Chapter 573 - 112: Conquering San Siro! Wang Shuo, Are You Even Human? Making History! The Birth of an Epoch-Making Goal
0-0, and in an instant, it became 0-1!
Even though it was AC Milan’s home ground, the scoreboard ticked over with a cruel, cold-blooded finality.
...
The match wasn’t over yet.
But the San Siro Stadium had already been conquered!
Wang Shuo’s goal hadn’t just pierced Milan’s net; it had shattered the spirit and morale of their players and fans.
It was as if all their strength had been drained away.
The 75,600-seat stadium, despite being sold out, suddenly felt empty.
Only Dortmund’s five thousand traveling fans could be heard chanting.
Everyone else had fallen deathly silent!
In the final few minutes, the AC Milan players moved like walking corpses.
They wanted to turn the tide, but they simply couldn’t.
Finally, the French referee blew the final whistle, ending the match.
Wang Shuo and all the Dortmund players raised their arms in unison, excitedly celebrating the team’s hard-fought victory!
This was their very first Champions League knockout stage victory!
And against AC Milan, no less!
"Congratulations, Wang!"
Nesta extended a hand toward Wang Shuo.
The Milan veteran still hadn’t caught his breath, but now that the match was over, the intense mental strain he’d been under finally eased.
"Thank you, Alessandro," Wang Shuo said, shaking his hand.
After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Shuo smiled again. "Sorry, what I said during the game wasn’t what I really meant. You’re a senior player I greatly respect."
"I feel the same," Nesta smiled back. "In all my years, besides Ronaldo, you’re the only opponent who has made me feel completely outmatched. Keep it up!"
This was incredibly high praise from Nesta.
After all, his achievements and status in the world of football spoke for themselves.
"Thank you for the acknowledgment!"
Wang Shuo noticed Nesta’s posture was a bit strange as he walked off the pitch. He even suspected the defender might be injured.
’I’ll have to get Klopp to send a scout to dig up some intel later.’
’If Nesta is out for the second leg, AC Milan won’t stand a chance in Germany!’
Of course, they couldn’t afford to be careless.
Especially considering their upcoming devil’s schedule.
After the AC Milan match, that weekend, on February 19th, Dortmund would host St. Pauli.
After a week’s rest, on February 26th, for matchday 24 of the Bundesliga, Dortmund would challenge Bayern away from home.
Midweek, on March 2nd, Dortmund would travel to Allianz Arena again to face Bayern in an away match for the DFB-Pokal semi-final.
You could even call it the de facto final!
Because the two teams in the other semi-final were both from the 2nd Bundesliga.
Whoever made it to the final would almost certainly win the cup.
On March 5th, matchday 25 of the Bundesliga, they would play Cologne at home.
On March 9th, the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, they would face AC Milan at home.
In other words, Dortmund’s entire schedule was incredibly tight, and the challenges were immense.
In the first 22 rounds of the league, they had achieved an impressive record of 21 wins and 1 draw, giving them a massive lead.
Next, they would undoubtedly focus their main forces on the cup competitions.
After seeing Nesta off, Thiago Silva and Van Bommel also came over to greet Wang Shuo one after another.
It was just a brief exchange of pleasantries.
Soon, Wang Shuo was pulled away by his ecstatic teammates.
Defeating AC Milan 1-0 away from home was an absolutely massive victory for Dortmund.
Especially with Wang Shuo’s last-minute goal!
That goal not only gave Dortmund the initiative to advance but also an advantage for the second leg.
More importantly, it forged Dortmund’s confidence and spirit!
...
Wang Shuo’s goal landed him on the front pages of Europe’s major media outlets the day after the match.
The German Bild reported that Wang Shuo had capitalized on a thrilling counterattack to help Dortmund defeat AC Milan 1-0 at San Siro, taking a solid step toward the quarter-finals.
"Wang Shuo’s goal has brought confidence to Dortmund."
"In a post-match interview with reporters, Head Coach Klopp stated that this match was a valuable asset for Dortmund, as they not only secured a precious away goal but also gained experience and confidence."
"Klopp’s team is now full of anticipation for the second leg in March!"
Kicker Magazine also dedicated an article to Wang Shuo in its midweek Champions League special, thanking him for his goal in the final moments of the match.
"With a precious goal secured, Dortmund has gained the advantage for advancing. This means that in next month’s second leg, the Bumblebees will have more room to maneuver."
However, Kicker Magazine also reminded Dortmund that a 1-0 lead was not secure.
Most importantly, Dortmund needed to learn from this valuable experience, especially regarding offensive strategies to break down a packed defense.
"In truth, at San Siro Stadium, besides Wang Shuo, none of Dortmund’s players were able to pose a threat to AC Milan’s defensive line, let alone their goal."
Kicker Magazine believed that the match at San Siro perfectly demonstrated Wang Shuo’s value to Dortmund.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung held the same view.
"Wang Shuo’s goal at San Siro helped Dortmund secure a priceless away goal and a priceless first-leg away victory!"
Ruhr News stated that Wang Shuo’s goal helped Dortmund achieve a classic victory at San Siro.
Amid a chorus of praise from the German media, Dortmund returned from Milan to Dortmund.
The Dortmund fans welcomed Wang Shuo and his teammates home as if they were heroes returning in triumph.