Echoes of Wembley
After advancing from the group stage of this season's Champions League, the competition moves straight to the quarter-finals. There's no rule about avoiding teams from the same country, nor is there a stipulation about first-place teams facing second-place teams, especially since six teams advanced as group winners.
The three German teams made a strong showing, but the draw turned tragic, with all of them placed in one half of the bracket, along with Real Madrid.
Millwall and Juventus, Manchester United and Monaco—these four teams are all in the same half.
The situations in both halves are evenly matched, and to reach the final, fierce battles are inevitable. Millwall will have to face last season's runners-up, Juventus, who won the Champions League two years ago. Just considering Juventus's achievements in the Champions League over the past two years makes it clear how formidable this opponent is!
At the pre-match press conference, Fleet Street was rather pessimistic, believing that Millwall's luck had run out, facing a Juventus team that was currently at its peak, making advancement seem bleak.
From player strength to coaching skills, Juventus's advantages are obvious. Although Aldrich has been highly regarded, he cannot be compared to a renowned coach like Lippi, who has conquered the Champions League and dominated Serie A.
The League Cup final was just a smokescreen, and after playing mind games in the league, Aldrich arrived on the Champions League stage with a low-profile, practical approach.
At the press conference, even though the Italian media put pressure on him in an aggressive manner, asking him about his goals for this game and comparing the strengths of the two teams,Aldrich calmly admitted: "Juventus is a prestigious club in Italy. Firstly, they have a great coach. I admire the achievements of Coach Lippi, and Juventus has an incredibly strong squad. Their accomplishments in Serie A and the Champions League in recent years are indeed remarkable. You may think Millwall is weaker than Juventus, and I won't dispute that. In fact, we do have a gap in player ability and experience. Juventus is stronger. If I emphasize that Millwall is stronger or on the same level as them, the entire world of fans would think I'm being overly arrogant. However, football matches aren't always won by the stronger team. If Millwall wants to advance, we must first show the courage and determination to fight for it! My players yearn for glory. In the face of the UEFA Champions League, the club's supreme honor, we must demonstrate a strong fighting spirit to go further. If we are destined to be eliminated by Juventus, then the matches at Wembley and the Alpi Stadium will be our finals! Losing is not scary; being eliminated is not the end of the world. But even if Millwall loses, we must leave with our heads held high!"
His balanced remarks received unanimous praise from the media.
Even the Italian media, who had previously mocked Aldrich, acknowledged that Millwall was a worthy opponent.
A coach's style often reflects the character of the club, and Aldrich's role is not just that of a coach; on such a prominent stage as the Champions League, he has made his position very clear.
He comes off as humble but does not appear lacking in confidence.
This reminded one of last year's encounters with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, where Aldrich never boasted, showing sufficient respect to his opponents. Whether his opponents respected him was of no concern to him. Just like when Barcelona's coach Van Gaal looked down on him, he never retaliated publicly.
Fairness is in the heart of the beholder. Aldrich is not a chameleon; he does not become a gentleman when facing noble adversaries and a rogue when facing scoundrels. He has his principles. Others may enjoy mocking, belittling, or vilifying him; perhaps it's not personal but rather a psychological tactic. He remains unfazed, and his demeanor has endowed Millwall with a unique spirit.
Juventus's coach, Lippi, also expressed his respect for Millwall when discussing the matchup. He believes that English teams have begun to revive. Last year, Manchester United reached the semi-finals, and this year, they gave Juventus a tough time in the group stage, narrowly advancing to the knockout rounds. Millwall, as the reigning Premier League champion, is on par with Manchester United in strength. More importantly, Millwall is young and energetic. The players share a mentor-mentee relationship with Aldrich and can always overcome challenges together in adversity. Juventus must not underestimate their opponent.
When match day arrives, tickets for Wembley have sold out early. Not only Millwall fans but many neutral fans are eager to enter Wembley to witness this pinnacle clash.
Millwall, as the reigning Premier League champion, has cruised through the group stage of the Champions League this season. Juventus, on the other hand, has dominated Serie A, being crowned champions and finishing as runners-up in the Champions League over the past two years. To say Juventus is the strongest team in Europe wouldn't be an exaggeration. Even if some may disagree, they undoubtedly belong among Europe's elite.
What kind of sparks will fly when these two teams collide?
Compared to the other three quarter-final matchups, the battle between Millwall and Juventus is the most anticipated.
- Manchester United vs. Monaco
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. Real Madrid
- Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund
The appeal of these three matches pales in comparison to the spotlight battle between Millwall and Juventus.
As night falls, the Wembley Stadium shines brightly.
The players from Millwall and Juventus complete their warm-ups, while the substitutes take their seats. The starting players return to the locker room.
Aldrich stands in the locker room, his gaze calmly fixed on the empty tactics board, as if in deep thought.
Once the starting eleven are dressed in their official match jerseys, they all look at Aldrich with determined expressions.
He turns around and speaks lightly.
"Since the day I took over the team, I've asked myself several questions every morning: What does Millwall still lack? How far are we from being number one in the world? Every day, I've been asking myself these questions, pondering the answers while brushing my teeth or taking a shower, year after year. Recently, however, I've found it nearly impossible to come up with an answer I'm satisfied with."
He scans everyone in front of him and continues, "You eleven first joined the team four years ago, some three years ago. You've been playing together for nearly three to four years. Over this lengthy period of more than a thousand days, you've transformed from unknowns into stars. Your skills have matured, and you've faced many important matches. Your mindset is no longer as timid as when you first started. We have created brilliance together, which represents our progress and maturity. Tactically, we have reached our peak. Although it may not be perfect, it is close to the limits of what you can achieve. So, what exactly is it that you think we still lack to be the best in the world? Can we still say you are young? Your average age is already 24, the prime of your careers—capable of running and charging, full of energy. Do we still lack experience? We have played more finals in the past two years than any other team, and some of you play crucial roles in your national teams. We are a champion team; we have proven ourselves in England, and now, I believe it is time to show the world that you are number one. We are fully capable of challenging for the Champions League trophy and proving our strength with that trophy!"
The players' eyes become sharper and more focused.
Captain Southgate stands up, passionately declaring, "Boss, we won't make any excuses for ourselves! We can no longer think we're still immature and need more matches to improve or to hone our skills and build rapport with our teammates. We can't give ourselves any more excuses! We are the strongest team now! Of course, Juventus is also very strong with honors that we do not, but isn't this kind of opponent exactly who we want to face?"
As he finishes, Southgate turns to his teammates, silently asking for their thoughts.
Everyone nods in unison, brimming with fighting spirit!
In the three to four years they've been together, they have grown from nothing into champion players—what reason do they have to fear a formidable opponent?
Seeing the confident and determined expressions on his players, Aldrich felt genuinely pleased. He needed his players to be unafraid psychologically; this would allow them to perform at their best. Otherwise, if they were hesitant and cautious, it would be disastrous—before the battle begins, signs of defeat could already be seen!
"Play well in today's match. We need to show our style and bring out a stronger determination to advance than our opponent. I believe you can do it. To challenge for the championship, we must first defeat the former champions, Juventus!"
After Aldrich finished speaking, he turned to leave. In the remaining time, the three captains would also rally their teammates' spirits.
As Aldrich stepped out of the players' tunnel to the sidelines, he made a point to shake hands with Lippi. The silver-haired Lippi, despite being middle-aged, still shows traces of his youthful charm. They exchanged a few pleasantries in Italian, and then Aldrich turned around. The great battle was about to begin, and one of them must fall after the two encounters!
Sitting down in front of the coach's bench, Aldrich took a sip of water to soothe his throat. His assistants, Benitez and Jansen, appeared particularly tense today.
It's a curious matter.
It's hard to measure whether the FA Cup final, the Premier League title race, the League Cup final, or the European Cup Winners' Cup final carries more pressure than this Champions League Round of 16 match.
Yet, strangely enough, Benitez and Jansen felt exceptionally nervous today. In fact, Aldrich wasn't entirely at ease himself. After pondering, he thought maybe it wasn't about the occasion but rather the opponent.
Teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain do not compare to the current Juventus in terms of strength, which is what creates greater pressure.
"It's so unlucky to play at home first! That old fox Lippi has an advantage in lineup strategy."
Jansen, overwhelmed by tension, spoke to relieve the mood.
Aldrich rarely started a match by drinking half a bottle of water, and it was indeed due to his nervousness.
He listened, smiled, and said nothing.
Should we play home first or away first? Which one has more advantages?
Statistically speaking, it is more advantageous to play away from home first.
But statistics are strict, not absolute.
Especially due to the uneven strength of the team, such statistics are not objective and fair.
When the strength of the two teams is very different and the strong team plays away first and then at home, the weak team faces a real challenge. In their first home game, should they play it safe or go all-out? If they hold back, fans will surely express their displeasure. What if they don't score? Do they still have a chance in away games? On the other hand, if they decide to attack and the strong team adopts defensive counterattack tactics, wouldn't this be a disaster for them?
In such contexts, it is undoubtedly beneficial for the stronger team to play away first. But conversely, even if a weaker team plays at home first, their chances of advancing may not increase significantly.
When the strength of both teams shows no obvious differences, whether playing at home first or away first doesn't truly confer an absolute advantage. This theory is subject to change; at one moment, people believe playing away first is better, and at another, they think playing at home first is superior.
What matters is performance on the day; everything else is secondary.
As both teams entered the field, the Champions League theme echoed throughout Wembley.
The pinnacle clash between the Premier League champions and the Serie A champions is about to commence!