Crimson Wall: The Last Defender

December 7, 2003 — San Siro, Matchday 12

The December chill lingered over Milan, but San Siro pulsed with warmth and energy. Matchday night matches carried a different electricity — the floodlights, the smoke of flares drifting over the crowd, the banners painted in red and black.

Luca Bellini stood in the tunnel, bouncing gently on his heels. His breath fogged the air. Around him, the rest of the team completed final stretches.

Nesta adjusted his shin guards. Maldini, calm as ever, leaned against the wall. Kaká, headphones on, bobbed to something only he could hear. Cafu cracked his knuckles rhythmically.

Sampdoria were 9th in the table but unpredictable. And tonight, Milan wanted control. No surprises.

—

**Formation:** 4-3-1-2

Dida stood firm in goal. The back four now locked in: Cafu on the right, Maldini on the left, with Luca and Nesta commanding the center.

Pirlo continued orchestrating from deep, flanked by Seedorf and Gattuso. Kaká floated freely behind the front two: Shevchenko and Tomasson, with Inzaghi rested tonight.

Sampdoria responded with a compact 4-4-2:

Antonioli in goal. Zenoni, Falcone, Castellini, and Pisano across the back. Diana and Doni on the flanks, Volpi and Palombo central. Bazzani and Flachi up top — strong, tenacious, opportunistic.

Ancelotti's pre-match words still echoed in their minds:

"They'll play direct. Quick wide balls. Win the second balls, stay sharp on set pieces. No cheap fouls near the box."

Luca nodded as they walked out onto the pitch. The roar of 75,000 fans swept over them like a wave.

—

Kickoff.

Milan started crisp. The ball zipped across the grass. In the 4th minute, Gattuso won a tackle and fed Pirlo, who turned and sprayed a diagonal to Cafu. The Brazilian accelerated, beat Pisano, crossed low — Tomasson flicked it toward goal.

Saved.

Sampdoria responded quickly. Volpi intercepted a sloppy pass and launched a long ball toward Flachi. The forward brought it down and shot — wide, but close.

In the 9th, Flachi again surged between the lines. This time, he got around Nesta and angled left — but Luca slid across with perfect timing. Blocked. Cleared.

Commentator: "Bellini's reaction time is absurd. He doesn't just defend space — he owns it."

Luca didn't celebrate. He just pointed and reorganized.

In the 14th minute, Milan struck.

Pirlo found Kaká in a tight pocket. A quick turn, a dribble past Palombo, then a through ball — Shevchenko accelerated, beat the line, and chipped Antonioli.

1–0 Milan.

The crowd exploded. Sheva ran to the corner flag, pointing back at Kaká. The Brazilian pointed to the sky.

—

The next twenty minutes were tense. Sampdoria pressed higher. Luca and Nesta had to adjust lines every few minutes. Maldini kept yelling for focus. Cafu tucked inside more frequently.

In the 28th minute, Doni cut inside and shot — Dida punched clear. Luca got to the rebound and launched a long ball over the top.

Kaká raced onto it, took it down, and set up Tomasson — blocked by Falcone.

Another surge.

In the 36th, Seedorf intercepted and played a one-two with Gattuso. He pushed into the box and shot — just wide.

Luca continued marshalling the back line with quiet authority. Communication clear, timing sharp.

But in the 42nd minute, disaster nearly struck. Bazzani broke free on a quick counter and bore down on goal.

Luca chased him at full sprint, shoulder to shoulder, then slid — clean again. Won the ball and calmly passed it to Pirlo.

San Siro stood up. A wall.

Halftime.

—

Locker room.

Ancelotti: "Good intensity. Don't relax. They'll gamble more in the second half. Be ready for crosses and chaos."

Gattuso growled: "Let's kill the match early."

Luca drank water slowly, his heartbeat already settling.

Maldini looked over. "Good cover on Bazzani. Perfect angle."

Luca nodded. "It felt right."

—

Second half.

In the 51st minute, Sampdoria nearly equalized. Doni's curling free kick was headed on by Bazzani — just wide.

Then came the counter.

Dida to Pirlo. Pirlo to Seedorf. Seedorf to Kaká.

Kaká sprinted down the middle, beat two defenders, and passed to Tomasson, who drew the center backs, then returned the ball.

Kaká — calm, smooth — slotted it past Antonioli.

2–0.

The crowd chanted his name: "Kaká! Kaká!"

Luca smiled. Kaká jogged past and pointed at him. "Your pass started it."

Technically, it was true — Luca had started the cycle with a clever short pass.

Sampdoria pressed harder now. In the 66th, Flachi again caused chaos. He chipped a ball toward Bazzani. Luca tracked back, leapt, and headed it away clean.

But the physicality took a toll. Luca clutched his hip after landing.

"You okay?" Nesta asked.

"Yeah. Just sore."

Ancelotti waved over. "One more block and I'm pulling you."

But Luca stayed.

In the 73rd minute, Cafu broke forward, overlapped Kaká, and crossed — Shevchenko volleyed.

3–0.

Game sealed.

Ancelotti made changes: Serginho on for Maldini, Ambrosini for Gattuso, Rui Costa for Kaká.

In the final minutes, Luca stayed steady, reading every long ball, every second pass. He spoke more, gestured more. Led.

Full time.

Milan 3 – Sampdoria 0.

Clean sheet. Commanding performance.

—

Back in the locker room, Kaká flopped beside him.

"Your timing's unnatural," he said.

Luca smirked. "Just organized chaos."

Maldini overheard. "It's called intuition. You've got it."

Gattuso slapped his back. "And balls. Don't forget that."

Luca just laughed.

—

At home that evening, he found Sofía reading on his couch. She looked up.

"You limped up the stairs."

"Hard match."

She tossed him a bag of ice. "Sit. I'll make pasta."

He watched her move around the kitchen, still in her scrubs.

He wrote in his notebook:

December 7 — Milan 3, Sampdoria 0

Minutes: 90

Tackles: 4

Blocks: 3

Clearances: 5

Aerials won: 5

Progress: steady

Balance: found

Sofía: stayed after the match. Maybe that's the balance too.