GRANDMAESTA_30
patreon
Chapter 212: Champions League Semifinals, First Leg 2
🕑 Added 2025-10-23 14:57:54 +0000 UTCMartin Taylor (commentary): “Casillas! Perfect timing to come off his line! That was a top-class decision from the Spanish keeper—and you have to say, Arsenal’s move was brilliant too. Kai’s switch of play completely caught Real Madrid off guard!”
Alan Smith: “Yes, and you can see what Arsenal are trying to do here. They’re not sitting back; they’re looking to strike early. That ball from Kai was world-class.”
Martin Taylor: “Arsenal’s corner now, and the Emirates crowd are up again!”
Both sets of players packed into the box, jostling for position.
Mertesacker drew the most attention—his height and heading threat were hard to ignore. Kai, meanwhile, found himself tightly marked by Pepe.
The Portuguese defender was all over him, shoving, tugging, using every trick in the book. But Kai held his ground like a wall, barely budging.
The whistle blew. Cazorla approached and whipped in the corner with pace.
Kai darted forward—Pepe followed—but then Kai suddenly stopped dead. Pepe hesitated for a split second.
Then, in one motion, Kai crouched and exploded upward—leaping like a coiled spring released.
Bang!
His header met the ball cleanly, driving it toward the top corner.
But once again, Casillas was there—diving, stretching out both hands to claw it away.
Martin Taylor: “Kaaaiii! With the header—ohhh, Casillas again! What a save!”
Alan Smith: “That’s unbelievable goalkeeping! Two massive stops from Casillas to keep Real Madrid level!”
Kai landed, stomping the turf in frustration. Pepe, beside him, could only stare. He’d just watched Kai rise higher than Ramos himself—off a standing jump.
That kind of leg and core power… Pepe had only seen it before in Ronaldo.
Casillas was already shouting at his defenders. His voice cut through the roar of the crowd.
“Stay switched on! Watch your marks!” he barked, gesturing furiously.
Two lapses in concentration—two near goals. For a man of his standards, it was unacceptable.
“Come on. Focus! Let’s move it forward!”
Real Madrid’s players clapped and shouted, rallying each other. The brief panic was gone in seconds, replaced by that familiar composure of a team that had seen it all.
Kai took it all in, sighing inwardly.
Against most teams, those two attacks would have cracked them open mentally.
But not Madrid. Their ability to reset so quickly—that was what separated the good from the great.
“Come on. Keep it up, we go again!” Kai shouted, motioning to his teammates as Arsenal regrouped.
Communication buzzed across the pitch—calls, gestures, reminders. The energy was high, the tempo relentless.
From the touchline, Pat Rice was urging the team forward beside Wenger, both men nodding approvingly.
On the opposite bench, Carlo Ancelotti stood with arms folded, eyes narrowed in thought.
He hadn’t expected Arsenal to open like this. That early ambush—quick transitions, direct play—it wasn’t typical Wenger football. But it was effective.
They’d clearly drilled it on the training ground, and the level of communication between players was striking. Ancelotti valued that—he wanted his own teams to play with freedom and fluidity, not like robots obeying tactics.
That was why he let his stars—Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale—roam into spaces they felt comfortable in. When players enjoyed their football, the results followed.
Now, watching Arsenal, he saw a similar philosophy taking shape.
His gaze settled on the young captain wearing the red armband.
Still just twenty years old—practically a kid in football. But there was nothing childish about his presence.
Ancelotti had studied Kai’s profile before the match. Talented, yes, but technically not the type that usually caught his eye.
Now, though, watching him orchestrate from midfield—commanding, tackling, passing with vision—Ancelotti began to rethink that assessment.
Kai wasn’t just a tactical core. He was the spiritual core of this team.
And that combination—tactical and emotional leadership—was rare in football.
Ancelotti allowed himself a small smile.
“He’s still green but already special,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head slightly. “But give him time… and he’ll be the...”
Real Madrid launched their attack — the ball was worked out to Bale on the right wing.
Beri dropped back to receive it, but Kai stayed close, pressing him tightly.
However, just as the ball touched his foot, Bale quickly knocked it back.
Kai's Foresight blared, glanced up, and immediately shouted, “Sagna! Watch your back!”
Sagna, who had been about to close in on Cristiano Ronaldo, froze for a split second — just enough to turn and spot the danger.
Sure enough, the ball was being played into the space behind him.
Cristiano Ronaldo burst forward, eyes locked on the pass.
But Sagna reacted just as fast. He cut across Ronaldo’s run, muscling his way into position, reached the ball first, and swept it across to Mertesacker. Crisis averted.
Kai exhaled sharply, a trace of tension easing from his face. But his expression soon hardened again.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale — that wing combination had the same devastating edge as Robben and Ribéry at their peak.
Carlo Ancelotti’s plan was clear: attack Arsenal where they were weakest — down the flanks.
“They’re targeting my speed again,” Kai muttered, clenching his jaw. It was a frustrating feeling, being singled out like that. But what could he do? Speed wasn’t something you could fix mid-match.
At least Ramsey was covering beside him — the Welshman’s energy could help ease the pressure. But Kai still had to anchor the midfield, protect the back line, and dictate the defensive shape.
“Arsenal reacted really well there,” said Martin Taylor in the commentary box. “Sagna read that situation perfectly. If that ball had slipped past him—”
Alan Smith let out a breath. “Once Ronaldo gets into the box, it’s chaos — like dropping a bomb in the defense.”
On the pitch, Kai’s focus sharpened again. His eyes flicked between Bale and Modrić.
Modrić — that man was something else.
Kai had anticipated several of his passes already, yet the Croatian always found a way to disguise his intentions, to shift the rhythm just enough to make defenders hesitate.
Every faint twist of his ankle, every body swerve — it could spark danger in an instant.
“The Croatian maestro at work again,” Alan Smith remarked. “You can see why he’s become such a complete midfielder since joining Real Madrid.”
Kai’s gaze shifted toward Benzema, lurking near the edge of the box. Another problem waiting to happen.
Then, from the crowd, came a sudden collective gasp.
Kai spun his head just in time to see Modrić glide past Cazorla, then split the defense with a perfectly weighted ball — right into the space behind Mertesacker.
A clever one — exploiting Mertesacker’s slow turn.
Benzema was already sprinting through.
Both Mertesacker and Sagna chased him, but the Frenchman reached it first, stretching to hook the ball on the volley.
He got a touch — but as he landed, his standing foot gave way. He stumbled, falling awkwardly.
Mertesacker tumbled too, the pair crashing to the turf.
Kai’s instincts screamed danger. He charged back toward the goal.
From the ground, Benzema scrambled up and swung his leg at the ball.
It wasn’t clean — but it was on target.
Szczęsny crouched, one leg tucked, and gathered the ball — but it slipped through his arms!
“Szczęsny spills it! Arsenal in trouble here!” Martin Taylor’s voice spiked with alarm.
The ball rolled out into the box — straight to Cristiano Ronaldo, who was ready to pounce.
He wound up his right leg for the strike—
But before his foot could connect, a red-and-white blur tore across his vision.
Kai came flying in from the side, sliding with perfect timing.
With a powerful sweep of his leg, he cleared the ball away.
Ronaldo froze mid-swing, staring in disbelief.
For a heartbeat, he even forgot to throw himself down for a penalty.
