Chapter 200: A Brilliant First Half
From the very start, this match carried a sense of tragic heroism.
Manchester United launched a fierce offensive immediately after kickoff, while Mallorca adopted a slightly more defensive stance, absorbing the pressure.
Mallorca's midfield featured García, Kaladze, Rufete, and Ronaldinho, with García positioned slightly deeper. Rufete moved along the flank, countering United's attacks.
United's early onslaught was relentless—Beckham's crosses, Giggs' dribbles, Scholes' long-range shots—each attacking weapon was unleashed in turn. But Mallorca's defense was solid, setting up a tight barrier from the penalty area to the backline. It was clear they had prepared well for United's assault.
Seeing this, Ferguson couldn't help but reassess José. If this wasn't just luck, then it meant the young coach had a remarkable ability to anticipate his opponent's strategy. Such insight was invaluable for a manager—it proved that José could foresee what Ferguson himself would think of.
"Too bad the two-goal lead is too big," Ferguson mused. "I won't give up that kind of advantage so easily."
After a sustained period of attack, United's offensive gradually slowed. Seeing their initial pressure had little effect, the players chose to conserve their energy. With a two-goal lead, they had the luxury of playing more cautiously.
That's when José stood up and made a decisive hand gesture.
Mallorca's offense erupted like a tidal wave!
Even without Motta, Mallorca's midfielders were technically skilled. Led by García, they started weaving short, precise passes through the midfield. Despite United's five-man midfield, they struggled to contain Mallorca's fluid movement.
Ronaldinho's role was mostly to draw attention, while Kaladze and Rufete, along with the advancing full-backs Capdevila and George, actively joined the passing sequences.
Ferguson frowned. Mallorca's players might not have big names, but their technical ability and fundamentals were exceptional. In terms of quick, on-the-move passing, they were at least on par with United's golden midfield, if not better. United's midfielders had their individual specialties—Beckham's crosses, Giggs' dribbling, Scholes' shooting, Keane's aggressive runs—but in pure passing interplay, Mallorca was proving superior.
In this context, Juan Sebastián Verón, who had struggled to adapt since joining United, became the most effective player on the pitch. His exceptional anticipation and ball control allowed him to break up two of Mallorca's attacking sequences, providing crucial defensive contributions when his teammates were scrambling.
But Verón alone couldn't completely nullify Mallorca's dominance. The Spanish side had the ability to break through any defense.
Rather than attacking recklessly, Mallorca played their usual game—patiently passing, pulling United's defenders out of position, and waiting for openings. This style, typical of Spanish teams, exploited weaknesses in United's defensive approach, which was more accustomed to physical battles rather than dealing with relentless, precision-based attacks.
Tactically, the major European leagues seemed to counterbalance each other—Spanish teams struggled against Italian defensive systems but dismantled English defenses with technical play. Meanwhile, English sides often overwhelmed Italian teams with their high-intensity, direct attacking style.
After persistent probing, Mallorca finally carved out several great chances. Blanco blocked Luke's shot, but then Ronaldinho stepped up.
Eto'o received the ball on the right, cut inside, and drew defenders before passing to the overlapping Rufete. Rather than delivering a cross, Rufete spotted United's defensive line collapsing into the box and instead played a grounded pass to Ronaldinho at the edge of the area.
Keane had been marking Ronaldinho, but since the Brazilian had mostly been a decoy earlier, Keane's attention had drifted toward Mallorca's strikers. Compared to the nimble and skillful forwards, United's center-backs were slightly sluggish.
And now, at the crucial moment, Ronaldinho received the ball at the top of the box!
Keane immediately turned and rushed toward him, while Verón also moved in to cover. But Ronaldinho didn't give them a chance—without even looking at the goal, he struck the ball with his left foot!
Just before contact, his body twisted in an uncanny motion, using his momentum to lift the ball into the air with a heavy spin.
The ball soared, curling wickedly past the outstretched hands of the slightly advanced Barthez and into the top right corner of the net!
"Boom!"
The stadium erupted in a deafening roar!
Ronaldinho spread his arms wide in celebration. In the previous match, Beckham had stunned everyone with a brilliant lob. Now, Ronaldinho had responded with an even more dazzling one of his own!
It was a beautiful, curling lob from the edge of the box, and although Barthez reacted, he was just a fraction too late!
"Yes!" José finally exhaled, then clenched his fist and applauded vigorously. "Keep going! Let's get a second goal!"
As he shouted instructions, Ferguson frowned and called Keane over.
The message was simple—tighten the pressing in midfield, disrupt their passing rhythm, and most importantly, stick to Ronaldinho. No matter what tactical adjustments were needed, Mallorca's key player was Ronaldinho. They had already let him score once—there could be no second time.
On the offensive end, Ferguson didn't need to say much. He trusted his attacking players to find the net for United.
As the match progressed, United increased their midfield pressing and launched more wing attacks, making it harder for Mallorca to control possession. However, the earlier goal had given Mallorca a boost in confidence. Now, they just needed one more goal to advance.
By the 35th minute, United intensified their attacks. Keane frequently fed the ball to Verón, who orchestrated play. Despite being harassed by García and Kaladze, Verón's vision and passing accuracy allowed him to consistently find Beckham and Giggs on the flanks.
United's five-man midfield functioned seamlessly. Beckham, Giggs, and Scholes stuck to their roles, while Keane focused entirely on defense, allowing Verón to take charge of orchestrating attacks. This system strengthened United's defense while maintaining their offensive flow—perhaps the very reason Ferguson had spent so much to sign Verón.
At Lazio, Verón had been a dominant playmaker, but he had struggled to adapt to the Premier League's tempo. Against Mallorca, however, he found himself playing at a more comfortable pace, reminiscent of Serie A.
In the 38th minute, Verón delivered a clever pass to the wing, where an overlapping Neville crossed into the box. Giggs rose for a header but narrowly missed the target.
In the 42nd minute, Verón picked out Beckham on the right. The England captain whipped in a trademark cross, and Van Nistelrooy, beating Van Buyten to the ball, nodded it down. Giggs charged into the box and struck it on the volley—only for his shot to ricochet off Scholes, who had also surged forward for the rebound. The ball bounced away, and Nadal cleared it.
Giggs' two dangerous chances were a warning for Mallorca. José anxiously glanced at the clock. If United equalized before halftime, the second half would be much harder.
"Push up! Press their attack back!" José shouted.
His plan was to use offensive pressure to see out the first half safely. But even he hadn't anticipated just how effective that decision would be.
Ronaldinho, after constant movement, finally lost Keane's marking. Rufete quickly passed to him. As Keane rushed back to close him down, Ronaldinho didn't hesitate—he immediately sent the ball to the overlapping Capdevila.
Capdevila burst forward and, facing Neville, opted for a direct dribble—an unusual choice for him, given his typical preference for finding space before crossing. Caught off guard, Neville was left trailing behind.
Reaching the byline, Capdevila cut inside, causing havoc in United's box. Luke and Eto'o dragged defenders around, and at the last moment, Capdevila drilled a low pass into the middle!
Blanco, trying to hold off Luke, stretched a foot toward the ball but inadvertently redirected it toward his own goal!
Barthez was caught off guard and could only watch as the ball rolled into the net…
2-0!
Mallorca had drawn level on aggregate, taking the advantage before halftime!
José stared in disbelief at his celebrating players.
This luck had come out of nowhere…