Chapter 475: Chapter 475

While Richard was discussing Ronaldinho’s current discomfort in his groin area, the Brazilian could only watch the match with envy, thinking about when he could play again.

He then saw Zidane advancing down the left flank. Five meters ahead, Goldbæk readied himself to intercept him. Zidane glanced toward the center.

Shifting from defense to attack, Larsson made a forward run, deliberately drifting closer to Zidane to act as a quick outlet. Zidane took two careful steps with the ball, his head lifting just enough to scan the field.

Goldbæk, sensing a potential pass to Larsson, leaned forward, ready to intercept. But Zidane was playing a different game — his body language suggested a pass, his shoulders hinted one way, his eyes another.

One subtle shoulder feint!

Goldbæk lunged, expecting the ball to be played centrally toward Larsson. That was exactly what he thought Zidane was going to do — Zidane had angled his body toward Larsson, and his right foot was positioned as if to pass. But just as Goldbæk raised his foot to intercept, Zidane suddenly stopped mid-motion. With a delicate touch using the outside of his right foot, he shifted the ball away and accelerated past him.

In an instant, Zidane had turned a tight pressing trap into open space, leaving Goldbæk grasping at air, and the attacking line suddenly with options to exploit.

Frustrated, Goldbæk realized he had been completely tricked. As Zidane slipped past, he shoved his weight into his lower body, lunging for a tackle. He clipped Zidane’s ankle, but the Frenchman’s speed easily carried him forward. Desperate, Goldbæk reached for Zidane’s shirt, only for Zidane to twist sharply, using his elbow to fend him off. After stumbling a few times, Zidane regained his balance, surged ahead, and left Goldbæk in his dust.

All City players were already prepared to raise their hands, expecting the referee to stop play when Zidane fell — but unexpectedly, he was still on his feet.

Richard’s resistance training had clearly paid off!

Of course, for players like Zidane, Ronaldinho, or Henry, you can expect them to cover much more ground and face numerous 1v1 duels. Game-changing moments are generally created by the ability to generate space from your opponent — whether during a corner, a counterattack, or a 1v1 situation.

Zidane can create those opportunities by being explosive and powerful. That ability comes from a proper training routine tailored to his goals.

For example, if Zidane’s goal is to improve his dribbling in the final third, focusing on body awareness, spatial awareness, correcting imbalances, and building strength is reasonable. He doesn’t need to be just a physical specimen — Zidane is already blessed with excellent technique and football IQ.

The key is complementing those skills with physical ability. Once those parameters are met, he can use explosive power training and plyometrics to transfer the strength developed in the gym directly onto the field.

Sure enough, Zidane was still able to dribble past Goldbæk with ease. The referee hesitated but ultimately allowed play to continue.

Zidane pressed on and was now faced with Babayaro.

Babayaro scanned toward the middle, recalling how Goldbæk had been tricked before. He lowered his stance, determined not to be fooled this time.

But Zidane faked a shoulder movement, making it appear as though he intended to drive forward. As Babayaro prepared to tackle, Zidane instead played a perfectly executed lofted pass.

Zanetti, who had been sprinting along the touchline to make an overlapping run, found the pass slightly overhit. He pushed harder to retrieve it. Initially, he had intended to cut inside, but the angle no longer allowed it.

After the pass, Zidane did not remain idle; he made a forward run into the box. He realized his mistake, thinking Zanetti wouldn’t reach the ball, but at the last moment, Zanetti managed to cross it just before Lebœuf could intercept.

Zanetti had fallen hard, yet his eyes stayed locked on the ball as it hovered in the air after the cross.

He delivered a horizontal ball that Lebœuf aimed to intercept, but Desailly marked van Trezeguet tightly. Realizing he needed to retreat to create space for his shot, Trezeguet found Desailly glued to him like a shadow.

The cross was punched away by De Goey, his powerful fist sending the ball high into the air. It arced toward midfield, where both teams converged. Players sprinted into position, eyes locked on the descending ball.

Lampard and Di Matteo both leapt for the header, challenging each other in the air. Lampard managed to get the slightest touch, directing the ball back toward Chelsea’s penalty area. It wasn’t a perfect pass — the trajectory was awkward and the ball bounced unpredictably — but it landed in a dangerous zone near the edge of the box.

Zidane was lucky this time.

After chasing toward Chelsea alone, he noticed Zanetti’s cross and how De Goey had punched the ball away. He had expected the ball to travel further, with defenders and midfielders sprinting to snatch it while he recovered from his run. But, to his surprise, the ball bounced back near him, almost as if fate had delivered it straight to his feet.

Seizing the opportunity, Zidane arrived even quicker from behind, controlling the ball and charging straight through Chelsea’s defense once again.

Vialli, from the sidelines, had shouted "Fall back! Fall back!" who knows how many times already, his voice carrying over the roar of the fans. Despite the high tempo of the game, he remained relentless, gesturing furiously to his players, urging them to regroup and tighten their defensive line.

Thankfully, Desailly, seeing Lebœuf and Babayaro pushed too far forward, decided to stay back. But Zidane managed to release his pass before Desailly could get in the way.

Ferrer, having moved too far toward the center in the scramble for the ball, didn’t realize that Lampard had already slipped behind him, unmarked.

The ball rolled toward Lampard, just outside the small box on the right side. Ferrer could have intercepted it, but he had been drawn forward by the play and mistimed his challenge. Lampard seized the opportunity, controlling the ball and calmly stepping into the penalty area.

The positioning was perfect: Lampard had just enough space to look up and decide whether to shoot, pass, or cross while Ferrer were caught flat-footed.

In the end, Lampard chose to pass.

The ball rolled smoothly into the central zone in front of the goal, and the crowd’s collective breath hitched, eyes tracking its movement toward the back post.

Unexpectedly, it was Zidane who reached it first, with Goldbæk racing in from close behind. Zidane had the edge, cutting powerfully inside to shield the ball.

As the ball arrived, Goldbæk collided with him, sending Zidane tumbling slightly — yet even on the ground, he executed a precise shot with the underside of his foot.

De Goey, sprinting across the goal from the far side, was already too late. Zidane’s strike hit the net.

"Frank Lampard has assisted Manchester City in taking the lead! After prolonged spells of Chelsea pressure, City struck with a swift counterattack, orchestrated by Zidane! Finding himself on the left side of the small box, Zidane toe-poked the ball into the net thanks to a clever assist from the young Lampard. Despite losing key attackers in recent seasons, City still boasts capable players. O’Neill’s dismissive remarks about Chelsea now seem premature!"

Zidane dashed toward the sidelines, celebrating with a samba-like leap, gracefully waving his right hand from the bottom up toward the sky.

Except for the Chelsea fans, the stadium erupted in applause. Even members of the Monaco royal family in the VIP box joined in the cheer, witnessing a moment of pure football artistry.

Zidane’s individual technique was simply captivating. In less than fifteen seconds, he dribbled past Goldbæk, delivered a beautiful lofted pass, and finished with a swift, precise strike — a sequence that showcased his offensive versatility, infused with the flair of a true magician. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel•fire.net

Richard, who was already beside Ronaldinho, rose from his seat, applauding Zidane’s goal as if it were his own. Watching his celebration, he thought to himself: ’You cannot fake your talent and hard work!’

On the sidelines, O’Neill and the other City staffs erupted in jubilation, while Mourinho looked on in disbelief. Once the initial celebration subsided, he immediately turned to Mylvaganam and asked, "I thought you said his physical status wasn’t fully fit? In training, he performed poorly, right?"

Mylvaganam shook his head. "It’s not that he performed poorly in training; the circumstances were different. Before the Coventry City match, I advised against playing him because Coventry’s defense was extremely tight, leaving no space for him to maneuver. It would have strained him physically. The connections between teammates were also limited, so the environment didn’t suit him after the quarantine."

"Is that so?" Mourinho nodded, accepting the explanation.

Meanwhile, in the VIP box, Richard took the opportunity to share his knowledge with Ronaldinho.

"Without a high level of synergy and positional awareness for passing and movement, your ability to execute a decisive pass or create a shooting opportunity is limited. Look at Chelsea today as an example. When they face a team with an open tactical style, their attacking threat becomes significant. With Di Matteo orchestrating the play, Poyet surging forward, and Flo and Casiraghi acting as focal points, they can create moments of danger — but only if they have space.

"If it were Zola instead, his exceptional individual skills would allow Chelsea to execute quick passing combinations or stretch the field with crosses to supply Flo or Casiraghi. Still, all of this depends on having the right space to operate and time to make the decision. Without it, even the best players struggle to make an impact."

Ronaldinho nodded contemplatively, realizing the truth in Richard’s words. He had reviewed past Chelsea matches and recognized their attacking threats, yet against City’s defensive counter, they were a stark contrast to those expectations.

While not as dominant as during the Abramovic era, for Richard, Bates’s Chelsea had taken down many giants in recent seasons, earning the title of "giant slayers" by capitalizing on their opponents’ overcommitment to attacking.

Vialli stood on the sidelines, feeling helpless as his team conceded.

Chelsea showed a determined spirit today. City’s pre-match taunts had fired them up — that was their psychological tactic, designed to provoke Chelsea into an overly aggressive attacking mindset.

Vialli had specifically reminded his players in the locker room not to fall for it.

Today, Chelsea displayed a balanced approach between attack and defense. They hesitated to send too many players forward, as their full-backs were reluctant to push up, fearing City’s quick wide midfielders would exploit the space. However, during counterattacks, City’s players excelled individually, with Zidane driving through available spaces and leaving Chelsea’s wing defense exposed. With shaky wing stability, the middle of the pitch opened up, and the speed of the counter allowed hidden attacking points to advance.

This was Vialli’s biggest headache: their defensive issues were exposed, but cohesion took time — simple adjustments wouldn’t yield immediate results, especially for the new signings, Albert Ferrer and Pierluigi Casiraghi.

Once Manchester City scored, it only made things easier for them.

O’Neill waved his hand toward the backline, and the players understood his message: continue to play it safe; don’t get overly confident.

In today’s Super Cup, he felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that Chelsea, a formidable opponent, was there to test the team. While he acknowledged that breaking down a compact defense with a counterattacking style in the league could be challenging, his focus remained on preparing for European competitions. Unlike many league opponents who are content with a draw, in the Champions League, no team gives up easily on qualification. Even a team like Graz, from a lower-tier league, wouldn’t just sit back and aim for a draw at home.

When the first half ended, Chelsea had not equalized. As the second half commenced, City remained steadfast in their defensive counterattacks.

Once Zidane attracted focused attention on the right flank, O’Neill instructed him to switch positions with Makélélé to cover Brian Laudrup’s movement, who had entered in the second half to replace Bjarne Goldbæk, who was under pressure.

That adjustment came because, after changing sides, O’Neill observed Chelsea intensifying their marking on the right, as they could not break through Lampard and Ashley Cole on the left.

Using nearly the same tactics, Zidane once again drifted toward the center and breezed past Wise.

Unlike his earlier move, when he passed while being challenged by Goldbæk, this time Zidane advanced directly at Wise before shifting slightly to the right. Makélélé moved into the center, pulling Babayaro and Lebœuf wider and keeping them wary, which created space for Zidane to cut back and deliver a precise cross.

Trezeguet made a darting run toward the near post, but De Goey managed to get a hand on the ball, stopping it temporarily. However, he failed to secure it, and Trezeguet reacted quickly, seizing the second chance to smash in the rebound.

"This is textbook counterattacking football at its finest! Ruthless efficiency in front of goal for Manchester City. They have truly stamped their authority here at Louis II Stadium. Makélélé’s clever positioning created just enough space for that perfect cutback, and Trezeguet’s persistence paid off. He didn’t panic after De Goey’s initial save and smashed home the rebound with composure."

With a 2-0 lead, the task for Chelsea had become monumental — scaling Manchester City’s defense now felt like trying to climb an impenetrable wall.

Manchester City triumphed 2-0 over Chelsea at Louis II Stadium, claiming their first-ever European Super Cup title!

Their combination of sharp counterattacks, intelligent positioning, and clinical finishing proved unstoppable, leaving Chelsea unable to respond and sealing a historic victory for the Citizens.