Chapter 228: The Adhesive

Words : 1381 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

At the start of the second half, AC Milan made a substitution. Seedorf came off, and Kaká came on. "Seedorf performed excellently in the first half, but he also suffered from targeted fouls by Juventus. That's why Kaká has been brought on. At the same time, Sukេរ has switched from the right to the left side. This formation is AC Milan's most threatening attacking setup!" Commentator Aldo Serena rubbed his hands together expectantly. "Ancelotti used Seedorf to draw a lot of Juventus' defensive attention in the first half, but now in the second half, Milan's most lethal attacks will originate from Suker. He's moved back to his familiar position—we'll see if the young Croatian can put on a great display!" Standing on the pitch, Suker kept stretching, adjusting his body to its peak state. Facing a strong opponent like Juventus, Suker couldn't afford the slightest carelessness. Given the attention this match was getting, Suker knew he needed to deliver a standout performance. Seedorf had already made the Juventus right flank miserable in the first half, and now in the second half, it was Suker's turn to take over the assault. This was also a test Ancelotti had set for him. After all, a young player is often judged by how well they perform under pressure against top opponents. "Suker!" Inzaghi called out, patting himself on the chest. Suk rolled his eyes in annoyance. This guy had ruined one of his spectacular shots earlier and now had the nerve to ask for the ball? "Food! Food!" Inzaghi knew Suker was holding a grudge, so he raised one finger. Suker didn't even glance at him. Inzaghi then held up three fingers. Only then did Suker give a slight nod, indicating he understood. With that settled, Inzaghi was satisfied. On the other side, the Juventus players stood at the center circle, ready for kickoff. Soon, the whistle blew. Juventus kicked off. They made no changes to their lineup—coach Capello stuck with his original squad. Early in the second half, AC Milan maintained strong initiative. They pressed aggressively in midfield and up front. "Charge!" "Hold it! Hold it!" "Close down the passing lanes!" "I'm here!" Suker, Inzaghi, and Kaká all sprinted to intercept Juventus' passing routes. But Inzaghi was too slow and lacked explosiveness. He couldn't pressure opponents the way Shevchenko could. That's why tactically, Inzaghi ranked below Shevchenko. Boom!! Juventus tried a forward pass down the flank. Maldini read the play, got in front of Ibrahimović, and intercepted. "Boss! Awesome!" Suker shouted, moving into an open spot on the flank. Maldini immediately passed the ball to him. Suker received the ball and spotted Vieira rushing toward him—he quickly passed it sideways. Pirlo stepped up to receive. At the same time, Suker began making a forward run behind Vieira. Vieira and full-back Pessotto were both drawn toward Suker in the half-space. Suker's movement opened a path for Maldini to overlap. Pirlo switched the ball to Maldini on the wing. Pessotto abandoned Suker to try and contain Maldini. Maldini looked toward the box, readying a cross. But among the crowd, he noticed Suker staring intently at him. With their telepathic understanding, Maldini knew what Suker meant. He passed it anyway—even with Vieira nearby, he trusted Suker. As soon as the ball left Maldini's foot, Suker quickly pulled back to receive. Sure enough, Vieira was drawn in and got caught. Both lunged toward the ball. Vieira wanted to block Suker from turning. But to everyone's surprise, Suker didn't stop the ball—instead, he flicked it with the outside of his foot, directing it toward the middle. Suker's movement had opened up vertical passing lanes from both flank and center. Rui Costa, completely unmarked, received the ball. He immediately threaded it behind Vieira. Maldini made a diagonal run forward, taking Pessotto with him. Maldini glanced at the tracking Pessotto and the recovering Vieira, a slight smile appearing on his face. He stopped the ball and pulled it toward the flank. Whoosh!!! Suker made another overlapping run, beating Pessotto to the ball and dashing to the byline. "He's broken through!! Suker!! Brilliant front-line coordination from AC Milan!" Commentator Aldo Serena couldn't contain his excitement. Suker's decision-making and execution were masterful. The crowd's focus was entirely on Suker now. Suker, at the byline, looked toward the penalty area. Maldini, Inzaghi, and Rui Costa were all attacking the box—he had three passing options. "Who will Suker choose to pass to?" Serena watched with anticipation. At that moment, Suker curled the ball with his left foot. The ball arced toward the center. It flew past the near post... then over the middle... "Back post!!!" Serena shouted—but there was no one there! Just then, a red-and-black figure suddenly burst into view. As the ball dropped, Kaká arrived precisely on time and smashed it on the volley. The shot was so fast the Juventus keeper didn't even react. 55th minute, AC Milan took the lead again! "GOAL!!!!!! Kaká!!!!!!" "Only 10 minutes after coming on, Kaká scores! Ancelotti's substitution proves crucial!" "And of course, this entire attack—Suker's role was phenomenal!" "His every run, every pass shattered Juventus' defensive structure!" "Let's look at the replay!" Serena analyzed excitedly:"Suker and Vieira were in the half-space. Maldini had the ball on the wing and initially wanted to cross—but suddenly switched and passed it to Suker!" "Suker's drop-back movement widened the space between Juventus' full-back and center-back!" "Then he flicked it perfectly to Rui Costa, who passed into the very gap Suker had created. Maldini overlapped diagonally—it was already an incredible attacking sequence." "But Milan weren't done. Maldini ended up between the opposing full-back and center-back, a tough spot to deliver a pass. He pulled the ball back, again to the flank!" "Suker, completely unmarked, had looped around to the wing and surged forward with the ball, breaking the defense completely!" "This sequence showcases Suker's calm decision-making and incredible vision. At the box, he had three passing options—but he chose none of them. He passed to the back post—an empty space!" "But as soon as Suker passed, Kaká had already started sprinting—and he arrived in time for a beautiful finish!" Serena couldn't help but admire:"This is Suker's brilliance. He tore open Juventus' defense with his intelligence and orchestrated a magnificent attacking play!" The AC Milan fans roared in celebration. A second-half goal—especially such a beautifully choreographed team goal—how could they not be excited? Football may often have moments of individual brilliance. But it is ultimately a team sport—fluid, coordinated teamwork and players becoming a cohesive whole are just as thrilling. And that's exactly what this AC Milan side had become. A player named Suker had become their adhesive, binding Milan together. They played like one mind, in perfect harmony! Serena continued to marvel: "This AC Milan team has grown stronger—not just on paper, but visibly, tangibly!" "In the past, Milan's strength lay in defense—but now, they are balanced in both attack and defense!" "Look at this goal—Milan dismantled Juventus' defense with elegance, like dancing through their lines. Every player touched the ball no more than twice—it was seamless and unified!" Whooooshhhhhhhhhh—— After celebrating at the corner flag, Kaká turned and threw his arms around Suker. "That pass was perfect!" Kaká grinned, patting Suker on the back. Scoring so soon after coming on—Suker's assist had been crucial. More importantly, Suker had spotted a gap no one else did. Most players would've passed to Maldini or other obvious aerial targets—but Suker chose the unexpected. Even Kaká admitted: he himself wouldn't have made that pass. When Suker sent the ball, Kaká was still some distance away. No one could guarantee such a precise ball and still consider the receiver's timing. But Suker did it. Yet Kaká also felt a growing urgency inside. The better Suker played, the more impatient he became. They might be teammates—but they were also rivals in the same age group. Kaká didn't want to be seen as just a supporting player to Suker. But after blow after blow, Kaká was starting to wonder—how much longer can I keep up?

Chapter 228: The Adhesive

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