Kaka-Huang Connection

Messi had only recently scored his first goal for the first team; he had been called up by Rijkaard just this month, in October, and hadn't even started a match yet.

Compared to him, Huang Kaiwen was still far ahead.

Huang was, after all, a world-renowned talent who had already proven himself in both the Champions League and the league.

With Figo's spirit possessing him today, and considering he was the natural number 10, could he not be the protagonist of the match?

Returning to the tunnel and walking back out, they listened to the Champions League anthem. The two captains exchanged pennants; Maldini and Puyol, two top-tier defenders, truly shared a mutual respect, and the atmosphere was very friendly as they shook hands.

However, once the referee blew the whistle at 7:45 PM to signal the start of the match, the atmosphere on the pitch changed instantly.

Barcelona kicked off.

Eto'o passed back to Ronaldinho.

Ronaldinho showcased his dreamy footwork in midfield.

Shevchenko made a symbolic press, only to be bypassed by Ronaldinho with a subtle elastic flip.

What was even more infuriating was that after dribbling past him, Ronaldinho chose to pass backward—he had no other intention than to toy with them.

With Deco as the core of Barcelona, complemented by the young Xavi and the Mexican international Marquez, the three-man midfield possessed excellent ball control.

After a few passes, the ball returned to Ronaldinho's feet.

Huang Kaiwen was playing as the right winger today, directly matched up against Ronaldinho. Since he was right there, Huang Kaiwen naturally chose to press.

Seeing Huang Kaiwen, who had been making quite a name for himself lately, Ronaldinho grinned and began to display his flamboyant technique.

He started by standing in place and swinging his leg.

Brazilian players loved using such feints.

It was like children playing a game, both sides enjoying the finger-wagging provocation to lure the other in.

The provocative nature of the move far outweighed its practical application.

Just as Huang Kaiwen rushed up and extended his foot, Ronaldinho stopped sliding his leg over the ball and instead played a horizontal pass to the oncoming Deco, who dribbled toward the front court.

Huang Kaiwen's expression turned sour.

What kind of "football wizard" was this? It might be entertaining for the spectators, but was it a bit much to have fun at his expense?

If he got the chance, he would make sure Ronaldinho tasted what it felt like to be toyed with.

Deco quickly found a passing lane.

He played a through ball to Eto'o.

Although the ball reached the edge of the Milan defense, Eto'o couldn't find a great opportunity. After dribbling laterally for a few steps, he took a forced long-range shot, which Dida easily collected.

After Dida kicked the ball out, it reached the right flank.

Huang Kaiwen didn't pass immediately, choosing to take on Ronaldinho himself.

He performed a step-over, waited for Ronaldinho to extend a leg, and immediately pushed the ball with his left foot to bypass him before passing to Kaka.

Kaka's explosive power was immense; Marquez couldn't stop him at all. Once he reached the edge of the penalty area, he played a through ball from the left side of Puyol into the box. Shevchenko took a low shot from the right side of the penalty area, which Valdes narrowly blocked out of play.

"Both sides are attacking aggressively since the start of the match."

"The two teams have different styles; Milan's attack is more direct and concise, while Barcelona focuses more on possession, but there is no doubt that both are top-tier teams in world football."

"A corner kick for AC Milan; Andrea Pirlo walked over."

Inside the Barcelona penalty area, several of Milan's aerial threats were the primary targets for marking.

Thwack—

After a short run-up, Andrea Pirlo sent the ball toward the center.

Several players in the box jumped simultaneously.

Having finally achieved immunity to injury, Huang Kaiwen joined the fray.

Just as he jumped, he felt a shove from behind and lost his balance, falling into the penalty area.

Oleguer Presas took the opportunity to clear the ball.

Sitting in the Barca penalty area, Huang Kaiwen looked up and spread his hands, but the referee just waved a finger at him and ran off.

Pulling himself up with Kaka's help, Huang Kaiwen glared resentfully at Puyol.

It was the Barca captain who had been standing behind him just moments ago.

Ancelotti was still on the sidelines, nagging the fourth official.

Puyol fouling Huang Kaiwen from behind—how could this be allowed?

This was a violation of the "Milan Code" Article 112; if he could, Ancelotti would have had Puyol executed on the spot.

Unfortunately, the Milan Code didn't have as much influence as the Catalan Code, and the fourth official remained unmoved.

Fortunately, Gattuso successfully intercepted a pass and played a horizontal ball to the right flank.

Cafu surged forward with the ball, and seeing Huang Kaiwen's position, he opted for a lofted pass.

With the [Figo] ball sense, Huang Kaiwen gently extended his foot while running and brought the ball under control. Without even slowing down, he continued to sprint along the sideline.

Ancelotti noticed a problem.

Huang Kaiwen's speed wasn't as fast as it had been in the previous match.

His heart skipped a beat.

Damn it, he must have been injured by that collision with Puyol!

Ancelotti racked his brain, but he didn't actually know any ruthless characters who could hire a hitman, so he had to let Puyol off the hook for the time being.

Van Bronckhorst rushed toward Huang Kaiwen. After a wall-pass combination with Kaka, Huang Kaiwen accelerated and cut into the penalty area from the right flank.

Barca captain Puyol lowered his center of gravity and slightly spread his legs.

Seeing this, Huang Kaiwen began to perform step-overs while moving forward. After two step-overs, he suddenly pushed the ball with his right foot and immediately shifted his weight.

Using his right foot—which had just pushed the ball—as a pivot, he brought his left foot around from behind.

With a rabona, he delivered a fast, low cross.

The ball reached the center of the six-yard box in the blink of an eye. Before Valdes could react, Shevchenko had already arrived to poke the ball into the bottom right corner of the net with his instep.

Shevchenko ran toward the stands to celebrate.

Kaka ran over, draped his arm around Huang Kaiwen's shoulder, and they walked back together.

"Your form is quite good today," Kaka said with a smile.

"You know it."

Huang Kaiwen scratched his head, a smug look on his face. "I just love playing against big clubs; I'm not really interested in average teams."

"That's good, let's win the Champions League together."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked back.

On the bench, a conflicted-looking Messi felt a twinge of envy, his expression one of eagerness.

He wondered when he would be able to start in the Champions League like those big stars at Milan.

He had heard that the Milan number 10 hadn't even received professional training, yet he possessed such a level of skill. Messi thought this must be what a genius was; he himself had undergone so many years of professional training to reach his current level. If the other guy had also received formal training, how high would his level be by now?

Today, Messi's home team seemed to have the momentum but couldn't find the net.

They kept controlling the ball in midfield but never found any good opportunities.

Milan's defensive line, led by Maldini, was one of the best in history, and Barcelona's attacking players basically couldn't find a way into the box.

In the 25th minute, Milan launched another counterattack.

Andrea Pirlo played a long pass directly to Kaka, who split the ball to the right flank while running, and Huang Kaiwen pushed it forward again.

Kaka encountered pressure from Marquez and chose to pass wide again.

This time, van Bronckhorst rushed up and slid in.

Huang Kaiwen hooked the ball with his left foot, accelerated to avoid the tackle, and dribbled into the penalty area.