The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 304: Zidane's fatal blow

Today, Millwall abandoned their trademark "whirlwind fast play" approach and focused on solid defense. Aldrich pondered during the preparations and ultimately decided to forgo the idea of taking the initiative.

The reason was simple: at Wembley, Millwall had played in their style, but the absolute opportunities created were few and far between. One of their two goals came from a surprising strike, while the other was a fortunate rebound. They hadn't really put together a coordinated front-to-back assault to threaten the opponent's net.

If they continued to play this way away from home, Juventus would undoubtedly benefit from it. With a better performance and a physical advantage, their success rate in counterattacking Millwall would be higher. In the Italian league, nearly all teams favor counterattacks since chain defense is the mainstream approach; everyone defends, then swiftly transitions to attack.

Another factor was that the two teams had faced each other once before, so they were already aware of each other's tactical characteristics, allowing for stronger containment in this second encounter.

Given these factors, Aldrich decided to primarily focus on solid defense and counterattacks. However, judging from the first half, Juventus' defense was indeed impenetrable, and Millwall's counterattacks posed little threat.

At halftime, there was no need for Aldrich to boost morale; everyone knew that they had another 45 minutes to play. As long as they prevented the opponent from scoring, they would advance to the semifinals.

This season, every step they took in the Champions League was marking a historic moment for the club, but they were not satisfied with merely reaching the quarterfinals or semifinals.

They had the capability to challenge for the highest honors! To be crowned champions!

As the second half resumed, Aldrich stood on the sidelines, deliberately observing Lippi's expression, trying to decipher any clues about the opponent's mindset from his face.

Is the Silver Fox anxious or not?

Aldrich felt disappointed. From the moment Lippi walked onto the field to when he sat down, his steps were steady, and his demeanor was relaxed. He elegantly puffed on a cigar, exhaling clouds of smoke.

For some reason, a chill crept into Aldrich's heart.

Even Ferguson, under unfavorable circumstances, would reveal signs of tension through reddened nostrils or a heavy expression, allowing Aldrich to speculate about the opponent's upcoming tactical changes and gain an intuitive grasp of the game's state. Wenger was even more expressive, with visible body language when anxious on the sidelines. But today, Lippi didn't even furrow his brows, leaving Aldrich both astounded by his inscrutability and feeling a deep unease.

It was evident that Lippi had something in his arsenal, yet Aldrich couldn't pinpoint the true intentions behind it.

Was there a surprise in store?

Juventus had sent out their strongest lineup; no substitution could yield better results.

So, it had to be a matter of tactics.

Tactics could vary greatly, and when executed well, they could be immensely powerful; however, a poor decision could lead to self-destruction.

If it were a desperate play, Lippi wouldn't be so relaxed and composed. A desperate tactic could easily backfire, costing them more than it was worth.

As the second half began, Aldrich focused intently on the movements of Juventus players and their passing patterns, key elements of the attack.

However, there wasn't much difference compared to the first half.

After all, players have large ranges of motion, and the game moves quickly. Without a static comparison, it's hard to notice subtle changes.

Inzaghi received the ball at the very front of the attack. Instead of passing, he turned and shot, but the ball was blocked by Southgate. Upon recovering, Makélélé passed it to Pirlo, who quickly switched flanks. Shevchenko received the ball, turned, and sent a through ball to Trezeguet, who was forced to retreat under pressure from Ferrara but managed to play it back just before reaching the end line. Nedved, under pressure from Conte, snagged the ball and laid it off to Shevchenko. Shevchenko took a step before being precisely intercepted by Pesotto.

Once he succeeded in the tackle, Pesotto took a step forward. Aldrich thought he was about to launch an attack.

However, he was mistaken; Pesotto merely created a passing window and then passed to Deschamps, who split the ball to the advancing Davis.

Davis raced past midfield, and Larson came at him with pressure.

Juventus still didn't have the advantage in terms of numbers; Millwall had six at the back with four defenders and two defensive midfielders, while counting Davis, Juventus only had five with an attacking midfielder and two forwards.

How would this attack unfold?

Aldrich anxiously watched the movements of the front-line players. According to the habits established in the first half, the ball should go to Zidane, who would then create space through horizontal movement, either sending a direct pass or linking back to the supporting midfielders.

However, when Aldrich saw Zidane's run, he was suddenly taken aback.

Zidane suddenly cut into the area designated for a left winger from his position as an attacking midfielder, confusing both Pirlo and Makélélé. Pirlo hesitated after a few steps, fearful of abandoning his defensive position, while Makélélé dropped deeper to cover the space behind him.

At the same time, someone had moved into Zidane's original position, and Aldrich felt a chill run down his spine.

How could he have overlooked something so crucial!

He was not just a forward!

Del Piero and Zidane executed a reverse run in the front area, Del Piero returning from the right front while Zidane advanced from the left forward. They nearly simultaneously activated their runs and reached their destinations, resulting in a split-second vulnerability for Millwall's defenders.

Davis's pass arrived on cue, following the same route meant for the attacking midfielder, but now the recipient was Del Piero. The Juventus Prince continued the play without stopping, directly threading a through ball to the left for Zidane. The defensive line between Pirlo and Makélélé hesitated due to Zidane's movement; that instant of uncertainty was seized by Juventus!

Zidane stood on the edge of the penalty area and prepared to break through, but Schneider sensed the danger and rushed to intercept. But with one touch and one smooth movement, Zidane effortlessly turned and walked away, leaving Schneider to curse himself: What was I thinking? !

Defending Zidane? Don't just look at the ball; it's just part of his game. Its purpose is to deceive you and draw you into his game.

Zidane calmly advanced another step with the ball, forcing Helguera to defend against him. He lowered his center of gravity and moved closer, preparing to use his body to pressure Zidane.

But as soon as he moved, Zidane gently lifted the ball with the inside of his foot, sending it toward Helguera's blind side. Helguera raised his leg to block but barely missed the ball by inches, watching helplessly as it sailed behind him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a black-and-white figure sprinting toward the ball—an impending threat that unnerved all defenders.

As Helguera moved to defend against Zidane, Southgate stepped laterally to cover, while Makélélé retreated to keep an eye on Piero's forward run.

However, Zidane's pass was so exquisite that it was perfectly synchronized with Inzaghi's run.

When Inzaghi turned to collect the ball and shoot, Southgate did his best, using a tackle similar to Torricelli's in the first round, trying to block the shot with his body.

But it was too late!

Inzaghi's shot was impeccable, embodying one key quality: decisiveness!

The ball rocketed from his foot into the net, a split-second action that sent it curling into the top corner, leaving Butt unable to react in time as it flew past him from the upper right!

Southgate's desperate tackle was still unfinished when he turned to see the ball roll inside the net and come to a stop...

"Inzaghi! Inzaghi! Inzaghi! Inzaghi! Inzaghi!" Inzaghi's goal helped Juventus lead Millwall 1-0, and the total score was 2-2, allowing Juventus to rely on the away goal. The ball has the advantage! In the 55th minute, a turning point occurred. Millwall only needed to defend to eliminate its opponent, and Juventus only needed to persist for 35 minutes to advance to the semifinals! What a beautiful attack! Zidane's positioning and footwork were excellent, and his assist to Inzaghi was flawless - a subtle lob pass, and Inzaghi shot the ball into the goal with a half-turn. It's some great teamwork among elite players!

After scoring, Inzaghi dashed toward the sidelines to celebrate, with all his Juventus teammates rushing over.

Meanwhile, the Millwall players were left in shock, as if struck by a bolt from the blue.

They weren't unfamiliar with this kind of goal, as it was precisely the type of play they would normally execute!

By running in the opposite direction, the forwards and attacking midfielders cause short-term chaos to the opponent's defense and holding midfielders. Opportunities arise in these moments, and strong players know how to exploit them and deliver the killing blow.

Millwall could deliver such plays too; they relied on similar dazzling setups to breach their opponents' defenses. Yet, they had hardly ever encountered this kind of attacking routine from an opponent. Even during practice, the capabilities of substitute players didn't match those of Juventus players. So when Juventus struck within a brief ten seconds—from Davis' initiated attack to the goal—Millwall's defense simply couldn't keep pace with their counteract adjustments!

Aldridge stood on the sidelines, hands in his pockets, watching Juventus score. It's hard to argue that this goal was a fluke. This is definitely a well-designed tactical game. However, such attacks cannot be executed perfectly every time. They need a precise moment for the chemistry between the offensive players to peak to produce an explosive finish. Like Millwall's first goal of the first leg, a classic misdirection tactic was used. They succeeded once, but this tactic doesn't work every time.

Before the Juventus substitutes, players and coaches were bubbling with excitement, while Lippi maintained much composure, just smiling, puffing away on his cigar.

Aldrich pulled his hands from his pockets, bending down to clap and cheer on the players, urging them to get back into the fight.

This wasn't the end of the world!

After conceding the goal, when several players appeared stunned and disheartened, Nedved quickly dashed into the net to retrieve the ball, then turned to face the frontline and ran back. Without saying a word, his actions uplifted the whole team, and Southgate also got back up to rally his teammates.

There was half an hour left in the match; as long as Millwall scored, they could regain the upper hand.

Aldrich felt a sense of relief now.

At 2-1, as long as they didn't concede another goal, their advancement was secure.

At 2-2, Millwall needed to score; if they couldn't, they would be eliminated. Even if they played more freely and conceded again, Millwall's path to advancement remained unchanged—they had to score!

If Juventus managed another goal, all Millwall needed was one back to take the game into extra time; though lacking the home advantage, at least they wouldn't be eliminated within regular time!

Thinking this way, the anxiety over conceding wasn't as daunting anymore!

If Millwall's journey on their first stage in the UEFA Champions League is destined to end in the quarterfinals, then let the final 35 minutes be treated as a decisive battle! This is their opportunity to showcase their strength and determination on this grand stage. Regardless of the outcome, this final effort will be etched in the history of the club.