Chapter 486: Chapter 486

Inter Milan 2 – 1 Manchester City

Luigi Simoni was speechless at the goal conceded — it was clear that something unexpected had happened. Yet in football, such surprises often emerge from a gradual accumulation of advantages over time.

Initially, he wanted to take advantage of the twelfth player — the fans. Inter’s aggressive midfield play had worked well; they were benefiting from being the home side, something they intended to capitalize on. That’s why Simoni took a risky approach, concentrating his forces through the middle while weakening their wing attacks.

Attack through the flanks against Manchester City? Forget it. That would only work if Roberto Carlos were in Inter’s jersey — but since Roy Hodgson sold him to Madrid, Inter had lost their "bazooka."

With Zanetti-Pires and Zambrotta-Ronaldinho, it’s better to take the risk of bombarding them through the middle. Such tactics would probably lead to disaster in Serie A, especially against teams with rigid defensive formations and fast counterattacks, where attacks would likely become heavily congested.

But against Manchester City, it proved effective.

Simoni’s strategy was simple. He knew that O’Neill would focus on maximizing Zidane’s creative impact in the middle, so he instructed Simeone to make sure he was constantly kept uncomfortable.

With the middle secured, the next target was the flanks. City’s wide players boasted immense individual talent, so Inter pressed them aggressively. This sometimes forced West to move forward to mark Ronaldinho, which in turn angered Bergomi when they left gaps at the back.

In short, while the defensive space in the middle wasn’t pressed to an extreme, Inter’s attacking combinations were more than capable, leaving City in a desperate state. The key lay in controlling the central channel.

Especially Lampard, who seemed out of sorts today, often being toyed with by Baggio. What surprised him, however, was that City had no complaints about Lampard’s performance.

And in the second half, he still hadn’t been substituted!

This left Simoni confused.

For him, this was unusual, but for Richard, it was perfectly normal. In fact, he would rather sacrifice the match to give Lampard valuable experience. In past games, whether league or cup, Lampard had seldom faced top-tier teams, let alone opponents of such strength. Even if he had encountered strong players before, it might not have been against a full-strength main squad.

Today, however, he was going head-to-head with Baggio, Djorkaeff, Zamorano, and Ventola — an incredibly lethal attacking lineup.

It was invaluable experience for Lampard. Teaching a player to stay calm under pressure is never easy. What Richard want is, instead of panicking or resorting to reckless fouls, players must demonstrated a commendable ability to adapt to the opponents’ rhythm.

As for Lampard, he systematically improved the success rate of his defensive actions, which was a very positive development. This was a phase every young player had to go through.

Just like Mohamed Salah leaving Chelsea for Fiorentina, or KDB leaving for Wolfsburg, they needed to experience being outmatched repeatedly. Once they grew accustomed to it and learned from it, their overall skill set strengthened significantly.

After Manchester City pulled one back, both teams exchanged swift, attacking moves.

City’s wide players pushed forward, leaving their backline increasingly exposed. When Inter transitioned from defense to attack, their forwards enjoyed more freedom, placing significant pressure on City’s defense.

In the 52nd minute of the second half, Zanetti broke through on the right flank. Pires moved up to support him, and the two executed a clever one-two. Zanetti dribbled laterally toward the penalty area, and as Galante closed in, he spotted the change in positioning. Suddenly, Pires bursting forward, and Zanetti lofted the ball over Galante, perfectly timed for his teammate.

"A brilliant threaded pass from Zanetti! Pires takes his shot without hesitation! Pagliuca dives — it looks like a goal, but no! The ball crashes off the crossbar and out!"

Richard groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead.

The quiet intimidation of a top-class goalkeeper is undeniable. When facing a world-class keeper, you subconsciously believe that ordinary shots won’t get past them, forcing you to aim for something even better, a sharper angle, a cleaner strike.

Pires was likely thinking the same — and he came oh-so-close.

"Inter Milan played well. It seems a draw is the best outcome here," said Marina, surprising Richard.

"Do you really think Inter can’t be beaten?" he asked.

"They play well. But also... why didn’t O’Neill substitute Lampard? He’s struggling against Baggio," she added.

Only then did Richard understand why Marina had said they couldn’t beat Inter. He shook his head and explained:

"To be honest, before the game, I had already told Martin to rotate some players like Ronaldinho or Lampard. They’re still young, and they need matches . I’m actually glad our opponent today is Inter. Honestly, I’d prefer to draw with a team like Inter in the Champions League. Tougher opponents mean tougher group-stage qualification, right? I don’t care about that. What matters is the growth and progress of the players at this stage. Only by facing strong teams can you accelerate their development."

At this stage, the team’s focus was on training and rapid improvement, not being burdened by results. Especially in the Champions League, the context is entirely different from the league.

If the Premier League is about endurance and consistency, the Champions League is about facing top-level players. It’s not just about stamina — skill, experience in different leagues, and mentality all matter. Last season, City won it, so their profile is raised, but Richard want them to forget the identity of defending champions. At least, focus on gaining experience. For young players, withstanding pressure and learning from it was far more important than worrying about wins or losses.

"As long as they don’t show fear, we can still compete. The first-half score doesn’t fully reflect the strength of either team. We have enough time in the second half to close the gap, but it will require stronger fighting spirit and greater commitment."

Richard was confident, especially about Lampard. He knew Pirlo’s sudden sickness had created a golden opportunity. Although Lampard wasn’t yet ready to challenge for a starting position, getting more playing time against strong teams like Inter was essential.

The ball bounced to Cauet, who quickly pushed it forward. Baggio dropped back to receive it, turned, and played it on.

Lampard tried to intercept head-on, but Baggio slipped a diagonal pass to the left, right into Zambrotta’s now-empty position. Chasing him, Makélélé closed in, but Baggio avoided the risk and expertly threaded a diagonal pass behind him.

Ventola made a dynamic run toward the near post, receiving the ball near the byline. He executed a subtle pullback while Cannavaro positioned himself defensively. Then, with a clever scissors feint, Ventola created a better angle and gracefully lifted the ball into the penalty area.

Thankfully, Thuram tracked Zamorano in the box, presenting a significant challenge. He leapt to contest a header but watched as the ball sailed over his head, knowing Zamorano wouldn’t reach it either. Yet from behind Zamorano, Djorkaeff timed his run perfectly, meeting the ball with a precise header that sent it crashing into the net.

Thuram glanced at the ball in the goal, then turned to Cannavaro, who had been just half a step late in his marking, raising his hands in frustration.

"GOAL! Inter Milan have extended their advantage — Djorkaeff with the finish! It’s now 3-1. Today, Inter have showcased exquisite attacking coordination, highlighting the talent and flair we expect!"

Richard exhaled. He had no complaints about that goal. Thuram couldn’t be faulted for failing to stop Djorkaeff’s header; the attacking and defending had formed a complete system.

When City pushed boldly up the flanks, they were always vulnerable to a counterattack. Sometimes, in football, it all comes down to seizing the right opportunity at the right moment.

Thankfully, City had a weapon.

After giving his halftime talk, Richard had already shared his plan with O’Neill. As the players lined up for the second half and he saw the Inter Milan squad joking and relaxing in the tunnel, he knew this was the perfect moment to strike. Did they really think today would be easy?

"Let’s catch them off guard." With years of experience observing how opponents shift between halves, he anticipated exactly what would happen.

As City kicked off after conceding, his prediction proved spot on.

Zidane, sensing Simeonei’s frantic pressure, quickly passed the ball back to Makelele at the back. Inter’s formation began to push forward, and Makelele promptly distributed it to Lampard.

Baggio surged aggressively toward the ball, but Lampard was quick to thread it to Zambrotta charging down the left.

Thanks to Inter’s high defensive line, Zambrotta broke free at blistering speed, completely unmarked.

As he rushed into the danger zone, Šimić tried to intercept, but Zambrotta passed directly to Ronaldinho, who received the ball.

Zambrotta didn’t stop, continuing his forward run. Šimić hesitated, and seeing Cauet backing him up, immediately turned to chase Zambrotta, preventing him from receiving Ronaldinho’s pass in the penalty area.

No one could have imagined what came next. Ronaldinho, after receiving the ball, cut inward toward the center.

This threw Inter Milan’s defense into chaos. Cauet stepped forward to intercept, but Ronaldinho suddenly stopped and executed an elastico to shake off him.

Seeing this, the nearest Inter player, Simeone, was forced to step forward to stop Ronaldinho’s advance, or he would have charged straight into the penalty area — an extremely dangerous situation.

However, as soon as Simeone moved, Ronaldinho sent a perfectly timed through ball into the box.

With Simeone drawn out, Zidane broke free and quietly surged forward, looking to make his contribution

Trezeguet drew West’s attention, while Zidane surged forward, using his body to shield both the ball and Ronaldinho from Bergomi. As Ronaldinho’s pass rolled to him, Zidane didn’t hesitate.

He positioned himself perfectly between Bergomi and the ball, letting it run toward him before flicking it with the outside of his foot.

The move tore the entire defense apart, leaving them completely exposed.

Ronaldinho, anticipating the one-two, accelerated past Inter’s defenders, racing toward a one-on-one with Pagliuca.

Facing the goalkeeper, he didn’t hesitate. With a burst of power and precision, he unleashed a thunderous shot.

The ball zipped past Pagliuca, who froze in disbelief, powerless to react. It struck the back of the net with perfect accuracy.

"Ronaldinho’s unstoppable strike finds the back of the net! Less than a minute into the second half, City scores and is now chasing Inter!"

The stadium erupted. City’s players sprinted forward, celebrating the swift comeback, while Ronaldinho, still brimming with energy, dashed to take the corner.

No one could have expected it — Trezeguet was already waiting, kneeling in anticipation, when Ronaldinho lifted his right foot and placed it near Trezeguet, who playfully pretended to clean his shoe.

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Was he mocking the Inter players here?

The celebration mirrored the iconic gesture of Taribo West from before!