The match had reached the 80th minute and the scoreline remained 2-0, with AC Milan in front.
In the second half, Leon had made five consecutive one-on-one saves against Inter Milan.
He had also created at least three threatening attacking opportunities with his throws.
It was just a shame that neither Suso nor Menez had been able to take their chances.
By this point, Mancini Jr. on the touchline had finally worked out what was happening.
He did not understand the reason behind it, but he knew that Leon's ability to save one-on-ones was on another level entirely.
Ten minutes earlier, Mancini Jr. had finally made an adjustment, abandoning the pursuit of one-on-one opportunities and instead trying to work the ball into the penalty area through layered combination play before shooting.
This approach had produced noticeably better results.
A close-range shot from Icardi had come agonisingly close to breaking through the goal Leon was guarding.
'This cannot go on.'
Leon's goalkeeping abilities were currently quite uneven.
If he allowed Inter Milan to keep attacking in this way, keeping a clean sheet would be very difficult to guarantee.
AC Milan's defensive line was clearly a weak unit.
Whether it was Lami, Mexes, or Zappata, they were all big, physical defenders who lacked mobility and were painfully slow to turn.
Icardi and Palacio could easily manufacture shooting opportunities through off-the-ball movement.
'We need to score again and completely break Inter Milan's spirit.'
'At 2-0, if they pull one back, Inter Milan will throw everything into forcing a draw.'
Leon thought quietly to himself.
A whistle sounded.
AC Milan had won a free kick in the attacking half, around 25 metres from goal.
A chance.
A bold idea formed in Leon's mind.
Since arriving at AC Milan from Segunda División B, Leon's goalkeeping ability had improved enormously, but he had also acquired the [Knuckleball Master] badge from Ronaldo.
His free kick attribute had also reached 15.
Let's go.
Leon sprinted quickly toward the attacking half.
At that moment, neither the supporters in the stadium nor the viewers watching the broadcast had their attention on Leon, as everyone was focused on the spot where the free kick would be taken.
In fact, the broadcast camera had not even panned to Leon.
Menez and Torres had both positioned themselves over the ball, each looking as though they wanted to take the free kick.
In AC Milan's current squad, there was no longer a set-piece specialist.
To think that once upon a time, the players standing over these kicks had been Pirlo, Beckham, and Ronaldinho.
What a golden era that had been.
Now AC Milan had to make do with the best of what was available.
The free kick ability across the squad was fairly ordinary.
"Hey, let me take this one!"
"I need more chances to score."
Torres said to Menez.
Since both Menez and Suso tended to drive forward and shoot on their own, Torres as the striker up front barely touched the ball.
With no touches, how could he shoot?
With no shots, how could he score?
Torres had worked hard to score his goal in this match and break his drought, and he clearly wanted to take advantage of the momentum and add another.
While the two of them were still arguing over it, the referee's whistle had already blown and the free kick was ready to be taken.
"Fine, you take it."
Menez finally backed down.
Torres let out a long breath, measured his run-up, and prepared to step forward.
At that very moment, a figure suddenly flashed past him, charged straight to the ball, and swung hard at the bottom half of it.
"Good grief!"
"Can someone tell me where he came from?"
"Who is that? Hang on. The goalkeeper!"
"Is this a tactic? What an extraordinary tactic!"
Every supporter watching erupted into disbelief.
But there was no time to think further.
The ball was already spinning through the air, dipping and rising unpredictably, its trajectory almost impossible to track.
"This is absolute chaos!"
"What is a goalkeeper doing here!"
"Watch this fly straight out for a..."
"Wait. The ball has gone in?"
"I never said a word..."
The ball appeared to be sailing high and wide, only to suddenly drop sharply and curl into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Swish!
Goooooooal!
"It's in!"
"A knuckleball!"
"That is a textbook knuckleball!"
Players on both sides stood momentarily frozen.
Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanović remained rooted to the spot without any reaction, making no attempt to save it.
At that moment, he genuinely felt like crying.
Why is it always me?
Leon, why do you have to go this far?
It was only when Leon sprinted back toward his own goal that the AC Milan players on the pitch snapped out of their daze and began charging after him to celebrate.
But as they ran, they suddenly realised they could not keep up.
Could a goalkeeper really be this fast?
Only after Leon had run back to his position and come to a stop did Suso, Menez, and Torres finally catch up, and all four of them came together in an embrace to celebrate.
Leon's hair was thoroughly ruffled in the process.
"Leon, you absolute legend!"
Torres's emotions were all over the place.
He had gone to all that trouble to claim the free kick, only for Leon to take it from under his nose.
Yet somehow he could not find it in himself to feel the slightest bit annoyed and could only shake his head and laugh.
There was no way he could have produced a free kick of that quality himself.
A goalkeeper, in a single match, had registered an assist and scored a goal.
What else was there to say?
On the touchline, Inzaghi celebrated as though he had scored himself, dropping to his knees in a sliding celebration.
Leon had delivered him an extraordinary gift.
The previous fifteen minutes had seen AC Milan completely on the back foot, pinned down by Inter Milan's pressure.
With the goal looking increasingly vulnerable, Leon had rewritten the scoreline to 3-0 with a perfect knuckleball free kick.
And he was a goalkeeper.
Inter Milan had now completely lost the will to fight.
Mancini Jr. had already sat back down on the bench.
He had effectively conceded this match.
Recovering three goals in under ten minutes was simply not possible.
His substitutions were long used up, and there was very little Mancini Jr. could do now to influence what was happening on the pitch.
And looking at the Inter Milan players out there, dazed and defeated.
This match was done.
Was his job as manager really about to be gone?
Mancini Jr.'s thoughts were in disarray.
In the remaining ten minutes, nothing further of note occurred.
Inter Milan had no appetite left to fight.
The 3-0 scoreline held to the final whistle.
AC Milan had won the Milan Derby.
Leon had lit up the Milan Derby.
"Leon! Leon! Leon!"
The moment the match ended, the south stand at San Siro, home of the most devoted AC Milan faithful, had begun chanting his name in perfect unison.
How long does it take to win over the Milan supporters?
One match was enough.
---