Champions League Final

"Welcome to the 1995 Champions League final, AC Milan vs. Ajax." Rijkaard's voice rang in Wu Bin's ears.

He walked to the Ajax bench as he spoke.

"Of course, with your current ability, it's impossible for you to directly play in a real Champions League final."

"The abilities of these players have been proportionally reduced, but their tactical thinking and technical level are still very high."

"You'll now play in my position, as the starting defensive midfielder."

"Your task is to control the midfield, connect the attack and defense, use the coverage and positioning I've taught you to hold the team's defense, and help Ajax win this final!"

Wu Bin looked down and saw that he had already changed into Ajax's white and red jersey, with the team logo printed on the front and presumably the number 4 jersey and Rijkaard's name on the back.

Beside him stood Ajax legends such as Seedorf, Davies, Litmanen, and Overmars, their eyes sharp.

On the opposite side, AC Milan's superstars, including Baresi, Maldini, Albertini, and Boban, lined up in a row, exuding a powerful aura.

Wu Bin nodded slightly.

Of course he knew about this match.

This is Rijkaard's third appearance in the Champions League final.

In the previous two appearances, he represented today's opponents – AC Milan.

These were against Steaua Bucharest in the 1988-1989 season and against Benfica in the 1989-1990 season.

In the match against Benfica, it was Rijkaard who scored the winning goal!

Well, actually, he was the one who assisted the winning goal in today's match...

He participated in the Champions League final three times as a player and once as a head coach, winning the title each time, making him a legendary figure in Champions League history.

Let's take a look at the lineup on the field.

Ajax's head coach is the renowned Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, and they are fielding a 3-4-3 formation.

Goalkeeper: Van der Sar.

Defenders: Reiziger, Blind, Frank de Boer.

Midfielders: Seedorf, Davies, Rijkaard, Ronald de Boer.

Forwards: Litmanen, Finidi George, Overmars.

AC Milan is coached by Capello, using a 4-4-2 formation.

Goalkeeper: Rossi.

Defenders: Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta, Panucci.

Midfielders: Donadoni, Albertini, Desailly, Boban.

Forwards: Simeone, Massaro.

Back then, this could be described as a clash between a mature dynasty and a youthful storm!

Standing among these star players, it would be a lie to say Wu Bin isn't nervous.

But he really had to pull himself together.

He knew very well that this was Rijkaard's ultimate test of his training results!

"Remember, you are the midfield maestro of Ajax, the shield in front of the defense. Don't be bound by a fixed position. Use anticipation and positioning to cover the entire midfield," Rijkaard's voice rang out again.

"Ready? The match begins now."

The whistle blew, and the competition officially began.

AC Milan launched the first attack. Donadoni received the ball on the left wing, displayed skillful footwork, and quickly broke through Ajax's wing defense. He then passed the ball across to Albertini in the middle.

Wu Bin kept Rijkaard's instructions in mind and subconsciously moved towards the center to intercept the pass, but he seemed a little too hasty and started moving a bit too early.

Albertini easily dribbled past him with a light touch, then played a through ball to Massaro who was making a forward run.

"Oh no!" Wu Bin's heart tightened, and he quickly turned around to chase back, but Massaro was extremely fast and had already broken free of the defense, facing Van der Sar's goal.

Fortunately, Blind stepped up in time and fought hard to clear the ball out of bounds, thus averting the danger.

The cheers of AC Milan fans erupted from the stands. Wu Bin stood there, his cheeks burning and his body covered in cold sweat.

He clearly remembered the key points of positioning, but when faced with the attack of a top star, he still made the mistake of being impatient. His prediction was wrong and he started too early. Not only did he fail to intercept, but he also put his teammates in a passive position to cover.

"Don't panic!" Rijkaard's voice came just in time, his tone still gentle, without the slightest reproach.

His voice seemed to have a penetrating quality; even amidst the constant shouts from the stadium, he could still convey information clearly.

"You're too hasty. Albertini's passing habit is to make a lateral pass followed immediately by a through ball. You should have covered the central pivot point in advance instead of blindly rushing forward to intercept. Remember, positioning isn't about chasing the ball; it's about anticipating the ball's trajectory and getting into key positions in advance."

Wu Bin took a deep breath, nodded, forced himself to calm down, and refocused on the game.

He kept his eyes glued to the ball on the field, trying to observe the AC Milan players' movements and passing intentions, attempting to regain the feel he had during training.

But the level of this match was still too high.

The game was fast-paced and the offense and defense were constantly changing. Every time Wu Bin controlled the ball, he felt like he was about to lose control. Every time he looked up, an opposing player would inevitably appear in front of him, leaving him no time to observe.

Just ten minutes later, he made another mistake—AC Milan launched a wide pass, Boban received the ball on the right wing and was about to break through, Wu Bin subconsciously rushed to the right wing to defend, but ignored the gap in the middle.

Albertini seized the opportunity to run forward, received Boban's back pass, and unleashed a long-range shot that grazed the post and went wide, giving Van der Sar a scare.

"Stop!" Rijkaard signaled to pause the game, walked over to Wu Bin, pointed to the middle area of ​​the field, and patiently corrected him.

"You made the same mistake again, getting distracted by the opponent's breakthrough on the flanks and abandoning the defense of the central pivot. You are a defensive midfielder, and the central area is your core defensive zone. Your teammates are defending the flanks. What you need to do is hold the central area and cover the flanks, instead of blindly chasing after the flanks. Doing so will only leave gaps for the opponent."

"I understand, sir." Wu Bin nodded, but he was indeed a little frustrated.

He clearly understood Rijkaard's explanation, but in actual combat, facing the agile movement and accurate passing of top stars, he still panicked, forgot the core of positioning, made mistakes time and time again, and put the team in danger time and time again.

"It's alright, real combat is for discovering and correcting problems," Rijkaard said firmly, patting him on the shoulder.

"Try again, and remember three things: First, observe calmly and understand the opponent's passing intentions; second, defend the central pivot and don't blindly chase the ball; third, anticipate in advance, get there in one step, and cover the gaps with efficient running. Believe in yourself, you can do it."

The game restarted, and Wu Bin took a deep breath.

He calmed down and began to carefully observe every detail on the field, anticipating the passing and running routes of AC Milan players.

This time, AC Milan launched another attack. Donadoni received the ball on the left wing and glanced slightly towards the center. Wu Bin immediately anticipated that he was going to pass the ball to Albertini and moved towards the center in advance, standing firmly in the passing lane.

Before Donadoni could pass the ball, he decisively intercepted it and then made a short pass to Davis beside him.

"Excellent! That's it!" Rijkaard's voice was full of approval. "Accurate anticipation, perfect positioning—that's the performance a top-class defensive midfielder should deliver!"

Encouraged, Wu Bin gained confidence and became more composed in his defense.

He was no longer bound by a fixed area, but instead focused on the center, constantly adjusting his position while running, anticipating the opponent's passing routes, choosing his position in advance, and covering the flanks, thus firmly covering the entire defensive area of ​​the midfield.

AC Milan's attacks were repeatedly thwarted by him: Albertini's through ball was intercepted in advance, Boban's breakthrough on the wing was blocked by him in time, and Massaro's forward runs were firmly marked by him. AC Milan's attack, which once seemed unsolvable, gradually became difficult to advance under his defense.

However, mistakes are still inevitable.

In the 38th minute, AC Milan launched a quick counter-attack. Desailly received the ball in midfield and made a long pass to the left wing. Donadoni received the ball and quickly cut inside. Wu Bin made a timely cover to block his shooting line, but he overlooked Simeone who was making a run behind him.

Donadoni made a gentle cross, and Simeone received the ball and shot. The ball headed straight for the top corner of the goal, and Van der Sar made a desperate save, barely managing to tip it over the crossbar.

"Watch out for the players making runs behind you!" Rijkaard's voice rang out again. "Covering isn't just about covering the ball's path, but also the opponent's running path. Observe the positions of all players on the field, not just focus on the ball. You were only paying attention to Donadoni and ignoring Simeone's runs, which is a defensive lapse."

Wu Bin gritted his teeth and nodded.

Why is football considered a competitive sport?

When facing a strong opponent, the technical moves you can usually perform will suddenly become impossible.

Your defense, which you could have done well, will become full of holes due to the opponent's skillful movement and teamwork.

If you let the Chinese national football team play in the Scottish Premiership or rural leagues, they'd all be football legends, but on the international stage, they'd get thrashed and beaten black and blue...

It was only at this moment that Wu Bin truly understood why Rijkaard had him play in this simulated match.

The goal is to let him experience real professional football, and the kind with the highest level of skills and tactics!

This is the Champions League final!