Arsenal in the previous round, City's position had become precarious.
So this round, Eriksson declared that they must win at home against Beisworth Chinese FC.
Yang Cheng's team had just gone through a bruising Champions League battle against Chelsea,
and with the second leg looming on Wednesday, it felt like City were being handed a gift.
The Sky Blues had rested, recharged, and meticulously prepared.
Yang Cheng, meanwhile, made heavy rotations for this match, clearly prioritizing the midweek clash at Stamford Bridge.
One could even say: he fielded a cup squad in a league fixture.
The opening blitz didn't pan out.
Instead, in the 28th minute, Adebayor won a contested ball up front and knocked it down.
Kaká surged forward and fired a thunderous shot just outside the box—
Goal!
City led 1–0.
After the break, Beisworth Chinese FC came out swinging again.
In the 50th minute, Lewandowski equalized with a low shot near the penalty spot.
Both teams made changes and kept fighting hard.
Then in the 83rd minute, Robinho beat his man and set up Adebayor for his second goal.
2–1!
That scoreline held until the final whistle.
City won, thanks to a goal and an assist from Adebayor.
...
Affected by the Champions League, all four English teams still in the competition struggled in this Premier League round.
Chelsea, with two goals from Drogba, barely scraped a 4–3 home win over Bolton.
The final score didn't tell the whole story—
Chelsea scored four in the first hour,
but then Bolton stormed back with three goals in eight minutes,
and for the final 15+ minutes, completely pinned Chelsea in their own half.
They barely survived by parking the bus.
The collapse came after Hiddink subbed off Drogba and Lampard for Anelka and Deco.
Those two had been excellent.
But Hiddink wanted to preserve them for the Champions League.
Instead, the subs nearly cost him the match.
The team also became complacent with a big lead,
allowing Bolton to pounce.
For the last 20 minutes, Hiddink didn't dare make another sub,
clinging to the win with pure defense.
Essien and Alex didn't feature at all—
clearly being saved for Wednesday's second leg.
Yang Cheng watched Chelsea's match against Bolton closely.
Drogba and Lampard looked to be in peak form.
If Hiddink hopes to overturn the first-leg deficit,
those two—along with the rested Essien and Alex—will be crucial.
Manchester United struggled as well.
They edged out Sunderland 2–1 away,
while Arsenal came from behind to win 4–1 at Wigan.
The score looked like a rout,
but in reality, Arsenal had been on the back foot for over an hour.
It wasn't until Arshavin came off the bench that the Gunners woke up and scored four.
Liverpool, free of Champions League commitments,
thrashed Blackburn 4–0 at Anfield.
So after 32 Premier League rounds,
Beisworth Chinese FC now stood at 27 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses—
84 points, still top of the table.
Because of their loss to City, Manchester United climbed to 71 points,
but remained 13 points behind.
With only six rounds left, a United comeback was all but impossible.
But Ferguson refused to give in.
As he said to Yang Cheng not long ago:
"Almost zero still isn't zero."
As long as there's a sliver of a chance—it's a chance.
So United haven't thrown in the towel yet.
In fact, Ferguson's rhetoric is louder than Yang Cheng's.
Yang Cheng declared he was chasing the treble.
Ferguson?
The old Scot insisted United were still in the hunt for a quadruple.
Just one more than Beisworth Chinese FC.
Of course, everyone knew this was a morale-boosting slogan.
But with the League Cup already in the bag,
and the league, FA Cup, and Champions League still technically in play,
United weren't doing badly at all.
After United's recent points drop, the teams behind closed in:
3rd: Arsenal – 71 points4th: Liverpool – 67 points5th: Manchester City – 65 points6th: Chelsea – 64 points
At this stage, Wenger's Gunners had the advantage in the top-four race—
but nothing was guaranteed.
Their remaining schedule was brutal:
Away to LiverpoolHome to ChelseaAway to Manchester United
All three fixtures were monsters.
And they were still in the Champions League too.
Balancing both competitions with such a tight fixture list
would be a serious challenge for Arsenal.
Manchester City's schedule, by contrast, looked manageable.
Aside from the Manchester derby at Old Trafford,
the rest of their matches were tough but didn't involve any top-six teams.
The toughest opponent left? Everton.
So for City, the outcome of these matches would be decisive.
Eriksson told the press that City needed to learn from Beisworth Chinese FC—
not to drop a single point when they could avoid it.
And that's true—
Yang Cheng's team has been a points-collecting machine this season.
Liverpool arguably had the most favorable schedule.
Other than their home match against Arsenal,
the rest of their opponents were relatively weak.
With Benítez at the helm, they had a real chance of taking maximum points.
Chelsea's run-in was trickier.
Their remaining matches included:
EvertonWest HamHome vs. Beisworth Chinese FCAway vs. Arsenal
And the last two?
Back-to-back.
This undoubtedly presented a serious dilemma for Hiddink.
In what is arguably the most fiercely contested Premier League season in history, the title race itself was no longer the focal point—
it was the battle for the top four that had captured everyone's attention.
Looking at the odds set by bookmakers, Liverpool were the favorites to finish in the top four.
Arsenal came next.
Manchester City and Chelsea were neck and neck.
This was a clear indication that the Premier League's traditional hierarchy had been completely disrupted.
With the arrival of superstars like Robinho and Kaká, Manchester City's overall strength had improved drastically.
Add to that the stability brought by Eriksson staying on, and the squad now had legitimate top-four ambitions.
Rumor had it that Roman Abramovich was doing everything he could to persuade Hiddink to stay on as Chelsea's head coach after the season ended.
To this end, he was prepared to increase investment and strengthen the squad quickly.
Clearly, the coming summer was shaping up to be the start of a new arms race.
...
April 14th, evening — Stamford Bridge, London.
Champions League quarterfinals, second leg:
Beisworth Chinese FC away to Chelsea.
With a 2–0 lead from the first leg, how would the two West London teams approach the second?
This became the focus of attention for fans and media around the globe.
From the starting lineup, Hiddink showed his intent:
Goalkeeper: Čech
Defense: Ashley Cole, Terry, Alex, Ivanović
Midfield: Essien (holding), Lampard, Ballack
Attack: Malouda, Drogba, Anelka
This was, arguably, Chelsea's most powerful attacking lineup available at the moment.
With Deco out of form, Hiddink didn't have a stronger configuration to field.
The message was clear:
Chelsea were going all in on offense.
As for Yang Cheng's Beisworth Chinese FC,
they stuck with their trademark 4-3-3.
Goalkeeper: Neuer
Defense: Leighton Baines, Thiago Silva, Kompany, Maicon
Midfield: Yaya Touré (holding), Rakitić, Modrić
Attack: Gareth Bale, Džeko, Walcott
The only change from the first leg was Kompany in for the suspended Pepe.
Many had expected Matuidi to start in place of Rakitić—
but Yang Cheng surprised everyone by staying the course.
Even with a two-goal advantage, he insisted on playing his style.
And before kickoff, something rare happened—
Modrić beat Terry in the coin toss, winning first possession.
That almost never happened.
Yang Cheng laughed and gave Modrić a thumbs-up from the sideline.
"That's a good omen!" he said with a grin.
Before the match, Yang Cheng had worked hard to help his players relax.
Not in the sense of being casual, but to approach the game with a light, confident, and positive mindset.
The coaching staff and sports science department had done their part—
Now it was time to execute.
That atmosphere was reflected on the pitch.
Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo blew the whistle to start the match.
In the center circle, Džeko and Rakitić stood over the ball.
Bale and Walcott took their places on either wing.
As soon as play began, Džeko tapped the ball to Rakitić,
and the Croatian sent a long pass backward to Thiago Silva.
Since joining the team, Silva had become a rock at the back,
earning the trust of every teammate, even Pepe.
His reading of the game and understanding of the coach's intent were exceptional.
Chelsea, as expected, pressed high from the start.
Beisworth Chinese FC responded with calm passing at the back.
They immediately spread their formation wide,
especially on the flanks.
This put Chelsea in a tough spot.
Trailing by two on aggregate, they needed to press—
but Beisworth Chinese FC were holding the ball at the back.
Per pre-match planning, the center-backs held position around the 30-meter mark,
while the fullbacks pushed wide and high.
The midfield trio floated between the center circle and halfway line.
If Chelsea wanted to win the ball, they'd have to commit.
But Hiddink was cautious.
Initially, only Drogba pressed the center-backs.
Anelka and Malouda shadowed Baines and Maicon.
The rest of Chelsea's midfield and back line stayed put.
But this achieved little.
Silva and Kompany didn't even need to pass back to Neuer—
Their movement alone neutralized Drogba's press.
Then Lampard stepped up to help—
but Yaya Touré, Baines, and Maicon all dropped into support positions.
Beisworth Chinese FC had been playing this style for years,
even the youth teams were trained this way.
The players were perfectly in sync.
Chelsea couldn't get close.
Then, Kompany spotted an opening and played a long diagonal ball forward.
Walcott sprinted down the right.
Ashley Cole gave chase.
But he couldn't match Walcott's speed.
The English winger slowed to control the ball, and Ashley Cole caught up,
sliding in with a clean tackle to send it out of bounds—
without fouling.
The Stamford Bridge crowd applauded the defensive effort.
But it was also a warning:
Don't push too far up.
Beisworth Chinese FC could hit the space behind you at any moment.
...
"Bloody hell, this is just cheap!"
Ray Wilkins was furious, jumping to his feet.
"If you've got the guts, push forward and fight us head-on!
What's with this deep defending and long-ball counter nonsense?"
"Who still plays long-ball in this day and age?"
Hiddink glanced at him awkwardly, motioning with his hand for him to calm down.
Cheap?
Didn't Chelsea park the bus in the first leg? Wasn't that more shameless?
Besides, had Wilkins ever seen long-ball football like this?
If the average Premier League long-ball team had even half the passing and control of Beisworth Chinese FC,
the FA would be over the moon.
At the end of the day, each team was simply playing to its strengths.
"Their flanks are too fast. Once they get going, you can't stop them."
"And now with their defenders launching accurate long balls..."
Hiddink paused, then muttered:
"It's bloody ruthless."
But if he were Yang Cheng?
He'd do the same.
A two-goal advantage from the first leg?
Of course you play it like this.
What, push forward and play open just to be "honorable"?
That would be idiotic.
Now, Chelsea were facing a painful dilemma.
If Chelsea wanted to win back possession, they had no choice but to press up.
But relying only on the front three—or even adding midfielders—wasn't enough.
The moment they pushed forward, their compact defensive structure would start to fracture.
If they won the ball, fine.
But if they didn't, and Beisworth Chinese FC passed through them with their sharp, one-touch combinations, the danger would be immense.
And if they wanted to stay compact defensively, they couldn't push up.
Even if Beisworth Chinese FC didn't maintain this forever—
they only needed to drag it out ten or fifteen minutes,
burning out Chelsea's early momentum—
the rest of the game would become even more difficult.
Just as Hiddink and Wilkins were discussing this,
a sudden change unfolded on the pitch—
and the entire Stamford Bridge crowd gasped.
...
"Ashley Cole picks it up at the back—Walcott immediately presses."
"Back to Terry."
"Chelsea trying to calm things down, maintain possession."
"Džeko presses Terry now."
"Terry passes sideways to Alex."
"Dangerous moment for Alex!"
"Rakitić closes down fast!"
"Alex tries to clear—oh! The ball deflects off Rakitić's leg!"
"It bounces loose to the left side of the box!"
"Gareth Bale sprints in—he beats Ivanović to it!"
"The Welsh winger charges down the left and whips in a cross to the far post!"
"Džeko arrives—header!"
"Čech again with the save!"
"The Czech goalkeeper tips it over the bar!"
"Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge nearly had heart attacks!"
"That press by Beisworth Chinese FC was lightning quick and completely unexpected."
"They clearly spotted Chelsea's intention to slow things down and play out from the back."
"But let's be honest—not every team is cut out to play possession football."
"And Chelsea, tactically speaking, just don't have that DNA!"
...
Hiddink stepped out of the dugout for the first time,
yelling to his players from the touchline—"Don't take risks at the back!"
Chelsea, rattled by that near-miss, instinctively dropped deeper.
Defensively compact was their comfort zone.
Since the '90s, Chelsea had been influenced by Italian football.
With Ranieri, then Mourinho, defensive discipline had become their identity.
But when Chelsea retreated,
Beisworth Chinese FC pushed forward.
The clearest example came in the 6th minute.
Chelsea won the ball and quickly moved it to Ballack.
From about 30 meters out, Ballack launched a mid-range pass,
trying to find Drogba up top.
But when the ball arrived, everyone realized:
Drogba was completely isolated.
Anelka and Malouda had tracked back.
As soon as Drogba received it,
Thiago Silva was on him.
Yaya Touré and Kompany shut down all nearby passing lanes.
Turnover.
Chelsea tried to counter-press—Drogba dropped, Lampard stepped forward to press.
But Beisworth Chinese FC's crisp passing tore through them.
Lampard couldn't even get close—he was chasing shadows.
Then, in the 13th minute,
Beisworth Chinese FC struck again.
On the right, Maicon passed to Yaya Touré and then sprinted forward.
Walcott drifted inside to clear space,
then, seeing that Yaya couldn't return the ball to Maicon,
dropped deeper and called for the pass.
The ball arrived at Walcott's feet.
By now, Maicon had pushed all the way to winger height,
dragging Ashley Cole out of position.
Walcott turned, drove forward.
Lampard charged toward him.
But the Little Tiger spotted Modrić making a diagonal run behind Lampard,
and slipped a delicate pass forward.
Essien charged to intercept—
but Modrić knew exactly what to do.
Instead of following the pass,
he cut across it with the inside of his right foot,
stopping and turning to the center,
shifting direction flawlessly, and lifting his head.
At the perfect moment,
Modrić sent a precise through ball.
At the edge of the box, Džeko was waiting between Alex and Terry.
As the ball arrived, the Bosnian took a quick step,
trapped it with his left foot and broke into the box.
Then, a right-footed rocket.
From Walcott's assist, to Modrić's feint and pass,
to Džeko's trap and shot—
it was seamless.
Chelsea's defenders didn't even touch the ball—or the players.
Džeko's strike flew into Čech's bottom-left corner.
Čech dove—but he was a split second too late.
"GOAL!!!!"
"13th minute—Džeko scores again for Beisworth Chinese FC!"
"A brilliant assist from Modrić!"
"Chelsea's defense was shredded in an instant!"
"The Blues aren't playing badly—far from it. But they're being outclassed by Beisworth's superb combinations."
"This goal was pure artistry!"
On the sideline, Yang Cheng jumped into the air.
Brian Kidd and the staff raced from the bench and surrounded him.
1–0.
3–0 on aggregate.
But most crucially—an away goal.
Which meant Chelsea now needed to score four to go through.
Four goals!
It was almost a death sentence.
...
It's over.
Another Champions League campaign gone.
When Džeko scored,
Roman Abramovich, watching from the VIP box,
slumped back into his seat, face drained.
Even if he wasn't an expert,
he could tell: this goal was about more than just Džeko.
Modrić's assist—his footwork, the turn, the through ball—was magnificent.
And that really frustrated Abramovich.
Because he had once considered buying Modrić.
"If we'd bought Modrić instead of Deco,
would things be different now?"
His voice was low, bitter.
Chairman Bruce Buck and Peter Kenyon had no reply.
Deco had more star power when they made that decision.
He was already a big name.
But who could've predicted how fast Deco would decline?
Only Pini Zahavi understood Abramovich best.
He leaned in and said:
"Actually, when you first asked me to get Modrić,
Beisworth Chinese FC refused to sell.
They wouldn't even sit at the table."
Abramovich's expression lightened a bit.
Zahavi glanced at Kenyon and raised an eyebrow,
as if to say, "See? This is how you survive in this job."
When a boss hints at deep regret, it doesn't necessarily mean he truly regrets the decision—it usually means he wants his subordinates to help him save face, to smooth things over.
Got it?
Peter Kenyon gave a subtle nod—message received.
Sure enough, once Abramovich's expression softened, he turned to Pini Zahavi.
"Pini, what's your view on Chelsea's current situation?"
Zahavi grinned. "I think Hiddink is absolutely right. This squad is already very strong—we just need to strengthen in a few key positions."
"The most important thing this summer is to keep Hiddink."
"Across all of European football, coaches like him—who understand Chelsea's identity and possess elite tactical ability—are extremely rare."
Both Bruce Buck and Peter Kenyon silently gave Zahavi a mental thumbs-up.
No wonder the Israeli had stayed so close to Abramovich all these years—he knew exactly how to speak to his boss.
Transfers?
Is Chelsea's squad not already strong enough?
The only clear weakness was the center-forward position.
Abramovich thought Drogba was too old and not scoring enough, which is why he wanted Džeko.
On top of that, Barça were also looking to sell Eto'o to fund a move for Džeko.
So really, Chelsea's lineup didn't have major flaws.
And more importantly, Abramovich didn't have as much money on hand this time.
Zahavi's comments hit all the right notes—especially the part about retaining Hiddink.
"The Russian national team's situation is a bit complicated," Abramovich admitted.
"Keeping things as they are—managing both—I don't think that's a problem," Zahavi replied.
And just like that, Abramovich was tempted.
"I'll think about it. In the meantime, talk to Adam Crozier about Džeko's transfer."
Abramovich was a huge fan of Džeko.
The towering striker was unbelievably complete—technically gifted and tactically intelligent.
Above all, he was one of the best center-forwards in world football.
Peter Kenyon opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped.
He'd wanted to remind Abramovich that poaching from Beisworth Chinese FC basically meant funding the construction of their new stadium.
Back then, Abramovich was firmly against that.
But times had changed.
The days of trying to suppress Beisworth Chinese FC's growth were long gone.
Can they even be suppressed anymore?
They're already outperforming Chelsea in every way.
If not for Abramovich's deep pockets, Beisworth Chinese FC would've left them far behind by now.
So what's the point of worrying about their new stadium anymore?
Kenyon certainly wasn't going to mention it out loud.
That topic was Abramovich's sore spot.
Bring it up, and he'd explode.
...
Hiddink was a shrewd and decisive manager.
After Džeko's goal, everything had changed.
Seeing Chelsea's morale drop, the Dutchman quickly shifted to full defensive mode.
That stabilized their back line.
For the rest of the first half, Beisworth Chinese FC didn't get another clear chance.
In the second half, Chelsea still didn't make any changes,
but their overall play improved noticeably.
They adopted a more proactive approach and created a few chances.
But Beisworth also responded with several dangerous attacks.
In the 63rd minute, Ashley Cole picked up a yellow card for a tactical foul on Maicon.
From the ensuing free kick, Gareth Bale hit the crossbar—
Chelsea had to wipe the sweat off their brows.
Neither team scored again.
Yang Cheng made three substitutions,
but Hiddink stuck with his starting eleven for the entire match.
That decision reflected his thinking—
Chelsea's starters were strong, but the bench was thin.
Hiddink feared that a substitution might disrupt the balance and lead to another goal conceded.
In the end, Beisworth Chinese FC won 1–0 away.
Aggregate score: 3–0.
They swept their West London rivals over two legs to advance to the Champions League semifinals!
...
As Beisworth Chinese FC advanced to the semis, the other three semifinalists were confirmed.
Their opponent?
Manchester United, fresh off eliminating Porto.
That meant Yang Cheng's side would face Ferguson's Red Devils once again—
a guaranteed war.
Arsenal also reached the semifinals after a 3–0 home win over Villarreal.
They'd face Guardiola's Barcelona, who had thrashed Bayern Munich 4–0 at the Camp Nou.
After the loss, Beckenbauer exploded,
saying Bayern's defeat showed how far they still were from Europe's elite.
So the Champions League semifinals were:
Beisworth Chinese FC vs. Manchester UnitedBarcelona vs. Arsenal
For the third consecutive season, three Premier League clubs reached the semifinals.
A testament to the Premier League's strength.
Even under the double pressure of a weakened pound and higher income taxes,
the Premier League remained ferociously competitive.
With the semifinal field set, European betting firms updated their odds.
Beisworth Chinese FC, after beating Chelsea twice,
was listed as the second favorite—behind only Barcelona.
Guardiola's team became the new title favorites thanks to their demolition of Bayern.
And realistically, Beisworth Chinese FC still had to face Manchester United,
while Arsenal were seen as the weaker team—thus an easier opponent.
That was reflected in the odds:
Arsenal had the longest title odds,
United were third,
Beisworth Chinese FC second,
and Barcelona first.
Three Premier League giants aiming to surround and topple Barça—
that became one of the biggest stories of the Champions League semis.
The global media and fans were now focused on one thing:
Could Guardiola's Barcelona escape the English siege
and reach the final in Rome?
The twist?
Just days after the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals,
it was straight into the FA Cup semifinals.
This season's FA Cup semifinal bracket:
Arsenal vs. ChelseaManchester United vs. Beisworth Chinese FC
That meant three of the Champions League semifinalists also made the FA Cup semifinals.
A first in FA Cup history.
Some even joked:
If Chelsea hadn't drawn Beisworth Chinese FC so early,
the entire Champions League semifinal could've been all-English.
In that case, would that mean…
The FA Cup had the same prestige as the Champions League?
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