The All-Around Center Forward

AC Milan's opening goal was very bad news for Inter Milan.

A team built on defense had just been pierced—and not by luck, but by Suker's overwhelming individual brilliance.

In that situation, very few forwards would have chosen to go for a first-time volley.But Suker did—and he scored.

Simply put: unbelievable.

Mourinho frowned deeply.Something felt off.

He regretted not signaling Zanetti earlier.His instinct had been right: Milan had no interest in playing short-passing football.

Their wing play was just a decoy.The true threat lay in the direct link-up between Pirlo and Suker—Or more broadly, between the midfield and Suker.

It was that damned "dog-catching-frisbee" tactic again.

Pirlo, Kaká, and Beckham—all classic playmakers.Now all serving as frisbee throwers for the relentless Suker.

And Suker?The best damn dog at catching frisbees the game had seen.

Mourinho, as much as he mocked Suker before the game, never actually underestimated him.

His entire defensive gameplan was built around limiting Suker's influence.

What caught Mourinho off guard was how simplistic AC Milan's game plan was.

Kaká, Pirlo, Beckham, Suker—so many technically gifted players...Yet the entire attack was boiled down to long balls and finishing?

To Mourinho, it didn't even feel like a frisbee game.

"This is more like a heavy artillery battery, and the three playmakers are the ammo supply belts."

Suker just kept firing.

Simple. Brutal.But so effective.

Still, Mourinho believed there was a chance to strike back.

That chance was on AC Milan's left flank.

Kaká made frequent forward runs to draw defenders and open space for Suker.

But once Kaká surged forward, space opened behind him.

Gattuso's wide coverage sometimes left gaps if he followed the ball.

Which meant if Inter targeted that space, they'd face only Jankulovski—And have a clear path to deliver balls into the box.

Mourinho quickly issued new instructions.

On the field, Cambiasso nodded immediately, receiving the message.

He trusted Mourinho.After all, this wasn't the first time Mourinho had changed a match mid-game.

Meanwhile, AC Milan was unaware that danger was brewing.

Play resumed.

Inter maintained their tempo—not frantic, but calm and steady.They didn't panic after conceding.

AC Milan, by contrast, pulled back deep into their own half.But after some back-and-forth, Pirlo intercepted a pass.

"Fall back!"Zanetti shouted.Inter immediately began a full-team retreat—faster than they had attacked.

Mourinho nodded with approval.

But AC Milan pushed.

Kaká passed to Pato, who turned and sprinted down the wing.Kaká overlapped down the inside channel.

Pato reached the end line but had no crossing angle—he spotted Kaká free and passed back.

Just then—Zanetti stormed in.

"Zanetti!"Aldo Serena shouted, "A brilliant interception from the Inter captain!"

Zanetti passed quickly to Cambiasso, who fired a through ball to Adriano,Then darted into the left-side space—the very gap Mourinho targeted.

Pirlo and Gattuso closed in.But Adriano, though past his prime, still had sharp instincts.

With a clever outside-foot flick, he threaded the ball between the two midfielders,right into Cambiasso's path.

"What a beautiful one-two! This is a huge chance for Inter!"

Cambiasso sprinted forward and whipped the ball into the box.

Zlatan Ibrahimović rose like a titan—headed the ball with full force.

Simunic was too slow to react.By the time he turned—The ball was already in the back of the net.

39th minute: Inter Milan 1 – 1 AC Milan

"Equalized!! Inter Milan!! What a goal!"

"Great combination from Cambiasso and Adriano, exploiting that left-side gap."

"And Ibrahimović's finish—unstoppable."

"The game is tied again with both sides scoring one each before halftime."

Zlatan pounded his chest in celebration, eyes wide and intense.Suker's earlier goal had ignited a fire in him—and now he'd answered.

Last time Inter beat Milan, Suker wasn't on the field.Zlatan had felt it wasn't a complete victory.This time, he wanted the real deal.

"Left flank again..." Suker muttered.

He had knowledge of Mourinho's tactical mind from his past (alternate timeline),but couldn't predict real-time adjustments like this.

That's the essence of coach-to-coach mind games.

But Mourinho was a top-tier European tactician.Whereas Tassotti was a rookie.

If Ancelotti were still around, he might've anticipated this.

"It's my fault," Kaká said, frustrated.

He had surged forward, but failed to recover in time.

"It's okay," Suker replied. "You can't play parked in midfield all match."

He frowned, "From here on... it's brute force against brute force."

Kaká nodded grimly.

The first half ended shortly after.

In Inter's locker room, Mourinho was already loudly giving tactical instructions.

In Milan's camp, Tassotti was troubled.

He decided to stick with Ancelotti's original strategy—defend and counterattack.He didn't dare risk the more aggressive "Christmas tree formation".If it collapsed, they might concede a barrage of goals.

So: steady and conservative it was.

Suker remained the attacking spearhead,but now, he and Pato switched positions.

Suker dropped deeper to connect with the midfield and play a more active role in buildup.

"Second half underway!"

"Both teams are fiercely contesting possession."

"Pato poked the ball forward—but failed to control it. Zanetti cleared it with a powerful boot—very composed!"

"One second slower, and Suker would've gotten it. If Suker had gained control, Inter would've been in big trouble!"

After clearing, Zanetti shouted to teammates:

"Don't panic! Play safe balls! Stay calm!"

Hearing the veteran captain's commands, Inter's players quickly settled down.

They had been too eager to storm forward early in the half.AC Milan had the same idea, which led to the early scramble.

Neither side succeeded in a blitz—So they both fell back into structured positional play.

As often happens in Serie A, once the teams spread out,the tempo slows, and the match becomes a game of probing and patience.

Passes and more passes—Trying to lure errors, but neither team gave an inch.

55th minute: Inter makes a substitution.

Adriano off. Mario Balotelli on.

"Balotelli?"Suker looked over with interest.

'Balo's presence always turns the field into a piece of art.'

Adriano stood by the sideline, waiting to high-five Balotelli.

Mourinho, meanwhile, looked completely dead inside.

The fans were curious.

Balotelli kept struggling to pull his head through his jersey sleeve,twisting and yanking furiously, refusing to give up.

Eventually, with help from the assistant coach,he finally got the shirt on and completed the substitution.

As Balotelli stepped onto the pitch,Suker couldn't help but marvel:

"Balotelli… truly living up to the nickname 'Super Mario'."