Clap clap clap clap clap!!!Whaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!——
Real Madrid fans erupted into wild applause and cheers.
Although Suke refused to celebrate—out of deep sentiment for his former club AC Milan—the fans appreciated a player who showed loyalty and heart.
But from a Real Madrid fan's point of view, they were free to celebrate as much as they wanted.
After all, Milan had dominated them for quite some time.
Especially in the past two consecutive seasons, Milan had knocked them out of the Champions League in the Round of 16, which had been deeply frustrating for the fans.
"Goooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!"
Gonzalez shouted at the top of his lungs.
"A brilliant solo performance! Suker fully demonstrated his attacking power up front. Even when facing his old club, he didn't hold back—scoring is his duty, but he refused to celebrate out of respect for the glory Milan once gave him."
"This is the kind of star we should be praising."
"Suker is still in top form, and he makes Real Madrid's matches go much more smoothly."
At some point, Real Madrid became used to playing from behind.
They often conceded early in the match, then spent the rest of it chasing the score.
They'd either complete a comeback or get knocked out.
Every game was nerve-wracking—not just lacking in entertainment but also exhausting for fans.
This was one of the major reasons Capello had been dismissed.
Not only were the matches hard to watch, but they were also filled with anxiety.
Even if the final result was good, Capello failed to take Real Madrid to where the fans expected.
Real Madrid is a club with deep roots and tradition. They're not meant to be suppressed—they are the Galácticos. It's they who should be dominating others.
That's why whenever Suker scored first, his explosive impact would fire up Real Madrid fans.
It felt like if Suker reached the opponent's penalty box with the ball at his feet, he could always find a way to put it in the back of the net.
Meanwhile, Milan fans had complex expressions.
A former star they once proudly celebrated had now scored against them.
When Suker scored, the Milan away section involuntarily reacted with a cheer.
It was muscle memory, something ingrained in their bodies.
Suker scoring = Milan winning.
So they stood up instinctively—only to realize too late that he'd just scored on them.
They quietly sat back down in disappointment.
Gattuso got up from the ground, wiping the corner of his mouth, looking exhausted.
He had begun sprinting toward Suker the moment the attack started.
But Suker's shot came too decisively. The defenders couldn't buy time for Gattuso to close the distance.
And with Suker's ability, all he needed was the tiniest bit of space to score.
"I didn't stick a leg out!"
Thiago Silva looked panicked.
He felt largely responsible for the goal but didn't know what else he could've done.
Nesta walked over, opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't say anything.
Yes—
Thiago Silva didn't stretch out a leg.
But he still couldn't keep up with Suke—and no one else could, either.
Simply put, in one-on-one situations, almost no one could contain Suker.
Even peak-form Nesta would've had a hard time.
"Keep your heads up!" Nesta clapped and shouted loudly. "Let's get one goal back first!"
Kaká picked up the ball and placed it at the center circle.
He let out a light breath. Suker's brilliant performance wasn't unexpected.
His goals were unstoppable.
Milan's backline simply couldn't stop him.
Since defense wasn't working, Milan's only path to victory was through offense.
Milan's defense was weak, but so was Real Madrid's, to some extent.
Of course, Real had a slight edge in that regard.
Still, that meant Kaká had to attack with greater ferocity.
"Watch out now!"
As Suker dropped back into position, he suddenly shouted toward Gago, Ramos, and the others:"Kaká's coming!"
Ramos and the others tensed up.
Back when they faced Milan, the biggest threat had always been the Suker-Kaká combo.
Suker was the more dangerous of the two, but Kaká was not to be underestimated.
Especially after Suker's departure, Kaká received a bigger tactical role and became even more effective.
Right now, Real and Milan had similar setups in midfield and defense.
The difference was—one team was too old, the other too young!
But Milan had no future.
With Berlusconi no longer investing, they couldn't strengthen the squad or chase more glory.
Real Madrid was different. Florentino loved to spend—and knew how to spend wisely.
Suker's move to Real might not have yielded instant results, but in the near future, this team was going to explode with competitive power.
All Suker needed to do was hang in there until then.
The whistle blew.
The game restarted.
AC Milan quickly took possession and began moving the ball using Kaká's constant movement.
Pirlo played a critical role during this process.
He seemed awakened in this match—sharp and full of energy.
Every pass looked routine but always landed in uncomfortable zones for Real Madrid's defenders, disrupting their backline.
Suker knew this was Pirlo's specialty.
If Real couldn't keep up with the rhythm, Pirlo would create a corridor for Kaká to burst through.
Minute 17:
Kaká and Pirlo executed a vertical one-two pass.
Pirlo, receiving the ball back, didn't even trap it. He immediately slotted it forward.
It was a decisive pass—right between Ramos and Marcelo.
Marcelo turned quickly—but someone was even faster.
"Pato! He's got great pace!"
Pato sprinted for the ball.
His head bobbed with each step, his cheeks shaking from the speed, but he was still scanning the field.
Suker saw it and couldn't help but admire it—this former "village dog" had truly grown.
But—
Whack!
Ramos came charging in like a tiger and poked the ball out of bounds.
Pato, hindered by Marcelo, couldn't catch up.
"Brilliant!"
Casillas ran over and smacked Ramos on the back.
Ramos' tackle had been absolutely crucial.
Still, Milan had completed their advance.
When Milan took the throw-in, Xabi Alonso rushed in and poked the ball to Diarra.
Diarra passed it forward—Suker received it near midfield.
Boom!
Just as Suker got the ball, he felt pressure from behind.
Gattuso was already there to mark him.
Suker stuck out his rear and bumped Gattuso away—just enough to turn.
But Gattuso wasn't letting up and quickly got back in front.
Suker passed the ball to Benzema and prepared to make a run.
Gattuso turned with him—not going after the ball, but yanking Suker's jersey with his right hand and pulling hard.
Suker struggled, but he couldn't shake the grip.
Their one-two play failed.
Seeing Suker shut down, Benzema had no choice but to pass the ball back.
Gattuso exhaled in relief.
He looked at Suker—his hand trembling from the effort of pulling a full-speed Suker.
Even though he was close, he knew he couldn't do this too many times.
Still, Gattuso glared at Suker and pointed at his eyes, then at Suker.
"I'm watching you."
He couldn't lose the mental battle.
Suker frowned slightly.
Gattuso was a tough opponent—once one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Even now, at the twilight of his career, he had a wealth of experience.
For instance, just now: instead of chasing the ball, he stayed glued to Suker, knowing exactly what he intended.
"It's a fiercely contested match. Both teams are trying every way to disrupt each other's defenses."
"Pirlo and Kaká are probing for breakthroughs, while Real Madrid keeps things more direct…"
As Gonzalez said this, the camera panned to the stands.
Real Madrid fans shouted at the top of their lungs:
"Pass it! Find Suker!"
"Give it to Suker!"
"Suker means goals!"
"Pass the damn ball!"
Gonzalez spread his hands: "That's Real Madrid's tactic in a nutshell!"
Pellegrini stood on the sideline, eyes fixed on the pitch.
Many criticized his tactics for relying too heavily on Suker.
They said Real's victories hinged on Suker.
Without him, they'd collapse.
They complained that this wasn't what team football should look like.
But for Pellegrini, this was pure jealousy!
They were jealous he had Suker.
An unstoppable force up front.
They didn't.
So they had to rely on clever passing and little tricks.
But Pellegrini didn't have to.
He had a cannon.
His job was to maintain that cannon and supply it with ammunition.
That was his tactical approach.
But Milan was no pushover.
Real pushed high during attack. When Benzema tried to dribble down the left, Oddo's pressure forced a turnover.
Pirlo received the ball and delivered a laser-like grounded pass to Kaká.
"Kaká! He's off and running!"
Kaká burst forward with his trademark long strides.
Inzaghi and Pato flanked him, pulling the defense wide.
Inzaghi suddenly cut inside, drawing attention.
Then—Kaká made a second acceleration with an outside flick, charging to the edge of the box.
He let loose a powerful shot.
Boom!Casillas dove and got both hands on it—but the shot was too strong. He couldn't hold on.
Suddenly—a flash of cold light!
Inzaghi appeared out of nowhere and tapped the rebound.
The ball floated toward Real Madrid's goal. Ramos tried a desperate bicycle clearance, but was a step too late.
The ball found the net.
Minute 38:
AC Milan equalized through a deadly counterattack.
"Inzaghi! He always appears at just the right moment. But Kaká's run and shot were also vital."
"Milan's counterattack remains lethal!"
"They've tied it up!"
Italian commentator Aldo Serena let out a breath of relief.
But the joy didn't last.
It was only halftime.
As usual, Milan's veterans would be exhausted in the second half.
Could they still withstand Suker's full-throttle attacks then?
Suker knew this too. While a bit frustrated at conceding, he wasn't overly discouraged.
As time went on, Real Madrid would have the upper hand.
When at Milan, Suker always tried to open a lead in the first half—because of this.
On the field, Inzaghi, Kaká, and others celebrated joyfully.
The goal gave them new hope.
Gattuso and the others were also happy—but worried.
They had expended more energy.
They didn't know when Suker would strike again—or whether they could hold off his next charge.
"Hold the line! Just defend well from here!"
Milan didn't expect to win away. A draw would suffice—they could finish the job at home.
But Real Madrid's response was fierce.
After conceding, Suker became even more aggressive.
He wasn't just staying in the center forward role anymore—he and Benzema began switching flanks and positions.
Suker roamed between the left side and center.
With such unpredictable movement, Gattuso struggled to keep up.
Suker, strong and tireless, wore him down.
When Suker leaned back into him again, Gattuso was pushed back slightly.
He was clearly tired.
This was Suker's moment.
He spun and charged down the wing.
Gattuso tried to follow—but his legs wouldn't respond.
He reached out—but couldn't grab Suker's shirt.
He could only watch him race down the left flank.
Oddo: "!!!"
Panic.
Benzema was one thing—Suker was far more dangerous.
Suker sprinted with full speed, no sign of slowing down.
Oddo's scalp went numb. If Suker even hesitated, he'd have time to tackle.
Five meters out, Suker suddenly cut inside.
Oddo leaned to follow.
Then—Suker quickly pulled the ball back outside.
With just three meters between them, Oddo tried to adjust.
But Suker then faked outside again—and immediately cut back in.
A double move with one foot, shifting directions three times in five meters—Oddo's balance was shattered.
Seeing Oddo stumble, Suker charged inside the box.
He looked up toward Milan's goal.
Dida rushed to the near post.
Suker chipped the ball toward the center.
Benzema, battling Thiago Silva, stretched his leg and got a touch.
That slight flick changed the ball's trajectory—
Swish!
Into the side netting.
Minute 41:
Just before halftime, Real Madrid regained the lead.
Again, it was Suker's incredible dribbling that created the chance.
Benzema raced to the corner flag and celebrated with a knee slide.
He pointed to Suker.
Suker smiled and waved—no celebration.
Benzema didn't mind, joining the others in celebration.
"This game is tough for Milan. They finally equalized, only for Real Madrid to strike again—thanks to Suker's dominance."
"It was a smooth transition forward, and the team supported Suker's run. Benzema's final touch sealed the goal."
Aldo Serena sighed:"We've seen Suker do this many times when he played for Milan. But now, as an opponent, it's devastating."
"Still, the game isn't over. Milan must adjust. There's a whole second half to go. Let's hope for more brilliance."
Benzema's goal gave Real Madrid the lead again.
And with halftime approaching, both sides slowed the pace.
They would settle the battle in the second half.
Halftime Score:
Real Madrid 2:1 AC Milan
Real held a narrow home lead—but Milan remained a dangerous opponent.
Caution was still needed.
Milan faced an even greater challenge: if they couldn't stop Suker, they'd have no chance of winning.
Worse still—Suker's second-half performance would only be more ferocious.
Meanwhile, Milan's aging players would only grow weaker.
How they'd respond in the second half remained to be seen.