Šuker could clearly feel it — Juventus were holding back a fire inside.
After all, being relegated to Serie B right after a championship season would leave anyone burning with rage.
And that suppressed fury had been brewing for an entire year, waiting for this moment — their return to Serie A.
But no matter how fired up they were, Šuker was determined to shove it all right back down.
Want to vent? Fine.
Just not on me.
Juventus were clearly well-prepared. This was their first match back in Serie A, and even though they were up against AC Milan, they had to deliver a strong performance.
Their current coach was Didier Deschamps — the man who would one day lead France to a World Cup title.
After Capello's departure, Juventus struggled to find a suitable manager until they turned to former club legend Deschamps.
It turned out to be a perfect match.And after a year of hard work, he led Juve back to the top flight.
Deschamps had also discovered and developed Antonino Nocerino, showing a sharp eye for talent.
Even though Deschamps was still a rookie coach, he'd already shown strong tactical awareness.
In this match against Milan, he had his eyes locked on one man: Šuker.
He believed:
"If we shut down Šuker, Milan have no counterattack."
He wasn't wrong — but could Juventus really shut down Šuker?
On the pitch, players had taken their positions.
Šuker, as usual, was doing high knee stretches, quickly ramping up his energy.
Juventus kicked off first.
And judging by the glares of their defenders, Šuker knew exactly what was coming — he was the target.
But he was used to that.And just because they wanted to shut him down, didn't mean they could.
He had confidence in his own abilities.
Plus, with Pirlo, Kaká, and Seedorf behind him — help wasn't far away.
"Three at the back? You think we're pushovers?"
Šuker muttered.
"They got cocky from dominating Serie B. One counterattack and we'll leave them dazed!"
Kaká nodded.
Using a back three against AC Milan's front line was basically asking to be punished.
"They'll definitely assign someone to mark you," Kaká said.
"Doesn't matter," Šuker shrugged."We play our game. You're here too, aren't you?"
"If only I could master this wide midfield role," Kaká sighed.
He'd been working with Ancelotti recently to adapt to the position, but wasn't quite match-ready yet — and certainly not in the season opener.
So, they stuck with the original tactic — safe and familiar.
On the other side, Juventus looked focused and serious.
They'd faced Milan many times and thought they knew how to deal with them — and with Šuker.
Players ready.
Referee steps back from the center circle.
Whistle!
The 2007/2008 Serie A season officially begins!
As soon as the whistle blew, Šuker took off like a rocket, sprinting toward Chiellini.
Just as he expected, the ball circled back and ended up at Chiellini's feet.
Seeing Šuker charge at him, Chiellini quickly passed it sideways.
But Šuker curved his run, keeping the pressure on.
Juventus, however, had packed their midfield with five players — designed to resist high press.
Sure enough, after a few smooth passes, they cleared the danger with ease.
Realizing the opportunity was gone, Šuker stood next to Chiellini, marking him tightly.
Milan players dropped back, switching into a compact defensive setup.
This was Milan's new approach for the season — tight defense to compensate for a weakened backline, relying on Šuker's counterattacks to score goals.
Juventus, meanwhile, had the numbers in midfield and were gaining control.
Del Piero dropped deep to help link play.Trezeguet hovered up front, keeping Milan's backline on edge.
Juventus played steadily and cautiously — still feeling things out.
"One season in Serie B and they're still this boring,"
Šuker muttered.
Chiellini turned and glared.
Šuker stared right back.
"What are you looking at? Keep staring and I'll call in the Captain to rough you up."
Chiellini instantly backed down — remembering the time Maldini nearly grabbed him by the collar.
Suddenly, Šuker feigned a sprint.
"You son of a—!"
Chiellini panicked, instinctively turning to chase.
But Šuker stopped cold.
"Gotcha," he grinned.
Chiellini was fuming.
Šuker stared him down again.Then faked another burst.
Chiellini flinched.
"Fooled you again!" Šuker chuckled."Wow, you scare easy."
Chiellini looked ready to explode.
"So... was Serie B fun?"
"Playing in the lower league — easy mode, right?"
Chiellini lifted his chin proudly — damn right it was.
"But now you're used to slow pace," Šuker teased."Back in Serie A? You're in for some pain~"
"Bullsh*t!"
Chiellini snapped.
"Heard you guys took pay cuts?"
"I would've left right away!"
"Look at Cannavaro — smart guy! Living it up AND making money."
"You lot? Still clinging to loyalty. What a joke."
Then Šuker leaned in closer:
"Wait... is your hair thinning?"
"What shampoo do you use? So I can avoid it."
Chiellini finally snapped.
"GET LOST! GO AWAY!"
"Okay~" Šuker said cheerfully."Whoever chases the other is a dog!"
Chiellini froze.
"Come back here!"
"You're the dog!!"
Chiellini was losing his mind.
He remembered when Šuker wasn't this annoying.When did he become such a trash-talker?
Šuker glanced back at Milan's half — they had just won possession.
"Hey, does that dog thing still count?"
"What?" Chiellini blurted.
The moment he answered, he regretted it.
Why was he even responding?
That's when Šuker suddenly burst into a sprint.
"You chase me, you're the dog!"
Pirlo had just released a perfect long pass.
"COME BACK HERE, DAMN IT!!"
Šuker sprinted full throttle — no way he was stopping now.
The ball soared toward him.
He slipped into the box, perfectly timed — no offside.
The linesman's flag remained down.
"No offside! Šuker with the sudden burst! Chiellini can't catch up — Juventus are in trouble!"
Šuker raced forward.
Chiellini chased desperately.
But Šuker knew: If he stopped the ball, the defenders would catch up.He had to shoot in stride.
Buffon began charging out.
As Šuker neared the penalty spot, he dove forward.
With perfect timing, he headed the ball mid-air.
It arced over Buffon and began falling toward goal.
"ŠUKER!! DIVING HEADER!!! —"
The whole stadium went silent.
Ancelotti leapt to his feet.Deschamps frowned deeply.
The ball dropped toward the net.
Chiellini made one last desperate lunge — and cleared it.
"I CLEARED IT!!"
he shouted.
But Šuker was already running toward the corner flag, celebrating.
Chiellini waved at the referee:
"I cleared it!"
The referee signaled to pause play.
Everyone looked toward the sideline as he ran to confer with the linesman.
Šuker, too, was nervous.
He was sure the ball had crossed the line, but what would the referees say?
After a quick discussion, the head referee returned and blew the whistle — pointing to the center circle.
GOAL!
"GOOOOOAL!!!! —"
"ŠUKER!!! What a diving header! Pirlo's incredible long ball from his own half found Šuker perfectly. No offside — he leapt forward and connected with a flying header for a spectacular finish!"
"Juventus were too careless!"
"They underestimated Šuker's threat!"
"Just 6 minutes in — Milan score on their first counterattack!"
"Šuker gives Milan a perfect start with a sensational goal!"