March 29th — the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
Inter Milan vs. Real Madrid.
Home first, away second.
The San Siro Stadium was packed to its 80,000-seat capacity.
The Giuseppe Meazza Stadium serves as the shared home of Inter Milan and AC Milan. Because it's located in the San Siro district, it's also known as the San Siro Stadium. Locally, fans use both names interchangeably—Inter supporters tend to say Meazza, while AC Milan fans prefer San Siro.
The match began at a blistering pace.
In the opening minute, Zidane launched a long pass forward.
Su Hang leapt to contest the header. Though he misjudged the flight of the ball, his jump threw Inter's veteran center-back, Córdoba, off balance.
Córdoba, nicknamed "The Living Reaper," was a seasoned defender—small but formidable. Standing only 1.73 meters tall, he was quick, sharp in anticipation, fearless in tackles, and aggressive in defense. Every short center-back who made a name in world football had to be extraordinary—Baresi, Cannavaro, Córdoba…
But Córdoba's issue was his age.
At thirty, his speed had noticeably waned. And for a short center-back, losing pace meant losing everything.
Su Hang's leap completely disrupted him—Córdoba lost sight of the ball and missed the interception.
The pass dropped perfectly to Ronaldo, who was already charging forward.
Facing Samuel, Ronaldo didn't hesitate. He pushed the ball past him and drove straight for goal.
Fresh off an injury, he still radiated absolute confidence.
Samuel was a step behind—then two. Before he could even react, Ronaldo had gained half a yard and fired off a thunderous strike.
Whoosh!
The ball rocketed into the top corner.
Italy's legendary goalkeeper, Toldo, could only raise his hands helplessly.
Renowned for his penalty-saving heroics—especially in the Euro 2000 semifinal against the Netherlands, where he stopped five of six spot kicks—he had earned the title Saint Toldo, the first goalkeeper ever to be called "Saint."
Even giants like Kahn, Casillas, and Lehmann—dubbed "Saint Kahn," "Saint Casillas," and "Saint Lehmann"—followed in his footsteps.
But against Ronaldo, even Saint Toldo had no answer.
No one saw it coming.
No one anticipated Zidane's perfect long ball.
No one foresaw Su Hang's towering leap.
No one expected Ronaldo's explosive burst and finish.
Despite his injury history, he looked every bit the same unstoppable force.
Su Hang: "Yeah, Ronaldo used to get injured a lot at Inter too—worse than at Real Madrid."
Ronaldo: "???"
But Inter, lifted by their home crowd, refused to back down. The match had only just begun.
Six minutes later, "The Tank" Stanković used his pace to swing in a cross from the flank.
"The Emperor" Adriano outmuscled Pavón and powered a header into the net.
Inter Milan equalized!
The camera cut to both Adriano and Pavón. Funny enough, Pavón had broken through earlier in his career—but on this stage, his accomplishments paled beside Adriano's.
Even so, Adriano didn't look overly thrilled after scoring.
In 2004, he led Brazil's B team to Copa América glory, winning the Golden Boot and bursting onto the world stage.
But barely ten days later, his father passed away suddenly from a heart attack—a devastating blow to the 22-year-old.
He sank into depression, though his brilliant performances made many believe he had "bounced back."
In 2005, he continued to shine in the Confederations Cup and dominated both Serie A and the Champions League.
But heavy drinking, late arrivals, skipped training, numbing himself with alcohol and women, and a fading focus on football began to take their toll.
By now, it was clear something wasn't right. Yet no one could have predicted how quickly his decline would come.
Even at the twilight of his prime, Adriano was still far too strong for Pavón.
In the 39th minute, disaster struck for Real Madrid.
Midfielder García left the pitch injured and was replaced by Thomas Gravesen.
Compared to García—a pure defensive enforcer—Gravesen was more technical but far less solid defensively.
In the 57th minute, Stanković again delivered from the right.
Recoba latched onto it and smashed a tight-angle rocket into the net, brimming with confidence, putting Inter Milan 2–1 ahead!
If Adriano was Inter's new darling, then Recoba was owner Massimo Moratti's personal favorite.
Back in 2002, Moratti made him the world's highest-paid player with a $7.8 million salary.
Though Recoba never quite lived up to that contract, Moratti ensured every coach gave him space to shine.
And Recoba repaid Inter with loyalty and goals.
In the 63rd minute, with Zidane only just back from injury, Simon substituted him off for Raúl as planned.
By the 75th, Ronaldo was also taken off for Cassano as a precaution.
Real Madrid's star duo couldn't finish the match.
And in the end, Real Madrid fell 1–2 at the San Siro.
Inter Milan had shot down the Galácticos.
After the match, headlines blazed across Europe:
Gazzetta dello Sport: "Compared to Inter Milan, Real Madrid are the true star-devouring black hole! Not even Ronaldo and Zidane could save them!"
Corriere dello Sport: "Su Hang silenced! The Real Madrid captain who dominated England can't find a goal in Italy!"
Tuttosport: "Inter take the lead 2–1—the semifinals are within reach!"
Bild: "Even with Adriano's dip in form, he still tore through Real Madrid's defense! The Emperor can rise again at any time!"
Kicker: "An unexpected duel of pride—Recoba stuns Real Madrid captain Su Hang!"
That last one, in particular, amused fans back home.
Their own players weren't even in the Champions League—yet somehow, it felt like they were.
...
Meanwhile, in Spain, criticism quickly fell on Simon.
Marca: "Why substitute Zidane and Ronaldo? If you can't manage in real time, don't manage at all!"
AS: "Perhaps Simon was saving energy for the second leg, avoiding an all-out fight at the San Siro. Understandable, but hard to justify."
Sport: "Real Madrid surrendered after 70 minutes—a disgrace that shames La Liga!"
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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