Chapter 403: Milan’s Version of “Dog Chasing Frisbee”

"After the kickoff, AC Milan patiently circulates the ball. Pirlo touches the ball frequently, his movement is very active, and his constant touches help Milan stabilize the midfield rhythm!"

"Makaay closes him down—Pirlo turns smoothly—what a simple escape!"

Pirlo's moves weren't flashy or complex like others. Just a turn or a sidestep—but always perfectly timed, giving the impression of effortless elegance.

And most notably, Pirlo was much more engaged in this match than usual.

He wasn't playing like the usual laid-back "Sleeping Pirlo," but rather constantly touching the ball, organizing play—even pressing aggressively on defense.

He also kept finding good angles and timing to unleash forward long passes.

"Another long pass from Pirlo!"

"This match has seen Pirlo display his long-passing skills time and again, constantly sending the ball into open space behind the defense for Suker and Kaká to attack."

"But Bayern's defense has been quite solid so far."

– Commentary by Aldo Serena.

From the current outlook, it seemed that Milan hadn't truly unleashed their full power yet.

But Bayern had already been drawn into Milan's rhythm.

Midfield battles were fierce, but with Gattuso's relentless presence, Milan held a slight edge.

Pirlo kept glancing up, scanning the field.

This match was his stage.

As the "frisbee thrower," it was up to him to accurately deliver the ball in front of the strikers.

Suker and Kaká—Milan's deadliest attackers—were now acting like his "dogs."

But this was no easy task.

Having two elite forwards depend on his passes brought a lot of pressure.

Still, Pirlo loved the "dog chasing frisbee" tactic.

Because it meant he controlled everything—even Suker and Kaká.

But the price? He had to deliver.

If the tactic failed, Ancelotti would never again risk sacrificing Suker and Kaká for Pirlo's sake.

So, Pirlo steeled himself.

Gattuso passed it laterally to Pirlo.Makaay rushed to press, but Pirlo slid the ball sideways and slipped past.

Makaay chased.Pirlo cut inside and burst forward again.

Looking up, he spotted the Bayern back line pushed a bit too far up.

All eyes were on Suker—meanwhile, Kaká was sneaking up the flank.

"Now's the time!"

Pirlo launched another long pass—perfectly aimed behind Philipp Lahm.

Lahm, already on the shorter side, misjudged the drop of the ball.

It went farther than he expected, forcing him to turn and chase.

But Kaká reacted quicker.

Lahm tried tugging his shirt, but Kaká still got in front.

Now in the box, Lahm didn't dare foul and could only watch as Kaká muscled past him.

Lucio rushed to cover.

Kaká scanned for Suker—but Suker was double-marked by Sagnol and van Buyten.

"Take it yourself!" Suker shouted.

But Kaká, after assessing the scene, slipped the ball diagonally back.

Seedorf ran in and fired!

Bang!The shot curled toward the bottom left corner—

Kahn dove and smothered it under his chest.

In the scuffle, Suker approached—and Kahn swung his arm around in a full circle.If Suker hadn't dodged in time, that hand would've smacked him right in the face.

"ROAAAAARRRR!!!!!"

Kahn hugged the ball and roared at Suker.

Suker blinked, briefly stunned.

Kahn smirked—thinking he'd successfully intimidated him.

But the next second, Suker waved his hand in front of his nose with a disgusted look.

"Man, your breath stinks!"

Kahn couldn't hear him, but the gesture said it all.

He looked embarrassed and a bit pissed off.

Still, he quickly regrouped mentally.

Kahn was feeling confident.To him, Milan's most terrifying striker was still sitting on the bench.

Compared to a direct power striker like Suker, he feared the sneaky Inzaghi more.

"Kahn's in great form today—sharp and alert. Seedorf's shot was tricky, but he handled it brilliantly!"

As Milan reset, Suker observed Bayern's setup.

Their defensive pressure on him was heavy—they were even willing to let Kaká run free if it meant keeping Suker locked down.

Because of Milan's tactical structure, Suker couldn't drop deep to receive the ball, so his touches became rare.

After a few attempts, he stopped running altogether—just walked around lazily.

Sometimes, even when he received the ball, he passed it instantly without trying to dribble or shoot.

This sudden change puzzled van Buyten and Sagnol—but they still didn't dare loosen up their marking.

Meanwhile, Milan shifted their attacks more toward Kaká.

Suker hoped Kaká could draw the pressure away and "unlock" him.

But Kaká clearly wasn't suited for this tactic.

Seeing Suker walk around without pressing, Kaká lost rhythm too.

Pirlo started getting anxious.

"Is it my passing? Am I doing it wrong?"

Doubt crept in.

"Your passes are great—keep them coming!" Suker suddenly shouted.

Those words instantly restored Pirlo's confidence.

He passed to Kaká with even more determination.

Meanwhile, Suker began positioning himself between defenders—drawing them away while keeping a low profile.

Ancelotti noticed.

He raised an eyebrow.

Over the years, he had worked with many great strikers—but none impressed him as much as Inzaghi.

And now, Suker's movement and subtle play were starting to resemble Inzaghi's.

Had he internalized both Shevchenko and Inzaghi's styles?

Ancelotti felt an itch of excitement.

On the field, Suker continued to play it cool.

He'd even strike up random chatter with defenders van Buyten and Sagnol.

They couldn't understand him, but Suker didn't stop:

"Why aren't you marking Kaká? What are you staring at me for?"

"Kaká's playing great today!"

"Aww, so close!"

"Ooooh, now you're attacking? Go, go, go!"

"Your fullbacks never overlap? Are German defenders more conservative than Italians?"

"Push up! Push up!"

Van Buyten and Sagnol were going nuts.

They didn't understand the words, but the noise gave them a headache—they just wanted someone to sew Suker's mouth shut.

For nearly 20 minutes, Suker barely touched the ball.

Instead, he talked non-stop while scanning the field.

Eventually, the defenders were so sick of him, they stopped paying attention.

Their focus was all on Kaká's dribbling runs.

And just like that—Suker's window opened.

"Suker hasn't had a touch in 20 minutes. Bayern's marking has been effective, and pressure has fallen on Kaká's shoulders!"

"Seedorf now moves into the center—charging right into the box—Kaká passes! Ahhh! Seedorf misses the header!"

Aldo Serena was still talking when—his eyes widened.

At the far post, right by the goal line—Suker appears out of nowhere.

The ball drops—

He barely needs to jump—unchallenged, he heads it in!

Whoosh!

Ball hits the net.

Suker spins and sprints away in celebration.

Van Buyten and Sagnol stare at each other.

"Weren't you marking him?"

"No, weren't you?"

"SUKER!!! GOAL!!!!!!"

Aldo Serena shouts at the top of his lungs.

"Gone for 20 minutes—but with one touch, he scores. This is pure striker instinct. A killer's sense for opportunity!"

"Suker appeared right where he needed to be, helping Milan regain the lead!"

"It was a ghost-like goal—just like last season, when Suker and Inzaghi partnered up to score bizarre, unpredictable goals."

"Exactly—they're cut from the same cloth. They're phantom strikers!"