Rise of a Football God-Chapter 440: War in the rain [2]
45 minutes, 2-0…
48 minutes, 2-2…
"WHAT A GOALLLLL!" The commentators went haywire in excitement, screaming in a shrill voice that cut through the rain that was now a mere drizzle.
"SENSATIONAL!"
"Out of this world!"
"Crazy! What a crazy player, what a crazy goal!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, Lautaro Martinez is in the Spotify Camp Nou!"
This time, Lautaro Martinez did not shirk celebrating as he charged towards the corner flag, waving his arms in sheer excitement and passion for the game as he then slid on his knees, his figure cutting through the grass like an arrow head.
His teammates swarmed him, celebrating excitedly.
While the Inter Milan players celebrated, the FC Barcelona defenders were baffled as they stared at each other, not knowing exactly what went wrong.
'How?!' The same question rang in their minds.
And not just the players, the fans too.
After the ball entered the net a second time within just a few minutes, it was so unexpected that the Spotify Camp Nou briefly became as silent as a church.
It was not till Lautaro Martinez charged away in celebration that the away fans erupted, celebrating their striker at the top of their lungs.
Meanwhile, the FC Barcelona fans remained stunned, frozen, and then they reacted in the only way they could.
"BOOOOOOO…!"
They drowned the celebrating Inter Milan players in an ocean of boos.
And that? That was the catalyst.
This game was an interesting game from the very beginning, an extremely important game for both clubs, a season-defining game, a game of exceedingly high stakes.
But after this? The stakes rose even more, no longer just winning, but pride.
And now, the FC Barcelona players were put on the spot.
It was not an option any longer, they must win!
It was crazy pressure, but none of the players donning the red and blue of Barcelona shirked the responsibility. Rather, they soaked on it, letting it sink in to become fuel that'll push them forward.
The commentators calling it the war in the rain was more of a joke, but after that equalizer, it truly became a war.
A war in the rain.
After that equalizer, Hansi Flick finally left the shade for the first time this game, walking to the touchline on his rain coat as he gesticulated wildly, organizing his players and directing them even as the game restarted.
As for the FC Barcelona players?
They ramped up the pressure.
Those 2 goals were purely moments of individual brilliance from a single player. When it came to team performance, FC Barcelona was the vastly superior side this game and they ramped it up even more.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Passes, dribbles, pressure, everything, FC Barcelona ramped it up, running Inter Milan ragged to the ground even as the black and blue defended valiantly.
For the next few dozen minutes, Lautaro Martinez seemed to have changed occupation, rarely being seen in the striker position as he dropped to midfield to help his team weather the pressure and defend.
It was all Barcelona, and yet, the 3rd goal failed to materialize.
Sam especially was hungry again. Even in the drizzling rain, he was a menace, chasing every loose ball, receiving every pass and making use of it to the maximum, sending the Inter Milan defense shaking in trepidation every time he had the ball.
Lamine Yamal kept on doing his thing, running circles around his marker as he created chance after chance for his teammates.
He also took a few shots of his own, but nothing too much for Yann Sommer to handle. Raphinha was also a menace this game.
The Brazilian was a bundle of energy, running everywhere, leading the up field press as he almost scored the 3rd goal only for it to hit the bar.
In midfield, Pedri helped Barcelona press the opponents.
It was a crazy game, and yet, still no goal.
50 minutes, no goal…
60 minutes, no goal…
70 minutes, no goal…
And then, in the 77th minute, it happened.
It was another pass from Pedri into the 18-yard box where Sam lurked. Calmly bringing the ball down with his chest, Sam took a few touches with his lap before flicking the ball to the side where a certain Raphinha lurked.
The pressure in the Inter Milan box from the defenders was much but this time, the Brazilian's instinctive shot connected.
It was a volleyed shot.
POW!
It flew like a missile, rushing into the net with a shockwave-inducing force.
Yann Sommer could only stagger, falling to his butt and when he looked back, the ball was already inside his net.
That goal…, it made a whole fan base to writhe in joy, the FC Barcelona fan base as they celebrated like mad men and women.
Raphinha celebrated his goal exuberantly, charging towards the corner flag, jumping and pumping a fist at the fans even as the fans responded excitedly.
Then, he pointed at Sam, acknowledging him for the goal.
Sam didn't score tonight, but his mark was in all 3 FC Barcelona goals as he made the assist for all 3 goals.
Surely, the game was over, right?
A certain Inter Milan thought different, precisely a certain Lautaro Martinez.
Just 2 minutes after Raphinha's goal, in the 79th minute, Lautaro Martinez received a pass just outside Barcelona's 18-yard box.
He was in no position to score. He had no right to score from there, and yet the man in form did just that.
Outside the box, with multiple players in red and blue ahead of him, Martinez simply stepped over the ball once with his left foot, shifted the ball to the right with his right foot before using the same leg to rifle a thunderous grounded ball in.
The ball rolled through the wet grass like a missile, making Ter Stegen sleep in green pastures, and yet he never got to the ball.
It tore its way into the bottom left corner.
"GOALLLLL…!!!"
The Inter Milan fans erupted for the 3rd time this game in joy and shock.
They didn't know how their striker did it, but he did, and it gave them endless joy. They celebrated exuberantly.
The game came to an end 3-3.
Sam got a hattrick of assists; Lautaro Martinez got a hattrick.
Lautaro Martinez won the man of the match award.
