The football was ultimately cleared out of bounds by Maya Yoshida, who came to provide defensive support.

Hazard looked a bit bewildered and turned to give Li Kang a thumbs-up.

Van Dijk made a few gestures to his teammates, finally clenching his fist and waving it forcefully.

The Saints fans erupted in cheers again.

"Dominating aura."

"Leadership qualities."

"An indomitable wall."

"Even against the formidable Chelsea, he will defend the dignity of the home ground."

"Commander!"

"A brilliant talent! Van Dijk has earned everyone's respect with his performance – the defensive commander of Southampton!"

At the sidelines.

Dino frowned. "His instantaneous reading ability is close to Li's."

Tuchel's eyes were full of admiration.

When the desire for control receded, the tactical gene lock of the Chelsea coach seemed to be unlocked.

"This kid is the most perfect center-back in the mainstream tactical environment of European clubs!"

"But he gets destroyed in the national team."

"Although some of his basic skills are very poor, he knows where to stand before the opponent launches an attack."

"But he gets destroyed in the national team."

"Although he can't integrate ball interception and passing, he can become an above-average offensive initiator as long as he has time to adjust."

"But he gets destroyed in the national team..."

"Enough, as long as he is paired with players of Southampton's level in positional defense, Van Dijk's strengths can be fully utilized."

In 2017, fans gradually learned from the news that Van Dijk would be very expensive.

The imagined "World's Best Defender": perfect defensive technique, one-on-one marking, fierce physical combat, divine tackles, extreme foot speed, insightful passes, a mobile fortress...

One man stands against a thousand.

The actual "World's Best Defender": Why does he look so silly? Why are his basic defensive skills so much worse than Baresi, Maldini, and Nesta? Wow, he just defends by retreating!

Delay, pressure, and form a defensive matrix as a whole with the goalkeeper and supporting teammates.

23rd minute of the match.

Li Kang, positioned in the rearguard of the formation, once again found a flaw in Southampton's high defensive line.

A rainbow-like trajectory astonished St. Mary's Stadium.

"Wonderful!"

"The Golden Ball winner's cruise missile!"

"Morata!"

"He's not offside!"

Morata and Van Dijk started almost simultaneously.

The former, with the blessing of the legendary connection, judged the landing point of the football more accurately.

No sloppy ball control or adjustment.

During the sprint, he flicked the ball with his heel.

The football lightly leapt in front of him.

Speed burst a second time!

"Flicking and passing in one go."

"This is Morata!"

"A one-on-one chance!"

"Wow! Van Dijk is actually catching up!"

The ultimate Dutch center-back has a peak 100-meter speed of up to 10.4 seconds.

Even after losing his position, he can still rely on his explosive physical qualities to regain balance!

The audience couldn't help but hold their breath.

Their eyes were fixed on the one-on-one battle on the field.

"One man is a defensive line!"

"He can still calmly raise his hand to direct goalkeeper Forster to block the near post!"

"Too terrifying!"

"Morata is dribbling towards the penalty area!"

"Oh no!"

"Morata's dominant foot is blocked by Van Dijk's body!"

"No shooting angle!"

The Chelsea striker slowed down.

Van Dijk, with his hands behind his back, was staring intently... staring into his eyes.

That's right.

The "defensive characteristic" of the strongest center-back in the current version.

He doesn't observe foot speed, footwork rhythm, or body lean.

He just observes the changes in your eyes.

Morata sensed that the Southampton players in retreat were about to take their positions.

He couldn't delay any longer!

He couldn't shoot with his dominant foot!

Emergency stop and flick the ball.

Create distance.

Small swing of the left leg.

Bang!

The football lifted off the ground, like a heavy cannon, flying towards the goal!

Van Dijk looked relaxed: Everything is under control.

He had already directed Forster to block the near post.

"Wow!"

"The crossbar at the near post!"

"Oh, a deflection!"

"Goal!"

"What exquisite shooting skills, turning the impossible into the magical!"

"He turned the impossible into the possible!"

"He directly exploded the top center-back Van Dijk!"

"This is Morata!"

The score on the big screen quietly changed to 0:1!

The Saints fans couldn't accept the reality before them.

Clearly...

Van Dijk looked blankly at his own goalkeeper. Forster wanted to cry but no tears came.

Morata was stunned for two seconds. After looking around to confirm that he had really scored, he began to celebrate wildly!

Li Kang also didn't expect the goal to be so simple... He was still preparing to participate in the second attack after the clearance.

-

[The most underrated top striker: Morata.]

-

[Morata: I will let Li know that assisting is a very simple thing.]

-

[Van Dijk's physical quality is really insane, and his ability to read the game is also strong. He can always grab the most suitable defensive position, and he can compete with top forwards for the last burst!]

-

[There's nothing to do about this ball. Van Dijk deserves a better goalkeeper.]

-

[He's going to Liverpool next season, where he will have the most suitable configuration for him.]

At the sidelines.

In addition to being excited, Tuchel couldn't help but look puzzled.

Half a season... He didn't seem to have figured out Morata's real shooting level.

Dino pulled Cahill and David Luiz on the bench to celebrate wildly.

There weren't too many injuries in the main lineup.

They were just too tired.

Four-front battle.

Traveling back and forth.

The Blues were showing signs of fatigue.

On the other side.

Mauricio loudly encouraged the players.

His tactical style is very aggressive. He's not afraid of losing the ball, but he's afraid that his disciples will lose the courage to attack when facing strong teams.

The game continued.

Time passed quickly.

Southampton's high defensive line was pressing deeper and deeper.

However, Chelsea's attackers didn't get too much of an advantage against Van Dijk.

On the contrary, the high-altitude contests near the center circle made the audience realize another of the Dutch center-back's divine skills: high defensive line - strategic commander!

Chelsea's counter-attacks were repeatedly resolved.

"You can feel that the Blues, who are fighting on four fronts, are full of fatigue."

"Players are not robots."

"They get tired and fatigued."

"They can't perfectly execute the tactics deployed by the coach."

"..."

The passion of the Saints fans melted Southampton's winter night.

The mighty momentum encouraged the red and white jerseys on the field.

Even if the team was still behind.

But they saw the hope of equalizing the score.

The tired Blue Lions will eventually bow their heads in the land of the Saints!

Of course, the above is the home team filter.

The actual game scene: the tired Blues still firmly controlled the ball, and various data were far ahead of the home team.

Li Kang's vertical running distance was not much.

According to Tuchel's deployment, he was in the rearguard of the formation most of the time.

God's perspective deconstructed Southampton's defensive system.

The Eye of Truth observed the center of gravity changes of the ultimate Van Dijk.

78th minute of the match.

Azpilicueta's movement deformed. In the thirty-meter area, on the left half of the field, he brought down Redmond.

The referee took out a yellow card.

Boos rang out at St. Mary's Stadium.

Azpilicueta shook his head and took the initiative to help up the Southampton attacker known as "Little Henry."

"A very good free kick in a forward position."

"Southampton must seize the opportunity to equalize the score."

Mauricio waved his hands vigorously on the sidelines, signaling the high points of the team to press up, including Van Dijk.

Almost every top center-back in history has one characteristic: the ability to score from set pieces.

Beep!

The referee blew his whistle.

Romeu took a three-step run-up.

Pa!

The football lifted off the ground and spun into the Chelsea penalty area.

Van Dijk overpowered Christensen, leaped high, and headed the goal!

Buffon judged the opponent's shooting path three seconds in advance.

He leaped up and steadily hugged the ball in his arms.

The whole stadium sighed.

"What a pity!"

"A little bit away from equalizing the score."

"Buffon didn't lie down... He wanted to launch an attack as soon as possible. Hey, Redmond's interference action is suspected of being a foul!"

Redmond deliberately slowly blocked in front of the Chelsea goalkeeper.

There was no way.

This is the best way for mid-table teams to interfere with Chelsea's transition attacks.

Buffon wasn't angry either. He smiled and touched the junior's head.

The game was nearing its end.

Mauricio's hair was messy, and he excitedly directed his teammates to attack with all their strength.

The momentum of the Saints fans became more and more mighty.

Defend the dignity of the home court!

"During this period, Southampton didn't have any tricks. They just directly launched long passes and crosses, bombing the Chelsea penalty area!"

"It's a bit interesting. Van Dijk is now a center forward, pressing to the front."

"Li Kang has retreated to the defense line. His connection with Buffon is too tacit."

"Tuchel may want to easily win this game. There is a large-scale rotation on the defense line. In the upcoming European Round of 16, Chelsea's defense will face the terrifying front line composed of Mbappe, Cavani, and Neymar!"

-

[Li Mingdeng is too lazy, as lazy as Messi. Look at his coverage area, he doesn't rush forward and always participates in the defense.]

-

[He has to help defend the left rib area to make up for Christensen's weakness. No problem. Look, Chelsea's ball control rate is still far ahead.]

-

[Kante has run Li Kang's share.]

-

[We're going to play against Paris soon. Tuchel's idea of saving energy in the league is understandable.]

The 90 minutes of regular time ended.

The score was still 0:1.

The fourth official raised the number plate: 3 minutes of stoppage time.

After Buffon resolved the danger again, the players on both sides quickly took their positions.

Li Kang returned to the left half of the field.

Van Dijk also returned to his own defense line.

The football was quickly passed between the blue jerseys.

It passed the center circle.

"92nd minute."

"Kante passed the ball to Li Kang."

"With so little time left, Chelsea, who are leading by one goal, should control the ball... The attacking end will not invest too many troops."

"Is our Golden Ball winner still going to attack?"

"Tadic quickly intercepted, bending over and lowering his center of gravity. Well, this striker's basic defensive skills are very solid."

The red line of God's perspective contracted into a point, and the deconstruction was completed.

The Eye of Truth's violent beating was exceptionally excited.

Li Kang flicked the ball with his left foot, pretending to cut into the middle.

Tadic took small steps, adjusting his stance horizontally, blocking the Chelsea core's forward path.

The space on the outside was vacated.

Li Kang suddenly buckled the ball and started to accelerate.

"The Golden Ball winner's explosiveness!"

"Tadic can't keep up, he's grabbing him!"

"Huh?"

"Why is Europe's Best slowing down again?"

"The slower pace just prevents him from colliding with Van Dijk and Cedric's frontal interception!"

"But now he's also caught in a three-man encirclement!"

"Let's see how the World Footballer handles it..."

"Li Kang was forced to the side."

Chelsea teammates quickly approached to support.

Van Dijk was in the "center" position of the encirclement, staring intently at Li Kang's eyes.

He and his teammates formed a triangle.

He deliberately left gaps on his left and right sides.

No matter which direction Li Kang dribbled, the Southampton defenders were confident that they could complete the interception.

"Li Kang's left foot gently flicked the football, perfectly avoiding Cedric's tackle."

"Still tightly entangled."

"Apart from passing back, there's no space to pass forward."

"Wow!"

The next moment.

An unexpected scene happened.

Li Kang pushed the ball with his right foot.

The football passed through the narrow gap between Van Dijk and Tadic.

The whole person once again burst out with terrifying starting speed.

Forcibly passed through the gap between Van Dijk and Cedric.

The whole audience was stunned.

Three-man encirclement? Passing the ball through the legs!

"Incredible!"

"Unbelievable!"

"Too imaginative!"

"The great Golden Ball winner!"

Tadic and Cedric were stunned in place.

Van Dijk turned around and chased after him immediately!

Fight!

Fight for the last burst!

Applause thundered through St. Mary's Stadium.

Two seconds later, Li Kang received the pass he had given himself.

Van Dijk pressed forward.

The two were on the left diagonal line of the penalty area.

Pa!

Under the frantic interference of the Dutch center-back, Li Kang sent out a scalpel-like diagonal pass.

"A deadly pass!"

"Willian!"

Bang!

The Saints goalkeeper, Forster, couldn't stop the Samba winger's close-range push.

The football went from bottom to top, stirring up the net.

0:2!!!

"Goal!"

"Willian didn't disappoint the opportunity that the Golden Ball winner had created!"

"There's no time left."

"Chelsea expanded their lead at the last moment, killing the suspense!"

"A soul-stirring personal performance!"

"The visual spectacle is too high."

"Worthy of being the World Footballer, two assists, sealing the victory!"

Li Kang was hugged by his teammates in turn.

Van Dijk lay painfully on the grass, cramping.

Having fought for the whole game, the World's Best Defender, who had been attacking, fighting for headers, and defending, was exhausted.

He felt that it was time for him to leave Southampton to pursue his dream.

He had already made up his mind: Liverpool! That was the stage for him to display his talents!

-

[Too handsome.]

-

[If Van Dijk and Li Kang were one-on-one, they might be able to delay for a while.]

-

[Too sudden. Southampton didn't expect Li Kang to dribble all the way down.]

-

[Li Kang is too lazy. His running distance is similar to Messi's, so how can he still send out two assists?]

-

[Golden Ball winner!]

-

[World Footballer!]

Premier League referees are a little more dedicated than Bundesliga referees in terms of stoppage time.

The football was placed back in the center circle.

The game continued.

Even if it exceeded the stoppage time, Southampton would be given the opportunity for the last attack before the game was declared over.

Beep! Beep, beep!

The whole game ended.

Southampton 0:2 Chelsea.

Tuchel subconsciously patted his chest and hugged the main defenders on the bench one by one.

In the Champions League Round of 16.

Chelsea will be able to challenge Paris Saint-Germain's "reckless spending" with a fully fit defense.

(End of this chapter)