Chapter 52: Full-Scale Defense

Van Gaal was indeed very angry.

Being one goal down at home wasn't a big deal; after all, there were still forty-five minutes in the second half to chase the game. What made him angry wasn't just being tricked by José earlier but also the way Rivaldo had wasted numerous opportunities in the first half. Despite being given full freedom and a more attacking role, Rivaldo failed to organize the team's offense and instead restricted Ronald de Boer's movement in midfield, weakening Barcelona's attacking power.

However, after some thought, Van Gaal decided to forgive Rivaldo. After all, Rivaldo was Barcelona's star player, and merely placing him on the left wing couldn't bring out his full potential.

Van Gaal also realized that Dani's poor performance on the right wing had been a mistake. Dani had proven his quality as a forward with seven goals in ten games last season, and wasting such a forward on the bench was a real shame. Barcelona fans had been vocal in their support of him, and Van Gaal, coaching at a membership-based club, knew that fan support was just as important as the president's.

Yet, Van Gaal couldn't afford to let Dani replace Kluivert. Not only was Kluivert his trusted player, but his role in the 4-3-3 formation was also critical. The central striker not only scored goals but also assisted the wingers. Rivaldo had become Barcelona's top scorer thanks to Kluivert's contributions.

Thus, Van Gaal found himself in a dilemma. Both forwards were talented, but there was only one central striker position in his tactical setup. Playing both of them together would either weaken the overall attacking play or disrupt the long-established 4-3-3 system. For Van Gaal, this was unacceptable.

He had considered switching to a two-striker system with Rivaldo and Figo playing on the wings and a false No. 10, but this idea challenged his established tactics, something he wasn't willing to experiment with, especially in such an important match. If Barcelona lost, they'd fall five points behind Deportivo La Coruña, and their title hopes could be dashed.

After rejecting Mourinho's suggestion to replace Ronald de Boer with Figo and switch to a 4-4-2, Van Gaal made his decision.

"Dani out, Luis in."

Dani's expression darkened as he heard this. He knew his first-half performance hadn't been great, but it wasn't his preferred position... Last season at Mallorca, he had felt so comfortable, with a coach who trusted him and teammates he had a great understanding with. But now, after moving to Barcelona, he had joined a top club yet lost all that comfort. Was this the price for joining a giant club?

Van Gaal didn't have the luxury of worrying about Dani's feelings. He turned to Figo and gave him instructions: "When you come on, besides using the wing, make sure to cut inside to disrupt their defense. Mallorca is excellent at aerial defense and tight at the edge of the box. Long shots and crosses are not a big threat, so we need to increase dribbling and play more through balls to create chances. Watch out for Nadal."

Figo nodded. At 27, he was at his prime, and though his fame worldwide wasn't as massive as some, he was indispensable to Barcelona. This was his fifth season with the club, and he had been teammates with Nadal for four years. Even though Nadal was no longer a starter in recent years, Figo knew his defensive capabilities well—he was a calm and composed center-back, adept at positioning despite his slower pace.

"Second half, go score and win this game! I know it's been tough this season with both domestic and international commitments, but we've already won the league twice. Our sights should not be just on Spain, but on Europe as a whole! We must lift the Champions League again like we did with the Dream Team, but we can't let the league title slip away. We need to win this match and keep the pressure on La Coruña. They're on the verge of collapsing—if we don't make mistakes, we'll catch up with them!"

After Van Gaal's speech, the Barcelona players roared in agreement, and with Guardiola leading them, they marched out of the locker room.

Van Gaal hadn't considered one thing: what if it wasn't La Coruña that made the first mistake, but Barcelona? What would happen then?

Amidst the cheers and noise, the players took to the field.

"Ah, Barcelona makes their first substitution, Dani Garcia goes off, and on comes the Portuguese Luis Figo. Van Gaal clearly wasn't happy with the first half. Dani's performance was average, possibly because he wasn't suited to the right wing. His previous games where he scored goals immediately were far more impressive. Figo's entrance shows Barcelona is no longer holding back; Mallorca's performance in the first half clearly put a lot of pressure on them!"

Barcelona fans remained silent on the substitution. Though they weren't thrilled Van Gaal was again substituting a Spanish player over a Dutch one, they couldn't boo Figo, as he was one of their favorite players—not out of respect for Van Gaal, but for Figo himself.

"Indeed... Figo's on, Barcelona really can't afford to lose this match. Poor Dani, he must be remembering how comfortable he was at Mallorca last season. Now he's at Barcelona, earning more, but his status has dropped significantly."

José sighed inwardly, glancing at Eto'o and Tristan on the field.

These two forwards were key to Mallorca's offense—one was already at a top club, and the other aspired to join one. But is a top club always the right destination? There were many examples of players failing after a rash move to a big club.

Yet, Eto'o and Tristan seemed oblivious to such thoughts. They were warming up, ready to give it their all. For young players, performing well against a strong team was an excellent way to secure a better future.

José shook his head slightly, refocusing his attention on the game.

The second half began, and as expected, Barcelona launched a fierce attack, like a tiger pouncing.

With Figo on the field, Barcelona quickly returned to their familiar attacking system. Figo and Rivaldo alternated between the middle and the wings, while Kluivert dropped deeper to link up play. Barcelona's players passed the ball rapidly, making every position a potential source of attack. This was the Barcelona offense that had dominated La Liga in recent seasons!

Although Ronald de Boer and Guardiola overlapped in their roles, and Rivaldo still liked to drift centrally, Barcelona's attack became far more fluid than the first half, without the confusion of multiple attacking players crowding the same spot.

However, Mallorca's defense continued to surprise Barcelona.

N'Gonga and Soler were tightly marking the edge of the box, denying Barcelona the chance to shoot freely. The full-backs had dropped deep into the box, making it even more crowded in the penalty area. The wingers had taken on defensive duties, blocking Barcelona's powerful attacks on the flanks.

The four defenders and four midfielders were all committed to defending, and the two forwards? Of course, they didn't stand idly by!

The towering Tristan and the agile Eto'o became the first line of defense. Every time Barcelona passed the ball to Guardiola in midfield to organize play, Mallorca's strikers would disrupt his rhythm. Despite being protected by Koku and Ronald de Boer, Guardiola's ability to orchestrate the attack began to suffer, and fewer quality passes came forward.

With Mallorca's defense so well-organized, Barcelona's full-backs pushed forward to attract attention, opening up space for Rivaldo and Figo. Their efforts weren't in vain—Figo and Rivaldo got several opportunities to break through, but…

Mallorca's defense was clear in its intentions: "You can pass it around the wings or cross from the flanks, but don't think about penetrating the box!"

Reiziger made a run up the wing to draw Stankovic away, then quickly passed to Figo. Figo tried to break through Olésola's defense while the two defenders were out of position, but…

Olésola stood firm in the box, waiting for Figo to run into him…

After the 1998 World Cup, defenders around the world learned how to deal with dribbling players—just focus on the ball at their feet, no matter what tricks they try to pull. If they break through, fine, but you stay close to them!

In tight spaces, Olésola's slower speed was less of a disadvantage, while his experience and positioning skills were fully on display.

Figo tried to break through but couldn't, only managing to delay his progress before Stankovic quickly came back to help with a double-team. With no other options, Figo could only send in a cross, which was well-placed but met by Nadal, who beat Kluivert to the ball and headed it clear.

The ball fell to Eto'o, who surged forward with determination, protected the ball expertly even when forced toward the touchline, and held off three Barcelona players before finally being dispossessed…

"Unbelievable!" The Barcelona fans sighed in frustration, and Van Gaal furiously waved his hand, muttering in displeasure.