Casillas’ Trial by Fire

For a typical football fan, what defines a pleasing performance from their team?

It boils down to goals—both the act and the artistry of scoring them.

And what fuels goals?

Attack!

When Aldrich read through the report provided by Villas-Boas, listing Real Madrid's usual starting lineup, he immediately grasped the key insights he needed.

The noble essence that coursed through the veins of Real Madrid was both their pride and their Achilles' heel, a Damocles sword hanging over their heads.

On the night of the match, Aldrich deliberately waited until both teams were lined up in the players' tunnel before making his entrance.

The Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid's football sanctuary, exuded sophistication and comfort with its state-of-the-art facilities.

Aldrich's only regret in all this was tied to one man: Michael Ballack.

Sending Ballack to Real Madrid was meant to provide the German with a platform to thrive. But the harsh reality remained—Real Madrid demanded glamour. Ballack's practical and efficient playing style condemned him to the bench, left to wait for rare chances to prove himself.

Even when Ballack occasionally delivered moments of brilliance in the league, his unflashy style wasn't enough to win over the fans. To make matters worse, Real Madrid's endless acquisition of forwards every season crowded the squad further. With as many as five or six strikers jostling for spots, the midfield was essentially gutted, leaving just one position available, which naturally went to the effortlessly elegant Redondo.

Aldrich emerged from the tunnel, dressed sharply in a tailored suit, one hand casually in his pocket. His eyes swept over Real Madrid's starting eleven as a confident smile played on his lips. His calm demeanor spoke volumes, eliciting serious responses from most of the opposition players.

Among their expressions, a hint of respect flickered in many eyes.

The more a player entrenches themselves in a top-tier club, the more they understand the difficulty of achieving glory. Aldrich's accomplishments earned genuine admiration, transcending his age.

Stepping onto the well-lit Bernabéu, which gleamed as if it were broad daylight, Aldrich paused at the sidelines. Tilting his chin upward, he smiled faintly, his gaze shimmering with determination.

Beneath his feet lay another hallowed ground in football's pantheon.

As a head coach, this was his first time leading a team to the Bernabéu, and his signature gesture—a proud survey of the stadium—was now almost ritualistic.

Cameras and reporters focused intently on him, capturing his every move.

"Aldrich Hall, the young maestro of Millwall! Once again, he strikes his signature pose—standing tall at the edge of the field, chin up, casting a confident and charismatic smile across the stadium. Just as the British media described him: the Caesar of the football pitch, embodying the eternal truth of that famous quote—he came, he saw, he conquered!"

Aldrich was already recognized as the most charismatic football manager of his era. His charm had stolen the hearts of countless female fans, making him one of the Premier League's iconic figures.

Catching Del Bosque's gaze from afar, Aldrich offered a warm smile and a polite nod before strolling over to the away dugout.

Del Bosque had taken over as a stopgap earlier in the season, but now, he had solidified his place as the team's head coach.

If not for Aldrich's dual role as Millwall's manager and owner, he would undoubtedly be the fans' top choice as Real Madrid's next head coach. He perfectly embodied the club's ideals in both tactical prowess and personal charisma. Yet Aldrich had no interest in the role, leaving Madridistas wistful.

The players took to the pitch as the UEFA Champions League anthem resonated through the stadium.

"Tonight at the Bernabéu, we're in for a spectacular clash as two European powerhouses collide! Millwall, this season's most dominant team, visits star-studded Real Madrid. Let's take a look at the starting lineups."

Real Madrid Starting XI (5-3-2):

Goalkeeper: Casillas

Defenders: Salgado, Karanka, Helguera, Campo, Carlos

Midfielders: McManaman, Redondo, Raúl

Forwards: Anelka, Morientes

Millwall Starting XI (4-5-1):

Goalkeeper: Butt

Defenders: Schneider, Materazzi, Southgate, Zambrotta

Midfielders: Makelele, Lampard, Pirlo, Nedvěd, Ronaldinho

Forward: Henry

"The game is about to begin, and we eagerly anticipate a thrilling spectacle!"

Judging by the starting lineups, you'd expect Millwall to be the aggressors, while Real Madrid focused on defense. But the reality couldn't have been more different.

In reality, it was the opposite. Real Madrid fielded a five-man defensive line, with Helguera deployed as a sweeper. This adjustment was primarily aimed at covering the gaps left by Roberto Carlos and Salgado when they pushed forward in attack. This extra defender widened the defensive line and helped disrupt Millwall's signature sharp through passes in positional play.

Millwall employed a structured 4-3-2-1 formation. Makélélé and Lampard operated as a double pivot, with Pirlo orchestrating the play centrally. Ahead of them, Nedvěd and Ronaldinho moved freely, while Henry held the forward line as the lone striker.

From the opening moments, Real Madrid took command of the game's tempo, initiating a relentless attacking rhythm—something Premier League fans would find all too familiar in recent matches.

The Spanish giants had eliminated Manchester United, the defending champions, in the quarter-finals. In the first leg at this very stadium, United endured relentless assaults, only to be saved by a miraculous performance from their often-criticized goalkeeper Bosnich.

So, when Millwall found themselves similarly besieged at the Santiago Bernabéu, the home fans, draped in white, weren't surprised. It was expected.

Aldrich also found it predictable.

Anelka, Morientes, Raúl, McManaman, and Redondo orchestrating attacks centrally, not to mention Carlos and Salgado almost playing as wingers.

Real Madrid lived for offense. Asking them to play conservatively? You might as well ask their manager to resign.

With this roster of dribblers, passers, and tireless runners, Real Madrid might not win every match, but they'd certainly always produce attacking football.

Real Madrid's dominance in the opening exchanges was no shock. Their strategy was built around relentless attack. Millwall, meanwhile, wasn't fixated on scoring battles; their defensive posture was natural.

Millwall's backline sat deep, staying compact and tightly organized, relying on a dense defensive setup to stifle Real Madrid's relentless attacks.

On the sidelines, Aldrich stood with a furrowed brow. He had anticipated the possibility of being pinned back by Real Madrid's offense, but he hadn't imagined the pressure would feel this intense.

Morientes nearly scored with a header. Carlos's long-range shot, deflected, hit the post and ricocheted out. Raúl's clever through-ball found Anelka, but the Frenchman squandered the chance.

"Hold on. Just hold on through this phase, and victory will be within reach!" Aldrich thought.

Del Bosque was seated on the touchline, sweat dripping down his face as he watched the action unfold.

"One goal. Just one, and the momentum will shift entirely in Madrid's favor!"

Faced with Europe's most lethal attacking team in Millwall, Real Madrid was using their own firepower to suppress the visitors.

But Del Bosque was frustrated. He wanted a solid counter-attacking strategy, but his players didn't know how to pull it off—or perhaps weren't willing to play that way!

And today, Aldrich had thrown a curveball with his defensive setup. Del Bosque silently cursed, "With our defensive stats this poor, why would you even weaken your offense by playing two defensive midfielders?"

Indeed, Real Madrid's defensive record was terrible. Among the top ten La Liga teams, they had conceded the second-most goals.

What Del Bosque truly desired was for Millwall to go toe-to-toe with Madrid in an open attacking game. In such a scenario, Madrid might not guarantee victory, but their attacking stars—Carlos's brilliance on the flanks, Morientes' aerial prowess, and Raúl's stealth in the hole—would give them crucial advantages.

But Millwall, famed for their attacking firepower across Europe, had come to the Bernabéu to play an Italian-style counterattacking game.

With four defenders and four midfielders forming a chain defense, Millwall lacked only a sweeper to complete the image. However, with Madrid throwing wave after wave of attacking players forward, perhaps they didn't even need one.

Aldrich couldn't help but respect Real Madrid's unpredictability.

This current Madrid side was like a double-edged sword.

They were inconsistent in La Liga, failing to crack the top four while scoring fewer goals than their rivals and conceding far more. Yet in Europe, they could be utterly merciless—like their 8–3 aggregate demolition of Bayern—and dominate the pitch at Old Trafford to eliminate Manchester United.

This level of unpredictability made them dangerous.

If their attack went into full throttle, you wouldn't even know how you lost.

When Aldrich remembered that, according to the original timeline, this was the year Real Madrid would win the Champions League, he had no choice but to abandon his usual tactics and opt for a special strategy.

When the opposition is strong offensively, the best solution is to strengthen the defense and add an extra layer of protection.

This approach also served to create opportunities for counterattacks, something Aldrich was more than willing to implement.

Now, the question was whether Millwall's defense could withstand the pressure.

For the first 20 minutes, Real Madrid dominated possession, but their attacks became impatient after that. Pushing forward recklessly, they left gaps in their defense. Millwall's players gradually deciphered their opponents' defensive patterns and began launching effective counterattacks.

In the 23rd minute, Salgado's cross was cleared by Materazzi with a powerful header. The rebound landed at Raúl's feet, but before he could control it, Makélélé stepped in with a perfectly timed interception. He quickly sent a diagonal pass forward.

Pirlo, finding space, lifted the ball over the top without hesitation, bypassing Redondo's attempt to intercept. Ronaldinho received the ball unmarked.

Both Salgado and Roberto Carlos scrambled back, but McManaman, Raúl, Redondo, and two strikers were still deep in Millwall's half.

Ronaldinho turned with the ball, finding himself up against just three defenders: Helguera, who had stepped up as a defensive midfielder, and the center-back duo of Campo and Karanka.

The field ahead was wide open. Ronaldinho drove toward the wing, forcing Helguera to track him laterally.

As Helguera closed in, Ronaldinho laid the ball back. Lampard, arriving from behind, immediately returned the ball into Ronaldinho's path. This simple one-two eliminated Helguera from the play, allowing Ronaldinho to cut inside toward Real Madrid's goal.

On the opposite flank, Henry darted toward Ronaldinho's side, drawing Campo with him. Ronaldinho dribbled toward the penalty area and passed to Henry.

With two center-backs breathing down his neck, Henry calmly laid the ball off for Ronaldinho, who had perfectly timed his run. Ronaldinho collected it in stride, slicing through the defensive line and heading straight for the goal.

The fresh-faced Casillas, making his debut against Ronaldinho in a one-on-one situation, was about to face his first real test.

Promoted to the first team by Del Bosque due to injuries to two senior goalkeepers, Casillas had already made a name for himself.

But this was different.

He chose to leave his line and charge forward, but Ronaldinho, The Brazilian star,threw in a cheeky step-over, shifted right, and drilled a shot towards the near post.

Although Casillas closed the distance, Ronaldinho's lateral move widened the angle for his shot, and the carefully placed strike was heading straight for the net.

Casillas, diving with everything he had, actually got a fingertip on it! But the ball stopped just beyond his reach—a cruel half meter away.

As despair filled his eyes, Casillas could only watch as Ronaldinho followed up with two quick strides and tapped the ball cleanly into the empty net.