The latter half of the first half essentially turned into an offensive and defensive battle in Roma's half!
In the final few minutes before the break, Roma launched an almost desperate, frenzied attack, as everyone could see that Luton's stamina had reached its limit!
If Luton could just hold on through this period, after the fifteen-minute break, their stamina wouldn't be as depleted as it was now. At the very least, they would still be able to defend.
A draw wasn't enough for Luton, because even if they got one point, they would still have to depend on the outcome of the Basel-Luton match in the final two rounds, and they would also need to beat Basel.
Therefore, Roma's offensive became frantic.
In the forty-fourth minute of the match, Geoffrey jumped, but the ball flew over his head.
If he had been in good physical condition, Geoffrey would have cleared such a ball, but this time he misjudged it.
Fortunately, Sol Campbell was behind him to cover for him.
Campbell hooked the ball with his leg, sending it out of bounds.
Roma quickly took the throw-in and continued their attack.
The fourth official on the sidelines had already raised the board.
Two minutes of injury time for the first half!
"There are two minutes left in the first half, but Luton's defense is in a precarious situation! From their movements, their steps are getting heavier and heavier. It seems their stamina is really an issue!!!" Wright Atkinson said with some concern.
"That's it!! Keep the pressure on them!! They can't hold on!!!" The Italian commentator shouted from the commentary booth.
The fans in the stadium were also cheering for Roma's attack.
"Come on, Roma!!!!"
"Finish them!!!!"
Roma fans were incredibly excited in the stands!
Ranieri was also frantically waving his arms; their center-backs had already pushed past the midfield line. Luton was now completely pinned back in their own penalty area!
Gao Bo, however, remained calm, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on the penalty area.
For Luton's players right now, it was sheer willpower that kept them running on the field!!!
Almost...
Gao Bo looked at the time on the big screen.
One more minute!!!
Sol Campbell had just headed the ball out for a goal kick, and Roma quickly sent the corner kick into the box.
Schmeichel leaped high, caught the ball in his arms, and then held it down on the ground.
The half ended!
Although the referee hadn't blown the whistle yet, Gao Bo immediately turned and returned to the locker room!
These next fifteen minutes were crucial for Luton!!!
Indeed, Schmeichel used this opportunity to wait until all the players were out of the box before getting up from the ground, then he kicked the ball far out.
Before the ball even landed, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half.
The Roma fans in the stadium were still cheering. Although Roma hadn't overturned the score in the first half, judging by the latter half of the match, it was only a matter of time before Roma scored.
Ranieri also turned and walked into the players' tunnel, and the Roma players entered the tunnel with a hint of regret on their faces.
Compared to their opponents, Luton's players looked much more disheveled.
Before heading back to the locker room, almost all the players were holding their knees on the field, greedily taking several deep breaths to help their oxygen-deprived bodies feel a little better before entering the players' tunnel.
In Luton, fans were generally worried.
"The players' stamina is starting to give out..."
"The second half will be tough..."
"Hold on!!"
"Actually... even if we lose, it's nothing. We can still qualify."
"But losing to Roma... I'm really unwilling to accept it!!!"
Fans were discussing animatedly.
"Luton is facing a major stamina crisis right now. Although they made it through the first half, in the second half,
With their current physical condition, it will probably be very difficult for them to hold on!" Wright Atkinson said.
"Luton is probably in big trouble in this match. With such stamina, they probably won't be able to withstand Roma's offense for long." Redknapp shook his head.
"Basel is already leading Basel four-nil at home. If Luton loses this match, in the next two rounds, they first need to ensure they win against CSKA Sofia, and then they cannot lose against Basel to secure qualification." Wright Atkinson was already analyzing Luton's qualification scenario.
At this moment, in Roma's locker room, Ranieri was waving his fists.
"Attack!! Push forward and attack!!"
"Did you see their performance just now? They have no stamina left!!! We'll continue to press and attack, destroy them with our offense!! Don't give them a chance to breathe!!!"
Ranieri's words resonated with the Roma players, and they collectively cheered after he finished speaking.
In the other locker room, the atmosphere was a bit heavy.
At this point in the match, Gao Bo finally made up his mind.
He returned to the locker room early for a simple reason.
He used the redemption coupon for that blue card.
[Match Card (Blue): Team stamina increased by 15% during the match!]
This was a stamina card. Gao Bo originally didn't want to use such a precious blue card at this time, because he thought there might be more situations in the future that would require emergency use of cards.
But now, Gao Bo couldn't worry about that anymore.
Compared to losing this match and severely damaging the team's morale, using a blue card was no big deal!
Gao Bo's eyes were filled with a strong desire for victory!
When the players returned to the locker room, they saw Gao Bo, still with a confident smile.
"I'm very satisfied with everyone's performance in the first half!" Gao Bo said.
"We didn't concede a second goal, which means we have more room for adjustment in the second half." Gao Bo turned the tactics board around.
"In the second half, we'll switch formations to 4-3-3!" Gao Bo said: "Kevin, drop a bit into the middle, and Danny, also stand a bit to the left in the middle. We'll have a midfield inverted triangle!"
On the tactics board, Kante, Drinkwater, and Kevin Keen formed an inverted triangle.
And Adam appeared on the front line.
From 4-4-2 to 4-3-3!
"However... our 4-3-3 isn't for offense... but for defense!!!"
"All three of our lines will drop back. The three midfielders should pay attention to covering the central space. Adam!! Anthony!! Both of you need to focus on defensive duties on the flanks!! Jamie, you also drop back!!"
Gao Bo waved his arm: "Once there's a chance for a counterattack!!! Both flanks push forward quickly!! The middle also surges forward!! And the midfield..." Gao Bo looked at Kante and the others, "Don't push up easily!"
"Shrink the central defense!! Conserve stamina!!"
"Roma will definitely attack in the second half. Our tactic for the second half is very simple: win the ball, then counterattack!!!"
Gao Bo said calmly.
At this moment, he wasn't impassioned, but the players felt an inexplicable power from his words.
As if by doing so, they would naturally win the game.
Gao Bo's confidence was not unfounded.
The players did have some stamina issues, but if they retreated and defended inside the penalty area, the consumption of stamina would be much less compared to pressing high up the pitch. Plus, with the effect of the stamina card, the players' stamina should be enough to last through the second half without major problems.
And the remaining two card combinations were entirely set up to complement defensive counter-attacks.
Tackle Card plus Counterattack Card!
Gao Bo had now completely abandoned high pressing and was parking the bus in the midfield and defense!