"Thuram's collision was absolutely crucial. If he hadn't bumped into Suker, then Suker would've kept control and this shot would've been dangerous!"
"AC Milan on the counterattack! Barcelona still needs to be very careful!"
The Spanish commentator's voice trembled with tension.
Although many had favored Barcelona before the match, after the first goal, the momentum seemed to shift in an unexpected direction.
This wasn't how they imagined it!
Barcelona was supposed to control the game, gradually pushing AC Milan into a corner. They were more than capable of doing that.
But based on the current situation, everything had drastically changed.
The waterlogged pitch prevented Barcelona from fully showcasing their abilities.
The early goal also put them in a passive position.
And AC Milan had clearly made tactical adjustments targeting them.
Guardiola stood on the sidelines, hands in his pockets.
He hadn't expected the match to unfold like this.
Of course, AC Milan's strength had declined, and he had stayed alert, but he never imagined they'd come up with new tactics.
This strategic targeting was making things very difficult.
Xavi and Iniesta were forced to pass the ball to Messi, who was being closely marked by Gattuso and Pirlo.
Iniesta tried to break through several times, but Gattuso's tireless running neutralized his efforts.
Henry and Eto'o had a few chances.
But Henry was no longer the "King of Highbury" from his Arsenal days—he wasn't getting that same level of tactical support in Barcelona.
He needed someone to feed him the ball.
But the ball wasn't getting to him.
Guardiola frowned. "Where exactly is the problem?"
He desperately wanted an answer, but he couldn't pinpoint it in the short term, nor find a viable solution.
Damn this pitch!
The waterlogged field severely limited Barcelona's performance.
Still, they kept trying to get the ball to Messi.
Messi continued to face intense pressure from Gattuso and Pirlo, and several times he lost the ball under their interference.
This made Messi furious.
He had a habit—when he got angry, he'd push even harder in one-on-one situations.
And as a result, he began putting increasing pressure on Gattuso and Pirlo.
"This guy!"
Gattuso held Messi off, while Pirlo hurriedly cleared the ball to the goalkeeper.
Then he turned to glance at Messi.
Just one step!
Just one more step and Messi would've broken through their defense. If Messi connected with Henry or Eto'o, their backline would've been in serious danger.
Pirlo could feel the pressure mounting. It meant Messi was adapting to their pressing and interceptions.
"What the hell is this guy!!"
Pirlo couldn't help but complain.
Even Suker hadn't put them under this kind of pressure.
But luckily, Barcelona's own half was under just as much stress.
While Messi pressured them, Suker was constantly forcing Barcelona's backline into disarray.
"Hold on! We have to hold on!"
Suker was getting anxious.
He could sense that Gattuso and Pirlo were starting to tire.
By the 30th minute, Messi had pushed them to the brink.
A Barcelona throw-in. After the ball was put back in play, it went straight to Messi's feet.
The moment Messi controlled it, he dropped his left shoulder as if to break through. When Pirlo shifted his weight outward, Messi instantly spun the opposite direction.
While turning, Messi noticed Gattuso rushing in, so he quickly stepped wide, then nutmegged Gattuso.
In desperation, Gattuso had no choice but to shove Messi to the ground with both hands.
Whistle!Messi was fouled, and the referee ran over to Gattuso and showed a yellow card.
"Gattuso gets booked! Messi is applying more and more pressure, even forcing them into fouls. This is a very favorable situation for Barcelona!"
Gattuso quickly retreated and didn't argue—it was a tactical foul.
And he could clearly feel that he was beginning to lose pace with Messi.
In fact, they had managed to restrict Messi for a full 35 minutes. During that time, Messi had repeatedly launched attacks, and although they held out, their stamina was draining fast.
Of course, Messi was getting tired too—but defenders naturally feel the pressure more.
Barcelona's free kick.
Xavi and Messi stood over the ball.
AC Milan players dropped back to defend, forming a wall to block a direct shot.
But even so, Xavi struck a dipping ball, and Dida barely managed to save it.
"Xavi with the shot! Excellent free kick, but Milan's keeper Dida comes up huge! He saved it, but lost grip of the ball!"
"Chaos in AC Milan's penalty area!"
Milan's backline was in disarray.
Everyone was scrambling for the ball, while Barcelona players rushed in hoping to capitalize.
Suddenly, the ball rolled out of the crowd, toward the far post.
Henry reacted quickly, rushing forward to poke at it.
Bang!Nesta appeared out of nowhere at the back post and blocked it with his chest.
The ball flew back into the box.
"Clear it!"
Nesta shouted.
But in the scramble, Messi got another shot off.
Smack!Dida, just back on his feet, made a second save—this time pushing the ball clear of the box.
The ball rolled to the right side of the area.
Xavi quickly stepped up to control it and whipped in a cross.
"Get out of my way!"
Simunic stood like a tower among the crowd. He didn't even jump during the clash, but still managed to head the ball out.
"Clear it!!"
"AC Milan's gritty defense! Several point-blank saves—they've finally cleared that damn ball out of danger!"
Pato received it, turned, and passed.
"AC Milan counterattack!!—"
Aldo Serena was so tense his lips were trembling.
His eyes were glued to the screen. The ball reached Suker, who quickly caught up and controlled it.
But Barcelona reacted fast.
Yaya Touré, Thuram, and Zambrotta swarmed in to surround Suker.
Pato was about to stop and help, but Kaka roared beside him: "Keep going! Push forward!"
Kaka believed Suker could get them out of this jam.
He had to free that ball.
Meanwhile, Suker was trapped in a triple team.
The best option was to pass back and let Pirlo, who had the field in front of him, make the next move.
But Pirlo hadn't caught up—there was no support behind.
Time was running out. Suker couldn't wait—he had to do it himself!
Suker dribbled left and right, feinting and cutting while using his body to shield the ball.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a clear gap between Yaya Touré and Thuram.
"You're it!"
Suker suddenly cut left with his foot, dragging Thuram wider.
He'd already noticed Thuram tended to bite on moves—and this time was no different.
With Thuram pulled away, Suker immediately pushed the ball forward.
Yaya Touré turned to block him, but underestimated Suker's pace.
BANG!Suker rammed into Yaya Touré.
Both staggered, but before going down, Suker jabbed the ball forward with the tip of his foot.
He got it out!
"He got it out!!!"
Aldo Serena's whole face turned red.
When Suker got surrounded by three defenders, he had held his breath—knowing that counterattacks were a matter of seconds.
If Suker couldn't break free, AC Milan's attack would be over.
But Suker made it!
Through a triple-team, he freed the ball and passed it to Kaka.
Whoosh!Kaka took the ball, cut inside, then suddenly accelerated.
This burst caught Puyol off guard—three body lengths opened up between them.
Kaka raised his left foot like he was going to shoot.
"Abidal!"
Puyol shouted, calling the last defender to help.
Abidal slid in to block.
He collided with Puyol, but successfully blocked the shooting lane.
And just then, they saw Kaka gently lower his foot and make one more lateral touch.
In that instant, both Abidal and Puyol's faces went pale.
BANG!Kaka twisted and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike.
From the left side, he drove it across goal to the far post.
Barcelona keeper Valdés reacted too late.
He dove symbolically, but could only watch as the ball flew into the net.
42nd minute.
AC Milan scored again on a counterattack.
Halftime: AC Milan 2 – 0 Barcelona!