The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 356: A Stunning Turnaround

When Nedved scored the equalizer, he charged toward the sidelines, a determined expression on his face, and patted the club badge on his jersey.

The away fans from The Lions leaped with joy, and a group waved a giant banner bearing Nedved's image.

Aldrich also closed his eyes and clenched his fists, feeling that with the score leveled, Millwall's morale would soar even higher.

There didn't seem to be a fierce tactical battle in today's match between Millwall and Inter Milan. The course of the game revealed a lot - Italy attacked from the middle, while Millwall used the wings. The team that can effectively use the counterattack will gain a significant advantage. However, failure to counterattack can easily put their own goal in danger.

The key was the performance of the star players. Internazionale's attacking quartet was formidable, as was Millwall's frontline.

Admittedly, this wasn't the match Aldrich most wanted to see, but it was the reality he had to accept.

Defense is forged through experience. Faced with top-tier attackers like Ronaldo and Baggio, Millwall had two choices: to strengthen their defense at the expense of attack or to boldly go toe-to-toe with their opponents and see who could score more.

Defending deeply wouldn't provide much in terms of development since it's easier to defend against weaker opponents.

Conceding goals isn't a concern; all top defenses develop by conceding more and then reducing that number, eventually making it increasingly difficult for opponents to score.

In the second half, Millwall's defense clearly improved compared to the first half.

The defensive players had learned from being overwhelmed in the first half, gaining valuable insight and experience. Unlike in the first half when they faced unfamiliar opponents, even constant pre-match video analysis couldn't replicate the reality of the game.

Within ten minutes, Millwall scored two quick goals that significantly lifted their morale. The players looked like starving beasts, hungry for more.

Following the restart by Internazionale, Millwall came at them with more intensity, intent on exploiting this momentum to dismantle their foes.

Aldrich refrained from making any adjustments. If he instructed the players to pull back now, it might convey the wrong message, leading them to think that the coach was looking to hold onto a draw.

As long as players like Schneider and Makélélé remained focused, there shouldn't be any major issues.

Aldrich tried to convince himself that everything would be fine, but the next moment, Millwall were facing a serious threat. Gronkjaer was knocked out of the sideline by Gallant. The referee ruled it was not a foul and Inter quickly launched a counterattack. Gallant found Baggio, who cleverly passed the ball through the Millwall defense. Ronaldo seemed ready to score, but Butt reacted quickly and rushed to the penalty spot to win the ball.

Butt held onto the ball, beginning to stall for time as Gronkjaer had yet to get back on the field.

He stood up, limped onto the court, and walked toward Aldrich. With a familiar look of frustration, he said, "Coach, my legs are a little sore, I may not be able to continue playing."

When players begin to feel something is wrong, it is an obvious sign of injury.

Aldrich didn't blame him; instead, he appreciated the player's honesty for not trying to tough it out. For technical players, pushing through injuries can have severe consequences. If they exacerbate their condition, it could affect their careers, especially since technical players are generally weaker compared to their physically strong counterparts.

This is hard to change through training. Although physical training can make technical players stronger, there are limits. For example, excessive weight gain can slow their technical movements. Many agile players exhibit little change in physique from age 20 to 30—not because they don't want to be stronger, but because they must maintain their current form to perform at their best level.

Aldrich gently patted his shoulder, praised his performance for the day, then let the medical staff take over while turning to signal for Van der Meyde to warm up.

His heart was heavy.

The new season hadn't even been underway for a month, and Millwall had added another name to their injury list. However, based on Gronkjaer's condition, it didn't seem serious—this was Aldrich's optimistic interpretation.

Jensen assigned on-field tasks to Van der Meyde, while Klinsmann watched closely, taking mental notes. Van der Meyde nodded frequently, signaling his understanding.

Once Van der Meyde took the pitch, Millwall's attacking strategy underwent a transformation.

Van der Meyde was deployed in the wide midfield, and the transition from defense to offense was faster. He focused more on defensive tasks and mainly passed the ball in counterattacks. In fact, the ball moved faster than any player could run, and the accuracy of his passes made him very effective in offense. With the technical foundation and straightforward team philosophy laid at Ajax, as well as the huge improvement in physical fitness after coming to Millwall, he has been recognized by Aldrich.

Within five minutes of entering the game, Millwall launched a sharp counterattack, but it was Butt's brilliant performance that stole the show.

Aside from having thwarted Ronaldo's one-on-one attempt earlier, he had also saved world-class efforts from Baggio and Djorkaeff, both of which were nearly certain goals. He also managed to deflect a close-range header from Samorano in the box.

After regaining composure from that intense spell of attacking pressure, Millwall launched another incisive assault.

Ronaldinho received the ball in the midfield and sent a brilliant diagonal pass to Van der Meyde on the other flank. The switch was exceptional; from a bird's-eye view, Internazionale transitioned from attack to defense as their forwards fell back to crowd Ronaldinho. His long switch revealed his remarkable vision.

Van der Meyde took the ball and calmly played it across to Lampard, who in turn sent a diagonal ball to the left flank. The ball returned to Ronaldinho, who had now advanced into the attacking zone, expertly avoiding being squeezed between defenders.

Ronaldinho cut inside in a zigzag manner. This time, Zanetti deliberately blocked the penalty area to prevent the penetrating pass, but Ronaldinho changed direction and ran back to the outside line and started to cross the ball!

he got the better of Zanetti.

Reaching the byline, Ronaldinho unleashed a brilliant improvised cross with a scissor kick.

Zanetti, unable to block the cross, was deceived by Ronaldinho's movement, thinking he would use his left foot. Instead, Ronaldinho planted his weight on his left and crossed with his right from behind. The spectacular cross whipped through the air, and Zanetti lifted his leg, noticeably a step behind.

Van Nistelrooy darted to the near post for a header, and it looked very dangerous.

Pagliuca tried to get a hand on it, but it hit the post and came back out!

Nedved was right there on the follow-up and, with Bergomi looking on in horror, he directed a header toward the opposite side of the net.

West charged in to intervene, but as he tried to clear it off the line, he misjudged and ended up heading into the goal along with the ball.

Milan's Meazza went dead quiet in an instant!

"Hattrick! Hattrick! Nedved has struck again for his third goal! He's completed a phenomenal hat trick, propelling Millwall to a stunning 4-3 lead over Inter Milan! In the second half, Millwall were a transformed team. They came out of halftime with fast, decisive attacks, and the key players really shone. Ronaldinho's dazzling runs and crosses were simply breathtaking. Is he destined to be the next Ronaldo? What do you think?"

Nedved rushed toward the sidelines but was tackled to the ground by his teammates, and even the substitutes couldn't contain their excitement, rushing over to pile on.

Down 1-3 at halftime, Millwall now led 4-3 halfway through the second half!

This match had exploded into chaos!

Internazionale, once in the lead, found themselves completely disoriented by the turnaround!

Despite competing in Serie A, they had been away from Champions League football for too long. Their understanding of elite teams in other leagues was lacking. Coupled with their premature confidence from an early lead, this unexpected turn knocked them off balance.

Hodgson's face was pale, while Aldrich held his chin high, remaining composed.

The game was far from over; anything could happen.

He didn't want his team to lose their cool at this critical moment.

His non-celebration was a reminder to the players. As Nedved stood up to raise his fists toward the away fans, Aldrich merely nodded and applauded, acknowledging Nedved's performance.

This was how it should be.

Having worked to unleash Nedved's attacking prowess over at least two seasons, Aldrich knew the player was in his prime and it was time to deliver results.

So, he wasn't surprised that Nedved completed his hat-trick.

Internazionale began to launch aggressive counterattacks, throwing everything into their offense, creating an exhilarating spectacle—but that posed significant risks too.

Three minutes later, with his energy waning, Baggio attempted to break through Lampard but lost the ball to a solid tackle. Lampard quickly passed it to Schneider, who sprinted forward.

Encountering Cauet in the middle, Schneider and Van der Meyde quickly executed a one-two to advance, with Schneider and Van der Meyde pushing forward side by side. Under pressure from Galante, Van der Meyde went to the edge and Schneider made a direct pass. After receiving the ball, Van der Meyde swept it across the goal, West, feeling the pressure, turned away, not daring to put a foot out for fear of scoring an own goal—the ball was moving too quickly.

In the central area directly in front of the goal, Van Nistelrooy darted ahead of Baggio, using the arch of his foot to nudge the ball right into the net!

Paliuca erupted in fury, shouting angrily at his teammates.

"Van Nistelrooy has done it again! He's scored his second and Millwall's fifth goal of the match. They were two goals down at halftime, and now, with only 15 minutes to go, it's Millwall 5, Inter Milan 3! This is happening right at the San Siro, in the home of the giants. The reigning champions had the elite club smiling for a half, but now, they've taken the smiles away and replaced them with tears. The Millwall fans are going wild in celebration—they've got every reason to! Meanwhile, the Inter fans look bewildered, many shaking their heads in disbelief at what they've just witnessed in the second half. It's not that Inter played poorly; it's that Millwall has been exceptional!"

Moratti watched the match from his box. Each goal scored by Internazionale in the first half had him leaping up in celebration, his enthusiasm rivaling that of Arthur in the Lion's Den.

But now, Moratti was inside his box, smoking nervously, his expression heavy with gloom as if the apocalypse were nigh.

He simply couldn't understand what more Internazionale needed!

Indeed, what more was missing?

In football, many prominent figures are troubled by questions like this. Keegan doesn't grasp why his team's defense is so abysmal, and Moratti wonders why all the significant investments Internazionale have made year after year haven't yielded superior performances against teams with lesser star quality.

Some find solace or answers in their confusion, like England's national team manager Hoddle, who attributes everything to witchcraft...

"Odric is getting ready to make a substitution from the sidelines. Ronaldinho is clearly unable to keep moving; during the last attack, he didn't even make an effort to sprint forward.

He called over Gattuso, who was warming up, instructing him to put on his jersey and get ready to play.

Hodgson, on the other hand, made no substitutions, waving his arms to signal the team to attack with abandon.