Down by two goals at halftime, Roma's situation looked grim.
The camera zoomed in on Totti's face — a rare, serious expression clouded his features.
Suker's impact on their defense had been overwhelming. Trying to contain AC Milan solely through defense was clearly an uphill battle.
"Dani, find a chance to get me the ball!"
Totti sought out De Rossi.
At the moment, De Rossi was the player most capable of breaking the deadlock.
Still young, De Rossi was a purely attacking midfielder. While he'd eventually move deeper with age, his presence in the final third was a constant threat.He also had the stamina of a workhorse — a relentless fighter on the pitch.
"Got it," De Rossi replied with a similarly serious tone.
He understood well — if they couldn't pull one back soon, their situation would only get worse.
Totti was in fine form — especially his shooting.
Which meant De Rossi had to help him find a clean shot.
With less than five minutes left in the first half, AC Milan began to fall back defensively.
"Five minutes remaining. Can Roma grab one back before the half?"
Commentator Aldo Serena's voice carried a hint of nervous hope.
Roma was in a tough spot.
Their only real chance was a shot from Totti.
The home fans at the Stadio Olimpico were tense.
All eyes were on Totti — their captain, their hope.
Francesco Totti, was undeniably crucial to the team, and tonight, he was showing it.
De Rossi began searching for an opportunity.
He pinged the ball around, collecting it again and again — each pass meant to probe and stretch AC Milan's defensive shape.
"This isn't working…"
De Rossi quickly realized that methodical buildup was too slow.
There wasn't time to wait.
So —He gritted his teeth and decided to go solo.
Would it work?He didn't know.But in this moment, he had to try.
"Pass it here!"De Rossi raised a hand for the ball.
A teammate delivered it instantly.
He received it, dragged the ball sideways, then glanced toward Totti — feinting like he was about to pass.
Gattuso started to step up — but De Rossi suddenly cut inside with a sharp fake.
Gattuso cursed and immediately turned to chase.
AC Milan's backline quickly adjusted.
Nesta moved in to contain De Rossi.
But just then, De Rossi slotted the ball out wide, then charged straight into the box.
Nesta saw his run and stuck with him.
At the space De Rossi vacated, Taddei slipped in unnoticed.
Maldini and Nesta both recognized the threat.
But with De Rossi and Totti lurking, they couldn't afford to leave them.
The ball landed at Taddei's feet.
He took a touch, looked up at goal — and caught Maldini's attention.
But Taddei flicked the ball slightly forward with an outside-foot scoop.
It floated just above Maldini's outstretched leg — and fell perfectly in front of Totti.
The captain didn't hesitate.He struck it cleanly.
The ball lashed into the far corner of the net.
"TOTTIIII!!! At Roma's most desperate moment, the captain steps up!"
"An absolutely brilliant team move — De Rossi's pull and incisive passing opened space, and Taddei's final assist was simply sublime!"
"Totti didn't waste the chance — a laser into the bottom corner!"
"44th minute — Roma pull one back! It's now Roma 1–2 AC Milan!"
"A crucial goal just before halftime — it could change everything."
The Stadio Olimpico erupted.
Cheers echoed around the stadium.
Even though it was only one goal, it meant everything.
It gave Roma hope — and momentum heading into the second half.
Suker stopped in his tracks, staring at the breached goal with a shake of the head.
This season, Milan's defense had clearly seen more fluctuations than the last.
Numerous lineup changes and adjustments had taken a toll.
As Suker picked up the ball and jogged back to the center circle, the referee blew the halftime whistle.
"Let's keep it going in the second half!"
Totti shouted as the players walked off.
That late goal had clearly boosted Roma's morale.
And Totti's sharp form gave them further belief.
Even more crucial — Milan's defense had begun to show signs of fatigue under Roma's relentless pressure.
Halftime adjustments.
AC Milan didn't have much to tweak — especially defensively.
Ancelotti decided to stick with the first-half strategy.
Roma, likewise, made no changes.
As the second half kicked off, Roma came out firing.
"Push up!""Crank up the pressure!""They can't hold much longer!"
Totti, De Rossi, and the rest were fired up.
They could sense it — Milan's defense was tiring.
After all, they were mostly veterans — how long could their legs hold out?
Roma believed that if they kept pushing, they could win this game.
De Rossi earned a free kick from a dangerous spot.
His face was etched with focus.His eyes burned with resolve.
"Totti stands over the ball.""He brought Roma back in the first half — can he now level the score?""The fans chant his name… they believe in their Wolf King!"
"Totti takes the run-up…"
Aldo Serena's voice caught in his throat.
The ball curved gracefully toward the top right corner.
Then, just as it neared the goal — it dipped sharply.
Brazilian keeper Dida leapt with all his might.
His fingertips grazed the ball — but couldn't stop it.
The net rippled with a crisp, satisfying snap.
Silence — then an explosion.
The Stadio Olimpico erupted once more.
"TOTTIIII!!! He's done it again! He delivers exactly when the Roma faithful needed him most!"
"An absolutely brilliant free-kick goal — a stunning strike!"
"While young stars like Suker and Kaká hammer away at Roma's defense, their captain Totti reminds everyone — this is Roma's home, and they will defend its glory!"
"Francesco Totti — the eternal Golden Boy! The eternal Eighth King of Rome!"
Fans across the stadium chanted his name:
TOTTIIIIIIIIII!TOTTIIIIIIIIII!TOTTIIIIIIIIII!
Amid the wild celebration, Totti threw his arms wide and roared toward the stands, overwhelmed with emotion.
The fans responded in kind — cheering even louder.
Suker walked slowly back toward his half, letting out a sigh.
"Man… these old guys are really slipping,"he muttered.
"Nothing," Suker replied with a shake of the head. Then he added,"We're tied now. Time to start running again."
"We can still threaten their backline," Kaká said.
"They can threaten ours too," Suker replied. Googlᴇ search novęlfire.net
"So it's a race — whoever scores next wins."
"I'll need to drop deeper now," Suker said.
"Then there's no one holding the line up front!"
"Don Carlo will sort that out."
Both turned toward the Milan bench.
Sure enough, Ancelotti was preparing a substitution.
Ricardo Oliveira stood at the sideline.