Modrić stared at Suker, feeling utterly powerless.
He knew very well—trying to limit Suker was truly difficult.
Since way back, that guy had always been like this.
He wasn't questioning Ferguson, but he really believed they should have intensified their marking on Suker, especially extreme man-marking, to completely silence him.
However, Manchester United was confident they could beat Milan at home, so they didn't do that.
And now, the situation was letting Suker play freely.
But no matter what, the game had to continue.
Manchester United still had chances.
After entering the second half, Suker became even more threatening.
This was mainly about stamina.
Modrić's stamina was very good, but he didn't dare say he could match Suker.
"Pass the ball up. When we attack, we'll have more chances."
Modrić shouted to Cristiano Ronaldo.
At this moment, Ronaldo liked to dribble, but Milan's defensive coordination made his individual skills somewhat ineffective.
Even Suker two years ago had bumped into Milan's defense and gotten stuck.
Manchester United players waited for the restart.
Milan players clustered around Suker, who dropped back to midfield.
You could see smiles on their faces.
But just as the whistle blew to restart, Milan made a substitution first.
Maldini and Nesta came off.
Kaladze and Costacurta went on.
It was rare for two center-backs to come off simultaneously—usually just one, leaving the other to maintain defense stability.
But Milan directly replaced both, which made Manchester United sense something unusual.
Maldini and Nesta didn't even stay on the bench, but went straight down the tunnel to the locker room.
This was even more suspicious.
But at this point, Manchester United had no time to think that much.
They quickly made substitutions too.
Carrick and Giggs off.
Park Ji-sung and Louis Saha on.
Park Ji-sung, known as the "three lungs" for his endless stamina, and Louis Saha, who could provide strong offensive support.
This further strengthened their attack options.
Clearly, Ferguson wanted to seize Milan's moment of double center-back substitution to find a breakthrough.
After gaining the lead, Milan's overall tactics shifted more defensively.
If possible, Ancelotti wanted to be even more thorough.
But the situation didn't allow it.
Maldini and Nesta had physical problems and their presence on the field was more a liability than an asset.
So Ancelotti decisively chose to substitute.
He also instructed Suker to drop back more for defense, leaving Kaká alone upfront to wait for chances.
Although Suker was a striker, he was better defensively than Kaká.
Thus, when Suker dropped back, Milan's formation became a 4-5-1.
"Manchester United's attack grows more fierce. Since Milan's comeback, United has been actively seeking shots!"
"Rooney frequently tries long-range shots, but the chances haven't been well controlled."
"The two Milan center-backs, Kaladze and Costacurta, have not adapted well. They struggle in aerial duels, causing goalkeeper Dida to face many saves."
Time passed bit by bit.
With Milan taking defensive measures, United's attack became more reckless.
Suker dropped very deep, almost as a defensive player.
He had some defensive ability, but wasn't a professional defender, so the effect wasn't great.
Still, he managed interceptions and helped with defense sometimes.
For a striker, that level of defensive support was already enough.
But they were facing Manchester United!
With continuous pressure, Milan faced great defensive stress.
At this time, Manchester United's attack, led by Modrić, once again reached the edge of Milan's penalty area.
Milan players abandoned their defensive bus mentality and crowded the box, leaving no foothold or breakthrough points.
"Take your long shots then!"
Then Manchester United began to bombard Milan's goal relentlessly.
"Damn, this is so annoying!"
Suker couldn't help cursing silently.
Ronaldo, Rooney, Modrić—each a great long-shot threat.
The three of them surrounding Milan's goal could threaten from any direction.
Dida was fully focused, his body tense all the time.
At the moment of a shot, he had to react immediately, or else it would be too late.
Time hit the 80th minute.
Manchester United had been pressing Milan for quite a while.
During this time, Milan launched some counterattacks, but all were destroyed by United's active retreats.
In short, it was still a defensive line problem.
Though Maldini and Nesta were old, they were stable enough.
But Kaladze and Costacurta were a different story.
They had become major defensive leaks.
This caused Cafu and Jankulovski on the flanks to bear huge defensive pressure.
When fullbacks are overburdened defensively, it's easy to get exploited.
At this moment, Scholes feigned a shot, then suddenly switched sides.
Ronaldo made a quick run to the baseline, dragging Cafu with him.
After Ronaldo controlled the ball, he looked up to the penalty area.
"Get ready to contest the ball!"
Cafu instinctively shouted, thinking Ronaldo would cross.
But Ronaldo didn't.
He passed diagonally backward to Park Ji-sung near the flank.
Park passed across again.
The ball came to the edge of the penalty area's center.
There, Modrić was making a diagonal forward run from right to left.
Modrić planted his left foot, his body leaning left with strong deception.
Costacurta thought Modrić was going to dribble past from the left.
At that moment, a shout rang in his ear.
"Watch out! He's shooting!"
Suker shouted anxiously.
But it was too late.
Modrić cocked his ankle and suddenly fired his right foot forward.
Modrić's trademark outside-foot long shot.
The ball curved beautifully, flying toward the left corner.
Milan goalkeeper Dida failed to judge quickly and was too late to save.
Swish — the ball hit the net.
"Goal!! Modrić!!"
"At 86 minutes, Modrić's stunning long shot breaks through. His signature shot tricked Costacurta into a wrong judgment and failed to block."
"But we must also praise Modrić's excellent strike."
Manchester United fans erupted in loud cheers.
Scoring this crucial goal at 86 minutes saved United from a bad situation.
Seeing the goal, Modrić breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't celebrate, but ran into the goal area, grabbed the ball, and sprinted toward midfield.
"There's still time, one more goal!"
Modrić shouted loudly.
But Milan made their last substitution.
Simic came on for Ambrosini, further strengthening defense.
For Milan, a draw away was acceptable.
They wouldn't let this great situation slip away.
The last few minutes saw even fiercer battles.
Fouls appeared frequently.
Suker and Seedorf both received yellow cards.
However, Manchester United's stamina was drained.
Combined with frequent fouls disrupting rhythm, United's attack slowed.
The last minutes were a test of grit for both sides.
When the final whistle blew, no more goals came.
The UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg:
Manchester United 3:3 AC Milan — a strong, hard-fought draw at Old Trafford!