Now the Forest team had to make a quick adjustment. Albertini alone in the middle would not be able to withstand Sporting Lisbon's bombardment. José Peseiro's reaction was so fast that Twain even thought Rochemback and George Wood's clash was his plan. If not, why had Sporting Lisbon adjusted its tactics right after Wood had come off the field?
The visiting team, Sporting Lisbon, put the focus of its offense in the middle of the field. They intended to use the strength of their numbers to storm the Forest team's defense in the middle. The middle was different from the flanks. It was the most dangerous and the hardest area to break through. Almost all teams would amass their forces in the middle during defense and push their opponents' offense to the flanks.
