"Real Madrid's morale is very low. They'll keep attacking in the second half, but they're playing far too impatiently!"
"Wasn't my pass cool?!"
"Hold the defense steady and wear them down slowly. Real Madrid can't last much longer!"
"Hey—are you listening? Wasn't my pass cool?!"
"That's right! Defense is key, but we still need to…"
Pato stood in front of Suker, visibly displeased.
"I gave you an assist!"
Suker gave him a playful kick.
"Shut the hell up—it wasn't even a goal. What are you bragging about?!"
Pato dodged cleverly, still beaming with excitement.
"But wasn't my pass cool?!"
Back in the first half, Pato had pulled off a rainbow pass.Though the curve wasn't as dramatic as Kaká's, he still managed to make it happen.
And now he wouldn't shut up about it.
"Talk to me when you've scored!" Suker waved him off.This kid was getting louder and more annoying by the day.
Suker used to be the loudest guy in the locker room.
Now, Pato had taken that title—and then some.He was like a ball of energy that never ran out.
They say, "Silly young men are full of joy." Well, Pato was definitely one of the best examples of that.
"I'll assist you in the second half!" Pato exclaimed, mimicking a scooping motion—
The rainbow pass!
That was a rainbow pass, and he actually pulled it off!
"How long did you practice that?"Suker suddenly asked.
Pato paused, scratching his head.
"A few days… maybe three weeks?"
Suker saw right through him.
"This guy," he said, pointing to Kaká, "learned it in two days."
"Impossible!" Pato protested. "I only figured out the trick in the second week!"
"Well… I guess that's just talent." Suker shrugged nonchalantly.
Pato glared at Kaká, his eyes full of defiance.
Kaká just shook his head helplessly.
"Why are you always bullying him? Besides, you're the one who taught me the trick. He figured it out on his own."
Pato was definitely talented.
But Suker didn't like seeing this puppy-like kid acting so smug.He had to knock him down a peg or two—Otherwise, he'd think he was a superstar already.
Sometimes Suker really wondered:Where did this guy get all his confidence from?
He was like that when he first joined Milan.He was like that when he tried to get close to Suker.He was especially like that when he was chasing after Barbara.
It was like he was born with some kind of glow.
You couldn't say he was charming—But he was definitely persistently annoying.
Pato's personality reminded Suker of a future football star—
Thomas Müller of Bayern Munich.
Though to be clear—he was only comparing their annoying energy!
Second Half
Both teams switched sides.
AC Milan kept the same tactics, and Real Madrid made no substitutions either.
Even though Madrid were in a bad spot, they could only trust their current lineup—This was their most dangerous attacking setup.
If this couldn't break Milan's defense, nothing would.
AC Milan played solid and steady.
When ahead on the scoreboard, they were extremely composed.
They were an experienced team, well-versed in how to use their advantage to control the tempo and kill the game.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid were growing frantic.
And when you're in a hurry, you make mistakes.
Just like now—Madrid were overcommitting, pushing their midfield too far forward in desperation for a goal.
Cannavaro was screaming himself hoarse, trying to pull teammates back, but no one listened.
Their midfield and backline were completely disconnected.
Suddenly, Milan goalkeeper Dida snatched a cross out of the air.After sprinting forward, he launched a long kick upfield.
It wasn't an accurate pass—You could say it was a bit random—But it didn't matter. Milan had a world-class striker up top!
Suker sprinted to the ball's landing spot,And on the first touch, he controlled and turned, breezing past Sergio Ramos.
Ramos was half a step behind, and reached out to grab Suker.There was no way he'd let Suker enter the box freely.
But Suker anticipated it—Before Ramos could pull him down, he chipped the ball behind Cannavaro.
Ramos yanked him down.Suker, ever crafty, dragged Ramos with him—making sure he didn't get pulled into the penalty area.
Meanwhile, the ball was still in the air.As Cannavaro turned to chase, he heard rushing footsteps behind him.
Then suddenly—a figure launched into the air!
Pato soared up, body arched like a bow, and smashed the ball with his forehead.
It was a powerful header from close range.The ball traveled so fast that Casillas didn't even react.
It bounced off the turf and flew straight into the net.
AC Milan scored again!
"PATO!! The 18-year-old Alexandre Pato has broken through Real Madrid's goal!"
"He's been amazing! Since joining AC Milan, he's scored in both the league and Champions League—his performance has been spectacular!"
"We have every reason to believe that Pato will become even better in the future!"
"AC Milan's second goal—Pato doubles the lead! Real Madrid are out of chances. They're finished!"
Aldo Serena shouted with excitement.
AC Milan were in top form!
Their defense held strong, and their attack exploded with terrifying efficiency.
They hadn't launched many counters, but the ones they did were lethal—Two attacks, two goals.
Real Madrid may have had more possession,But AC Milan's counterattacks crushed them.
If they lost this match—
Real Madrid would have been eliminated twice in the Champions League Round of 16 by AC Milan.
Following Bayern Munich,Madrid became the second giant to fall to Milan's blade.
70th Minute – Substitutions
Both teams made changes.
Real Madrid boosted their attack.They subbed off the overly selfish Robben, replacing him with Drenthe.
Though a midfielder, Drenthe was known for his dribbling and long-range shots.
Clearly, Real were desperate—trying long shots now in hopes of scoring.
But AC Milan weren't going to let that happen.
They subbed in two defenders, reinforcing the backline.
Then they had everyone drop back—fully committed to defending the lead.
Real's attacks came up empty.
Long shots were easily covered by Dida.
Time ticked down into stoppage time.
By now, Real Madrid's players knew it was over.Their morale plummeted.
In the stands, Real Madrid's traveling fans began filing out.
They couldn't take it anymore.
Another painful season.
With this defeat, Real Madrid would have failed to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for four straight seasons.
Their infamous nickname would be confirmed:
"Champions League Round of 16 Lords."
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Three whistles.Full-time.
AC Milan beat Real Madrid 2–0 at San Siro,Advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals.
These two legs had been relatively smooth.
While Milan played very well, Madrid's poor form was also a factor.
But the key takeaway was—They won and progressed to the quarterfinals.
San Siro erupted into a sea of celebration.
Fans roared, waving banners, cheering the team's advancement.
"It was a tough match," Suker told the media."We didn't win easily. Madrid gave us a lot of trouble. Maybe we were luckier, but the result is what it is."
He was lying through his teeth, of course.
The reporters knew he was just being polite,And no one called him out on it.
Did Real Madrid play well?
Let's not say they were a disaster…
But "well"?Not even close.
Suker was just being diplomatic, giving the other side a bit of face.
He had no intention of trashing Real Madrid.There was nothing to gain from mocking them.
Plus, he might join Real Madrid in the future—so he had to maintain a bit of goodwill.
Suker gave a brief interview, but slipped away before the pundit panel.
He didn't know what to say in analysis anyway.Fake praise was one thing—analysis was another.
After all, Madrid had played poorly,And Suker couldn't pretend that wasn't the case.
Better to just avoid it altogether.
That night, AC Milan celebrated their Champions League triumph.
But the next day,Another Spanish giant arrived at San Siro—Only this time, things were the other way around…