The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 609: The Final Blow

Larsson stood up with a smile and walked over to Henry. The two of them hooked their arms around each other's shoulders and headed towards Zambrotta's position.

As forwards, scoring goals was their primary task.

But no forward could guarantee a goal in every match. The higher the level of the team, the less they could rely solely on forwards. In a way, the distribution of goals was a reflection of a team's offensive strength; relying on a single scoring point could easily be shut down by opponents.

Larsson and Henry had encountered tremendous difficulties in the two matches against Valencia. The opponents compressed the space inside and outside the box, marking them tightly. The opportunities they got weren't even close to ideal. In the previous match, Henry's dribbling around the goalkeeper and Larsson's penalty had been the best chance. In this match, the best opportunity came from Schneider's cross after a successful offside trap. Both of them were just a step away. Fortunately, their teammate made up for their missed chance. If the team hadn't advanced, they would surely have felt deep regret.

When the goal that reversed the situation was scored, Cooper and the entire Valencia team shared the same expression—unwillingness!

Nearly 180 minutes of effort, gone in the blink of an eye!

Cooper immediately wanted to make substitutions, but when he turned to the bench, he saw something that left him in disbelief.

Not far away, in front of the home team's coaching bench, the young coach, renowned across Europe, was already assigning tasks to two players about what to do once they were on the pitch.

The players on the field were still celebrating, but what was Aldrich doing as soon as the goal was scored?

He didn't celebrate at all!

Instead, he immediately turned his head and called the warming-up players back, even shouting angrily!

Pedretti and Nill almost ran to join the celebration but were almost pulled back by Aldrich's roar.

While the team celebrated, Aldrich was already preparing for the substitutions and tactical adjustments.

Cooper had lost to Aldrich in last year's final, and he had never fully gotten over it.

But seeing this scene, he realized that Aldrich's success was not by chance. Millwall had been trailing for so long, yet Aldrich hadn't shown the slightest impatience on the sidelines. After the first-leg loss, he shifted attention away from the team to protect them, making timely substitutions and reading the situation perfectly.

For the second consecutive year of facing each other, Cooper couldn't help but feel a cold chill inside.

Being a head coach wasn't just about having good players. Cooper had led Valencia to victories against teams with stronger line-ups, such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, who had all become his victims.

But when facing Millwall, if it hadn't been for a bit of luck, Valencia would have been torn apart. Just in the first leg, the posts and crossbars, if half of them had gone in, Valencia would have been done for.

In nearly 180 minutes of play, Valencia simply couldn't compete with Millwall. The counter-attacking defense that had shaken Europe was now 99% pure defense, with no counter-attacking threat to speak of.

Cooper shook his head, pushing aside his distracted thoughts.

There was still time, and Valencia still had room to perform a miracle! They could still do it!

Aldrich was about to make a substitution, and it should have been Valencia's time to adjust, but instead, their opponents had taken the lead again! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Cooper immediately ordered Zahovic and Carew to get ready on the sidelines.

Carew would add height to the forward line, and Zahovic, a talented Slovenian player who had fallen out of favor due to his tendency to stir up conflicts, was now forced into action. He certainly had the technical ability, but whether he could save the team in this tough situation remained to be seen.

Once Millwall's celebration ended, both teams made substitutions simultaneously.

"After Millwall made the score 3-2 on aggregate, both teams made their final substitutions. Millwall brought on Nill and Pedretti, replacing Ronaldinho and Pirlo. Valencia withdrew the two aging full-backs, Caboni and Angroma, bringing on Zahovic and Carew."

Ronaldinho and Pirlo received a thunderous ovation from the entire stadium as they left the pitch.

Aldrich also clapped to welcome the two off the field, exchanging high-fives with them.

Earlier, Aldrich had withdrawn Materazzi, and now Nill moved up to play center-back.

Pedretti replaced Pirlo and partnered with Gattuso as double defensive midfielders. Nedved dropped back from the attacking midfield position to join the midfield. The formation was now 4-5-1, with Henry and Larsson playing wide, and Klose as the center forward.

Valencia's tactical shift is evident as they've moved from a five-defender formation to a more attacking setup. They've subbed out two 36-year-old full-backs and replaced them with forwards, switching to a 2-2-2 shape with González and Mendieta on the wings and Carew and Zahovič up top. With a man down, this change effectively removes a defender and bolsters their attacking presence.

The game had entered the 84th minute, but Valencia hadn't pressed hard after the kick-off. Millwall wasn't using a high-pressing strategy either—it was too risky, especially since they had brought on two energetic and powerful forwards. But they weren't sitting back defensively; they had slightly retreated their defensive line to maintain balance.

Valencia was good at counter-attacking, but now it was a battle of positioning, as they patiently passed the ball, trying to find weaknesses in Millwall's defense.

They couldn't afford to lose possession easily.

Millwall's defense, however, was in top form, especially with the extra man on the field and the addition of the double defensive midfielders to bolster the defense.

The attacking players from Valencia gritted their teeth as they watched the opponent's impenetrable defense. They couldn't find any outlets to break through the defense with a ground pass. The way the opposition cut through their attacking formation was textbook perfect!

So, what could they do?

The more they passed the ball, the smaller the spaces became, and the more anxious their own side became.

Time was not on their side; every second that ticked away was a reminder.

Mendieta raced down the wing, trying to get around Zambrotta, who responded quickly. With a perfectly timed challenge, Zambrotta broke up the dribble, and it looked like he was about to seize control. But his stop was a touch too heavy, and the ball rolled out of play.

After the throw-in, Valencia quickly switched the ball to the other side, but González struggled to find an outlet.

Nedved was blocking his side, preventing him from connecting with the central midfielder, Alberda, and Pedretti was closely marking Zahovič. There was only one option left: pass it backward to the defenders, but the ball would have to go over Larsson!

González had no choice but to send a cross into the box, aiming for the tall target man, Carew.

Valencia had been lucky in their last two matches. In the previous game, they had the goalkeeper's heroic saves. In this match, they had Gattuso's own goal. González hoped that luck would again be on their side, allowing this cross to turn into a decisive goal!

After sending the cross, González felt hopeful. He knew it was a quality ball!

However, when he saw Neil getting to the ball first, using his body to hold off Carew and heading it clear, he clenched his teeth in frustration.

Neil's header wasn't far off and landed right at Gattuso's feet.

Nedved made a forward run. Alberda kept a tight mark on him, while Gattuso was left unchallenged. Calmly, he raised his head for a second, then made a quick, low pass to the left flank.

On the left side, Henry received the ball around the halfway line, took a touch forward, and immediately exploded into full speed, racing down the field like a speeding bullet.

The Lions fans in the stands roared, screamed, and erupted in unmatched passion.

"Thierry, go for it!"

Although it was the final stretch of the match, Henry, who had rarely participated in defending, still had good stamina, and he could sprint with full energy.

With the stands shaking, the live broadcast quickly zoomed in, and even the viewers at home had the sensation that Henry was driving the entire stadium forward!

Baraja was far behind Henry when the attack turned into defense. As Henry accelerated, Baraja couldn't catch up, even though when Henry entered the inside line around the 40-yard mark, Baraja was still three meters behind.

Ayala, Jukic, and Pellegrino were aligned in front, facing the three Millwall forwards: Henry with the ball, Klose in the middle, and Larsson cutting in from the right.

Suddenly, Henry split the ball in front of Ayala. Klose, who had made a forward run, stopped, creating space between him and Jukic. Just as Jukic closed in, it was too late!

Klose made a diagonal pass to the right front, and Larsson sprinted out from behind Pellegrino to deliver a curling, half-high cross before the goal line.

After passing, Henry had already made a forward run, bypassing Ayala and cutting toward the left side of the goal.

The half-high cross from Larsson was meant for Henry!

Although the timing of the run was less than perfect, the ball's outward spin made it difficult for Henry to control. He was simply too fast. But Henry didn't let the chance slip away. With his speed undiminished, he leapt into the air, twisting his body, and extended his right leg. His foot struck the ball cleanly with precision.

A stunning volley!

Cooper, standing on the sideline, shut his eyes in despair.

It was all over.

Boom!

The Lion King Stadium erupted in a deafening roar as everyone watched with wide eyes as Henry's unstoppable volley flew into the net. Cañizares instinctively attempted to save it but completely misread the direction of the ball. Ironically, had he stayed rooted to his spot, his shoulder might have deflected the ball away.

"A super perfect volley! Henry scores Millwall's fourth goal of the match, and now Millwall leads Valencia 4-2 on aggregate. It's almost certain now, and Henry's jaw-dropping goal has sealed the game! From the moment Henry touched the ball, Millwall was in a 3-on-4 situation, but Henry's dribbling run shook off Baraja, turning it into a 3-on-3, with Henry, Klose, and Larsson combining effortlessly to destroy Valencia's defense!"

After getting up from the ground, Henry jogged backward, pointing to Larsson and Klose, waiting for them to catch up. Then the three of them collapsed together in a heap, followed by Nedvěd, Gattuso, and Zambrotta...

Aldrich, standing on the sidelines, was genuinely worried Henry might get hurt under the pile.

He let out a long breath, raised his head, and looked up at the clear night sky, which made him feel at ease. The journey to defend the Champions League title had taken another step forward.

The game was already in injury time, and Valencia had completely lost their attacking edge. In this level of competition, sheer numbers don't work—just throwing everyone forward doesn't necessarily increase offensive threat. A balanced attack and defense strategy was vital; if they dared to press forward, their defense would be vulnerable to counter-attacks.

Limiting Millwall's attacking space had been Valencia's focus in both matches, but the counter-attack goal just now had clearly shown them how terrifying Millwall could be when given space. Even in a 3-on-3 situation, Millwall could still unleash devastating power.

The referee blew the final whistle, and Valencia's players walked off the pitch with their heads down, while the entire Millwall team celebrated their advancement to the semifinals, thanking the fans. Without these loyal, passionate, and even somewhat intimidating supporters, perhaps the pressure on Valencia wouldn't have been so immense.

Aldrich walked over to Cooper, shaking his hand seriously with no hint of arrogance.

Each high-level competition was a test for Millwall, as well as a valuable opportunity for Aldrich to apply his extensive coaching experience. He respected every opponent and appreciated every rival manager, even if they had public conflicts in front of the media. His inner gratitude remained unchanged.