Chelsea has always been a nemesis for tiki-taka.

For an entire year, the midfield trio of Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Fabian Ruiz (PSG) dominated, defeating even the most powerful midfields in football, until they came face-to-face with Chelsea.

Joao Neves (right) completely lost his identity against Chelsea - Photo: REUTERS

It has remained the same for generations.

The aforementioned trio will remind fans of Barcelona at its peak – under coach Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique himself. That trio consists of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets.

The formula is almost identical, with two short guys - Vitinha, 1.72m tall, and Neves, 1.74m tall - and a tall guy named Ruiz to compensate for the lack of aerial strength.

All three are extremely technically gifted, representing the Latin American style of football. The old Barcelona trio were all Spanish, having come through La Masia, while the current PSG trio consists of two Portuguese and one Spanish player.

Leading them is coach Luis Enrique - a prime example of the ball-possession style of play, still known worldwide as tiki-taka.

The Spanish national team, Barcelona FC, and their two coaches, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, are names that immediately conjure up images of the style of football fans play: control, relentless control.

Coincidentally, those possession-loving fans have always shared a common obsession: Chelsea. Over the years, through countless managers, Chelsea – built on the foundation of billionaire Roman Abramovich and manager Jose Mourinho – has consistently been the epitome of effective counter-attacking football.

Fans will surely still remember Chelsea's extraordinary journey to winning the Champions League in 2012.

On that journey, Chelsea achieved a victory that delighted the entire football world: defeating Barca in the semi-finals. Even a Chelsea team at its weakest could still make Messi and his teammates – led by Pep Guardiola – suffer a convincing defeat.

Then in 2021, Chelsea once again haunted Pep Guardiola, defeating Man City in the Champions League final.

Chelsea's two historic Champions League titles are linked to their victories against tiki-taka. And in the first ever FIFA Club World Cup expansion, Chelsea once again demonstrated their knack for facing tiki-taka.

Mourinho's foundation

Before their clash with Chelsea, the trio of Vitinha, Neves, and Ruiz had the football world in awe. They dominated Liverpool – who also possessed a formidable trio of Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch – demonstrating superior effectiveness compared to Arsenal and Bayern Munich, completely stifling Inter Milan, and crushing Real Madrid...

PSG are strong in every position. But the bigger the match, the more one has to admire the quality of the three midfielders Luis Enrique has at his disposal. They are the key to victory in PSG's successful year.

But against Chelsea, none of them showed their class. Vitinha was the only one to reach a 7 (according to Sofascore), while Ruiz received a 6.7, and Neves was even sent off at the end of the match after losing his composure.

Maresca convincingly defeated Enrique - Photo: REUTERS

It also cannot be said that Chelsea's midfield beat PSG, because neither Caicedo nor Enzo Fernandez reached a score of 7 in this match.

Chelsea defeated PSG, winning overwhelmingly and convincingly, thanks to manager Enzo Maresca's perfectly chosen playing style. The result stemmed from a sound tactical system and moments of individual brilliance.

It must be acknowledged that Chelsea's ability to neutralize tiki-taka has become second nature to them. And through this, the football world must admit that this is a unique and unwavering tradition of the Stamford Bridge team.

Over the past 20 years, Chelsea has changed managers nearly 20 times. But in every period, they have adhered to the defensive counter-attacking football philosophy initiated by Mourinho from 2004-2007.

Chelsea may have been in crisis, may have declined, and may have played without any clear strategy at many points in the last two decades. But whenever they faced tiki-taka, they immediately regained their identity.

The world of football is always full of interesting tactical and tactical elements. The rivalry between Chelsea and the tiki-taka style of play is one such example.

In the early hours of July 14th, Chelsea caused a huge shock by defeating PSG 3-0 to win the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Before the match, few could believe that coach Enzo Maresca and his players could achieve the impossible.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chelsea-luon-la-khac-tinh-cua-tiki-taka-20250714111328978.htm