Chapter 225: The All-Star War

Inside AC Milan's locker room, tactical preparations were in full swing.

After winning the seventh round, their sights were now set on the eighth—by far the biggest challenge to date.

The Bianconeri were coming.

With stars like Buffon, Trezeguet, Nedvěd, Del Piero, and Ibrahimović, this Serie A powerhouse had long been AC Milan's greatest rival in the league.

Whether it was during the era of the "Seven Sisters" or now, one thing remained unchanged—the titanic clashes between Juventus and AC Milan.

"Trezeguet... he can always find a way to score no matter the position. Just when you think you've shut him down, that's when he becomes truly dangerous," Ancelotti said solemnly.

Suker stared at the tactics board in front of him.

If there was one player who defined the term "poacher" in this era, it was undoubtedly Trezeguet.

His playing style was plain, almost to the point where one might question his actual skill—but he always found a way to put the ball in the back of the net.

An Italian study once showed that during a certain period, Trezeguet only had five minutes of ball contact in matches, yet he managed to score over 20 goals.

That says everything about the type of player he is.

Nedvěd, Del Piero, Cannavaro, Pessotto—none of them could be underestimated.

Add to that former Arsenal captain Vieira joining Juventus, making the team even more formidable.

And then there was Ibrahimović.

At this point, "The Big Swede" hadn't yet begun calling himself a god—he was still growing, just another young player among legends.

Another youngster was Chiellini, who still had a full head of hair at this stage.

Together, this group formed AC Milan's most formidable opponent.

Meanwhile, in Turin, Juventus's training base was also abuzz with preparation.

"The older the footage, the stronger Milan looks."

During this period, AC Milan was undoubtedly Juventus's number-one rival.

Especially with AC Milan reinforcing its squad this season.

Capello pointed to number 99—Suker—on the tactics board.

No one dared to relax. Though Suker was still considered a "youngster," if they treated him as such, their flanks would be utterly destroyed.

Once upon a time, the two sides of the penalty area were named the "Del Piero zones" in Serie A, showing his dominance there.

Now, the media had started calling the area straddling the penalty box line the "Suk Corridor," meaning he was the one to fear in that zone.

"Make sure to mark him tightly. He's the starting point of Milan's attacks. If we can't contain this Croatian youngster, our defensive line will collapse," Capello warned.

He took Suker very seriously.

Though young, Suker's performances since joining Milan were well recognized.

Capello even listed him as the primary threat to neutralize.

Some Juve players didn't quite buy it—this was a team packed with stars—but with the manager's emphasis, they resolved to mark Suker with care.

"I remember he almost joined Arsenal, didn't he?" asked Juventus captain Pessotto, turning to Vieira.

Vieira nodded. "Yeah. But he was too expensive—Wenger couldn't afford him."

His tone carried some bitterness.

Vieira hadn't yet come to terms with how Wenger let him go just to promote Fabregas.

That moment left him deeply hurt and angry—he didn't even want to call Wenger "Professor" anymore.

Being abandoned by the manager he had admired and devoted himself to—it felt awful.

"Alright, that's all for tactics. This week, prepare well," Capello concluded loudly. "We're going for eight straight wins!"

The Juventus players roared in unison.

Their morale was soaring.

AC Milan vs Juventus—this was the biggest storyline in Serie A.

Beyond the match itself, it carried deep championship implications.

Whoever came out on top in their two-legged face-off would hold a crucial advantage in the title race.

Both sides took this game incredibly seriously.

Even the fans clashed in the streets during the buildup.

Milan fans shouted "Milan will win!" in Turin and got chased down by Juventus fans.

Juve supporters stormed bars filled with Milan fans, and brawls broke out.

It was utter chaos, turning the tension before kickoff into a powder keg.

The fuse had been lit.

Everything now focused on San Siro.

On October 23rd, Capello led Juventus to the legendary stadium.

Here, they would face AC Milan on the road.

Trezeguet, Ibrahimović, Nedvěd—none of the stars were missing. For such a heavyweight clash, Juventus fielded their full strength.

However, their starting goalkeeper Buffon was sidelined with injury.

On Milan's side, Shevchenko was also on the bench due to injury.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH—!

A deafening cheer swept through the stadium like a hurricane.

Players from both teams lined up.

The battle was about to begin.

Starting Lineups:

AC Milan (4-3-2-1):GK: DidaDefenders: Cafu, Nesta, Stam, MaldiniMidfield: Gattuso, Pirlo, SeedorfForwards: Suker, Inzaghi, Rui Costa

Juventus (4-4-2):GK: ChimentiDefenders: Pessotto, Thuram, Zambrotta, CannavaroMidfield: Vieira, Nedvěd, Emerson, CamoranesiForwards: Ibrahimović, Trezeguet

Suker could feel the tension in the air—it was different from previous matches.

The pre-match atmosphere was heavy.

Maldini's face was locked in a serious expression.

Pirlo wasn't cracking jokes.

Gattuso's brow was furrowed; even before the match started, he already looked ready for war.

Nesta had an injured finger and was playing with it bandaged.

All of this told Suk how crucial this game was.

The players shook hands.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Each opponent slapped Suker's palm hard, as if to send a warning.

Suker wasn't fazed.

SLAP!

He smacked back with equal force.

Ibrahimović rubbed his reddening palm and glared at Suker.

Suker stared right back. After a moment, Ibrahimović turned away.

Had this been the future, the big Swede would've retaliated without hesitation.

But for now, he hadn't yet grown into the swaggering superstar he'd become.

Suker shook his tingling hand and walked to his half.

"Don't dribble too much early on. Let Costa have more of the ball," Pirlo advised.

"Why?" Suker asked, confused.

"It's complicated. Just do it," Pirlo waved him off.

Suker didn't fully understand but nodded anyway.

Soon, both teams were in position.

AC Milan kicked off.

"Welcome to the 2005/2006 Serie A, Round 8: AC Milan vs Juventus."

"Milan are on a four-game winning streak. Juventus have won seven in a row. One of them is going to lose that streak today."

"For Milan, beating Juventus here is essential—they can't afford to let Juve keep winning. Juve, on the other hand, must at least avoid defeat."

As the commentator spoke, the referee blew the whistle.

The match began.

Suker ran forward.

Juventus's pressing was intense. Their pressure was relentless.

Suker turned his head—Vieira was nearby, watching him like a hawk.

"Suker!" Pirlo shouted, passing him the ball.

Suker pivoted, body open, and feinted a pass.

Vieira charged in, his long legs swiping toward the ball.

But Suerk was quick, slipping it between Vieira's legs.

Suker tried to dart around the side—but suddenly, a heavy force came down on his back.

Vieira had thrown his weight onto him mid-sprint, crushing him to the turf.

Suker raised both hands in protest from the grass.

The referee ran over and warned Vieira.

Vieira seemed respectful enough, but his expression told Suker: I'm not done yet.

Suker began to think of countermeasures.

"Hey! That's a foul! That deserves a card!" Gattuso bellowed at the referee, eyes blazing.

"Dammit!"

Suker leapt up and rushed over, covering Gattuso's mouth with one hand.

Maldini quickly stepped in, helping to push Gattuso back while explaining to the referee.

Together, they finally managed to calm the fiery Gattuso.

Maldini turned to Suker with a grin: "From now on, keeping him quiet is your job."

Suker rolled his eyes.

Who wants that job?

But if no one stopped Gattuso, he'd get carded for sure.