Beep!!!
A sharp whistle echoed over the Athens Olympic Stadium.
At that moment, the entire stadium was filled with a fervent atmosphere.
Wooooooh!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers from both AC Milan and Liverpool fans surged like waves.
Two years after the shocking "Istanbul Night," the two teams once again met on the Champions League final stage.
Would Liverpool once again topple AC Milan, or would AC Milan exact revenge? The whole world was watching this highly anticipated match.
Starting Lineups:
AC Milan (4-3-2-1):
Goalkeeper: Dida
Defenders: Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski
Midfielders: Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf
Forwards: Kaká, Inzaghi, Suker
Liverpool (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Reina
Defenders: Finnan, Agger, Carragher, Riise
Midfielders: Pennant, Mascherano, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko
Forward: Kuyt
"The match has started! Two years after the painful Istanbul night, these two teams finally face off again in the Champions League final!"
"For Milan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for revenge. For Liverpool, under Benítez's leadership, it's a chance to win the Champions League once more."
However, despite the commentators' excitement, the match began somewhat cautiously.
Milan played conservatively, more probing than attacking—perhaps overly cautious in such a high-stakes game.
There were few forward passes; most play involved lateral ball movement.
Suker frequently dropped back to receive the ball.
Even though Pirlo would normally pass to him when he was free, this time Pirlo chose safer sideways passes instead.
"Why so timid?"
Suker grumbled in frustration.
Pirlo glanced at Suker helplessly.
This wasn't about cowardice; he just wanted the team to adjust gradually early in the match.
But Suker interpreted it as being too cautious.
Suker moved out wide to the left wing, switching from his usual striker position to a familiar left attacking midfield role.
Kaká responded on the opposite flank.
Liverpool seemed unsettled by Milan's tactical shift.
They expected Suker to remain at striker, so they had strengthened central defense.
But Suker had dropped back, confusing their defensive setup.
Suker continued moving laterally, pressing Kaká to move forward.
When Suker reached midfield, Pirlo finally passed him the ball.
There was no immediate pressure near Suker, allowing him to comfortably turn and scan ahead.
Gerrard quickly closed in from behind, trying to disturb Suker.
Suker dribbled sideways, widening the gap from Gerrard.
They kept a safe distance as Gerrard pressed.
When Gerrard finally lunged, Suker passed out wide.
Seedorf sprinted forward on the flank, carrying the ball aggressively.
Suker moved into space along the channel, looking around attentively.
After receiving Seedorf's pass again, Suker noticed a defender closing in from the side.
He quickly controlled the ball and twisted his body, shielding it while moving forward.
With his left foot, he circled the ball to keep Alonso behind.
Seeing no forward passing options, Suker passed back.
"Suker is calm! He's playing steadily!" praised Italian commentator Aldo Cerella.
If it were someone else, they might have attempted a reckless shot early on, losing possession.
But Suker didn't.
He recognized the lack of opportunity at that moment.
Liverpool's defense was tight and quick; Suker wasn't foolish.
The ball returned to Pirlo, who organized again.
Milan played patiently, showing no hurry.
After a few unsuccessful Liverpool presses, their nerves began to fray.
"Hold steady! Hold steady!" Gattuso shouted as he dribbled.
Rare to hear passionate Gattuso say "hold steady," this showed Milan's determination to win and exact revenge without mistakes.
Suker withdrew again.
This time Alonso marked him closely.
As Liverpool's midfield core, Alonso was tactically sharp and found key interception points.
Just then, the ball slid past Alonso to Kaká.
Kaká turned and launched an attack.
Suker didn't join this rush.
Alonso couldn't look at Suker, rushing after Kaká instead.
"Xabi Alonso's instincts are sharp," Ancelotti said, eyes narrowing. "But we don't play one-man football."
Pirlo's sudden, piercing pass tore through Liverpool's midfield, directly to Kaká.
Kaká now faced Liverpool's defense, ready to apply pressure.
Alonso chased after him desperately.
Suker ran slightly behind, heading toward the penalty box.
As he neared the edge of the box, Suker suddenly stopped.
No one noticed him; all eyes were on Kaká.
Kaká pushed to the baseline, feinting past Finnan.
When Finnan tried to tackle, Kaká flicked the ball along the line and quickly moved around him.
Finnan couldn't turn in time and bumped into Kaká's back, stumbling.
"Watch close!" Liverpool players shouted.
Most Liverpool players had rushed into the box.
At that moment, Kaká lifted the ball diagonally back into the penalty area.
Gerrard and others turned sharply.
"Shit!" Gerrard cursed.
He saw Suker ready at the landing spot.
"Stop him!"
Before the command finished, Suker struck a one-touch volley.
The ball skidded along the ground, slipping under Alonso's legs and hitting defender Carragher's standing foot.
It bounced sharply toward the left goalpost.
"Trouble!"
Liverpool goalkeeper Reina dove toward the right post, but the ball curved the opposite way.
Ping! Swish!
The ball hit the post and rolled into the net, shaking the netting.
Just six minutes into the match, Milan took the lead with a brilliant change of tempo that caught Liverpool off guard.
Suker scored expertly, putting Milan ahead.
"Suker!!!!!!!!!! —"
"Goal!!!!!!!!!!! —"
"Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal!"
Crudeli raised his hands, face flushed with excitement.
The goal was so sudden, so unexpected.
Milan was still controlling the game, then suddenly shifted gears and struck.
It was like two people shouting insults, then one suddenly pulls a gun and takes down the other.
Regardless, Milan had scored.
With Suker's goal, Milan led Liverpool.
"Suker scored!!!!!!!!!! —"
The stadium and Milan fans in Athens erupted with cheers.
They were thrilled by the sudden goal and amazed by Suker and Kaká's performance.
No surprise though—this was Suker's scoring efficiency.