Before the start of the Champions League, the intensity of the league was not too high—it was relatively relaxed.
AC Milan secured three consecutive wins in rounds 20 to 23.
This allowed them to maintain their confident and forward momentum.
Despite the continued slander from the outside world and the malicious smear campaigns orchestrated by some with ulterior motives, none of it could stop AC Milan's march forward.
Suker and Kaká had become the pillars of the team.
The two of them were practically dragging AC Milan ahead by sheer force.
By round 23, Suker had already scored 22 goals.
Such scoring performance could only be described as phenomenal.
Keep in mind—this is Serie A!
And not just any era of Serie A, but one known for its tough defenses. Suker's scoring stats were dazzling enough to blind onlookers.
With 15 rounds left in the season, Suker had already broken the 20-goal mark.
Many were predicting that the Croatian super striker could break the 30-goal barrier in a single season.
This wasn't out of the question!
Suker's red-hot form was one reason; the remaining 15 rounds of league play were another.
Even if his scoring efficiency dropped—say, one goal every two matches—he'd still get there.
Italian media had already begun calling Suker "the mad striker."
But for Suker, this was just the beginning.
Even if he broke the 30-goal mark, he still had a long way to go to match the monstrous peaks of those two legends.
Messi once scored 50 goals in a single La Liga season.
Cristiano Ronaldo once scored 48 in a single La Liga season.
Though La Liga is more offense-friendly compared to Serie A, Suker still had to strive toward such feats.
He worked constantly to develop his goal-scoring abilities:
— Dribbling into a shot!— Winning headers in aerial duels!— Even poacher's goals, capitalizing on rebounds and loose balls!
Suker never wasted a good opportunity—his stable and efficient scoring ensured AC Milan always held an attacking advantage.
Kaká, Pirlo, and Seedorf all contributed many assists to Suker's goals.
Ancelotti wasn't about to waste the windfall of Suker's explosive form.
Milan's tactics were clear: Suker was the designated finisher.
If the situation allowed, the rule was to pass the ball to Suker to shoot.
Of course, even without Ancelotti's instructions, the Milan players were happy to feed Suker the ball.
After all, with such a red-hot striker on the team, who wouldn't?
February 17th, Serie A Round 24.
Siena hosted AC Milan.
By the 76th minute, the score was Siena 1–2 AC Milan.
Although Siena scored first, they were soon overwhelmed by Milan's control of the midfield, and two goals followed.
Suker and Pirlo each scored one.
Suker scored with a header from a corner.
Pirlo converted a direct free kick after a set-piece opportunity.
Siena didn't just sit back—they launched a fierce counterattack after falling behind.
AC Milan stayed solid, defending calmly and using their powerful midfield to build plays.
"Pirlo with the ball again—will he pass to Kaká?"
Aldo Serena watched the TV broadcast with anticipation.
Kaká had played brilliantly this match.
Even though he had no goal or assist, he was crucial to both Milan goals.
He won the corner that led to Suker's header and drew the foul that led to Pirlo's free-kick goal.
Under everyone's gaze, Pirlo unexpectedly stopped the ball and redirected it left.
There, Suker had dropped deep—close to the halfway line.
Meanwhile, Seedorf made a direct run up to take the striker's position.
Suker received the ball, turned, and with no defenders closing in yet, whipped a beautiful outside-foot pass.
The ball drew a giant arc, slicing through the defense and landing perfectly in space on the right.
Aldo Serena jumped out of his seat in excitement.
Ever since Suker had moved to striker, Serie A hadn't seen those magical rainbow passes.
Many still missed the days when Suker's passes painted rainbows on the pitch.
Now, the magic was back.
But this time, the recipient wasn't Shevchenko—it was Kaká!
Kaká chased down the ball with all his might, cutting diagonally to attack the goal.
Siena's defenders gave chase, but Kaká's speed was unmatched.
One-on-one with the keeper, Kaká calmly slotted the ball into the near corner.
The keeper couldn't react in time—by the time he went down, the ball was already in the net.
"AC Milan's third goal—Suker delivered a magnificent rainbow pass to set it up!"
"The two young Milan stars team up once again to crush the opposition."
After scoring, Kaká dashed to the corner flag to celebrate.
Suker quickly joined him.
Under Suker's coaxing, Kaká nodded excitedly.
This was the rainbow pass!
Who wouldn't want to learn that?
Suker flashed a crafty smile.
For Suker, it was enough that Kaká wanted to pass more.
Scoring was Suker's job.
So he kept feeding Kaká the idea that being a midfielder was amazing—calling him the "commander,"
"the core of the system," and so on.
Under this subtle influence, Kaká's mentality began to shift.
He had no idea Suker was setting him up. This content belongs to NoveI[F]ire.net
At the 80th minute, both Suker and Kaká were subbed off.
With a three-goal lead, the game was effectively sealed.
Suker scored once this match, bringing his tally to 23 goals in 24 league matches—far ahead on the scoring chart.
Second place was Totti, with only 16 goals.
A full seven-goal gap!
How do you even catch up?
Suker felt confident that his first league Golden Boot was in the bag.
And that wasn't the only good news—AC Milan had overtaken Inter Milan in the standings.
In round 23, Inter had lost 1–3 at home to Roma.
Totti led his team to defeat Inter.
AC Milan fans were ecstatic!
Not only had Inter lost, but Milan had taken over first place in the league.
Currently, AC Milan was one point ahead of Inter, sitting atop the Serie A table.
After over half a season, Milan had finally completed the comeback.
This was a crucial turning point.
Now, they could shift their focus to the upcoming Champions League matches.
The final whistle blew.
Serie A Round 24 came to a close.
"The match is over! AC Milan wins 3–1 on the road, maintaining their lead atop the league. But they must not let their guard down—Inter Milan is still lurking!"
"Meanwhile, the Champions League Round of 16 is upon us. On February 21, AC Milan will travel to the Spanish capital of Madrid to face Real Madrid!"
"Facing Capello's Real Madrid, what kind of performance will AC Milan deliver?"
"This is a clash between the two most decorated clubs in Champions League history!"
"Real Madrid has 9 UCL titles, AC Milan has 7. These titans will face off directly in the Round of 16."
"It's also a duel between the top scorers of La Liga and Serie A: Ruud van Nistelrooy vs. Suker!"
"And a Brazilian showdown: Robinho vs. Kaká—which one can more effectively drive their team forward with their dribbling?"
"This is a direct confrontation between two Champions League giants!"
Aldo Serena was brimming with hype.
But many reporters didn't share the same view.
Right now, Real Madrid were clearly in decline.
They weren't called "Round of 16 exits" for nothing!
They were regularly beaten by Lyon in recent years. This season, they'd seen Zidane retire, Ronaldo leave, and Beckham frozen out—the cards Capello held were very limited.
AC Milan had their own issues too. The media's consensus was that both sides were in decline.
Whether this was truly a clash of titans—or just a battle of fallen giants—remained to be seen.