Forget About the Championship Identity

From the very first minute of the match, Aldrich felt a knot in his stomach. It wasn't that Dynamo Kyiv were playing exceptionally well; they were probably just performing at their usual level.

However, Millwall had barely any players who were functioning normally.

Right from the kick-off, Zambrotta slipped while defending on the wing. Had it not been for Lampard sprinting back just in time to clear the ball from Haskovic's feet, Haskovic might have accelerated and broken through Millwall's entire defense. In the box, Rebrov was in position, just waiting for a decisive pass from a teammate.

After a corner kick by Dynamo Kyiv, Millwall's two main defenders seemed sluggish, moving noticeably slower than usual. Schneider, positioned at the back post, was about to head the ball away, but he was outmuscled by an opponent who leapt higher to attempt a header.

"It's Karaze's header! Butt saves it! He held the ball securely in his arms—that was a world-class save!" 

In his usual style, Butt would have controlled the ball and counterattacked, but now he exhibited a more mature demeanor as a goalkeeper. Sensing his teammates' struggles on the field, he hugged the ball tight, slowing the game down to give his teammates a moment to catch their breath and regain composure.

Witnessing this, Aldrich's expression turned serious as he signaled for his forwards to retreat. The two defensive midfielders and strikers adjusted their positioning, compressing the space across the lines to bolster protection in critical areas.

The Millwall players took their warm-up seriously, but once it ended, the biting cold quickly left them feeling stiff, as if they had power but couldn't tap into it.

This reaction is completely typical. When ordinary people face strenuous physical activity in cold conditions, they instinctively control their movements and pace as their bodies try to protect themselves. The players are not used to this climate and it feels like winter, which makes it difficult for them to match the speed of their opponents. They also dare not make too big moves, which limits the players' overall performance.

To make matters worse, the inability to showcase their skills left the players feeling a bit anxious at the start of the match. They sensed an urgency, as if the opponents had some kind of advantage while they were weighed down by an invisible restraint.

Aldrich gave on-field instructions, knowing it wasn't realistic to engage the players in long discussions about adjusting their mentality during the match. However, the head coach could direct them to adjust through their game behaviors.

"Let's tighten up the formation, pass more, even if it means playing it back. First, let's ensure we don't concede, and while we're passing, keep moving."

In this tedious process of running and passing, Millwall managed to maintain possession for over twenty minutes at one point, dominating with more than 80% possession!

However, that 80% possession didn't translate into any real advantage in the match dynamics.

The deeper effect was that during those twenty minutes of passing, Millwall's players began to warm up physically, stabilized their mentality, and regained their confidence.

This possession was not about threatening the opponents but about self-adjustment.

Dynamo Kyiv dared not press forward fully. Therefore, when Millwall passed the ball back and forth in their own half, seemingly aimlessly, the Dynamo players were confused. They probably thought Millwall was aiming to waste time in their own half and leave Ukraine with a draw.

Dynamo's fans were not pleased. Jeers erupted from the stands, filled with mocking remarks.

"What champions of the Premier League are these?"

"You're afraid to make it past half?"

"This is last season's top European team? My son's school team plays better than them."

"Pass, pass, you bunch of turtles!"

The Lions' fans looked worried.

What was happening to the team?

Starting with a conservative formation and playing cautiously—were they truly intimidated by the Ukrainian powerhouse?

It wasn't until the twenty-sixth minute that Millwall finally crafted a threatening attack.

Schneider moved up the wing to join the offensive play, while Ballack positioned himself upfront, and Nedved dropped back to provide support. The trio executed a series of quick passes in the midfield, allowing Schneider to break past Kosovoski's defense.

Yet, Schneider couldn't seem to exploit his usual speed advantage today. He felt as if the Ukrainian defenders were all outrunning him. Typically, he wouldn't be highlighted for his pace, but given space, once he decided to explode, there were very few who could keep up with him. After passing Kosovoski, he still struggled to create distance, so he was forced to play the ball sideways to Nedved.

Without stopping the ball, Nedved delivered a perfect through pass right between the defense of Karaze and Vashchuk, slicing through their lines.

At that moment, Shevchenko, who had settled into the game quickly, made a diagonal run into the gap, retrieving the ball near the byline. As Dynamo's defense pressed toward him, Shevchenko sent it back to the top of the box.

Larsson, who had advanced, emerged from a tight situation between Husin and Kaddash, striking the ball fiercely!

It was a glorious chance, but last season's top scorer ended up blasting it over the goal.

Playing in this unfamiliar weather and field conditions, Larsson couldn't find his normal rhythm either—even in poor form in the Premier League, that shot should still have been on target.

Aldrich clapped from the sidelines, encouraging his players and urging them not to be disheartened.

Janzen, having observed this attack, approached Aldrich and whispered, "Why don't we let the players keep playing like that? It's working like magic."

Aldrich shook his head, saying, "No, that's not our style. If we win by playing like that, they'll incorporate it as a tactical option, and I don't want that. Plus, that tactic might not break through a top team's defense."

Janzen thought it over and decided not to press further, returning to his seat.

Millwall's sudden offensive surge after maintaining possession for an extended period resembled Guardiola's Barcelona, where patience and passing lead to quality opportunities.

However, this had significantly varied effects on the morale and mindset of both teams.

Being active kept Millwall's players engaged, forcing their thoughts to quicken, while Dynamo Kyiv's midfielders, after failing to regain the ball once, then twice, then thrice, began to lose their composure, leading to defensive lapses, with teammates maintaining greater distances due to frantic pressure. Their defenders fell into a "hypnotized" state.

Watching the ball being passed around, from left to right and back again, the Dynamo players slowly lost their fighting spirit as fatigue set in.

In such a scenario, if Millwall suddenly launched a forward penetrating attack, the Dynamo players would be susceptible to exploitation due to the increased tempo.

Nedved's earlier through ball was a prime example—if the game had remained at a high pace, Karaze and Vashchuk wouldn't have let the ball roll between them, let alone allow Shevchenko to slip in, as Gromkov would have been at least two steps late. By the time they reacted, their defensive gaps were evident, and in panic, they rushed towards Shevchenko, leaving Larsson trailing unmarked.

But such an offensive strategy was built on a foundation of twenty or thirty passes. Aldrich didn't believe this was a tactic they could widely apply or one that The Lions could adopt. 

Simply relying on possession pressure wasn't sufficient to solve the problem.

The glory of the Dream Team Barcelona was significantly tied to one player who could consistently break through any defender in a one-meter range—Messi. When they couldn't create threats through passing, it was often Messi who stepped up to resolve those situations. Conversely, when Barcelona lost critical matches, the main issue wasn't their ability to pass or maintain possession; it was whether or not Messi was in top form. When Barcelona lost, Messi bore the brunt of criticism, which seemed odd since he was the offensive core but not the tactical nucleus. Due to the overwhelming success of that tactic with the Spanish national team, external voices didn't question their strategy but rather targeted Messi for his role in the failure.

Currently, Millwall lacked a peak version of Messi or anyone who could match his dribbling prowess. Larsson was the offensive core since he had the highest chance to score from threatening passes, but he didn't possess the ability to take on an entire defense by himself. Aldrich couldn't afford to let his team employ a possession-oriented tactic; meeting a world-class defense would leave The Lions struggling to find the net.

Lobanovskyi rose from his seat, issuing directives to his players.

"Step up the intensity in midfield; we can't let Millwall control the ball comfortably."

With the warning from their previous defensive scare, Dynamo Kyiv's players became more vigilant and aggressive in their pressing. More adapted to the day's conditions, their performance improved markedly, leading to fierce duels in the midfield.

Both teams were losing possession rapidly. Nedved, after linking up with Ballack, tried to pass but was intercepted by Husin, who instantly played it through to the wing for Kosovoski.

Kosovoski, switching from a defensive role to a winger, made a sudden stop and cut inside, leaving Schneider in pursuit.

Today was unusual—facing top wingers like Figo, McManaman, and Giggs, he could keep up with their pace while defending. Yet, an unfamiliar player like Kosovoski effortlessly maneuvered past him. His awareness kept pace, but his body was just a beat too slow.

Realizing that Belkovich was closely tracking him, and Rebrov hadn't found the right space to exploit, Kosovoski opted to keep the ball. As he took a step forward, Makelele challenged swiftly, forcing him to shift the ball towards the wing, but Schneider edged him out, resulting in a failed attack.

Aldrich nodded subtly from the sidelines—this was a successful team defense.

Millwall's three defensive midfielders effectively compensated for the decline in individual performances.

As for Millwall's attack strategy, it would largely depend on Dynamo Kyiv's approach.

If they intended to solve the game with minimal manpower, as they had against Barcelona, Millwall wouldn't grant them that opportunity. Millwall could lower their stance, set aside their Premier League champion status, and be more conservative.

If Dynamo Kyiv aimed for victory on home turf, they would have to commit more players to the attack.

In that case, speeding up the transitions and capitalizing on their opponents' weaknesses was where Millwall excelled.

Football is riddled with risks and opportunities, both in attack and defense, with advantages and disadvantages intertwined.

The dull first half came to an end. It could be divided into two segments: Millwall "dominated" possession in the first twenty minutes, while the last twenty-five minutes saw both teams exhausting themselves in a battle for the ball. The only significant opportunities for either side were Karaze's header and Larsson's misplaced shot.