Dead silence!
Luigi Ferraris Stadium seemed to have had its pause button pressed.
An eighteen-year-old had dribbled past several world champions in succession, then humiliated Bergomi with a nutmeg pass just as he rushed back into the box.
This was one of the greatest defenders in history, one-eleventh of Italy's all-time best starting lineup!
Yet today, he had fallen at Dejan Lu's feet—twice in a row.
Bergomi watched Dejan Lu, who had been swallowed up by Sampdoria's players, with mixed feelings.
He knew better than anyone how he had been beaten.
As a defender whose tackles were both fierce and precise, he had led that tackle deliberately, putting his foot in based on his estimate of Dejan Lu's speed.
Under normal circumstances, Dejan Lu should have run straight into his leg.
But that kid had actually still had something left in the tank.
He had never been running at full speed.
When he noticed someone coming over to cover, he timed it perfectly, knocked the ball past the man, and leaped over Bergomi's leg in the process.
It was an incredibly clever move.
But first, you needed absolute confidence, nerves of steel, and a powerful physique. Facing so many world-class players, he had still been in the mood to calculate against them.
It was truly astonishing.
That move reminded Bergomi of Caniggia at Verona, but that man had never been this clever.
The second time, in that tight space near the byline, had been even more absurd.
Simply put, Dejan Lu had anticipated his anticipation. He had deliberately guided him close, then timed the moment he took a step to change direction and knock the ball through his legs.
Was this really a player making his Serie A debut?
As a top defender, Bergomi had performed brilliantly both at fullback and center-back.
His attacking ability was not outstanding, but neither was it weak. He was quite dangerous carrying the ball forward himself, though he was less adept at things like crossing and pace.
Italian defenders of this era were generally stronger in defense than attack.
Precisely because he had weaknesses, he needed to use his brain to compensate for them. He had always been a player who thought on the pitch.
That was exactly why he found Dejan Lu so troublesome.
Dribbling past him twice in a row could hardly have been coincidence or mere physical instinct.
That young man was far more seasoned than he looked.
The camera shifted to the stands, where Monica bloomed as brightly as a flower.
The whole world seemed intoxicated.
She broke the stillness of the world and returned everything to how it should have been.
The Sampdoria supporters chanted Dejan Lu's name.
"Dejan!"
"Dejan!"
"Dejan!"
On the touchline, Boskov fiercely embraced Pezzotti as well.
He had wanted to take a chance on Dejan Lu, and he had hoped the boy would produce something.
But he had never expected Dejan Lu to give him such a huge surprise the moment he came on.
It was like expecting Macron to be your subordinate, only to discover his mother was Napoleon!
What world champions?
What Serie A's strongest defensive players?
They had all been smashed apart in a single encounter.
Even the two television commentators fell silent.
Because they could not believe what they had just seen.
Paolo Rossi, a former world champion himself, swallowed and said, "That young man's ability to keep the ball glued to his feet is already among the best I've ever seen..."
Some people only noticed things like explosive starts, sudden stops, and changes of direction.
But Robben's most outrageous quality was his close control.
Whether he drove forward, cut inside, or twisted and turned in tight spaces, the ball was always at his feet.
His height, combined with the shifts in his center of gravity, made him incredibly deceptive.
That was why you could know exactly how he was going to carry the ball and still be unable to stop him.
The timing of his burst, a step faster or slower, his shoulders, his eyes, the strength of each touch—those could combine into countless variations.
Only those facing such an opponent knew how terrifying he was.
Brehme also sensed that something was off and looked toward Bergomi.
The Inter Milan captain shook his head and said, "Be careful. That kid isn't ordinary."
Brehme nodded solemnly.
Lothar Matthäus stood nearby, watching the Sampdoria players celebrate.
Roberto Mancini had clearly noticed the midfielder.
His usually sour face was full of smiles. Anyone who knew him might have thought he was an impostor.
Roberto Mancini warmly hooked an arm around Dejan Lu's neck and shouted, "What are you looking at? You couldn't stop him either!"
Lothar Matthäus: ...
The words he had said in the first half had been thrown back at him unchanged.
It felt fucking awful.
The reason he was so arrogant was because his individual ability was so strong.
Just now, he had gone over to cover and been dribbled past along with his teammate.
Lothar Matthäus's face turned bright red, much to Roberto Mancini's delight.
He decided that tomorrow, he would go to Milan and buy Dejan Lu a huge gift.
Fuck the money. The important thing was humiliating that bastard Lothar Matthäus.
After holding it in for a long while, Lothar Matthäus said, "A Pomeranian beside its owner even dares provoke a lion, but without its owner, it's just a coward!"
Pomeranians originated along the coastal border between Poland and Germany and were famous for bullying others under their owner's protection.
Roberto Mancini's expression changed instantly.
Just as he was about to let go of Dejan Lu, Dejan Lu spread his arms to stop him and said, "The biggest difference between us is that we are a team. Whether you're at Bayern or Inter Milan, you're always alone."
Having had a sore spot struck, Lothar Matthäus spat viciously and turned to walk back.
A major reason Bayern had let him go was that he was unpopular as a person.
"Thanks, Dejan."
Roberto Mancini forced out a smile.
Vialli kicked him and mocked, "That fawning expression of yours makes you look like a court jester."
"Damn it, if I'm a court jester, then you're an Arab eunuch!"
Roberto Mancini charged after him with bared teeth and claws, while Vialli ran off in a flash.
Boskov saw everything on the pitch and could not help smiling.
He was certain that this was the team he wanted.
Trapattoni clapped and shouted onto the pitch, "Switch positions. You two defend their right flank together!"
Brehme pointed at himself in confusion.
Trapattoni immediately nodded.
Fine then. Brehme had no choice but to switch positions with Mandorini.
He still felt the coach was making too much of it.
The first time had only looked so embarrassing because they were unfamiliar with him.
As teammates, he knew very well just how strong Bergomi was. In terms of defending, there might not have been a better defender in all of Germany.
With Bergomi and himself on one side, they were dealing with an eighteen-year-old.
That kind of treatment was probably reserved only for Diego Maradona.
After the restart, Klinsmann immediately laid the ball back.
Berti received it and wanted to wait for Dejan Lu to rush up and press him. He had lost face after being dribbled past earlier.
But Trapattoni directly cursed from the touchline, "If you don't want to play, then get the hell off! Can you dribble past them into the box and shoot when you have the ball?"
Berti hurriedly passed the ball away, then turned and shot his manager a resentful glance.
He really was not leaving him any face at all.
Mateoli did not keep the ball for long either before knocking it to Lothar Matthäus.
They both had names beginning with M, but their abilities were worlds apart.
Lothar Matthäus could be called Inter Milan's absolute core.
With the ball, Lothar Matthäus charged forward like some humanoid monster.
Under the referee's leniency, the clashes of muscle against muscle grew increasingly brutal.
Lombardo tried to step up and challenge him, only to be knocked stumbling immediately.
"Cerezo has stepped up to defend. He is at a slight disadvantage physically too, and age is also a factor, but Pari is watching the other players... Dejan! This young man has tracked back and gone straight to Matthäus's side, slowing Matthäus's dribbling pace. Cerezo, who had recovered, successfully wins the ball."
"Yes, Dejan has been extremely active today. This young man has given us quite a surprise."
But when Dejan Lu received the ball again, he discovered the problem.
The Bergomi-Brehme combination really was not easy to deal with.
Roberto Mancini was stopped by Riccardo Ferri while carrying the ball in the attacking half. He immediately turned and carried it back, looking for a chance to switch play with a long pass.
His long passing accuracy was average. Dejan Lu kept retreating and, near the touchline, controlled the ball side-on with the outside of his foot. Before he could turn around, Brehme, pressing up, slid in and kicked the ball away.
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