Chapter 191: Applause at San Siro!

Words : 1667 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

"The tempo's off!" "It's too fast, this isn't the pace we want to play." "Calm down, Pirlo!" "Don't get caught up playing at these kids' pace." "Stabilize the rhythm!" Inside AC Milan's locker room, everyone was shouting to each other. Pirlo grinned bitterly. Somehow, the match tempo had gone awry. Facing Modrić's provocative attacking pace, Pirlo didn't want to be outdone. It was like a personal duel between the two, each relentlessly pushing the ball forward. The result? A goal-scoring slugfest. Exactly the kind of match Dinamo Zagreb had wanted. In the second leg of the match, these youngsters even gave Milan a rude awakening. On the other side, inside Dinamo Zagreb's locker room. The young players were still discussing how to step up their attack in the second half. Defending? That's impossible! Trying to defend against AC Milan would be suicidal. The best defense is offense! Srna said, "I can overlap more frequently!" "I can too!" Pranjić raised his hand. Vukojević scoffed, "Yeah right, once you go up, you'll never make it back. Be realistic about your speed!" Pranjić snapped back, "So what if I'm slow? I'm just relatively slow. I won't go too far up." "You'd better focus on defending. Let Suker handle the attack. Keeping him from tracking back is your biggest contribution." Pranjić fell silent, utterly speechless. Modrić was fired up too. "Pirlo's rhythm is thrown off. I've been provoking him, and now he's playing emotional." Suker nodded. "That's exactly it. They're human too, not machines. They have emotions. As long as we stop Milan from slowing the game down, we can keep playing." "But what if they suddenly regain control in the second half?" Vukojević's comment silenced the room. If AC Milan regains composure and slows the tempo, Dinamo Zagreb may be finished. "Then we hold the line and wait for counterattacks!" Suk gritted his teeth. "If I have to, I'll charge down the flanks more often. Just be ready to follow up!" Everyone nodded immediately. Halftime Score: AC Milan 3 - 2 Dinamo Zagreb "This young team from Croatia is really difficult to deal with. They keep disrupting the rhythm and applying pressure with fierce attacks." "For AC Milan, they can't keep playing at this tempo. They need to get back to their style and stop letting Dinamo Zagreb dictate the pace." The Italian commentator then added with emotion, "But... Dinamo Zagreb is playing really well." He admired the energy and spirit of the young team. Even in the dying moments, they didn't give up attacking. That's the fire youth should have! "Suker's performance is amazing. For a player in his first Champions League, he's already beyond the label of a youngster. His stats are among the best in the tournament—it's hard to believe he's only 19!" In Champions League history, performances like his are extremely rare. Even among that elite group, Suk stands out! "Of course, part of the reason is that teams haven't had time to properly study him." To this, Crudelini chimed in: "You think Milan hasn't studied him?" As one of the first club to bid for Suker, AC Milan and Ancelotti were certainly familiar with him. But Suker's rapid growth in the Champions League was so astonishing that past data couldn't properly assess his current level. So, while AC Milan did try to restrict him tactically, they failed to lock him down completely. Of course, AC Milan as a team was stronger than Dinamo Zagreb—no question. That's why Crudelini believed Milan would win this leg. Soon, the second half kicked off. As both teams walked out from the tunnel, the atmosphere in the stadium intensified. "AC Milan is finally stabilizing the tempo. They can't let Dinamo Zagreb's pressing keep throwing them off. Most importantly, we see Seedorf warming up—he's getting ready to replace Ambrosini." "With Seedorf on the pitch, the midfield will be much more stable!" Suker and his teammates noticed this too. A growing anxiety bubbled in their hearts. It was already difficult for Modrić to handle Pirlo alone. Now with Seedorf joining in? AC Milan, have some shame! They're going full strength against us? Shouldn't they rotate and rest their starters, give subs a chance? This was too much respect! 55th minute, AC Milan made their substitutions. Ambrosini off, Seedorf on. Kaká off, No.10 Rui Costa on. Seeing these changes, the Dinamo Zagreb players nearly cursed out loud. "Fall back!! Just hold the line for now!" Suker shouted, then retreated to defend himself. Trying to go toe-to-toe with Milan now would be suicide. From that moment on, Dinamo Zagreb couldn't push forward again. With Seedorf and Rui Costa in, Milan's attack regained full power, relentlessly hammering Dinamo Zagreb's defense. "Seedorf dribbles! Beautiful cut and start, he gets past Modrić, Vukojević!! Can he stop him?" "Ahhh~~ he's fouled! AC Milan gets a free kick!" Dinamo Zagreb hurriedly set up the wall and assigned players to challenge in the air. Suker ran into position as well. Pirlo stood over the ball. Bang! The ball arced over the wall, curling hard toward the right top corner—and dipped straight into the side netting. Suker and his teammates looked at each other in disbelief. So this is the skill of a free-kick master? How do you even defend that? Even keeper Grestic could only shake his head helplessly. 61st minute, just after the substitution, Pirlo scored from a direct free kick. AC Milan 4 - 2 Dinamo Zagreb "Damn it! This is terrible!" Srna was frustrated. Conceding eight goals over two legs, even against Milan, showed just how fragile their defense was. 80th minute. Dinamo Zagreb still refused to give up. Despite trailing by a wide margin, they launched another counterattack. Bang! Modrić delivered a long pass. Mandžukić muscled Nesta to control the ball, then laid it off. Suker burst forward, picking up the pass and charging toward goal. He ran at a steady pace. Stam kept backpedaling, trying to pivot into a proper stance to block Suker. But Suker never gave him the chance. Left foot, right foot, constant feints. Stam was spun around, unable to time a clean turn. Just as he twisted left, Suker switched to the right and blew past him. "SUKER!! He's through!!" Amid the gasps from Milan fans, Suker took aim at the goal. His right leg tensed and smashed the ball. Bang! The ball zipped along the ground like a bullet. Keeper Dida dove to the right spot. But just as the ball neared the line, it bounced off the turf, skipped up, and slipped between Dida's hands. Even though he tried to close the gap, it was too late. 83rd minute. Suker scored again. "SUKER SCORES! Dinamo Zagreb refuses to give up, even in the final moments, they're still fighting!" As the commentator shouted, Suker sprinted into the goal, picked up the ball, and ran back. "There's still time!! We need three more!" Suker roared to rally the team. The match wasn't over yet—they hadn't given up. In that moment, the AC Milan fans were moved—they erupted into thunderous applause. That applause was for the goal. But also for these relentless young warriors. Three goals down was a massive deficit. Even though Dinamo Zagreb gave everything, they couldn't score again. As stoppage time expired. The final whistle blew. Game over! Dinamo Zagreb's "Champions Road" ended here. "Full time! Over two legs, AC Milan wins 8-5 against Dinamo Zagreb and advances to the UEFA Champions League semifinals!" "For the young players of Dinamo Zagreb, their Champions League journey ends here." The young players collapsed to the ground, covering their faces. They knew their youthful storm had come to an end. Croatian commentator Kraushevich said with emotion: "What can you win with a bunch of kids?" "Ridicule? Or people calling you an easy knockout?" "Or perhaps eliminating Leverkusen and Manchester United, then going toe-to-toe with AC Milan in a goal-fest across two legs?" "This season's Dinamo Zagreb, from the qualification rounds all the way here, are the biggest dark horse of the Champions League!" "No one believed in them, but with Suker, Modrić, and their united spirit, they toppled giants one after another, reaching San Siro!" "Fate may be cruel—but it's not disgraceful!" Kraushevich took a deep breath and shouted: "Hold your heads high, Dinamo Zagreb boys! You deserve everyone's respect! Go! Go and receive your applause!" "Listen!! San Siro is cheering for you!!" WOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!!!!!CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!! The entire San Siro stadium, tens of thousands of AC Milan fans, rose to their feet, giving raucous applause. For the incredible two-legged battle. They lost the match—But earned deep respect. They were eliminated from the Champions League—But they pushed themselves to the limit. Suker stood up and walked over to his teammates, helping each one to their feet. "Come on, time to thank the fans." Modrić and the others, eyes red with emotion, followed Suk and Srna. They first clapped toward their own supporters. Then they turned to the Milan stands and clapped in gratitude again. This made the Milan fans cheer even louder. The match was over! Completely over! Their Champions League dream had come to an end. There was still regret.Still a desire for more. But it ended here—because they had already given everything. As Suker was walking toward the tunnel, someone called out to him. "Suker!" He turned around. It was Maldini walking toward him. Suker pointed at himself, confused. Maldini nodded and said in broken Croatian: "Don't be discouraged. You lost to the Champions League winners." With that, Maldini patted Suker hard on the shoulder and walked away. He didn't see the fire flash in Suker's eyes.

Chapter 191: Applause at San Siro!

Comments (0)