Defying Fate! From Ninth in Serie A to the UEFA Champions League!

When the Inter Milan players entered the locker room, Berni pulled out his phone and exclaimed, "Guys, great news! Napoli and Udinese are still tied 0-0!"

Napoli will face Udinese, who have already secured their Serie A status, at home in the final round of Serie A.

Inter Milan are currently leading AC Milan 1-0.

If Inter Milan and Napoli both finish with their current scores...

Inter Milan will overtake Napoli by two points in the standings, thus replacing their rivals and securing a top-three position in the league!

Berni's positive message has greatly boosted the morale and spirits of Inter Milan's players.

Everyone started discussing it and cheering for Udinese.

However, amidst the lively clamor, Tang Long stood up and gestured for everyone to calm down.

"Brothers, don't worry about Napoli's situation right now. Regardless of whether they win or lose, we have to play well in this match!"

"Our opponent hasn't completely given up yet; overthinking will only lead to anxiety and fear of loss!"

Captain Ranocchia nodded in agreement.

He once again fulfilled his role as captain, gathering everyone together and standing alone in the middle.

"Let's just play freely, forget about Napoli, and focus on playing this Derby della Madonnina well."

"I just heard Inzaghi nagging in the players' tunnel, saying they're going to attack hard in the second half. We can't let our guard down!"

Second half.

As the Inter Milan players emerged from the player tunnel, Bonazzoli quickly ran to Tang Long's side.

"Tang, your through balls in the first half were brilliant! Send me another one in the second half, let me score twice and kill the game!"

Tang Long verbally agreed, gave Bonazzoli a few perfunctory words, and then walked away.

Tang Long was unwilling to waste the remaining four opportunities for Synergy Bonus on Bonazzoli.

My intuition tells me that Inter Milan has a very high chance of winning right now, and they don't need to use this "golden touch".

The key lies with Dimarco on the left wing!

Tang Long used long passes to disrupt AC Milan's defense from both sides in the first half.

His body was moving, and his mind was working too.

While scheduling the game, he keenly observed the condition of each player in the opponent's position.

Combined with comprehensive data analysis from the AI System, it was discovered that AC Milan's right side, specifically the side with Poli and Abate, had significant potential issues with the players' physical condition!

Poli's running is extremely taxing.

He is not a player known for his physical strength, and after 35 minutes he had made frequent defensive mistakes. It was only thanks to the experienced right-back Abate covering for him that he was able to avoid exposing a bigger defensive vulnerability.

However, players' physical strength is ultimately limited.

If Inzaghi hadn't substituted these two players in time for the second half, Inter Milan's attack would have been very different if they had used Dimarco's crosses to attack down that flank!

Instead of consuming the Synergy Bonus, the goal is to use passing to arrange Dimarco's formation;

Once he starts making crosses from the left wing, both Bonazzoli in the penalty area and Guarin making runs from behind will have a great chance to score.

Tang Long began to make these plans in his mind.

Sure enough, the situation at the start of the second half proved Tang Long's judgment correct!

Both Poli and Abate showed a noticeable decrease in their running speed, both offensively and defensively.

Especially during a passing sequence in AC Milan's own half, De Jong made a simple cross, but Poli slipped and missed it.

The ball slowly rolled out of bounds.

This drew a huge chorus of boos and jeers from the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza!

Meanwhile, Abate, standing next to Poli, shrugged angrily at Poli, and the two even got into a verbal argument.

"AC Milan's attack hasn't improved; instead, they've made quite a few mistakes in passing the ball around in their own half."

"If the game continues like this, I don't see any hope for them to turn the tide!"

"Oh? Okay, viewers, according to the latest news from the director, Napoli has scored!"

"Higuain scores, Napoli now leads Udinese 1-0 at home..."

"If both sides finish with this score, Napoli will replace Inter Milan in qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League."

"All ten matches in the final round of Serie A started at the same time."

"Any goal could change the final standings!"

Around 55 minutes.

Tang Long noticed that AC Milan's head coach Inzaghi, was sitting on the sidelines talking to his assistant coach with furrowed brows, suggesting a possible substitution.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, at least one of Poli and Abate will be substituted.

We can't wait any longer!

If the final attack down the flank fails to break the deadlock, the only options are to use the Synergy Bonus again, or bring yourself up to the forward line!

"Dimarco, move forward!"

Tang Long deliberately moved from the attacking midfielder position to the defensive midfielder position, signaling Guarin to pass the ball to him. At the same time, he waved heavily to Dimarco, indicating that the kid should hurry up and make a run forward.

Inside the Inter Milan locker room, Dimarco, Tang Long, and Bonazzoli formed a small clique.

They are all players who came from Inter Milan's youth academy, and Tang Long is undoubtedly the eldest brother of this trio.

Hearing his elder brother's command, how could Dimarco dare disobey?

His legs moved as if he were riding on wheels of fire, and he lunged forward with a series of thuds.

The experienced Netherlands defensive midfielder Van Ginkel spotted Inter Milan's attacking intent.

Van Ginkel was very cunning; instead of approaching Tang Long, he caught up with Dimarco.

While chasing, he shouted for De Jong to go and stop Tang Long, trying to nip this attack from the backfield in the bud.

But could Tang Long be stopped by someone as insignificant as De Rong?

This season, AC Milan's two Netherlands stars Van Ginkel and De Jong, have secured starting positions. Both are known for their powerful running and tackling abilities.

Especially when facing mid-to-lower-tier teams, they often manage to dominate, repeatedly intercepting the ball and launching attacks on the spot.

However, these two were still too inexperienced when facing Tang Long!

De Jong had learned his lesson from Tang Long before.

This time he changed his defensive strategy. Instead of getting close to Tang Long, he moved closer to him, supporting himself on Tang Long's back with one hand, trying to prevent Tang Long from turning around.

"As long as he doesn't get a direct line of sight to the ball, he won't have a chance to pass it out!" De Jong thought to himself.

However, the Netherlands star clearly underestimated Tang Long's abilities and paid a price for his arrogance!

The football became as soft as flowing water under Tang Long's feet.

He took a step forward with his left foot, pretending to turn to the left.

Just as De Jong's center of gravity shifted, Tang Long's right outside foot grazed the side of the ball, and then he turned around like an ice skater, making a 180-degree turn in a flash!

The clumsy De Jong had never seen anything like this before. In a daze, he only saw a figure flash past him—and then Tang Long was gone!

Upon closer inspection, Tang Long had completely turned around and was dribbling the ball forward!

Instead of dribbling straight forward, Tang Long charged diagonally towards Van Ginkel's position.

Inter Milan coach Mancini smiled and nodded on the sidelines, then turned to assistant coach Herrera and said:

"Wasn't that a brilliant move? That's the value of a star player!"

Herrera was taken aback, not yet fully understanding Mancini's intention.

Van Ginkel, however, found himself in a dilemma on the field!

As AC Milan's defensive midfielder, he has moved out of his defensive midfield position and is running back with Dimarco on the wing.

Tang Long, however, charged towards him with the ball.

If Van Ginkel continues his forward run, then only right-back Abate will be left in Tang Long's path of dribbling.

What about Poli?

Poli was still far away; he couldn't run anymore and couldn't catch up at all when chasing him.

Van Ginkel gritted his teeth, turned to Abate, and said:

"Dimarco, here you go!"

He then took a step forward and stood in front of Tang Long, attempting to block his path with his tall stature.

Van Ginkel's choice was correct; it was essential to hinder Tang Long's ball-carrying advance as much as possible.

At any time, if the player with the ball doesn't feel enough pressure, they are always the most threatening presence as professional players.

But with just this one follow, one stop, and one shout, the gap created between the position changes unfolded before Tang Long's eyes like a racetrack!

AC Milan is not Barca, not Real Madrid, not Bayern.

Their current strength is still far from that of top Europe teams!

There was a time lag between Van Ginkel and Abate in instructing Dimarco on his defensive position.

"I'm empty here!"

Dimarco, who wasn't particularly fast, put all his effort into pushing forward along the sideline.

The moment that shout was uttered, it was earth-shattering!

Tang Long delivered a textbook through ball, which bypassed the gap between Abate and Van Ginkel's defense and rolled towards the inside of AC Milan's penalty area on the left.

The defense line has been breached!

AC Milan's players, like startled birds, scrambled back to their cages, and their formation immediately fell into disarray.

In his first Derby della Madonnina appearance, Dimarco displayed a determination and confidence beyond his years.

In that instant, images of Tang Long passing the ball on the training field flashed through his mind, along with a sentence Tang Long had once told him:

"Remember this! Many times, a well-placed pass is 10 times more threatening than a simple stop-and-pass!"

Dimarco suddenly raised his right arm, like a conductor waving his baton, while his left foot leaped into the air, like the Cheetah poised to pounce.

He skillfully used the subtle intersection of the instep and the shoelaces, like a swordsman precisely aiming at the scabbard, targeting the center of the football.

In an instant, his leg muscles tensed, like springs being released, and he whipped and pulled in one smooth motion!

During this series of movements, his body was pulled by inertia and he fell sideways.

The football, as if imbued with life, slid from his feet in a flat yet rapid parabola, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, heading straight for the center of the penalty area.

(Dimarco crosses the ball!)

This was more than just a pass; it employed shooting techniques, a perfect fusion of power and skill.

The football arced through the air and struck Bonazzoli squarely on the head inside the penalty area.

At that moment, Bonazzoli felt an irresistible force suddenly strike him, and a muffled "Duang" sounded on his forehead as if he had been hit by a giant hammer. His vision went black instantly, and he saw stars!

When he finally mustered his strength and looked up again, he was greeted by the breathtaking sight of the soccer ball crashing into the net!

The net rope trembled violently from the impact!

Bonazzoli scores with a header, completing his brace!

This time, Bonazzoli didn't have his signature serpentine footwork!

There was no fierce confrontation with Mexes!

It was entirely thanks to Dimarco's first-time cross from the left wing that Milan's defense was caught off guard.

He scored this goal after catching a pass from his youth team teammate, Dimarco.

Amidst the deafening cheers of the fans in the North Stand, Bonazzoli and Dimarco simultaneously rushed towards Tang Long, and the three embraced!

Tang Long didn't score, nor did he provide the assist!

But the mastermind behind this game-winning attack was actually him!

Other Inter Milan players also rushed over.

"It's safe!"

Ranocchia a heavy punch at the fans in the North Stand from afar.

Trailing by two goals, AC Milan had long lost their will to fight, and head coach Inzaghi had also given up the fight.

Inter Milan, with victory already in hand, saw no need to continue their relentless attack and instead spent the time passing the ball back and forth in their own half.

At this moment, the hearts of all Inter Milan fans are focused on a match in Napoli, in southern Italy.

Inter Milan's players were playing on the field, unaware of the match's outcome.

Meanwhile, the fans in the stands were no longer focused on the Derby della Madonnina; they were all checking the Napoli match score on their phones.

At this moment, the broadcast camera focused on the substitutes' bench.

Head coach Mancini and assistant coach Herrera were also not watching the game; the two huddled together around a phone, staring at the screen.

Moreover, on the bench, players like Berni, Hernanes, Andreolli, Nagatomo Yuto were also gathered around the team doctor's phone.

Wow!!!

A cheer suddenly erupted from the North Stand!

Thunderous applause immediately followed, sweeping across the entire Stadio Giuseppe Meazza like a torrential downpour.

Udinese scored!

They tied the score at 1-1.

The cheers from the stands were even louder than when Bonazzoli scored twice!

The match had reached the 85th minute. If Udinese could hold on for another seven or eight minutes, Inter Milan would be in third place in Serie A this season!

- [Holy crap, is Udinese really that good?]

- [I declare myself a 30-year Udinese fan! I grew up watching their games!]

Udinese isn't weak, okay? They even beat Inter Milan at home!

-[I just changed the channel, and it was Di Natale who scored! A beautiful bicycle kick inside the penalty area! Sure enough, only he can score a goal like that.]

-[Just kidding, Di Natale gets better with age; he won the Serie A Boot twice in a row!]

- [Haha, time is running out for Napoli, that's what I'm saying to them.]

-[I've never been this nervous before, oh my god, I just want the Napoli game to end already, it's so agonizing!]

Under the anxious gaze of the entire stadium.

The referee blew the final whistle!

On two huge screens at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

A sign reads: Inter Milan 2:0 AC Milan.

The other sign clearly read: Napoli 1-1 Udinese!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh--

A loud thud echoed through the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, like the sound of chair backs hitting each other!

All the Inter Milan fans jumped up from their chairs!

They surged from the stands onto the first tier of the stadium!

Inter Milan captain Ranocchia covered his face with his hands and knelt on the ground!

He is crying!

He's cheering!

His heart was screaming!

UEFA Champions League, here we come!