After that opening shot from Totti, Roma clearly continued to storm forward relentlessly at AC Milan's goal.
But during the half-time break, Inzaghi had reaffirmed his conviction: he would commit fully to attack.
A side capable of both attacking and defending is what everyone dreams of, but not every manager has the coaching ability to produce that, and the players do not always have the quality to sustain it either.
Inzaghi's style was all-out attack.
That approach left enormous gaps in the team's game.
But it did not mean it could not bring success.
As long as the goalkeeper was good enough.
Keep the goals conceded to a minimum.
And Leon was exactly that kind of goalkeeper.
In the 51st minute, Totti played a brilliant pass through to Gervinho.
Gervinho's fierce drive from the right side of the box was punched away by Leon with both fists.
In the 53rd minute, AC Milan launched a counter.
Torres, Menez, Suso, and Bonaventura produced a fine combination up front.
Menez's low finish slid wide.
If the second half of the season had shown any difference in AC Milan's attack compared to the first, it was that the four forwards were linking up far more.
Perhaps influenced by Leon, AC Milan had now become a united force.
In the 65th minute, Totti struck another worldie from outside the box.
This time Totti had not gone for angle but the power and pace on the shot were immense.
Leon could not push the ball far enough away with his first attempt, but he quickly got back to his feet and smothered it.
Iturbe, who had rushed in looking for the rebound, had to retreat empty-handed.
Then in the 71st minute, Torres met a cross from Bonaventura and flicked a header that crashed off the crossbar.
The Roma supporters in the stands felt their blood run cold.
If AC Milan scored again, this match would be well and truly lost.
On the touchline, Rudi García furrowed his brow again and fell into silent thought.
Out on the pitch, Totti stood with his hands on his hips, breathing hard.
At 37, his fitness simply could not match what it had been in his younger years.
Leon, by contrast, was still standing quietly in front of the AC Milan goal, his expression composed.
Totti's gaze met Leon's again.
Only this time, there was the faintest flicker of something in Totti's eyes.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"We are into the 80th minute! The score remains 1-0! AC Milan lead!"
"Both sides have committed to attacking football!"
"Roma have pushed hard at AC Milan's goal, but AC Milan have not sat back; their own surges forward have created very serious threats at Roma's end as well!"
"I will say this: time is running out for Roma."
In the East's commentary booth, Jian had become the main voice.
Jackson had been warned by the producer to say less, as his commentary had become too heavily coloured by personal emotion.
But this time not a single fan had criticised Jackson for letting his feelings seep into his commentary.
Because AC Milan had Leon.
Supporting our own player: was that not the most natural thing in the world?
No need for saintly neutrality here.
"Did you hear that? Time is running out for Roma!"
"Ha! That line sounds very familiar! If I remember right, Jian has said it many times before!"
"Ha! Different times, different stories!"
The fans from the East were growing more and more cheerful.
Staying up to watch the match, what could be more satisfying than seeing your side hold the lead throughout?
In the 85th minute, Rudi García on the touchline made a series of substitutions in a last-ditch effort.
Forward Doumbia came on for Strootman, who had been below his usual level in the second half.
Forward Ljajić came on for right back Torosidis, switching Roma to a three-centre-back system.
Strootman walked off looking dejected, bypassing even Rudi García's offered handshake.
He had started the match very brightly.
But from the moment Leon burst out of the penalty area to dispossess him, Strootman had been completely sleepwalking.
In the second half his presence on the pitch was almost invisible; he had contributed nothing either in attack or in defence.
"Strootman has been substituted off, and he looks thoroughly miserable!"
"I have to say it: Leon broke Strootman in this match."
In the commentary booth, Jackson saw it and could not resist speaking up.
I'm going to praise Leon, and that's that.
Even if a goalkeeper breaking a midfielder did sound a little strange, the fans from the East all seemed to find it perfectly logical.
"Bang!"
Totti summoned the last of his energy and swung his right foot hard at the ball.
"Thud!"
Leon stood in the centre of his goal and made no attempt at a dive.
He simply reached out one hand and caught Totti's shot.
Totti had nothing left.
The shot was straight at him and lacked pace; Leon caught it without the slightest effort.
But the manner in which Leon gathered that ball completely redefined what fans thought they knew.
Leon extended his right arm straight out, caught the ball, and held it, feet planted without moving an inch, his left hand all but in his pocket.
"Shaolin Soccer! That's exactly the goalkeeper's move from Shaolin Soccer!"
"Unbelievable! Leon has reproduced that iconic move in a real match!"
"This is absolutely ridiculous!"
"Look at Leon's face, so utterly calm! The coolness factor is off the charts!"
"Quick, check whether Totti is going down on his knees like Stephen Chow!"
Out on the pitch, Totti naturally did not drop to his knees.
But he did lean forward, hands on his thighs, and bowed his head.
The referee's whistle blew.
The match was over.
AC Milan had won 1-0 away at Roma.
"We've lost."
When Totti lifted his head, all he could see was AC Milan's players celebrating wildly.
With this defeat, Roma's gap behind Juventus in the table stretched to 12 points.
The Serie A title was slipping further and further away.
'Is there really no chance of winning the Serie A title one more time?'
A faint shadow of sadness crossed Totti's face.
When was the last time they had been champions?
The 2000-01 season, 14 years ago.
So long ago.
So long that Totti had almost forgotten what it felt like to be a Serie A champion.
Totti did not dwell for long; he quickly pulled himself together and walked over to the younger players, going to each one in turn to offer a word of comfort.
They all knew that with fewer than ten matches remaining and a 12-point gap, chasing down Juventus was all but impossible.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! Clean sheet against Totti! Victory over Roma! You may draw a Totti Badge!"
Leon was buried at the bottom of another pile of celebrating teammates.
And at that moment, the system notification sounded in his mind right on cue.
This moment was everything.
Leon looked up at the sky and for the first time felt a deep sense of satisfaction in his heart.
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