The FIFA Club World Cup semi-final between Inter Milan and Seongnam Ilhwa saw the Nerazzurri suffer a major blow just after the final whistle, as Wesley Sneijder had to leave the pitch after touching the ball only once due to a left leg injury. As everyone lamented Inter's bad luck, Dejan Stanković stepped up. This long-serving player of Inter delivered a precise left-footed low shot to put the Blue and Black Army in front! It could be said that this was a blessing in disguise for Inter. In fact, Inter's second goal also benefited from Stanković’s masterful pass: In the 31st minute, Stanković received the ball with his back to the goal, seemingly sensing a Korean player rushing to tackle him from behind, he immediately passed the ball to the vacant space on the right flank, allowing Javier Zanetti to proceed through layers of defenders and ultimately help Inter Milan secure a two-goal lead in the first half. And Diego Milito’s goal also owed much to Stanković’s brilliant pass; at that time, the Serbian sent the ball to the left, which led to Samuel Eto'o's powerful shot, allowing Milito to capitalize on the rebound in front of the goal.
Whenever the team doctor Dejan steps in to fetch the aspirin, the Blue and Black Army is sure to recover. From the authoritative media Opta data, it can be seen how perfect Stanković's performance was: Stanković made 38 passes with 33 successful ones, including 3 key passes. One shot resulted in one goal. In addition, there were 7 crosses and 1 successful tackle.
Interestingly, Eto'o had predicted midweek that Stanković would open the scoring for Inter Milan. Although number five didn't repeat his hat-trick as Eto'o had said, Stanković's goal was invaluable. Recently, during an exclusive interview with "Inter Channel," Stanković revealed some secrets.
Currently planning to retire in 3-4 years, Stanković was so ashamed after Inter Milan's defeat against Villarreal that he even considered retiring. Stanković said: "That game made me feel humiliated, the fans were all angry, they were right, I even thought about leaving Inter Milan." This was the first time Stanković might have left Inter. The second time was after Mancini left, when Stanković almost went to Juventus, but thanks to Mourinho's last-minute persuasion, Stanković achieved today's success. Stanković 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 are not a problem, but the answer to the problem!'"
Stanković's goal came at the 2 minute 40 second mark, when Eto'o maneuvered past two defenders on the left side and sent a low cross to Milito. Milito tried to dribble past a defender but was tackled, Stanković quickly inserted himself into the play, dodging Cho Byung-kyu's sliding tackle. A huge gap appeared in the middle of Seongnam Ilhwa's defense, and Stanković cut into the penalty area, completing the goal with a left-footed low shot! This goal came so suddenly and swiftly that everyone was caught off guard. Fans were still worried about Sneijder who had just left the field, when they were quickly brought back to heaven by Stanković's goal. The "Milan Sports Daily" exclaimed: "Under the watchful eyes of two Korean defenders, Stanković completed a seemingly effortless strike!" It's hard to imagine what the result of the match would have been without Stanković's goal, just like his saving performance against Parma.
Stanković's masterful performance also impressed the media, praising the veteran's remarkable form. "Slow Lens" called it "the Serbian's magical moment once again, he is the tough guy among the core players of Inter, an absolutely masterful performance!" And "Inter Channel", while giving Stanković the highest score of 7.5, compared Stanković to the soul of the team: "He is everywhere, the soul of the team, it is this man who gave wings to Zanetti, orchestrating the second goal."