"Right after kickoff, AC Milan's Suker hit the crossbar with his first shot attempt, which shows that he's in excellent form and eager to score!"
As Suker dropped back, he turned to glance at Real Madrid's goal.
Under Capello's tactics, Real Madrid adopted a defensive counterattack approach, similar to what Juventus used to play. However, limited by their current lineup, they found it hard to execute with Juventus's former dominance.
Of course, Real Madrid was still a formidable side, but the overall cohesion of their squad was still somewhat lacking.
Put simply, Suker didn't feel an overwhelming amount of offensive pressure.
As Suker dropped back, Ramos kept his eyes on him.
In their earlier exchanges, Ramos had attempted to disrupt Suker twice but still failed to stop his shots.
Ramos figured he needed to be more aggressive against Suker—maybe even add in some fouls.
"Pirlo passes to Suker again, Ramos closes in for pressure—Suker shifts it sideways!"
After releasing the ball, Suker turned to look at Ramos.
This future "Dirty Ramos" was surprisingly well-behaved at the moment—almost endearingly so.
Though he used some subtle tricks, he wasn't over the line. He didn't play that dirty.
There were minor disruptions, sure, but nothing too irritating.
Ramos had only just broken into La Liga and earned a starting spot, so he wasn't bold enough to pull anything too dangerous.
That's what Suker thought.
And it was precisely this thought that made Suker believe he could find more opportunities.
Real Madrid's overall defensive strength was still decent.
Other than when he dropped back to collect the ball, Suker felt considerable pressure when marked near the backline.
So it was up to Kaká to create the goal-scoring opportunities.
Kaká was working hard—dribbling, breaking lines, keeping pressure up—and constantly tracking Suker's movement.
As AC Milan's top scorer, Suker was naturally Kaká's go-to option in attack.
Likewise, Real Madrid kept their defense focused on Suker.
After several failed attempts to shake his marker with off-the-ball runs, Suker suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Ramos turned to glance at him and saw that Suker was retreating.
"Giving up already?"
Ramos naively thought Suker had given up.
But the next moment, Kaká made a quick horizontal pass and instantly closed in on Suker.
Suker took the ball and gently pushed it diagonally ahead—Kaká surged forward and immediately struck it with the outside of his foot.
Boom!
"Kaká shoots!"
Commentator Aldo Serena shouted with excitement.
The ball skidded low toward the near post.
Real Madrid's goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, made a desperate dive and barely managed to push it out for a corner.
"Damn, that guy…"
Kaká frowned at Casillas.
Suker scratched his head.
Casillas was in outstanding form. Once regarded as the world's best keeper for a time, the nickname "Saint Iker" wasn't just hype.
Until the 2014 World Cup, when the Dutch crushed Spain, Casillas had been on an upward trajectory. His decline only began afterward.
Right now, he was still climbing toward his peak—not at his best yet, but already not someone to be taken lightly.
"AC Milan wins a corner. Since the start of the match, Milan has been steadily applying pressure."
Aldo Serena's voice carried a hint of relief.
Real Madrid's name carried weight. Even if their performance wasn't fully convincing, their lineup and star power were undeniably strong.
But AC Milan wasn't a pushover either—if anything, they were playing better.
With Pirlo, Kaká, and Seedorf commanding the midfield, Milan had created more chances than Madrid.
This tilted the tempo in Milan's favor.
After several shooting attempts, Real Madrid's defense was starting to feel the strain.
"Mark Suker!"
Cannavaro shouted again.
All match long, Cannavaro had been yelling for Ramos to keep an eye on Suker.
And Ramos obeyed.
As a young player with little status in the squad, Ramos dutifully followed orders.
He stuck close to Suker. When Pirlo delivered the corner, Ramos immediately began tugging and pulling on him.
Suker tried several times to break free, but Ramos managed to pull him back each time.
The opportunity slipped by, and as Cannavaro cleared the ball, Suker turned around to chase it down.
When the ball was pushed into Milan's half, Suker finally slowed.
Madrid's counterattacks were fast—efficient and direct.
Guti looked for openings, and Robinho exchanged a quick one-two with Raúl to break through, setting up Van Nistelrooy for a shot.
But Robinho's pass was too close to the goal, and Milan keeper Dida rushed out quickly and scooped up the ball.
Getting up with the ball in hand, Dida looked upfield.
He saw Suker already gearing up for a run.
Without hesitation, he launched a long ball down the field.
The ball flew toward the left corner of the penalty box.
Suker turned and sprinted at full speed.
As soon as he moved, Ramos tried to catch up, but Suker was clever—he took a route that avoided immediate contact.
By the time Ramos could react, Suker was already out of reach.
"Suker! First to the ball!"
Suker lifted his head, gauged the flight of the ball, and nudged it sideways with the top of his foot, dodging Ramos's challenge from behind.
Cannavaro closed in fast, but Suker shifted again to create space for a shot.
"Suker!"
Commentator Aldo Serena couldn't hold back a shout.
Capello frowned, his heart skipping a beat.
The crowd at the Bernabéu fell silent.
Every eye was on Suker.
In front of tens of thousands of spectators, Suker curled the ball with his right foot.
It arced low across the ground, curving around Casillas's outstretched hands, and nestled inside the far post.
"GOAL!!!!!!!!!!——"
Aldo Serena screamed in excitement.
"21 minutes in—after several shot attempts, AC Milan finally takes the lead through Suker's goal!"
"A low curler to the far post beat Casillas. Ramos didn't close him down in time, Cannavaro lunged in but was sidestepped by a shift—Suker had barely any angle, but he nailed it!"
"A brilliant finish!"
Cameras zoomed in on Suker.
He sprinted to the corner flag in celebration, as a deafening chorus of boos erupted from Real Madrid fans.
The boos were thunderous, but they didn't faze Suker at all.
To him, this was recognition.
If you're not dangerous, who would bother to boo you?
Boos meant Madrid's fans feared him—acknowledging his impact.
"Nice one!"
Kaká, Seedorf, and Pirlo quickly surrounded him.
Gattuso punched him in the gut with a grin.
"Hell of a goal!"
The team gathered around Suker, celebrating with joy.
He always seemed to be the one to get them the opening goal.
And that was exactly why AC Milan had the upper hand in so many games.
Replay time.
"Let's look at how Suker handled this one—Dida launched it long, everyone chased the drop point. Suker got there first, and with a nudge, he created space between himself and Ramos. That moment was key—it forced Cannavaro into a mistake as he lunged in."
"Suker then pulled the ball again to find a shooting angle and finished with his right. The shot was top quality. Casillas made a valiant dive, but it wasn't enough."
"That's Suker's seventh Champions League goal!"
"And it puts AC Milan ahead, with the match momentum swinging in their favor."
Back on the field, the celebrations ended, and the players reset for the restart.
Madrid's players wore grim expressions.
It was only one goal—but Suker's performance left a deep impression.
If they let him keep this up, their defense would be under siege all night.
"Mark Suker! Don't let him go!"
Cannavaro roared again at Ramos.
Ramos was furious but dared not speak up.
He wanted to ask, Why don't you mark him yourself?
But he knew very well—Cannavaro was a Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year winner. He was just a rookie.
There was no comparison.