Chapter 262: Eat, Sleep, Beat Bayern
"Don't worry about Kaka! Mark Shevchenko!"
"Gilardino is dangerous too!"
"Our defense is under huge pressure!"
Inside Bayern Munich's locker room, the players were complaining nonstop.
Ballack shouted, "Keep your eyes on Shevchenko! He's the biggest threat! If we neutralize the Ukrainian, Milan won't be able to threaten our goal!"
Schweinsteiger suddenly asked, "Then what about Suker?"
In that instant, the entire locker room fell silent.
Even Ballack had no response.
Yes!
They couldn't mark everyone.
But every player on AC Milan was a threat.
If they locked down Shevchenko, there was still Kaka and Gilardino.
Even if they somehow covered all three, there was still Suker lurking behind.
And what about Pirlo—wasn't he a threat too?
Ultimately, when facing AC Milan, there were simply too many dangerous players. It wasn't that Bayern's squad was weak—this Milan side was just lethal at every position.
They simply couldn't cover them all.
Ballack let out a long breath and said with a defeated tone, "This is so damn hard to play…"
AC Milan had always had a kind of bloodline-level dominance over Bayern.
In recent years, Bayern's record against Milan in European competition had been abysmal.
"Eat, sleep, beat Bayern" wasn't just talk—it was a fearsome reputation earned through battle after battle.
"Give me a little time in the second half—I'll score!" Ballack growled with determination.
On the other side, AC Milan's locker room was much more relaxed.
They were leading by one goal at halftime—and on away turf at that. Their morale was high.
Watching his teammates joking around in the locker room, Suke was all smiles.
This Bayern Munich side always seemed to fall just a bit short when playing Milan.
Looking back over the past few years, Bayern's most troublesome opponent had always been AC Milan.
They feared Milan, and they always wanted revenge.
How badly did Bayern want that revenge?
When the "Southern Kings" returned to power, they roamed the Champions League with sword in hand for ten years—but Milan had already vanished from the European stage.
They couldn't catch AC Milan.
So they vented their fury on the other team from Milan instead.
AC Milan's squad might be aging, but they were all the kind of veterans who grew more dangerous with time.
Aside from fitness, their experience and skill were still top-notch.
With young playmakers like Suker and Kaka, AC Milan had only grown stronger.
"In the second half, we need to control the tempo. Use that goal to gradually wear down the opposition," said Ancelotti.
The players nodded—they knew exactly how they needed to play.
Soon, halftime ended.
Both teams returned to the pitch.
As AC Milan took the field, the entire stadium erupted in sharp boos.
The noise was so loud it made heads ring.
Suker grinned.
Compared to the first half, Bayern fans had become even more frantic.
Second half. Teams switched sides.
AC Milan kicked off.
With the whistle, Milan passed back immediately.
"Bayern Munich comes out pressing right away—clearly they want to regain possession quickly and launch a counterattack!"
As the commentator spoke, the ball reached Suker.
He stood near the left sideline in his own half.
He dropped back to receive the ball, and Ballack charged in immediately to press him.
Suker didn't stop the ball—he took a couple of steps back while pulling it laterally to maintain distance.
Ballack came in hard, using his body.
The old Suker would've been knocked off balance and lost possession.
But now, he absorbed the contact and used a quick pull-and-drag move along the touchline to break free.
"Suker escapes beautifully—but Ballack's not giving up! He's chasing again."
As Ballack lunged again, Suker passed the ball to Pirlo.
Ballack turned and charged Pirlo.
Pirlo passed right back to Suker.
Ballack turned again.
Suker returned to Pirlo.
Ballack turned yet again.
Pirlo passed.
Suker had the ball underfoot and looked up at Ballack, blinking playfully.
Ballack gritted his teeth and stepped up to cut off the passing lane.
This time, Suker passed forward.
Shevchenko dropped back to receive and laid it off to Kaka, who quickly switched play to the right.
"Dammit!" Ballack cursed loudly.
He had been toyed with like a dog in Milan's passing triangle in their own half.
AC Milan kept possession calmly. They weren't in a rush to attack—they were using patient passing to frustrate Bayern.
When Bayern finally got the ball, they launched attacks immediately.
But under pressure, their shots lacked quality.
Ballack tried several long-range efforts, but Suker disrupted them each time.
AC Milan—four No.10s!
Their control of the match was terrifying. Ballack tried to press, but without support, he could only chase shadows.
By the 71st minute, the German commentator had been quiet for a while.
"…It feels harder than ever before."
The commentator sighed.
In the past, Bayern at least had some chances against Milan.
But this Milan midfield gave them nothing.
Gattuso patrolled the right flank, Suker tirelessly covered the left.
Suker, Kaka, and Pirlo formed a web of control—Bayern was completely suffocated.
Suker passed to Pirlo again.
Pirlo, without any flashy moves, twisted slightly and drew two defenders apart, opening a lane to pass directly to Kaka.
Suker smirked.
He'd seen this move from Modric.
Modric used more flair, but Pirlo's version was so smooth it looked completely natural—like he was truly about to pass elsewhere.
The ball reached Kaka, who spun and charged the defense.
Shevchenko and Gilardino cut inside.
Suker surged forward down the wing.
Kaka didn't have a clear shot for Shevchenko, so he looked toward Suker.
Seeing this, Bayern's defender jumped the lane to intercept.
But as the defender lunged, Kaka made a sudden feint and sidestep, knocked the ball forward, and swung his right leg into a powerful shot.
Boom!
The ball rocketed toward the net like a missile.
Bayern keeper Rensing dove with all his might—but couldn't reach it.
Goal!
Minute 78: AC Milan 2–0 Bayern Munich.
The Allianz Arena fell into silence.
This goal crushed the crowd's already fading hopes.
Now trailing by two, Bayern still couldn't find a foothold in the game.
After the goal, both sides made substitutions.
Gilardino and Kaka came off.
Seedorf and Kaladze came on.
Bayern subbed on Roberto and Guerrero to try to add more attacking punch.
But Milan had no intention of giving them that chance.
After play resumed, Milan launched a counterattack.
After a string of passes, the ball came to Suker.
He turned, ready to pass forward—but suddenly stopped and pulled the ball back underfoot.
Whoosh!
Ballack came in with a sliding tackle from the side.
Suker quickly passed the ball away and turned to look at him.
Ballack was drenched in sweat, his kit covered in grass stains.
Still sprinting, still chasing, still desperately trying to make a tackle.
Ballack was a tragic figure.
His peak came when Germany was in a generational lull.
Especially in 2002—his misfortunes reached a climax.
Germany lost the World Cup final to Brazil.
In the Champions League final, Zidane's wonder goal shattered his dream.
In the league, Dortmund snatched the title away.
"Perennial Runner-up" became his nickname.
Ballack's talent was undeniable, but he always seemed to be missing something.
Maybe it was teammates. Maybe luck. Maybe fate.
By the 85th minute, the score remained 2–0.
Milan held the advantage and gave Bayern nothing.
At the 89th minute, Suker was subbed off.
Ancelotti ordered full defense.
In stoppage time, Ballack tried a long shot that struck Nesta's arm inside the box—the referee awarded a penalty.
Ballack converted it, pulling one back.
It was just a consolation, a face-saving goal at home.
Final Score: AC Milan 2–1 Bayern Munich (Away).
They took the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16.
It was a demoralizing home loss for Bayern.
But the tie wasn't over—Bayern vowed to fight harder in the second leg.
And the good news?
Bayern's captain, Oliver Kahn, would return from injury in the next match.
That, at least, gave the fans hope.