Chapter 68 Smoke finally rose from Milan's ancestral graves again...
After being given pointers by their head coach, Dynamo Kyiv's defense noticeably intensified, with most of their players clustered in their own half, giving Milan absolutely no space to break through.
The ball couldn't enter the penalty area, and Shevchenko stood in front of Dynamo Kyiv's goal with no chance to receive it.
Fino, Kaká, Ambrosini, and even Favalli, who came up from Milan's half, tried to shoot from long range, but the defense was too dense, and none of their long-range shots turned into goals. They either missed the target or were cleared by the opposing defenders.
In the 42nd minute, Milan regained possession.
Fino and Kaká combined to play a one-two on the right flank, advancing the ball forward with short passes.
Pirlo, off the ball, sprinted down the left flank towards Dynamo Kyiv's penalty area, drawing Vukojevic's attention.
Fino and Kaká broke through the blockade of three Dynamo Kyiv defenders in succession. After shaking off Diakhate, Kaká did not pass the ball to Fino again, but instead launched a long pass, lobbing the ball into the penalty area.
Shevchenko chested the ball down before Betao could reach it, and then shot directly after the ball slipped to his feet.
The kick was powerful and heavy, and the ball headed straight for the right side of the goal. Just as it was about to graz the right post and enter the net, a gloved hand appeared in the path of the ball.
Dynamo Kyiv's goalkeeper Bogush underestimated the power of Shevchenko's shot; his fingers only slightly altered the ball's trajectory and did not completely control it.
But this slight change was enough; the ball grazed the post and rolled towards the goal.
At this moment, Fino had already arrived near the goal. He took a step around Mike Helik and saved the ball before it rolled out of bounds, then passed it back into the penalty area.
Shevchenko won again in the competition with Betao, and after regaining possession, he took another shot, but Boguš blocked it directly in front of the goal line.
Milan's attack ended in failure.
"Shevchenko's luck is a bit bad," Fino patted Shevchenko on the shoulder.
Shevchenko pursed his lips.
Fino suddenly found Shevchenko somewhat cute, and then he patted his own face, realizing that his addiction to cute things was getting a little too serious.
As the second half began, Dynamo Kyiv fans sang their team anthem, cheering on their beloved team.
As the synchronized singing began, the home crowd atmosphere was immediately created, and Fino felt that the atmosphere was not much different from that at San Siro.
Whether inspired by the fans or by coach Cantalejo's reassignment at halftime, Dynamo Kyiv's attack became more aggressive.
Dynamo Kyiv also got off to a strong start.
After kicking off, Elimend passed the ball to Aliev, who then dribbled it towards Milan's backfield.
Before being intercepted by Flamini, Aliyev passed the ball to Nikovic, who had already made a run down the left flank. Nikovic dribbled towards the penalty area, where Zambrotta and Bonera both came to intercept him.
Nikovic saw out of the corner of his eye that Bangura had entered the Milan penalty area from the right, and he lobbed the ball diagonally, aiming at Bangura on the right wing.
Bangura and Favalli lost the header, and Favalli headed the ball down. After touching the ground, Maldini took it away, and Milan immediately launched a counter-attack.
Through the midfield transition, the ball was passed from Milan's penalty area to Dynamo Kyiv's half in just over ten seconds.
Kaka was still leading the ball forward.
Because of the increased attacking intensity, Dynamo Kyiv's dense defense in the first half was noticeably loosened, giving Kaká space to get going. He broke through the defense of two defensive midfielders and headed straight for Dynamo Kyiv's penalty area.
Fino and Shevchenko switched positions and made runs in the Dynamo Kyiv penalty area, severely stimulating the nerves of the Dynamo Kyiv defense and making the two center-backs hesitant to leave the penalty area.
Before the two full-backs had even dropped back into position, Kaká was already close to entering Dynamo Kyiv's penalty area. At that moment, the two center-backs were marking Fino and Shevchenko respectively, not daring to relax for a moment.
Kaka took a shot directly from the edge of the penalty area, and the ball flew towards the top left corner of the goal.
Dynamo Kyiv's goalkeeper Bogus was already prepared. With his two teammates marking Milan's two forwards respectively, he was left to mark Kaká, who was carrying the ball.
Seeing Kaká kick the ball, Bogdanovic immediately lunged to make a save. He lunged in the right direction and even got to the ball, but then he frowned.
Kaka's shot was more powerful than he expected, and he actually dropped it, the ball falling onto the grass and bouncing outwards.
The camera was focused on the ball's trajectory, and viewers around the world watching the broadcast saw a pair of slender legs encased in white socks enter the frame. Facing the bouncing ball, a powerful shot was fired, and the ball flew towards the goal again, flying straight into the top right corner of the net.
Bogush, who was lying on the other side of the goal and had not yet gotten up, was powerless to do anything.
"Gooooal! Milan scores again, and it's Fino Cabrini again! This is Cabrini's first appearance in an official match this season, and he's already scored twice. It seems that neither his 'honeymoon' with Pirlo nor his 'sweet encounter' with Alonso this summer has affected Cabrini's form. He has continued his goal-scoring efficiency from the end of last season, and he's playing even more aggressively."
The commentator's banter brought a lot of joy to the viewers, but Milan fans had long since become numb to it.
Do whatever you want, destroy it all. Our own players don't shy away from it, and our own official media openly sell it. How can we shut others up?
Indeed, with Galliani's strong support, Milan's publicity department seems to have unlocked its full potential, using a variety of smooth and effective tactics to attract fans' attention.
Milan's official media directly reposted Pirlo's post that caused a huge uproar, adding [heart][blushing][holding hands] emojis, practically announcing to fans that two of our team's most handsome players are married!
While attracting a huge following, Fino and Pirlo have left AC Milan fans speechless. Some well-informed fans have already received news that sponsors are in talks with Milan about a dual advertising campaign featuring Fino and Pirlo.
Where is our integrity? Has our Milan stooped so low as to make money by having players engage in promiscuous behavior?
It seems Galliani is determined to go all the way down this path, and the fans can only console themselves: Oh well, it's all about making money! Money buys players!
Let's get back to the game.
After Fino scored Milan's second goal, Ancelotti immediately arranged for Inzaghi and Kaladze to warm up.
It seems there are no problems with this match, so we can give other players some playing time.
Before Ancelotti could make any substitutions, Milan launched another attack.
Pirlo launched a precise long diagonal pass from midfield, targeting Fino, who was grappling with Nesmazini on the right side of Dynamo Kyiv's penalty area.
Just as the ball was about to land, Fino took a step in front of Nesmaczini, took a shot, headed the ball to Shevchenko who was standing near the penalty spot, and then entered the penalty area to receive the pass.
Dynamo Kyiv's two center-backs immediately rushed towards Shevchenko's direction.
Perhaps the blocked shots in the first half affected Shevchenko's confidence, because he did not choose to shoot directly, but instead passed the ball back to Fino who had entered the penalty area after receiving it.
Fino readily accepted the pass and immediately converted Shevchenko's pass into an assist with a shot on goal.
"Gooooal! In the 57th minute, Cabrini scored again, completing his first hat-trick in the Champions League. Cabrini achieved his first hat-trick in the last game of last season, and then completed another hat-trick in his first appearance this season. His incredible luck is truly enviable!"
After scoring, Fino walked over to Shevchenko, who had provided the assist, and raised his hand.
Shevchenko also extended his hand to give him a high five and congratulated him with a smile.
Before the game started, Ancelotti made two substitutions at once, replacing Fino with Inzaghi and Maldini with Kaladze.
As Maldini left the field, he put his arm around Fino's shoulder and happily kissed Fino's hair and shoulder. It seems like Milan's ancestral graves are finally going to emit auspicious smoke again (just kidding). Milan's youth academy is finally about to produce another superstar, this time a striker, a position where it's easier to win awards.
Ancelotti also came over, hugged and praised his precious baby.
"Well done, handsome young man!" Xiao Luo said with a grin to Fino.
Fino smiled and gave him a high five.
"Let's go clubbing together when we get back to Milan!" Ronaldinho invited Fino, who was very much to his liking because of his good looks and football skills.
Fino twitched his lips. He appreciated Ronaldinho's appreciation, but he didn't want to accept the invitation.
Hearing this from a few meters away, Maldini frowned and called out, "Fini, come here!"
As Fino turned to look, Maldini pointed to the spot next to him.
Fino went over and sat down, obediently sitting with Maldini to continue watching the game.
Ronaldinho shrugged and nonchalantly sat back down next to Pato.
After taking a three-goal lead, Ancelotti did not press the attack any further, instructing his players to focus on defense and leave Shevchenko and Inzaghi to launch counter-attacks in the attacking third.
The score remained unchanged until the end of the match, and Milan secured 3 points.
In another match in Group G that started at the same time, Porto defeated Fenerbahce 3-1 at home, also accumulating 3 points.
Milan currently leads the group on goal difference.
Ancelotti attended the post-match press conference in high spirits, accompanied by Fino.
Although the two consecutive defeats in Serie A did not put any pressure on him, who would want to lose when they could win? Being grilled by reporters at the post-match press conference is no fun.
Fino's hat trick finally allowed him to hold his head high.
At the post-match press conference, the reporters' questions were indeed much friendlier, completely unlike their previous spectator-like attitude.
Taking advantage of the reporter's question, Ancelotti praised Fino, the unity within the Milan team, and also commended the tenacious spirit of the Dynamo Kyiv players. Indeed, Ancelotti is a man of high emotional intelligence.
The reporters, too lazy to listen to his formulaic praise, turned their attention directly to Fino, who sat quietly smiling beside Ancelotti, acting as a beautiful accessory.
"Fino, congratulations on your first Champions League hat-trick. Shevchenko has played the full 90 minutes in three consecutive matches without scoring a goal, while you didn't get a chance to play until your third official match of the season. Do you feel that there is some kind of hidden discrimination and unfairness at Milan?"
"You should ask Berlusconi, why are you asking me?" Fino thought to himself.
“How could that be? The Milan dressing room has always been harmonious and friendly.” Fino feigned surprise. “The season has only just begun, so it’s normal for the team’s lineup and formation to be inconsistent. The coaching staff also needs time to observe and adjust. Mr. Ancelotti clearly told us that the competition is healthy, and whoever is in good form and performs well will be in the starting lineup. We all agree with that.”
Ancelotti nodded repeatedly beside him.
Fino continued, "As for Shevchenko, he has been away from Milan for two years. In these two years, Milan has changed in both its lineup and playing style, so it's normal for him to be unaccustomed to it for a while. His form is gradually recovering. He already got an assist in this game, and I believe he will score a goal soon. We are all looking forward to this Ukrainian nuclear warhead exploding again."
"Aren't you worried that Shevchenko will reduce your playing time once he regains his form? You know, Milan currently has eight strong forwards, including three Ballon d'Or winners," the reporter continued to stir things up.
Fino responded with a smile: "Milan will always be a title contender, and the better the players are, the better. We're competing on three fronts this season: the Champions League, the league, and the Italian Cup. A deeper bench will make our path to the title smoother."
The reporters returned empty-handed, only able to sigh inwardly, "The old fox brought along a little fox."
Ancelotti and Fino exchanged a glance, their actions concealed.
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