Rise of a Football God

Halftime…

The tension in the FC Barcelona dressing room was palpable.

It was just 45 minutes but the FC Barcelona players were filled with sweat, slugging water down their throats.

Hansi Flick sat among his players, quiet for a few minutes, but then he stood up. In direct contrast to the tension that filled the room at this moment, the German coach had a relaxed smile on his face.

"Who are we?" He asked.

His players looked at him.

Hansi Flick shook his head, disappointed. "Who are we?" He raised his voice.

"Barcelona". Pedri answered.

"Good!" Hansi Flick asked, then with burning eyes, he looked round his players and asked again. "Who are we?"

"Barcelona they answered".

He grinned, then yelled. "WHO ARE WE?!"

"BARCELONA!" The players roared.

"Good, good thing you know". He smiled. "You hear all that noise? All that booing in the first half, it's a good sign, signs that they fear us".

"I know what my team can do, and you also know what we can do".

"All we need is to calm down and do it".

"1 goal, that's all we need. Maybe 2, but first things first". He chuckled.

The players finally smiled, looking at their coach with a new fire in his eyes.

"Do you believe we can win?"

"Yes coach!"

"Do you believe we can do it?"

"Yes coach!"

"Then let's go and do it!"

"WE'RE FC BARCELONA!"

"VISCA BARCA!"

Halftime elapsed.

The players stepped back into the pitch. Stepping into the pitch again, Sam was assaulted by the loud noise of the Inter fans again but this time, all it triggered in him was a defiant will to win.

He grinned darkly.

'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'

The voice already started singing in his head.

This time, it sang a lullaby of liberation.

FWEEE!

The second half started and all hell broke loose.

Just like the FC Barcelona players, Simone Inzaghi also addressed his players during halftime, setting the flames of determination ablaze in their souls.

The war that started in the first half continued in the second.

This time, Inter Milan stood as an even fiercer resistance, matching FC Barcelona's pressure man to man.

They hit back with the same pressure, more potent, more charged.

It was the UEFA Champions League final.

If anything, to them, this was the final of the tournament already. If they won this game, they would be one step to winning the trophy already.

So, there was no need trying to preserve themselves, preserve energy.

The players of both teams went all out, leaving it all on the pitch.

Elite players thrive in tight situations. And tonight, a stand-out for FC Barcelona this season did what he did best again, being clutch.

In the 55th minute of this game, Sam struck, like a Viper.

After dribbling from the right, Lamine Yamal was forced to drift back outside the box where he noticed that Sam dropped out of the 18-yard box also, all parts of the strategies they were employing to break down Inter's fearsome defense.

The Inter defense responded to Sam's erratic movements, becoming slightly disorganized.

For a moment, Lamine Yamal became bold.

He wanted to take advantage of the slight opening that Sam's movement caused to have a go at it, trying to curl the ball in but then he changed his mind.

Sam was right here, so why take the risk?

Bam!

He passed the ball to Sam and immediately, an Inter player applied pressure on him, Calhanoglou. Expecting it, Sam used it against the enemy player.

At the last moment, he jumped over the ball, rapidly spinning around even as caught off guard, Halkan Calhanoglou let the ball roll in between his legs.

The Inter Milan midfielder tugged at Sam as soon as he moved but expecting it again, Sam slowed down, letting the midfielder clatter into him from behind. Smashing against his tall and powerful frame was like hitting a wall; Calhanoglou staggered, falling gracelessly to the ground.

Sam pushed forward, entering the 18-yard box.

Whoosh!

Denzel Dumfries went on a sliding tackle.

But having anticipated it with his spatial awareness, Sam slowed down, trapping the ball and letting the Inter Milan player slide past.

Then, he moved.

He barely moved, when Alessandro Bastoni stuck out a leg, perfectly aiming to tackle the ball.

It was an inch-perfect tackle.

And yet, in that moment, Sam was already in the state of ultra-instinct.

He had no right reacting to that inch-perfect tackle but he did. At the last moment, Sam's legs snapped like a Viper's bite, moving the ball one way and flicking it the other way in one smooth motion… an Elastico!

Bastoni was left awkwardly on his knees.

Sam cut through the Inter Milan defense entirely only this one time like a hot knife through butter, but it was enough. He was a clinical striker.

Yann Sommer rushed out of his post immediately after Sam moved past Bastoni to the left, but with his spatial awareness, once again, Sam predicted it even before the goalkeeper moved.

As soon as Sommer moved, Sam's right leg also moved, hitting the ball with the outside of his boot and sending the ball straight at goal.

Yann Sommer reacted, flailing his arms.

But it was not enough. The ball curved past his grasp, rising high before nestling into the top right corner.

Silence, just for a few seconds, then…

BOOM!

The away section of the San Siro exploded.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…!"

The FC Barcelona faithful roared at the top of their lungs even as Sam charged towards the corner flag with a goofy smile on his face, sliding on his knees even as he crossed his hands over each other, doing his Black Panther celebration.

His teammates swarmed him, celebrating at the top of their lungs.

Inter Milan was stunned.

The commentators were going crazy.

"ZINEDINE SAM!!!"

"ZINEDINE SAM!!!"

"ZINEDINE SAM!!!"

"HE'S STRUCK AGAIN! CLUTCH PLAYER! CLUTCH STRIKER!"

"Just when Barca needed him the most! He's showed up like a god!"

"How lucky they are to have him, the best striker in the world bar none!"