Chapter 173: Hitzfeld's Blunder
José shook his head helplessly. There was nothing he could do about that goal. He could only make adjustments during halftime.
But there was still half the match to play. If Mr. Hitzfeld wanted to celebrate already, wasn't that a bit too soon?
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"In the second half, we need to make some tactical adjustments."
Looking at his players taking every second of halftime to recover, José spoke calmly, "Bayern is using their wingers to stretch our defense and then relying on their forwards to create chances, mainly exploiting Miguel and Daniel's slower turning speed. So we need to strengthen our coverage in front of the penalty area. If one of our defenders gets beaten, there must be someone there to cover."
He turned directly to Francisco Rufete. "Francisco, you'll have to make a sacrifice. I'm subbing you out in the second half."
Rufete nodded. He had played well in attack during the first half, but defensively, he didn't contribute much. Adding to that, George was also more attack-minded than defensive, meaning Mallorca's right side was under a lot of pressure.
"Pablo, you're coming in for Francisco." José looked at Pablo García. "You have one job—protect the area in front of the penalty box. Whether it's Elber or Pizarro dropping deep for the ball, or Effenberg and Sergio attacking through the middle, your job is to shut them down. Knock them over if you have to! Don't be afraid of committing fouls—Bayern doesn't have that many great free-kick takers now. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to rely on that French guy as their primary set-piece taker... As for attacking, leave that to Motta and the others."
Pablo García nodded excitedly. Ever since his move to Mallorca, he hadn't secured a starting spot, but he was still getting way more game time compared to his spell at AC Milan last season. It was a night-and-day difference.
"In attack, we'll rely on counterattacks. This is an away game, and they're putting a lot of pressure on our defense. Ronaldinho, Albert, Samuel—the attack is on you three. Thiago might provide some support, but not much. Bayern will push forward even more in the second half, which means we'll get more chances. Be bold, exploit the space behind them, and use our speed and skill to break through. Bayern's center-backs are nothing special. If we can't create chances against them, then we can forget about making an impact in the Champions League."
The locker room filled with chuckles. Even with just three attackers, facing Bayern's less-than-elite central defenders, creating chances shouldn't be too difficult.
By making a single substitution, José effectively changed Mallorca's setup. What was originally a 4-4-2 now looked more like a 4-3-3. Kaladze, García, and Motta formed the midfield trio. Kaladze and García focused on defense and shielding the backline, while Motta, in addition to helping defensively, was responsible for supplying passes to the attackers. Up front, Ronaldinho, Luque, and Eto'o formed the attacking trident, and their chemistry wasn't an issue.
The only regret José had was that they were missing a true right-sided winger. Luque was more comfortable playing on the left or centrally, which forced Eto'o to operate on the right. While he could play there, he was much more effective as a central striker, where his speed and finishing ability could be maximized.
But for now, this setup would have to do.
"In the second half, let's show Bayern that even if we sit back and defend, it won't make things any easier for them!" José swung his arm and shouted, "Even away from home, even against a giant club—so what? We have to believe in our own strength. We can beat anyone, because we have the ability to do so! The top teams in La Liga are just as good as the giants of Europe! Our road to proving ourselves as a top team starts with Bayern!"
"Damn right! We're a top team! We're a goddamn top team!" The Mallorca players roared back, fully believing in José's words.
Now, they were ready to give Bayern a real fight on their home turf.
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"The first half ended with Mallorca and Bayern tied at 1-1. For a team making their debut in the Champions League group stage this season, Mallorca has already given us plenty of surprises. Their group wasn't the toughest, but finishing first ahead of the Bundesliga and Premier League runners-up proves they deserve their La Liga runner-up status. Now, after taking the lead against Bayern and holding them to a draw at halftime, they've given us another shock! The second half is about to begin—let's see if Mallorca can bring us more surprises and cause more trouble for the defending champions… Oh! Bayern starts the half with a shot on goal!"
Bayern came out with even more intensity in the second half. Equalizing just before halftime had filled them with confidence.
Pizarro's long-range shot opened Bayern's second-half assault. Soon after, they launched wave after wave of attacks.
Pizarro's header was blocked by Van Buyten. Hargreaves' long shot, under pressure from García, flew over the bar. Effenberg's free-kick was deflected by the wall, and Sagnol's follow-up was saved by Franco.
But Mallorca's defense was much more solid than in the first half. With García on the field, even though only one player was added to the defensive setup, the protection for the backline had significantly improved. Bayern could no longer attack the penalty area with ease.
Bayern attacked furiously, while Mallorca defended resolutely. Both teams were showcasing their best qualities—one in offense, the other in defense.
At the same time, Mallorca's counterattacks remained a threat. Even though they had fewer opportunities, they only needed one moment to strike.
At the 70th minute, Hitzfeld made his substitutions.
Jancker replaced Pizarro to add aerial presence in the box. Another forward, Zickler, also came on, replacing Salihamidzic. It was clear—Bayern was going all-in on aerial bombardment.
"Long balls? That doesn't really scare us…" José smirked to himself.
With one less midfielder and an extra striker, Mallorca's midfield pressure had eased. Motta would have more chances to push forward. Now, it was up to Ronaldinho and the others to seize the moment.
To José, this was a pointless substitution from Hitzfeld. Mallorca's biggest problem wasn't dealing with aerial threats—it was stopping Bayern's direct runs through the middle. Elber and Pizarro's pace and dribbling were causing headaches for Mallorca's center-backs. Even with García's cover, Bayern would still get chances if they kept attacking that way.
Now, with Jancker on, their dribbling threat was reduced. With Salihamidzic off, their wing play also weakened. What was the point of having two target men in the box?
Earlier, seeing Bayern's relentless attacks and well-structured play, José had been considering settling for a draw. But after these substitutions, he now believed Mallorca had a real shot at winning.
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Four minutes later.
Sergio's cross was contested by Van Buyten and Jancker, with neither getting a touch. The ball dropped into the box, where Kaladze headed it away before Zickler could pounce.
Pablo García quickly poked the ball to Motta, who wasted no time in playing a through pass down the right to Eto'o.
Eto'o sprinted forward with Lizarazu chasing hard. He carried the ball into the final third, and as Bayern's defense started shifting toward him, he suddenly stopped, turned, and passed to the supporting Motta.
Motta immediately switched the ball to the left, finding Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho feinted a cross but saw it blocked by Sagnol. The ball rebounded, but Ronaldinho controlled it again. At that moment, Capdevila overlapped from behind, and Ronaldinho played him in.
Capdevila whipped in a low cross!
Kuffour, who had stepped up earlier, couldn't cut it out. The ball rolled into the six-yard box…
Luque, holding off Robert Kovač, met it with a first-time flick!
From that range, even Kahn had no chance to react!
The Olympiastadion fell silent.
Bayern's fans were in shock—once again, a Mallorca counterattack had put their team behind!
Hitzfeld's face turned grim.
Only now did he realize his mistake.
By overcommitting to aerial bombardment, he had weakened Bayern's ability to attack through the middle and out wide. His substitutions had played right into Mallorca's hands.
And now, Bayern's 25-game unbeaten home record in the Champions League was in serious danger.
Because of one misguided tactical decision.
A cold shiver ran down Hitzfeld's spine.