"Alexander Pato, who has only been with AC Milan for half a season and played just three Champions League matches before, is showing an astonishing form in this game."
"Just 24 seconds after kickoff, he broke through Barcelona's goal—God! His starting speed was so fast that Barcelona had no time to react!"
"This sneak attack was definitely planned! From when Suker was pulling wide, Pato was already making a run towards the flank!"
"Kaká's pass, Suker's distraction, and the movement of other Milan players all contributed to the success of this sudden strike!"
"A brilliant opening attack!"
Aldo Cerella's voice was full of admiration.
Many had expected AC Milan to struggle in this match.
In the previous fixture, Inter Milan had already shown how tough it was to play on this pitch.
But over the past half month, AC Milan had prepared thoroughly.
They got a perfect opening goal.
On the coach's bench, Ancelotti clenched his fists energetically as he watched the goal.
This goal was fantastic!
It made his plan progress smoothly.
At the same time, it put Barcelona at a disadvantage.
Ancelotti held great expectations for Pato!
He even thought that if Pato didn't grow to the level of a Ballon d'Or winner, it would mean he hadn't done his job well enough.
Pato was another player, alongside Kaká and Suker, in whom he placed high hopes.
On the pitch, Pato, Suker, Kaká, and others were celebrating excitedly.
This goal greatly reduced their pressure.
"Well done!"
Suker rubbed Pato's head hard.
Suker was very excited.
They had specially trained this sneak attack before the match.
But training and real matches were different.
Not only did they succeed, but they scored a goal!
It was a perfect sneak attack!
Leading early by one goal allowed their tactics and plans to proceed more smoothly.
On the other side, Barcelona players regained their composure.
They were shocked by Milan's sneak attack.
After all, Italian teams, including Milan, played a slower-paced style—partly due to the league's characteristics.
If it were an English Premier League team, they might have been more prepared, but they hadn't expected this from an Italian team.
That's why they conceded this early goal.
"Get your spirits up! We can slowly equalize!"
Puyol shook his long hair and shouted, "First, keep the ball at your feet!"
The Barcelona players nodded.
Exactly!
The priority was ball possession.
For Barcelona, as long as they controlled the ball, no one could threaten them.
But this idea was soon shattered.
After the match resumed, Barcelona tried to pass the ball.
But the slippery, waterlogged pitch made their passing very unstable.
Sometimes, the ball skimmed over the wet grass and flew farther.
Sometimes, it was blocked by puddles, forcing them to retreat and receive the ball again.
They found it hard to judge the ball's bounce and pass accuracy.
"Damn the pitch!"
After trying twice, Xavi found the ball couldn't be lifted properly.
Barcelona lost their usual calm and elegance.
Faced with the pitch's unpredictability, they could only respond hastily, which seriously affected pass accuracy and teamwork.
"Forward! Pass forward! Pass to Messi!"
Xavi shouted.
Even in this situation, they were not afraid—after all, they had Messi.
This unparalleled technical player.
Messi was moving inside from the right, ready to receive.
Gattuso was closing in.
Pirlo also applied pressure.
At the moment Messi was about to receive the ball, Gattuso charged hard.
Although Messi stopped the ball, his feet became flustered.
"Disrupted!"
Gattuso shouted, "Pirlo, come up! Keep the pressure!"
Taking advantage of Messi's unstable control, Gattuso and Pirlo intensified physical challenges.
With no space to turn and the waterlogged pitch hindering Messi, he had to grit his teeth and try to slip through small gaps.
Gattuso and Pirlo quickly closed in to trap him.
But Messi suddenly stopped abruptly and passed diagonally.
"Damn!"
Gattuso's eyes widened.
Pirlo gritted his teeth.
He couldn't believe Messi could stop so sharply in such a situation.
However, the ball didn't reach its target and was stopped by the puddle.
Nesta smartly stepped forward and passed the ball out ahead before anyone else could react.
Kaká dropped back to receive, then used the outside of his foot to pass to Pato, stabilizing possession.
"Good job!"
Ancelotti clenched his fist tightly.
The second phase of their plan was connected.
Barcelona, after losing the ball, immediately started pressing.
Guardiola's football philosophy emphasized control.
The ball must stay at their feet.
If lost, they must immediately press to win it back.
The "Dream Trio" Barca system combined passing possession with high pressing.
Henry and Eto'o began double-teaming Pirlo from both sides.
But Pirlo's ball protection was top-notch.
His movements were slow but skillful—twisting left and right, refusing to lose possession.
When Eto'o tried to tackle forcibly, Pirlo chipped the ball over and passed to Gattuso.
Gattuso immediately pushed forward to pass to Kaká.
Kaká carried the ball laterally, pulling Barcelona's defenders to the right.
Meanwhile, Kaká looked forward.
"Watch out! Suker!"
Puyol shouted, then realized Suker was missing.
Frantically scanning, he saw Suker retreating to the gap between midfield and defense.
"Oh no!"
Puyol panicked.
At that moment, Kaká passed the ball into the gap.
Suker turned and received the ball.
Yaya Touré rushed toward Suker.
Suker flicked the ball backward.
Yaya seemed to have expected it and quickly stepped back.
Suker dribbled but Yaya, twisting his waist, blocked him again.
Suker frowned silently.
Yaya knew Suker's breakthrough routes and technical traits well—obviously Barcelona had studied him.
But this move?
Suker suddenly stopped.
The ball lay quietly just ahead of his left foot.
His weight balanced centrally.
Yaya was confused by this unexpected change.
If he had been calm enough, he could have waited for Suker's next move.
But this was a match.
A Champions League match!
With tens of thousands watching, the ball right in front of him, Yaya was tempted.
Whoosh!
Yaya suddenly stretched his foot.
Suker's eyes brightened.
He lifted the ball with his left foot, pushed off with his right, and started moving.
Suker had been waiting for Yaya to commit.
But it wasn't over.
Yaya was physically strong.
So after Suker created half a body's distance, he flicked the ball sideways with his right foot to slow down in front of Yaya.
This forced Yaya to decelerate and disrupted his running rhythm.
Then Suker accelerated again, charging toward the penalty area!
"Suker!! He's attacking the defense!"
Puyol hurried back to cover.
Thuram stepped out to limit Suker.
But Suker, close to the box, shot without hesitation.
Bang!
At the moment of the shot, Thuram collided with Suker.
This caused Suker's shot not to be controlled.
The powerful shot flew fast toward the right side of Barcelona's goal.
Puyol's eyes widened.
He saw the ball heading straight toward his face.
He clenched his teeth and turned his head aside.
Bang!!
The ball slammed hard into Puyol's face and flew out over the goal line.
"Again with the face?"
Suker couldn't help but complain.
This guy had taken a heavy shot from Roberto Carlos with his face before.
Now he'd taken Suker's long shot too.
Puyol's face was like bait.
Why did shots always seem to fly toward his face?!