780 Outer Instep (1/2)

Nottingham Forest took the initiative from the first kick of the game.

Inter Milan lost the toss and so Forest kicked off. Inter started the match in a defensive mindset, aiming to keep their defense solid and counter-attack when they got the chance. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest did not hold back and made the most of their kickoff advantage, keeping the ball firmly under their feet. They were in no rush to approach the goal and instead circled patiently.

George Wood and Tiago were indeed further back in their positions than ever before. It looked like the distance between them and Şahin was wider than ever, but in fact, the players were not wooden blocks. They would keep running and linking up on the pitch. The formation of the team was merely a reference—if they were too far away, Şahin would know he could withdraw to receive. As for Wood and Tiago, they would also know to move up the pitch when required.

The tactics might be set, but the players were absolutely alive. The players were now at the level to be able to use fixed tactics flexibly. Some players could only cling obstinately to the manager's arrangements. One was one, two was two, and they would dare not go one step beyond the prescribed limit. They had no ideas of their own. That was the life of an ordinary professional player. But some players were able to develop their own ideas and make their own judgments based on their understanding of the manager's tactical intent. Such players were often the best players who could see the situation on the pitch clearly and turn things around with a stroke of tactical genius.

While Inter Milan retreated to defend, Wood and Tiago did not cling to their defensive midfielders' positions or foolishly wait for the opponent to attack. Out of the necessary caution, they did not rush up at the same time but took turns to plug any gaps as well as taking part in the offense. When Tiago was up, George Wood would stay back to defend. When Wood advanced, Tiago would be in charge of the defense.

The Nottingham Forest players controlled the ball and were in no hurry to go for goal. In the tactical meeting the day before the game, Twain had arranged for Şahin to start but had also specifically warned him that if during the match he was not particularly certain, then he must not pass the ball directly. He was not to give Inter Milan the opportunity to intercept the ball and allow them to immediately fight back. Twain would rather he passed the ball back and forth on the periphery to toy with the Inter Milan defense first.

Şahin habitually tried to send a threatening pass every time he got the ball. But when he looked up at the seemingly impervious wall of Inter Milan defense, he remembered the boss's admonition. So, he turned around crossed the ball instead.

Şahin passed it to Bentley, who was about to cross when he saw that Inter Milan's rear defensive line remained calm. Therefore, he sent the ball out with a long pass straight to the other side of the pitch. Matías Fernández received the ball and passed it to Leighton Baines, who had moved forward to plug the gap in the front line. Baines saw that it was not a good time, so he continued to pass the ball and it fell to George Wood's feet.

The Inter Milan players certainly would not cower like shrinking violets in their own thirty-meters zone and let Nottingham Forest pass the ball back and forth. Ibrahimović was at the forefront of the Inter players and saw the ball fall at Wood's feet. He rushed up, intending to tackle Wood. Following his lead, Inter Milan's overall formation began to press slightly, meaning there were now finally some gaps in the originally impenetrable formation.

Wood passed the ball to Rafinha as Ibrahimović prepared to pounce. Rafinha then passed the ball diagonally to Şahin and continued to run forward, as if he wanted to receive the ball straight back.

The Inter Milan players were not fools. How could they tolerate such a conventional and simple coordinated move being made in front of themselves? Chivu kept a close eye on Rafinha, and Cambiasso came up to challenge Şahin.

However, Şahin had played a dummy and did not receive the ball. He turned around to block Cambiasso so as to give the ball to Ibišević behind him.

”Ibišević takes the ball and he's on the edge of the penalty area. He's facing the goal sideways on! It looks like he's got a chance to shoot!”

Ibišević did not shoot because the moment he tried to lift his leg, he realized that Samuel was close to him. It was not a good moment to take a shot. He changed his mind at the last minute and gave moved his ankle slightly in order to pass the ball back to George Wood.

The move was familiar to Mourinho. The striker's back was to goal whereas Wood was directly facing the goal and the ball was passed to him from the striker's position. Wood could shoot straight while running and without stopping the ball at all.

Some people always said how bad Wood's shot was, but it had been proven time and again that any player who normally struck the ball badly could always shoot in a world-class manner from this position.

Mourinho raised his fist in the hope that the Inter Milan players on the pitch would remember what he had said to them before the game: George Wood is the most dangerous player if he gets the ball on the edge of the penalty area! This is not alarmist talk. You have to keep it in mind and ensure he gets no chance to shoot from this spot!

Fortunately, his players had not forgotten that. Samuel was marking Ibišević and they still had people who could step forward and block Wood. Burdisso stepped forward bravely, planning to use his body to obstruct Wood's powerful shot!

Wood jabbed the ball with his ankle and his unexpected move caused Burdisso to lose his balance. Wood pushed the football to Şahin on the other side of the box. Şahin had turned and completely bypassed Cambiasso when he giving the ball to Ibišević. Now he was facing the goal and there was no one in front of him.

Wood had passed the ball to the area in front of Şahin's. All he had to do was to speed up and charge into the penalty area. Then he could directly face Inter Milan's Brazilian goalkeeper, César!

”A one-on-one face-off with the goalkeeper!!” the commentator roared with excitement. The game had started three minutes ago and Nottingham Forest already had such a good chance.

Şahin was not strong enough to get to the area in front of the ball with just one step. Neither could he throw everyone else off him and have a clean strike at the ball. Wood had used too much strength in passing the ball in order to try to penetrate the opponent's defensive line. Şahin tried his best to reach it but did not manage to shake off the defenders.

Samuel, Burdisso, and Cambiasso all rushed at him from three different directions, intending to smother his shot in its infancy. Of course, since the football was already in the penalty area, they had to be careful not to foul him.

But these three Argentines' purpose had been achieved. They crowded Şahin and surrounded him. In this way, the angle with which Şahin could shoot was very small. Under the heavy siege, even if he just raised his leg to prepare to shoot, the football on the ground might immediately be removed. The players could not simply stand there just because there was the possibility of a foul. To foul while tackling the ball might the work of a rough defender, but it would be an unqualified defender if they let the other side score a goal for fear of a foul.

If Şahin went to shoot, the three defenders would bring him down even if it meant a penalty-kick!

Şahin did not shoot. He and the three men fell to the ground at the same time, but he just swept the ball across to the other side.

”Ibišević!! He's completely unguarded!”

None of the Inter Milan defenders, including César, had noticed Ibišević. They only had eyes for Şahin when the ball reached Şahin's feet. But Şahin had passed the football to Ibišević.

Most of the goal area in front of Ibišević was empty. What he needed to do was very simple.

”He shoots! GOOOAL!! It's too easy!”

The Nottingham Forest fans in the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

Ibišević ran with wide open arms to the corner flag and continued to do his slap in the face celebratory gesture.

The Inter Milan players, on the other hand, stood in a daze. They could not believe what had just happened: the game had only started three minutes ago. How had they conceded the goal? It had happened so easily and inexplicably!

They were the people on the spot and they were baffled, but those watching had no problem understanding what had happened.

”Beautiful coordination! It's really a treat to watch Nottingham Forest play so well as a team! It's rare to see such smooth coordination played so effectively through the middle in modern football. The attack that started with George Wood fooled all three Inter Milan defenders.”

Şahin's pass was crucial. If he had been unaware that Ibišević would move up from the side, he would have chosen to shoot. If that had happened, no one could tell what it would have led to. The key moment was when he pretended to shoot but passed the ball, falling to the ground and completely tearing up Inter Milan's tight defense. Ibišević pushed the football into the goal as easily as if he were facing an empty goal on the training ground.