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Chapter 353: Ronaldinho’s Frustration

Before the match kicked off, Aldrich exchanged a few words with Hodgson at the sidelines; however, the atmosphere was noticeably less vibrant than it had been before the draw results were announced.

The worry etched on Hodgson's face was evident—a solemn expression that suggested he was attending a funeral rather than preparing for a match. If Aldrich bore any resentment towards him, he might have thought to himself, "That face looks like someone who just walked away from a cemetery."

Dressed in a suit, Aldrich sat down, quietly awaiting the start of the match.

The players from both teams began to enter the field.

"The first matchday of the 9899 UEFA Champions League is about to begin. The earlier match today can be considered the inaugural game of the new season. The defending champions, Millwall, are visiting the Serie A runners-up, Inter Milan. Such a high-stakes clash certainly raises expectations for this football feast. Unfortunately, today's Millwall is a vastly different team from the one that won the Champions League four months ago in Amsterdam, as there are fewer than five players from that final listed in the starting lineup.

Millwall's starting lineup is in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Goalkeeper: Butt.

Defenders: Schneider, Materazzi, Southgate, Zambrotta.

Double pivot: Lampard, Makélélé.

Midfielders: Gronkjaer, Nedvěd, Ronaldinho.

Forwards: Van Nistelrooy.

Aldrich had spent four years building a championship team, only to see it dismantled by European giants over the summer. Now, he was set to lead a new generation of young talent on a fresh journey. Fortunately, players like Southgate and Nedvěd remained as pillars of the team.

Inter Milan's lineup today was a 4-4-2.

Goalkeeper: Pagliuca.

Defenders: Zanetti, Bergomi, West, Galante.

Midfielders: Simeone, Cauet, Djorkaeff, Baggio.

Forwards: Ronaldo, Zamorano.

During his first tenure with Inter, Hodgson managed to pull the club from the brink of relegation to a seventh-place finish in his first season. In his second season, they secured third place in the league and were runners-up in the UEFA Cup. Now back for his second stint at Inter, he had begun the season with a victory, but even playing at home, facing the new generation of Millwall's youth, the English manager would not have felt at ease. It was a strange feeling; despite Millwall losing so many key players, you couldn't underestimate them. This young team had beaten the mighty Manchester United in the league. What kind of match would both teams deliver to the fans today? Well, the game was about to begin, and Inter Milan would kick off first."

With the referee's whistle, the match commenced. Inter Milan started strong, with Djorkaeff and Baggio executing a quick give-and-go through the midfield. Baggio then displayed his individual skill to maneuver past Lampard and delivered a short pass to Ronaldo. The alien skated across the edge of the box, creating space for a shot. With a thud, the ball struck the exterior of the post and went wide.

"Inter Milan almost took the lead! Ronaldo's shot was just inches away from scoring; if it had gone in, it would have broken the record for the fastest goal in Champions League history! That only took 12 seconds!"

Aldrich's heart raced for a moment; thankfully, Ronaldo's effort missed, or the match would have become problematic.

Lampard is still young and seldom encounters opponents with such superb skills in the Premier League. It was also the first time he met Baggio. Coupled with the pressure of playing away from home, he was easily broken through by Baggio. The scene was horrible, reminding people of a world boxing champion quickly knocking down an inexperienced novice in the boxing ring.

So, what was the strongest aspect of Inter Milan's lineup? Undoubtedly, their offense.

On the front line, they had the alien Ronaldo and the terrifying Iván Zamorano.

How strong was Baggio's individual skill? He was a deity shining on the grandest stage of football, the World Cup.

Djorkaeff was another star emerging from Wenger's early days at Monaco.

Cauet was also familiar to Millwall, having been a starting player for Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Cup semifinals two years ago.

The Argentine international, Simeone, was a formidable defensive midfielder.

Looking solely at Inter Milan's midfield and forward lines, one could easily see a clear issue: a strong offense but a relatively weak defense.

Especially behind the front line, Baggio and Djorkaeff were both players capable of playing as forwards.

The strongest defensive midfielder was Simeone, followed by Cauet, and after that, the remaining four forwards hardly mattered in comparison.

As for the opposing defense, Zanetti truly was still a young talent, and Bergomi was nearing retirement; these were weak links in their defense, and that was exactly the tactical approach Aldrich had chosen to exploit with Ronaldinho on the left flank.

Gronkjaer on the right was just a decoy, using his individual skills to attract the opposition's attention while ensuring the ball could be quickly shifted over to the left.

Today, Nedvěd would be matched against Simeone, each in their respective roles of offense and defense, and they were evenly matched.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and Millwall initially focused on stabilizing their rhythm to adapt to the match.

Once the first fifteen minutes were over, Millwall began to build their attacks, but they were swiftly countered by Inter Milan.

Simeone intercepted Nedvěd's attempt to pass to Gronkjaer. The pass from Gronkjaer was less than ideal, a risky one, and Nedvěd audaciously attempted to reach it but couldn't get a touch.

As Simeone intercepted the ball, he immediately sent it forward to Djorkaeff, who turned and passed to Baggio. Baggio continued to challenge Lampard, who fell back step by step. Baggio faked a move, passing to Djorkaeff instead of competing with his national teammate Makélélé, sliding the ball diagonally to Zamorano, who had his back to Southgate. After receiving the pass, Zamorano laid it back to the onrushing Baggio. Baggio then passed it to Ronaldo.

The series of quick and complex passes was dazzling. Ronaldo received the ball, used two quick feints to fool Materazzi, and then faced Bute one-on-one. The alien striker suddenly shot in a flash, and it was hard to tell whether it was a feint or a real shot! When the ball slowly entered the net, Bute did not even try to save it because it did not look like a shot at all - Ronaldo almost just touched the ball with the tip of his shoe; it was as if he did not even need to swing his leg.

"Goal! Inter Milan has taken the lead at home, and the scorer is the alien Ronaldo! What a spectacular goal! Inter Milan sent the ball through a series of beautiful tight passes to Ronaldo, who used his individual skill to overcome both Materazzi and Butt."

Ronaldo stretched his arms wide as he ran to the sidelines to celebrate, and his teammates engulfed him.

Aldrich moved to the sideline and signaled to Schneider, and when Schneider approached, Aldrich advised him on further adjustments.

Inter Milan had completely abandoned the flanks today!

They were focused on attacking through the middle, and it was proving effective.

Describing their formation as a 4-4-2 would be more accurate if termed a 4-2-2-2.

Hodgson had likely studied Millwall's recent form; although Lampard's defense was stronger than Pirlo's, when not able to dominate the midfield, it left them vulnerable to more tests. Especially with Millwall's tactic, it was crucial for the wide players to track back during defense.

Aldrich's adjustment involved narrowing the two full-backs into the penalty area. Schneider was to cover for Ronaldo's successful attempts to maneuver past defenders or intercept passes meant for Baggio.

The Inter Milan fans at Meazza were ecstatic, thrilled to be back at the pinnacle of European club football after a nine-year absence. Inter Milan's start was simply wonderful!

After making some adjustments, Aldrich noticed that Millwall's central defense had strengthened, but their attacking performance left him furrowing his brow.

He underestimated his enemy!

Before the match, he thought Ronaldinho would have the edge against Zanetti, but in reality, Zanetti was delivering an exceptionally effective defensive performance against Ronaldinho today.

Having spent three seasons as a starter at Inter, Zanetti had honed his skills in Serie A, and facing countless talented offensive players, while he hadn't perfected his defense, had reached a very high level.

Ronaldinho seemed to be at odds with Zanetti. After failing to break through Zanetti twice in a row, he was determined to get past Zanetti at all costs.

This single-minded attitude greatly weakened Ronaldinho's influence!

The most critical quality for a defensive player is anticipation, while it is about change for an attacking player. Once Ronaldinho lost his unpredictable spark, it was clear to Zanetti how to counter him; the outcome of their battle was easy to foresee.

Eight minutes after conceding that first goal, Ronaldinho attempted an inward dribble but was thwarted by Zanetti. Seizing the opportunity, Zanetti charged forward with the ball, and just as Millwall started to build their attack, they were caught off-guard by a counter. Lampard dashed back desperately, while Nedvěd also sprinted to the side, eager to disrupt Zanetti's run.

The young Argentine was quick to play the pass, and Djorkaeff took it in stride, launching a beautiful long ball. Ivan, with his back to the action, directed it with a header. Ronaldo missed the ball, but behind him, Baggio executed a brilliant touch as it landed, getting around Materazzi with ease. Just when it looked like Baggio was set for a one-on-one with the keeper, Schneider flew in with a tackle—he got a piece of the ball but took Baggio down in the process. The referee didn't hesitate, blowing his whistle and pointing straight to the penalty spot.

"Inter Milan has been awarded a penalty! While Schneider's tackle made contact with the ball first, FIFA had prohibited tackles from behind four years ago and had strictly enforced this in the recent World Cup. UEFA also introduced new tackling regulations; lateral tackles are considered dangerous and not permitted. This rule has been established in this season's Champions League and will be used in the upcoming European Championship."

Millwall players tried to explain to the referee, while Schneider, once up, checked on Baggio to ensure he wasn't injured. He then stood, hands on his hips.

It wasn't that he didn't know his previous action might lead to a penalty; the urgency of the situation had caused him to forget everything in a moment of impulse.

The referee's decision wouldn't change, and after Millwall's players clarified their case, they didn't press further. At least Schneider didn't receive a yellow card—which the referee seemed to interpret as leniency.

Aldrich remained on the sidelines without protesting to the fourth official. Unlike their game against Wimbledon, the penalty call just now was according to UEFA's new policy and not open to debate. In other words, if Millwall players were tackled from the side or rear in the opponent's penalty area, the referee should award a penalty, regardless of whether the ball had been touched.

Rules are rules; both sides are equal.

Though this rule might be frustrating.

Just like FIFA's ban on tackles from behind; regular people might cheer upon hearing it, as it protects players and ensures that attacking plays are not maliciously disrupted.

However, how many top defenders—especially those with exceptional tackling skills—felt utterly helpless?

In contemporary times, the standards for tackling penalties have constantly been revised, leading to one phenomenon: ten years later, it became quite rare to see top-flight defensive players with outstanding tackling skills.

There is no way, the rules determine the game, and defenders hardly spend time training, because even if they do, they can't use it. Take those Argentine defenders with excellent stealing skills, for example, they can only watch Owen shine on the defense line. If the rules are still the same, Owen will definitely not be able to break through the Argentine goal so easily.

Oddo was not angry about the penalty. In fact, he didn't even care who took the penalty. He called Ronaldinho over, as if Inter Milan's penalty had nothing to do with him. For him, what really mattered was Ronaldinho's performance just now.