55th Minute -

Milan built through their left side with patient circulation, Theo receiving from Díaz before combining with Pobega in a quick interchange that eliminated Hateboer from the play, and the French fullback drove toward the byline with that relentless energy that had destroyed Atalanta's right side all match.

His cutback aimed toward the penalty spot where Leão had timed his run to arrive unmarked, the Portuguese winger peeling away from Tolói's marking with intelligent movement, and the cross was weighted perfectly to meet his stride.

Leão's first touch took the ball past Djimsiti who was scrambling to cover the space Tolói had vacated, and the winger shaped to shoot from twelve yards with only Musso to beat.

Demien was thirty-five yards away when Theo's cross came in—too far to affect the defensive phase under normal circumstances—but the Warrior Spirit technique kicked in again like an automatic response to danger.

His stamina regenerated fractionally despite the exhaustion building in his legs, and he sprinted back with desperate intensity that his teammates would remember later, his acceleration allowing him to close the gap while Leão controlled the ball and shaped his body to shoot.

The distance closed impossibly fast—thirty-five yards became twenty, then fifteen, then ten—and Demien arrived just as Leão's right foot began its forward motion toward the ball.

He threw himself in front of the shot with complete commitment, his body horizontal in the air, and the ball deflected off his shin with force that sent pain shooting through his leg but also sent the ball spinning harmlessly away for a corner.

The away section erupted in appreciation for the second crucial defensive intervention in five minutes, and Demien landed hard on the turf with the wind knocked out of him, gasping for air while his shin throbbed from the impact.

Commentator: "What a block from Walter! He covers thirty-five yards to get back and throw his body in front of Leão's shot. That's incredible commitment from the young midfielder."

Co-Commentator: "Leão should score from there, but Walter's recovery run forces him to rush it. Outstanding defensive work—not what you typically expect from an attacking midfielder."

Tolói jogged over and offered a hand to pull Demien up, the captain's expression showing genuine respect for the effort, and Demien accepted the help because his legs were screaming at him and breathing felt like trying to suck air through a straw.

But the physical cost was undeniable. His stamina rating (82) was good but not elite, and making these recovery sprints while also being the primary creative outlet was draining his reserves faster than his body could regenerate them.

His legs felt heavier than they had five minutes ago. His lungs burned. Sweat soaked through his shirt and dripped into his eyes.

And there were still thirty-five minutes left to play.

In the premium section, Sophia had both hands pressed to her chest, her heart racing from watching Demien throw himself in front of the shot.

He's going to get hurt, she thought, and worry mixed with pride because she could see him giving everything despite the exhaustion, despite the scoreline, despite the impossible mission requirements.

57th Minute -

Atalanta's corner was cleared by Milan to the edge of the box where Koopmeiners controlled with his chest before the ball could bounce away, and the Dutchman's first touch was perfect as he immediately looked to restart the attack rather than allowing Milan time to reorganize.

His pass found Demien who'd dropped deep into Atalanta's half to find space away from Tonali's marking, and the ball reached him cleanly with the Italian midfielder still five yards away and closing but not yet close enough to prevent the turn.

Demien took one touch to control and immediately lifted his head, and the Özil Eye-of-Needle technique activated automatically—his peripheral vision expanding to show him the full width of the pitch in crisp detail, and suddenly he could see Lookman's run developing before it fully materialized.

The Nigerian winger had been positioned wide left but was now cutting diagonally toward the channel between Calabria and Tomori, his pace taking him past the Italian right-back's shoulder, and the space behind Milan's defensive line was there for exactly two seconds before it would close.

Demien executed the pass instantly without taking another touch—a driven ball threaded between Tonali and Bennacer with perfect weight that split Milan's midfield completely.

The ball reached Lookman in stride with only Calabria between him and goal, and this was the moment—this was the assist the mission required if Lookman could finish.

The Nigerian winger drove at Calabria one-on-one, and every Atalanta supporter in San Siro rose to their feet because this was the chance, but the Italian defender's work was masterful.

Calabria didn't dive in. Didn't commit to a tackle. Just showed Lookman onto his weaker right foot while maintaining perfect positioning, and he forced the winger wider and wider until the angle became impossible and the passing lane to Højlund in the center was blocked by Tomori's covering run.

Lookman's cross came in from a tight angle near the byline, floating rather than driven, and Maignan collected it comfortably without serious challenge.

The chance died. The assist didn't come. And Demien's frustration manifested as a sharp exhale and hands on hips as he walked back into position.

Commentator: "Excellent pass from Walter, threading it perfectly to put Lookman through, but Calabria defends it superbly. Milan's defensive organization has been outstanding tonight."

Co-Commentator: "That's what makes Milan champions—their defenders don't panic, don't rush, just execute their responsibilities perfectly. Lookman never gets the angle to shoot or cross dangerously."

Sophia slumped back in her seat, disappointment clear on her face as the chance evaporated, and she checked her watch without meaning to because time was passing and the assist still hadn't come and Demien needed it desperately.

60th Minute -

Milan tried building through midfield again with patient circulation, but Pasalic timed his press perfectly and won the ball from Bennacer with a clean tackle that sent the Algerian midfielder tumbling, and the Italian substitute immediately played forward to Demien who'd positioned himself in the right half-space this time—trying to find different areas to receive away from Tonali's suffocating marking.

Demien received under immediate pressure from Díaz who'd tracked back to cover after losing the ball, and Tomori was also closing from his position in the defensive line, his anticipation so good that he'd already started moving before the pass arrived.

Two defenders converging. Maybe two seconds to make a decision.

The La Croqueta Chain activated instinctively. His left foot dragged the ball sharply right with the sole of his boot, body feinting left with shoulders dropping to sell the direction completely, and Díaz's weight shifted to follow the fake because the movement looked genuine enough to commit to.

Then Demien's right foot pulled the ball back left in the opposite direction, completing the double feint in less than a second with technical precision that few players could execute under pressure.

Díaz was beaten cleanly, stumbling as his momentum carried him the wrong direction, and gasps rippled through the away section where two thousand Atalanta fans recognized quality when they saw it, but Tomori had read the space.

The English centerback hadn't committed to the fake because his defensive positioning was about angles and zones rather than ball-watching, and he arrived just as Demien completed the second touch of the chain.

Tomori didn't attempt a tackle—he simply positioned his body to prevent Demien from turning toward goal, his physical presence blocking the direct path while his feet stayed active to cut passing lanes.

Demien had no choice but to shield the ball, using his enhanced strength (92 rating) to keep his body between Tomori and possession, back to the defender with core engaged and center of gravity low.

He managed to retain control long enough to slide a pass through to Malinovskyi who'd drifted inside from the right wing into space that had opened when Calabria tucked inside to cover Lookman's run, and the Ukrainian received twenty-two yards from goal with time to set himself.

Malinovskyi's left foot curled a shot toward the top corner with technique that looked perfect as it left his boot, and Maignan reacted late—diving full extension—but the connection was fractionally off and the ball sailed inches wide of the far post.

Commentator: "Oh! So close from Malinovskyi! That would have been a spectacular equalizer. Atalanta are creating chances now—Milan need to be careful."

Co-Commentator: "Good technical skill from Walter to beat Díaz with that nice piece of footwork, but Tomori's positioning prevents anything dangerous developing directly. Smart pass to Malinovskyi, just a shame the finish wasn't there."

Goal kick to Milan. Maignan retrieved the ball slowly from behind the net, using every legal second to let his defense reset and drain time off the clock.

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