In the Club World Cup semifinal against Seongnam Ilhwa, Inter Milan was dealt a major blow almost immediately after the match began when Sneijder had to leave the field due to a left leg injury after touching the ball only once. Just as everyone lamented Inter's bad luck, Stanislas stepped up. This long-serving player of Inter Milan delivered a beautiful low shot with his left foot to put the Nerazzurri ahead! It could be said that misfortune turned into a blessing, and Stanislas perfectly exemplified this saying.
In fact, Inter Milan's second goal also benefited from Stanislas' masterful pass. In the 31st minute, Stanislas received the ball with his back to the goal, sensing a Korean player coming in to tackle him from behind. Without hesitation, he quickly passed the ball to the open space on the right flank, allowing Zanetti to surge forward through multiple layers of defense, ultimately helping Inter Milan secure a two-goal lead in the first half. Even Milito's goal owed a debt to Stanislas' brilliant pass, as it was the Serbian who sent the ball to the left side, enabling Eto'o to make a powerful shot upon advancing, which allowed Milito to score by capitalizing on the rebound.
Whenever the emergency team member Dejan steps out with aspirin, the Blue and Black army is sure to recover swiftly. From authoritative media Opta's statistics, one can see how perfect Stanislas' performance was: Stanislas made 38 passes, successfully completing 33, including three key threat-creating passes. One shot resulted in one goal. Additionally, there were seven crosses and one successful tackle.
Interestingly, midweek Eto'o had predicted that Stanislas would open the scoring for Inter Milan. Although number five didn't replicate his previous hat-trick as Eto'o had suggested, Stanislas' goal proved invaluable. Recently, during an exclusive interview with "Inter Channel," Stanislas revealed some secrets.
Currently planning to retire in 3-4 years, Stanislas was so ashamed after Inter Milan's crushing defeat against Villarreal that he even considered retirement. Stanislas said: "That game humiliated me greatly; the fans were all angry, and they were right. I even thought about leaving Inter Milan." This was the first time Stanislas might have left Inter Milan. The second occasion was after Mancini's departure, when Stanislas almost went to Juventus. Fortunately, Mourinho's last-minute persuasion kept Stanislas and led to his achievements today. Stanislas said: "Mourinho told me, 'Dejan, I don't care what the media reports. This is my opinion: even if Lampard comes, it won't affect your position. For me, you're not a problem but the solution to the problem!'"
Stanislas' goal came at the 2:40 mark. At that time, Eto'o dribbled past two defenders on the left wing before sending a low pass to Milito. Milito tried to dribble past a defender but was tackled, allowing Stanislas to advance, evade Cho Byung-Kook's slide tackle, and find a large gap in the center of Seongnam Ilhwa's defense. Cutting into the penalty area, Stanislas completed the goal with a low left-footed shot! This goal came so suddenly and quickly that everyone was caught off guard. Fans were still worrying about Sneijder's recent departure when they were instantly brought back to joy by Stanislas' goal. The "Milan Sports Daily" exclaimed: "Under the watchful eyes of two Korean defenders, Stanislas executed a seemingly effortless shot!" It's hard to imagine what the outcome of the match would have been without Stanislas' goal. Just like in the match against Parma, Stanislas' rescue performance saved the day.
Stanislas' masterful performance also impressed the media, who praised the veteran's excellent condition. "Slow Lens" remarked, "The Serbian magician has performed again! He is the pure man among Inter Milan's core players, absolutely delivering a master-class performance!" And when "Inter Channel" awarded Stanislas the highest score of 7.5, they even compared him to the soul of the team: "He is everywhere, the soul of the team. It is this man who gave wings to Zanetti and orchestrated the second goal."