Chapter 275 - 275 – Header Assist

Words : 1433 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

"In the second half, Kaka needs to make more breakthroughs. Cross the ball when there's an opportunity—let Andriy and Suker compete for headers. If that doesn't work, draw fouls to earn Pirlo some free-kick chances!"Ancelotti laid out the tactics. In the first half, Suker was clearly being tightly marked. The attack from the left wing struggled to break through. Even though Suker continued to organize plays through passing, he didn't show his usual sharp dribbling. That's why Ancelotti decided to let Kaka take on the responsibility of breaking through the defensive line this match. They might be able to stop Suker, but Milan still has Kaka at the attacking midfield position. "In the second half, it's up to you!" Suker patted Kaka on the shoulder. Kaka's eyes lit up with energy. Recently, Kaka's attacking desire and hunger to perform had surged. Maybe it was Suker's arrival that accelerated Kaka's growth. At this point, Kaka had begun to demand a bigger role in Milan's tactical scheme. Initially, he was just a dribbler—focused on advancing the ball and disturbing the defense before passing to the forwards. But now, he was actively seeking shooting opportunities too. Suker and Kaka were Milan's primary driving forces going forward. Their performance directly dictated the flow of the match. If you want to limit Milan, you have to stop both Suker and Kaka. But that's easier said than done. "Juninho Pernambucano's free kicks are still phenomenal. He's been Lyon's clutch player time and time again. In this match against the mighty AC Milan, he's once again equalized with a free-kick goal." The commentator praised Juninho on the broadcast. But Mandzukic was more focused on Vukojevic's nutmeg pass. When did that guy learn to pass like that? And such a beautiful nutmeg, no less—on Suker of all people! "They're all improving so fast..." The phone rang—Pranjic's voice sounded a little discouraged. In just half a season, all their buddies who joined big clubs had grown at an astonishing rate. Modric was now the key playmaker at Manchester United, hailed by the English media as the future midfield master and the most representative young midfielder. Suker needed no introduction—he was a core player at AC Milan, thriving among world-class talents, performing brilliantly in both Serie A and the Champions League. With their natural talent, it made sense for those two to grow like this. But Vukojevic was a different story. He used to be just a defensive midfielder doing all the dirty work. But that nutmeg pass to Suk—where was the clumsiness? "We've got to step it up too, or we'll really get left behind!" Mandzukic said gravely. It wasn't just Suker and Modric—Srna and Dujmovic were the same. Especially Dujmovic. Normally cheerful and carefree, he was uncharacteristically silent today. He watched from the bench as his former teammates battled on the field, each putting in an outstanding performance. And he didn't even get a chance to play. Dujmovic squinted, his eyes reflecting the stadium lights. He turned to look—one of the ceiling lights reflected off Benzema's shiny bald head, right into his eyes. Smack!Dujmovic slapped him. "What the hell?"Benzema clutched his head, glaring. "It's your damn fault!" Dujmovic scowled. "Mine again?" Benzema pointed at himself, full of grievance. On the pitch, the second half had already begun. After the break, Milan took control of the match and kept pushing forward. With Suker under heavy pressure, Kaka became the main playmaker. Suker even moved back toward the defense, giving Kaka more room to operate. Given the space and tactical freedom, Kaka exploded. "Kaka!!! Marseille turn! Spins past Malouda and Abidal! Passes to the center—Lyon defender Cris gets a foot in and clears it!" "Kaka again on the wing! Blazing past defenders and sends in a cross! Shevchenko heads it back—Suker shoots! The ball deflects off Cris and goes out!" "Kaka!!! He's back!!" Kaka kept sprinting down the right flank, repeatedly beating Malouda, practically tearing up Lyon's right side. Lyon's midfield defense was under immense pressure. Suker turned to the ever-present Vukojevic beside him. "Your midfield's getting shredded by Kaka, huh~" Vukojevic grit his teeth at Suker's sarcasm. He kept glancing toward the right side of the defense, hoping his teammates could hold. But he couldn't just ignore Suker either. As Vukojevic wrestled with indecision, Kaka whipped in another cross. Suker had already darted into the penalty area the moment the ball left Kaka's foot and jumped. Though he was challenged in the air and couldn't shoot directly, he still managed to head the ball to Shevchenko. "Shoot it!!" Suker shouted. Shevchenko held off Cris with sheer strength. Though he was being pulled back and his body tilted, he still managed to poke the ball with his toe. The ball spun off his toe and flew toward goal. Because of the lean, he couldn't keep it down. It flew toward Lyon's goal in a semi-high arc. The keeper positioned himself for a catch, but then—the ball suddenly swerved sideways in midair. Caught off guard, the ball bounced off his arm and into the net. 67th minute—AC Milan 2:1 Lyon. GOAL!! "Andriy Shevchenko!! When the team was struggling, Andriy stepped up again! He always comes through in key moments!" "Yes! He's fully taken on the role of Milan's captain!" "He fights for Milan's honor!" "A precious away goal! He's Milan's top scorer and their captain—his name is Andriy Shevchenko!!" Shevchenko was Milan's golden boy. As a Ukrainian, he had been chosen as Milan's next leader, set to take the captain's armband from Maldini. And his performances this season had been phenomenal. Top scorer in both Serie A and the Champions League, he was Milan's deadliest weapon up front. "Of course, we also need to applaud Suker!" "He battled in the air to create that opportunity!" "That's one goal and one assist for Suker tonight! Outstanding performance!" Back at Stade de Gerland, the Lyon fans fell silent again. They had fought hard to equalize in the first half, only to fall behind once more. It was a crushing feeling. And the pressure was only mounting. Shevchenko.Suker.Both were tough enough to handle. And just when they finally managed to lock them down—Kaka exploded. He wreaked havoc on Lyon's midfield, dragging their defense into chaos. "Vukojevic! Move to the middle! Mark that Brazilian!" Lyon's coach finally snapped. Kaka couldn't be allowed to keep breaking through like this. The match resumed. After Lyon restarted, Milan dialed down the tempo a bit. 78th minute—Milan made a substitution. Serginho and Seedorf off. Maldini and Simic on. A move to strengthen the defense. With a one-goal lead, Ancelotti wanted to take the advantage back home. Lyon responded with their own subs, strengthening the attack and pushing forward aggressively. They wanted set pieces! "Get in the box! Dribble! Break through!" Substitute striker Kalu became a battering ram in Milan's half. He used his strong frame to hold the ball up, giving Malouda and Juninho space to break through. Lyon's attacking intensity ramped up again. In the final minutes, they desperately tried to equalize. Juninho kept dribbling, shooting when he could, or drawing fouls when he couldn't. In ten minutes, Lyon had already earned two set pieces. 88th minute—Malouda was taken down by Gattuso's slide tackle near midfield. Player and ball both went down. The ref blew for a foul. Lyon earned a free kick from the left. Juninho stood over the ball again. It was a bit far from goal, so Milan set up a wall and also marked the penalty area. But Juninho had other ideas. To him, anywhere in sight was shooting range. He unleashed a cannon of a free kick. The ball screamed toward the top-right corner of Milan's goal. Keeper Dida dove desperately, his fingertips grazing the ball—but it wasn't enough. GOAL—Juninho again! A stunning second free kick! "Juninho Pernambucano!! Another free kick goal!! He's done it again to equalize for Lyon!!" "Brilliant strike!!" Suker stared, mouth slightly open. "This guy's insane..." Two free kick goals?How the hell do you stop that? Final whistle. With two free kicks from Juninho, Lyon managed to claw back and draw AC Milan at home. UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal.Lyon 2:2 AC Milan.A hard-earned draw.

Chapter 275 - 275 – Header Assist

Comments (0)