The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 298: Nedvěd: The Iron Warrior

The focus battle of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in the 1997-98 season is about to begin, with Millwall facing off against the Serie A giants Juventus at Wembley! Both teams have performed well in their respective leagues. Millwall is currently third in the Premier League and still has a chance to defend their title, while Juventus is neck-and-neck with Inter Milan in Serie A, also pushing toward a potential championship.

Although this is Millwall's first appearance in the Champions League in club history, they have shown incredible form, winning all six of their group stage matches, setting a record for English clubs in the competition. Their aggressive attack, combined with solid defense, is impressive. It's safe to say that last year's victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup was crucial for their development. This young team, led by the talented coach Aldrich-Hall, has shed its naivety and is fully capable of challenging Juventus! Juventus, as last season's Champions League winners, narrowly lost to Borussia Dortmund in the final last year. Lippi's team has demonstrated stability and strength in both the league and European competitions, showcasing why Serie A stands tall in Europe!

The starting formations and line-ups for both teams are as follows:

Millwall will start with a 4-3-3 formation.

**Goalkeeper:** Butt

**Defenders:** Schneider, Elgra, Southgate, Capdevila

**Midfielders:** Makélélé, Pirlo, Nedvěd

**Forwards:** Shevchenko, Trezeguet, Larsson

This is Millwall's strongest lineup!

Juventus will start with a 4-3-1-2 formation.

**Goalkeeper:** Peruzzi

**Defenders:** Torricelli, Montero, Ferrara, Pesotto

**Midfielders:** Davis, Conte, Deschamps

**Attacking Midfielder:** Zidane

**Forwards:** Del Piero, Inzaghi

Today, fans are in for a treat as both teams have their main players fit and ready, ensuring that no key players will miss the match due to injuries. While the first leg isn't decisive, both teams might lean towards a more conservative tactical approach. However, with 180 minutes to play, the first 90 minutes will be crucial; let's wait and see what the outcome will be.

A glance at Juventus's starting players fills Aldrich with one word: star-studded!

All eleven are renowned figures in Serie A.

Peruzzi has been playing for the top clubs in Serie A since his debut. His motto "I want to fly higher" emphasizes his incredible saving ability. If he simply compares his saving ability, he is even better than the future Buffon. !

All four defenders are notable players, with the center-back duo of Montero and Ferrara forming a golden partnership.

The trio of Davis, Conte, and Deschamps in midfield are tireless, strong in both attack and defense, and their tactical acumen honed in Serie A makes this combination formidable, rivaling any "black and hard" defensive midfielders in the future!

Zidane is an exceptionally strange superstar.

Whenever people think he is already at his peak now, he will always prove to you that as he grows older, he will get better tomorrow!

Historically, almost all superstars win the Ballon d'Or at their peak, but Zidane has overturned that trend. The Zidane who won the Ballon d'Or was far less impressive than the Zidane who came later.

This also indirectly proves that his career trajectory is unconventional. While others rise and fall like a parabola, Zidane has steadily climbed without decline, finishing his career with a World Cup final, where he was the absolute core and soul of the team—this is the best testament to his greatness.

On the forward line, the twin stars, Del Piero, has always shone brightly since his debut. Among Europe's spotlighted young stars, Del Piero, Raúl, and Ronaldo represent the new era of European football. Italian media sees Del Piero as a worthy rival to Ronaldo, and before Ronaldo's rise, Del Piero was undoubtedly the most popular young player in Europe, a first love for many contemporary young fans! Although his performances in national team tournaments in the following years were disappointing, it cannot be denied that Del Piero is currently in excellent form, and the "Zebra Prince" lives up to his reputation!

The other star, Inzaghi, has also performed well for Juventus this season. Perhaps the most sensational transfer in the summer of 2001 was Zidane's record-breaking move to Real Madrid, but Inzaghi's transfer to Milan had a transfer fee conservatively estimated to exceed $30 million, a price tag achieved through his numerous goals for Juventus!

This Juventus squad can be described as a fusion of past, present, and future—a collection of top European players across three generations, showcasing their immense strength.

"Millwall, charge! Charge!"

"Millwall, charge! Charge!"

At Wembley Stadium, the Lions fans chant in unison, having just sung their support song. After finishing, they repeatedly shout these lyrics, louder and more passionately with each repetition, encouraging their team to bravely battle the Serie A giants!

The Lions never fear losing, but they never kneel to defeat!

As the match begins, Aldrich rises to the sidelines, arms crossed in encouragement, while Lippi sits steadily on the bench.

From the first minute of the match, Millwall displays exceptional form, a result of their thorough preparations. To achieve this, Aldrich sacrificed one league match, resulting in only a draw, allowing Arsenal to overtake them in the standings.

Juventus, playing away, initially focuses on tightening their defense, not rushing to contest possession with Millwall.

However, they find it intriguing that in this era of attacking midfielders, Millwall's playmaker is the defensive midfielder Pirlo.

Pirlo's precise and sharp passes create significant threats on every Millwall attack, as his vision allows him to exploit weaknesses in the opponent's defense. Of course, this is a relative concept; Juventus's defensive system is nearly flawless, evidenced by their few goals conceded in Serie A, showcasing their defensive prowess.

But today, Millwall comes well-prepared, ready to catch their opponents off guard!

Conte and Davis are startled by Millwall's attacking players' movements!

What is Millwall doing?

Are they just kicking around aimlessly?

From the start, Millwall's attacks are heavily tilted to the right, with Nedvěd, Larsson, and Trezeguet, along with Shevchenko, already on the right flank. Pirlo frequently passes to the right side, stacking attacking players in that area and utilizing their numerical advantage in close quarters. After a quick pass, they find space on the right flank, threading through balls that leave Juventus's defenders in shock.

The other side of their defense is completely empty, with no Millwall players in sight. Are they not worried about counterattacks on that side?

Davis and Conte were forced to rush forward to support under huge defensive pressure.

Millwall's players are moving more actively and quickly.

Their attacking trio, Larsson, Nedvěd, and Shevchenko, are all known for their speed, making their movements sharp and responsive, allowing for quick combinations.

In the first ten minutes, Millwall focuses on the right flank. After a failed attack and a clearance, Schneider retrieves the ball on the right and passes to Pirlo, who suddenly drives forward, forcing Deschamps to close him down. Pirlo then distributes the ball to the right, where Schneider advances, dribbling forward while assessing the situation ahead. He delivers an accurate, half-high diagonal pass into the box!

At that moment, Trezeguet and Shevchenko stay back instead of pushing forward, drawing defensive attention.

Nedvěd darts to the back post, having anticipated Schneider's pass before it was made. His diagonal run is subtle, and while Torricelli and Davis notice it, they are completely outpaced by Nedvěd as he accelerates back to cover.

As the ball bounces inside the box, Nedvěd rushes in. Seeing he can't catch up, Torricelli attempts a sliding tackle to interfere with him. His foot is directed toward the ball, but Nedvěd still manages to leap and head the ball toward goal!

He appears to fly parallel to the ground, his forehead making solid contact with the ball, eyes locked on its trajectory.

Peruzzi had already made two excellent saves, denying Larsson and Trezeguet's shots, but this time, Nedvěd's attack is too well-timed and concealed. Schneider's cross and his run seem almost telepathic!

The slightly overweight Peruzzi stretched out to his full extent for the save, but could only watch helplessly as the ball brushed past the post and slipped into the back of the net.

As Nedvěd sees the ball enter the goal, he hasn't even had time to celebrate when he feels a sharp pain on the left side of his forehead!

Torricelli had pulled his foot back, but it was too late—his cleats grazed Nedvěd's forehead, and blood immediately gushed forth.

"Goal! Goal! Millwall opened the scoring at Wembley! The goal was scored by Pavel Nedved, who has been in great form since 1998! This is thanks to coach Hall for Nedved A change in role positioning. In the past, he was more of an offensive player, providing firepower for the front three. Now he is getting closer to the goal, turning into a hidden assassin. He has scored key goals many times in the league. His goal helped Millwall win the league title... Wait, he seemed to be injured, lying on the ground after scoring! He covered his forehead and seemed to want to stand up, but Torricelli and Ferrara motioned him not to. In the slow-motion replay, Torricelli's shoe can be seen brushing against his head! Oh my god! Nedved is so unlucky, the injury may be serious!"

On the sidelines, Aldridge raised his fists in celebration after scoring a goal. The three coaches rushed out one after another. However, they discovered that Nedved did not join in the celebration, and an ominous premonition arose!

Torricelli immediately apologized to Nedvěd, fearing his actions could result in a red card. In fact, his feet were not raised very high, and Nedved's header bounced closer to the ground. But Nedvěd touched the ball first and Torricelli was forced to make a tackle, so in the end it all came down to the referee's judgment. A foul is certain, but the goal is undoubtedly valid.

If the referee dared to cancel the goal and award a penalty instead, it wouldn't just reflect poor judgment—it would be sheer folly and would ruin his own reputation!

Millwall's players all rushed to Nedvěd's side.

Juventus players, to mitigate the consequences of Torricelli's foul, exhibited a friendly demeanor even as they conceded a goal, calm Nedvěd while explaining to Millwall's players.

They are experienced and must not anger Millwall at the moment. After all, they were playing away from home and had just conceded a goal. If another player is sent off now, the game will be completely in danger and may even be in danger of being eliminated!

Ultimately, Nedvěd managed to stand up. He could definitely get up on his own; however, Juventus players hoped he would stay down until the medical staff arrived.

As Nedvěd stood up, the camera briefly captured a close-up before shifting to a wide shot of the scene.

Half of Nedved's face was stained red with blood, and he looked like a Spartan warrior reborn from hell!