Chapter 268: Massacre! Another Massacre!

"Guys! You played great out there. Now focus on defense!"

Although Maldini was sidelined due to injury, he was still in the locker room, encouraging his teammates.

"In the second half, be careful. Don't get hurt!"

He wrapped an arm around Suker's shoulder as he offered this reminder.

In these past two games, Suker and Kaka were undoubtedly the biggest contributors.

Their talent was plain to see, and Maldini believed these two were the future cornerstones of AC Milan. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

Suker turned and replied, "I still want to score a few more goals!"

Due to recent tactical adjustments, Suker's scoring opportunities had decreased.

But in this match, both his form and the game's rhythm felt just right.

He was convinced he could score again.

"Just don't get injured!" Maldini said with affection, ruffling Suker's hair.

Suker walked out of the locker room, raised his arm high, and shouted: "Let's go, guys! Pass me the ball! I'll deliver!"

Suker continued to attack down the flank. At the 55th minute, Inzaghi came off, Shevchenko subbed in, and Suker dropped back to play as attacking midfielder—his familiar role—and instantly became even more effective.

With his feet, Suker made a series of smooth touches and dribbles. Though his dribbling wasn't particularly fast, he left Ismaël unable to time a tackle.

All Ismaël could do was follow closely and try to block his cut inside.

Suker dribbled all the way to the byline, but couldn't find a great angle to cross.

He was about to pass back to Seedorf—

"SUKER!!!"

Shevchenko shouted.

His eyes gleamed with intensity, as if saying:

Trust me! Pass it!

Suker twisted his foot and suddenly exploded forward, using his explosive power to pull ahead.

Just before reaching the endline, he swung in a cross.

The ball curled behind the right goalpost, a perfect arc.

Shevchenko judged the trajectory, took a few steps back, and jumped just ahead of the defender.

"Shevchenko! He's got it! YES!!!"

Aldo Serena shouted in excitement.

Shevchenko's header struck goalkeeper Kahn's supporting leg and deflected into the net.

Second half, 58th minute—just three minutes after coming on—Shevchenko had scored!

"Andriy Shevchenko!!!"

"An unbelievable performance. He's blasted through Bayern's net twice. What form he's in this season!"

The commentator was full of praise, and Suk couldn't help but marvel as well.

Ukraine's "Nuclear Warhead" Shevchenko was even better than the version Suk remembered.

Both in the Champions League and Serie A, he led the scoring charts.

He was the most efficient striker in Europe.

Thanks to his explosive season, AC Milan never flinched in big games.

And for Suker, this was incredibly good news.

Because with strong teammates, they could go further in the Champions League—accelerating his development too.

"Andriy! You're a beast!"

Suker raised his arms and ran to celebrate.

Shevchenko happily gave him a piggyback ride.

Suker's cross had been cunning—targeting the open back post perfectly.

That gave Shevchenko the space to jump and head it in.

Crossing was a technical skill—

Not just blindly lobbing the ball into the box,

But spotting weaknesses in the defense and factoring in your striker's positioning.

Clearly, Suker had a real talent for it.

"Bayern are down by four! This match is as good as over!"

The Milan fans in the stands were already singing, celebrating the win.

An aggregate score of 6:1—how could Bayern possibly come back?

When the match restarted, AC Milan didn't let up. They kept bombarding the defense.

Bayern Munich's players had already lost their fighting spirit.

Faced with such a crushing scoreline, they could only accept their fate.

Their backline was in shambles.

Suker's dribbling became easier—same feints, same moves—but Ismaël couldn't keep up anymore.

Suker carved out a tiny shooting window and fired with his left foot.

The ball deflected off Ismaël's foot, looped over Kahn's head, and into the net.

65th minute—AC Milan scored again.

5:0 at San Siro!

The stadium erupted in deafening cheers.

For the Milan fans, they expected to win at home—

But not like this.

A massacre.

That's what this was.

Tonight, the "San Siro Massacre" had occurred.

The victims? The German giants, Bayern Munich.

At the 70th minute, Suker was subbed off.

Ancelotti didn't dare leave him out there.

Bayern had started fouling him constantly.

Suker's relentless attacks had clearly enraged them.

To prevent injury, Ancelotti had to act.

Suker was a little disappointed coming off—

He was one goal away from a Champions League hat trick.

But with the coach pulling him, there was nothing he could do.

Suker accepted a towel from the assistant coach.

Maldini patted the seat next to him and called out, "Suker, sit here!"

Suker walked over and sat down.

"Well done!"

Maldini patted his shoulder.

Suker sighed. "So close to a hat trick."

Maldini chuckled. "If you kept playing, those angry Germans would've hacked your legs off!"

Suker nodded. After his second goal, the Germans had clearly lost control.

At the 79th minute, Kaka was also subbed off.

Clutching his stomach, Kaka jogged toward the tunnel.

Suker's heart sank.

Was it a groin injury?

But Kaka didn't head for the bench—he ran with clenched thighs toward the far toilet at a tiny jog.

Suker sighed in relief.

Just needed to pee!

With Suker and Kaka off, Milan stopped attacking and focused on defense.

Bayern still tried to push—they at least wanted a goal to save face.

As for turning the match around, they'd already given up.

In the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time, Bayern fought hard.

Ballack even dropped back into his own half to press.

And when attacking, he sprinted at full speed.

They desperately wanted a goal.

But AC Milan denied them.

When the final whistle blew, Bayern players collapsed onto the pitch.

Gasping for air, drenched in sweat—

Their Champions League campaign was over.

And in the most painful way imaginable.

As the pride of the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich represented German football.

But tonight, at San Siro, they suffered a brutal beating.

The scoreboard read a staggering 5:0.

Hard to believe—Bayern's net was breached five times, and they couldn't score even once.

Ballack stood with hands on hips, eyes blank.

As if marveling at the cruel twist of fate.

Schweinsteiger, Lahm, and the other young players were crying uncontrollably.

They couldn't accept going out of the Champions League like this.

Kahn squatted on the goal line, face full of bitterness.

He blamed himself—why couldn't he stop those shots?

If only he were ten years younger, he would've done better.

But even heroes are worn down by time.

Just like Davor Suker and Boban, now retired.

Just like Ronaldo, nearing the end of his career.

But for Kahn, still standing on the Champions League stage at his age—

He was already remarkable.

As the match ended, Suker and the others circled the pitch to thank the fans.

The Milan supporters gave thunderous applause and cheers for Suker and Kaka.

Across these two games, their performances stood out the most.

Together, they had secured this massive victory.

AC Milan defeated Bayern 7:1 on aggregate.

They had created a tragedy at San Siro—

And brought disgrace to the pride of the Bundesliga!

They advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals with the air of champions!

"Last season, we held the same hopes. But this season, we say again—Who can stop this Milan?"

Aldo Serena roared with excitement.

AC Milan had been sensational!

Even Bayern Munich could only endure humiliation.

Right now, in all of Europe, who could stand up to AC Milan?

The "Miracle of Istanbul" was a rare fluke—

This season, AC Milan had returned with a vengeance, and they were in even better form.

Who could stop this Milan?

Facing the media, Maldini finally mentioned "Istanbul" for the first time.

"That match brought us pain for a long time. But those emotions didn't break us."

"Yes, we lost. We made mistakes. We deserved the criticism."

"But we'll never give up our right to pursue victory!"

"Milan is born to be a champion. She will always stand at Europe's summit!"

Maldini turned to the camera and declared:

"No matter who the opponent is—If you have the guts, come challenge us!"

"We'll be right here! At San Siro!"

"We'll prove to the world—we are the greatest team in history!"