65 minutes in, Inter Milan makes a substitution.
Cordoba and Figo are taken off.
Burdisso and Cruz come on.
Clearly, the The center-back carrying yellow cards couldn't handle Suker's relentless harassment anymore.
Suker kept drifting around them like a perpetual motion machine.
They couldn't afford to leave him unmarked, but chasing him meant they were bound to get fatigued.
After the substitutions, Inter Milan managed to stabilize for a short while.
But it didn't last.
As Kaká continued to bombard their right flank, the pressure steadily mounted.
"Kaká continues to press the defense. He's become AC Milan's main driving force on the right!"
"Suker and Seedorf are both following up, but so far Kaká hasn't managed to deliver the ball into a dangerous area!"
Suker dropped back to receive, encouraging his teammates while retreating.
He didn't look flustered at all.
"He's doing well," Shevchenko commented with a laugh from the sidelines.
Maldini shook his head with a wry smile.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Sheva asked.
The media would no doubt question the issue of the captain's armband.
Maldini sighed, "What else can I do? He already wore it, so I'll just have to cover for him!"
He didn't want Suker to become a media target over one reckless act.
Besides, with a performance like Suker's, even if people knew the truth — so what?
With such outstanding play, fans would view him through rose-tinted glasses anyway.
WHOA!!!!
Suddenly, a roar came from the stands.
Both men quickly turned to look at the field.
Suker had just received a pass from Kaká in the opposition half. But instead of passing it on, he swerved sideways and cut inside, dancing past Stanković with a series of feints that dropped the defender cold before sprinting forward.
"He's about to be surrounded — pass it!" Maldini shouted urgently.
On the field, Suker was charging into the penalty area, but two center-backs stood in front of him, with Cambiasso coming from the side.
Three players converged on Suker.
Cambiasso was first, lunging in for the tackle.
Suker pulled the ball back, retreating slightly to create space.
Cambiasso collided straight into him.
Suker leaned into the challenge, using his right side to absorb the hit.
Samuel and Burdisso closed in from either side, forming a pincer.
Burdisso stretched out a leg — and Samuel yelled furiously:
"Don't stick your leg out!"
Too late.
Damn it!Samuel wanted to cut his teammates' legs off — why the hell did they all love sticking their legs out?
Suker flicked the ball with the tip of his toe — the ball popped up to chest height, and then he bumped it with his right shoulder.
The ball sailed between the two defenders as Suke kicked off the ground explosively.
"Close the gate!"
Samuel sidestepped and cried out in shock.
If Suker got through, they'd be in serious trouble.
Suker gritted his teeth, eyes locked forward. Only one thought filled his mind: "Break through!"
WHOOSH!!!Despite being sandwiched by two defenders, Suker somehow squeezed through the gap.
Samuel and Burdisso crashed into each other, with Cambiasso also going down — the three collapsed in a heap!
"Suker!!!!!!!" screamed commentator Aldo Serena with wild excitement.
Suker broke into the penalty box. The goalkeeper rushed out, but Suker faked a shot, cut again, and bypassed him easily.
With the net wide open, Suker calmly slotted the ball in.
"GOOOAAAALLL!!!!"
"Dreamlike Footwork!!"
"My God! Suker danced through that tight space like a butterfly, floating on dreamlike steps and forced his way through."
"He beat Stanković, Cambiasso, Samuel, Burdisso, and even goalkeeper César — in all, Suker got past five men to complete this absolutely stunning goal!"
"Right here, at Inter's home ground, he executed a strike that will go down as a classic!"
"Adriano had just scored a goal showcasing individual brilliance — but now, Suker has outdone him!"
"With a player like Suker… who could possibly stop him?"
Aldo Serena slammed the table, exclaiming:
"Hat-trick!! Suker has scored three goals — he is the absolute star of this Milan Derby!"
"Inter Milan was defeated by one man!"
"Yes! Just one man!!"
The entire San Siro was silent.
Dead silent.
The Inter fans were too stunned to even react.
The defense they had just proudly rebuilt… was dismantled by Suker alone.
That's right —
Dismantled!
He took on five men and scored.
If that's not dismantling, what is?
Inter fans stood in a daze, forgetting to boo, to curse, or to do anything.
They just stared blankly at the scoreboard:
Inter Milan 2:3 AC Milan
They were behind again.
"Wow!!"
Maldini couldn't help but gasp.
Anyone witnessing that kind of play would.
Next to him, Shevchenko was scratching his head like mad — goosebumps all over his body.
Up front, Coach Ancelotti had his eyes wide open.
He had told Suker he could go solo if needed.
But this kind of solo play? It was just too brutal.
That goal shattered the mentality of Inter's entire squad.
Samuel, Burdisso, and Cambiasso sat on the ground for a long time, unable to get up.
Other Inter players were just as shell-shocked.
Meanwhile, in the AC Milan fan bar section, celebrations erupted.
Then they all stared at the TV, eyes shining as Suker danced with that dreamlike footwork.
Damn!Such an insanely talented kid — and he plays for AC Milan!
It couldn't get better than this.
The only regret for Milan fans was that they weren't in the stadium to witness it live.
Suker's goal had sent AC Milan's morale soaring to the max!
But for Inter, it left them in complete confusion.
In the 87th minute, Kaká assisted Seedorf to score another goal.
That sealed the game.
Inter fans started leaving in droves.
They were heartbroken.
They hadn't played badly — they just couldn't win.
They had chances — but AC Milan reversed the tide, and then Suker crushed them with his dreamlike dance.
As fans filed out of the stadium, sadness filled their hearts.
Maybe… their time still hadn't come.This was still an era of darkness, shrouded in mist — and who would lead them toward the light?And when would that moment come?
The streets of Milan were filled with downcast Inter fans.
They walked away slowly, their hearts heavy with sorrow.
A bitter reality.
A blurry future.
And yet the league must go on — that's the cruelest part.
They saw no hope.
And hadn't found the one to give it to them.
"That's the final whistle! The 15th round of the 2005/2006 Serie A season ends with Inter Milan losing 2:4 to AC Milan!"
"Inter didn't play poorly — they just failed to seize key chances. In contrast, AC Milan capitalized on every opportunity and walked away with the win!"
"Congratulations to AC Milan on this derby victory — they'll enjoy a wonderful Christmas!"
"And we must now redefine who Suke is. From his performance today, his future is full of promise."
"The league continues, and the Champions League too — we look forward to even more dazzling performances from AC Milan."
Full time.
Suker sprinted back to the dressing room.
Mostly to avoid being surrounded by the media.
At the post-match press conference, Ancelotti and Maldini took the stage.
They answered all the questions with ease.
And both gave extremely high praise to Suke's performance.
Maldini even called Suker the future of Milan.
With the earlier "captain's armband incident," the media's curiosity surged.
When asked about it, Maldini sighed and said:
"Actually, I told Suker to give the armband to Costacurta, but this is his first season with Milan, and his Italian still isn't great… so… maybe he didn't understand? Yeah. That's it."
He shrugged awkwardly.
Clearly, lying wasn't his strong suit.
The reporters chuckled. With a mouth like Suker's — sure, it had an accent — but his Italian was smoother than many locals.
He didn't understand?
No one believed that.
Still, no one pushed the issue.
After all, Suker had just scored three goals and led Milan to victory in the derby.
With a performance like that, even if he had worn Maldini's No. 3 shirt, no one would've cared.
If you have skill and deliver results,If you don't, you're just asking for trouble.
Milan fans knew the difference.
Who would nitpick a lovable player who gave them a derby hat trick and crushed their archrivals?
Right now, Milan fans were head over heels for Suker.
Fake armband?
So what?
Even if it was real — who cares?
Just a third captain anyway.
If Suker wants it, give it to him.
They're happy to.