The second half trudged on like a brewing storm, the kind that hangs overhead with a low growl, not quite letting go but promising chaos. For the first ten minutes after Luca's introduction, Inter Milan seized the reins again. They weren't panicked, just methodical. Like a python curling tighter, evaluating, prodding, slowly testing Lecce's resistance, eager to finish the job. The fans at San Siro had their hopes rekindled. The blue-and-black giants pressed higher, passed quicker, and surged forward with fresh venom in their veins.
They fashioned two sharp chances that pulled gasps from the Lecce bench and sighs of barely-contained panic from Alex himself. The first came in the 63rd minute, and it felt like the crack before the thunder.