Chapter 94

In the second half, the two teams switched sides. Roy Evans was already sitting on the coaching bench, looking very relaxed, as if he was almost certain to win the match.

Aurich still stood by the sideline with a calm expression. The fans in the stands behind him at Anfield booed him, thinking he was just a cool-posing kid.

Liverpool continued to play the traditional English style in the second half, with no significant highlights. The tactics were obvious, and as long as Millwall did not make the same mistakes as in the first half, they would not give the opposition any opportunities.

At the start of the second half, Millwall launched a classic local combination play.

Makelele won the ball from Little Redknapp and passed it to Nedved. Nedved started with the ball, using his speed to get past the over-30 Barnes, and boldly charged into the opposition half.

Larsson was at the forefront of the attack, while Solskjaer waited to receive the ball outside the penalty area.

Liverpool began to tighten their defense in the penalty area, forming a dense defense.

Nedved completed a one-two with Solskjaer outside the penalty area. After receiving the ball, Nedved passed it directly. Larsson received the ball with his back to the goal, and before Schalke could intervene, he flicked the ball with the outside of his foot to the side. Solskjaer cut into the penalty area, breaking through the entire Liverpool defense. James came out of the goal, spreading his arms to block the shooting angle as much as possible.

However, the agile Solskjaer flicked the ball, bypassing James, and reached the baseline where the shooting angle was almost zero. He gently passed the ball to the center, and Larsson, after making the pass, turned and rushed towards the goal, arriving just in time to kick the ball into the empty net without any pressure.

"What a spectacular goal! Millwall executed a classic team play! The ball started from Nedved's feet, passed through Solskjaer, Nedved, Larsson, and back to Solskjaer, and finally returned to Larsson's feet to score. Liverpool's defense was like a row of wooden stakes, and Millwall's quick one-touch passing was perfectly synchronized, as if they were one person playing!"

"Unbelievable! From the moment Nedved brought the ball into the penalty area, the ball was passed six times in 10 seconds, and they finally scored against Liverpool! Martin, Millwall's football philosophy is astonishing. How did Aurich train them to play like this?"

"We don't know how he trained his players, but we know that Aurich has an amazing eye for talent. When people were still talking about Larsson and Trezeguet, the Norwegian youngster, Solskjaer, on the field now, his style of play, especially the way he bypassed James just now, makes him almost a new Shearer. How many more gems does Millwall have hidden?"

After scoring, Larsson ran into the goal to embrace the ball and celebrated with Solskjaer as he ran back.

Roy Evans rushed out, roaring at Liverpool's defense.

Aurich, however, calmly waved his hand to the back, signaling the players to get back quickly.

Our game has just begun.

In modern football, there is still a strong emphasis on individual heroism. Attacking players like to hold onto the ball, and their passing is not always quick and decisive. They often like to turn and try to break through or bypass opponents. This style of play still has its market, so in the English league, players like Shearer and Cantona, who have excellent foot skills, are very popular. If Millwall's forwards also tried to use such techniques, creating opportunities through skillful and agile play, it would not be impossible, but the success rate would be much lower, and it would slow down the attack. Moreover, the foul tolerance in England is relatively high.

For example, if Larsson had not passed the ball with one touch when he received it with his back to the goal, Schalke would have pressed him from behind, and he would not have had the chance to turn, let alone worse, he might have faced a tackle.

Liverpool pressed forward, but their crosses were ineffective. Thuram began to suppress McManaman on the wing, leaving him little time to adjust and cross, making the crosses less effective.

Neil's overlapping run on the left wing forced McAteer to retreat in defense, making him look awkward.

Liverpool's attacks were loud but ineffective, posing no threat. Millwall's fluid attacks, however, created numerous opportunities. In the 69th minute, Pires received the ball on the left wing, and Neil immediately overlapped to the baseline, drawing Jones' attention. Pires immediately cut inside.

Wright came out to intercept Pires, who passed the ball to the right. Schneider, who had also moved towards the center, controlled the ball, looked at the penalty area, and then passed a low, diagonal ball, which sliced through Liverpool's defense like a scalpel.

Wright, who had come out to intercept, turned to look back. In the area he was supposed to defend, Larsson was charging forward. The ball slid across the small penalty area at high speed, directly penetrating the entire defense. Larsson slid in from the far post, and James moved horizontally to save, but he was clearly too slow. Larsson nudged the ball with his toe.

The damn ball grazed the post and rolled into the goal.

"Larsson! The all-powerful Larsson! The great Larsson! In three games, he has scored his sixth goal of the season. He is a super striker! Millwall's attack is a feast for the eyes. Is this the trend? In this attack, left-back Neil overlapped to the baseline, drawing Jones' attention. Millwall used the depth of the field to disrupt the opponent's defense. Pires passed the ball to Schneider, who then passed it to the left side of the penalty area. Millwall used the width of the field, and Liverpool's defenders, moving to the left, were shocked to see the ball return to the right. They were completely toyed with by Millwall!"

"Millwall gives us the impression that Aurich is a tactical master. Millwall plays team football, not individual football. Why was it difficult for Millwall to score in the first half? Because Trezeguet was not in form, perhaps due to an injury. We cannot confirm this, but it is clear that Trezeguet's performance was poor. After Solskjaer came on, Millwall's attack immediately came alive, making the entire puzzle complete. Their attack was smooth from start to finish."

After scoring, Larsson ran to Schneider, jumped onto him, and waved his fists, showing a wild smile.

Anfield fell silent, with only the visiting fans jumping and cheering.

Evans' face was livid, while Aurich wore a cold smile, raising his finger to his lips and gesturing to the fans in the stands.

Boos?

Why aren't you booing anymore?!

No matter if you are a die-hard Liverpool fan, shut your mouth!

The fourth official immediately ran to Aurich and sternly warned him to stop provoking the home fans.

On the stands, after a moment of silence, even louder boos erupted. The fans near the visiting team's coaching area glared at Aurich, shouted insults, and even threw lighters and coins at him.

Aurich returned to the sideline but turned to the stands, spreading his arms and showing a proud expression!

My team is stronger than Liverpool!

You can curse all you want; I don't care!

Aurich did this intentionally.

Millwall needs enemies!

As the saying goes, to judge a man's strength, look at his opponents.

At this stage, Millwall's opponents are the traditional English big three.

Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool, regardless of whether they respect Millwall or not, Aurich is confident that anyone who underestimates Millwall will be crushed by him!

In the stands, Melanie's family looked extremely upset. None of the four of them expected Aurich to be so bold at Anfield.

But what can they do? Millwall is leading.

On the football field, the score is a reflection of strength.

"Sister, invite him to our house for dinner after the match."

"No way!"

"We must invite him. Give me your phone. I'll find some brothers to wait for him at home!"

Melanie rolled her eyes, ignoring her angry brother.

After the fourth official repeatedly warned Aurich, he finally calmed down and sat back on the coaching bench.

He sat there, chin in hand, motionless, which infuriated Evans, the old coach with gray hair, who shouted at the Liverpool players to attack fiercely.

Liverpool lost only three of their 21 home games last season, one of which was unexpectedly to the relegated Ipswich. However, the teams that finished above them in the league, Manchester United, Blackburn, and Nottingham Forest, all lost at Anfield. Anfield could not accept losing to a newly promoted team!

The more they attacked, the more Millwall's counter-attacks became effective.

Ten minutes later, Pires received a pass from Solskjaer outside the penalty area and took a long shot, which flew into the top right corner of the goal. James could only watch helplessly.

At this point, Millwall was leading by two goals, and victory was in sight.

Aurich was almost certain of the win, but something that made him unhappy still happened.

In the 81st minute, when he was about to make a substitution, Southgate fell to the ground while competing for a header with Colemore, dislocating his shoulder and being forced to leave the field.

Aurich reluctantly brought on Dean Richards and withdrew Schneider, replacing him with Vieira to strengthen the defense.

After switching to a 4-3-3 formation, Millwall's defense became even more solid. Solskjaer felt good on the wing, but his luck with scoring was poor, and his shot in the final moments hit the post and went out of bounds.

When the final whistle blew, Anfield fell into a dead silence, and the fans quietly stood up and left.

Aurich's face was calm, showing no signs of joy. He had lost two key players, and the 3 points came at a high cost.

He quickly shook hands with Evans without a word and hurried into the players' tunnel.

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