Rise of a Football God

In the 23rd minute of this game, the deadlock was broken…, by Real Madrid.

Kylian Mbappe struck!

It was a customary Kylian Mbappe goal, but first, the credit needed to go to the solid defending that was just put out by the men in white.

It was FC Barcelona on the attack.

After winning the ball back in their own half, pass after pass, play after play, the Catalans worked their way up the field till they bore down on Real Madrid's 18-yard box even as the tens of thousands of fans in white all around this stadium drowned them in an ocean of boos.

Bam!

Sam received a pass from Pedri in the 18-yard box and immediately, he heard footsteps behind him even as he instinctively spread his body, protecting the ball.

With a powerful thud, he felt something, someone clattering into him from behind.

He didn't even need to look to know who it was. 'Damn Rudiger…!'

This was not the first time that the imposing German defender tried to rough him up this game. Rudiger had a no-nonsense playstyle of always targeting the opposition's best attacker, and his focus today was on Sam.

But Sam had no intentions of reducing himself to the defender's level, fighting a physical battle with him where he was sure to lose.

Instead of that, he fought with his own strengths.

His movement, his positioning, his interplay, that was what he used to confound Rudiger and at this moment, immediately after he received the ball and Rudiger clattered into him from behind, Sam's brain geared into overdrive.

Whoosh!

Rudiger swung his leg from behind, trying to steal the ball but expecting it, Sam blocked with his own leg, protecting the ball.

Federico Valverde closed down on him from the front, swinging for the ball too but with his leg on top the ball, Sam maintained control his absolute mastery of a football, dragging it back and forth to evade the Uruguayan.

"…!"

Sam was under a lot of pressure; any mistake and he would lose the ball but he didn't make a mistake because he just spotted a run.

Lamine Yamal just moved!

Bam!

Sam cleverly hit the ball with the outside of his left boot, sending it in between the little opening between the defenders as Lamine Yamal got the ball.

As soon as the teenage Spaniard took his first touch of the ball in such a position in the 18-yard box, the whole Real Madrid defense panicked even as the roar and boo of the home fans hit a crescendo.

Yamal barely controlled the ball though when Ferland Mendy, the Real Madrid left back clattered into him from the side.

Holding his ground, the young Spaniard dazzled.

Slowing down and with his left foot, he used a Cruyff turn to kill the ball's momentum, turning towards the right and just as Mendy followed him, he turned back as with the same left leg, he flicked the ball left.

An ultra-smooth body feint!

Mendy was fooled, slipping as he fell on his butt even as Yamal already left.

A brilliant piece of skill from the Barcelona winger to beat his man but apart from Rudiger, Real Madrid had another no-nonsense defender in central defense. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Swoosh!

David Alaba went on a ruthless sliding tackle as soon as Yamal destroyed Mendy, catching the young winger off-guard.

Startled, Yamal jumped, evading the Austrian's sprawling legs even as David Alaba intercepted the ball.

Before he could stand up though, another of his teammate already pounced.

Valverde who was closest to the loose ball pounced, hitting it up field but he didn't hit the ball blindly. It was not a clearance.

Rather, as soon as Alaba intercepted the ball, Valverde looked up field, spotting Kylian Mbappe who suddenly raised his hand, calling for him.

Bam!

Valverde hit the ball immediately, raising it and sending it toward him.

And then…

Bzzz!

A footrace started!

Kylian Mbappe vs Ronald Araujo!

Both were fast, but Mbappe was faster. This meant despite starting behind the defender, Mbappe ate yards of space like they were not there, just barely evading the Uruguayan to get to the ball first just outside the 18-yard box.

From defense to attack, the transition happened in nothing but an instant.

Kylian Mbappe had the ball and he was ahead of him already, but Ronald Araujo was not one to give up though.

Thud!

Maintaining his speed, Ronald Araujo clattered into Mbappe just before he entered the 18-yard box, shoving him with his shoulder.

Instead of resisting though, respecting Araujo's greater physicality, Mbappe rather disengaged from the physical duel.

This was not him giving up though, it was just him simply re-strategizing.

"Close him down!" From the touchline, Hansi Flick yelled at his defender as he realized the Madrid attacker's intentions first.@@novelbin@@

"…!" Ronald Araujo finally realized.

This position, this sequence…, it was Mbappe's trademark while he still plied his trade for Paris Saint Germain in France.

'NO! I need to close him down…!'

Araujo moved but it was already too late.

By slowing down and disengaging from the physical duel, the French captain, Kylian Mbappe allowed Araujo to overtake him but, in the process, it gave him more time on the ball to pick his moment.

With 2 touches of the ball, Kylian Mbappe regained his balance and then with a 3rd touch, pushing the ball to the right, a move that Araujo failed to intercept, Mbappe set himself up for the shot just outside the 18-yard box.

"…!"

Instantly, the Santiago Bernabeu fell silent in anticipation.

Just like Hansi Flick and then Ronald Araujo recognized this move, they also finally recognized it.

Afterall, it was not just Mbappe's trademark in PSG, it was also Ronaldo's trademark move at some point when he plied his trade for their club.

After setting himself up, Mbappe took a step and then with his right foot…

BAM!

He hit the ball, sending it on a curling trajectory towards the top right corner.

Having had an amazing game so far, Ter Stegen took a step before diving after the ball. He did everything perfectly, just the curl on the ball was too much, and the accuracy called for blood.

Whoosh!

The ball flew through the air, rolling, rotating, curling till it went past the goalkeeper's grasp, nestling into the net.

It was a goal.

"…!"

Silence, at the Bernabeu, then…

"GOALLLLLLLL…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"