April 26 - Semi-Final Draw
The remaining four teams:
Barcelona AC Milan Manchester City Inter Milan
Barcelona were drawn against AC Milan.
The Italians had defeated Napoli and Benfica to reach this stage. Strong defense. Tactical discipline. Dangerous on the counter.
But Barcelona were favorites.
May 2, 2023 - Semi-Final, First LegAC Milan vs Barcelona - San Siro
The San Siro. Seventy-five thousand passionate Italian fans. One of European football's most intimidating atmospheres.
Milan set up defensively. Stefano Pioli's game plan was clear: frustrate Barcelona, keep it tight, steal a goal on the counter.
For seventy-three minutes, the plan worked perfectly. Milan defended heroically. Barcelona dominated possession—68%—but couldn't break through.
0-0. Growing frustration for Barcelona.
Then, in the seventy-fourth minute, Ethan produced magic.
Receiving the ball on the left wing, he cut inside. Four Milan defenders converged. He performed a quintuple step-over—left, right, left, right, left—mesmerizing all four.
Then he struck from twenty-five meters. The ball curled wickedly, beat Maignan's dive, and settled into the top corner.
0-1 Barcelona.
Goal of the season candidate. Pure genius.
Milan threw everything forward desperately. But Barcelona held firm.
Final score: AC Milan 0-1 Barcelona.
Perfect away win. Clean sheet. One goal advantage.
May 10 - Semi-Final, Second LegBarcelona vs AC Milan - Camp Nou
Barcelona needed to avoid defeat. Milan needed to score twice.
Camp Nou was a cauldron. The fans could sense the Champions League final was within reach.
Milan came to attack. They had no choice. Played with bravery and quality.
In the thirty-ninth minute, they equalized on aggregate. Rafael Leão. Brilliant individual goal.
1-0 Milan. 1-1 aggregate.
Suddenly, the tie was level. Away goals no longer existed, so extra time loomed.
But Ethan had other ideas.
In the stroke of halftime, he restored Barcelona's lead.
A free kick from thirty meters. He curled it over the wall. Maignan got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.
1-1 on the night. 2-1 aggregate to Barcelona.
In the seventy-second minute, he sealed it.
A brilliant team move. Pedri to Gavi. Gavi to Ethan. One touch to control. One touch to finish.
2-1 on the night. 3-1 aggregate.
His sixth Champions League goal against Milan across the two legs. Unstoppable.
Milan tried desperately for the next eighteen minutes. But Barcelona's defense held firm.
Final whistle.
Barcelona 2-1 AC Milan (3-1 aggregate).
BARCELONA IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL.
Celebration
Camp Nou exploded. Grown men crying. Players hugging. Koeman on his knees.
Barcelona were back in the Champions League final after eight years.
Ethan collapsed to his knees, arms raised to the sky, tears streaming down his face.
His teammates mobbed him. He'd scored five goals across both semi-final legs. Carried them to the final.
At the medal ceremony, as captain, he addressed the crowd.
"We're going to Istanbul! We're bringing the Champions League back to Barcelona! This is OUR year!"
The crowd roared their approval.
The Other Semi-Final
Manchester City defeated Inter Milan 3-1 on aggregate.
Champions League Final: Barcelona vs Manchester City
The final would be held at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10, 2023.
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City vs Barcelona. Master vs former club.
Haaland vs Loki. The two best strikers in the world.
De Bruyne vs Pedri. Midfield maestros.
The perfect final.
End of Chapter 43