Football: Starting from being abandoned by Barcelona

"Li Lei took the lead in actively pressing with his teammates, making it difficult for Birmingham's defense to find the best option to pass the ball back."

"We saw Birmingham's passes were rushed and there were a few turnovers."

"This is exactly the aggressive tactic that Leicester City's head coach requires. They must limit Birmingham's possession of the ball through high-intensity pressing."

"So far, this tactic has achieved certain results"

""Huh! Huh!"

Li Lei gasped for breath. The high-intensity pressure from him and Vardy made the intense running cause shortness of breath.

But the effect of this tactic was immediate. Li Lei saw that the situation on the field was very favorable to him.

Under the urgent interception of him and Vardy, Birmingham's defenders were completely restricted and unable to organize the pass and control stably.

They could only keep kicking the ball to the front court and could not move at their own pace.

Seeing that Birmingham's defense was passive, Li Lei showed a smile at the corner of his mouth.

As the head coach required, seizing the initiative through high-position pressure is the key to opening the situation.

Li Lei wiped his sweat and ran back to his position.

Taylor Blackett made a long pass and the ball flew to the front court.

After passing the ball, he glared at Li fiercely. Li Lei took a look and it was obvious that the opponent's high-pressure steal made him quite angry.

Li Lei did not care about Blackett's eyes, he knew that this was exactly the tactical effect required by the head coach.

By constantly pressing the opponent's defenders and limiting their fight for possession of the ball.

Blackett also knew that his long pass error was inevitable this time, because the close pressure of Li Lei and Vardy made it impossible for him to organize an attack.

This passive rhythm was not what he expected, which made him feel out of control.

Sure enough, when the ball was kicked weakly to the frontcourt by the Birmingham defender, the situation was reversed.

In Leicester City's half, Birmingham's forwards had lost their numerical advantage.

Leicester City's defenders successfully protected the ball to their feet through active interceptions and clearances.

"Hey! Here!"Li Lei ran actively and waved to his teammate Niamh Slattery.

Slattery caught the pass from his teammate steadily and immediately understood Li Lei's intention. He looked up to observe the situation on the field and look for opportunities.

Just as the Birmingham striker approached and tried to grab the ball, Slattery kicked the ball to Li Lei! It was a precise long pass, with perfect timing and angle.

Li Lei keenly judged the trajectory of the ball, and his running was perfectly matched with the speed of the ball.

Before the ball was about to land, Li Lei stopped the ball with one foot and successfully controlled the ball under his feet!

"A very beautiful long pass, Slattery found Li Lei accurately, and the two sides showed tacit cooperation"

"Oops, Li Lei stopped the ball a little far this time, but with his explosive power he quickly made up for it and now he dribbled the ball into Birmingham's half!"

"Standing in front of him is Birmingham defender Tyler Blackett, who is known for his fierce tackling steps. This will be a fierce confrontation."

"Li Lei tried to dodge and break through, but Blackett stretched out his legs to intercept! Li Lei was startled by the sudden interference, and the ball slipped out of the baseline, and the attack ended."

Li Lei's face turned red with anger, and he glared at Taylor Blackett's receding back.

The dangerous sliding tackle just now was a deliberate and malicious foul! If he had reacted a step slower, his legs might have been seriously injured.

The Birmingham defender showed no remorse and even walked away with a clear mind, which made Li Lei very angry.

He calmed down and wiped away the unhappiness in his heart. The game was still long, and he would definitely find a chance to return the favor.

Li Lei took a deep breath and ran back to his position. The contest had just begun.

Soon midfielder Wilfred Niemeyer took the ball and prepared to take a free kick. Li Lei got the ball again, but the situation was already unfavorable at this time.

The entire Birmingham team retreated to surround the penalty area and formed a tight defensive posture.

Li Lei saw the situation clearly and knew that direct attack was no longer advisable and there was no chance of attack.

At this time, he decisively chose to pass back and reorganize the attack with his teammates.

He also understood that in the face of such a solid defense, he must open a gap through coordinated passes.

After his teammates received the return pass, they began to pass. Frequent passing stretched Birmingham's formation.

After several rounds of attack, Leicester City still couldn't break through Birmingham's tight defense.

Obviously, Birmingham learned from Middlesbrough's previous successful experience and closely guarded and defended Li Lei.

The two Birmingham defenders targeted Li Lei and made it difficult for him to receive the ball easily.

Even if Li Lei successfully dribbled the ball, it would be difficult for him to enter the penalty area.

Whenever Li Lei broke through with the ball, Birmingham players would come forward to block him, and they used many gray area fouls.

We can see from the scene that Li Lei was frequently pulled from behind by the opposing players, and sometimes encountered a pinch-type collision from both sides.

Although these actions were hidden, they did affect Li Lei's dribbling.

This targeted blockade foul was obviously intentional by Birmingham players, intended to disrupt Li Lei's rhythm.

Moreover, the referee obviously favored the home team and never severely punished these fouls.

Leicester City fans saw it and protested in anger.

"Referee, are you blind? Open your eyes and see, this is a foul! This is a crime!"

"Birmingham players are too shameless, they are trying to hurt our Li Lei!"

"Give my players fair treatment. This is a football field, not Gillette Field.!"

"Shhh~~Birmingham players, your foul will be punished!"