"Suker's footwork is too fast! Hilbert tried to stay tight on him, but still got beaten!"
The German commentator sighed.
Even though there had been a glimmer of hope, if Bayern Munich can't handle AC Milan, how could Stuttgart?
It was a painful truth to admit…But it really did seem like AC Milan was Germany's natural nemesis.
A single high press and counterattack from midfield—And Stuttgart had already conceded.
Just 9 minutes into the game, AC Milan had scored.
The Milan players were already celebrating.
"Are you even human? You stole my goal!"
Suker rubbed Inzaghi's head furiously.
"Gonna rub you bald!"
"You try rubbing me bald!" Inzaghi grinned.
"If I didn't pounce on that ball, their defender would've cleared it!" Inzaghi added.
Suker was even more frustrated.
He had already struck a pose for his goal celebration—Only to watch someone else get the goal.
He ruffled Inzaghi's hair even more vigorously.
"Inzaghi made the right run. If he hadn't gotten there, the opposing center-back might've cleared the ball,"
Commentator Aldo Serena smiled.
"Inzaghi scores in his first start back, just 9 minutes in! Every time he plays alongside Suker, he puts in an excellent performance!"
The Milan players finished celebrating and jogged back.
Along the way, Stuttgart players like Gómez gave them serious looks—especially Hilbert.
Just now, he didn't dare make a move.
Suker's ball control and pace were too sharp—If he mistimed his tackle, it would've been a penalty.
But his hesitation cost them a goal.
"My fault," Hilbert admitted.
No one blamed him. His teammates offered words of comfort.
Maybe, deep down, they all believed—It's normal to not stop Suker.
If they could stop him, would they still be playing for Stuttgart?
Getting an early goal, Milan's morale soared.
Especially Kaká, who looked excited.
Though he only contributed to the press during the play, he timed it perfectly.
"Ivan! Nice pass!" Suker shouted to Gattuso, who responded with a firm fist pump.
Who would've thought—As Milan's defense faltered over time, Gattuso's performance only improved.
Not only in defending, but now even in build-up play.
"I'm feeling it today—get me the ball!"Kaká said to Pirlo.
If it were anyone else, Pirlo might've ignored them.But this was Kaká, the team's golden boy.
The match resumed.
After conceding, Stuttgart ramped up their attack—as expected from a youthful side.
They tried to quickly equalize, but that opened up spaces at the back.
Milan, meanwhile, stayed calm and experienced.
Players like Maldini, Nesta, Pirlo—They knew exactly how to hold the line.
Milan's tight, organized defending frustrated the German team.
They didn't have the finesse of Spanish players,Their style was all power and pace.
But that didn't work against Milan's compact defense.
After several failed attempts—they conceded again.
Gattuso lunged and poked the ball to Pirlo,Pirlo switched it to Kaká on the right wing.
In the past, Kaká might've charged forward at full speed.
But not this time.
He paused, looking across the pitch—
A feint. Bastürk thought he was going for a long diagonal pass.
At that moment, Kaká nudged the ball to Gattuso cutting in.
As Stuttgart's defenders focused on Gattuso,Kaká looped around into the empty space ahead.
Gattuso fed it back—Kaká carried it diagonally across the pitch.
Suker saw the angle, peeled wide to the right.
Their crisscross runs scrambled Stuttgart's defense,Creating space for Pirlo near the top of the box.
Kaká stopped and laid the ball off to Pirlo.
Suker, Kaká, and Seedorf all charged into the box.
Pirlo lofted a pass toward the penalty area.
Suker leapt—facing away from goal,He headed it down to Seedorf.
Seedorf trapped the ball, faked a shot,Shifted it left, and struck with his left foot—
The ball zipped into the near corner!
23rd minute, AC Milan scored again!
2–0 up in the first half.
The Milan fans in the stadium erupted!
In contrast, Stuttgart's supporters were deflated.
They knew it would be tough—but this tough?
And this AC Milan—Weren't they supposed to be declining?
They looked better than ever!
Ancelotti pumped his fist.
That attack's key orchestrator was Kaká—
His progression and positioning were brilliant.
His run and Suker's cross-run created the space for Pirlo.
Of course, the finishing opportunity was created by Suker,But Kaká was the engine.
No longer just "charge, charge, charge"—Kaká now used his passing, vision, and teamplay to open up the game.
He passed to Suker, triggering the sequence that led to the goal.
Even commentator Aldo Serena couldn't help but admire:
"The Milan boys are playing beautifully!"
Unlike previous goals that relied solely on Suker's individual brilliance—This was team football at its finest.
A smooth, fluid passage of play.
"Another goal conceded. Stuttgart's defense just can't hold against Milan,"The German commentator said bitterly.
It's always the same in the Champions League—whenever they face AC Milan, things fall apart.
With a two-goal lead, Milan shifted back into defensive mode.
Classic Milan—No need to keep pressing with a lead. Just lock things down.
Stuttgart still attacked fiercely.
Gómez constantly entered the box for aerial duels.
But Šimunić stepped up.
He was a towering presence, winning headers and clearing danger.
Over and over, he kept Stuttgart at bay.
The clock ticked down—
First half ended, AC Milan 2–0 Stuttgart.
"That was great football!"
Suker was in a fantastic mood.
It had been a while since things flowed this smoothly.
Usually, he had to run nonstop, battle physically, create his own chances—
Game after game, he was exhausted.
But today—it felt like everything clicked.
Partly due to Stuttgart's inexperience,
But also because Milan's new tactics had boosted overall performance.
"Second half—Kaká, I want you drawing more defensive attention,"
Ancelotti instructed.
He looked at Kaká—
"You know what to do."
Kaká nodded.
His job was to create one-on-one situations for others.
He needed to draw defenders, open space, and play off of Suker.
Suker patted him on the shoulder:
"Play well, and I'll make you seafood paella when we're back!"
Kaká turned and smirked:
"I want hot pot!"
Suker was speechless.
This guy visited China once and now had expensive taste.
"Hot pot it is!" Suker declared."If I score next half—I'll treat the whole team to Chinese food!"
CHEERS broke out in the locker room!
It wasn't just about food—
The team spirit was clearly high.
Suker pointed at Gattuso:
"You're paying!"
"Why me?!"
"You owe me 100 Chinese meals. I'll forgive 30 if you cover this one. Fair trade?"
Gattuso slumped into his seat.
"You can use it like that??"
Maybe it was the smooth attack earlier,But the locker room felt bright and positive again.
So when exactly did Milan's locker room lose that energy?
Maybe it was when they all began to realize—
Their form was slipping. Their strength was fading.
Pressure and anxiety grew—leading to tension.
And so—winning really does solve everything.