The second half begins — both teams switch sides.
Suker charged out of the tunnel full of energy, and in that moment, he delivered a massive psychological blow to Inter Milan's players and coaches.
They hadn't managed to completely suppress him in the first half — and this guy still had that much energy?
"At halftime, AC Milan made an offensive substitution: Gilardino off, Seedorf on! This is AC Milan's first time this season making an attacking sub right after halftime!"
"With Seedorf on the pitch, Inter Milan's defense will be under much more pressure. His ability to carry the ball forward will also lighten the burden on Suker!"
Seeing the substitution, Inter's manager Mancini clenched his fists, face darkening.
"That damn fatty Ancelotti fooled me again!"
Inter's midfield and backline had spent the entire first half locked in a mental and physical chess match with Suker — and they'd paid the price in stamina.
Cambiasso, in particular, had been provoked by Suker's constant movement and was visibly drained.
Now in the second half, they still had to mark Suker —But Seedorf's presence would massively increase the pressure.
If they kept Cambiasso on, he'd become a defensive liability and the main target of AC Milan's offense.
So — better to take him off now.
Ancelotti had essentially forced Inter to adopt a packed defense.
"Sub Cambiasso off at the 50th minute!"Mancini gritted his teeth."Then switch to a defensive stance!"
Apply high pressing against AC Milan?
If it were just Suker, maybe. But now with Seedorf?
Seedorf wasn't just a pure striker like Gilardino —He was a multi-functional playmaker with even more threat.
And again — who in Serie A dares claim they can press AC Milan for a whole match?
Mancini was being overly cautious.
Had he gone all-in and kept pressing, he might have stood a chance at winning.
But under pressure and a desire for safe victory, he chose defense.
Which played right into AC Milan's hands.
50th minuteInter Milan indeed took Cambiasso off and replaced him with a more defensive midfielder.
Ancelotti, seeing this, raised his hand as well.
"Substitution!"
Mancini spun around.
He saw AC Milan taking off Inzaghi, bringing on Brocchi.
And then — Suker moved to center forward.
"Thanks for the effort, Pippo!"
Suker and Inzaghi high-fived.
Inzaghi looked visibly frustrated.
He had tried hard in the first half — really worked —And Suker even delivered him two beautiful through balls, both of which he failed to convert.
Now he was starting to feel it —Maybe… he really was too old now.
"Damn it!"
Mancini staggered with dizziness watching AC Milan's subs.
It wasn't just a simple adjustment anymore —He'd been played like a fiddle.
AC Milan…Ancelotti, that fat bastard — he unleashed all his firepower in the second half!
They made Mancini look like a clown!
"Mancini wanted it too badly," Ancelotti said calmly."He became trapped by his own thinking. Once something unexpected happened, he couldn't adjust."
"Having a plan is important — but you also have to consider variables."
Then, turning toward the field:
"But we can't let our guard down — Inter still poses a threat. And now that Suker is up front, our midfield will have to hold it together. Pirlo and Seedorf — time to step up!"
"Pirlo looks excited!" the assistant coach grinned."Every time we use this tactic, he loves it."
Ancelotti could only chuckle bitterly.
His Milan team — was getting stranger and stranger.
Dog Fetching Frisbee 2.0!
Two frisbee throwers (Pirlo and Seedorf)One dog (Suker)!
"Son of a—!"
Suker was annoyed.
He hated this tactic.
But more than that — he hated losing.
So what choice did he have?
He had to be the "dog."
To make matters worse —Pirlo was perfectly suited to this strategy.
Every time they used it, Pirlo would deliver incredible performances.
"No hesitation! No doubt! When you see a chance, just pass to Do— I mean pass to Suker!"
Suker shouted:
"Did you just say 'walk the dog'?!"
Pirlo played dumb:
"No! Absolutely not! You misheard!"
Suker's face twitched.
Whatever. He gave in.
"Fine — walk the dog."
As long as they scored —As long as they won — it was all worth it.
Once AC Milan's substitutions were complete, Inter Milan fell into disarray.
The momentum should have been theirs.
But AC Milan's sudden changes gave them the upper hand.
They gained the initiative, and with stronger players in midfield and attack, they pressed hard.
Inter had to fall back.
Aside from Ibrahimović, everyone else retreated to defend.
They figured — if they packed the defense, they could hold off Milan.
But once they did that —AC Milan pushed forward, unleashing wave after wave of attacks.
Long shots from Pirlo and Seedorf.Aerial duels with Suker.
The pressure was immense.
And Seedorf — constantly dribbling forward —Even if they fouled him, it meant dangerous set pieces.
When AC Milan lost the ball, they snapped back into defense decisively.
Inter didn't dare press with full force —They could only hope a few attackers would break through.
But that just made AC Milan's job easier.
When they won the ball back, they'd immediately pass to Pirlo or Seedorf.
And then — it was frisbee time.
BOOM!Pirlo delivered a pinpoint lob pass into the open space behind the right-back.
Suker cut in diagonally, sprinting at full speed, reaching the ball just ahead of his marker.
As he controlled the ball, his left foot turned out slightly, flicking the ball left, allowing his body to flow with it.
A smooth transition —He completely bypassed the center-back —One-on-one with the keeper!
"Inter's in danger!"
Commentator Aldo Serena struggled to even keep up with the sudden developments.
Mancini shot to his feet on the sidelines.
SWOOSH!Srna came flying in from the side with a sliding tackle!
Mancini's eyes flashed with a sliver of hope.
But in the next second —Suker cut back again.
A beautiful, soul-crushing move.
Most strikers panic under pressure.
But Suker?
Ice-cold.
That single cut completely froze the keeper —Even Srna couldn't recover in time.
Zanetti scrambled forward like a wild animal, crawling toward Suker.
The whole stadium held its breath.
And then —Suker gently flicked the ball with his toe.
It sailed through the crowd — straight into the net.
Nobody could stop it.
GOAL.
Suker turned, calm and confident.
He sprinted to the South Stand —Pulled off his jersey and held it up for the fans.
A goal like that — deserved a celebration.
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The entire stadium exploded like a volcano.
Tens of thousands of AC Milan fans screamed like thunder.
Faces flushed with emotion.Hands clapping red.Throats roaring with passion.
"Suker!"
"Suker!"
At first disorganized, the chants quickly became one:
"SUKER!!!!!!!""SUKER!!!!!!!"
Like tidal waves, crashing through the stadium.
The sound alone was enough to make your hair stand on end.
Your heartbeat exceeded its limit.Your chest tightened.You could barely breathe.
On the stands, Pato bit his lip.
He clutched his chest —His heart felt like it was about to explode.
"So strong…Too f*cking strong!"
"Inter Milan? So what?!"
"When Suker goes off, he's absolutely unstoppable!"
Pato was a prodigy.
And that meant he understood better than anyone —How terrifying Suker's performance really was.
This was Inter Milan.
Every defender marking Suker —Each one was a national icon.
Each one had once been a genius too.
And yet —Now, they were just background characters for Suker's brilliance.
At that moment, Pato truly understood the level of football at the elite tier.
Why did the Milan veterans smirk whenever he bragged about being a genius?
Because these men had crushed genius after genius to stand here today.
In this world —Talent alone meant nothing.
To survive here —You had to be a monster, like Suker.
That was the goal he now had to pursue.