4th April, Serie A Matchday 29: AC Milan away to Roma!
This was another marquee fixture in Serie A.
AC Milan had been in blistering form lately, and supporters everywhere wanted to see who could finally beat them again.
And who could breach the goal guarded by Leon.
If AC Milan's sudden surge in the second half of the season carried a faint air of the inexplicable, Roma's dominance had sent genuine tremors through the entire Apennine Peninsula.
This season, veteran Totti showed that his brilliance had not faded one bit.
De Rossi, the all-round engine at the heart of their midfield, was a picture of composure and consistency.
Gervinho's pace delivered devastating strikes with alarming regularity.
And the youthful energy of Strootman and Pjanić had given Roma a vibrancy and the confidence to go toe-to-toe with Juventus.
Two of Serie A's most talked-about sides colliding in the same fixture: it was nothing short of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
The Stadio Olimpico, with a capacity of 70,000, was packed to the rafters tonight.
"Jian, do you think our Leon can keep another clean sheet tonight?"
In the broadcast studio back in the East, Jackson directed the question to his co-commentator Jian.
Donny had taken considerable flak from supporters after his commentary in the previous match.
He was absent from the commentary box for this one.
Word had it that Donny, convinced the supporters simply did not understand football, had gone off to do a comedy show instead.
Jackson was the constant; the co-commentators came and went.
He remained firmly in his seat as the lead voice on Serie A coverage.
"That's genuinely difficult to call."
"Roma's danger does not come from the front line. It comes from the central attacking areas."
"Whether it's Totti, Strootman, Pjanić, or Gervinho, they all possess tremendous attacking quality."
"I'd argue that goals from midfielders are often far harder to anticipate than those from strikers."
"That is going to be a real test for Leon."
Jian laid out his view.
"That's a fascinating point from Jianhong, and I'm largely in agreement."
"Our Leon's ability to stop one-on-ones is exceptional."
"On top of that, AC Milan have consistently deployed an offside trap, which makes life genuinely difficult for whoever is leading the line."
"If anything, it is the long-range efforts from midfield runners that pose the greatest threat to Leon's goal."
Jackson endorsed Jian's analysis.
He also quietly noted how much more comfortable this partnership felt.
Donny was the type who always had to say something outrageous.
Working with him was exhausting.
Out on the pitch, both sets of players had taken to the field.
Roma's head coach was Rudi García.
Since arriving at Roma the previous season, Rudi García had pulled the squad together remarkably quickly.
A ten-match winning run to open the season, the finest start in the league's history.
85 points, a new club record.
He had ultimately guided Roma to second place in the league that season.
This season, Rudi García was clearly intent on leading Roma in a direct challenge to Juventus's dominance.
However, with nine rounds remaining, Roma currently trailed Juventus by nine points in the table.
Roma had to seize every point available and could not afford to slip up if they were to maintain any realistic chance of catching Juventus.
With that in mind, Rudi García issued a clear directive to the squad ahead of this home fixture against AC Milan: they had to win.
Rudi García set his team up in a 4-3-3 for the match.
Prioritising defensive cover, he pushed Totti onto the front line.
Totti operated in a role closer to a false nine on the forward line.
Four defenders: Cole, Astori, Manolas, Torosidis.
Three midfielders: De Rossi, Pjanić, Strootman.
Three forwards: Totti, Gervinho, Iturbe.
Goalkeeper: De Sanctis.
On the AC Milan side, Inzaghi again lined up in a 4-3-3.
The formation had been settled throughout the season and was producing results.
There was one small adjustment to personnel, however.
Lami was deployed at centre-back, while Abate returned from injury to take the right-back slot.
Zappata, who had been inconsistent for much of the campaign, was dropped to the bench.
Four defenders: Abate, Lami, Mexes, De Sciglio.
Three midfielders: Essien, Muntari, Menez.
Three forwards: Suso, Torres, Bonaventura.
Goalkeeper: Leon.
"Look! Leon is wearing the captain's armband!"
"Is Mexes not starting?"
"He is starting."
"Bloody hell, this feels completely different!"
Supporters of AC Milan back in the East had their interest in the club surging to new heights once again.
The club already had an enormous fanbase in the East, and now a good number of those fans had fallen back into the habit of staying up late to watch Milan matches.
Sharp-eyed supporters had already spotted the captain's armband on Leon's arm, and the reaction was instant shock.
An on-pitch captain at just 18 years old?
Leon had just created a new piece of AC Milan history.
To be fair, seeing that armband on Leon's arm, Suso could not help but feel a pang of envy.
Though any trace of resentment was gone.
Suso understood full well that in terms of leadership and mentality, Leon left him far behind.
And for the club captaincy, those qualities of leadership and mentality perhaps mattered more than technical ability.
Leon stood at his goal, loosened up, and looked no different from any other day.
Roma were a formidable opponent, and Rudi García's approach leant heavily towards attack, nothing like the conservative style Allegri favoured.
The defensive demands on Leon in this match were likely even greater than they had been against Juventus.
And this was only Serie A.
If Milan managed to reach the Champions League next season, they would be facing the most elite clubs in the world.
Could Leon keep a clean sheet against that level of opposition?
With his current ability, that was beyond him.
AC Milan kicked off.
Menez broke through the centre before playing the ball wide, sliding it to Bonaventura on the right flank.
Bonaventura's run down the right was checked, and with a glance up he switched the ball across the pitch to Suso in one sweeping pass.
Suso cut inside against Torosidis, but Manolas covered well and won the ball back, sending a long clearance into the centre of the pitch.
In the middle of the park, Strootman cushioned the ball with ease and played a single through pass that immediately carved open a chance.
Gervinho, who made his living on pace, timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and went through on goal. Was it a one-on-one?
'Another one-on-one?'
AC Milan supporters were completely calm.
'Oh, bloody hell.'
But barely a second later, those same supporters let out a startled cry, their hearts suddenly hammering.
Just as everyone on the pitch assumed this was heading towards yet another one-on-one duel, Gervinho suddenly flicked the ball back with his heel and laid it on a plate for Totti.
Totti arrived in his stride and struck cleanly.
The ball arced through the air on a beautiful trajectory, heading straight for the top left corner.
A thud rang out.
Leon produced an extreme reflex save, managing to get his fingertips to the ball just in time and altering its course by the narrowest of margins.
The ball struck the junction of the crossbar and the post in the top left corner and flew out for a corner.
A crash followed.
Leon, who had completely lost control of his body in the effort to make the save, went face-first straight into the post.
[Ding! Host has sustained a severe facial injury!]
[Ding! Host is equipped with the Iron Mask. Facial injuries are nullified!]
---