The Art of Tactics
When Pirlo stepped onto the field, both sides felt a surge of opportunity.
Fernandes spotted Pirlo and thought that the Italian's defense was too soft, clearly not as solid as the German who had just come off. He instructed Raí and Leonardo to drop back a bit, while the attackers were to maintain a certain distance to keep their connections intact for efficient combinations.
However, Fernandes clearly overestimated his players' stamina. After Pirlo came on, Millwall completely changed their tactical approach.
The two defenders, Schneider and Capdevila, who had obediently stayed back for over sixty minutes, began to push forward frequently. With Pirlo unmarked in midfield, Raí, who played as an attacking midfielder, may have been able to hold his own defensively, but his skill and awareness were noticeably lacking. This was the flaw of such players: if they failed in the first challenge, they wouldn't attempt to win back the ball again. So as long as Pirlo exchanged a couple of passes with Makelele and crossed the halfway line, he would find himself with no one chasing him.
This gave Pirlo plenty of room to showcase his playmaking abilities.
The fullbacks surged forward to create outlets, Nedved dropped back to support, and the wingers retreated to conceal their attacking options. Pirlo had many potential passing routes to choose from.
Suddenly, when Millwall had possession, the ball hardly lingered at any one player's feet. The wingers, who had previously been charging forward with the ball, now effortlessly made quick passes, moving the ball around at an astonishing speed. Even the television broadcast struggled to keep up, requiring wide-angle shots to capture Millwall's attacking maneuvers.
The players from Paris Saint-Germain were taken aback, especially the two fullbacks. Domi and Fournier had become accustomed to marking Larsson and Shevchenko, prepared for their dribbling runs. But instead of facing those two, they were momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar sight of their own fullbacks surging forward.
Schneider made a break from the right, and Shevchenko turned with the ball. Domi instinctively moved in for a frontal challenge, but Shevchenko slipped a ball through to the right flank, just as Schneider timed his run to avoid being offside, bursting into the penalty area.
Fernandes couldn't believe his eyes!
What on earth is happening?
Weren't the wingers cutting inside? Now the fullbacks are doing it too!
As Schneider darted into the penalty box, Le Gorrec rushed over—both players caught off guard by the unexpected entrance of a fullback instead of a winger. Schneider, acting quickly, nudged the ball towards the center. Scoring was not his strongest suit, and competing with Le Gorrec was tough; he could only manage to redirect the ball.
Le Gorrec watched as the ball rolled past him, suddenly feeling a wave of dread wash over him.
Engotti! You better come back!
Thankfully, Engotti did return, tracking Trezeguet's run. Their chances were equal, but Trezeguet didn't give his compatriot an inch; he used his body to shield the ball while deliberately slowing down—infuriating Engotti, who watched as the ball rolled past them.
As the ball drifted away, Trezeguet instantly gave up on the challenge and started running forward to the right. Engotti chased after the ball, and he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a blonde figure sprinting towards him to meet the ball with a long-range shot.
With no defenders to interfere, his strike connected perfectly with the ball.
The ball shot toward the goal like a shooting star.
The veteran goalkeeper Lama dove to the right, his fingertips grazing the ball, but all he managed to do was slightly alter its trajectory. In the end, that shot, which left his fingers stinging, still blasted into Paris Saint-Germain's net!
"Goal! Nedved has equalized for Millwall! This is the Millwall I know! Their quick passing and movement are simply outstanding. Despite seemingly equal numbers, they managed to gain the upper hand through positioning and explosive bursts. The defensive midfielder, Gai-Lan, should have been marking Nedved tightly, but it looks like he can't keep up with the Czech's pace. Millwall's attack has torn apart Paris Saint-Germain's defense! 1-1, only minutes remain, and this scoreline undoubtedly favors Millwall."
After scoring, Nedved raised his arms in celebration, enthusiastically encouraging his teammates to lift their morale!
Paris Saint-Germain's players looked at their opponents with puzzled expressions, feeling bewildered.
What on earth was going on?
They seemed like a totally different team!
Where did their wing play go?
Why are the fullbacks pushing up again?
How could every pass be so precise?
Fernandes buried his face in his hands, deeply troubled.
This was the Millwall he studied.
However, for the first sixty minutes, Millwall had confused Paris Saint-Germain with wing play and crosses while draining their stamina.
Now, they were quickly pushing forward with quick passing and team play, leaving Paris Saint-Germain's players clearly unable to keep up with the tempo.
Things on the pitch can be very subtle.
If Millwall had started the match with their preferred style of deep-lying organization and quick advancement, they would have fallen victim to Paris Saint-Germain's countering tactics following containment. The Paris players would have grown more confident, both physically and mentally, entering a rhythm of controlling the game.
Instead, Millwall abruptly changed tactics, delivering a heavy blow to their opponents before they could react.
Now, trying to shore up their defenses seemed too late, and the situation was against them. Millwall had netted an away goal and, with the score tied, was now playing on their home turf with no retreat.
Aldrich clapped on the sidelines, urging his players to keep up the momentum.
Paris Saint-Germain has a clear challenge ahead: how to restrict Pirlo's influence. They've got the classic playmaker Raí in their lineup, but his defensive shortcomings are a concern. Who is going to be the one to keep Pirlo in check?
Fernandes responded quickly, bringing on a defensive midfielder specifically to counter Pirlo and taking off forward Loco.
This substitution drew boos from the crowd at Prince Park.
While the team needed goals, they were taking off a forward?
Fernandes wore a grim expression. The fans probably didn't realize that since Loco had scored earlier, he had barely been present on the pitch; whenever the camera panned to him, he was either struggling to win challenges or caught in an offside trap, offering no contribution to the attack.
Pirlo now feared no one contesting him, especially in the deeper areas he operated. If the opposition pressed him hard, Nedved would find plenty of space in midfield. Moreover, Paris Saint-Germain's wingers had been thrown into disarray.
Leroy and Domi's defensive efforts looked completely ineffective.
Pirlo smoothly orchestrated the offense, launching attacks from the wings, while Schneider and Capdevila, who had been bottled up for much of the match, unleashed their offensive prowess.
"From the 70th minute onward, Millwall completely seized control of the match. Even when they conceded a goal, they would immediately regroup and counterattack. The PSG players seemed to be struggling with their fitness, unable to match Millwall's speed. The British media remarked last season that Millwall's youth cost them the league title, but this season, I think their youth has become their greatest asset. They are running more energetically and are far more proactive on the pitch. Despite being over 70 minutes in, their sprinting speed shows no sign of faltering!"
Millwall's relentless assault left Paris Saint-Germain dazed. The situation near the goal was frantic, filled with peril.
The one performing at an elite level, even world-class, was the goalkeeper Lama.
He dealt with every shot on target, saving all but Nedved's attempt. In the 15 minutes that followed, he faced 12 shots, 8 of which were on goal, and he denied them all!
Trezeguet's point-blank shot was once again blocked out by Lama, who extended his leg for the save.
This marked Trezeguet's seventh shot of the match, but he still couldn't find the net—his efficiency was starkly decreased compared to his time in the Premier League.
Annoyed, Trezeguet kicked the goalpost in frustration.
Pirlo leisurely set up for a corner, waiting for his defenders to advance.
As the clock ticked to the 86th minute, the Paris Saint-Germain players looked even more anxious, many appearing utterly exhausted, their hairstyles a chaotic mess, with some practically "smoking" from their exertion under the floodlights in a bizarre sight.
Forwards crowded the box, with Elguera at the rear post and Nedved at the front. As Pirlo took a short run-up for the corner, chaos reigned in the box.
But those watching the ball's descent were left stunned.
What the hell, ball, where are you going?
Outside the box, at the top of the arc, Schneider, who had roamed around midfield during the corner setup, suddenly appeared in the space. No one marked him, the ball came in as a half-volley with nobody blocking its path, its speed just right for a slow descent.
Schneider was poised to take a stunning volley, his stance looking absolutely spectacular.
Bang!
Aldrich smacked his forehead with his palm on the sidelines.
What the hell was that shot?!
Clearly, he had mishit it, the ball struck his foot and lazily floated toward the small box.
When the Paris Saint-Germain players noticed that Pirlo's corner was aimed outside the box, they all surged forward. What they didn't expect was that Schneider would completely miss his volley, sending the ball flying over their heads and behind them.
They had to hurriedly stop and turn back, creating a comically chaotic scene.
In the small box, Lama had rushed out, but someone beat him to it, leaping up to head the ball into the net. In that moment, Lama was powerless to respond.
He could only signal to the linesman for offside.
But the linesman did not respond.
"Last-Minute Goal! Larsson has scored the winner for Millwall, turning the tide against Paris Saint-Germain just five minutes from the end. They now lead 2-1 away from home! The players from Paris Saint-Germain complained about offside, but slow-motion replay tells us Larsson indeed stood behind the Paris defenders in the penalty area; however, PSG's right back, who was tracking the far post, had moved slowly and lagged behind. As he got back into position, Larsson was already scoring. The referee's decision was correct—the goal stands!"
After scoring, Larsson let out an ecstatic smile, arms wide as he screamed at his teammates, running giddily along the touchline as they surrounded him, all frantic and excited.
Eventually, Larsson was tackled to the ground by Southgate, and teammates flooded in to celebrate the goal.
This was the goal that brought them a step closer to the finals!
Aldrich jumped up in elation, a beaming smile on his face, as other coaches and players rushed out to join in the celebration of that goal!
Prince Park fell silent, except for the Millwall fans waving their flags and chanting wildly.
Aldrich began to make substitutions, bringing Gronkjaer on for Shevchenko and Zambrotta for Capdevila.
Paris Saint-Germain refused to accept defeat on their home turf. Regardless of their exhausted state, they immediately launched an offensive onslaught.
But after their powerful attack failed, they turned to Schneider, who executed a long ball finding Gronkjaer, the Danish player displaying explosive pace as he took the ball down the wing. Although he appeared somewhat clumsy in technique, taking too big a touch, he directed the ball five meters behind Domi. As Domi turned to chase, he noticed a figure speeding alongside him, and after just a couple of strides, he found himself a position behind Gronkjaer.
What the hell! What kind of speed is this?!
Using a simple and forceful method, Gronkjaer made short work of Domi, dribbling and shifting directions to dart into the box. As Le Gorrec approached to defend, Gronkjaer made a sharp cut to the base line and then sent the ball back to the center.
With space to himself and no one pressuring him, Trezeguet calmly struck at the golden opportunity, picking his angle beautifully for a near-post finish!
But Lama, once more, lunged to stop the shot, and it was a reflexive save, with the ball striking his face!
Trezeguet, who had cursed himself for missing the earlier post, found all his frustration vanishing now.
He stood with hands on hips, staring down, then slowly walked over to pat the downed Lama, who was holding his face in pain, murmuring an apology.
Paris Saint-Germain had escaped a calamity, and the referee blew the final whistle. Lama would see the team doctor.
The game came to an end, with Millwall defeating the reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final!