Chapter 85: Shackled, yet unstoppable
After Copa del Rey action, FC Barcelona did not immediately return to La Liga action. Rather, they switched focus to the Supercopa de Espana semifinal.
[Supercopa de Espana – Semifinal:]
>Barcelona vs Real Betis.
Since the Supercopa de Espana is usually played abroad, just a day after their Copa del Rey thrashing of Racing Santander, the FC Barcelona squad were on the road again as they flew to Saudi Arabia.
Sam took the Ballon d’Or glow to Saudi Arabia where Cristiano Ronaldo still plied his trade for Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabian national league.
In Saudi Arabia, the desert city buzzed under floodlights.
Riyadh’s King Fahd Stadium shimmered in anticipation, banners of Barcelona and Real Betis draped across the stands.
Of course, the FC Barcelona banners dominated the stadium.
The Spanish Supercopa had long since transformed into a spectacle, Spain’s giants traveling abroad to showcase their dominance.
But this year felt different. For Barcelona, it was about proof. For Sam Moses, it was another stage to cement his legacy.
And like expected, the build up to the game was electric as Spanish journalists circled like hawks all week.
"Will Barça’s pressing suffocate Betis?"
"Can Sam extend his scoring run in yet another competition?"
"Isco is having the season of his life in Real Betis. Can the former Real Madrid man do one for his old team against Barcelona?"
Pundits dissected every angle of the game. Even the smallest whispers from the rust of the holidays, to a possible complacency after Barcelona’s Copa del Rey thrashing of Racing Santander; all of it became talking points.
At training, Hansi Flick kept his men sharp. "Betis aren’t here to watch you. They’re here to kill you, don’t forget it."
Sam heard him, nodding. But inside, he relished the fight.
The lineups for the game were released long before the scheduled time.
Barcelona played in their customary 4-2-3-1 formation with Joan Garcia in goal, while ahead of him was the defensive quadruple of Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, and Balde. In midfield was the duo of Pedri and Gavi.
The 4 men up top were Lamine Yamal, Sam, Raphinha, and Lewandowski who retained his spot as the starting striker tonight.
For Real Betis, they started in the same 4-2-3-1 formation with Rui Silva in goal, with a protective 4-man defense of Bellerin, Pezela, Chadi Riad, and Abner. The midfield duo comprised Guido Rodriguez and Carvalho.
Up top in attack though were Anthony who completed his permanent move from Manchester United, Isco, Luiz Henrique, and Borja Iglesias who led the line as the striker for the night.
FWEEE!
As soon as the referee’s whistle sounded, the game burst into life.
Real Betis pressed with discipline and energy, double-marking Sam wherever he roamed. Carvalho shadowed him in midfield, while Pezzella clattered into him every time he dropped deep.
It didn’t take a genius to know. Just a few minutes in and Real Betis’s strategy and approach to this came became clear... stop Sam, stop Barcelona.
And they had the men to do the job once they piled men on him.
By the 15th minute, Sam hadn’t had a single shot. Every touch was greeted with a body check, a tug, or a swarm of green shirts.
The referee kept on blowing his whistle for small fouls, but he was yet to hand a single yellow card as Sam complained.
But here lay his brilliance. Having understood Real Betis’s strategy, he didn’t keep on complaining as he adjusted instead.
Sam adapted his gameplay on the spot.
Instead of forcing shots, he focused on drawing defenders out, dragging Betis’ midfield into uncomfortable pockets as he focused on being the playmaker.
In the 23rd minute of the game, he pulled three men with him before flicking a disguised pass to Raphinha who nearly buried it from the edge.
Later, he sprinted to the wing, dragging Betis’ backline across, freeing space for Lewandowski’s header that grazed the bar.
He wasn’t on the scoresheet, but Barça ticked to his rhythm.
And then, the deadlock broke in the 39th minute of the game.
Lamine Yamal, buzzing with electricity, received from Sam’s decoy run, before quickly darting past Abner and whipping in a cross.
Lewandowski met it perfectly, thundering a volley home.
GOAL!
1–0 Barcelona.
The stadium exploded in Blaugrana excitement.
Sam clenched his fists, shouting encouragement, even as commentators noted. "He hasn’t touched the ball there, but it’s his movement that created the space. What a goal from FC Barcelona!"
The first half came to an end with Barcelona leading 1-0.
The second half was a war.
Betis pushed, Isco weaving magic as he fought to turn the game on its head, Borja Iglesias forcing Garcia into two sharp saves.
Every time Barça broke, Sam was hacked down.
By the 70th minute, he’d won six fouls in the second half alone and each was greeted with groans from Betis fans and roars from Barça’s bench.
But he never snapped.
He picked himself up, dusted off, and kept playing.
In the 78th minute, he slipped free briefly and danced through two markers, before setting up Yamal with a slicing through pass.
Yamal’s shot rattled the post as gasps echoed across the stadium.
The last ten minutes of the game stretched like an eternity, Barça defending deep as every clearance was chased by Betis’ desperation. Sam dropped back, even helping in midfield, snapping into tackles.
It was a nervy ending to the game.
When the whistle eventually blew, the score remained 1–0. It was narrow and hard-fought, but it was enough.
Barcelona were through to the Supercopa final.
[FULL-TIME: Barcelona 1-0 Real Betis]
At the podium afterward, the stadium screens lit up as the MOTM of the game was displayed to the fans.
[MOTM– Samuel Moses (Barcelona).]
Gasps erupted, which was quickly followed by applause.
Sam won the man of the match award and it was not for goals, neither was it for assists, but for his overall influence in the game.
He had been fouled ten times, completed the most passes into the final third, and orchestrated Barça’s rhythm despite suffocating pressure.
A reporter asked. "No goal, no assist, how do you still dominate?"
Sam smiled faintly. "Football isn’t always about numbers. Sometimes, impact is invisible. Tonight, that was enough."
The aftermath of the game was immediate.
In Spain, headlines flared once more.
"Even shackled, Moses shines."
"Barcelona bend but don’t break."
And in Riyadh, whispers filled the night... the final awaited.
But across the tunnel, Real Madrid sharpened their swords as their semifinal clash was next.