THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-323

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle to signal the match kick-off at 9:05 PM, sending the whole stadium into an explosion of cheers. The second leg of the Europa League's round of thirty-two fixture between Rosenborg and Fiorentina had finally commenced.

For that game, Coach Johansen didn't make any changes to the squad that played the first leg. Daniel Örlund, Rosenborg's veteran goalkeeper, was in goal while Mikael Dorsin, Tore Reginiussen, Yerry Mina, and Eric Bailly were holding down the fort in defense. Thomas Partey once again played as the defensive midfielder, while Zachary Bemba and Takumi Minamino were the attacking midfielders. Lastly, Nicki Nielsen, Borek Dockal, and Alexander Söderlund were the three forwards to complete Rosenborg's 4-3-3 formation.

On the side of Fiorentina, there were a lot more changes made to the squad that'd initially played against Rosenborg in Trondheim. The three players - Josip Ilicic, Oliveira Anderson, and Manuel Vargas were not part of the starting line-up. Moreover, their coach had switched from a 3-5-2 shape to a more versatile 4-3-3 formation. From just the set-up, anyone watching the match could tell that he'd prioritized attacking over defending for that game against Rosenborg.

The match proceeded as expected in the first few minutes of gameplay. While being urged on by the thunderous cheers of the home crowd, the men in purple launched endless waves of attacks on Rosenborg's defense like mad. They utilized a combination of wing play while on the ball and high pressing tactics while not on the ball to outplay Rosenborg. Before long, they settled comfortably into the game and dominated the proceedings on the pitch.

The intent of the Italian outfit was evident as they monopolized possession and created several chances in the first thirty minutes. But, no matter how much they bombarded Rosenborg's goal, they still couldn't get an opportunity to score that crucial opener.

Rosenborg's defense was like an impenetrable bastion, warding off all the attacks without taking any damage. The Rosenborg four defenders worked well with Thomas Partey, the holding midfielder, to prevent Fiorentina from converting their clear chances at goal. As a result, the game remained deadlocked at a score of 0:0 as the big clock on the screen indicated that it was almost half-time.

By then, the tension had already steadily built up within the crowd of Fiorentina supporters, forcing them to quieten down. For minutes the anxiety levels were so high throughout the stadium. As a result, the Fiorentina coach was forced to become more active on the sidelines.

"Don't panic!" Vincenzo Montella, Fiorentina's head coach, bellowed at his players from within the technical area. "Settle down and play your own game. Ensure to pass the ball around patiently through the middle and the flanks to break down their defensive shape. We don't need to be anxious..."

His words reverberated across the pitch in quick succession like rounds of bullets from a machine gun. However, he still couldn't improve Fiorentina's situation on the pitch, no matter how loud he clamored and roared. The Rosenborg defense remained impenetrable — and as a result, the score was still 0:0 as the players of both teams headed into the tunnel for half-time.

**** ****

Coach Johansen's mood was a bit jittery as he swept his gaze across the players who'd just settled down in the dressing room for the half-time break. The first half had been filled with ups and downs, with Fiorentina almost scoring the opening goal on several occasions. But fortunately, his players had managed to put up a satisfying defensive performance to thwart all the Italian side's attempts at goal. They'd played with purpose and followed the game plan to the letter — a fact that delighted the coach.

Be that as it may, Coach Johansen understood that he couldn't allow his players to relax before the end of the game. He needed to encourage his players to become bolder and launch more attacks on the opponent's goal if they wished to win the fixture and qualify for the next round of the Europa League.

"Guys, can I have your attention?" He said, taking center stage within the dressing room.

All the players immediately quietened down. They ceased all chatter and soon pivoted their attention onto the coach.

"You all played well during the first half," the coach continued. "You followed the game plan perfectly and stayed in proper shape. Thanks to your efforts, we held off Fiorentina and prevented them from scoring. However, we're still in a dire situation since we conceded two goals at home last week. Should we fail to score and win the game during the second half, Fiorentina will still qualify due to the away goal rule."

"So, guys, we all need to do our best and play like never before to score at least a single goal during the second half. One goal is enough to take us through. As long as we get that one goal and continue defending as we did during the first half, we'll be the team playing in the Europa League's round of sixteen. Are we together?"

"Yes, coach."

Coach Johansen smiled, glancing around. "I'm glad we're on the same page," he said. "Now moving on to the tactics. In the second half, we'll continue playing defensively as a team. The three midfielders and two of the forwards will have to keep falling back to help the defenders resist Fiorentina's attacks. However, if there's a chance, we counterattack."

"We'll need to be swift and effective whenever we get the chance. I expect all forward players and midfielders to do their best to link up and score a goal on the counter as soon as possible. Are we together?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good," Coach Johansen said, nodding. He then gave a few more instructions specific to individual players for the next few minutes before sending the team back to the field for the second half. He had already done the best he could to organize his team. The rest was up to his players.

**** ****