Chapter 179: Morale Soaring

Evening of March 9th, Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb – brightly lit and buzzing with excitement.

A massive crowd of Dinamo Zagreb fans had gathered post-dinner, their anticipation for this crucial UEFA Champions League knockout match palpable.

After securing a 2–1 away victory against Manchester United in the first leg of the Champions League knockout round, Dinamo Zagreb had made a strong statement.

With the advantage now firmly in their hands and returning to play at home, Dinamo Zagreb held a clear edge.

Naturally, their odds of advancing to the next stage of the Champions League had increased significantly.

For this match, Croatian commentary invited the legendary Davor Šuker to join the broadcast team.

It was one of Šuker's rare public appearances since retiring from professional football.

Wearing a sharp suit, Šuker appeared visibly excited as he faced the camera.

"From the very first qualifying match, they've never stopped growing. Yes! This Dinamo Zagreb team is nothing like the one we saw at the beginning of the season—they've grown so much through this Champions League journey."

"Manchester United is a fantastic team, and they have a legendary manager like Ferguson. But I believe the lads from Dinamo Zagreb will still deliver a solid performance at home."

Šuker expressed his wholehearted support for the young players of Dinamo Zagreb.

Whether due to national pride or past ties as teammates, he was clearly looking forward to the match.

Initially, he hadn't believed this group could make any real waves in the Champions League.

But match after match, they continued to shatter his expectations.

Now, they had made it all the way to the knockout rounds—and had even defeated Manchester United away from home.

Unbelievable.

It was something almost unimaginable, yet it had happened.

While Roy Keane's absence was undoubtedly a factor, the fact that Dinamo Zagreb scored two goals at Old Trafford spoke volumes about their attacking prowess.

And tonight's starting lineup revealed some fascinating tactical choices.

Dinamo Zagreb (4-4-2):Goalkeeper: GresticDefenders: Srna, Jarni, Štimac, PranjićMidfielders: Vukojević, Valaević, Modrić, RakitićForwards: Mandžukić, Šuker

Manchester United (4-4-2):Goalkeeper: CarrollDefenders: Neville, Silvestre, Ferdinand, O'SheaMidfielders: Scholes, Heinze, Alan Smith, GiggsForwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney

"Both teams are using similar formations, and interestingly, Šuker is once again playing as a striker in the Champions League."

Commentator Klaušević turned to Šuker and asked,

"Why not place Šuker on the left wing? I've always thought that's where he's most effective."

Šuker smiled and replied,

"That's your subjective view. You've seen him as a left winger so often that you think it's his most stable position. But in my opinion, Šuker should play off the back line. His forward runs are excellent, he has an acute sense for gaps and finishing—this adds much-needed aggression to Dinamo Zagreb's attack."

"He's the kind of striker defenders hate. You can't take your eyes off him. Give him even a sliver of space, and he'll make you pay with a goal."

Discussion at the commentary booth centered on Šuker's position.

Meanwhile, on the United bench, Ferguson was frowning.

He hated it when smaller teams made clever tactical tweaks.

In an era with limited scouting and information sharing, it was hard to get reliable intelligence—especially on sudden position changes.

From the data Ferguson had, Šuker had never played in this role.What threats he might pose were a mystery.

Back on the field, the match was about to kick off.

Manchester United to start.

After Ronaldo and Rooney initiated the kickoff, both moved forward into Zagreb's half—only to quickly retreat.

Dinamo had immediately pressed high up the pitch, applying immense pressure in midfield.

"Forward! Pass it here!"

Ronaldo drifted toward the wing, ready to call for the ball—only for Rakitić to appear beside him.

This forced Ronaldo to frown; his teammates wouldn't pass in such tight coverage.

He tried changing position, but Rakitić shadowed him step for step until he moved inside, at which point Vukojević took over marking duties.

Rooney encountered a similar fate.

"The game has just begun, and Dinamo Zagreb is already pressing aggressively!"

shouted the Croatian commentator.

Yes, play with spirit!

Šuker nodded with a smile.

Dinamo Zagreb wasn't recklessly charging forward—their midfield clearly held the upper hand.

With Roy Keane out, Heinze had been pulled up to defensive midfield.

Giggs and Scholes dropped back to support Alan Smith.

But they lacked a clear target for forward passes.

Ronaldo and Rooney had been tightly marked.

"Damn it!"

Alan Smith passed sideways, then quickly moved to an open space.

As Neville returned the ball to him, Giggs suddenly shouted,

"Watch out!"

Smith froze—only to see a figure slide-tackling in from midfield and boot the ball directly to Modrić.

"Great job, Šuker!"

Šuker pushed off the ground, stood up, and repositioned along the defensive line.

Modrić, now in possession, launched a long pass into open space on the right for Valaević.

Valaević controlled the ball and made a diagonal pass toward Mandžukić.

Mandžukić, battling Ferdinand, tried turning to feed Šuker's run.

Šuker had indeed made his run.

But Ferdinand managed to stick a foot out and intercept the pass.

"Ah! Mandžukić's pass didn't make it. If it had, that might've been a one-on-one chance for Šuker."

The fans sighed collectively.

Still, this sequence of pressing and counterattack had definitely rattled United's defense.

"Press! Press!"

Šuker dropped back and joined the press.

Mandžukić wasted no time lamenting and charged forward to press again.

"Unbelievable!"

Giggs finally beat his marker and tried to pass, only for Valaević to cut in and poke the ball away again.

"Another steal!"

shouted Klaušević, now standing in excitement.

Šuker was all smiles.

This was Dinamo Zagreb's style of play: If the opponent lacked a proper midfield playmaker or numerical superiority, they'd be trapped in constant pressure—unable to play out from the back.

And right now, United had no true midfield brain to orchestrate passes.

"Clear it long! Stop passing around the back!"

Rooney screamed in frustration.

Cristiano Ronaldo looked equally anxious.

They had tried many runs, but the ball never came.

The camera cut to the United bench.

Ferguson, chewing gum rapidly, stared intently at the pitch.

Even casual fans could see it:

United was on the back foot.

Ferguson knew it even more clearly.

Dinamo had found their rhythm.

They kept pushing forward, with Modrić constantly feeding Mandžukić—forcing United to focus on the towering striker.

Ferdinand and Mandžukić clashed physically, neck and neck.

Then, suddenly, Modrić appeared on the opposite side.

"Tactic Two!"

Ferdinand was baffled. What's Tactic Two?

Mandžukić laid the ball off and used his body to shield the defender, sprinting toward the right.

"You're not getting away!"

Ferdinand chased.

But then, Modrić—looking right—chipped the ball left into open space.

"Crap!"

Ferdinand yelled,

"Neville!"

Whoosh!

A blue figure had already burst through the defensive line.

Ferdinand was too late.

Šuker sprinted forward, eyes on the ball.

To his side, Silvestre loomed.

Šuker controlled the ball with his chest, then accelerated again.

Silvestre kept pace.

Šuker suddenly cut sharply, creating space—then struck with his right foot.

"Šuker!! Shoots!!"

BANG!

The shot was powerful—but the angle was too narrow.

The United goalkeeper lunged and parried it wide.

"Mandžukić!!——"

Klaušević shouted as he jumped from his seat.

Mandžukić and Ferdinand tussled fiercely, and just as the ball came close, Mandžukić lunged with a sliding shot.

But United's Silvestre slid across and blocked the shot with his head.

"Ohhhh! Silvestre!! A brilliant defensive play! He saved United from a dangerous situation!"