Chapter 97 Albertini-style pass

"This is the first time AC Milan has played against Nottingham Forest in history, and it is also the first time to play against Nottingham Forest in the Champions League final. For them, Forest is a strange opponent, although like Liverpool, from England. AC Milan wore a white jersey and attacked from the right side of the court to the left. The white jersey always seems to bring them good luck. AC Milan once wore a white jersey in 1963, 1989, and 199

He won the Champions League in 0 and 2003. This stadium also has good memories for AC Milan, and even the current captain of the Forest team Albertini. In 1994, AC Milan defeated Barcelona 4-0 here, severely hitting the Barcelona Dream Team coached by Cruyff. "The commentator took the time to introduce some background knowledge to the TV audience after the game started, and analyzed from the side which team of the two teams has more hope of winning the championship.

"The referee of this game is German Vander. He has never enforced the game that Nottingham Forest participated, but the AC Milan game he enforced was winning all five games! These situations may explain to us that AC Milan has a greater chance of winning in this game?"

"I have different opinions, Steve.   If we analyze from the historical record, Nottingham Forest reached the final three times and won the cup twice, their success rate of winning the championship was a little higher than AC Milan.   I think those historical data cannot explain any problem. The winners of this game are not historical data, but their level of performance in this game.   If AC Milan thinks they will win, then it is very likely to capsize... This situation has happened many times in this Champions League, of course, not AC Milan.   I think the head coaches of both sides have a deep understanding of this.   "

When guessing the side before the game, Maldini beat Albertini, so the Forest team got the kick-off.

Before the game, everyone thought that Forest would continue to stick to the defensive counterattack they were good at in such an important game, but judging from the opening few minutes, Forest was very proactive - after kicking off, it launched a siege on AC Milan's goal.

Two shots in five minutes. They were within the range of the goal frame. They showed countless people that the Forests were as capable of making threatening attacks.

Is Forest playing against the offensive football and AC Milan in this game?

That's really strange. How could Tony Donn, who enjoys a "high reputation" in European football with conservatism, give up defense and choose to take risks in such an important final?

Ancelotti decided to hold on. Judging from the performance of the Forest team in the past five minutes, he still couldn't figure out what Tang En was planning to do. Is it because the Forest team really planned to attack, or is it just because the five minutes of football was controlled by the Forest team players most of the time before launching a normal offensive?

He needs to continue to observe.

What he had expected before was that the Forests would definitely launch a defensive counterattack in such an important final, just like they had walked along the way. He defeated his opponent with a solid overall defense and excellent speed counterattack. This made him think a lot.

AC Milan is not afraid of the teams that are fighting against them, but they have no choice but to use those teams that defend the penalty area.

If the Forest really wants to push the attack, Ancelotti wants it, and that will only accelerate the opponent's failure. If the Forest still insists on counterattacking, Ancelotti has made arrangements. What AC Milan has been doing for more than a week is to practice how to break the opponent's intensive defense.

Before the game, Ancelotti warned his disciples that no matter what tactics their opponents use. They just need to stick to their football rhythm, patiently deal with their opponents, find an opportunity and hit it fatal, and the game will be won.

This is very similar to the words that Tang En said to his team, which shows that the heroes of both sides have similar views?

Five minutes later, AC Milan regained the ball, and Ancelotti saw that the Forest retreat was not as fast as he thought.

Most of the time, Nottingham Forest counterattacks on the frontcourt, if the forwards counterattacks fail to succeed. They are not there waiting for their teammates to break the ball and pass it to them, but turn around and run back immediately to continue to participate in the defense. In addition to the counterattacks on the frontcourt, the midfielder presses are also very fierce. George Wood runs physically, from one end to the other, and you can see No. 13 in almost every corner of the midfield. Beside him, the assist is veteran Albertini.

"The whole audience pressed tightly?" Ancelotti said with a frown and murmured. He was still not sure.

Judging from the several games he observed in the Forest team, the Forest team seemed to be more accustomed to reclaiming the penalty area at once, then huddling into the 30-meter area, allowing the opponent to pass it backwards outside. No wonder Tang En was criticized by the media for being "conservative in playing style and ugly in the scene". Although such a huddling football can bring victory, many people are really disdainful of it.

Ancelotti looked at the back of the Forest again. Although the frontcourt and midfielders were busy, the people on the back line had no intention of coming up to help, and they remained behind. They were quietly waiting for AC Milan to attack.

It seems a bit disconnected?

Ancelotti thinks so. The midfield and the frontcourt are very close, but the distance between the backcourt and the midcourt is a bit large...Aren't they afraid of being used in the space in this middle?

The AC Milan coach carefully recalled the performance of the Forest team in each line after the opening five minutes. The frontcourt and midfield were very active in the offense, making people think they were going to play offensive football. But the defense line never beat the center line, and the two full-backs did not attack the main attack...Donn chose the better defense of Leiden Barnes, rather than the Gareth Bale, who he prefers.

It seems that defense or main tune?

Ancelotti was observing, AC Milan's commander, brain, and midfield commander Tapirlo were also observing. He also saw that there seemed to be a "fracture zone" between the midfield and defense line of Nottingham Forest, where it could be used...

Thinking of this, Pirlo took the opportunity to readjust the football under his feet and winked at Kaka who looked back at him.

Kaka understood it and went there.

At the same time, the football flew out from under Pirlo's feet and rolled quickly towards Kaka. Ribery robbed the ball in the middle of the journey. But he shoveled it in vain.

Kaka turned around and saw the football rolling towards him, but at the same time he saw another thing-a person.

The Nottingham Forest red jersey was very eye-catching on the court, and George Wood rushed towards Kaka with the football.

The ball must be received, but this guy doesn't seem to be difficult to avoid. Kaka decided to protect the football and take it with his body.

He received the ball, used his skills to get the ball over, protect it, and then... and then he was overthrown from behind by Wood...

"Dou!" The referee's whistle sounded along with the booing of AC Milan fans.

"George Wood's foul! It seems that this game will be Wood's close-up guard against Kaka!"

Kaka lay on the ground and waited for his teammate Yingzaji to pull him up. He was helpless. Although it was not obvious from the outside, the other party was indeed stronger than he thought.

Pirlo ran over to prepare for a free kick. He had no regrets about the interruption of the attack. At least he got a free kick in the frontcourt, and he seemed to know why the opponent's head coach dared to leave such a gap between the defense line and the midfield...

Because there is the No. 13 who is strong and can't run to death.

With this person here, the blank area is not the blank area.

After figuring this out, another question that puzzled Pirlo emerged: Tony Donn actually doesn't need Wood to take on such a big responsibility. He just needs to retract the overall team. Why on the one hand, he requires a close press on the frontcourt. On the other hand, he does not allow the defense line to cooperate with the defense?

Pirlo decided to continue looking for answers during the game.

Let's start with this free kick.

Wood made a foul in a timely manner. If he waited for Kaka to bring the ball up and then foul, on the one hand, he might have to use a tackle behind his back to stop the Brazilian like a storm. At that time, it would not be as simple as a free kick.

Don Eun told him to let him leave the foul position away from the dangerous area. Wood always kept it in mind.

The distance from the free kick was played on the TV screen - thirty-four meters away from the goal.

If you hit the goal directly, the success rate is not high, so Pirlo decided to pass the ball.

Maldini appeared in the Forest's penalty area. The last time AC Milan met with Liverpool in the final, the first goal in the opening game was Maldini scored. It was also a set piece at that time.

This is the eighth time that Maldini has appeared in the final of the European Champions League. He hopes to score another goal with this experience and legend!

Maldini and Nes stepped on two masters, both in the Forest team's penalty area, waiting for the opportunity to head the ball.

The Forest team reunites Van Nystruei and they all returned to the penalty area to defend. It seemed that this was a defense for all the players. But when no one noticed it, Ribery quietly lies near the center line.

Tang En turned his head and smiled at Tang who was sitting beside him. He said nothing. Tang understood what he meant. He said nothing.

Albertini brought Ashley Young and Van der Fate to form three man-land walls, blocking the ball, and everyone else returned to the penalty area to defend, especially George Wood, who followed Kaka without leaving any steps.

Kaka has seen such treatment too much, so he didn't take it seriously. He took Wood into circles when he went in.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

After Pirlo set the football down, he stepped back and found that the forest team's people lined up too close. He waved his hand to signal the referee to come over.

Vander naturally saw it, and he ran over and warned Albertini, asking them to take the wall back two steps.

Albertini did it slowly. But when Van der Sar turned around and left, he and his two teammates stepped up again - this is the experience... I won't retreat enough distance honestly. It's the best thing to be able to end your free kick with me!

As he said before the game, when the game started, he forgot his identity as an AC Milan player, and in every detail and from every angle, he only considered the Forest team.

Pirlo has seen many cases of the referee's request for lip service. Anyway, he has no intention of shooting directly. If he moves the free kick a little forward, just move it forward a little. It's okay to kick the ball higher by himself. It's really unpaid to waste time and entangle against the opponent on this.

With a whistle, the referee signaled that Pirlo could take the free kick.

Pirlo planned to rub the football and go around the wall, but he obviously underestimated Albertini's stadium wisdom. Just as he came out, Albertini took Ashley Young and Van der Fate collectively to jump forward and wait for the football to fly out. The distance of ten yards (9:15 meters) has been shortened to eight yards. Pirlo's football is still on the rise and has not reached the highest point. He cannot avoid the sudden move forward of the wall. The football hit Van der Fate's head and jumped high. The football originally flew to the penalty area and turned straight up and down...

Pirlo raised his arms high and protested to the referee for this behavior of the other party's wall.

This has a problem for the referee. Unless the slow motion is replayed, it is really hard to say whether the wall moved before Pirlo's kick or after playing... The referee chose to remain silent. He believes that this is after Pirlo's kick, which is considered to be a reasonable use of the rules...

When Pirlo saw that the protest was ineffective, he was like rushing up to grab the ball and launching an attack on the spot.

This time he was stuck in his position by Albertini, and the landing point no longer belonged to him.

Albertini suppressed Pirlo, turned his head to observe the situation, and then looked up at the football falling down. He could know from his physical feelings that Pirlo was unwilling to accept this. He was squeezing in desperately, trying to grab the landing point. Albertini would not give him such a chance. He opened his arms to protect his position.

When he was still in AC Milan, Pirlo was regarded as his successor because the two of them had similar roles in the midfield and their characteristics of playing football were also very similar. In normal training, Albertini was always happy to teach his skills to the other party, and he was also proud and proud of being able to train another midfield commander for the team.

At that time, he never thought that his students would become a strong opponent on the field and would have such a fierce collision.

He didn't expect that he would teach another person how to be a "midfield commander" who masters the rhythm of the game in the future...

The ball fell, and Albertini and Pirlo jumped at the same time.

Pirlo already knew that he was destined to not be able to grab the ball, but he could interfere with Albertini's takeover. He did not let him control the ball comfortably and then launch a counterattack. This is the opportunity for the Forest team to counterattack, and even the fool can see that Captain Martini, Nesta... his teammates are returning to defense, and he wants to buy them time.

As a former teammate, he certainly knew the strength of the man in front of him. If he was in good condition, he would never have the opportunity to control the football easily, so that he could control the football. It means he would control the rhythm of the game...

Albertini felt the collision from behind in the air. He had to try to maintain balance, otherwise he would lose it if he landed on the earth... For his current body, this was a bit difficult and he could only make up for it with technology.

Pirlo wanted to force Albertini to head the ball in the air, so that his teammates would have a great chance of grabbing the ball, and those who returned to defense would have time.

But Albertini chose to stop the ball with his chest, and he still stopped the ball with his chest under Pirlo's close-fitting press. At this moment, his skills and experience played an important role.

But after all, his health was not as good as before. Under Pirlo's constant impact, he felt that he had to use all his strength to protect the ball, so don't mention controlling the ball and passing the ball...

He needs someone to share the burden.

Just when he was almost unable to hold on, he saw George Wood.

Without hesitation, he passed the football to his second "student".

Pirlo suddenly felt that there was no pressure in front of him, and Albertini turned around and ran away. The football was not at his feet! So where?

No. 13!

George Wood dribbled the ball and killed it. Pirlo didn't even have time to think, and responded entirely by his physical instinct - he rushed to Wood again.

When Wood saw Pirlo rushing up, he passed the ball out, and his goal was Albertini, who had already escaped from the defense.

Forest team wants to play fast attacks, dribbling and adjustments are not allowed, because that will give the opponent the most time to return to defense.

After the clean and neat transmission, the football returned to Albertini's feet. Pirlo now had time to think about the problem with his brain - he found it was bad.

There is no one around Albertini now!

"Defend him..." he turned around and shouted, while he saw Gatuso rushing towards the target. The stone in his heart fell to the ground...

The Forest team has George Wood, and we have Gattuso!
To be continued...