Lyon's head coach frowned as he looked out onto the pitch.
Suker had clearly set his sights on Squillaci, relentlessly engaging in physical confrontations.
In this situation, Squillaci was really struggling.
On one hand, his stamina was dropping, making him less effective in physical duels.
On the other, he was already on a yellow card and didn't dare to make any big moves.
Squillaci was feeling extremely frustrated—why had this guy targeted only him?
He had a center-back partner too!
Why didn't Suker go challenge Clerc?
Suker wasn't stupid!
Squillaci was about the same height and build, so it wasn't too tough to go head-to-head.
Clerc, on the other hand, was broad-shouldered and stocky—Suker would have to be out of his mind to take him on.
Pick on the soft guy , as the saying goes.
To Suker, Squillaci was that guy.
With Squillaci carrying a yellow card, he couldn't be too aggressive.
Typically, by the 55th minute, a player like him would be subbed off.
Suker glanced at the clock.
Five minutes to go!
Squillaci stared hard at Suker, ready to throw everything he had into stopping him the next time he got close.
Just five more minutes to endure!
But suddenly, Suker turned his head toward the goal and began running toward the space between the defensive and midfield lines.
He didn't go after Squillaci.
Squillaci was surprised.
But with that annoying guy finally leaving him alone, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Vukojević, watch your back!"
Squillaci still gave his teammate a heads-up.
Vukojević glanced at Suker and gave Squillaci a nod.
Suker positioned himself right between the backline and the midfield, moving laterally across the field.
Lyon was still bombarding Milan's goal, and Milan's tight defense was beginning to waver.
However, thanks to Šimunić's repeated aerial wins, they managed to stabilize the situation.
Suker patiently waited for a counter-attack opportunity from his teammates.
In the 52nd minute, Dida grabbed a Lyon corner out of the air and sprinted forward, hurling the ball ahead to Seedorf.
Seedorf received the ball, turned, and didn't pass—he drove it forward.
A side-step and a cut—he beat a man.
Still no pass—he kept pushing forward.
His eyes were on the defenders but he was also watching Vukojević.
He baited Vukojević closer to him, trying to create more space for Suker to receive the ball.
As Seedorf continued to push forward, nearing the halfway line, Vukojević couldn't hold back any longer and charged at him.
Boom!
Without hesitation, Seedorf slipped the ball to Suker.
Even though it was just a pass across the midfield line, he trusted that Suker could take on the entire defense alone.
"Great pass!"
Suker turned and surged toward Lyon's backline.
Freed from Vukojević's pressure, he finally had room to open up and sprint.
Suker charged straight down the middle, clearly targeting Squillaci.
"Not again!"
Squillaci was nearly losing it.
He goes for me in physical duels.
And now he's coming at me in a sprint?
Does he really think I'm that easy to beat?
"Clerc! Cover!"
Squillaci shouted and turned to intercept Suker.
"Suker is charging at the defense. Squillaci is stepping up—he's trying to stop this Milan attack here!"
Suker shifted the ball laterally, forcing Squillaci to take a step sideways.
Then, Suker knocked the ball forward and burst ahead.
With explosive acceleration, he slipped right through.
"Clerc!"
Seeing Suker get past, Squillaci shouted for help.
Clerc and Lyon's full-back Belhadj rushed in to close the gap.
But then Suker suddenly stepped harder—second gear.
"Damn it!"
"Hurry!"
Clerc and Belhadj closed in.
Just as they were about to converge, Suker squeezed between the two of them.
"Ohhh my god!!! Suker got through!!"
Though his footing wobbled, Suker kept his balance.
He looked up at the goal and surged forward.
Lyon's keeper, under immense pressure, rushed out.
Suker sidestepped again, pulling off a rainbow flick—he even beat the keeper.
With an open net, Suker calmly tapped the ball in.
"Beating four defenders!!! A wild solo run!"
"Lyon had no answer for Suker—he single-handedly tore their defense apart!"
"My god! He's just like Ronaldo the Alien, muscling through two men and still scoring!"
"53rd minute, AC Milan scores again!"
"Suker, with a show of raw power and skill, crushes Lyon's backline!"
The whole Gerland Stadium went dead silent.
Lyon fans were stunned and disheartened.
This goal was even more demoralizing than the first-half screamer.
Even with four defenders—including the keeper—they couldn't stop Suker.
Italian commentator Aldo Serena held his head in disbelief.
Back when he played for Inter, Ronaldo the Alien had once scored a similar goal.
That unstoppable momentum—it stayed in his memory ever since.
But now, Suker had just recreated it.
This wasn't just about footwork—it was terrifying athleticism.
Aldo Serena clutched his head.
He felt like football had just welcomed its second alien.
And it wasn't just Serena.
Ancelotti and all the Milan players on the bench were stunned.
Suker's power shocked even his own team.
How do you stop a guy like this?
Even Milan's legendary defense would have trouble handling him at his peak.
But luckily, this monster belonged to AC Milan.
Maldini watched in awe and sighed, "I'm just glad I retired before I had to face Suker."
Since last season, Suker had delivered highlight after highlight.
And every iconic moment had a defender left humiliated in the background.
The aging Maldini would've had no answer for someone like Suker.
Facing him as an opponent might've ruined his legacy.
"Get the subs ready! Paolo, Šimić—go warm up!"
Ancelotti shouted.
Now Milan had a 2-goal lead and the upper hand.
All they had to do was defend and see the game out.
Ancelotti had hoped for a draw.
But thanks to Suker's brilliance, they were now eyeing all three points.
It was an exhilarating turn of events.
At the 55th minute, both sides made changes.
AC Milan:
Gilardino and Jankulovski subbed out.
Maldini and Šimić came on.
Lyon:
Two attacking subs were brought on.
Originally set to be subbed off, Squillaci remained on the pitch—doomed to suffer more from Suker.
Of course, that was because Lyon was still chasing the win.
With the changes complete, Milan dropped back and focused on defense.
Lyon kept attacking, increasing their intensity in search of a goal.
But they still had to worry about Suker's counterattacks.
Even a single Milan counter could spell disaster.
Fortunately, Vukojević stayed deep and close to the backline.
He could help contain Suker if needed.
Besides, Milan had essentially given up on attacking, parking the bus.
In Gerland Stadium, Lyon fans watched in agony.
Their team's attacks were ferocious—but fruitless.
Chance after chance was barely denied. Dida kept making crucial saves, throwing his body on the line.
Time ticked away, and Lyon grew more anxious.
In the 87th minute, Benzema changed tactics—he stopped going wide and cut inside, driving toward the box.
Nesta either slipped or misstepped—both players fell in the penalty area.
The referee pointed to the spot.
Suker was fuming.
"Damn, Benzema!"
Juninho stepped up to take the penalty.
He aimed for the bottom left corner—Dida guessed right and even got a hand to it.
But not enough.
The ball trickled in.
Lyon pulled one back in the dying minutes.
Re-energized by the goal, Lyon threw everything forward.
Milan responded by stalling for time.
They used their last sub to take Suker off and reinforce the defense.
In the end, AC Milan held on with gritty defending to secure a 2–1 victory.
2007/08 UEFA Champions League, Group Stage Matchday 1: Lyon 1–2 AC Milan!