"Kaká intercepts! Milan on the counterattack!"
In the 65th minute, as he tracked back to defend, Kaká stole the ball from Barry Ferguson.
The moment Ferguson nudged the ball forward, Kaká cut in and positioned his body between Ferguson and the ball, shielding it skillfully.
With a series of back-to-the-defender feints, Kaká spun away and broke forward in stride.
"Kaká isn't passing — he's still dribbling forward!"
Though he wasn't sprinting at full speed, Kaká's drive was still incredibly powerful.
As he carried the ball, he constantly scanned the pitch left and right.
Suker and Ronaldo were already positioned to pin the backline.
Pirlo and Ambrosini were making forward runs too.
As Kaká moved wide, he cut inside sharply, carrying the ball toward the middle.
"Still no pass from Kaká!"
Suddenly — he shot.
Kaká leaned back slightly, swung his left foot — and curled it.
A beautiful curler!The ball sailed past the defenders, toward the top-left corner of the goal.
The Rangers goalkeeper had been locked onto Suker, expecting a pass.
He never saw the shot coming.
By the time he reacted, it was far too late.
The ball nestled in the net.
Another goal for AC Milan!
"KAKÁ!! What a stunning curler! Milan scores their third goal!"
"They've completely taken control of the match. Rangers hoped to win or at least draw at home, but they couldn't withstand this newly-revitalized AC Milan!"
"This is the red-and-black pride of Milan — this is the dynasty that defends back-to-back Champions League titles!"
Aldo Serena cheered loudly:
"This match is as good as over — Milan has it in the bag!"
The Rangers fans inside Ibrox Stadium were stunned silent.
They'd expected a fierce contest.
Even if they lost, they thought they'd at least give Milan a hard fight.
But nothing went as expected.
Faced with a dominant Milan, all they could do was take the beating.
Even Barry Ferguson — their most highly regarded player — was lackluster.
So far:
5 shots
3 were wild attempts
2 on target, but both too easy to handle
It was as if the Rangers had lost their magic.
"In the Champions League, there's no shortage of dark horses."
"But for a team to truly earn that title, they must prove they can handle sustained pressure."
"The Rangers were outstanding in the first three rounds — beating Lyon and Stuttgart, and even drawing with Milan. They beat the French and German champions, and tied with the Italian champion. That made them the center of attention across Europe."
"But the real test is consistency. The last three group-stage matches are what separate the contenders from the pretenders."
"Can they maintain their strong form? Can they continue delivering exciting performances? That's what truly matters!"
"Unfortunately, the Rangers don't have what it takes. They've made a ripple in this season's Champions League, but they haven't performed a miracle!"
Aldo Serena watched as injury time approached, exhaling deeply.
"At this point, the match holds no suspense."
"The Rangers have failed to win at home against Milan — and their earlier momentum has completely stalled."
"Still, we hope this Scottish side can bounce back. They still have a chance to qualify — all they need to do is perform in the final two matches!"
Full-time whistle blows.2007/2008 Champions League Group Stage, Round 4Glasgow Rangers 0 – 3 AC Milan
In this match, Kaká delivered two goals and one assist, showcasing peak form.
Thanks to his brilliance, Milan secured a convincing win.
After the match, Ancelotti led Kaká into the post-match press conference.
There, Kaká addressed the media with passion:
"We're not out to prove anything. We just want to tell everyone — Milan is sacred! We'll give everything to defend this club's honor, just like we did today!"
This unusually bold stance made Kaká a hot media topic.
But Kaká wasn't afraid.
Milan had his back.
Sure enough, that night, Milan-based media outlets like Gazzetta dello Sport and others rallied around Kaká, praising him.
With the surge in media coverage and fan excitement, Kaká's name was all over Europe — even eclipsing Suker's popularity for a while.
Updated Group E standings after 4 rounds:
AC Milan – 4 matches, 3 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses – 10 points
Glasgow Rangers – 4 matches, 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss – 7 points
Lyon – 4 matches, 2 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses – 6 points
Stuttgart – 4 matches, 0 wins, 0 draws, 4 losses – 0 points
Milan firmly held the top spot.
But Lyon and Stuttgart were major disappointments.
Stuttgart, in particular — the Bundesliga champion — had drawn much pre-season hype.
Many believed Armin Veh's team would bring fresh energy to the Champions League.
But after 4 straight losses, they were bottom of the group — and eliminated.
Their only remaining hope was to fight for 3rd place and drop into the Europa League.
But even that seemed highly unlikely.
The second qualifying spot was now a battle between Lyon and Rangers.
Milan, barring a complete collapse in the final two matches, was basically guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.
The resounding victory also helped Milan shake off the frustration of the previous home draw.
On the return bus ride, the players were in high spirits — laughing and chatting.
"If it were me,"said Pato, excitedly,"I would've cut in hard and fired near post! The keeper wouldn't stand a chance!"
Watching a full Champions League match had left Pato itching to play.
He couldn't wait for his debut in the second half of the season.
If he performed well in his first few games, Ancelotti surely wouldn't hesitate to give him more Champions League minutes.
"You're giving others advice now?"Suker smacked Pato on the head."Worry about yourself!"
Pato rubbed his head, sulking.
He felt like Suker always looked down on him.
"Just wait — when I start playing, I won't pass to you!"
Smack!Another hit to the head.
"Got a death wish, huh?"Suker glared."Don't wanna pass me the ball? You trying to get kicked out of Milan?!"
Pato turned and complained to Ambrosini.
"Captain! Did you hear that?"
Ambrosini replied:
"Suker's right. If you don't pass to him, you're dead meat."
Pato froze.
He looked around and saw all the Milan players staring at him.
"I was just joking!" he said quickly.
"Don't joke like that,"Pirlo warned.
Now Pato understood why Suker kept pressuring him — and it made sense.
With a carefree personality like his, without that pressure, he might completely lose focus.
Back at Milan's training base, Ancelotti held a brief team meeting.
He reminded everyone that it was time to switch focus to the domestic league.
Milan had just weathered a rough patch and stabilized their league form.
They currently sat third in Serie A.
Inter and Roma were leading the table, with Juventus close behind.
Juventus's return had made Serie A even more competitive.
Though they hadn't fully recovered, they were still a force.
They'd drawn against Inter — denying Ibrahimović victory against his old team.
They also ended Roma's winning streak.
For Milan, their upcoming matches against Roma and Inter were critical.
Especially the mid-November derby, which overlapped with Copa América qualifiers.
Kaká and Dida would have to report for Brazil duty.
Meaning Milan would have to face Inter without Kaká.
Worse still, the match would come right after a European Qualifiers international break — further draining player stamina.
The only blessing?
Suker didn't need to return to national team duty.
Croatia had already clinched their group, so they didn't plan to recall Suker or Modrić for November matches.
As for the December match against England, there was still no final word.
But Suker had overheard Slaven Bilić and Van Stoyak discussing it...
Their plan?
"Finish off England during qualifiers!"