Rise of a Football God

Like a God.

It was a strong word, an offensive word to some, but he used it.

The commentators used it because they could not help it. Watching Sam erupt like some monster, tearing the fearsome Inter Milan defense down with sheer brilliance, they could not hold themselves from comparing him to a God.

A football God.

In the 55th minute of this game, Sam scored.

55 minutes, 0-1…

Aggregate, 3-4…

After what seemed like forever, FC Barcelona were ahead again in the semifinal tie of the UEFA Champions League.

The traveling FC Barcelona fans celebrated for a long time, their excitement levels rising to an entirely new crescendo in this semifinal.

And then…

FWEEE!

The referee's whistle sounded, the signal to continue the game.

The Inter Milan fans across the stadium roared, turning the San Siro even more heated. This time, their voices were more aggressive, more hostile and slightly panicked. Clearly, they wanted their team to go on the attack.

And yet, the Inter Milan players didn't go on the attack.

That was not their style of play. That was not Simone Inzaghi's way, and tonight, the home fans felt themselves frustrated like never before with their team.

Inter Milan was losing, and yet, they continued playing their normal game, giving the Catalans the chance to ride the momentum of their goal and create even more danger with the ball.

Lamine Yamal remained a menace, combining with Kounde, Sam, and Pedri to devastating effect as they kept on trying audacious dribbles.

Most worked, some didn't.

And yet, all of it caused the home Italian fans trepidation as they felt like any tiny mistake could result in a goal.

This was not a game for the faint-hearted.

This was a game of real tension, a game that could induce high blood pressure in the weak.

In the 61st minute, receiving the ball outside the box, with a drop of the shoulder, Sam nutmegged Calnanoglou, bursting into the Inter Milan 18-yard box before unleashing a piledriver at goal.

POW!

The sound of the ball being hit reverberated like thunder.

And this time, Yann Sommer outdid himself, going down fast enough on a full stretch dive to push the ball against the post, ricocheting back into his defender's path and Bastoni did not hesitate, clearing the ball to safety.

But in this game, safety was an illusion. It was that intense.

In the 66th minute, Inter Milan finally found what they wanted, a counterattacking chance. Federico Dimarco ran like a mad man with the ball through the flanks before crossing to Lautaro Martinez.

Martinez jumped, winning the aerial ball but just before he could shoot the ball after landing, Pau Cubarsi recklessly put his head on the way again, heading the ball away.

The young center defender would have suffered a head injury if Lautaro Martinez didn't hold his leg at the last moment.

When the Argentine striker stood up, helping the defender up as he massaged his head, he looked at him with an incredulous expression on his face.

'What a madman!' He thought.

Pau Cubarsi barely reacted to his look, already focusing back on the game.

In the 72nd minute, Nicolo Barella dribbled into the Barca 18-yard box after another counterattacking run but Ter Stegen calmly took his shot from the air before throwing it up field, launching a Barca counter-counterattack.

The last 2 dozen minutes of the game was a thriller.

FC Barcelona tried their best to break down the Inter Milan defense a second time, and score their second goal of the night, while Inter also struggled to break Barcelona's defense.

After all the fanfare, all the psychological ploy, the home advantage, the noise being made by their fans, all of it didn't seem to matter as FC Barcelona continued playing at an absolutely elite level.

In the 77th minute, Raphinha got the next best chance of this game, bursting into the 18-yard box from the left like a ghost before sneaking a powerful shot towards the bottom right corner.

Yann Sommer was beaten, but not the Inter defense. Once again, Alessandro Bastoni was a rock at the back for the Italian club.

The Italian defender reacted as soon as Raphinha hit the ball, falling back towards the left side of his net from his perspective.

And when the ball came, he was fast enough to push his leg out, intercepting the ball before it could sneak into his net.

It was a goal-line clearance!

Awkwardly, Bastoni clattered painfully into the post. He groaned in pain but he already did his work, and adrenaline made the pain feel mild.

After his goal-line clearance, another defender, Acerbi jumped in, clearing the ball but due to the tension, it was another botched clearance.

Instead of clearing the ball up field, the ball fell towards Lamine Yamal who was at the edge of the box.

Receiving the ball, the young Spanish winger went to work as Inter Milan players quickly closed him down.

A stagger, a drop of the shoulder, a ball shuffle, another ball push, and then…

BAM!

Lamine Yamal cradled the ball with the inside of his left foot, curling it towards the top left corner with terrible precision.

And yet, once again, Yann Sommer stood tall like a wall.

The goalkeeper dived, doing the incredible to get a touch on the ball, tipping it over the bar for a corner kick.

FC Barcelona played the corner kick. Inigo Martinez rose highest, planting a firm header at goal but it was too direct. Yann Sommer picked the ball from the air, rushing forward to find a good passing option, but he didn't find one.

Inter Milan was desperate now, time was running out.

It was 80 minutes already, yet still no goal.

85 minutes, still no goal…

Inter Milan finally left their shell, recklessly going on the attack.

Ready for the pressure, the Barcelona defense caught Inter offside twice in 3 minutes. Besides, due to pushing so eagerly up field, Inter was exposed at the back as Raphinha almost scored the 2nd goal if not for another Yann Sommer intervention at the back.

The game was end to end, filled with tension, passion, and determination.

And yet, inevitably, there are always losers and winners.

FWEEEE!

The ref's whistle sounded.

The game… was over.