Chapter 199: A Do-or-Die Battle

After the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage, Spanish football was in mourning— all four La Liga teams had suffered defeats. Mallorca lost 1-3 away to Manchester United, Real Madrid fell 1-2 at Bayern Munich, Barcelona suffered a 0-1 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, and Deportivo La Coruña was beaten 2-3 at home by Liverpool.

Following several years of La Liga dominance in the Champions League, despite strong performances in the group stage, their complete failure in the first leg of the knockout round—both home and away—suggested that Spanish football might be entering a period of decline.

However, all four teams still had a chance. Although Barcelona and Deportivo La Coruña lost at home, they only lost by a single goal, meaning they could still fight back in the second leg. Mallorca had their home match ahead, and Real Madrid, despite their away loss, had managed to score an away goal, putting them in the best position among the four Spanish teams.

Mallorca returned home immediately after their match and spent two days together at a hotel. The team doctors closely monitored the players' health to prevent any illnesses. In the end, everything went smoothly—after a day of rest, the players had recovered their fitness, and no one caught a cold, which left José very satisfied.

But where there's good news, there's also bad news. The medical report on Motta confirmed a thigh muscle strain that would sideline him for two weeks. Though not a serious injury, it meant that he would miss the do-or-die second leg against Manchester United, as well as crucial league matches against Deportivo La Coruña and Valencia. Losing the team's midfield playmaker was a massive blow for Mallorca.

Originally, Mallorca had a solid alternative in Vicente Engonga, an experienced deep-lying playmaker. However, Motta had been in exceptional form all season, playing every match and becoming indispensable. Engonga had barely featured, making it difficult for José to believe he could seamlessly replace Motta. Even Engonga himself had doubts.

"Vicente, how are you feeling?" José asked.

Engonga gave a wry smile. "Boss, if you put me on the pitch, I'll run until I drop. But if you're asking whether I can fill Motta's role... I'm sorry, boss. Right now, Thiago is way ahead of me. I haven't played much this season, and I barely have any chemistry with my teammates. If I play, I can only be a workhorse."

José nodded silently. He appreciated Engonga's honesty—it was a form of respect.

"I think we need to change our tactics," José muttered to himself.

Engonga nodded. "Boss, Ronaldinho… he's reliable."

José gave a slight nod, acknowledging the suggestion.

In the next league match against Deportivo La Coruña, José played Engonga in Motta's position but did not rest any of his key players. He clearly wanted to use this game as a rehearsal for the upcoming Champions League match, testing new tactics without Motta.

But the experiment failed spectacularly.

On the road, Mallorca was thrashed by a La Coruña side eager to vent their Champions League frustration. Despite Engonga's effort, he couldn't make a significant impact. Roy Makaay, Diego Tristán, and Walter Pandiani each scored as Deportivo crushed Mallorca 3-0.

It was Mallorca's sixth league loss of the season. Meanwhile, both Valencia and Real Madrid secured comfortable home victories, bringing their points tally to 62—just one point behind Mallorca.

In less than a week, Mallorca seemed to be on the verge of collapse in both the Champions League and the league.

"This defeat was a necessary price to pay," José said at the post-match press conference. "We want to beat Manchester United at home and advance to the Champions League semifinals. I'm not worried about the league—we're still one point ahead, aren't we? There are only five matches left, and even a one-point lead is still a lead. Our season has already exceeded last year's performance.

"Engonga? Vicente played well. He hasn't been on the pitch for a long time, but his physical condition remains excellent. He is the best replacement for Motta. Mallorca has veterans who can still contribute. Motta's absence doesn't mean we will surrender. If Manchester United wants to reach the semifinals, fine—they'll have to step over our dead bodies to do it!"

José's words were delivered through gritted teeth, like a gambler placing everything on the line.

"Do you think Ferguson will take the bait?"

Leaving the press conference, José suddenly became calm again.

Natal shook his head. "Hard to say... Ferguson is no easy opponent."

"Yeah, but if we can at least make him hesitate, that helps. They're struggling in the league, and Arsenal could very well win the title this season. He's under a lot of pressure," José nodded. "Either way, we have to fight in this Champions League match."

"Three days after the United game, we face Valencia. That's a must-win match," Natal reminded José.

"The Champions League is just as important," José shook his head. "We're fighting on two fronts, and we have to hold on. The Valencia match is at home— even a draw keeps us ahead by a point."

"Real Madrid is only one point behind too," Natal continued.

"Real Madrid will stumble," José said through clenched teeth. "I believe they'll get past Bayern, and when they do, their focus will shift to the Champions League. Compared to them, Valencia is our biggest league rival."

He didn't explain why he was so sure. The only thing supporting his confidence was his knowledge that, in history, Valencia had won La Liga this season—not Real Madrid. He couldn't recall the exact details, but he still viewed Valencia as the main threat.

And as for the Champions League, there was no chance he would give up. Beyond the prestige and financial rewards, no coach or team would ever willingly forfeit a Champions League match. Even knowing defeat was likely, they would fight to the end. A club that didn't respect the Champions League could never become a true powerhouse.

If Mallorca wanted to be seen as a club with ambition, they had to show no signs of backing down in matches like these. Even if they ultimately lost, they had to go down fighting. And who said they would lose?

On April 10th, Manchester United arrived in Mallorca. Like José's own approach before the first leg, they delayed their arrival to minimize the impact of the temperature difference between the two cities. They planned to leave immediately after the match to keep disruptions to a minimum.

United maintained a low profile upon arrival, avoiding interviews. Their domestic league situation was also difficult, and they were struggling with the challenges of competing on two fronts.

"Maybe United will go for a defensive counterattacking approach. They won't want to burn too much energy in the Champions League," Natal suggested during the pre-match analysis.

José shook his head. "No, they'll attack."

He stood up. "We scored an away goal. A 2-0 home win sends us through. If we press them, they'll be in danger. Since Pallister and Stam left, their defense has been unstable. Barthez isn't exactly reliable either. And their counterattacking game isn't particularly strong. Ferguson won't take that risk. Instead, they'll aim to play aggressive attacking football.

"If they score once, they'll level the tie. If they score twice, they take the advantage. They put three past us when we played defensively last time—do you think Ferguson doesn't see that? He'll want to finish us off quickly, to put the game beyond doubt early on."

Taking a deep breath, José added, "So, our number one priority in this match is defense."

Up until now, José had kept his replacement for Motta a secret. But within the team, the decision had already been made.

García would take over as the defensive midfielder, while all attacking play would revolve around Ronaldinho.

On April 10th, the second legs of the Champions League quarterfinals began. Two Spanish teams had their backs against the wall— and both fell. Barcelona drew 2-2 away at Leverkusen and were eliminated due to their first-leg loss. Deportivo suffered a clean 0-2 defeat at Anfield, sending Liverpool into the semifinals.

Now, all of Spain's hopes rested on Mallorca and Real Madrid. Naturally, most believed Madrid had the better chance, given their favorable position.

And in this atmosphere, Mallorca faced Manchester United at home.

Mallorca kept their starting lineup secret until the last moment. When Ferguson saw it, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Engonga isn't starting?"

That realization surprised him. He had considered the possibility of a bluff from José but hadn't expected such a major tactical shift. Mallorca had relied on a deep-lying playmaker system all season. Changing that in such a crucial match seemed reckless. The only player capable of filling Motta's role was the veteran Engonga—yet he wasn't in the lineup.

"A bold move," Ferguson sighed internally. Then he turned to Keane.

"Roy, cut down on attacking runs. Stay on their Brazilian playmaker. That buck-toothed kid will be their key man today."

Meanwhile, in Mallorca's dressing room, José studied United's lineup and scratched his head.

United had gone with a 4-5-1 formation, but their midfield trio of Keane, Verón, and Scholes meant Ronaldinho's task had just become even more difficult.

Still, no matter how tough it was, Mallorca had no choice but to fight to the death.