The Legend’s Crescendo

Estádio José Alvalade – Second Half

As the players from both sides settled in their positions, you could almost feel the determination from both sets of players. Kai adjusted his black gloves as he puffed his cheeks. Coach Rui Borgas on the side was now sitting down. He has said what he was meant to say in the locker rooms, it was now up to the boys.

46' – Sporting kicked off the second half under a sky still bright with anticipation. The Portuguese crowd erupted as the whistle sounded, arms raised, banners snapping in the wind. Kai Alexander, dropped into his new midfield role, checked his surroundings, four Milan shirts ahead, the swirling green of his own supporters behind.

49' – "Sporting are pressing high, looking to seal the tie early," the BT Sport commentator observed. Rio Ferdinand added, "Kai is the engine—every attack runs through him."

52' – Leão surged down the right flank, beating Esgaio for pace. A cutback to Gimenez saw the striker's volley deflected onto the post by Adán's toe. The rebound fell to Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but Inácio slid in to clear off the line. Sporting's defense stood tall.

55' – Sporting countered rapidly. Kai intercepted a sloppy pass from Bennacer, rocketed forward, and fed Pedro Gonçalves with a perfectly weighted through ball. 1–1 Sporting and Milan, aggregate 2–2. Sporting roared, but the visitors refused to wilt.

58' – Milan's response was immediate. Pulisic, always lurking between lines, collected a long diagonal from Bennacer. He darted past Morita and lashed a fierce strike that clipped the outside of Adán's near post. Sporting fans held their breath—but the score stayed level.

62' – "What a save!" the Portuguese announcer gasped as Adán tipped Pulisic's second attempt over the bar. Rio leaned forward: "This boy's confidence is immense… the composure, the leadership. PSG has got a gem. He wins this year's golden boy award. I said it."

67' – Milan intensified the pressure. Theo Hernandez marauded down the left, whipping in a looping cross that found Gimenez's head. The French national team player directed it goalwards, and for a fleeting second, Sporting's backs froze—only for Diomande to spring up and head clear.

70' – Sporting weathered the storm, recycling possession patiently. Kai, operating as the free-roaming 10 in midfield, sprayed diagonal passes to the wings, kept Milan guessing. He broke forward, carried the ball into the box, and drew a clumsy foul from Tomori on the edge—Sporting's first free kick in a dangerous area.

74' – Matheus Reis stepped up, struck low and hard—but it was straight at Maignan, who parried. The rebound fell to Fábio Silva, whose shot was blocked by Tomori. The chance flickered out.

Sporting won a corner kick. Kai was over it and he played it short to Morita who hit it first time. Back post, Milan were sleeping and Delap rose highest nodding the ball in the net.

The stadium erupted and Rui Borgas punched the air. Delap took off to the corner to celebrate, his teammates swarmed him.

What was that legendary saying in football? Ohh, "You are at your most vulnerable when you just scored."

Milan did just that. Milan Equalize in the 77th minute.

Milan smelled blood. They pushed forward in numbers. A quick one-two between Leão and Théo Hernandéz opened space on the right. Reijnders curled a tantalizing cross to the far post. There, Rafael Leão rose above Inácio, planting a downward header into the corner.

2–2 in the second half. Aggregate: 3–3. The stadium gasped, then fell into tense silence. The tie was level, Milan had momentum, and anything could happen.

78' – "Incredible resilience from Milan," BT Sport's anchor exclaimed. "Leão showing what a big game player he is!"

80' – Sporting responded immediately. Kai, undeterred, charged into the box, weaving past two challenges. His left-footed shot deflected wide. The ultras chanted his name, urging him on.

82' – Milan attacked again—this time through Pulisic, who was tracked by Morita. He managed to desposes him and he played the ball to Kai who was already in a half turn. He got the ball and attacked, Fofana dishes out a desperate tackle that conceded another free kick, 35 yards from goal.

All eyes snapped back to Kai as he trotted over to the dead ball. The announcer's voice dropped to a hush:

"Kai Alexander, he is undoubtedly the man of the match at this point and he can validate that if he scores this free kick… can he bend one in from here?"

He placed the ball carefully on the tee, stepped back ten paces, and surveyed the wall—four Milan bodies lined shoulder to shoulder, Maignan's eyes fixed intently above.

Kai's breath steadied. His mind cleared. The roar of the crowd became a distant hum. Twenty paces. Twenty-one. And then he struck it:

The ball screamed off his instep in a wicked, whipping trajectory. It rose sharply over the wall, dipping cruelly at the last moment. Maignan leapt—hands outstretched—but only managed to flick it off his gloves. The net bulged.

3–2 Sporting. Aggregate: 4–3.

Andre Pirlo's Milan side froze. The players on the bench sat motionless. And the 50,000 in Lisbon erupted in unison—the stadium shook so violently, seismic monitors registered a minor tremor.

Commentator (BT Sport):

"Unbelievable! Kai with a world-class free-kick! He's done it again!"

"He. Is. Unstoppable!"

Rio Ferdinand, almost shouting, added, "From 35 yards, over the wall, into the top corner—this kid's a generational talent!"

The Celebration

Kai sprinted forward, ripped off his jersey, and stood chest bare beneath the floodlights. His well-toned torso glistened with sweat as he dropped to one knee and slid across the turf in a topless knee-slide celebration.

The crowd's roar reached a fever pitch—an earthquake of sound that shook every seat:

"KAAAAAIIIIIIII! KAAAAIIIIII!

In the VIP box, Daniela Melchior watched in awe. Her dark eyes shone, and a sexy, triumphant smile curved her lips as she saw Kai's form cutting across the green. The flash of his bare skin, the purity of the moment—it was impossible not to be captivated.

Daniela rose to her feet, hands pressed against the glass, as though she could touch the electricity from where she sat. The entire stadium seemed to vibrate with energy.

With the aggregate now in Sporting's favor, Milan faced an uphill battle in the second half. Kai's genius free-kick had cemented his legend. And while the city recovered from the ground-shaking celebration, Daniela's smile promised that Kai's life off the pitch was about to become just as spectacular as his exploits on it.