Suker furiously rubbed Shevchenko's head.
"What are you doing?"
Shevchenko turned around in annoyance.
Suker kept rubbing. "I'm celebrating!"
Damn it, I'm gonna rub you bald!
AC Milan's opening goal boosted the team's morale significantly.
Shevchenko scored again.
He was now far ahead on the Champions League top scorer list!
Amid the thunderous cheers of the home crowd, the Milan players retreated to their half.
"Suker's slide shot didn't go in, but it dramatically struck Shevchenko's head and ended up in the goal! We thought Milan would be more cautious after the previous dull draw, but they clearly have no such concept — they came out firing from the start!"
"Their relentless attacks left Lyon's defense in tatters."
Aldo Serena couldn't help but marvel, "Suker was decisive. Most players would've looked to control the ball and take a more calculated approach, but Suker was going for the shot from the moment he started his run. If it hadn't been for Vukojević's interference, he probably would've scored directly!"
Shevchenko, with hair now sticking up like a chicken's comb, jogged back.
All the way, he was fussing with his hair.
That bastard Suker definitely did it on purpose.
Last time, when Inzaghi stole Suker's goal during training, he reacted the same way — rubbed his head from front to back like petting a dog.
"Well done!"
Maldini came over and hugged Shevchenko in celebration.
He also gave the frustrated Suker a comforting hug.
Suker calmed down slightly. Even though he didn't score, the team was in the lead.
And judging from the game, Milan was now fully in control.
"Watch out for Suker! Keep an eye on him!"Vukojević kept yelling warnings again and again.
He wanted his teammates to focus more on Suker.
But everyone was glued to Shevchenko.
Sure, Shevchenko was Milan's top scorer, but Vukojević believed Suker was even more dangerous.
"Shut up already!"
Cris was fed up with Vukojević and snapped at him.
Vukojević's brows shot up — if this weren't a match, his fiery temper would've already led to a brawl.
"Enough! Both of you calm down!"
Lyon's captain, Caçapa, shouted.
Vukojević and Cris both turned to look.
Caçapa sighed and said, "Keep an eye on Suker! We can't keep letting him run wild!"
In the last match, Suker's goal and assist had put Lyon in a terrible spot.
If not for Juninho's magical free kick, the result might have gone differently.
And now, Suker was still playing brilliantly.
From Vukojević's performance, it was clear — he could only partially contain Suker, not shut him down completely.
They needed someone else to help defend against Suker.
Since the captain had spoken, Cris had no choice but to listen.
Though he hated Vukojević's attitude, he had to admit Suker was a real threat.
Soon, the match resumed.
After conceding, Lyon started adjusting their play, hoping to score on the counterattack.
But Milan's defense was clean and efficient.
There were no reckless fouls — every tackle was crisp and precise.
Suker and Kaká frequently tracked back, creating defensive overloads in certain zones.
This gave Milan a numbers advantage during defense.
They pushed Malouda to the flanks.
Maldini blocked his cut-in lane, Seedorf marked the passing path, and Suker tracked back.
"Boss! Go get him!"
At Suker's shout, Maldini suddenly stepped in.
Malouda was caught off guard by the sudden pressure.
As Maldini closed in, Suker darted from the side, lowered his body to avoid Malouda's arm, and poked the ball away.
The ball rolled to Kaladze, who nudged it forward.
Seedorf received the ball.
Just as he started his run, Suker flashed by in a blur.
"This guy is so fast!"
Even while dribbling, Seedorf couldn't help but be amazed by Suker's speed.
Suker and Kaká both surged forward from the backfield, tearing through the half-space.
Seedorf slanted the ball toward Kaká.
Kaká sent a quick pass to Shevchenko, who was holding the ball with his back to goal, then Shevchenko laid it off to Suker.
The ball went from right to left in just two passes.
Suker stepped into it and struck with the outside of his right foot.
The ball sliced through a crowd of defenders, tracing a low curve toward the right side.
"Suker!! A rainbow pass!!"
The moment that outrageous curve appeared,
The entire San Siro stadium erupted in wild cheers.
Kaká charged straight toward goal.
"Shoot! Shoot it!"
Suker was already shouting.
Kaká stopped the ball with his foot and curled a left-footed shot.
The onrushing keeper swatted the ball away, and a Lyon defender, in a panic, booted it out of bounds, ending the threat.
Kaká clutched his head, frustrated by his miss.
On the other side, Suker's shouting became even more agitated.
"Why stop it?! Just shoot it straight away!! Use your toe! Your toe, dammit!!"
Suker was furious with regret.
Kaká turned away sheepishly and jogged back.
Suker's pass had been perfect — he just couldn't finish it.
Suker gave one last shout and dropped it.
Then he sprinted back to help defend again.
"Suker is playing with incredible energy!"
On the sideline, Milan's assistant coach nodded in approval.
He sprinted all the way back to defend, pressed the ball, then instantly turned around to charge forward and made a rainbow pass.
Suker was everywhere on the left wing.
"If you give him enough runway, he'll keep putting pressure on the opponent!"
Ancelotti was starting to figure out how to best use Suker.
This guy had the stamina of a mule.
Before, Ancelotti was worried Suker might run out of steam or get injured over the long season.
But nothing like that happened.
Recent medical reports showed Suker was in excellent shape.
So far, Suker had played the most minutes of anyone on Milan's squad.
If Ancelotti hadn't forced him to rest occasionally, he'd be playing every match.
After seeing the test results, Ancelotti began considering whether to let Suker play the full season next year.
A high-performing, tireless, durable player like him was a rare gem.
On the pitch, Suker and Kaká dropped back again, helping Pirlo steal the ball from Juninho.
Juninho fell and raised his hand, calling for a foul.
But the referee ignored it.
By then, Kaká had already passed to Suker and taken off on another sprint.
Suker carried the ball forward.
He veered diagonally left, trying to put some distance between himself and Vukojević, who kept closing in.
As he neared the top of the box, Suker suddenly stopped and crossed.
"Andriy!!"
Suker shouted loudly.
Shevchenko surged forward, jumped, and smashed a header toward goal.
The ball bounced off the ground and flew toward the net.
Lyon keeper Coupet scrambled and got his hands on it, but as he tried to smother it, the ball slipped out from under him.
"Coupet lost it!!!"
Italian commentator Aldo Serena shouted, "This is a chance!!"
Coupet lunged forward, trying to recover the ball.
At that moment, a foot suddenly appeared, flicking the ball upward.
Coupet missed, and the ball popped up — and dropped into the net.
"Kaká!!!! Chip chip it in!!"
"32nd minute, Kaká scores Milan's second!"
"Once again, Milan's counterattack caused chaos. Coupet fumbled the save, and Kaká capitalized with a clever chip!"
"Still in the first half, Milan has scored a second goal!"
Aldo Serena shouted, "Milan scores again!! They now have one foot in the Champions League semifinals!!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
A wave of chants and shouting roared across the stadium.
Their anxiety vanished in that instant!
They were Milan!They weren't Inter!
Look! This is how Milan should play.
The win that Inter lost at this stadium — AC Milan has taken it back!
Bars across Milan exploded in cheers that pierced the sky.
Fans shouted in joy.
Arms raised, they cheered again and again for Milan's victory.
It was only halftime, but Milan's brilliant performance had already given them a huge lead.
The rhythm was Milan's!
The game was Milan's!
Victory would be Milan's too!
Forza!!!!!!
Milan!!!!
At that moment, San Siro shook.
The roar of the Rossoneri echoed like a minor earthquake.
If they won this match, they'd reach the Champions League semifinals.
To win at home, to dream of a bright future — nothing could be more exhilarating.