When the Inter Milan players shook hands with the Forest players, they felt that these people's murderous aura was even stronger than in the previous game. They were puzzled — Nottingham Forest was the one who had the upper hand now. Sigh, why were they still so aggressive? Shouldn't we be the ones with the murderous aura?
The stadiums in England were generally smaller. The City Ground stadium could accommodate up to 30,000 people, but to the ears of the Italians, the sound that erupted from the small stadium was not to be underestimated. The smaller the stadium, the closer the spectators were, the easier it was for any sound to be gathered on the field.
In a stadium like the San Siro, the stands were further and higher. The players could not see the fans in the stadium, so the psychological pressure was not particularly great. But in a typical English stadium like the City Ground stadium, they could even see the hair in the nostrils of the fans behind the goal when they shot, and could clearly hear every swear word that the fans swore. That kind of pressure was not something that could be experienced in a big stadium.
From the beginning of the game, the fans in the City Ground stadium exerted great pressure on the Inter Milan players. They used boos, insults and actions to disrupt the Inter Milan fans. Such a home atmosphere made Mourinho frown.
In view of Quaresma's excellent performance in the previous game, Mourinho arranged for him to start again in this game. He hoped to use his individual skills to attack Nottingham Forest's defensive line.
In theory, there was not much of a problem with this arrangement — against a team that was good at overall defense, sometimes relying on the star player's individual performance could achieve unexpected results.
But when Quaresma stopped the ball out of the boundary during a stop, he was laughed and booed by the Nottingham Forest fans in the stadium. Being laughed at at at such a close distance made him nervous, and his performance was off.
As a result, Mourinho could no longer count on him to bring any positive changes to the team's offense …
The Forest fans spared no effort to go against Inter Milan. As long as they made the slightest mistake, they would immediately receive a tsunami of laughter and boos. And every time the Nottingham Forest players touched the ball, they would bring thunderous applause to themselves.
This was the home advantage …
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Quaresma was a crazy player. In the last game between the two teams, he was in excellent form and even scored a world-class kick. He was not in good form in this game.
Once, when he failed to break through Baines' defense on the flank, he forcibly lifted his foot to shoot, but the shot with the outside of his foot flew straight out of the end line, far away from the goal. Ibrahimović, who was waiting in the middle to receive the pass, was very displeased with Quaresma's blind shooting. He waved his arms forcefully, indicating that Quaresma should pass the ball instead of shooting himself. But Quaresma had his head down, upset over his mistake just now. He did not pay attention to the Swedish striker at all.
After that, when he was about to break through on the flank, he was successfully intercepted by George Wood. The football did not go out of bounds, but he flipped out. Quaresma, who had fallen to the ground, appealed to the referee that Wood had committed a foul. However, he did not receive a positive response from the referee. He did not blow the whistle, which meant that Wood had not committed a foul. Quaresma angrily jumped up from the ground. He waved his arms and complained endlessly, completely ignoring the fact that Wood had launched an attack right under his nose.
Mourinho was very dissatisfied with his behavior this time. He was right behind Quaresma, shouting at his fellow Portuguese, "What the f * ck are you doing? Ricardo! Go back and compete! "
After being scolded by the manager, Quaresma became a little more well-behaved. But soon, he became "lively" again. Quaresma was not in good form for this game, but he was very excited. As long as there was a little physical contact, he would raise his hand to signal to the referee that the opponent had committed a foul. If he lost the ball, it must be because the opponent had some tricks. If he could not pass, it must be because the opponent relied on his body to collide with him … Not only did he appear very excited during the offense, but he also frequently made excessive movements during the defense. It was really worrying that he would be sent off before the end of the first half after getting two yellow cards.
Those people were obviously thinking too much.
Quaresma did not get any yellow cards, but he still left the field …
After Wood intercepted the ball from under Quaresma's feet, he did not pass it immediately. Instead, he observed the situation on the field and decided to dribble the ball himself.
For Quaresma, who was blocked behind, it was a good thing. Because he could counter-tackle on the spot and then catch the Forest team off guard!
Once he said he would do it, Quaresma went around to Wood's side and pulled Wood's shirt to intercept the ball. Just as Quaresma's leg was about to kick out, Wood made a turn on the ground with Quaresma's body. Then …
Quaresma let out a scream and let go of his hand that was pulling on Wood's shirt. He lay on the ground and held his right knee. His face was pale from the pain, and it did not look like he was faking it …
Wood glanced at Quaresma who had fallen to the ground and hesitated for a moment before kicking the ball out of the sideline.
Everyone was not prepared for this sudden incident on the field. The commentator was stunned for a moment before he said, "Quaresma is injured … How did he get injured?" The television immediately replayed the earlier scene.
Quaresma pulled Wood's shirt with his hand, hoping to slow down Wood's speed and provide an opportunity for him to tackle the ball. His idea was quite good, but who would have thought that Wood's strength was so great and his explosive power was so terrifying!
At the moment when Quaresma used his right foot as a support and extended his left foot to intercept the ball, Wood suddenly moved and brought him up. Wood's strength drove the other parts of his body to rotate forward with his right foot as the axis. As his right foot was still stuck in the turf and could not keep up with the rhythm of his body, a very strange scene occurred — Quaresma's body had almost rotated 360 degrees, but his right foot was still in the same position as before …
Everyone knew what this scene meant.
No one's knee could remain unscathed after experiencing such an extreme twisting motion.
So, Quaresma fell to the ground, held his knee and screamed in pain.
"Oh, God …" The commentator's tone of voice was not very normal. He was also shocked by the tragic scene. The moment when the knee was twisted and deformed was played back in slow motion, and it was real and cruel in front of everyone. Not everyone could talk and laugh as they usually did.
"I think Quaresma's knee has suffered a very serious sprain. He definitely won't be able to finish this game." In fact, this was a conservative estimate. The commentator did not say his real thoughts — Quaresma might be scrapped for this season.
Without waiting for the referee's signal, Inter Milan's team of doctors had already rushed onto the field. Anyway, the location of the injury was very close to Inter Milan's substitutes' bench. When Franco Combi, the chief team doctor of Inter Milan, pried open Quaresma's hand that was covering his knee and saw his right leg, he could not help but gasp.
His calf was slanted to the side of his thigh in an absolutely unconventional position. It did not look like Quaresma's calf, because a normal person's leg would not be connected in that way. This could only mean that Quaresma's knee had been fractured.
Even so, Combi still had to comfort Quaresma who was in unbearable pain. "Okay, okay, it's not a big problem …" He had already gestured to Mourinho for a substitution.
"I feel … I can't feel my, my right leg …" Quaresma lay on the ground crying. Even though the team doctor had been comforting him, he already knew what had happened. As a professional footballer, there was nothing more painful than a broken leg.
Quaresma, who was as lively as a rabbit just a moment ago, was now lying on the ground powerlessly. His right calf was slanted to the side, and the sweat caused by the pain and the tears that welled up in his eyes were already mixed together.
Even the Nottingham Forest players had a look of pity on their faces when they saw this scene. The boos that were originally directed at Inter Milan in the stands gradually died down. The City Ground stadium, which could hold up to 30,000 people, suddenly quieted down.
A stretcher had already been prepared. Four staff members carefully placed Quaresma on the stretcher, while Combi used a blanket to cover his injured right leg. They were about to carry him off the field.
Although the injury was not caused by Wood's foul, it was still related to him. Wood had been standing by Quaresma's side ever since he fell to the ground. It was only when Quaresma was carried up that he walked over and patted him gently on the shoulder. Of course, he had never experienced an injury before, but one should not think that he did not know what it felt like. He had always felt guilty for causing Eastwood's serious injury due to his recklessness and ignorance. He hoped to avoid getting injured as much as possible if he did not do it on purpose.
Quaresma felt someone pat him on the shoulder, but he thought it was his teammate and did not pay much attention to it. He covered his face with both hands, feeling the pain of his injury. How could he care about anything else?
Quaresma would definitely not be able to play. Not only that, he had to be immediately sent to a local hospital in Nottingham for treatment. He would only be able to fly back to Milan after the match.
His injury also completely messed up Mourinho's arrangements. Mancini Jr. had not recovered from his injury and was not brought to England at all. With Quaresma suffering such a serious injury, Mourinho had no choice but to bring on the 32-year-old Stankovic.
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Tang En crossed his legs in the manager's seat when he saw Stankovic get on the field. This meant that he was in a relaxed mood.
"Although I also feel sorry for Quaresma for suffering such a serious injury, this is an opportunity for us. Now that the shock in the hearts of the Inter Milan players has not dissipated, a sudden substitution is bound to cause some confusion. If we can seize this opportunity, we can completely finish off the match. "He said to the two assistant managers beside him.
"David, go tell the players to strengthen their offense. Now is a good time to score a goal."
Kerslake took the order and left. His voice was very loud, not inferior to Tony Twain's. More importantly, his voice was not as hoarse as Tang En's, where it might break when he shouted, but it could be heard clearly by people far away. Therefore, when it came to conveying the latest instructions during the match, unless it was very necessary, it was usually carried out by Kerslake.
Kerslake stood on the sidelines, using his loud voice and hand gestures to tell the Nottingham Forest players: Don't let the injury of an opponent affect you anymore. Now is a great opportunity for us to score a goal!
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If anyone thought that the Nottingham Forest fans had shown enough kindness and respect when Quaresma was injured, so that the atmosphere in the subsequent match would slightly ease and be more conducive to the away team's performance, then they could not be more wrong.
Not long after the match started again, the stands were filled with jeers and jeers directed at the Inter Milan players. There was no sign of sympathy from the fans … As fans, they had a clear distinction between public and private matters. When Quaresma was injured, it was a private matter for them to keep quiet. When it involved the match between the two sides, it was a public matter.
Although Tang En had asked the entire team to strengthen their offense and strive for a goal, Mourinho did not make any more mistakes. After he saw through Tang En's thoughts, he immediately instructed the team to shrink back a little and pay attention to their defense. They did not give Nottingham Forest any chance to take advantage of this period of time.
They did well. Although Nottingham Forest's offense was strong, they lacked a way to kill in one hit. Ibišević was firmly entangled by Inter Milan's defenders. Mourinho did not hesitate to use killing tactics to deal with Şahin. The defense of the two flanks was even more important. At the same time, he also instructed the team to pay close attention to George Wood and Tiago's insertion to assist.
In short, they did not give Forest the slightest chance.
The match was in a stalemate. Both sides were more entangled in the midfield. There were few opportunities to shoot at goal. The match was not very entertaining.
But this was different from the first leg. It would be good if they could score. Even if the match was in a stalemate like this, Tang En would not feel anxious because he had two away goals in hand. Even if this match ended at 0: 0, Nottingham Forest would still advance.
So, at home, Tang En's core tactic for this match was still "defensive counterattack."
This phrase, which made countless opponents gnash their teeth in anger, would shine brightly every time Tang En needed a result. It was the representative of Tony Twain's "conservative football" and "utilitarian football."
George Wood and Tiago were paired as defensive midfielders, focusing on defense. Cohen and Fernández retreated to become side midfielders instead of attacking midfielders. They took care of defense while attacking. The two full backs, Leighton Baines and Rafinha, were no longer as frequent as they were in the first leg. Their main job was to defend. Even attacking players like Şahin and Ibišević were required to pay attention to counter-pressing. Ibišević even had to return to the penalty area to clear the siege with a header when defending against a set piece.
Dutch football was all about offense and defense. Tony Twain's football was all about defense and half offense. No wonder people said he was utilitarian.
Inter Milan, who had lost their wingman, Quaresma, did not have a better way to break through Nottingham Forest's defensive line, which was layered with layers of defense, pressing forward step by step and possessing strategic depth.
The key to breaking the balance of a top-level competition could be: a coach's decision on the spot, a star player's individual performance, a counterattack, a set piece, or a mistake.
But unfortunately, none of the above conditions happened until the end of the first half. Both coaches were seeking stability, striving for the least mistakes, while waiting for the other side to make a mistake. And the star players were limited by the overall tactical constraints.
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