"Did they score?!"
Aldo Serena hesitated for a brief moment, then jumped up in celebration.
"GOAL!! Kaká scores! A lightning-fast goal for Milan!"
"Only 21 seconds after kickoff, Milan scores! My goodness! They opened the match with an absolutely brilliant attack!"
"Šimunić launched a long ball into the opponent's half — I don't know whether it was intentional or a speculative pass — but either way, it played a crucial role."
"Even though Ronaldo didn't control the ball during the tussle, he still disrupted the defender, and Suker managed to control the deflection. Then Suker's pass and Kaká's run were perfectly timed — together, they crafted this lightning strike of a goal!"
"Just 21 seconds in! AC Milan 1:0 Glasgow Rangers!"
"The Rangers didn't expect this at all — all their careful preparations, and they concede just 21 seconds into the match. What a disastrous start!"
Aldo Serena was overjoyed.
He had expected a hard-fought battle, but Milan scoring right from the beginning flipped the script.
"Beautifully done!"
Ronaldo embraced Suker and Kaká.
"Did you two practice that?"
Suker smiled.
Kaká smiled too.
Neither answered, but their expressions said everything.
Yes — they had practiced it.
They specifically trained for the Rangers' vulnerability in the opening minutes when their defense was still settling into the game.
It started as an experiment, but it worked.
Last match, Rangers scored a wonder goal to draw in Milan's home stadium.
This time, Milan struck first — with a lightning-fast goal to return the favor.
Ibrox Stadium was silent.
Rangers fans couldn't believe their team had conceded so early at home.
A terrible omen.
"Hold steady! Stay calm! We can still do this!"Barry Ferguson shouted, trying to rally his teammates.
But the blow to morale was heavy.
This was supposed to be their momentum game, but Milan's goal left them dazed and unsure.
"Let's keep going!"
As they retreated, Suker said to Kaká:
"Keep the pressure on!"
The Rangers are a momentum-driven team — when things go their way, they play with aggressive intensity (like in the last match).
But the moment they hit adversity, their spirit collapses fast.
Milan needed to keep piling on the pressure — especially in midfield and the attacking third — to constantly disrupt the opponent.
The game restarted with Rangers kicking off.
Scottish teams are known for their physical style — similar to English long-ball football, with a focus on wing play.
It resembled early Manchester United tactics.
But Milan deliberately pushed Rangers to the flanks, interfering heavily along the sides. Even if a cross did come in, Šimunić — the nearly 2-meter-tall center-back — would dominate in aerial duels.
BANG!Šimunić shrugged off Daniel Cousin and cleared the ball.
Scottish teams play tough.
But the Croatian defender wasn't one to be bullied.
Since joining Milan, Šimunić had adjusted to high-level matches. After some early struggles, he was finding his form.
He wouldn't claim to be unstoppable, but with the defensive midfielders sweeping up ahead of him, he felt secure.
Especially since he was itching for revenge — Barry Ferguson had made him look bad in the last match.
"Counterattack!"
Šimunić shouted and passed the ball to Pirlo.
Pirlo controlled it, sidestepped to open up space, then threaded a ball forward to Kaká.
Kaká drifted laterally from right to left.
Ronaldo moved out wide to the right. Suker filled in, surging forward into the central striker's role.
Kaká passed to the advancing Ambrosini.
Ambrosini glanced up and whipped in a cross toward the penalty box.
Suker ran a couple of steps forward — then suddenly stopped.
The Rangers' two center-backs — Papac and David Weir — jumped simultaneously.
BANG!They collided mid-air, and the ball ricocheted off Weir's chest and dropped to the left.
Suker pounced.
"Ohhh! Rangers' defense made a mistake! The two center-backs collided! Here comes Suker's chance!"
In the Champions League, everything happens at lightning speed.
In a lesser league, most strikers would need a moment to control the ball.
But Suker didn't hesitate — he slid in for a shot.
The ball pinged off the top of his boot, flying toward the top-left corner.
The Rangers keeper got a fingertip on it — but it wasn't enough.
The ball hit the left post, then bounced into the goal.
11 minutes in, AC Milan scored again.
"Another goal!! Milan is red-hot tonight! Everything they touch turns to gold!"
Aldo Serena shouted with excitement:
"Suker hesitated for just a moment earlier — and that pause made the two defenders panic and crash into each other."
"A total communication breakdown in the Rangers' backline!"
"But also — it shows just how much pressure Suker is putting on them!"
Papac slowly got to his feet.
Weir glanced over at his partner.
Bitterness tugged at the corners of their mouths.
As defenders, they understood each other's actions all too well.
They had panicked — terrified that Suker would win the header — and tried desperately to clear the danger.
Instead, they tripped over themselves.
But in the end, Suker still scored.
Just 11 minutes in, and Rangers were two goals down — their "heavenly" start last time had turned into a nightmare.
No one expected this — especially from a team that had looked so impressive in the previous game.
"We can still do this! Don't panic! Believe in yourselves!"Barry Ferguson kept shouting encouragement.
"Last time, we came back from two goals down! We can do it again!"
But even Ferguson was feeling the pressure.
Last time, Milan didn't press them nearly this hard.
Now? They had no idea how to respond.
"Fall back! Defend!"
Ambrosini called out.
"Well done, Suker!"
He gave Suker a shout of praise.
Suker responded with a thumbs-up.
From here on, Milan would shift to defensive mode.
Their job was to control the match — not go all-out attacking.
As Milan began to slow down the tempo and dominate midfield, the Rangers grew more frantic.
Ferguson in particular started taking long shots — trying to recreate his miracle goal from the last match.
But that goal had involved a lot of luck.
Shot after shot from Ferguson sailed over the bar — into the stands — proving it was a one-off fluke.
Milan's defense held strong.
Rangers had drawn the last match, but their overall ability still lagged behind.
Milan kept their shape, controlled possession, and weathered every attack.
With Rangers frustrated, they resorted to long-range efforts — one after another.
"Believe in power-shooting miracles!"
They kept hammering Milan's goal.
But Milan's keeper, Kalac, was always ready — whether catching, deflecting, or tipping the ball wide.
Even when the shots were on target, Milan disrupted them just enough to take the sting out.
The first half ended with Milan firmly in control.
They had used 45 minutes to prove —
"Last game? That was just a fluke."