Chapter 100: The grind continues
For one night, the gods rested.
That meant one thing; it meant that for the next La Liga game, the dual Kings of the Spotify Camp Nou and the Santiago Bernabeu would be returning to action fresh and raring to wreak havoc.
The cold January air hung sharp over Catalonia, but inside the Spotify Camp Nou, more than ninety thousand fans created a furnace of noise and color.
It was Matchday 20 of the Spanish La Liga. It was another home game, and FC Barcelona fans felt on top of the world with their club still leading the pile at the top of the table.
[La Liga- Matchday 20:]
>Barcelona vs Valencia.
The return leg of the fixture was finally here, and this time, it would be played in the Catalan giant’s home.
Scarlet and blue banners waved in unison as the stadium roared alive, FC Barcelona fans singing his name as they welcomed their Ballon d’Or winner, not just that, but their golden boy and King Samuel Moses, back onto the pitch.
"Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"
The atmosphere in the stadium was electric.
The game was even yet to start but hearing his name being chanted like he was some messiah, Sam could not help his blood that was already boiling.
Instinctively, he started warming up, jumping and stretching his legs as he left the tunnel, igniting the fans even more as the stadium turned into a cauldron.
Barça were still unbeaten, and still relentless.
But tonight’s opponent, Valencia, came prepared. Their coach had drilled his side in rigid banks of four, determined to suffocate space, and determined to frustrate the reigning champions tonight in their home.
They were ready to dedicate to a low block to frustrate FC Barcelona’s overwhelming attack force.
From the first whistle, the clash was a test of patience.
Valencia’s defensive block sat deep with every man behind the ball as Sam dropped into pockets, flicking passes to Pedri and Gavi, probing for gaps.
Lamine Yamal, with cheeks flushed in the cold lit up the right flank, as he repeatedly tried to carve past his fullback. His stepovers drew cheers from the fans, and his acceleration drew gasps.
But still, Valencia’s goalkeeper Mamardashvili stood tall as he withstood the storm. He parried a thunderous Raphinha shot inside ten minutes.
"Vamos Barça!" The stands thundered, the home fans urging their side to break the deadlock.
Sam orchestrated the tempo.
In the 23rd minute of the game, he peeled wide to the left, dragging a marker with him, before sliding a disguised through ball into Raphinha’s stride.
That dissected Valencia as the Brazilian cut inside and unleashed a curling shot, leaving the goalkeeper sprawling helplessly.
GOAL!
The Spotify Camp Nou erupted as Raphinha raced to the corner flag, punching the air in celebration.
1–0 Barcelona.
They were trailing now, but against the run of play, Valencia refused to fold under the weight of their opponents as they struck back almost instantly.
A rare counter in the 31st minute saw Hugo Duro slip between Araujo and Cubarsí, latching onto a diagonal ball and stabbing home from close range to shock the whole stadium.
1-1.
Silence fell like a blanket across the Nou Camp.
And with the silence, the tension returned. The half ebbed and flowed, with Barça pressing and Valencia clinging. At halftime, the score remained deadlocked.
But the second half was where the champions responded.
Pedri, dictating rhythm with velvet touches, his touches feeling suspiciously close to the sensation of caressing a babe combined with De Jong to stretch Valencia thin, then came the moment of brilliance.
In the 57th minute of the game, Yamal erupted as he dropped his shoulder to beat his man, cut inside onto his magical left foot before he could recover, and curled a strike beyond Mamardashvili’s gloves.
The net rippled.
GOAL!
Again, the Spotify Camp Nou exploded. The Spaniard genius sprinted to the corner, arms wide, drowned by teammates as he celebrated with grace.
2–1 Barcelona.
And then came Sam.
He hadn’t scored yet, so his desire to add his name to the scoresheet burned hotter than ever before as in the 71st minute, Gavi intercepted a loose pass before sliding it to Sam near the edge of the box.
One shimmy, and one feint, then he unleashed a thunderous strike that screamed into the top corner.
GOAL!
The goalkeeper stood no chance, it was a Ballon d’Or winner’s goal.
And with it, the chants erupted again.
"SAM!" "SAM!" "SAM!"
By the final whistle, Barcelona had asserted their dominance. Valencia, worn down, could barely leave their half.
[FULLTIME: Barcelona 3-1 Valencia]
(Goals: Raphinha (23’), Yamal (57’), Sam (71’) | Hugo Duro (31’).)
...
Meanwhile, at the José Zorrilla in Valladolid, Real Madrid walked into hostile territory. Purple and white shirts filled every seat as Real Valladolid fans pulled up in numbers, knowing their side would need a miracle.
[La Liga- Matchday 20:]
>Real Valladolid vs Real Madrid.
Despite coming to enemy territory, from kickoff, Madrid imposed themselves on the game as Xabi Alonso’s men pressed high, with the midfield trio of Valverde, Bellingham, and Arda Güler buzzing with energy.
As early as the 15th minute, Real Madrid struck through Mbappé. The Frenchman went on a lightning burst past his marker, before slotting home with a calm finish past the goalkeeper.
0–1 Madrid.
The home fan enthusiasm died a bit with the goal, but Valladolid weren’t tourists. They fought back with defiance, their winger nearly equalizing with a curling strike that Courtois tipped onto the post.
That strike ignited the home crowd as the stadium roared with belief, but Madrid’s quality was suffocating.
Rodrygo doubled the lead in the 39th minute, smashing in after a delicate Güler cutback. At halftime, it was 0–2.
The second half was even more devastating as it saw Madrid in control, dictating every moment. Vinícius added gloss in the 64th minute, weaving past two defenders before finishing coolly to make it 0-3.
Valladolid grabbed a consolation late on, but the damage was done.
[FULLTIME: Real Valladolid 1–3 Real Madrid]
(Goals: Mbappé (15’), Rodrygo (39’), Vinícius (64’) | Plata (79’).)
By the end of Matchday 20, the La Liga table remained a furnace.
Barcelona – 54 points (20 games, unbeaten) Real Madrid – 54 points (20 games, unbeaten)
Both clubs were still neck and neck 20 games in. Both were still going blow for blow, neither willing to blink.
And the whispers grew even louder.
"If neither falls, then the Clasicos will decide everything".
The tension was suffocating. The season was only halfway gone, but already the world knew... this La Liga race was one for the ages.