62nd Minute -

Milan won a throw-in deep in Atalanta's half after Mæhle headed a cross behind for safety, and when Calabria took it quickly to Bennacer near the edge of the box, the Algerian midfielder tried to turn away from Demien's press with a shoulder drop meant to create separation.

Demien didn't let him.

He challenged aggressively, using his enhanced strength (92 rating) and aggression (97 rating) to make the battle physical rather than technical, and his shoulder met Bennacer's chest as both players competed for the ball.

The collision was heavy—both going into it with maximum force—and the ball spilled loose between them before either could establish control.

They went down in a tangle of limbs, Bennacer's elbow catching Demien in the ribs during the fall, and both players lay on the turf for a moment while the referee assessed whether to blow the whistle.

The official let play continue—no foul called because both players had legitimate claim to the ball—and Koopmeiners collected the loose ball before playing it forward quickly to capitalize on Milan's momentary disorganization.

Demien got up slowly, feeling the impact in his ribs where Bennacer's elbow had caught him, and his breathing hurt for two or three breaths before the pain faded to a dull ache.

This was the physical reality of playing against elite opposition in Serie A. Every duel was contested with maximum intensity. Every challenge carried weight. Every battle left marks that would become bruises tomorrow.

His jersey was soaked through with sweat, grass stains marked both knees and his right hip, and exhaustion pressed down on every movement like wearing weights.

64th Minute -

The notification appeared in Demien's peripheral vision as he jogged back into position, blue text hovering at the edge of his awareness where only he could see it:

「PERFORMANCE UPDATE」

「Current Match Rating: 7.2 (+0.3 from halftime)」

「Assists: 0」

「Required Second Half Rating: 8.4+ AND 1 Assist」

「Time Remaining: 26 minutes」

「Mission Status: AT RISK」

The panel faded after three seconds, but the numbers burned in his mind with the intensity of a brand.

7.2 rating. Improved from the 6.9 first-half performance, but still nowhere near the 8.4+ required for the second half to average out to the 7.8 mission requirement.

And zero assists despite creating three genuine chances—Højlund's shot wide, Lookman's chance defended by Calabria, Malinovskyi's shot that sailed inches over.

Twenty-six minutes remaining. The assist needed to come, and it needed to come soon, or the mission would fail and the 200 TP and 30 MP reward would slip away despite everything he'd given tonight.

Focus, he told himself, and he wiped sweat from his eyes with the back of his hand. One chance. That's all it takes. One perfect pass, one clinical finish, and the mission succeeds.

But Milan weren't giving chances away. Their defensive organization was suffocating, their individual quality in defenders like Tomori and Calabria was elite, and Maignan in goal was playing like a man possessed.

Every avenue seemed blocked. Every opportunity defended. Every moment of hope extinguished.

And time kept ticking.

In the premium section, Sophia watched Demien's body language and saw the exhaustion in the way he moved, slower now than forty-five minutes ago, and she wanted to reach through the glass and tell him it was enough, that he'd done enough, that nobody could question his effort.

But she knew he wouldn't accept that. Knew he'd push until his legs gave out or the referee's whistle blew, whichever came first.

Come on, she thought desperately, and her hands found the armrest again. Please. One goal. Just one.

The scoreboard glowed bright in the night: AC MILAN 1-0 ATALANTA | 64'

Twenty-six minutes to change everything.

Or twenty-six minutes until it all slipped away.

67th Minute -

Atalanta won a throw-in on the right flank near halfway after Theo headed Hateboer's long pass out of play, and the Danish right-back took it quickly toward Pasalic who'd found space between Milan's lines by drifting away from Bennacer's marking zone.

The Italian midfielder received with time—a genuine rarity in this match—and his head lifted immediately to scan for options before Milan's press could arrive.

His pass went horizontal across the pitch toward Demien who was positioned centrally, fifteen yards inside Milan's half, and for once the ball reached him without immediate pressure because Tonali had been caught slightly deeper after tracking Højlund's checking run.

Three seconds. Maybe four. That's how long Demien had before the Italian midfielder would close the gap.

Instead of trying to turn or dribble like he'd attempted earlier with mixed results against Tomori's elite positioning, Demien played it simple—a quick one-two with Højlund who'd checked short to the edge of the box.

The Danish striker laid it off first-time with the inside of his right boot, and suddenly Demien was five yards higher up the pitch with the ball at his feet and space opening because Kjær had stepped forward to challenge Højlund's movement which created a gap between the Swedish centerback and Tomori.

Demien drove into that space with two quick touches, and Kjær recovered to close but his angle was wrong now—coming from the side rather than head-on—and Demien shaped to shoot which made the defender commit his weight forward to block.

But Demien's foot rolled over the ball instead of striking it, and he pushed a grounded pass left toward Lookman who'd timed his run to cut inside from the wing exactly as the space opened.

The Nigerian winger received in the left half-space with Calabria closing fast, took one touch to set himself on his right foot, and fired a low drive aimed at the far post.

The connection was clean, the trajectory looked perfect, and Maignan dove full extension toward the bottom corner—but the ball passed inches wide of the upright and spun away behind the goal.

Commentator: "Oh! That's close from Lookman! Maignan was beaten if that's on target. Atalanta building some momentum here in the second half."

Co-Commentator: "They're using quicker combinations now instead of trying to force individual moments. Better approach against Milan's defensive setup, but they need to test Maignan more."

Goal kick to Milan. Maignan retrieved the ball slowly, waving his defenders forward and gesturing for them to push higher up the pitch.

In the stands scattered throughout San Siro's premium sections, scouts and representatives from various clubs watched with notebooks and tablets, assessing players for potential transfers or loan opportunities. Three rows behind Sophia in the VIP area, a man in his early forties wearing a dark suit and Nike-branded polo shirt sat with his arms crossed, watching the match intently—Alessandro Bruno, whose presence had been quietly arranged after Marco's phone calls earlier in the week.

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