Chapter 261: The Rabona

Words : 1373 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

The match resumed, and this time Bayern played with more caution. While pushing forward, they no longer blindly sought Ballack. Sure, Ballack was their offensive core, but he had a shadow clinging to him the entire time. Suker devoted all his attention to Ballack whenever he wasn't on the attack. "Ballack must be so annoyed!"The German commentator echoed Ballack's inner thoughts. Anyone being marked this tightly would feel suffocated, and Ballack didn't have the explosiveness or speed to shake Suker off. He tried dribbling to break free, but Suker could catch up in a few strides and stick to him again. Barely five minutes in, and Ballack was already getting fed up. "Suker has once again found a perfect pressure point!"The assistant coach said with a smile. What made Suk truly exceptional was his laser-sharp reading of the game and knack for pinpointing weaknesses. He always knew where to press—and now, Ballack was under constant pressure. Granted, Suker wasn't as defensively solid as Gattuso, but anyone being nagged like that would struggle to perform. Suker was relentless in his runs—pushing forward on offense, falling back on defense. As long as his team didn't have the ball, he was Ballack's shadow. Ballack passed the ball back again, only to turn and find Suker still glued to him. He tried moving laterally—Suker followed. Only when he was pushed all the way to the far flank did Suker ease up and retreat. Then Gattuso stepped up! Seeing Gattuso's big bull-like eyes glaring at him, Ballack gave up and returned to Suker's side. "Hello there." Yeah, right.Ballack cursed internally. The ball came to him again, but this time he didn't pass. Instead, he used his arm to hold Suker off, turned, and fired a shot! BANG!The ball rocketed like a cannon... into the stands. Suker turned to look at the goal and exhaled slowly. When Ballack had braced him just now, Suker couldn't press effectively. Though he'd disrupted the shot, he couldn't fully stop it. Suker grinned—if it had been his old self, Ballack wouldn't have been able to hold him off. He'd have dipped under him easily. So yeah, being taller had its downsides. "Ballack with a long-range effort, but it lacked quality!" "Bayern Munich needs to find a new way to break through." But before that could happen, AC Milan's attack had already reached Bayern's penalty area. Shevchenko received the ball and passed it back to Suker before darting into the middle. Suker looked up at the crowded box—no chance for a pass. I'll do it myself!He launched into a run at the defense. "Suker's not passing—he's taking on the defense!" His rapid touches made it difficult for defenders to time their tackles. No one dared commit. Just as he neared the area, Suker suddenly cut vertically, twisting his body and charging in. But the next moment—he was knocked down by a strong shoulder. Suk hit the turf and looked at the ref in protest. "He stuck his leg out!" Suker pointed to his right leg: "He went like this..." But the referee didn't buy it. He just pointed at Suk and tapped his own leg. Suker had no choice but to get up and jog back. "That ref's got sharp eyes!" Not all dives work, after all. In such a tightly packed defense, without a tug or a pull, Suker couldn't execute his signature "Falling Goose" move. Bayern got the goal kick. This time, they went long. Gattuso won the aerial battle, but under pressure, the ball fell to Lahm. Lahm controlled it, advanced a few steps, and passed to Ballack before sprinting forward. They were trying a quick one-two combo. But the moment Ballack passed, Suker burst in from behind and slid the ball back into Bayern's half. Suker scrambled to his feet and retreated to defend again. He'd done this move so many times—he saw Lahm's run and knew what was coming. Ballack was still trying to link up with Makaay and Pizarro. Milan couldn't let that happen—if those forwards connected, it'd be dangerous. Ballack switched the play wide and sprinted toward the center. Salihamidzic stopped the ball on the wing and immediately crossed it into the box. Ballack battled with Stam for it. Amid their clash, the ball deflected off a shoulder and went out of bounds. The referee awarded a goal kick for AC Milan. "He's a damn war god!"Suker muttered. Even with all this marking, Ballack still managed that kind of play. Thirty minutes had passed. Suker looked up—Bayern had already retreated quickly. No counterattack chance. The ball was played up the wing, and Suk received it before passing to Kaká and moving into position. After Suker reached the flank, Kaká returned the ball to him. At the same time, Shevchenko made a run into the box. Suker wanted to cross—but it was too crowded. After a brief pass back, Shevchenko shouted: "Send it in! Don't hesitate! Trust me!" Suker nodded. Got it. Gilardino was more decisive—he immediately sent the ball in. Shevchenko jumped to meet it, clashing with the defender. The ball ricocheted and rolled toward the touchline. Suker chased it down and kept it in play. He dribbled into the penalty area, nudging the ball forward and probing with quick feints. Ismaël stood like a rock, eyes locked on the ball, face dead serious. Suker turned sideways, left foot on the ball, leaning right. Suddenly, he stepped across with his left foot. Ismaël finally bit—and shifted his weight. Now! No time to waste—Suker needed to send the ball left, fast. He planted his left foot, dropped his center of gravity, and whipped his right foot behind the standing leg. Rabona!! The ball arced around Ismaël—behind him. Right into Shevchenko's path, who darted in and smashed a header down into the turf—straight through keeper Rensing's legs and into the net. "OHHHHHH—GOAL!!!!!!!"Italian commentator Aldo Serena screamed. "Suker with a flamboyant rabona to assist Shevchenko!!" "Sheva's header was brilliant—but Suker's pass was absolutely dazzling!" "When Ismaël shifted his weight, Suker returned to an upright stance and used a technique to chip the pass. The deception was flawless, and Ismaël couldn't react at all!" "34th minute—AC Milan scores at Allianz Arena!" "Brilliant football!" Aldo Serena couldn't help but praise. Shevchenko and the others swarmed Suker. "You bastard, that pass was amazing!" "What were you thinking? Hahaha!" "No one expected you to pass like that!" Everyone playfully ruffled Suker's hair. Suker beamed. That whole sequence had been instinct. He just wanted to pass it fast—and his body responded automatically. Regardless, it led to a great goal and a fantastic start. "My god, that pass... that cross-leg..."Even the German commentator was speechless. Not just a goal—but a trick pass. Crushing to morale. "Don't hesitate—stay on him—get physical!"Ballack barked at Ismaël. He knew Ismaël hesitated, wary of Suker's dribbling. But this is what hesitation gets you. To stop Suker, you had to be fast, accurate, and ruthless. Of course, saying it is easy—keeping up with Suker's footwork was another story. "Come on, guys—let's get one back. We're playing well. Just stay sharp." Ballack kept shouting encouragement. Meanwhile, the Milan players finished celebrating and returned to their positions. After scoring, their next job was to maintain control. Over ten minutes remained in the half. They focused on possession and defense. Through a triangle setup of Pirlo, Suker, and Kaká, they controlled the ball and tempo. Without losing possession, they burned the clock. Bayern grew increasingly agitated. Already trailing at home, now they were being toyed with—infuriating. Time ticked away. With a minute left, AC Milan launched one final attack. It ended with Suk blasting a long-range shot into the stands. It was a sky-high miss, but no one complained. Better that than risk a Bayern counterattack. Bayern tried to launch a final offensive, but Milan gave them no chance. At last, the first half ended. Bayern Munich trailed AC Milan 0–1 at home.

Chapter 261: The Rabona

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