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Chapter 218: A Bold Gamble: The Crucial Moment

The team was trailing with little time left, but Robson's changes weren't born from desperation.

Earlier this season, during the Copa del Rey, Barcelona faced a significant deficit to Atlético Madrid. Robson employed a similarly audacious substitution strategy, resulting in a dramatic comeback for Barcelona!

This method had proven successful before.

Essentially, it was about stacking attacking players to boost morale, creating an offensive advantage, and unifying the team's mindset.

Seeing their coach make such changes, the players understood how to approach the game.

A coach has a taboo: to stand still in adversity equates to surrender. After making changes, whether you win or lose depends on skill and luck; at least you've made an attempt.

If you seek a miracle, you must take action to create space for it to happen, in addition to earnestly praying for it.

Aldrich also made three substitutions, and while they seemed steady, they were equally a gamble!

Others might have replaced defenders to strengthen the defense after seeing Barcelona bring on more forwards.

But Aldrich took a different approach; the defensive system is a complex web, difficult to comprehend at first glance. Would three center-backs be more reliable than two?

Not necessarily!

A well-coordinated duo knows their defensive areas and crucial positions, understanding each other's movements. But with three center-backs? Introducing a new partner without prior practice muddles understanding. Even if this new player is diligent, they might disrupt the established defensive structure, which could lead to confusion.

Yet, one must acknowledge the element of luck on the field.

If Barcelona, by stacking six or seven attackers, scores quickly and levels the score, chaos would ensue. They would be deemed "on fire!"

At this moment, Millwall faced a true test.

Aldrich bolstered the intercepting presence of his defensive midfield, keeping the four defenders intact. In front, were two defensive midfielders, with Nedved's mandate being to press Guardiola. Despite Barcelona's multitude of forwards, organizing in a tightly packed front would be challenging. If they weakened their grip on Guardiola, Aldrich could picture a scenario where Guardiola orchestrates play freely near the midfield, with Barcelona's attackers bombarding Millwall's goal.

Larsson and Gronkjaer dropped back, and during defense, Millwall's shape resembled a 4-4-1-1, remaining composed despite Barcelona's changes, as their practiced defense remained unchanged.

Robson stood grimly on the sidelines, while Aldrich maintained a calm exterior, though his eyes sparkled with the intensity of a beast.

At this point in the match, it was truly a matter of life or death!

Fans in the stands were electrified, particularly the neutral ones. As the game reached this stage, the atmosphere became unbearably thrilling. Barcelona was charging forward with all they've got; could Millwall hold their ground?!

Barcelona's three-pronged attack comprised Ronaldo, Pizzi, and Giovanni.

Yet, Millwall's defense had tightened considerably. The distance between defenders and midfielders was about three yards, surrounded by players. Barcelona's flank attacks failed to penetrate; Figo and Enrique often relied on their skills to create space, but rushed crosses posed little threat. The real concern lay in the chaos that could arise amidst so many bodies, increasing the risk of conceding a goal.

Figo passed back to Sergi, who launched a diagonal ball into the box.

Elguera managed to outmuscle Pizzi for a headed clearance, but the ball was sent soaring out of the penalty area. Stoichkov picked it up and shot before Ballack could intervene.

The Lions' fans were holding their breath!

Aldrich felt the pulse quicken.

"Butt has done it! He reliably caught Stoichkov's seemingly assured long-range shot! Germany has another outstanding goalkeeper!"

Butt quickly scanned the field as he stood up.

After successfully defending, Millwall's players shifted from a closed formation to an open one.

Holding the ball, Butt advanced to the edge of the penalty area and, as Barcelona players rushed back, he threw the ball to Zambrotta on the left. Zambrotta pushed forward with a direct pass to Larsson, who was near the left sideline just past halfway.

This side held a vulnerability in Barcelona's defense. As Larsson received the ball, Guardiola approached, but instead of attempting to dribble, he took a quick, angled pass to the right.

Unintentionally, Larsson drew the defense's focus toward him.

However, as the ball seemed destined to roll out, Gronkjaer lunged and tapped it back into play, immediately bursting forward. Sergi scrambled to intercept, but Gronkjaer deftly nudged the ball forward, pausing just in time to avoid a collision. He then charged toward the Barcelona penalty area.

At this moment, only Baía and Kuto were left in Barcelona's defense.

Kuto retreated, shadowing Shevchenko and intentionally obstructing Gronkjaer's space to cut inside.

The Lions' fans roared, "Yespe! Put the ball in Barcelona's net! Kick that damned ball in!"

Gronkjaer burst into the penalty area with the ball, finding a shooting angle that Kuto alone couldn't block. Just then, Kuto abandoned Shevchenko to close in on him. As Gronkjaer lifted his foot to shoot, Kuto rushed forward to obstruct, only to be surprised when Gronkjaer unexpectedly passed the ball into the center. Shevchenko, having sprinted to avoid being offside, had already stopped his run.

The tireless Czech, Nedved, charged in, receiving the pass before taking a step forward. Baía, gritting his teeth, once again rushed out from the goal. This time, just as the goalkeeper made his move, Nedved lifted his foot to shoot.

From a near-penalty distance, Nedved's calm and forceful shot rocketed through the air like a missile, skimming past Baía by just a meter. The ball's path was upward, and it entered the goal in the blink of an eye, so fast that it was almost impossible to follow!

"Millwall scores again! 3-1, 3-1, 3-1... Nedved has helped Millwall extend the lead! Will he help lift the trophy? Only eight minutes remain! Barcelona trails by two goals!"

After scoring, Nedved raced towards the bench, surrounded by Aldrich and all the coaches and players, celebrating exuberantly.

"We will be champions! We will be champions! We will be that damn glorious champion!"

Aldrich embraced each player who ran up to him, then cupped their faces and pressed their foreheads together. With a fierce expression, he said in a low voice, "There are ten minutes left. You're champions now! Show the will and performance of champions, and hold on until the very last moment!"

While excited, the players took on a serious demeanor upon returning to the pitch, embodying the spirit of natural fighters.

As Nedved was the last to re-enter, Aldrich pointed toward him with pride, giving two thumbs up to the crowd.

The Lions fans chanted in unison, "Lions warrior! Pavel Nedved!"

Some even removed their shirts, helped each other onto shoulders, waving their fists and roaring with glee.

"Does anyone regret it? Does anyone regret it? Damn reporters, coaches! Are you fucking watching the game? Did you watch it again? Did you watch the performance of Larsson and Nedvěd? Damn it! Who dares? Say they are not the best in Europe? "What team doesn't accept that and we will beat you! "

Fans' emotions are self-serving and simple; as long as their beloved players perform well, they believe they are the best in the world!

"The goal conceded by Barcelona took a heavy toll on their morale. Although Guardiola had been stripped of the captain's armband this season, he still exuded leadership qualities. He, along with Enrique, Kuto, and others, kept rallying their teammates."

There's still time; we can create a miracle!

Barcelona's strong belief propelled them to keep fighting.

Yet Millwall showed no signs of letting up. Besides Shevchenko, who stayed just behind the center circle, the rest of the players returned to strengthen the defense.

Aldrich remained tense; despite the two-goal lead after Nedved's goal, he felt the match was still uncertain.

Is one goal lead safe? Not at all!

But even less safe is a two-goal lead!

Does this theory seem strange?

Not at all. A one-goal lead makes players acutely aware that if the opponent scores, the game is tied. This focus keeps them attentive, minimizing the risk of conceding.

"But a two-goal lead is different; people might relax internally because there's a fallback: even if we concede one, we're still ahead, so what's there to fear?

The psychological state with a two-goal lead is different from that with a one-goal lead. While the former looks better from a tactical standpoint, it's actually more dangerous psychologically."

For this reason, Aldrich wasn't overly celebratory. On the contrary, he reminded every player to retain their fighting spirit, without a shred of complacency.

Goals in football can come in the blink of an eye; if Barcelona goes on a rampage, the likelihood of scoring two goals in rapid succession isn't negligible!

After being stirred by Aldrich's spirit, the players stayed focused. Barcelona's players found themselves filled with despair against such a resolute opponent.

It felt as though they weren't facing ordinary players.

The eleven opponents, combined, seemed to loom over them like the totem of an enraged lion.

Barcelona's all-out offensive continued, but their attacks became rather one-dimensional, transmitting the ball directly to the most dangerous zones.

Their formation was no longer discernible, with players from all positions barging into the box seeking scoring chances.

Giovanni attempted a header in the box but missed wildly.

As injury time was announced, four minutes showed on the clock!

Barcelona hadn't given up yet; Southgate intercepted a pass aimed for De La Pe?a in the penalty area, who fell and appealed for a penalty, but the referee remained uninterested.

Southgate cleared the ball with a powerful kick into the forward zone.

Barcelona, caught off guard by their empty defense, were astonished to find Shevchenko with another one-on-one chance!

Kuto, having pushed up, misjudged the ball's trajectory, allowing Shevchenko to sprint forward unchecked.

The Ukrainian surged forward with the ball, and today, Baía was undoubtedly the unluckiest man on the field, as Barcelona's defense made him look foolish.

Just outside the box, Shevchenko opted to shoot. Baía was already advancing, and Shevchenko decided on a slick placement.

Watching the ball roll toward the bottom left corner of the net, Shevchenko prepared to celebrate, only to be met with a thud.

The ball hit the post and ricocheted back!

Shevchenko stood in disbelief as Baía lunged for it, but someone outpaced him and snatched the ball away.

Larsson!

The Swedish striker calmly kicked the ball into an empty net before running towards Shevchenko, who was initially shocked and slightly frustrated after missing the goal but found solace when Larsson added in the shot. Because he didn't miss a great opportunity.

The two walked back towards their half, all the while the stadium reverberated with Millwall's cheers.

the King of Europe is about to be crowned!