章 458: Defensive Chess Match
Aldrich's pre-match instructions emphasized a compact defensive line. He cautioned Gattuso against recklessly charging forward when AC Milan pressed in midfield, stressing the importance of protecting the backline. The idea was simple: keep the defenders close to each other to avoid exposing the fullbacks. If an opponent bypassed the fullbacks, there would be someone ready to cover. But if the gaps widened, AC Milan could break through by isolating defenders one by one.
For nearly 30 minutes after kickoff, this defensive strategy worked well. AC Milan managed to get past the midfield, but whenever they tried intricate plays near Millwall's defensive line, they were thwarted by the tight defense. With Millwall's attackers dropping back, any attempt by AC Milan to advance was quickly neutralized.
Zaccheroni recognized Millwall's defensive approach and adjusted his tactics accordingly. He had initially instructed his team to focus on coordinated plays, given their struggles in one-on-one situations in the previous match. But now, seeing Millwall's compact defense, he decided that Milan's forwards should exploit their individual skills.
The shift paid off swiftly.
Serginho controlled the ball down the left flank and pressed forward. Millwall had just attempted a quick attack, with Larsson pushing ahead, only to be shut down by Maldini's flawless interception, quickly feeding it to Serginho.
Now, Millwall's scrambling back. Pirlo's no match for Serginho's speed, so he drops back, watching Boban's advance closely. Gattuso's retreating too, leaving just enough room to cover the space if Albertini or Ambrosini tries a quick pass.
It's been classic Milan—working the wings and linking through the center. But this time, nobody's stepping up to Serginho on the left. Ferreira's staying back, holding a line with Neill, ready to pounce if Serginho comes any closer.
But Serginho doesn't wait around. After a quick glance, he swings a cross into the box.
Bierhoff moved to the right, slipping away from Neill's marking. Barzagli was just a step too slow, and the ball landed perfectly on Bierhoff's head. The ball lands squarely on Bierhoff's head, and boom—he heads it back across goal! Butt was already moving to cover the near post—he guessed the wrong side completely! The goal was wide open.
"AC Milan equalizes! Bierhoff with the header—perfectly set up by Serginho's cross!"
Aldrich wasn't angry about the goal.
The defensive setup was designed to prevent any penetrative plays into the box, so leaving the flanks open naturally meant a risk of conceding from crosses. The goal looked a bit sloppy, not because of any brilliance on Bierhoff's part, but because of Barzagli's mistake.
As Bierhoff moved from Neill's side over to Barzagli's, Barzagli didn't anticipate it and didn't shift in time to block the trajectory. If he had simply positioned himself early and jumped, Bierhoff wouldn't have had a chance to get his head to the ball.
Neill wasn't at fault—the ball was nowhere near his position.
And it wasn't really about height, either. Bierhoff stands at 1.91 meters, Neill at 1.85, and Barzagli at 1.86. The difference is minimal.
Despite the awkwardness of the goal, Aldrich wasn't upset. Barzagli couldn't be expected to be rock-solid on defense right from the start; his struggle was due to a lack of experience.
Give it time. He's only 18, with a long road ahead.
Aldrich called Gattuso over, making a few adjustments on the spot.
He directed Ferreira and Ashley Cole not to collapse inward too much, asking them to apply more pressure on the wings, and instructed Gattuso to be more mindful of covering the central spaces.
If Millwall got hit on the counter, it would take time for the attackers to track back. AC Milan might go directly for wing crosses, where Bierhoff poses a serious threat. Fullbacks would need to disrupt him, but if they opted to dribble or penetrate centrally, Gattuso's role in filling in would be crucial. AC Milan's best chance, or Millwall's biggest defensive vulnerability, would appear in the space between the midfield and back line. If Nedved wasn't fast enough on the retreat, Pirlo would likely struggle to handle it alone. Yet, this weakness would only last a few seconds, because as soon as Nedved got back into position, AC Milan's counter threat would vanish.
Aldrich's hands were warm from his pockets, so he pulled them out, shook them off, and clasped them behind his back.
Press, counter-press, create chances, kill off chances—that's football. Millwall's defense would likely show many problems today, but it was up to AC Milan to exploit them. Yet, AC Milan also faced a critical challenge of their own: defending.
After equalizing, AC Milan attempted several more crosses from the wings, with limited success. As Gullit and Serginho were pressured and disrupted by Millwall's fullbacks, the quality of their crosses inevitably declined.
As the first half concluded at 1-1, the teams headed toward the tunnel, and the cameras caught Aldrich smiling slightly as he made his way to the locker room.
Inside, as the players filed in, some exchanged comments while others, like Barzagli, remained silent. Barzagli knew he should have done better against Bierhoff. Although he had been in a good position, he had missed the chance to prevent the goal.
Aldrich offered Barzagli some encouraging words, urging him not to dwell on the mistake, then addressed the team with a determined look. "There's something I need to share with you—a key insight that'll help us secure this win on their turf."
The players turned their attention to Aldrich, eager to hear what he had to say.
Aldrich wrote a number on the tactics board: 90.
"When the first half begins, we have a full 90 minutes. What can we do in 90 minutes? We can create over 30 shooting opportunities; we can beat Leeds 8-0, or crush Arsenal 5-0. But once the second half begins, how much time is left?"
He then wrote another number: 45.
"Forty-five minutes. Obviously, you can't do as much in 45 minutes as in 90. Do you think I'm just stating the obvious here?"
Several players looked puzzled, unsure of Aldrich's point.
"Now, think carefully. If you were AC Milan, would your mentality be the same facing 90 minutes as it would be facing 45?"
As he finished, the players in the locker room suddenly understood, as if a light had gone on.
In 90 minutes, you can tell yourself to be patient. But with only 45 left, every passing second would feel like a countdown. And this is a game Milan has to win.
"I'm telling you this so you'll understand our strategy adjustment for the second half. Now, listen carefully. Let's secure our spot in the Champions League Round of 16 today."
Aldrich started giving tactical instructions, making targeted adjustments. As they left the locker room, he sent the substitute players to warm up.
As the second half kicked off, Aldrich quickly noticed Milan's attempt to raise the tempo—they were in a rush to score and needed a faster game to create more opportunities.
Millwall's biggest change in the second half was Nedved moving back into midfield, leaving Pirlo deeper as well. They switched to a 4-2-1-2-1 or 4-5-1 formation, and from there, it was game on!
AC Milan were now in a full-on slugfest!
Up front, Henry was just wandering around, barely breaking a sweat.
Meanwhile, Nedved, Pirlo, and Gattuso protected the backline, while Ronaldinho and Larsson lurked on the wings, waiting to explode on the counter.
Zaccheroni was absolutely fuming on the sidelines, his teeth practically grinding in frustration.
Millwall was shamelessly parking the bus!
For AC Milan, the pressure was mounting. They had to push forward with more attackers to create chances, but the moment they faltered, Millwall would pounce on the counter and tear them apart.
57 minutes into the second half, and Larsson is tearing down the wing! He keeps going until he's almost face-to-face with Maldini, then smartly pulls back, passing it to Nedvěd in the midfield.
Nedvěd, ever the sharp observer, noticed that all the AC Milan players had retreated into defense. Without thinking twice, he hammered a long ball forward to Henry on the attack.
Costacurta tried to head the ball away, but Ronaldinho, who hadn't advanced up the field, was in the perfect spot to receive the clearance. He brought it down with his chest, cut inside, and took a powerful shot from long range.
It was an unexpected strike! Abbiati dived in a desperate attempt to save, but the ball ricocheted off him, falling right to Henry, who wasted no time following up and sending it into the back of the net.
The AC Milan defenders immediately raised their hands, claiming offside, and Maldini sprinted to argue with the assistant referee, who didn't budge.
Aldrich, watching from the sideline, couldn't help but chuckle. It wasn't the tactical outcome he had envisioned, but with the goal, it was a pleasant surprise.
"AC Milan is in real trouble now," Aldrich said with a grin. "They need two goals and no mistakes in the next 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Millwall's got the advantage and can control the game."
AC Milan's attacks grew more intense, while Millwall's offense became rather one-dimensional. After transitioning to defense, the ball was passed to Ronaldinho or Larsson. The two of them would carry it forward from the wings, dribbling all the way until they reached the defensive line of AC Milan, then slowing down, allowing AC Milan's players to sprint back to help defend.
Zaccheroni was fuming, his eyes burning with anger as he watched the game unfold.
What was Aldrich up to? He had only needed ten minutes to figure it out.
This was all about wearing down AC Milan's stamina.
Zaccheroni knew what Millwall was trying to do, but could AC Milan avoid falling into the trap?
The attacking players weren't tracking back at all. What if Millwall suddenly hit the accelerator, with midfielders charging forward at full speed? Could AC Milan really stop the floodgates from opening?
And Nedvěd—he was a dangerous one. When Millwall launched a counter, he'd move forward at a casual pace. The second he saw AC Milan's players sprinting back, he'd ease off. But if AC Milan let their guard down, who could stop the Czech from exploding into action, charging forward like a lion on the hunt?
Aldrich had planned it all out, but football, as always, is full of unpredictability.
In the 71st minute, a massive long ball from the AC Milan defense reached Bierhoff, who, with his back to goal, used his strength to hold off Neil. He flicked the ball with his head, setting up Shevchenko, who powered a header into the back of the net.
Aldrich immediately shielded his eyes, unable to watch.
Shevchenko's header was nothing short of brilliant.
But what really got Aldrich's blood boiling was Gattuso.
Bierhoff, with his back to goal, was being marked by Neil—so what the hell was Gattuso thinking?
He went up to challenge for the header!!
Did he seriously think that with Neil behind and himself in front, they could overpower Bierhoff? What was he even trying to do?
Aldrich buried his face in his hands, then turned to Jensen, shouting, "When we're back, make Gattuso watch that play ten times. No, a hundred times! I'm not kidding!"
Are you joking me?
Gattuso, standing at 1.74 meters, was going up against Bierhoff, who had him beat by almost 10 cm. What was he thinking, challenging him for the header?
Gattuso should have been tracking Shevchenko's run or anticipating Bierhoff's flick. The man had his back to goal—there's no way he was going to flick the ball back to goal with his head!
If Gattuso had focused on Shevchenko, Aldrich wouldn't have been so furious. But instead, he made a choice that was downright ridiculous.
The crowd went wild as Shevchenko's header hit the back of the net. San Siro was alive with excitement, the Rossoneri fans believing in a comeback. Time was on their side.
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