章節 446: Flank Dominance: Breaking Through Milan’s Midfield
The UEFA Champions League Group H third-round match is about to kick off, with group leaders Millwall facing Serie A powerhouse AC Milan at Wembley. Millwall sticks to their usual 4-3-3 formation, while AC Milan fields a 3-5-2. Pre-match analysis by Italian media suggested that Milan's decision to use 3-5-2, given their ten goals conceded in six league games, could backfire against Millwall, whose defensive record this season is just as tight.
Aside from Materazzi, who's still recovering from an injury and replaced by Neill in the lineup, Millwall's players are well-rested and ready, much to the satisfaction of the coaching staff.
**Starting Lineup (4-3-3):**
Goalkeeper: Butt
Defenders: Schneider, Neill, Southgate, Zambrotta
Midfielders: Makelele, Pirlo, Nedvěd
Forwards: Larsson, Henry, Ronaldinho
AC Milan lines up in a 3-5-2:
**Starting Lineup (3-5-2):**
Goalkeeper: Abbiati
Defenders: Sala, Costacurta, Maldini
Midfielders: Ambrosini, Albertini, Boban, Guly, Serginho
Forwards: Bierhoff, Shevchenko
Sometimes, 3-5-2 is just a label; in practice, it plays similarly to other formations when wingbacks push forward during attacks. It shifts between a 3-5-2 in attack and a 5-3-2 in defense, requiring quick transitions like a 3-6-1 setup, which actually defends as a 5-4-1.
But Zaccheroni's 3-5-2 does seem rigid, or perhaps more like an asymmetrical 4-4-2. The new signing, Brazilian Serginho, dominates the entire left side.
Aldrich stands on the sideline, hands in his pockets, calmly watching the field.
As the game begins, Millwall's formation pushes forward, and the ball starts moving rapidly, weaving across the grass in quick succession. Millwall initiates with a back pass, then a cross-field switch. Every player who touches the ball makes a single pass, dizzying to watch.
AC Milan players press up, yet their formation stays compact without overextending forward. With superior numbers in midfield, they widen their interception range, but Millwall's advance begins from the wing, where the ball is passed along the sideline to Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho drove forward, feinting an inside cut before taking the ball down the line past Sala. He quickly sent a cutback pass to the oncoming Nedvěd. Ambrosini pressed hard, forcing Nedvěd to make a quick touch pass back to the wing. Zambrotta, overlapping, received the ball and returned it to Nedvěd with precision.
This time, Nedvěd slotted a pass forward. His previous pass to Zambrotta had been a smart delay tactic, allowing Ronaldinho to slip back onside. Now, with the timely through ball, Ronaldinho was perfectly positioned to break the line and move deeper into the center of the box, inching closer to goal.
Costacurta steps up to challenge Ronaldinho, who coolly evades with a quick turn. Ambrosini recovers, only for Ronaldinho to surprise everyone by slipping the ball to Nedvěd. With Henry drawing Albertini's attention in front of the goal, Nedvěd is left unmarked and fires a low shot. Abbiati dives to his right, but it's too late—the ball finds the bottom corner.
"36 seconds into the match, and Millwall strikes with lightning speed! After a sequence of 2,3 precise passes, they've broken through AC Milan's defense! It was a masterclass in teamwork—classic passing combinations, perfect movement off the ball, and sheer coordination. In the end, it was Nedvěd who delivered the finishing blow. AC Milan's three-man defense couldn't even hold out for a minute against Millwall's relentless attack!"
Nedvěd scored and immediately dashed toward Ronaldinho, jumping onto him with his fist raised high, shouting with pure adrenaline. The rest of the team rushed over to celebrate, even the defenders who'd helped push the attack forward. Only Southgate and Butt seemed a bit left out—they hadn't had a single touch in those 2,3 passes.
Aldrich offers a slight smile, but quickly regains composure. Scoring early is a great start, but getting too confident now would be premature.
AC Milan's strength lies in their midfield. Their three defenders, while skilled, cannot compensate for the width that a four-back line would cover. With three at the back, the defensive gaps are naturally wider. Millwall's strategy of attacking down the flanks, bypassing Milan's central midfield, proved effective, with Ronaldinho's movement and Costacurta's miss on the tackle adding a brilliant touch.
As Milan slowly settles, they regain their structure. Millwall, leading, also takes a step back, easing the pressure.
Easing off doesn't mean surrendering control.
Milan's three-man backline leaves more space behind them than a four-man setup. Millwall allows Milan to push up, hoping to exploit those open spaces.
Milan has a numerical advantage in midfield, and even if their build-up stalls, their quick counter-press and expanded interception range keep the ball in midfield for an extended tug-of-war. Millwall sticks to their plan, bypassing the midfield with direct balls to the forwards, though the three forwards often face isolation against Milan's defenders and defensive midfielders, limiting clear opportunities.
Twenty-five minutes in, Aldrich signals to Larsson and Ronaldinho to drop back further. Sending long balls from midfield often left the forwards stranded.
In pre-match instructions, Aldrich emphasized avoiding solo runs, especially on Larsson's side against Maldini, who thrives in close marking. Once Milan's defense is set, Millwall's backline would be vulnerable to counters if Maldini dispossesses them.
To dismantle Milan's defense, they need to stick to their initial approach: patient, point-to-point passing sequences. Trying to bulldoze through with a single wave underestimates Milan's resilience.
As Pirlo began to work his magic as the team's metronome, he seamlessly controlled the tempo. Milan's players thought Millwall was intent on a slow, steady game, but ten minutes later, as Schneider surged up the flank, Pirlo saw the opening and launched a precise, diagonal pass. He had noticed the spread of his forwards, with enough space for a quick surge. Suddenly, Millwall's pace intensified.
Schneider received the ball on the wing, sprinting past Serginho with ease before passing to Larsson. Moving inside, Larsson was met head-on by Maldini, who was there to block the path, forcing him to shift the ball back to Schneider.
The German's long, lateral pass threw Milan's defense into chaos. They were scrambling to compress the right side, but Schneider's pass forced them to switch sides in a hurry. Ronaldinho trapped the ball and immediately threaded a low pass behind the center-backs. Costacurta, known for his slower turns, had no chance to recover as Henry dashed in behind him, leaving him without even an opportunity to foul.
Henry angled his run left, and in the box, he opted for a sharp, low shot from a tight angle. Abbiati dived, managing a slight touch, but the ball rolled towards the center of the goal line. Maldini and Larsson chased it, but Larsson's positioning gave him the edge. Sliding in, he tapped the ball over the line.
"2-0! Millwall extends their lead in the 36th minute of the first half with Larsson's follow-up shot finding the net. Could Milan have prevented this goal with an extra center-back? We may never know, but the issue Zaccheroni faces now is clear: a three-man defense simply isn't enough to hold off Millwall's relentless attack—even with one of the best defenders in the world among their ranks."
After his goal, Larsson jogged to the sideline with his teammates, blowing kisses to the stands. Millwall's fans at Wembley went wild at every Larsson goal. Each time he scored, he was making history, continually raising the club's all-time goal record – a legacy for future players to look up to.
He was also setting another record: European competition goals.
Aldrich called Pirlo over, advising him, "Play it just like that. No need to rush the counter. Keep the rhythm balanced, and we'll find more chances that way."
Pirlo nodded and headed back to the field.
Down two goals, Milan's hopes for Champions League advancement were on the line. They would likely increase their pressing, but that was precisely what Millwall thrived against. They didn't fear intense pressure; what they dreaded was a static, tightly packed defense.
On the sideline, Zaccheroni looked tense, saying nothing, while Aldrich appeared utterly at ease – as if he was lost in thought.
"People always ask why Millwall is so formidable. Why? Is it because they have so many stars? Haven't the big clubs always had top players? But watch Millwall's games closely, follow the changes on the field, and you'll see: Hall's commitment to every match, his work ethic, in-game adjustments, tactical shifts – these make Millwall stronger than anyone expects. You don't see him celebrating wildly these days. For him, it's different now; winning once seemed hard, but now, he has to ensure continuous victories. That's his drive. That's how he's leading Millwall to join Europe's elite. As this half comes to a close, one thing is certain – no matter the result, this first half will be a focal point for football analysts everywhere."
The halftime whistle blew, and Aldrich walked off with a hint of disappointment.
The cards each manager held were different, yet how they played them reflected their own style. Zaccheroni had offered Aldrich no surprises.
Aldrich had hoped Milan would challenge Millwall with something unexpected – a new twist mid-game that could turn the tide.
But he saw none of that.
"Bierhoff spent 45 minutes practically strolling on the pitch, while Shevchenko was caught between dropping deep to connect with teammates or waiting isolated up front. Serginho and Guly couldn't create any real challenges for Zambrotta and Sneijder on the wings, and Albertini struggled under the combined pressure of Henry and Nedved. As for Boban, he may have outplayed Pirlo in the past, but against Makelele, he was clearly outmatched.
Aldrich isn't convinced that a three-man backline offers more options than a four-man defense. While a four-back setup may mean more defenders, it also allows the fullbacks to push up and create options in attack. By fielding a three-man defense, AC Milan added numbers to the midfield, but ironically, they limited their attacking variations when their key players were being contained."
As Aldrich stepped into the locker room, he still hoped Zaccheroni would bring something fresh in the second half.
This wasn't a matter of masochism; Aldrich was on a continuous path of learning. He wanted these renowned coaches to "punish" him on the field so he could learn. If Zaccheroni could turn things around, Aldrich would welcome it. After all, discovering weaknesses during group play is far better than finding them in the knockout rounds.
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