章 257: Breaking Through the Blue Bus
As the London derby approached, both teams' players had taken to the pitch. Chelsea's head coach, Ruud Gullit, stood on the sidelines, looking rather relaxed. His team had only suffered an unexpected loss in their first match of the new season, and aside from the injury of summer signing Poyet , they had gone on to win their next four matches with great momentum.
In contrast, Millwall's recent form had been poor, dropping points in three of their five league matches. Key players Pirlo and Capdevila would remain sidelined for another month and a half, although Lampard was nearing a return.
To make matters worse for Millwall, head coach Aldrich was suspended and unable to coach, leaving Benítez in charge for this match. The Spanish manager's expression was grave as he stood on the sidelines.
"Hello, everyone! The focus of today's sixth round of the Premier League is the London derby between the league leaders Chelsea and the reigning champions Millwall. Gullit, who has vowed to make Chelsea a symbol of attacking football, has opted for a more defensive setup today. Andy, do you think Chelsea is intimidated by Millwall?"
"Why wouldn't they be? If Millwall was conserving energy for the Champions League, Gullit's lineup would surely be criticized. But today, Millwall is fielding their strongest squad. After losing three times to Hall last season, Gullit seems to have learned from Liverpool and Leicester City, so we may see him easily secure the win, especially with Zola leading the line, who has more individual ability than Liverpool's young striker Owen."
"Let's look at today's lineups. Chelsea is set up in a 5-4-1 formation:
Goalkeeper: De Goey
Defenders: Clark, Duberry, LeBerf, Babayaro, Le Saux,
Midfielders: Petrescu, Di Matteo, Sinclair, Wise
Forward: Zola.
Millwall is sticking to their 4-3-3 formation:
Goalkeeper: Butt
Defenders: Schneider, Elgham, Southgate, Zambrotta
Midfielders: Makelele, Ballack, Nedved
Forwards: Larsson, Trezeguet, Shevchenko.
Andy, I've been thinking: if Millwall's opponents withdraw into defense and cede control on the midfield, what if Millwall adopts the same strategy? Wouldn't the match become quite dull?"
"Martin, that's precisely what makes Hall commendable. He has faith that his team can win, so he doesn't relinquish control to tempt the opponent to attack. As he says, a manager should have their ideals; Millwall will not abandon their pursuit of victory."
The match kicked off, and Chelsea took the first touch.
Zola passed the ball back to Di Matteo, but Millwall set up defensively. Wise received a pass and took a couple of steps before passing back to Zola in the center, who tried to take on Ballack but was shoved off balance and lost possession.
Chelsea hardly ventured over the halfway line after kickoff, simply waiting for Millwall to launch their offensive.
Makelele passed the ball to Zambrotta on the flank. The Italian full-back advanced with the ball, performing a one-two with Nedved as he made an explosive run forward.
However, Petrescu was right behind, while Clark, Di Matteo, and Duberry compressed the space on that side.
Zambrotta switched the ball laterally to Nedved, who then passed it to Ballack, who was moving forward but shifted it back to Schneider on the flank.
Watching this lateral passing from the sidelines, Gullit's lips curled into a slight smile, as though he had anticipated this move.
This type of lateral transition play was Millwall's forte. In high-tempo situations, they would work with the strikers to create space, and when the wingers cut inside suddenly, they would exploit the openings with precise through balls.
But when the backfield was crowded with defensive players, it became hard for forwards to find good chances, no matter how they positioned themselves.
So, what's next?
Shouldn't Millwall be preparing to end this attack with a long-range shot?
Schneider brought the ball to the edge of the penalty area before passing to Shevchenko, who turned his back to the goal to receive the ball. At the same time, both Larsson and Trezeguet moved toward him.
Le Saux stuck close to Shevchenko, knowing that Millwall might try to set up a crossing play from the wings. With an extra defender today, they were not worried about crossing the ball disrupting their defense, as long as they didn't make any rookie mistakes.
Babayaro marked Trezeguet closely, while Duberry shifted over, cautious of Larsson cutting inside on the right wing. All three of Millwall's forwards had surged toward the right flank.
Just as Shevchenko touched the ball, he turned to look at his two attacking partners. An understanding seemed to pass between them.
Shevchenko made a quick pass back to Schneider.
After the pass, Shevchenko promptly turned, making a move to cut inside, while Le Saux closely followed him, anticipating danger.
Trezeguet made a run towards the edge of the area, with Babayaro immediately trailing him, ensuring no opportunity for the striker to turn and shoot.
Larsson positioned himself centrally at the top of the box, making a run forward as Duberry pressed closer, while sweeper LeBerf also moved to block any penetrating through balls.
However, the backline of five for Chelsea failed to notice that at the moment Shevchenko made the back pass, Millwall's two midfielders charged forward like beasts with purpose.
Di Matteo and Sinclair, who were tasked with guarding Nedved and Ballack, got quickly shaken off by their sudden acceleration.
Schneider, focused and alert, delivered a beautiful curved ball into the box, soaring over the entire defense's heads, flying straight to the far post of the small box.
Sweeper LeBerf felt a chill run down his spine as he saw the trajectory of the ball and hastily rushed to the right side to cover. But Nedved reached the far post and struck the ball with his left foot before it even touched the ground, sending it back into the middle as it sailed through LeBerf's legs. He sensed his impending failure but couldn't react in time before he heard a thunderous strike behind him.
Boom!
Ballack cleanly hammered the ball into the net!
Stamford Bridge fell into utter silence.
The home crowd was in shock, with Chelsea fans, coaches, and players all left speechless, as if struck by lightning.
On the opposing fan side, Millwall's supporters erupted with excitement.
"Chelsea, you think you're invincible? League leaders? Hell, it's only been five rounds! It won't be long before we, the Lions, knock you down and, just like before, step on your corpses to reach the championship trophy! Go ahead, keep laughing and questioning where the Lions are! We're right here, celebrating wildly at Stamford Bridge!"
Millwall fans cheered, passionately rallying for their team, openly mocking their bitter rivals.
Aldrich, watching from the box, was equally ecstatic. He jumped to his feet, furiously pumping his fists in celebration.
"Park the bus! Sit back and defend all you want! I'm not afraid of your tactics—do it as long as you like! My team will still blow you away! Not only are you playing pitifully out there, but you'll also lose face! I want the world to understand why the Lions are ferocious!"
Millwall scored their first goal after a three-match drought without a goal.
Ballack ran around exhilarated after scoring.
It wasn't just about the goal; he and his teammates knew they had created yet another classic team-play goal!
Commentator Martin Tyler couldn't contain his excitement.
As a soccer commentator, the greatest joy comes from witnessing the birth of a classic.
"We have seen the fastest goal of the season so far, just 1 minute and 7 seconds! Millwall scores a lightning goal, an extraordinary feat! If you just watch Nedved assisting Ballack, you might not find it remarkable, as Ballack had a clear chance—it was nearly impossible to miss. But if you enjoy this goal from beginning to end, you will realize how spectacular it was, demonstrating the thrilling interplay between attack and defense from both teams!"
"Absolutely, Martin! This goal from Millwall must have come from meticulous tactical practice, resulting from nine precise passes leading to the shot. During this process, the ball's rapid lateral movement in the front forced Chelsea's defensive focus to shift from right to left. This is a familiar attacking routine for Millwall, but analyzing the subsequent attack in slow motion, you will appreciate the cooperation among Millwall's attacking players."
"You're spot on, Andy. After Shevchenko passed and cut inside, he drew Chelsea's defenders towards him. Trezeguet's outward pull attracted Babayaro, while Larsson positioned himself centrally on the penalty area line. The three Millwall forwards from different angles ripped Chelsea's defense apart, creating a notable gap on the opposite side. At the same time, Nedved and Ballack's rapid runs were clearly intentional—Nedved receiving the ball and Ballack making a run towards the goal. Duberry was left in a daze, unsure whether to continue marking Larsson or chase after Ballack rushing past him! Nedved assisted, Ballack scored, and during this whole offensive process, every Millwall attacking player played a vital role, working together to create this classic goal! Hall's team did not surrender to counterattacking tactics and has only grown stronger!"
The coaches and substitutes on Millwall's bench stared in disbelief at the goal. They knew better than anyone that Aldrich never conducted rigid tactical training.
Just like this goal, it couldn't have emerged from a fixed routine.
Aldrich merely shared the foundational concepts with the players and then allowed them to express themselves during training. Their synergy and ability would bring forth the most wonderful moments unexpectedly.
This was Aldrich's training philosophy: Lagonians thinking.
As others celebrated, Benítez remained unperturbed, gesturing calmly to his players to keep their emotions in check: the match had just begun, and they mustn't get ahead of themselves!
With Chelsea falling behind at home so early, Gullit's relaxed demeanor evaporated.
With today's setup, conceding a goal was the worst-case scenario; if they did, the 5-4-1 formation would tie Chelsea's attacking efforts.
This is just damned ridiculous!
Millwall hadn't scored against Liverpool, Wimbledon, or Leicester City.
Chelsea's lineup was certainly at least as strong as those three teams; how could they concede so early? Was it truly a mistake in formation—should they have added another holding midfielder?
Evans' squad against the Lions had reached a stage where they simply couldn't afford to lose anymore, clinching a victory through defensive counterattacking at Anfield.
Gullit, too, had reached that point, having not only failed to beat Millwall in the league last season but also lost the FA Cup final to them. If he lost today, not only would it reflect poorly on Chelsea, but it would likely devastate his own reputation as well.
After all, the opponent was a team without a head coach directing them!
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