Chapter 391: Promotion

"Milan! Milan! The great Milan!"

"Suker, Kaka, Seedorf – they are our guarantee of goals! With such outstanding players, a temporary slump cannot stop Milan!"

"The mighty Rossoneri are moving forward, courageously chasing glory!"

Crudelli's face turned red as he raised his hands and shouted loudly.

At this moment, his emotions were surging.

In the first half, due to tactical issues, they conceded two goals. Although Milan fans believed their players could adjust, they were still uneasy inside.

With this goal, the weight in their hearts was finally lifted.

They could now cheer freely.

Milan scored again, extending their lead once more.

"Kaka what a great pass!"

Seedorf opened his arms to hug Kaka.

Suker rushed over after and protested, "Wasn't it my pass?"

"You just happened to deflect it with luck!" Seedorf laughed.

Unhappy, Suker said, "Deflect? That was a deliberate setup for you!"

Though Suker was annoyed his contribution was being claimed by someone else, Seedorf wasn't exactly wrong — from an outside view, it did seem like the ball just bounced off Suker's head.

Regardless, Milan extended their lead again in the second half, finally letting their fans breathe easier.

San Siro was once again roaring with celebration.

After a brief celebration, the Milan players returned to their half.

"Well done!"

Maldini patted Suker and the others firmly on their shoulders.

Every time Milan scored, Maldini would run over to encourage them.

Near the end of his career, Maldini knew he could no longer dominate games, so he relied more on these young players.

He offered encouragement to help them perform even better.

On the other side, the Real Madrid players looked tense.

"Why can't we equalize the score!"

Raúl was frustrated.

As captain, he knew he shouldn't be venting like this, but under the pressure of the match, he needed a release.

He quickly adjusted himself and shouted, "There's still time! Let's hold our positions, stay sharp!"

Raúl's words were meant to encourage, but Real Madrid players still looked dejected.

Not just this season — Real Madrid's performance in European competition recently didn't match their glorious legacy.

Sure, every team has ups and downs, but when would this slump end?

Currently, Real Madrid's performance truly did not reflect the club's stature.

Back on the field, after Milan's goal, the game entered a new phase.

Real Madrid became more anxious.

This was the Champions League knockout stage!

Since winning the Champions League in the 2001/2002 season, they had been knocked out in the Round of 16 for two consecutive seasons starting from 2004/2005.

Now facing AC Milan, from the way the game was going, Real Madrid looked likely to get eliminated again.

Unacceptable for Madrid fans.

They were Real Madrid after all!

"AC Milan's attack – the ball to Kaka, he turns and plays it forward. Suker!!—"

Suker suddenly accelerated forward.

Ramos tried to hold him off.

Their physical tussle couldn't completely contain Suker, and as they sprinted, Suker gained position.

"Damn it!"

Ramos was desperate.

He tugged twice, slowing Suker down a bit, but couldn't stop him from pulling ahead.

In panic, Ramos stretched his leg to stop Suker.

But Suker anticipated it — he knocked the ball sideways and escaped.

Ramos missed and fell.

"Ramos is down! Suker is facing the goal!"

Near the penalty spot, Suker looked up at the goal.

Casillas stayed calm and didn't rush out.

At that moment, Suker stepped on the ball and dragged it sideways.

He calmly evaded Cannavaro rushing in from behind.

"Ohhh Suker! He's so composed!"

Aldo Serena held his head in amazement.

With such calm in front of goal, Suker didn't rush his shot but made the most rational decision.

Both center-backs taken out, Casillas was now completely confused.

Suker wound up and fired.

At the moment of impact, he twisted his ankle slightly inward, and the ball flew to the far post.

"A reverse shot! Casillas misread it — or rather, Suker's shot was just too deceptive!"

Whoosh!

The ball hit the net.

In the 76th minute, Suker scored again, extending the lead.

He also equalized the score.

ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!

At San Siro, tens of thousands of fans erupted.

Milan supporters roared like a storm. Soon, chants of Suker's name echoed:

Suker!!!!!!!Suker!!!!!!!Suker!!!!!!!

Tens of thousands chanted in unison.

"All of San Siro is chanting Suker's name – and rightly so!"

"From the moment he joined Milan, I knew he would lead us to glory!"

"Look at his performance — we once had a fierce striker named Shevchenko. After he left, we got Suker!"

"Milan never lacks goal-scoring power. This is Milan – the great Milan!"

"And this is Suker's 79th goal for Milan — his performance is simply incredible."

Suker sprinted to celebrate again.

The fans rejoiced as San Siro turned into a sea of joy.

Milan supporters locked arms, singing their team song, beaming with joy.

The first-half struggle left them uneasy, but now, after two goals, they could finally relax.

Songs rang out, the atmosphere electric.

In contrast, Real Madrid fans looked deflated, like wilted eggplants.

Disappointed, they stared at the pitch. Some had even begun leaving.

Yes — unless something miraculous happened, Real Madrid was heading out of the Round of 16 again.

Three consecutive eliminations at this stage — Madrid fans felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

How long would this last?

Madrid's morale was extremely low, even Raúl fell silent.

In the remaining time, Capello made his final adjustments — even if it wouldn't help, they had to try.

AC Milan made changes too.

Suker came off, and Ancelotti sent in a defender to protect the lead.

As Suker exited, the whole stadium stood to applaud him off.

His performance tonight lifted the spirits of all Milan fans.

They had been outplayed tactically in the first half, but Milan's second-half surge sealed the win.

In the end, after 90 minutes, the match ended:

AC Milan 2:2 Real Madrid(5:3 on aggregate – Milan advance to the Champions League quarterfinals!)

San Siro erupted in long-lasting cheers — the match was over, but the joy lingered.

Real Madrid players stood with hands on hips, heads down, full of regret and frustration.

Suker didn't go over — not to gloat or to find Beckham.

Losing was painful enough. No need to rub it in.

With this win, AC Milan advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals.

Despite the Calciopoli scandal and squad losses, Milan fought their way through.

Their journey wasn't over yet — they were still marching forward.

As for Milan's prospects, opinions varied.

Some believed Milan were strong but not elite — maybe they'd stop in the quarters or semis.

Others believed a wounded Milan could stage a miracle season.

And now, the draw for the Champions League quarterfinals was about to begin...