Coach Chivu had emphasized one thing during the break: discipline. "Maintain the offside line!" he'd stressed, gesturing with his hands.

"Simons and their strikers will try to run in behind. Don't let them. Work as a unit, push up together."

Inter's defense, led by the experienced Stefan de Vrij (Current: 87) and the ever-alert Alessandro Bastoni (Current: 87), immediately put the coach's words into action.

"Leão makes a run!" the commentator's voice boomed. "A through-ball from Bennacer!"

Leon watched as Ismaël Bennacer (Current: 86) threaded a pass forward, aiming for Rafael Leão who was sprinting into the box.

Above Leão, Leon saw the familiar leg and a burst of speed icon, followed by a foot and a shot icon. But then, he also saw a shimmering red flag icon appear near the touchline.

"OFFSIDE!" the linesman's flag shot up.

"And it's an offside!"

"The Inter defense held their line perfectly! A well-executed offside trap by Coach Chivu's men!"

A collective groan rose from the AC Milan fans, while the black and blue faithful cheered.

Inter had clearly worked on this. They were disciplined, moving as one. Time and again, AC Milan's attempts to break through were thwarted by the perfectly timed defensive line.

Xavi Simons (Current: 86) grew increasingly frustrated.

He dropped deeper, trying to pick up the ball, but Nicolò Barella and Hakan Çalhanoğlu were relentless, hounding him, giving him no space to breathe.

Around the 64th minute, AC Milan managed to string together a dangerous passing sequence in Inter's half. The ball moved quickly from right to left, eventually finding Simons on the edge of the box.

Leon, who had tracked back, found himself closing in on Simons, along with Denzel Dumfries.

Simons received the ball, his 'Current: 86' radiating a mix of frustration and determination. He looked up, saw Leon approaching, and a smirk played on his lips.

"Wonderkid, huh?"

Simons muttered, his voice low enough for only Leon to hear amidst the roar of the crowd.

He feinted, trying to draw Leon in.

"Let's see what you've really got."

Just as Simons finished speaking, the ball was poked away from him by a quick tackle from Barella.

It bounced towards Leon. At the same time, an AC Milan defender, Theo Hernández (Current: 88), sprinted to close Leon down, joining Simons in a pincer movement.

Leon saw the shimmering icons above Simons, a leg and a block, trying to cut off his passing lane.

Above Hernández, a leg and a powerful tackle, aiming to dispossess him.

He was under double pressure, exactly the condition for his new skill.

Without a second thought, Leon activated [Blind Side Escape!].

As Simons and Hernández converged, Leon didn't try to force a pass or a risky dribble forward.

Instead, with a lightning-quick touch, he nudged the ball backwards with the sole of his boot, spinning on his heel as he did so.

It was a completely unexpected move. Simons overran the ball slightly, and Hernández, anticipating a forward dribble, lunged into empty space.

Leon was free! He had escaped the trap, leaving both players momentarily bewildered. The ball was still at his feet, and he was now facing the AC Milan goal, with a clear path down the left wing.

"Leon Fischer! He's somehow wriggled free!" the commentator shouted, clearly amazed.

"A fantastic piece of skill!"

He burst forward, his 'Current: 84' humming with renewed energy.

He drove towards the byline, the crowd roaring with every touch. He looked up, scanning the box. Lautaro Martínez (Current: 88) was making a run, trying to get free from his marker.

Julián Álvarez (Current: 87) was also positioning himself.

Leon saw the head and a powerful header icon above Lautaro.

He knew Lautaro was ready to attack the ball. Leon decided to deliver a cross. He whipped the ball in, a curling delivery aimed perfectly for Lautaro's head.

"Leon with the cross!" the commentator yelled.

"Lautaro is there!"

BOOM! Lautaro rose, connecting with the ball.

It was a powerful header, aimed at the top corner.

CLING!

The ball struck the crossbar with a sickening thud!

It bounced down, just inches from the goal line, before an AC Milan defender scrambled to clear it away.

"Oh, so close! Lautaro Martínez denied by the woodwork! What an effort!"

Leon clenched his fists. close! But the attack had shown the power of his new skill, and the potential for him and his teammates to combine.

AC Milan tried to counter, but Inter's defense was like a wall.

Another long ball was played forward, again aiming for Leão.

"Leão is through! He's in on goal!"

But just as Leão reached the ball, the linesman's flag shot up again.

"OFFSIDE!"

"Another offside!" the commentator sighed.

"The Inter Milan offside trap is working wonders today! AC Milan just can't break it!"

The game continued, a fierce back-and-forth battle.

The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. The tension in the stadium was palpable.

Then, in the 70th minute, Inter launched another attack.

Leon, drifting centrally, played a quick one-two with Julián Álvarez.

Álvarez received the return pass and drove into the box.

As he tried to cut inside, he was met by a lunging tackle from an AC Milan defender, Pierre Kalulu (Current: 85).

"OH! Álvarez is down!" the commentator exclaimed, his voice sharp with surprise.

"He's gone down in the box!"

The referee, who had been following the play closely, immediately blew his whistle and pointed to the spot.

"PENALTY! PENALTY FOR INTER MILAN!"

The San Siro erupted once more, a mix of furious protests from the AC Milan fans and ecstatic cheers from the Inter faithful.

Leon watched as the AC Milan players surrounded the referee, arguing vehemently, but the decision was made.

A penalty in the 70th minute of the Derby della Madonnina.

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A/N : This was a tough chapter to write, but I'm so happy with how it turned out. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

See you in the next chapter!