However, time and time again, the Rosenborg players maintained tactical discipline and defended incredibly well to keep the Italian giants at bay. They all packed themselves into the defense and ensured that none of the opponents made any more shots on goal until the final whistle sounded. They’d finally managed to beat Juventus by a score of 3:1 after a few tense minutes of added time.

”We have won,” the coach shouted at the top of his lungs right after hearing the final whistle. He could hardly contain his delight as he ran onto the pitch to celebrate with his players.

The players and members of technical staff joined him, and they soon started running around the field like a bunch of madmen. They had emerged victorious after playing against Juventus, one of the football giants of Europe. So, there was no need to control themselves as they celebrated in front of the vexed and frustrated Turin fans.

—–

In the far corner of the pitch, Andrea Pirlo was standing together with Vidal, Tévez, and Pogba as they watched the wild celebrations of the Rosenborg players. Their expressions were grave since they couldn’t contain their bitterness after losing a game against a much weaker team.

”You guys don’t need to feel down,” Andrea Pirlo suddenly said. “There’s still the second leg in Norway next week. As long as we prepare well and play at our best, we can overturn the deficit and wash away this shame. We only have to keep on believing that we can win, and then we’ll be able to show them our prowess.”

The eyes of both Pogba and Vidal sparkled with anticipation after hearing the experienced playmaker’s words. Their gazes were immediately filled with yearning and battle intent as they continued observing the Rosenborg players still celebrating on the pitch.

”You’re right, Andrea,” Vidal said with a lopsided grin. “If we play at our best, we can surely squash Rosenborg next week. There’s no need to worry. I believe that we can qualify.”

”Of course, we’ll win as long as Coach Conte names me as part of the starting line-up for next week,” Pogba concurred in a joking manner. “I can’t wait to show them the authentic Juventus style of football.”

”However, that Rosenborg number-8, Zachary Bemba, is a pretty slippery fellow on the pitch,” Tévez suddenly remarked. “He singlehandedly disciplined us during today’s game. He might be able to do the same if we’re not careful during the second leg.”

”I agree,” Andrea Pirlo concurred. “He’s a very skilled player with impeccable vision and outstanding skills. As long as we give him a chance, he’ll surely punish us. However, we also allowed him to shine by not marking him tightly during the first half. If we prepare targeted defensive tactics against him during the second leg, he won’t be able to do anything.”

Tévez suddenly turned towards Vidal. “Arturo! Do you still think you can mark him alone and stop him from doing anything during the second leg?”

Vidal narrowed his eyes slightly. “When I went up against him, I noticed that he’s much quicker than he appears from a distance. If you make one wrong move or your reaction is a bit off when you’re closing him down, he’ll disappear from your vision the next moment. I don’t get how he does it.”

”I also felt the same when I went up against him,” Pogba chimed in, frowning. “He doesn’t appear to be a swift player, especially with his long legs. But when you look away for a moment, he’s gone like the wind. He probably bases his dribbling moves on the reaction of the opponent. If you go left, he will go right, and if you slide in, he’ll jump over you. As Pirlo said, his vision is top class, especially during crucial moments. I wonder why he’s wasting his time in Rosenborg.”

”That’s not for us to worry about,” Vidal said, shaking his head. “Our only concern should be on how to stop him during the next leg. We might need to double-team him throughout the entire 90 minutes.”

”Leave the tactics to Coach Conte,” Pogba supplied with a smile. “He’ll surely have a solution within the next few days. By the way, we need to return to the dressing room soon. Conte will roast us twice if we keep on avoiding him.”

”I’m not ready to face the howls of an enraged Conte right after the game,” Tévez said, smiling ruefully. “Let’s wait for a few more minutes. He might cool down after a while.”

”I doubt that.”

——

After Coach Johansen finished celebrating with his players, he immediately headed to the area designated for the press. A smile constantly played upon his lips as he swaggered through the pitch like a king. He couldn’t hide his emotions as he was still immersed in the joy of thrashing Juventus three goals to one.

However, the coach was alone since Zachary had refused to participate in the post-match interview. Instead, the young playmaker had immediately excused himself and returned to the dressing room after picking up his match ball. And since he’d claimed that he wanted to check on the condition of his grandma immediately, there was no way the coach could have stopped him.

”Welcome, Coach Johansen,” one of the reporters said when he stepped before the cameras. “You have done it again and defeated another Italian team in Italy. Congratulations.”

”Thank you,” the coach replied.

”Well,” the same reporter said. “Your team played really well and remained tactically disciplined throughout the 90 minutes of the game. And defensively, they were really super. But I guess the football fans don’t want to hear us go into the tactics and Rosenborg’s style of play. Rather, they should be yearning to listen to your analysis of Zachary Bemba’s performance during the game. What are your thoughts, coach?”

Coach Johansen chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “My analysis of Zachary during this game is just a simple four-word sentence,” he said. “He was just perfect.”

”Can you elaborate?” The reporter queried.

”His reaction to unexpected situations on the pitch, his handling of the ball, his positioning, his decision-making during crucial moments — everything about him was perfect during today’s game. I would give him a 10-out-of-10 score for today’s performance.”

”For instance, let’s look at his first goal,” the coach continued. “His run through the midfield was incredible and decisive before he finished with a curling shot from outside the eighteen. Then, the run that led to the penalty that resulted in the second goal was also unbelievable. He covered half the pitch in a few seconds before dispossessing the opponents and forcing the penalty out of the keeper.”

”As for the third goal,” Coach Johansen said with a chuckle, “I guess you don’t need me to tell you how incredible it was. Zachary placed the ball perfectly into the top right corner, denying the keeper any chance to make a save. Even the most experienced free-kick takers in the world couldn’t have done any better when at their best.”

”Thanks for your analysis, Coach Johansen,” the reporter said. “Tell us about Zachary’s potential. Do you see him rising into a star that can dazzle the entire footballing world in the future?”

Coach Johansen smiled as he shook his head. “Zachary Bemba scored two goals against Fiorentina a few weeks back. He has now just scored a hattrick against Juventus. He’s already the top scorer for the Europa League tournament. So, how much more dazzling do you want him to be at his age?”

The reporter laughed. “Let’s put Zachary’s performance to the side and talk about Rosenborg’s second leg fixture against Juventus. Should we expect to see another commanding performance against Juventus next week? Do you believe that your team can win and qualify for the quarter-finals?”

”Of course, I believe we’ll qualify,” Coach Johansen replied confidently. “We have the advantage since we won and scored three goals away from home. So, we only need to prepare adequately and ensure that we are in good shape before the game. We can then show Juventus the spirit of Norwegian football when they come to Trondheim next week.”

”I’ll surely be looking forward to that game, Coach Johansen,” the reporter said. “Thanks for staying behind to talk to us. And we wish you all the luck during the second leg of the round of sixteen. Have a good night.”

”Thanks, and a good night to you too.”

After completing the post-match interview, Coach Johansen stepped away from the cameras and headed toward the visitor’s dressing room. Since he desired to win and qualify for the quarter-finals, he couldn’t afford to waste any time. So, he planned to start intensive preparations for the second leg game against Juventus the following day.

As long as he did his job well as a coach, he didn’t believe his players would fail to eliminate the Italian giants from the Europa League. He was optimistic, especially after factoring in the two-goal advantage from the first leg. He only needed to arrange targeted defensive tactics to frustrate the opponents, and then the chances of his team qualifying would be above 60%.