The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 396: Defeating Strong Adversaries

Chapter 396: Defeating Strong Adversaries

Aldrich dropped to his knees, raising his arms in celebration as the goal unfolded before his eyes.

What a stunning goal!

What an absolute treat it was to witness such brilliance from the sidelines—a real moment of magic.

Nedved's explosive strike was powerful and incredibly well-angled, with Kahn nearly managing to save it. It was astonishing; Nedved shot from the left side of the penalty area, curling the ball into the top right corner. Kahn's reaction was almost godlike, but in this battle of legends, the warrior Nedved outshone the goalkeeper Kahn.

As the celebration concluded, Aldrich quickly gestured to Schneider and Zambrotta, signaling them to hold back and refrain from pushing forward too eagerly.

In truth, during that last offensive play, Aldrich's attention had not been on his own team's attack before Schneider's cross.

As the head coach overseeing the match from the sidelines, he was more focused on the movements of the opposing players. Given that both teams needed to immediately stifle each other's attacks today, his concentration was heightened.

Once Schneider provided the assist, Aldrich spotted Elber and consciously shifted to the left side, right into the zone where Schneider was defending as a full-back. Although Pirlo aimed to slide over to the right flank after the pass, Aldrich questioned whether he could keep up with Elber or intercept a pass effectively. Should Pirlo cover the right side, central defense would become weak with only Makélélé remaining. Each part of the defense is interconnected; a single slip can lead to major consequences. Bayern Munich's extensive experience suggested that if Millwall's offense faltered, their counterattack would likely originate from the left.

Had there not been a goal, Aldrich might have taken a risk, but now that his team was leading, he had to be more cautious. Ignoring obvious vulnerabilities would be unwise.

Hitzfeld remained seated on the bench, his expression serious, but the situation had not yet become dire.

With Milwall leading 1-0, Bayern Munich could accept this scoreline if it held till the final whistle.

In this scenario, despite Milwall's advantage, Bayern Munich's defense remained solid.

The previous goal couldn't be completely attributed to chance or luck, but replicating it would be nearly impossible.

Generally speaking, goals are the result of cumulative advantages. If we roughly define scoring opportunities by their probabilities, lower- to mid-tier teams might have about a 10% chance, meaning they could score one goal from ten chances. Upper-tier teams might see this increase to 15%, while top-tier teams have probabilities exceeding 20%.

In the case of Nedved's recent goal, it was at most a 5% opportunity. If the play were to restart 20 times, regardless of how it unfolded—be it a shot, a dribble after stopping the ball, or a pass—he might only succeed once. However, none of that matters now, as he has already found the back of the net.

Aldrich was curious to see how Bayern Munich would respond to being behind. Would they push up their formation and sacrifice some defensive depth for offense?

Disappointingly, they did not. The tactical discipline of German teams is unquestionable; Bayern Munich, given their dominance in the Bundesliga, was fully prepared for this match. Even after falling behind, their defense remained impenetrable.

The goal seemed to have little impact on the game; both teams remained locked in a fierce battle in midfield. At this point, it was all about mental fortitude. Though Milwall was ahead, any lapse in concentration could open the door for Bayern Munich. If Bayern lost heart or fell out of sync tactically, any cracks could give Milwall the opportunity to extend their lead.

As seconds ticked away, the match became a test of who could stay composed and focused. A mistake from either side could result in irreversible consequences.

Bassler curled a long-range shot that Butt brilliantly deflected!

"Bassler unleashed a sudden strike, but Butt, the fellow German, denied his compatriot's attempt. The angle of this attempt mirrored that of Nedved's goal, both aimed directly at the corners of the goal. The only difference was that Bassler's shot lacked some power; had it been stronger, it's uncertain whether Butt would have managed to make the save."

Three minutes later, Ronaldinho roamed into midfield, and as he received the ball in front of Jeremies, he unleashed another high-quality long shot, which Kahn also fended off.

Ronaldinho sighed, having had his fourth shot on target today saved by Kahn.

"Both goalkeepers have been exceptional today. Bayern Munich had seven attempts on target, all expertly dealt with by Butt, while Milwall had eleven shots, with Kahn making ten saves. The only one he couldn't save was Nedved's glorious strike. That goal was beyond any goalkeeper's reach."

"I think this reflects both teams' struggles to penetrate dangerous areas for shots. Most of the attempts were from distance; while the shots were decent, the distance allowed goalkeepers more time to react. But it's undeniable that these two German goalkeepers were the stars of this match."

Even in the last five minutes of the match, Bayern Munich's players showed no sign of slowing.

Aldrich knew that the German team, known for its toughness, would never have any endurance problems.

But this is relative. Ten years later, although the German national team is full of talent and creativity, it may appear a little weak. At critical moments, the mental strength is insufficient, the physical problems are prominent, and the main players are in trouble in the 70th and 80th minutes, which is in sharp contrast to the current German team.

Of course, this change cannot be overly criticized. It is unrealistic to ask a team to have both iron blood and romance.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Larsson unexpectedly dribbled past Lizarazu on the right wing and, after breaking to the byline, delivered a powerful low cross.

Kahn stood frozen on his line, hesitant to make a play. For Millwall, this chance arrived like a bolt from the blue! Ronaldinho, however, was a step too slow at the back post. He launched himself forward in a desperate attempt to score, colliding with the ball but missing it by inches. He could only watch in dismay as the ball skidded past his feet, sending a shiver of panic through Kahn and the Bayern defenders.

"Ronaldinho collapsed onto the pitch, covering his face in frustration over that brilliant chance gone awry. The referee finally blew the whistle, sealing a 1-0 victory for the defending champions against Bayern Munich at home! This sets them up beautifully for the final, marking their second consecutive trip there. When you think back to last year's knockout stages—beating Juventus 2-1 at home and drawing 0-0 with Monaco—it's clear that today's win is a huge step up against a tough opponent! Millwall has set themselves up nicely for a chance to make it to Camp Nou."

As the match ended, Aldrich walked over to shake hands with Hitzfeld. Bayern's players hurried off the pitch; it wasn't yet time for jersey exchanges. They'd save that for after the second leg.

Milwall's players thanked the fans in the stands, while Aldrich headed to the post-match press conference.

Fleet Street is bursting with pride over Millwall's victory today! This club has been on a rampage, taking down top teams in the league and even toppling heavyweights in Europe like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus, Monaco, and Paris Saint-Germain! They've only faced Borussia Dortmund among Bundesliga teams in the European Super Cup, but today at Wembley? They took down Bayern Munich! This isn't just about getting a step closer to the final.

Millwall have loudly declared themselves on the European stage and have proven their quality with a series of impressive performances against the Bundesliga's best teams!

The question remains, how much longer will it take for Millwall to hold their head high and ascend to a position of prominence in European football, announcing their transformation from a strong team to a formidable powerhouse?"

"Aldrich, congratulations to you and your team! Today's victory is crucial for Milwall. Could you comment on both teams' performances?"

David Miller from *The Times* first congratulated Aldrich.

Aldrich maintained a calm expression, saying, "As everyone saw, it was a high-level match with few goals—only one. But if you were a spectator, you'd lose track of time watching, even wishing the game could go on indefinitely, holding onto that suspense. Milwall and Bayern both displayed high tactical quality; we mutually restricted each other's attacks. Once limited, we sought changes to shift the dynamics, leading to a chess match in which strategies were constantly adjusted. The game was rich in various exciting confrontations."

"But Bayern Munich ultimately lost, and with both sides exceeding 30 shots, it seems the mutual limitation wasn't effective enough," Richard from *The Daily Mail* questioned, his confusion evident. David Miller subtly shook his head, suggesting the question was somewhat simplistic.

Aldrich responded earnestly, "Looking at the stats, one might think it was a free-for-all, our finishing abilities both woefully low—over thirty shots resulting in just one goal. Nevertheless, that's not the case; both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances. Under such constraints, no one got to enjoy perfect scoring opportunities; thus, the shooting chances boiled down to the need for a better execution on fewer than 10% chances, with goalkeepers performing steadily. As for Milwall winning, Nedved's goal is one that fans will cherish for some time to come. Still, that opportunity was similar to Basler's long-range shot or Effenberg's angled attempt. The only difference is Nedved showcased a striking caliber that transcended even world-class forwards. I admire his goal but won't naively assume Milwall will score in the same vein ten more times if given the chance."

"Do you consider a 0-0 draw would have been the fairest outcome?"

"Certainly not. The two teams were evenly matched, and I was satisfied with Milwall's determination and performance. Even a 0-0 result would have been acceptable, but with Nedved scoring an exceptional world-class goal, he surprised both me and the fans. It's challenging to label a match with 'fair' because sometimes results defy logic—some teams hit thirty shots without scoring, while others may only shoot once within 90 minutes yet come away with a victory. I don't dwell on whether a 1-0 scoreline is fair; my players maintained excellent spirit and focus from start to finish. We earned that victory, and now we must look to the future. That's all there is to it."

Aldrich leading Milwall to a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich made headlines in the next day's British football news. Anticipation was high for Manchester United as they prepared to face Juventus the following day, with everyone hoping they'd return with a solid first-leg result to meet Milwall at the Camp Nou.