The atmosphere inside Allianz Arena was noticeably heavier than usual.
Bayern Munich fans stood arm in arm, singing their club anthem with a tragic sort of pride.
Their powerful voices echoed across the entire stadium.
They were about to fight for the honor of Bayern Munich.
They didn't know how the ga would end, but they were willing to face it head-on.
With their actions, they showed that win or lose, they would shoulder everything together with their team at ho.
In the stands, a massive TIFO was unfurled.
Below was Bayern's emblem; above, a bold sentence:
"Co on! Let's create a miraculous coback!"
Bayern fans were trying to inspire their team, but Suker didn't see a single happy face among the Bayern players—instead, they looked even more nervous.
Clearly, the huge TIFO was putting trendous pressure on them.
This was already a match with the slimst of hopes, and now their fans had made it even heavier with expectation.
They couldn't just co out and admit they had no confidence—they had to put on a brave front.
To be honest, the current Bayern Munich was still a long way from future titles like "FC Hollywood", "Kings of London", or "Mia San Mia".
Starting Lineups:
Bayern Munich (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: Kahn
Defenders: Van Buyten, Sagnol, Lúcio, Lahm
Midfielders: Salihamidžić, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, van Boml
Forwards: Podolski, Pizarro
AC Milan (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Dida
Defenders: Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski
Midfielders: Gattuso, Seedorf, Ambrosini
Forwards: Kaká, Inzaghi, Suker
"Due to illness, Pirlo wasn't able to travel with the team. Ancelotti has opted for a more conservative lineup," ca the comntator's voice.
The 4-3-3 formation, often called the "elite club formation," is offensively focused.
It's also dubbed the "rich and handso" tactic—because if your squad has weaknesses or lacks strength, using this setup usually ends in a bloodbath.
Yet even without Pirlo, Ancelotti dared to deploy it—because he had Seedorf, Suker, and Kaká.
More specifically, Suker and Kaká, two devastating weapons on either flank.
They ford a dual-wing threat that was arguably the most terrifying pairing in the football world at the ti.
Bayern's two fullbacks felt a headache coming on just looking at Suker and Kaká's positions.
One-wing bombardnt was already bad enough—now both flanks?
Even Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was troubled—not just by Suker and Kaká, but also by the reappearance of Inzaghi.
Sure, Kahn knew Inzaghi hadn't been in great form recently—but truthfully, neither had he.
Otherwise, how would Milan have scored five straight goals at San Siro?
In the end, they were both past their pri, and Kahn had reason to be concerned.
Both teams lined up on either side of the pitch.
The stadium lights illuminated the field like daylight.
Bayern fans cheered wildly—but also booed Kaká endlessly.
Kaká frowned. From the nearby stands, Bayern fans hurled not just boos but insulting words—so even in Portuguese, clearly learned just to curse him. That infuriated him.
"This is the 2006/2007 Champions League quarterfinal, second leg!" said comntator Aldo Serena.
"In the first leg, AC Milan defeated Bayern Munich 5–0 at ho. Now, returning to Allianz Arena, can Bayern pull off a coback?"
Aldo's tone made it clear—he didn't think so.
If it were the Bayern of old, maybe.
But not only this season—Bayern had struggled in Europe for years. In the league, they were routinely hamred by Schalke 04, Stuttgart, and Werder Bren. They had lost the top spot in the Bundesliga early, and now even staying in the top four was difficult.
With a performance like that—how were they supposed to challenge AC Milan?
Sure, Milan had suffered from the Calciopoli scandal and so star departures...
But they had Suker!
They had Kaká!
And Bayern?
Podolski?
Podolski looked grimly across the field. The first leg was supposed to be a duel between him and Suker.
Instead, Kaká dominated the ga and turned it into a one-sided massacre.
Still, Podolski didn't believe the competition was over.
Suker had played the full match. He only ca on as a sub—he didn't have a chance to shine.
So this ti, he wasn't just aiming to compete with Suker—he wanted to take down Kaká too.
Suker thought Podolski was being delusional. Even he wouldn't dare go head-to-head with Kaká in this form.
Yet Podolski charged in, only to be thoroughly "walked like a dog" by Kaká.
Kaká dribbled smoothly upfield while Podolski chased behind him, helpless to catch up no matter how fast he ran.
In the end, Kaká fired a low shot, which Kahn managed to save.
After the save, Kahn scrambled to his feet and looked frantically for Inzaghi.
When he saw Inzaghi closely marked by Sagnol, he finally relaxed a little.
AC Milan corner.
Seedorf ca to take it.
Suker, as usual, was the main aerial threat.
But with multiple defenders on him, he couldn't get a clean header.
The ball deflected off both Suker and Sagnol's shoulders and flew out of the box.
Schweinsteiger took possession and passed out wide.
Van Boml imdiately launched a diagonal lob into the space behind Milan's defense.
Podolski was just about to accelerate when Jankulovski suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
Frustrated, Podolski tried to shove past, but Jankulovski held his ground.
Taking advantage of the mont, Maldini calmly took control and passed it off.
Gattuso picked it up. Instead of passing to Seedorf, he dribbled forward a few steps.
As Bayern's pressure closed in, he suddenly passed wide—to Suker.
Even though Kaká was ahead.Even though, by positioning, Kaká was the safer, more logical option.
That damned trust Suker inspired made Gattuso go for him anyway.
Suker calmly stopped the ball and drew attention to himself.
At the sa ti, he created space for soone else to make a run.
Sure enough—on the far flank, Kaká had already begun sprinting.
Suker spun and, like Van Boml earlier, lofted a perfect cross behind the defense.
The ball dropped behind Lahm.
Lahm, rembering what happened last ti, didn't dare be careless. He turned and chased.
Even so, Kaká beat him to it—trapping the ball with his left foot just inside the box.
Then, with both hands pushing, he shoved Lahm out of the play.
Lahm stumbled and fell, raising his hand imdiately.
But the referee didn't budge—he didn't see a foul.
Kaká took advantage of the chaos, dribbled straight into the box, and wound up with his left foot.
Kahn lunged to cut off the angle.
But at the last second, Kaká tapped the ball sideways with his toe.
Inzaghi appeared like a ghost—wide open—and tapped the ball into an empty net.
"GOOOAAALLLLLLLLLL——!!!"
Aldo Serena sounded almost hesitant—as if he couldn't believe it.
It had made sense when Milan scored quickly at ho.
But this was Allianz Arena.
And they had conceded a goal after just seven minutes?
The entire stadium fell silent.
Only the 2,000 traveling Milan fans could be heard, their cheers sharp and jarring.
Kaká ran to the stands, cupped his hands around his ears, and made a provocative gesture.
Bayern fans turned red with rage, screaming obscenities at him.
But in that mont—Kaká felt nothing but joy.
Keep shouting.
The more you boo, the more goals I'll score.
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