Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 214

214. Towards the Champions League Semifinals

AC Milan’s counterattack began to falter.

The young Burnley players, keenly aware of this shift, exchanged knowing glances.

Following the manager’s instructions, they focused on disrupting AC Milan’s attacking flow, specifically targeting the connection between defensive midfielder Sandro Tonali and attacking midfielder Daniele Maldini.

Mika Marmol effectively neutralized Rafael Leão, the left-wing attacker known for his finishing prowess.

With their spine and one wing effectively broken, hunting down AC Milan became a much more feasible task than it had been in the first half of either leg.

“Anselmo, I’m going up.”

“Got it.”

Luka Pellegrini, after spotting Luka Sučić dribbling the ball up the center of the field, spoke to Anselmo Garcia McNulty beside him.

As he spoke, he began a leisurely advance up the left sideline towards the attacking zone.

Alexis Saelemaekers, AC Milan’s right-wing attacker who should have been his primary obstacle, was positioned deep in midfield. He was preoccupied with Dwight McNeil, Burnley’s left-wing attacker, who was feinting a run forward, appearing ready to receive a pass from Luka Sučić.

Luka Sučić, bypassing the young AC Milan and Burnley attackers who were busy marking each other, passed the ball to Luka Pellegrini, another member of their “Luka trio,” who was surging forward.

“Davide!!”

AC Milan’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, startled, shouted the name of Davide Calabria, the defender responsible for guarding the right flank.

“I know!”

With a sharp response, the right-back, an AC Milan youth product who had previously played for AS Roma and Juventus before finding his place at Burnley, sprinted towards the advancing young left-back.

He positioned himself slightly off-center, effectively blocking the most direct path to the goal.

Luka Pellegrini slightly decreased his dribbling speed, rapidly evaluating his options.

He had several choices.

One option was to continue down the sideline towards the corner flag and then deliver a cross, or to dribble along the goal line.

Davide Calabria was attempting to force him in that direction, which would increase Burnley’s chances of retaining possession and developing the attack.

However, the downside was that it would afford AC Milan’s defenders valuable time to reposition themselves and provide defensive support.

Another option was to engage in a one-on-one duel with Davide Calabria, attempting to force a breakthrough directly towards the goal.

The advantage was that a successful breakthrough would immediately create a clear path to the goal.

The disadvantage, of course, was that successfully breaking through against a regular starter for AC Milan, a defender fiercely vying for a spot on the Italian national team, was a formidable challenge.

Time was also a factor, and even a successful breakthrough was far from guaranteed.

If he lost possession here, he would immediately gift AC Milan a counterattack opportunity.

But Luka Pellegrini had another option in mind. After flashing a smile at the opposing defender who was intently watching his every move, Luka Pellegrini swung his left foot and sent the ball back into midfield.

“Huh?!”

Davide Calabria was visibly taken aback, seemingly caught off guard by such a quick pass.

Capitalizing on that moment of hesitation, Luka Pellegrini, now unburdened, cut inside past Davide Calabria and surged into the penalty box diagonally towards the goal.

“Luka!”

It sounded like they were calling my name, but in reality, they were calling out to the midfielder who shared the same name. Instead of a response, I heard the distinct sound of the ball being struck from behind.

“Ooooh!!!”

As the crowd erupted in cheers, Luka Sučić, having received the ball from Luka Pellegrini on the left sideline, delivered a precise pass straight ahead.

A perfectly weighted pass that intersected Luka Pellegrini’s path.

Two Burnley players and the ball formed a right triangle, effortlessly outmaneuvering AC Milan’s defenders.

Seeing the ball falling almost perfectly at his feet, Luka Pellegrini grinned as AC Milan’s desperate defense converged on him.

“Block his shooting lane!!”

As AC Milan’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, yelled, Pierre Kalulu, the central defender closest to Luka Pellegrini, launched himself into a sliding tackle.

If he managed to win the ball, excellent, but even if he didn’t, it was a desperate attempt to obstruct the shot on goal.

Next to him, the other central defender, Fikayo Tomori, was sprinting back frantically, and although he couldn’t see him, Davide Calabria, whom he had previously evaded, would be chasing with a similar sense of urgency.

As the space to shoot rapidly diminished, Luka Pellegrini raised his favored left foot high before swiftly bringing it down.

“Gasp!”

A look of bewilderment crossed Pierre Kalulu’s face as he lay prone in front of him, and the accurately struck ball bounced quickly, not straight ahead as expected, but sharply to the right.

Thud!

Luka Pellegrini, unable to decelerate in time, continued his forward momentum and tripped over Pierre Kalulu, but now all eyes were fixed on the trajectory of the ball, not on the two players.

With AC Milan’s defense completely drawn in by Luka Pellegrini’s run, Lorenzo Lucca, Burnley’s central striker, timed his penetration into the penalty box perfectly, arriving a beat later.

The towering striker, who jokingly claimed to be the first of the “Luka trio,” controlled the ball with a surprisingly elegant touch that belied his imposing size.

“Ha!”

Thwack!

With a shout that seemed more fitting for a martial arts dojo than a soccer field, he executed a rapid change of direction, and AC Milan’s central defender, Fikayo Tomori, attempted a desperate tackle, but Lorenzo Lucca softly touched the ball again with his right foot, smoothly evading the challenge.

Lifting his gaze from Fikayo Tomori’s despairing expression, he saw AC Milan’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, wearing a similar look of anguish.

But the ruthless striker, indifferent to the pitiful expression on the opposing team’s goalkeeper, raised his right foot and unleashed a powerful shot with all his might.

“Uwaaaah!!!”

As the home fans packing Turf Moor leaped to their feet and cheered wildly, the ball hurtled straight into the net, spinning with ferocious intensity.

76th minute of the second half.

Aggregate score 2-2.

For the first time in the Champions League quarter-finals, Burnley had drawn level with AC Milan.

***

“Waaaaah!!!”

As the deafening roar of the crowd reverberated through the stadium, the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Turf Moor reached fever pitch.

Burnley desperately sought to score another goal in the remaining 14 minutes, aiming to crush AC Milan’s hopes.

AC Milan defended with unwavering resolve, striving to regain the momentum or force the game into extra time, or even a penalty shootout.

As both teams clashed with every ounce of their strength, Burnley, fueled by the fervent support of the Turf Moor faithful, gained the ascendancy.

“Oh Nicky! You’re so fine!”

“You’re so fine you blow my mind!”

“Hey Nicky! Hey Nicky!”

“Oh Nicky! You’re so fine!”

“You’re so fine you blow my mind!”

“Hey Nicky! Hey Nicky!”

The chant, adapted from a popular song, was directed at Nicholas Seiwald, Burnley’s admired role model and captain.

His actions of diligently tracking and disrupting AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali might not have been overtly spectacular, but Burnley fans could sense that the momentum had undeniably swung in their favor, thanks in part to their captain’s efforts.

Now, all that remained was to vociferously support the players.

As the imposing Henry Tyler, gripping his drumsticks, pounded furiously on the drums, the Burnley players, invigorated by the fans’ unwavering support, began to fiercely contest the final 14 minutes.

Thwack!

“Ah, sorry.”

He offered an apology, but his expression betrayed no remorse whatsoever.

And with decisive action, Burnley’s midfielder Luka Sučić, after dispossessing AC Milan’s Ismael Bennacer by knocking him to the ground, disregarded the sprawled opponent and immediately launched a piercing pass forward.

The intended recipient of the pass was winger Emmanuele Vignato, who was positioned on the right flank.

Emmanuele Vignato had found opportunities scarce, closely marked by Theo Hernandez, a French international who was tasked with defending AC Milan’s left flank during the game.

But now, AC Milan’s midfield was retreating, with players scrambling to reinforce the center.

Theo Hernandez, accustomed to advancing like a midfielder in attacking phases, had joined the midfield battle and was slightly delayed in his return to defense.

“Theo!!”

“Oh, damn it!!”

With a bewildered shout from AC Milan’s central defender Fikayo Tomori, the experienced defender, realizing his error, cursed under his breath and spun around, but Emmanuele Vignato was already exploiting the space behind him, latching onto the ball sent by Luka Sučić.

“Delay him!!”

At the urging of AC Milan’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori charged towards Emmanuele Vignato, who was surging into the space between the penalty box and the sideline.

The other central defender, Pierre Kalulu, remained tight to Lorenzo Lucca, who was lurking in the penalty box, while Davide Calabria, responsible for defending the right flank, shifted his position inside the penalty box.

AC Milan’s defense faltered as Burnley’s movement exploited the space behind them, pulling them towards their left.

“Vigna!!”

Burnley’s left-wing attacker, Dwight McNeil, raised one hand and shouted loudly as he penetrated into AC Milan’s penalty box.

“Damn it!”

AC Milan’s right-back, Davide Calabria, who was moving into the penalty box to provide support, hesitated and turned back to track Dwight McNeil.

It remained a 3-on-3 situation, but if the defense was skewed to one side and a pass found Dwight McNeil in a free position, they would immediately concede a goal.

A logical decision.

The problem was that the young Italian attacker, who had found a home at Burnley after spells with Chievo and Bologna, made an unexpected choice.

“Ugh!”

AC Milan’s central defender, Fikayo Tomori, who was closing in with the intention of forcing Emmanuele Vignato towards the outside, was horrified to see the young attacker running directly at him.

“Oh no!!”

He was almost stationary, while the other was at full speed.

Realizing that it was too late to turn and follow, the defender stretched out his long legs in a desperate standing tackle, but Emmanuele Vignato smiled as if his attempt was futile.

“Ooooh!!!”

As the home fans roared their approval, Emmanuele Vignato pushed the ball between Fikayo Tomori’s legs and leaped to the right, vaulting over the outstretched limbs.

“Vigna the Rabbit!!”

Someone in the stands yelled, alluding to the player’s rabbit-like agility, but Emmanuele Vignato didn’t hear it.

He was solely focused on the face of AC Milan’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who was looking increasingly distressed in less than 15 minutes.

The veteran goalkeeper, sensing the imminent danger, rushed out of the goal, shifting his body slightly to his left.

A move designed to obstruct Emmanuele Vignato’s shooting angle, given his right-footed preference, even if only by a fraction.

As if anticipating Mike Maignan’s thoughts, Emmanuele Vignato feigned a move to round Mike Maignan, tilting his upper body further to his right.

“Huh?!”

However, a cry of bewilderment escaped Mike Maignan’s lips as he became more convinced of his read and leaned his body further to the left in response to the opposing player’s movement.

“Waaah!!!”

As the home fans cheered for their player, who was showcasing his dazzling individual skills for the second time in quick succession, Emmanuele Vignato executed a flawless flip-flap [a dribbling technique where the player uses the outside of their foot to push the ball one way, then quickly uses the inside of the same foot to flick it the other way] in front of the opposing team’s goalkeeper.

A skill in which the ball is subtly nudged to the right with the right foot, and then, after confirming that the opponent has been completely deceived in that direction, the direction is abruptly changed by striking the ball to the left again with the right foot.

It’s a relatively simple skill that most players can execute, but it’s not a skill that anyone would dare attempt in the 86th minute of a Champions League quarter-final second leg, where a single goal would secure a coveted place in the semi-finals.

The Mike Maignan goalkeeper swiftly adjusted his body and extended his arms in response to the opposing player’s sudden change of direction, but it was already too late.

Emmanuele Vignato, having successfully broken through to the center of the goal, gently tapped the ball with his left foot, guiding it into the unguarded net.

“Uwaaaah!!!”

The Burnley fans, sensing victory within their grasp, rose to their feet and cheered in unison.

The score stood at 2-0.

It was the defining moment when Burnley secured their passage to the European Champions League semi-finals.