CHAPTER 506: COLD, SLIPPERY, HARD

From the very first minute of the match, Richard felt a knot tightening in his stomach. It wasn’t that Sturm Graz were playing exceptionally well—they were simply performing at their usual level.

Mario Haas

Hannes Reinmayr

Ivica Vastić

For some reason, today they looked absolutely possessed. It’s no surprise, though; the three of them were known as the famous Magic Triangle, with Vastić playing as an attacking midfielder or shadow striker, while Haas and Reinmayr formed the main striking duo."

With players like these performing at their peak, Richard finally understood why the Austrian media often referred to this period as Sturm Graz’s golden era. Compared to them, City barely had anyone functioning normally.

Right from kick-off, Zambrotta slipped while defending the wing. If Makelele hadn’t sprinted back in time to poke the ball away from Ivica Vastić’s feet, the Austrian attacking midfielder might have burst through City’s entire defense.

"Thanks god" Richard sighed in relief at this.

In the box, Hannes - Reinmayr was already in position, waiting for a decisive pass from a Vastić’.

City’s two main defenders, Cannavaro and Terry, looked sluggish, moving noticeably slower than usual. In the next five minutes, after another dangerous movement from Vastić produced a corner for Sturm Graz, the pressure only intensified.

On the right side, Zanetti, positioned at the back post, prepared to head the ball clear—but he slipped. Losing his footing for a split second, he was outmuscled by Darko Milanič, who rose higher and powered a header toward goal.

"It’s Milanič’s header! Buffon saves it! He holds it securely in his arms—that’s a world-class save!"

Normally, Buffon would have controlled the ball quickly and launched a counterattack. But now he showed a more mature sense of timing. Seeing how much his teammates were struggling, he held the ball tight and slowed the game down, giving everyone a moment to catch their breath and regain composure.

Watching this, even Richard’s expression grew tense. Then he noticed O’Neill signaling for his forwards to drop deeper.

The two defensive midfielders and both strikers adjusted their positioning, tightening the space between the lines to protect critical areas.

City’s players had taken their warm-up seriously, but once it ended, the biting cold stiffened their bodies as if they had power but couldn’t properly access it.

This reaction was completely normal. When people perform intense physical activity in severe cold, the body instinctively restricts movement to protect itself. The players were unused to this climate—basically winter conditions—which made it hard to match Sturm Graz’s pace. They also hesitated to make large, explosive movements, which further limited their overall performance.

To make matters worse, not being able to display their usual technical level made them anxious. They felt a strange pressure, as if the opponents had some unseen advantage while they themselves were being held down by an invisible weight.

O’Neill issued instructions from the sidelines. He knew he couldn’t talk the players through a mental adjustment mid-match, but he could guide them through their actions.

"Keep the formation compact. Pass more—even backwards if needed. First, don’t concede. And while we pass, keep moving."

Through that tedious cycle of running and circulating the ball, City eventually held possession for over twenty minutes at one point, dominating with more than 80% of the ball. But that 80% possession didn’t produce any real threat.

The real benefit came elsewhere: during those twenty minutes, City’s players gradually warmed up, calmed their nerves, and regained confidence. That possession wasn’t meant to break the opponent—it was meant to stabilize themselves.

Sturm Graz didn’t dare press too high. So as City passed the ball around aimlessly in their own half, the Graz players grew confused. They likely thought City were deliberately wasting time to escape with a draw.

Naturally, the home fans weren’t pleased. Jeers exploded around the stadium like fireworks.

"What Premier League champions are these?!"

"Afraid to cross the halfway line? At least pretend you’re attacking!"

"This was last season’s top team in Europe? My son’s school team plays better—they at least shoot!"

"Pass, pass, pass—cowards! Did they forget the goal is that way?!"

Someone even yelled, "HEY CITY! YOU WANT A MAP?!"

Richard frowned deeply on the sideline. This wasn’t normal. Something was clearly off.

Starting with a conservative formation and playing nervously—were they really this intimidated by the Austrian powerhouse? Even Zidane looked cautious.

It wasn’t until the twenty-sixth minute that Manchester City finally produced a real threat.

Zanetti advanced up the flank to join the attack, Stanković pushed forward, and Zidane dropped slightly deeper to link the play. The three combined quickly through midfield, allowing Zanetti to burst past Darko Milanič on the left.

But even then, Zanetti couldn’t use his usual acceleration. It felt as if every Sturm Graz defender was faster than him. Normally, he wasn’t known for blistering pace, but when he chose to accelerate, very few could keep up.

Today, after beating Milanič, he still struggled to pull away and had to play the ball sideways to Zidane. Without taking a touch, Zidane sliced the perfect through pass between Mario Posch and Foda, splitting their defensive line.

Larsson, who had settled into the match early, made a diagonal run into the gap and reached the ball near the byline. As Sturm Graz’s defense closed in, he pulled it back toward the edge of the box.

Trezeguet, the target man, read the play brilliantly. He stepped forward from the crowd, swung his leg, and struck fiercely.

A golden chance—but the ball was blasted it over the bar. Playing in unfamiliar weather and on a slick pitch, even Trezeguet couldn’t find his rhythm. Even at his worst, that shot should’ve at least hit the target.

O’Neill clapped on the sideline, encouraging his players not to lose heart.

Richard sighed as he watched.

Mourinho, having observed the attack, leaned toward O’Neill and muttered, "Why not let them keep playing like that? It works."

O’Neill shook his head. "No. That’s not our style. If we win this way, the players will think this is a real tactical option—I don’t want that. And this method won’t break down a top-class defense."

Mourinho thought for a moment, then quietly returned to his seat.

City’s sudden offensive surge after their spell of patient passing looked reminiscent of Guardiola’s Barcelona—possession, patience, then penetration. But its psychological effects were dramatically different for the two teams.

Constant involvement kept City mentally sharp, speeding up their thought process. Meanwhile, Sturm Graz’s midfielders, after failing to win the ball once, twice, then three times, became unsettled. Their defensive spacing widened as they pressed frantically.

Their defenders entered a "hypnotized" state, watching the ball shuttle from left to right and back again, slowly losing their fighting spirit as fatigue crept in. In those moments, a sudden City acceleration could easily tear them apart.

Zidane’s earlier through ball proved it—if the match had remained high-tempo, Mario Posch and Foda never would have let that ball slip between them, nor allowed Trezeguet to break free. By the time they reacted, the gaps were exposed, and in panic they rushed toward Larsson, leaving Trezeguet unmarked.

But this offensive pattern required twenty or thirty preparatory passes. O’Neill didn’t believe it was sustainable, nor something City could rely on. Pure possession pressure wasn’t enough to solve every problem.

Barcelona’s dominance under the "Dream Team" philosophy depended heavily on one man: Messi—someone who could beat any defender within a meter.

When passing couldn’t create chances, Messi would rescue them. When Barcelona lost big matches, the issue wasn’t their possession—it was Messi’s form. He was blamed for failures even though he wasn’t the tactical engine, just the offensive one. Because Spain’s national team thrived using similar tactics, critics targeted Messi instead of questioning the strategy itself.

Do City have their own Messi?

Of course not. At the moment, Manchester City didn’t have a peak-version Messi—or anyone capable of repeatedly tearing through a tightly barricaded defense the way he did.

But City did have Zidane.

Zidane was the team’s offensive core, the player with the greatest ability to break down Sturm Graz’s defense through his creativity and dangerous passing. Still, he didn’t possess Messi’s unique talent for taking on an entire backline by himself, over and over throughout a match.

And with O’Neill’s strategy, City couldn’t afford to rely on a possession-oriented approach. Against a world-class defensive unit, such a style would only leave them struggling to find the back of the net.

Sturm Graz manager Ivica Osim rose from the bench, shouting new instructions.

"Increase the pressure in midfield! Don’t let them keep the ball comfortably!"

Warned by their earlier scare, the Graz players became sharper and more aggressive in their pressing. Their familiarity with the cold gave them an advantage, and midfield duels grew fiercer.

Both teams began losing the ball more frequently. After combining with Lampard, Zidane attempted a pass but was intercepted by Günther Neukirchner, who immediately played it wide to Mihovilović, the right-back.

Mihovilović, shifting into a winger’s role, stopped suddenly and cut inside, leaving Zambrotta trailing.

It was a strange day for Zambrotta—he could normally match stars like Figo, McManaman, and Giggs. Yet here he was struggling against players he barely knew. His mind kept up, but his body was a step behind.

Realizing Zambrotta was still close, and seeing that Mario Haas and Hannes Reinmayr hadn’t found space ahead, Vastić held the ball. As he pushed forward, Makelele pounced, forcing him to shift the ball wide—only for Zanetti to nip in and steal it cleanly.

"Great tackle!" Richard shot to his feet—a counterattack!

City’s trio of Makelele, Lampard, and Zidane compensated for the overall dip in individual form. Ronaldinho, from the left flank, sprinted forward the moment he saw the opportunity.

What happened next depended on Sturm Graz. If they wanted to play cautiously with minimal numbers—like they did against Barcelona—City wouldn’t let them.

City were willing to drop deep, forget their Premier League champion status, and play conservatively. But if Sturm Graz pushed numbers forward in search of a home victory, then speeding up the transitions and exploiting their weaknesses was exactly where City excelled.

Football is always a balance of risk and opportunity, both in attack and in defense—advantages and disadvantages intertwined.

The dull first half finally came to an end.

It could be divided into two distinct phases: Manchester City "dominated" possession during the first twenty minutes, while the following twenty-five minutes saw both teams wear themselves out in a fierce struggle for the ball. The only clear chances of the half were Milanič’s header and Trezeguet’s wayward shot.