Chapter 390: Tactical Duel

"In the first half, Real Madrid relied on Beckham's precise passing, with Robinho and Raul each scoring a goal, dragging the game into a critical stage!"

"For AC Milan, they need to make adjustments to counter Real Madrid's attacking style. According to updates from the dressing room, AC Milan has made no substitutions—clearly, Ancelotti still trusts his starting eleven. We can look forward to a stellar second-half performance from the Milan players!"

The halftime break ends, and both teams walk out from the players' tunnel.

The second half is about to begin.

For AC Milan, they need to play with more caution in the second half.

After all, they've squandered too many advantages—there's no room for carelessness now.

Real Madrid's "dog-fetching-frisbee" tactic took AC Milan by surprise, putting them on the back foot.

Back on the field, the second half begins with the two sides switching ends.

"Press! Don't forget the press!"

Suker kept reminding his teammates.

Brochi's man-marking was one part of the plan; the rest of the players also needed to press and cut off passing lanes.

The goal was to pressure Beckham and disrupt other distribution routes.

In a previous match between Croatia and England, Van Stoyak neutralized Beckham using high pressing and close marking.

Suker didn't know if Van Stoyak had actually come up with the frisbee tactic, but the man did make solid adjustments against Beckham.

Of course, that didn't mean Van Stoyak was better than Ancelotti.

They just operated on different levels.

Ancelotti had AC Milan and a more cohesive system, so there was no need for gimmicks—he could win by sheer strength.

But he was indeed caught off guard by the frisbee tactic. Fortunately, there was still time to adapt in the second half, and some preparations had already been made.

As for Van Stoyal, he was a crafty one—plenty of clever ideas, even if he lacked big-picture planning.

The second half began with AC Milan kicking off.

As the whistle blew, Suker immediately kicked the ball and charged forward.

While running, he scanned left and right and positioned himself next to Ramos.

Not because he underestimated Ramos, but because at this point, Cannavaro was just too strong.

You've got to pick the softer target.

"Dirty Ramos" might be formidable in the future, but right now he was just a rookie.

As Suker moved in, Ramos got visibly nervous.

Suker drifted around the frontline and eventually dropped back to receive the ball.

Ramos didn't follow him.

That allowed Suker to turn smoothly after receiving the pass.

He was positioned between Real Madrid's defense and midfield, horizontally aligned with the defensive midfielder.

"Push up!"

Cannavaro instructed Ramos to close in on Suker while adjusting his own position to cover the central zone.

But Cannavaro underestimated Suker's field vision.

Before Ramos could get close, Suker turned and delivered a short, curling pass.

The ball sailed just over Cannavaro's head, landing between him and Helguera.

Kaká made a run into that exact space.

"Shoot it!"

Suker shouted.

But Kaká chose to trap the ball and adjust for a better shot.

That split-second delay allowed Cannavaro to recover and slide in for a block.

Bang!

The ball deflected off Cannavaro's shin, looping toward the goal.

Casillas caught the ball safely, defusing the threat.

"Take it easy! No rush!"

Casillas gave Cannavaro a thumbs-up, acknowledging his great defensive effort.

Cannavaro nodded slightly, though he still felt uneasy inside.

If Kaká had followed Suker's advice and shot immediately, he'd have been helpless to stop it.

Still, they had weathered the danger.

Casillas directed his teammates to close in centrally, but ultimately passed the ball to full-back Helguera.

Helguera instinctively looked for Beckham, hoping to replicate the first-half play.

But as soon as he raised his head, he saw Brochi already marking Beckham tightly.

AC Milan clearly wasn't going to give Beckham another inch of space to dictate the play.

Left with no choice, Helguera passed to Guti.

But before Guti could settle the ball, Suker sprinted back and applied fierce pressure.

After a few physical challenges, Guti barely managed to shield the ball.

"Support! I need support!"

Guti called for help, but no one responded in time. Seedorf was the first to move in.

"Get him!"

Suker yelled, and Seedorf surged forward to press.

Under pressure from both sides, Guti lost control, and the ball was poked out of bounds.

Although Real Madrid retained possession, their midfield was visibly rattled.

"If Beckham is locked down, then they'll rely on Guti," Ancelotti murmured. "Capello prepared a backup plan, but I've thought this through too."

This was the nature of tactical duels between coaches.

Tactics were one part, in-game adjustments were another.

Capello had anticipated Ancelotti's countermeasures and put Guti in to take over Beckham's distribution duties. Although slightly less efficient, the plan could still work.

But Ancelotti had gone further.

He didn't just neutralize Beckham—he aimed to disrupt Real Madrid's entire midfield.

And it helped that he had an engine like Suker on his team.

Without Suker, Seedorf alone couldn't have applied enough pressure.

Now, AC Milan's press was a synchronized operation.

Brochi marked Beckham.

Seedorf tracked Guti.

Those two formed the left and right pressure points, and Suker was the floating force—wherever needed, he was there.

In attack, Suker was always quick to move forward, and when needed, he and Kaká could swap roles seamlessly.

This flexibility in the center-forward role gave Ancelotti numerous tactical options.

Other teams couldn't even dream of executing this kind of system, but Ancelotti had Suker—so he could try anything.

The frisbee thrower was marked, the frisbee was confiscated.

Real Madrid's forwards were left staring, waiting for passes that never came.

With both Beckham and Guti smothered, Madrid's midfield became chaotic again.

Diarra tried to fix the issue—at least to offer a passing outlet.

But as soon as the ball reached him, Suker and Kaká pressed from both sides.

Panicked, Diarra turned and passed backward, only for Suker and Kaká to keep the pressure on.

Seedorf moved up to cut off Diarra's forward passing lane.

Seeing Seedorf move, Guti drifted toward the wing to offer support, but Ambrosini immediately followed.

All forward options were now tightly marked.

Cannavaro, though an elite center-back, couldn't do anything about this.

Just to be safe, he attempted a long clearance.

But just then, Suker darted into position, turned his back, and blocked the pass.

Bang!

The ball hit Suker's back and popped high into the air.

Kaká and Ramos both raised their heads, tracking the fall.

Seedorf also moved in.

As the ball dropped, the duel between Kaká and Ramos grew more intense.

Kaká failed to trap the ball cleanly—it bounced off his knee and rolled out of the penalty area.

Coincidentally, it rolled right to Suker—who was still lying on the ground.

Damn it!

Suker cursed inwardly but tilted his head and gently nudged the ball to the left while lying down.

That nudge not only changed direction but also absorbed momentum.

Seedorf's eyes lit up. With no one near him, he adjusted and took a powerful, curling shot with his right foot.

When there's no pressure and full preparation, a professional's shot is dead-on accurate.

Whoosh!

The ball curved into Real Madrid's bottom-right corner.

AC Milan had pulled one back.

"OHHHHHHH—GOAL!!!"

"AC Milan's high pressing disrupted Real Madrid's rhythm. Suker blocked Cannavaro's pass and, while still on the ground, set up Seedorf for an assist. And what a beautiful finish from Seedorf!"

"AC Milan claws one back in the second half! Real Madrid is under pressure again!"