Anelka’s arrival added new avenues of offense for Twain in the middle. When the opponents put their defensive attention on how to prevent the Forest team’s assaults from the flanks, Anelka’s speed and skills could sometimes be used with Albertini’s exquisite direct pass to rip apart the opponent’s defenses. And what was different from the flanks was, once the Forest team ripped apart the opponent’s line of defense in the middle, Anelka would directly face the goal and goalkeeper! At that time, with Anelka’s ability, his one-on-one face off with the goalkeeper often yielded a goal.
The only drawback was that that move could not be used much. After all, the middle was a zone that required any team to be heavily guarded by default. In the absence of powerful strength, heavily attacking the middle would only let their own offense sink into a quagmire. Now Inter Milan had put all their attention on the flanks. Whether it was offense or defense, they gave priority to the flanks. In that way, there would inevitably be gaps in the middle. As long as the Forest team could seize the opportunity, they might be able to score a goal.
Attacks in the middle required not quantity, but quality and success rate.
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Finally, there was a dead ball. When he saw Kerslake standing on the sidelines, Albertini knew the coaching team must have had a new plan, so he ran over to receive Kerslake’s instructions.
Kerslake briefed him simply and Albertini ran back.
Anelka glanced over and the captain nodded to him. A smile showed on his face. After the others covered for him for twenty minutes, it was finally his turn to take center stage.
Inter Milan’s flank attacks had gradually pushed the Forest team back. Now they indiscriminately bombarded the Forest team and their fans in the stands constantly cheered. No one noticed that Nottingham Forest had quietly completed the adjustment of their main direction of offense.
As the center forward, Mark Viduka still attracted Inter Milan’s two center backs’ defensive attention in the forefront. Anelka drifted behind him. He looked a little anxious because he could not get the ball. He constantly ran back to raise his hands for the ball.
The two players’ positions and performances looked no different from before.
Outside the penalty area, Juan suddenly made a long shot and the football flew towards the Forest team’s goal. Edwin van der Sar focused his attention and pushed the football out of the goal beam.
“…Inter Milan’s offense surges. It seems like if they continue to play like this, it will be a matter of time before Nottingham Forest concedes a goal!”
The fans agreed with the commentators’ view. They heartily sang in the stands as if Inter Milan had already taken the lead.
“This is Inter Milan’s corner kick. Perhaps it’s their chance to break the deadlock! Let’s see… Materazzi and Samuel have rushed up, Mark Viduka also returns to the penalty area to participate in defense. In the first twenty-six minutes of the first half, Inter Milan is awarded a corner kick and the front of the Nottingham Forest goal is a mess.”
Materazzi rushed in and George Wood was responsible for defending against him. The two men collided and immediately ignited a spark. With the two sides entangled with each other, Materazzi wanted to shake off George Wood’s marking and George Wood pulled at Materazzi’s jersey without letting go. Seeing that the two players were about to come to fists, the referee blew the whistle in time and paused the game.
“The two of you, break it up now!” The referee ran forward and warned the two players. He swung his hands to both sides. “Separate immediately!”
Materazzi raised his hands to indicate that he had no intention of continuing the entanglement. He certainly did not want to continue tugging with Wood. Wood just dropped his hands to show that he was not pulling at the other man either.
When the referee exited the penalty area, his hand went up again.
Materazzi ignored him. He decided to himself that the best way to retaliate would be to head the ball in over the boy’s head. He certainly would not forget to connive with a covert petty maneuver when it was time for him to head the ball.
The referee whistled again. This time, the whistle was to signal that Inter Milan would kick off.
Stanković’s corner kick, aimed for Materazzi’s header, flew over.
The two players almost jumped at the same time, but no one clipped into a favorable position in the previous entanglement, so this time it was doomed to be purely a contest based on jumps and physiques to fight for the header.
Materazzi was six feet, four inches tall and weighed ninety-two kilograms.
George Wood was just over six feet tall and weighed eighty-four kilograms.
Everyone thought that Materazzi would win just based on height!
Unfortunately, the contest to fight for a header in the game was not merely jumping; it included a lot more things, including petty maneuvers.
After Materazzi jumped, he wedged his elbow between himself and Wood. He wanted to covertly push Wood so that he would lose balance in midair.
Clearly, Materazzi had not learned his lesson from the previous fall. His petty maneuver did not disturb Wood at all. Instead, he could not fully strive for the header.
When Materazzi reacted, he could only see a shadow appear over his head.
“George Wood’s header lifted the siege!”
The football was headed out from the penalty area by George Wood, and Albertini appeared right in the middle of the spot where the ball landed.
Zanetti hung around near the midfield, in charge of defense. When he saw Albertini use his chest to stop the ball, it was too late to shout for his other teammates to fall back, so he turned back to run over.
“Fall back to defend!” Mancini shouted on the sidelines.
Some of the Inter Milan players still had not figured it out. Even the opposing center forward had retreated to defend the corner kick. And now you want us to fall back to defend? Who are we defending against?
He firmly stopped the ball with his chest and the football fell to the ground at a moderate speed. As the ball completely stopped with his chest, Albertini turned around simultaneously and rotated his right leg.
Yes, the Forest team’s center forward had withdrawn to defend against the corner kick. However, the Forest team did not just have one striker!
Watching the football spin in front of his eyes, Albertini felt that his body was full of vitality. He felt better than ever. He was confident in passing the ball to where he wanted it.
“This is Albertini’s trademark!…But who did he pass the ball to? Anelka!”
The mystery was revealed.
It was indeed a corner kick to break the deadlock, but it was dedicated to Nottingham Forest!
“Anelka! There are no defenders around him. It’s not offside! Not offside! His timing to run forward is marvelous! He’s got the ball… He nicely stops the ball… Zanetti can’t catch up, but he’s still chasing… César sallies! And he shoots… Ah, a feint! He swings past poor César… And it’s a gooooal!!”
Everyone on the Nottingham Forest’s substitutes’ bench and in the technical area leaped up.