Ancelotti was not a "stone Buddha." When he was one goal behind, he could still sit on the fishing platform and watch the changes calmly from the technical area. Now that he was two goals behind, if he still looked calm, it would make people suspect that he was a little abnormal.
What did it mean to concede two goals first in such an important final? If it was not AC Milan and another team, they might want to raise their hands and surrender.
Ancelotti got up from his seat with an ugly look on his face. He did not intend to make any adjustments because the first half was about to end. He wanted to use this way to tell the players that he was a little angry.
Even if the opponent's defense was very tight, that George Wood was a real talent and our offense was under a lot of pressure. It was not an excuse for the rear defensive line to concede two goals in a row.
Defense was defense and offense was offense.
Ancelotti certainly knew AC Milan's defensive problems. There were not many strong teams that had no problems with defense these days. AC Milan's problem was that the rear defensive line was aging and had frequent injuries. Ancelotti let Maldini play as the center back. He certainly knew that Paolo was old and had a slow turning speed, so he arranged for Nesta to protect him.
He did not expect the Forest team to use a quick counterattack and a set piece to easily tear up AC Milan's defense. The Forest team only had a total of four offensive opportunities in the first half and scored two goals. This efficiency … In England, everyone said that Tony Twain was a manager who paid attention to efficient football and that his team was an efficient killer. At that time, Ancelotti did not quite believe it. Now he had to believe it even if he did not want to.
He stood on the sidelines and looked at the field with a cold face. At the same time, his brain quickly analyzed the current situation and calculated what kind of targeted adjustments should be made during the halftime interval.
※ ※ ※
The crazy celebration was forcibly stopped by the referee. When he pulled up the Forest players who were stacked into a human pile one by one, he saw Tony Twain lying on top of Albertini in a suit and did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Mr. Twain, you shouldn't be here," he said to Twain with a cold face.
Twain, who was pulled up, straightened his suit and said with a grin, "I was too emotional. I hope you can understand, Mr. Referee."
"If you don't go back, I'm going to send you to the stands as a punishment." Phandle pretended to take out his cards. Twain hurriedly waved his hands and walked out.
"I'm leaving now, I'm leaving now …"
Of course, he did not forget to give the players a thumbs up along the way, and then kept waving his arms to get the Forest fans in the stands to sing louder.
Every time he waved it, the singing from the stands grew louder. He was like an orchestra conductor, and the Forest fans in the Olympic Stadium followed his instructions to cheer for the team.
"This kind of thing is usually done by the players when the ball is dead, but for the Forest team, it was their manager who did it. However, Tony Twain was an unusual manager, just like the rumors said. Leading by two goals, his coaching level is also extraordinary! "
When Tang En walked back to the technical area, there was only the singing and shouting of the Nottingham Forest fans in the entire stadium. The AC Milan fans had thought of fighting back, but just as they opened their mouths, they were suppressed by the singing of the English people.
This moment belonged to the Nottingham Forest fans. They would not allow anyone to disturb their celebratory banquet.
※ ※ ※
Albertini finally broke away from the enthusiastic celebration of his teammates. Because of Twain's sudden attack, he was still in front of the opponent's penalty area at this time.
He stood up just in time to see Maldini not far in front of him.
The joyful smile on his face was gone, and the two men looked at each other for a while until Maldini looked away, and Albertini turned and walked away.
No matter how deep their friendship was in private, they were all enemies when they met at this moment. If they were enemies, there was no need to talk so much nonsense. It would be clear on the field.
If the Forest team won, he would hug Maldini after the game. But now, he could not even give the other party a smile.
The game resumed, and Ancelotti did not return to the technical area. He stood on the sidelines with a cold face like an Italian sculpture. In this way, he exerted pressure on his players.
As for Tony Twain, he had regained his composure and sat in the technical area to observe the game. With nearly fifty minutes to go, it was not the time to take it lightly.
The overwhelming singing in the stands finally came to a stop, and everyone could hear the voices of the AC Milan fans again. But do not think that the Nottingham Forest fans were quiet. They were just brewing another way to cheer for their team — to attack the opponent.
After a while, when the game entered the 43rd minute, a burst of singing came from a section of the Nottingham Forest fans' stands.
This time, the Forest fans were using Joe Dorris' fake Italian classical song "What's Wrong with Your Face" to provoke Ancelotti on the sidelines. They believed Ancelotti would understand the meaning behind it.
"What's wrong with you? Why do you look sad? "
Tens of thousands of Forest fans sang along. It was a spectacular sight.
Only the fans who came from England had this kind of ability. They had endless new ways to provoke people. Do not think that only swearing and giving the middle finger was a battle.
The singing lasted until the end of the first half before it turned into a burst of laughter. The Forest fans were happy to see their team end the first half with a two-goal lead.
When the Forest players came off the field, they kept waving to encourage the Forest fans in the stands. Throughout the first half, they felt that the fans were fighting alongside them. They were never alone. As Forest players, they were used to such games. No matter when, the fans always stood firmly behind them, encouraging them and doing everything possible to attack the opponent.
"The halftime whistle rang! The first half of the game completely belonged to Nottingham Forest! In those 45 minutes, although AC Milan had the upper hand in terms of ball possession and time, it was Nottingham Forest who created and seized the scoring opportunities. To be fair, AC Milan had nothing but high ball possession. They did not create any offensive opportunities that could threaten Edwin van der Sar. Pirlo and Kaka were frozen by Albertini and George Wood, respectively, while the rest were caught in the Forest team's impenetrable defense. Tony Twain's tactics were correct and suppressed Ancelotti. In the showdown between the two managers, Twain is temporarily in the lead. "
※ ※ ※
Ancelotti's face was dark as he quickly walked into the tunnel with his head down. Twain deliberately let him walk in front. He patted the shoulders of the Forest players outside one by one before he followed his own people back. Of course, before he went in, he did not forget to applaud and thank the fans in the stands.
When Twain entered the locker room, everyone had already gone in before him. Everyone was excited about the first half of the game. Who would have thought before the game that they could so easily lead AC Milan by two goals?
Their lead was not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry, but the powerhouse AC Milan, who had won the Champions League six times!
Twain did not stop the players' excitement. At this time, he really could not find anything to not make them excited.
After a while, he coughed to indicate that he had something to say. The locker room immediately quieted down.
"I'm proud of your performance in the first half!" Twain's first words caused applause and whistles to ring out in the locker room.
"2: 0!" He stretched out two fingers, which looked like a "V" representing victory. "I can't find any problems at all, and I believe that our opponents in front of the TV, in the stands, and holding magnifying glasses, can't find any problems either! In the second half, continue this performance. If we win the game in the end, no one will have the guts to say that we won the championship by luck. Maybe before this game, some people will think that AC Milan deserved to win this game because they have won a total of six championships in history, and we only have two. But you used your performance in the first half to give them a slap in the face! "
After the players finished cheering, Twain pressed his hands down. "But don't be happy too early. Our opponent is not one of those mediocre teams after all. Be careful not to be bitten back by them in the second half. In the second half, we will still stick to the defensive counterattack and full field pressing tactics. If you lose the ball in the front field, you will snatch it back and immediately stop the attack. But don't blindly waste opportunities. Teams that waste opportunities are bound to be punished. I don't think a two-goal lead is enough. Don't let go of any chances to score in the second half. Play as if we're still in a draw. Score a few more goals until the opponent is completely desperate! "
Everyone said that Tony Twain was a conservative guy. His football was negative, ugly, and unambitious. But he always told his players that "1: 0" was the most unsafe score in the world. In the game, he always wanted his team to score as many goals as possible.
In fact, Twain was not conservative. It was just that everyone misunderstood the meaning of defensive counterattack. Twain believed that the foundation of offense was defense. It was like building a house or building a high-rise building. The higher the floor, the more solid the foundation. He did not believe that there was such a thing as a castle in the air in this world. He was very realistic. An offense without a solid defense as a foundation could not stand up to a real test. It was like a building with an unstable foundation could collapse with a gust of wind, let alone a disaster like an earthquake.
Why did Barcelona fail in the league tournament? It was because their offense was so flashy that they forgot to defend. Barcelona's midfield often did not even have a defensive midfielder. Once their offense in front was blocked and they could not open up the situation for a long time, the problems in the defense would gradually be exposed. Finally, it would form a blowout and collapse.
Such offensive football was not what Twain wanted.
He wanted stability. Stability was the overriding thing. If the defense was not solid, he would resolutely not attack. Unless the situation was critical to the point of no choice, he would fight with his life on the line.
Now that the Forest team was two goals ahead of AC Milan, he could imagine what kind of pressure his team would face in the second half even with his knees. AC Milan would surely launch a crazy counterattack, and the team's defensive pressure would further increase. At this time, it was even more important to stabilize the defense. Then, as usual, they would wait for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
As long as they held the start of the second half, the opponent was bound to become more and more anxious as time passed. The gap of two goals would be like a boulder pressing on top of their heads, making it impossible for them to sit still. When the opponent was busy with the battle at the front line, more and more loopholes would appear behind them. Finding loopholes was what the Forest team was best at.
"So, the key to the second half of the game is not to concede a goal in the opening fifteen minutes. Even one goal would make them fight back like a school of sharks that smelled blood. So, a solid defense … "Twain raised his index finger." is the highest requirement, the first standard. During that time, we can sacrifice our offense. After these fifteen minutes, we can wait for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack. "
"Finally, keep in mind!" Twain raised his voice. "Victory must belong to us!"
※ ※ ※
Unlike the high-spirited atmosphere in the Forest team's locker room, the atmosphere in AC Milan's locker room was a little depressing.
Most people chose to spend these precious fifteen minutes in silence.
How many people could have imagined the first half of the Champions League final would be like this? They, the famous AC Milan, had been forced by Nottingham Forest to score two goals in forty-five minutes. What was even more shameful was that they were completely stunned and could not find their direction. There was not a single threatening attack, as if they were stuck in a quagmire and powerless.
What was going on? Almost all the AC Milan fans asked in the stands, which was why they did not fight against the Forest fans.
At the same time, such questions hovered in the minds of the AC Milan players.
Something went wrong with our offense and we could not find a specific direction. As soon as Pirlo and Kaka were marked, the team's offense was like a ship that had lost the guidance of a lighthouse. This was not the first or second time … But in the face of such a tight defense, what could we do?
Ancelotti, who had been gloomy, finally spoke.
"Does anyone find the current situation familiar?" He asked. Everyone looked up and tried to search in their memories. They professional players had experienced many games in their lives. There must be no less than dozens of familiar scenes. How did they know which game the situation in front of them was similar to?
It was Ancelotti who announced the correct answer. "In the Champions League final in May 2005, we played against Liverpool. Do you remember? We led them by three goals in the first half, and what happened? "
There was no need to say the rest. There were few people in the current AC Milan team who did not know the situation at the time. Maldini opened the scoring in that game and AC Milan had a very good first half. How similar was it to Nottingham Forest in today's game? During the halftime interval, the AC Milan players, who were leading by three goals, could not wait to celebrate the title in the locker room. Even the walls made of bricks could not block out the noise. The Liverpool players heard the AC Milan players' revelry and it inspired their fighting spirit and madness in their hearts.
As a result, AC Milan, who had thought they had the victory in their grasp, was chased by three goals in the second half. Their confidence and morale took a huge hit, and they completely collapsed during the penalty shootout. They lost to Liverpool and handed over the title.
That game was a great humiliation for AC Milan and contributed to Liverpool's reputation as the first comeback in the 50-year history of the Champions League final.
"We're only two goals behind now. What's there to worry about? The opponent can turn defeat into victory when they're three goals behind us. Why can't we? "
Everyone's eyes lit up again when he said that.
That's right. Why can the reversal only happen to us and not to others?
Do we lack the belief and strength to win? Have we lost interest in the title? Do we not want to win the trophy in front of us?
None of them. In that case, why can't we reverse Nottingham Forest?
Ancelotti was delighted to see the players regain their confidence immediately. He believed in AC Milan's strength and had never doubted it. Whether the opponent in front of them was Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Real Madrid, or Barcelona, he was confident of winning. The key was whether the players still had the confidence to win. As long as they had the confidence to win, it would not be a problem.
In the game against Liverpool, the players' confidence was hit hard because they were chased by three goals in a short period of time. Even Kong Ming would not be able to score in the following game. Think about Shevchenko, a world-class striker. Who would believe that he could not even shoot in the face of an empty goal? But it had happened.
Because of that lesson, Ancelotti was convinced that the important thing at the moment was not to tell the players what tactics they would use in the second half. Nine times out of ten, it would not be listened to. The most important thing now was to restore the players' confidence and let them know that even if they were two goals behind, it was not the end of the world.
"We'll continue to step up the offense in the second half." When the players were convinced that there was still hope in the second half, Ancelotti began to lay out the specific tactics. "We have no other way but to attack. But we also have to pay attention to our own back and not give the Forest team a chance to play a quick counterattack. If we lose the ball in the front field, we'll snatch it on the spot. If we can't snatch it, it'll be a foul! Pirlo. "
Pirlo looked up at the manager.
"Albertini is old and his stamina can't keep up with you. You have to keep running. Don't stay in one place. Run and shake him off! In addition, the opponent can use set pieces to enter our goal. Why can't we also use set pieces? We got four free kicks in the front field in the first half, and you didn't grab any of them. "
Pirlo was silent in the face of Ancelotti's criticism.
"If we step up our offense in the second half, it will increase the pressure on their defense. We will also get more set pieces in the front field. Don't waste any more. Seize the opportunity and score! "
In addition to the full-court pressing, the Forest team's retreat was also fast. In the face of the overcrowded thirty-meter zone, Kaka's breakthrough and speed did not even have the slightest leeway to play. At this time, they could only rely on Pirlo's dispatch and set pieces.
Ancelotti decided to do it for the time being and make adjustments in the second half based on the changes in the situation.
Who asked him to be the trailing side and not the leading side …
However, things were not as bad as people thought.
In a long-distance run, the one under the most pressure was often the front-runner who rushed in front. Experienced long-distance runners would choose to follow the front-runner and sprint at the last moment to leave the long-exhausted front-runner far behind, and then raise their arms to cross the finish line.
For a football game, ninety minutes was undoubtedly a long-distance run. Nottingham Forest had become the glorious front-runner without any experience, but could they persist until the end? Who could guarantee that they would not be overwhelmed by the pressure of the lead? Ancelotti decided to be a shadow lurking behind the front-runner, waiting for the time to be right. He would always bite the front-runner and not give him the slightest chance to relax. He would let the pressure accumulate in his heart until he could no longer bear it …
At that time, AC Milan would become the champion.
I know what Tony Twain always said: a one-goal lead is the most unsafe.
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