Chapter 209: Do You Want to Cripple Him?

Words : 1435 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

"Boss! Overlap!" Suker shouted, and just as Maldini overlapped on the wing, Suker made a sudden cut inward, charging straight toward the half-space. Maldini looked utterly confused! So did Siena's fullback, Colonnese! "Damn it! That little brat tricked me!" Colonnese quickly turned and chased after Suker. As Suker neared the edge of the penalty area, he suddenly came to a dead stop. Just as Colonnese caught up, Suker shifted the ball again, pulling it outward. Then, in the same beat, as both players moved to keep up, Suker lightly tapped the ball—leaving it in place—as they surged past. At that moment, Maldini darted diagonally into the half-space, picked up the ball, and burst into the box. "Suker stopped the ball!! A beautiful crisscross run!!" "Maldini sweeps it across the goal! The ball reaches the far post—Inzaghi!! Slide shot!!" "GOAL!!!!!!!!!!——" "Fantastic team play!! At the 21st minute, AC Milan finally created a scoring opportunity after Suker's repeated dribbling and precise distribution in the final third. The crisscross movement between Suker and Maldini completely disoriented Siena's defense." "Let's look at Suker's decision-making here!" Watching the replay, Aldo Serena's eyes sparkled with excitement. "When Maldini overlapped, Suker turned with the ball and attacked the half-space. At that moment, Siena's fullback Colonnese was distracted by Maldini's movement, while midfielder Alberto caught up to Suker but couldn't interfere—only restrict him." "When Suker reached the edge of the box at a tight angle, he suddenly stopped. Colonnese also arrived, but Suker made a brilliant choice!" "He pretended to dribble outward, then suddenly stopped the ball, pulling both Colonnese and Alberto away. Maldini made a diagonal run and, under little pressure, entered the box and delivered a sweeping cross to assist Inzaghi for the finish!" "This attacking sequence was very clear-cut. Since Suker joined, Milan's front-line offense has become much more threatening!" The entire San Siro erupted in cheers. Maldini assisted Inzaghi for the goal. This made AC Milan fans extremely excited. After all, since Maldini had aged, he rarely made attacking runs like this. They dearly missed that once-all-powerful 'sword-bearing left-back'! "Nice pass, Captain!" "Pippo! Beautiful finish!" Maldini and Inzaghi embraced. Suker arrived just after. "Boss! That was awesome!" "Super Pippo!" "Let's keep going! Keep overlapping, boss! I'll feed you the ball!" Suker kept urging them on. Maldini was visibly fired up. He hadn't felt this kind of excitement in a long time. Suker's passes were right on the money—super smooth. The entire attacking strategy was so clear, Maldini didn't even need to think too hard. He just followed the formula Suk laid out, and the answer presented itself. It was a refreshing feeling! "Suker, keep it coming! I'll screen for you on the wing!" Maldini responded energetically. Suker grinned: "No, I'm screening for you! Boss, you charge forward—I'll set up the cannon for you!" Three minutes later, Maldini overlapped again. Suker used the outside of his boot to flick the ball, threading it through a crowd. Maldini received the pass and surged up the wing. But Siena's five-man backline quickly closed in. Just as Maldini was about to force a cross, Suker suddenly appeared behind him. "Boss, pass it back!" Maldini suppressed his impulse and passed it back. After receiving it, Suker returned it to Pirlo. At this point, Siena's entire defense was leaning toward the left. Pirlo stepped forward and pinged the ball to Kaká on the right. Kaká burst down the wing again. Suker and Maldini both advanced. Suk sprinted forward to draw defenders. He dragged away a defender near Maldini, giving him space to rise freely. Thud! Maldini met the cross with a powerful header. The ball slammed the ground and bounced toward goal. The keeper leaped desperately and barely pushed the ball aside. It landed on the left side. "Siena's keeper Mirante with a diving save! The ball falls left—and oh~~~ Suker and Inzaghi are both there!" Suker arrived first, back to goal. Inzaghi came in facing the goal. "Kid! Duck!" Suker immediately crouched, hands over his head. Inzaghi fired! The ball shot through Suker's legs and into the net! Suker felt a sudden chill below. "You bastard! You told me to duck and then shot right at my crotch!" Suker was furious. One bad bounce and his manhood could've been in danger! Inzaghi scratched his head awkwardly. He meant to aim for the top left corner but overcompensated. "Hey, it went in! Count that as your assist!" "Assist? I didn't even touch the ball!" "I'll remember it in my heart!" "What good is that?!" The two kept bickering. Maldini tackled both to the ground, laughing. "Ahahaha~~~ You two sneaky devils, both showing up on the left flank like that!" Maldini was having a blast. This match was just too fun. He hadn't felt such fluid attacking rhythm in a long time. Pulling the defense to the left wing, then quickly switching—Kaká's surge and cross, Suker drawing defenders, Maldini's header, Inzaghi's finish. Siena may not be a top team, but they're still Serie A—lined up with five at the back. Their defense should have been solid. But AC Milan tore through them twice. AC Milan's usually sluggish attack was suddenly overwhelming. Even Aldo Serena, the Serie A commentator, looked stunned: "I can't believe this is still the aging AC Milan. Is this firepower really theirs? Last season's slow, plodding attacks are gone. Now they're reborn!" "And Suker! I'm amazed at this young player's performance!" "He hasn't scored or assisted yet—but he's completely controlled the tempo, making Milan's attack sharp and incisive." "Though Inzaghi has two goals, if I had to pick the standout player, I'd vote for Suker!" "He's like a commander on the front line, driving the Rossoneri's war machine into full gear!" "40 minutes in, AC Milan leads by two. Siena can't handle the left-wing onslaught!" In the last five minutes of the half, Milan kept pressing. As long as Suker didn't call it off, this team wouldn't stop attacking. "Boss! Overlap!" "Boss! That's amazing!" "Beautiful! You're Italy's legendary left-back!" "Go, boss!" With every cheer from Suk, Maldini kept overlapping, kept pushing forward. Until just before halftime, Suker turned and called: "Boss?" He passed the ball back to Pirlo. He saw Maldini bent over, hands on knees, gasping for breath—and occasionally dry heaving. "He's 37..." Seedorf said quietly. "You trying to finish him off?" Halftime. Everyone was looking at Suker with strange expressions. Suker sat next to Maldini. "Captain, let's keep it up in the second half. You overlap, I'll feed you. We'll tear apart their flank together—Milan's twin stars on the left!" He waved his arms excitedly. Maldini panted, "I can't run anymore!" "Can't run? A man never says 'I can't!' Captain, dig deep! You got this! You're Italy's grea—mmph mmph!!" Gattuso clamped a hand over Suker's mouth. He glared at him. "Shut up!" Maldini had run way too much in the first half—constantly overlapping. Suker's constant shouting had gone to his head. A 37-year-old vet charging like that nonstop? And Suker was really bossing him around! "I'm fine," Maldini said with a smile. "That was a fun half, but my body says it's time to rest. I'll play ten more minutes." Ancelotti nodded. Maldini had been the hardest runner in the first half—thanks to Suker's "encouragement." "Second half: Kaká plays ten more minutes. Shevchenko, start warming up!" Shevchenko left the locker room to warm up. He was under a lot of pressure. Inzaghi had exploded back into form with two goals! Since teaming up with Suker, Inzaghi looked even better than his prime. Shevchenko wasn't about to fall behind. Suker blinked—secretly pleased. Ancelotti subbed off Kaká but not him. Clearly, the coach saw more value in him. And based on the first half, Suker deserved that trust. He had shined brightly! "You'll play as the sole attacking midfielder in a 4-3-1-2 setup. Two forwards up front. Suker, you're the pivot. Handle the pressure. Make the call to pass forward or take them on yourself—I'll give you complete freedom." Everyone looked at Ancelotti in shock. Even for a lenient coach, this level of trust in one player was rare. But based on Suker's first-half performance, they all believed he could deliver.

Chapter 209: Do You Want to Cripple Him?

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