Chapter 302: "Kaka’s Key Assist

Words : 1326 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

"Can you wake up already?"Suker glared at Pirlo. He was getting knocked around in the front line, looking disheveled, while Pirlo was leisurely strolling in the back, contributing nothing. He truly earned the nickname "Sleepy Pirlo"!Right now, the guy was easily losing himself—once the pressure mounted, he'd simply check out, as if he'd fallen asleep. He was really just coasting along. "Every time I look up, I see their players!"Pirlo was frustrated too. When Milan attacked, he was also tightly marked. Barcelona's defense wasn't just about staying back. Influenced by Dutch football, they also applied pressure from the front line. Especially someone like Pirlo, the primary distributor—he was heavily marked. "Pass it to me, I'll make the play!"Gattuso, also frustrated, volunteered. But... Suker and Pirlo didn't take him seriously. Suker thought for a moment and said, "I'll drop back to draw defenders, then you follow up to receive the pass, okay?" Pirlo frowned. "That'll take a toll on your stamina." "I've got unlimited stamina!" Suker declared confidently. "Don't worry about me. Can you do it or not?" "I can!"Pirlo answered immediately. If Suker was going to do that much, Pirlo had no excuse not to step up. Gattuso: "I'm telling you, I can pass!"Suker and Pirlo continued discussing their plan. Gattuso: "Are you two even listening to me?"Suker kept pointing forward, explaining. Gattuso: "Hello??" BANG! BANG!Suker and Pirlo were both hit in the stomach. "You jerks!" Gattuso was furious.In such a crucial moment, and these two were still messing around with him. Suker laughed, holding his belly. "Okay, okay! Tusso, focus on defense—we'll handle the attack!" Then he turned to Pirlo. "Find Kaka!" Pirlo nodded firmly. Down two goals, AC Milan was in deep trouble. With the first half almost over, they had to score—at least one goal—or the second half would be a nightmare. Suker took a deep breath and jogged to the center circle. Second kickoff of the match. They hadn't played a game this miserable all season. A fire was burning inside him. Milan needed to make changes now.If they let Barcelona keep playing their game, it would be a disaster. On the sideline, Ancelotti kept signaling for Suker to drop back—clearly, the coach wanted him to help the midfield with build-up play. "Andriy, track back more on defense," Suker muttered. Shevchenko looked awkward. Suker's jab was clear—if you're not contributing on offense, at least help out on defense. Of course, Shevchenko already had that in mind.He knew his form was off today. The match resumed. Milan passed the ball back after kickoff. But this time, Suker didn't push forward too aggressively.He held his position near the halfway line. Not just Suker—Kaka had also shifted forward slightly. Suk kept retreating, watching the pressing defenders, and positioning himself to receive passes. Pirlo got the ball and was immediately harassed by Eto'o. But this time, Gattuso and Seedorf's passing lanes were cut off. However, Suker was now an option ahead. Pirlo passed forward to Suker. Suker, with his back to goal, shifted the ball to the right. Pirlo used that moment to move up and shake off his marker, advancing the play. Suddenly, his vision opened up—Pirlo's frustration eased a little. He passed left, and Suker quickly played a through ball to Shevchenko. Shevchenko took a shot. BANG!The Barcelona goalkeeper caught it easily. Shevchenko shook his head. He was clearly out of sorts today—every shot went straight into the keeper's arms. "Fall back! Defend!"Suker shouted. 41st minute—Barcelona was threatening again. But this time, Milan had fallen back as a unit, giving Barca fewer good chances. Then, Deco's pass was disrupted by Gattuso. Pirlo intercepted the ball. Seeing this, Suker immediately turned toward the front. Kaka was already on the move. "Pirlo!!" Suker shouted. Pirlo quickly got up and poked the ball toward Suk with his toe. At the same time, the Barcelona player who had been charging at Pirlo immediately switched targets and came at Suker. But Suker didn't turn with the ball—instead, he laid it off sideways. Why run when a pass is faster? Whoosh! Pirlo followed up, met Suker's pass, and found himself with a clear view ahead. He didn't hesitate—a beautiful long pass from deep midfield. The ball arched from Milan's half toward Barcelona's penalty area on the left. Kaka sprinted forward. He was sandwiched by Marquez and Oleguer, with Puyol lurking in the middle. "Ball!!"Suker sprinted while shouting. The ball bounced and popped into the air. Kaka and the defenders reached it simultaneously. With a light touch, Kaka lifted the ball over Marquez. Just as Puyol saw his moment and lunged, Kaka followed up quickly. He dove in between the two defenders and lightly nodded the ball. It bounced into the box, and all three collided—bodies flying everywhere. "KAKA!!! Brilliant flick over the defender—he carved out this opportunity under triple pressure, and now... SUKER!!!!" Commentator Crudeli screamed:"The passes to Suker—shoot! SHOOT! SHOOT!!!" Suker had charged into the box. With no one marking him, he met Kaka's pass. The entire Stade de France stood up—Milan fans holding their breath. Suker shot just as the Barcelona keeper stepped forward. Perfect technique—instep drive straight into the goal. The keeper didn't even react. The ball was already in the net. "GOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "SUKER!!! What a brilliant goal!!" "Milan pulls one back! We've pulled one back!!" "Kaka and Suker—two young stars connecting brilliantly!" "In the 43rd minute, they broke through Barcelona's goal and brought Milan back into the game!!" Commentator Aldo Serena shouted until he was dizzy. This goal was crucial. Had Barcelona continued their momentum, Milan would have been crushed. But Kaka's fearless dribble under heavy marking created a golden assist for Suk. With that goal, Milan's morale was revived. "Beautiful pass!!" After celebrating, Suker rushed to hug Kaka—they celebrated together, full of energy. Other Milan players joined in. To be honest, Shevchenko and Seedorf looked a little embarrassed. After all, it took the young players to step up in such a crucial moment. Still, who cared? They got the goal—and the pressure eased a bit. BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The Milan fans in Stade de France erupted. They cheered wildly, jumping with joy. Screams of excitement echoed around the stadium. They were venting after 40 long minutes of being suffocated by Barcelona's dominance. With this goal, they finally saw some hope. Most importantly—they now saw a chance to win. Even though the match hadn't gone the way they imagined— Who cares? A goal is a goal! Suker and Kaka walked back, arms over each other's shoulders. Suker was thrilled—Kaka had proven trustworthy. That assist was just like Kaka at his peak—sharp, decisive, deadly. Suker's heart surged. Was "God-slayer Kaka" about to arrive early? If so, Suk's burden would suddenly become much lighter. Surrounded by teammates, they walked toward the locker room. As they passed Barcelona's bench, Messi watched the two confident young men, unable to hide a bit of envy. They were about his age, yet already standing on the Champions League final stage. They were going toe-to-toe with Ronaldinho and others, fighting for glory. Even Messi had to admit—that counterattack was brilliant. From Pirlo to Suk to Kaka—each decision was spot-on. "Feels like Milan is waking up now," Xavi said, resting his chin on his hand. Iniesta nodded. "Let's hope nothing unexpected happens in the second half." Milan's goal was the last of the first half. And thanks to it, their form seemed to stabilize a bit. Though they were still on the back foot overall— The worst might just be over. During halftime, Ancelotti made immediate lineup changes. In the second half—AC Milan was going to change formation.

Chapter 302: "Kaka’s Key Assist

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