Lyon, France —One day before the match, the entire AC Milan squad arrived in Lyon.
As expected, their arrival drew enormous media attention — especially with Šuker, the front-runner for the Ballon d'Or, attracting the spotlight.
However, Milan declined all interviews and went straight to their hotel via team bus.
Due to Kaká's injury, Šuker had no roommate and was enjoying a private suite.
After training ended, Šuker lay on his bed and brought up his system interface:
💎 Special Skill Cards:
Diamond Card – Inzaghi's Positioning Awareness
Diamond Card – Shevchenko's Finishing
Diamond Card – Ronaldo's Dribbling
Platinum Card – Marcelo's Ball Control
Platinum Card – Willian's Core Strength
📊 Personal Stats:
Name: Šuker
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 76 kg
Speed: 95
Agility: 86
Strength: 87 + 5 = 92
Acceleration: 95
Three key attributes over 90 points — elite level.
The +5 bonus to strength came from Willian's core — a tactical adjustment for the upcoming physical battle.
Coach Ancelotti's tactical plan was simple — but it required Šuker to battle physically against Lyon's defenders.
Whether holding up the ball or contesting headers, Šuker had to engage in physical duels.
At 92 strength, he still wasn't on Drogba's monstrous level, but he was strong enough to tank defenders and disrupt backlines.
Whether it was turn-and-shoot or aerial duels, Šuker's job was to create chaos in the final third and open chances for himself and teammates.
Šuker had poured all of last season's attribute points into speed, maxing it at 95 and leaving behind his old speed card.
He kept enough agility to remain nimble.
Šuker knew his future wasn't in being a pure target man or tap-in merchant — he might play that role temporarily, but it wasn't his true goal.
If Kaká and Pirlo were healthy, he wouldn't need to change.But with them both out, he had to adapt for the team.
Ancelotti could afford this kind of tactic only because of Šuker's versatility.
Another striker wouldn't make this plan feasible.
Sure, he could move Šuker to attacking midfield — but that would invite triple or quadruple marking, severely limiting his impact.
So this strategy — putting Šuker close to goal — was about maximizing threat under difficult circumstances.
The only problem?
There's no one left to deliver the ball.The "chefs" who served the goals (Kaká, Pirlo) were on the injury list.
Now, it was up to Seedorf and others to feed Šuker.He'd have to rely on limited chances and make the most of them.
In short — Šuker was the spearhead.Get the ball to him, close to goal, and hope he delivers.
Match Day — Gerland Stadium
Lyon — six-time consecutive Ligue 1 champions, undisputed rulers of French football.
But their ultimate goal was the Champions League.
They had only reached the final once — but never lifted the trophy.
It remained a thorn in their fans' hearts.
This season, Lyon returned with vengeance — targeting the European crown.
Their fans raised a massive TIFO:
A French knight pointing his sword toward the Champions League trophy.
"Sword toward the UCL? Pfft. Anyone can talk big,"Šuker muttered.
"Talk is cheap."
He turned to assess Lyon's lineup:
Juninho, Vukojević, Benzema — all present.
Benzema was now Lyon's primary offensive weapon, especially with Juninho's form declining.
Meanwhile, the Lyon players were all eyeing Šuker.
Even though he stood quietly at the end of the Milan line, all eyes were locked on him with tension and caution.
They knew — stopping Šuker was key to winning.
Thankfully for them, Milan was injured and weakened.
Kaká and Pirlo were both out.
This gave Lyon a real shot.
Yes, Milan's form had dipped —But even a declining giant was dangerous if it found rhythm.
"This is the 2007/2008 UEFA Champions League Group Stage — Matchday 1!Lyon hosts defending champions AC Milan!"
"Last season, Milan won their second straight UCL title, making them the most feared club in Europe.Now, can Lyon's young stars step up and rise to the occasion?"
"The players are entering the pitch now."
"The cameras lock on to Šuker —Milan's key figure in their double-winning season, and the top favorite for the Ballon d'Or!"
"For Lyon to win, they must contain Šuker at all costs!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A thunderous wave of boos erupted!
Lyon fans roared disapproval at Šuker —a clear sign of how terrified they were.
But Šuker remained calm, unfazed by the noise.
Vukojević, a former Dinamo Zagreb teammate, also looked at his old friend.
He remembered the young Šuker they had fought beside in Champions League qualifiers.Now, two years later — Šuker was the Ballon d'Or frontrunner.
Vukojević respected him — but that also meant he would go all out to stop him.
Club — here, they were opponents, not national teammates.
The players began to shake hands.
When it was Vukojević's turn, he dodged slightly — and Šuker whiffed.
Šuker glared at him and nearly kicked him in the butt.
Vukojević just smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
Finally, Šuker bumped fists with Benzema —no words exchanged. Just fierce eye contact.
Two years ago, Benzema was still a sub.
Now, he had earned his place.It was finally time for a true showdown.
Starting Lineups:
Lyon (4-4-2):
GK: Vercoutre
DEF: Clerc, Squillaci, Réveillère, Belhadj
MID: Bodmer, Vukojević, Källström, Juninho
FW: Benzema, Govou
AC Milan (4-3-3):
GK: Dida
DEF: Oddo, Nesta, Šimunić, Jankulovski
MID: Gattuso, Seedorf, Ambrosini
FW: Gilardino, Šuker, Brocchi
The captains finished the coin toss.
AC Milan kicked off.
Šuker and Gilardino stood over the ball at midfield.
Šuker nudged the ball, ready to go.
He knew — Lyon wasn't going to be easy.
They were Champions League regulars.Six-time French champions.And this time, Milan had no Kaká.No Pirlo.
That meant Šuker had to do everything himself.
Though his focus was on scoring,he hoped the defense would hold —particularly that Šimunić wouldn't become a liability again.
Ancelotti had already instructed Gattuso and Ambrosini to help cover the back.
As long as Šimunić wasn't exposed, things could work.
If they leaked at the back, it would fall apart.
For now — it looked manageable.
"Let's do this,"Šuker said to Gilardino.
Gilardino nodded.
But in his heart, he'd already given up on competing with Šuker.
Last season, there was a small chance.This season? None.
Šuker kept rising.
Gilardino had slipped further.
He knew the truth:
When Shevchenko left, he didn't seize the chance.
Now, Šuker had become Milan's undisputed attacking core.
As for Gilardino?
He was already obsolete.