Chapter 227: The Great Zlatan

Words : 1333 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

"Suker appeared at a crucial moment—what a brilliant volley! If it weren't for Inzaghi, this would definitely be one of the top goals of the season!" "Of course, Seedorf's performance was equally spectacular. After repeated dribbling surges, he finally created this scoring chance for AC Milan." "AC Milan—they've taken the lead!" Commentator Aldo Serena shouted. The entire San Siro erupted in celebration after the goal. Juventus has always been one of AC Milan's biggest rivals in Serie A. When it comes to league performance alone, Juventus has been stronger than AC Milan. They are also Milan's main competitor in the title race. Therefore, every goal against Juventus is immensely valuable. On the Juventus side, the goal left the players increasingly anxious. "Keep control in midfield!" "They love to press high! Get the ball out quickly!" "No dribbling! No dribbling!" Juventus players were shouting to each other. Zlatan Ibrahimović also shouted, "Pass me the ball, pass it to me!" Eyes wide open, Ibrahimović was not content with being outshined. Especially since Suker had just delivered an "assist," Ibrahimović was even more eager to prove himself. Both were talented youngsters joining top clubs, both born of the youth revolution. Ibrahimović believed he should be performing even better. Juventus returned to the halfway line, ready to restart play. From their expressions, it was clear they were tense. "Pass it! Pass it!" As the match resumed, Ibrahimović charged into Milan's half, loudly demanding the ball. Nedvěd passed horizontally, dodging Gattuso's sliding tackle, and immediately ran into space, preparing to pass to Ibrahimović. But just as he released the ball, a figure darted in from the side—a sliding tackle sent the ball out of bounds. "Well done, Suker!" Suker got up and immediately retreated. Though the interception didn't lead to a counterattack or turnover, AC Milan still disrupted Juventus' rhythm. This only increased the visitors' urgency. "Move up! Move up!" Juventus captain Pessotto urged his teammates forward and quickly threw the ball to Ibrahimović. The "Great Zlatan" controlled the ball with his back to goal, shoved Pirlo aside with a sharp hip movement, then turned and charged toward Milan's penalty area. "Ibrahimović has broken through Milan's midfield!" Aldo Serena exclaimed. Ibrahimović, with his flowing hair, faced Nesta's aggressive challenge. With a swift Marseille turn, he bypassed Nesta and immediately took a shot. Boom! It was a low, sneaky strike, but goalkeeper Dida spotted it and made a strong save, deflecting it away from goal. Juventus earned a corner kick. "Get up there! Compete for it!" Juventus players flooded Milan's box. As Nedvěd delivered the corner, Vieira leapt high and flicked the ball toward the far post. "Vieira! He flicks it to the far post—It's Ibrahimović!" Ibrahimović and Maldini were both chasing the ball. But Ibrahimović was clearly faster. He slid across the turf, stretching out for a shot. His right foot connected with the ball mid-slide. The quick switching of play had distracted goalkeeper Dida—he didn't even react before the ball ricocheted off his ankle and into the net. "Goal!!!!!! Juventus!!!!" "A brilliant sliding finish by the young Swede, Ibrahimović!!!" "Juventus have equalized through this set piece!" "Perhaps we've focused too much on Suk and forgotten that before Dinamo Zagreb's prodigy, there was another youth storm that started in the Netherlands—and Ibrahimović was one of them!" "A wonderful goal. Ibrahimović levels the score for Juventus!" A small section of Juventus fans cheered. In the 31st minute, Juventus tied the match through Ibrahimović's goal. Suker wiped sweat from his forehead and shook his head. Maldini took responsibility and loudly rallied the team. Suker glanced at the towering figure of Ibrahimović. Even in his early days, Ibrahimović maintained his trademark swagger. Powerful, expansive play, exquisite finishing—these were all Ibrahimović trademarks. A God among men. The Great—Ibrahimović—was just getting started. As Suker walked back toward his own half, Ibrahimović, surrounded by teammates, also headed toward midfield. The two passed each other. At that moment, both lifted their heads to meet each other's gaze. Ibrahimović wore a smug grin, chin slightly raised as if to taunt Suker. Suker blinked. Provocation? The Juventus players walked on. Suker turned to look at their backs—particularly Ibrahimović. Just you wait! After the equalizer, the match became more intense. In the 36th minute, Gattuso flew into multiple tackles, bringing down both Nedvěd and Ibrahimović—charging from the right all the way to the left. In the 41st minute, angered Juventus players retaliated. Seedorf was brought down hard, sandwiched by two defenders—his knee possibly injured. In the 44th minute, things escalated further. First, while pressing up front, Suker and Seedorf brought down Nedvěd. Later, during a Juventus counterattack, a frustrated Nedvěd stomped on a fallen Nesta during an aerial challenge. A clash almost broke out between the teams. By halftime, tensions were at a boiling point. Challenges were flying in, many dangerously so. Finally, the referee blew the whistle for halftime. The players returned to their respective dressing rooms. "Damn it! These guys are going in way too hard!" Gattuso complained, touching the scraped skin on his shin. Suker grinned beside him. Gattuso hadn't exactly played clean himself. The man was like a bulldozer, sliding into everything. Several of his tackles were clearly out of spite. But it was precisely players like Gattuso who helped AC Milan assert dominance. "We have to control midfield in the second half!" Pirlo spoke up, turning to look at Seedorf. Seedorf was undergoing a medical check. His knee was visibly swollen. Seedorf had been excellent in the first half, launching repeated attacks down the wing. AC Milan's upper hand had come largely through his efforts. But now, Seedorf appeared to be injured. "He can keep playing, but not at full intensity. Best to substitute him," the team doctor advised. Coach Ancelotti responded, "Kaká, start warming up. Seedorf, take a rest." Seedorf sighed. He knew he wasn't fit to continue. "Without Seedorf, our second-half offense will lose some edge," the assistant coach said worriedly. He feared Seedorf's absence would hinder Milan's attack. At the very least, ball progression would be affected—and no one could guarantee that Kaká could match Seedorf's impact. Especially since Kaká hadn't even gotten warm yet. But Ancelotti chuckled: "Someone's already itching to go." He and the assistant coach turned toward the right. They saw Suker staring at them with bright, eager eyes, not blinking once. Ancelotti said, "Let's give Suker control of possession in the second half!" Suker immediately leapt up in celebration. The others smiled at the energetic teenager. Suker turned to Ancelotti and promised, "Don't worry, Coach. I'll do a great job. I'm just like Seedorf!" Seedorf turned and laughed: "How exactly are we alike?" Suker replied solemnly, "They call you Little Suker!" Seedorf froze for a second, then laughed and cursed, "Get lost!" Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere lightened a bit. Meanwhile, in the Juventus dressing room, Coach Capello was also giving tactical instructions. "In the second half, pass the ball to Zlatan more. Let him drive the attack, and if possible, feed Trezeguet!" In the first half, Ibrahimović had created real problems for Milan's defense. Now Capello wanted to capitalize on that even more. Against AC Milan, every opportunity had to be seized. Ibrahimović nodded confidently. He was quietly excited—since joining Juventus, his role in the team had been growing. Now, against a top-tier opponent like Milan, Juventus was putting their trust in him. Ibrahimović could sense his rising status in the squad. He even envisioned becoming the top dog at Juventus one day. It was just his nature—he believed he was born to lead. Big club or not, he always aimed to be the alpha. Of course, for now, this ambition was still just budding. After all, there were many big-name veterans on the team—he couldn't challenge them yet.

Chapter 227: The Great Zlatan

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