When the FA Cup draw results were announced, most fans were already expressing their frustrations with the FA.
the FA Cup semi-finals, Millwall faced off against Manchester United.
Fans were excitedly anticipating a clash between the two, hoping they could meet again in the finals.
If luck was on their side in the Champions League, perhaps Millwall would even compete with United for silverware on three fronts! What a thrilling script that would have been!
Unfortunately, the prospect of a treble felt distant. Millwall faltered in the 31st round of the league. At Villa Park, they confronted a determined Aston Villa, who were equally eager for a European berth, resulting in a hard-fought draw.
To everyone's surprise, Manchester United drew with Wimbledon away, and Arsenal also drew with Southampton. Among the top four teams, only Chelsea managed a narrow 1-0 victory against Charlton, re-entering the title race.
With seven league matches remaining, Millwall led Manchester United by four points and Arsenal and Chelsea by six. The remaining fixtures would see Millwall directly face Chelsea and Arsenal, and it was anyone's guess who would come out on top.
With depth in the bench not an issue, Aldrich had no worries about lineup decisions after consecutive matches. Before heading to Kyiv, he held a press conference to announce his 18-man squad.
The journalists from all over Europe covering Millwall were left stunned.
Giancarlo voiced what everyone was thinking.
"Millwall is going to play the Champions League quarter-final second leg with just two forwards?"
Aldrich nodded. "Yes, I think it's enough. Larsson starts, Henry comes off the bench."
The reporters did the math: two goalkeepers, seven defenders, two forwards, leaving seven midfielders.
Upon closer inspection of the travel list, it became obvious what Aldrich had in mind.
He is obviously planning to park the bus!
Makélélé, Gattuso, Pedretti, Lampard, van der Meyde, Nedvěd, plus Duff.
He didn't even bring Ronaldinho or Pirlo...
Having a two-goal lead from the first leg, Aldrich didn't need to go all out against Dynamo Kyiv away. Facing many unfavorable conditions as away team, did he really want to challenge the weather and the pitch to prove the indomitable spirit?
Taking along some substitutes was also to let them experience the pace of matches in Eastern Europe, at least to psychologically prepare them for future encounters.
After a long flight to Kyiv, Millwall checked into their hotel. However, the night before the match brought an unexpected disturbance. Local fans organized a loud event outside, turning the hotel into a bustling scene.
A crowd held a rock concert that went on into the night while displaying banners designed to chip away at Millwall's morale.
One couldn't say this had a fatal effect, but it certainly had an impact.
The following morning, it was clear that van der Meyde and Duff were not in top spirits. The hotel's poor soundproofing had kept them awake until 4 a.m. Fortunately for them, they weren't starters. Players like Nedvěd, seasoned by years of experience, had found their remedy: headphones and soothing sleep tracks, letting them rest peacefully amid the noise of the revelry outside.
As the match got underway in the evening, Aldrich put on a snug coat. While in London, he could comfortably strip off his suit jacket during matches, this time, the chill of a Kyiv night was unforgiving, leaving him no option but to don a warm jacket.
When he appeared, the entire crowd of Dynamo Kyiv fans booed him.
They have heard that Millwall's tactic this time is to park the bus and defend for a draw.
When the starting lineup was announced, the boos intensified.
Millwall's formation was intimidatingly solid!
Goalkeeper: Butt.
Defenders: Mills, Materazzi, Ferdinand, Neil.
Double defensive midfielders: Gattuso, Makélélé.
Wing midfielders: Pedretti, Lampard.
Attacking midfielder: Nedvěd.
Forward: Larsson.
Millwall had set up in a 4-5-1 formation, giving a complete impression of being armed to the teeth.
Right from the start of the match, the Kyiv Dynamo fans were on Millwall's case, booing them at every turn. Whenever they touched the ball, won a tackle, or broke up Dynamo's attack, the jeers echoed loud and clear from the stands.
Sitting in the coaching booth, Aldridge could only scratch his head.
Dynamo also parked the bus at Wembley, and Millwall, as the visiting team, simply used the same tactic - what's the fuss about?
For Dynamo's fans, their discontent was justified.
Why shouldn't they? After all, you are the reigning champions.
Before the match, Aldrich had announced the 18-man squad. Lobanovskyi caught wind of it, but he couldn't believe it.
Can you trust the intelligence spread by the opponent?
Even at home, Lobanovskyi had a healthy respect for Millwall, having lost to them last season at home.
He wasn't afraid of Millwall attacking him; that would give Dynamo more chances.
What he feared most was Millwall's counter-attack.
It just so happened that Millwall was highly defensive today.
This was the most headache-inducing scenario. When a strong team resorts to such tactics, a weaker opponent typically stands no chance.
From the beginning, it was clear that Millwall's player pace was slower, as they struggled to adapt to the weather being about six degrees colder than London. The pitch felt awkward to play on.
Henry, bundled up in a warm coat, peeked out from the back row and curiously asked Aldrich, "Boss, don't you think this is awkward?"
Aldrich replied, puzzled, "Awkward about what?"
Henry continued, "The booing."
"Oh, what's there to feel awkward about?"
"Cough, well, you are a coach who has won the Champions League."
"So what? If I let you go out there and play freely, who knows—one of you might get injured in just ten minutes."
Henry, upon hearing this, decided not to press further. He understood that Aldrich would rather face the boos than risk his players' safety.
While it wasn't the sole reason, there was certainly a consideration for their well-being.
In cold weather and on unfamiliar ground, the likelihood of injuries increases.
This situation was entirely different from their group stage encounter with Dynamo Kyiv last season, when the group qualification was uncertain, and Dynamo could afford to be conservative at home. Today, Dynamo was ready to fight Millwall tooth and nail!
If Millwall set their lines too far apart, with large distances between them, their players would have to sprint more to keep up with Dynamo's pace, significantly raising the risk of injury.
Today, the five midfielders formed a full defensive shield, compressing the space so Dynamo's positional attacks couldn't penetrate the danger zone. They relied mainly on long shots and individual breakthroughs, which were ineffective.
Millwall's attacking performance wasn't ideal either. Most of the time, they struggled to find a forward outlet. With limited attacking force and Larsson tightly marked, Nedvěd was also cautious, not charging forward blindly. Millwall's speed was diminished to its limits; they couldn't breach Dynamo's line by speed alone. They controlled the ball, waiting for Dynamo to press, sapping their energy, which would also agitate their opponents psychologically.
As the first half ended, Dynamo's chances were limited to only three attempts, Millwall maintained a 2-0 lead in aggregate. Hall aimed to secure passage to the semi-finals with minimal cost, which seemed reasonable, yet the fans didn't seem to agree. Whenever a Millwall player touched the ball, the booing rose to deafening levels.
Lobanovskyi returned to the locker room with a grim expression, while Aldrich remained unflustered, seemingly ignoring the piercing boos.
As the second half wore on, Dynamo committed more players to their attacks. They needed at least one goal to harbor any hope of progression.
It seemed Aldrich was sending a message through this match: if his team parked the bus, it would render the opposition desperate.
When the match reached the 75th minute, Dynamo pressed forward entirely, exposing their defense in the process. Gattuso successfully intercepted Belkovich, then launched a long ball forward.
Larsson, who had not been able to find an opportunity before, finally waited for this chance. He successfully avoided the offside trap and sprinted towards the goal quickly. The opponent's goalkeeper also attacked decisively at this time!
Shovkovskiy had moved out but misjudged the bounce of the ball. It ricocheted just three meters in front of him, and as he leaped to block it, the ball sailed over his head...
Larsson zipped by, the ball bouncing slowly toward the goal. He refrained from touching it, glancing back at Shovkovskiy, who had abandoned all hope.
Larsson leisurely watched as the ball rolled into the net.
"Millwall scores! They lead 3-0 on aggregate, leaving Dynamo with no chances unless they score four goals in the next fifteen minutes. Uh, the creator of this goal should be Gattuso, as Larsson deliberately let the ball roll in, possibly setting a record for the longest distance goal in Champions League history. The length of Dynamo's home field is 1 yard, and he kicked it from about fifteen yards behind the halfway line, approximately 75 yards away! Um, I'll need to confirm if this is indeed a record; apologies."
Gattuso's intent was a long pass, but the opponent's goalkeeper gifted them a precious chance with his blunder, allowing the ball to bounce over his head. Gattuso saw Larsson sprinting past, and he had already lowered his head, ready to celebrate.
As he celebrated, Makélélé nudged him and shouted, "You scored!"
Gattuso, who had just started to feel happy, froze for a moment, looking up to see Larsson walking back, grinning and pointing at him.
That was when Gattuso grasped it: Larsson hadn't touched the ball.
Wait, did I just score?
His reaction was hilarious. He paused for three seconds, then suddenly dashed toward the sideline, stripping off his jersey and waving it above his head.
Everyone, from the coaching staff to the substitutes, stood up to applaud him. Despite everything, it was somewhat unbelievable to score from that distance, yet the process didn't pack much excitement.
This goal completely shattered Dynamo Kyiv's momentum. Not only were they unable to turn the match around at home, but they had also set a record against their opponents.
After sifting through records, the commentator confirmed Gattuso's goal was indeed the longest in Champions League history!
As the match concluded, the Millwall substitutes rushed onto the field to celebrate with their teammates.
"The reigning champions eliminated Dynamo Kyiv with an aggregate score of 3-0, progressing to the semi-finals. This achievement is remarkable. Millwall is just two legs and one final victory away from defending their title. Of course, they first need to defeat their semifinal opponents, who are still unknown. However, Hall's team shows no hesitation toward any opponent. It's the other teams in the semifinals that should hope to avoid this seemingly unbeatable Lions!"