Chapter 313: The Second Title Challenger—Juventus
After demolishing Barcelona, Chelsea not only secured their place in the Champions League quarterfinals but also ignited a fan war that reignited long-standing tensions.
While there had never been any true animosity between the two clubs on a historical level, the fanbases told a different story.
The outcome of this Champions League tie had reopened old wounds—and sparked new ones.
Chelsea fans finally felt vindicated. The pain and rage they'd carried since the infamous Stamford Bridge robbery years ago… were finally laid to rest.
This time, Chelsea didn't just win. They obliterated Barça.
A 7–0 aggregate humiliation.
For Chelsea supporters, there was no sweeter revenge. Especially since it was Drogba who netted the final goal—a poetic ending for the man who suffered so much from that painful night.
But while Chelsea fans could finally move on, Barça fans were left sleepless, bitter, and resentful.
Their humiliation didn't just sting—it burned.
Now, the only thing that could soothe their pride would be delivering a similarly brutal victory… someday.
In the meantime, Real Madrid might no longer be public enemy number one in Catalonia.
Chelsea had climbed to the top of that list.
Fuelled by media spin, social media debate, and fan memes, the discussions surrounding the Chelsea-Barça tie reached a fever pitch.
And while many laughed at Barça's collapse, the bigger question lingered for neutral observers:
How did Chelsea manage to utterly annihilate the top team in La Liga?
The quality gap between the sides was real—no one could deny that anymore. The scoreline had said it all.
But still, even now, most neutrals struggled to believe that Chelsea had really swept Barça 7–0 over two legs.
Tactically, there was so much to unpack.
And with the memory of that dismantling fresh, no elite club would dare approach Chelsea with an open attacking strategy again.
Even Bayern fans—dreaming of repeating Real Madrid's three-peat Champions League run—were on high alert now.
After this, Madrid and Atlético also quietly began viewing Chelsea as the team to beat in this year's tournament.
Ahead of the Champions League quarterfinal draw, every remaining contender had the same prayer:
Please, don't draw Chelsea in the next round.
Ironically, Chelsea players were praying for the opposite.
They wanted the toughest opponents.
They wanted to crush the champions of every major league.
It all began with Leon.
Before the Round of 16 draw, when a Sky Sports reporter asked who he wanted to face, Leon had answered bluntly:
"I want to beat every league champion on the way to winning the Champions League."
If they pulled that off, Chelsea would make history—eliminating the title holders of all four top leagues.
It would be the most dominant run to a Champions League trophy ever recorded.
And now that they had already shredded La Liga's best, the whole squad felt the same confidence.
Leon had never hidden his ambition—and this time, his goal wasn't just bold. It was cool.
To win the ultimate trophy by defeating the strongest possible opponents?
That's what every footballer dreams of.
Why hope for an easy bracket when you could make history instead?
There were only five matches left to play.
One win at a time.
Each step forward was one step closer to greatness.
Chelsea had one of the most experienced Champions League coaches in Mourinho, and a roster full of players who had been there, done that.
They didn't lack strength, experience, or composure.
Now they had momentum.
They were ready to charge all the way.
That said, Chelsea's players didn't go around broadcasting to the world that they were going to steamroll the competition.
There's a big difference between boosting team morale and painting a target on your own back.
With English media already hyping Chelsea into the stratosphere—and stirring plenty of resentment among rival fans—Mourinho had stepped in.
He didn't mind being the lightning rod for media attention. But he didn't want his players caught in that storm.
It was his way of protecting them.
Leon followed that rule too.
After his five-goal involvement against Barça across both legs, he had the hottest spotlight in world football.
His agent was fielding nonstop interview requests from major media outlets around the globe.
Leon turned them all down.
At this stage of the season, his only focus was matches. That had been his approach for years.
Mourinho loved that about him. And now, Leon was quietly setting the example for younger teammates to follow.
On March 15th, Chelsea—riding high—hosted Southampton at Stamford Bridge for Matchday 29 in the Premier League.
The Saints were currently sixth in the league, still holding onto hopes of qualifying for Europe.
Considering they had lost Pochettino and a wave of talented young players, Southampton's record this season was nothing short of impressive.
Many fans and pundits who had written them off at the start of the campaign were now eating their words.
But Leon wasn't surprised.
In his eyes, post-Pochettino Southampton performing well was perfectly normal.
Their manager? Ronald Koeman—a Barcelona legend and now a respected Dutch tactician.
And their squad?
Tadić.
Mané.
Schneiderlin.
Wanyama.
José Fonte.
Alderweireld.
Clyne.
Ward-Prowse.
These weren't just good players. Some would become stars.
Southampton had both the tactical blueprint and the personnel.
If their ownership had deeper pockets, and they could retain this squad a bit longer, they might become regular Champions League contenders within a few seasons.
Compared to the flash-in-the-pan success of West Ham earlier this season, Southampton looked far more stable—genuine top-six material.
Southampton's operating model, unfortunately, was unlikely to change. Their cycle of developing young talent and selling to Premier League giants had served them well for survival—and profit.
Leon understood that once today's match was over, this version of Southampton would likely be no more by next season.
Facing a still-somewhat-raw Sadio Mané on the same pitch was a fresh and curious experience for him.
Having missed the first-leg fixture earlier in the season, Mané had been staring intently at Leon in the pre-match tunnel, eyes full of both curiosity and anticipation.
Back when Mané was still training at FC Metz's youth academy, he'd befriended Chinese player Wang Chu.
That was around the time Leon had exploded onto the scene with Real Madrid in La Liga.
Mané and Wang Chu were still playing in Metz's B team back then, with the top-level professional stage still a distant dream.
Wang Chu, the same age as Leon, had admired him tremendously. Through Wang, Mané had watched many of Leon's classic early matches at Madrid.
Maybe "idol" was too strong a word, but Mané certainly held a deep respect for Leon.
After all, how many young players in modern football could claim multiple major trophies each year, back-to-back Champions League wins, and a market value in the hundreds of millions?
Now standing across from him on the same Premier League pitch, Mané was fired up to leave a lasting impression.
But when the match began, Mané was disappointed—he didn't get the direct matchup he was hoping for.
Playing as a right winger, he was matched against Chelsea's left-back Bertrand, with Mascherano assisting defensively.
Barring any special adjustments, Leon rarely switched with Mascherano to defend on the left side of midfield.
So Mané's pre-game wish went unfulfilled.
And after getting a taste of Mascherano and Bertrand's teamwork, he was "educated" early.
Finally, in the 14th minute, Mané succeeded in swapping wings with Tadić and found himself one-on-one with Leon.
A moment he had imagined for years—now reality.
But Leon snuffed it out in five seconds flat.
With a clean challenge, he took the ball off Mané's foot before he could even react.
The ensuing counterattack didn't result in a goal, but Mané was visibly shaken.
"Don't dwell on it, Sadio. You're doing great. It's just… your opponent is something else. Leon defends like a ghost. You never know when he'll strike, and when he does, the ball's already gone…"
Ward-Prowse, younger than Mané but acting like the wise veteran, offered consolation.
As he spoke, he let out a sigh—clearly recalling his own brutal lessons from being marked by Leon in previous seasons.
Ward-Prowse had grown a lot. His performances were clearly better than the year before.
But facing Leon again, he realized he still wasn't close.
For any talented player, there was no greater blow than realizing the opponent was simply more gifted.
After a few duels with Leon, Ward-Prowse's confidence took a hit again.
And just like that, Southampton—once seen as a shining beacon of talent in the Premier League—looked no different from any other mid-table side.
They struggled against Chelsea like everyone else.
Raw. Overwhelmed.
They had one stroke of luck, though: Chelsea's finishing wasn't on point today.
Eleven shots in the first half, only two on target.
Ibrahimović was moving well, but he lacked his usual killer instinct in front of goal.
At halftime, Mourinho didn't change tactics.
He just told his players to be more patient and deliberate in their attacking buildup.
Despite his struggles, Ibra wasn't subbed off. Mourinho chose to trust him, giving him time to find his rhythm.
In the second half, Leon moved up to play as the central attacking midfielder.
He often drove the ball forward and combined with Hazard and Ibra in short, sharp one-twos.
If the shooting wasn't sharp, then touch the ball more—feel it, control it, find the flow.
Leon believed Ibra would sort himself out. And if not, well, Leon would step up after the 70th minute and finish the job himself.
In the end, that wasn't necessary.
Ibra didn't score, but in the 57th minute, he dropped deep to receive and perfectly threaded a ball through for Leon's run.
Leon didn't waste it—slipping the ball into the far corner with a low drive.
It was the only goal of the match.
Chelsea beat Southampton 1–0 at Stamford Bridge and collected another three points.
After the match, Mané finally got what he had longed for—Leon's match-worn shirt.
He was shy about it, though. Ward-Prowse had to take the initiative and drag him over to Leon for the exchange.
Leon gave Mané an encouraging hug and wished him success in the Premier League, just like in the future he remembered.
After Southampton, Chelsea were given a rare full week to rest.
And during that time, the highly anticipated Champions League quarterfinal draw took place in Nyon, Switzerland.
All three English clubs that had reached the final eight avoided each other.
Bayern and Dortmund drew each other—an all-Bundesliga showdown.
City drew Real Madrid. Arsenal got Atlético.
And Chelsea?
Chelsea drew the current Serie A leaders—Juventus.
Just as Leon had hoped.
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