Chapter 36: Roman nights and Spanish dominance
The Estadio da Luz tunnel still hummed with post-match energy.
Barcelona’s players filed back into the visitors’ dressing room, jerseys damp with sweat, voices bouncing off white tile. Raphinha, glowing from his man of the match performance, sat grinning with a towel over his head as Lamine Yamal teased him.
"Finally showed up this season, huh?" Lamine smirked.
"Shut up," Raphinha laughed, tossing the towel at him. "Some of us wait for the big nights to shine".
Sam, still catching his breath, walked over and clapped Raphinha on the shoulder. "If you play like this every week, we’re winning everything".
Hansi Flick stepped in, the chatter dimming at once. "This is what happens when we trust our principles. Benfica tried to match our aggression, they couldn’t last. That second half? That was Barcelona football". He grinned.
Applause rippled, both from players and staff. Everyone was happy.
"Recover well," Flick added. "The season doesn’t wait. And remember, every win puts more pressure on Madrid".
The mention of their rivals brought smirks.
Sam and Pedri traded a look. No words were needed. Both knew that the next page of the Champions League story would be written in Rome.
...
Rome, Stadio Olimpico, same night...
The Curva Nord was a wall of sound.
Blue and white flags waved violently in the crisp Italian night, the smell of smoke flares mixing with the damp scent of the Tiber River nearby. Lazio’s ultras were in full voice, their chants shaking the old stadium’s concrete.
In the visitors’ tunnel, Xabi Alonso stood with arms folded, his sharp eyes scanning the pitch ahead.
He’d been here before as a player, but tonight was different. This was his Madrid; rebuilt, rejuvenated, and hell-bent on conquering Europe again.
His starting XI glistened with star power: Courtois in goal, Trent Alexander Arnold at right back, Dean Huijsen and Rudiger in central defense, and Ferland Mendy on the left.
The midfield was anchored by Valverde, Bellingham, and Arda Guler, a mix of youthful energy and technique in equal measure.
Up front there was Vinicius Jnr. on the left, Rodrygo on the right, and Mbappe down the middle, forming a trident designed to terrify.
FWEEEE!
From the first whistle, Lazio came out swinging.
For some reason, clubs outside the big 5 leagues decided to play without fear against the big 5 league giants on this UEFA Champions league matchday. Against the mighty Madrid, Lazio showed no fear.
They pressed high, forcing Courtois into early clearances and cutting off Madrid’s midfield channels.
The home crowd roared with each interception, each burst down the wings.
In the 8th minute, Felipe Anderson whipped in a cross that nearly caught Madrid cold, Castellanos’s glancing header flashing just wide of the post.
Courtois barked orders, his voice slicing through the chaos.
Madrid responded to that effrontery in their own language. Carlo Ancellotti’s Madrid rarely controlled possession but Alonso’s Madrid was different. When the circumstances were right, they don’t mind controlling possession.
And right now, they did just that, controlling possession, igniting quick switches of play, and then the inevitable moment came when one of their superstars decided the tempo had gone on long enough.
That moment came in the 14th minute.
Bellingham intercepted a Lazio pass deep in his own half, glided past one challenge, then threaded a perfect ball into the path of Vinicius.
The Brazilian didn’t break stride, skinning his marker before sliding a pass across the face of goal. Mbappe was there; of course he was, and he tapped in.
0-1 Madrid.
The jeers from the stands only made Madrid sharper. Lazio tried to rally, pushing bodies forward, but each time they left gaps, Madrid punished them.
Trent began dictating from deep, his diagonal switches finding Rodrygo in acres of space. The second nearly came in the 27th minute when Rodrygo danced inside and curled one toward the top corner, forcing Mandas into a spectacular save.
Lazio’s best spell came just before halftime.
A flurry of corners tested Madrid’s resolve, and in the 41st minute, they finally broke through... a looping header from Casale evading Courtois after a scramble in the box to bring the game level.
1-1. The stadium exploded.
But Madrid is Madrid.
Barely three minutes later, in first half stoppage time, Arda Guler drifted inside, slipping a disguised pass between two defenders.
Mbappe’s acceleration left them for dead, and he squared it for Bellingham to finish with a composed side-footed strike.
1-2 at the break.
Xabi Alonso’s halftime talk was sharp. "Don’t give them oxygen. Kill the game in the next twenty minutes".
And they did.
In the 53rd minute, Vinicius turned tormentor-in-chief, slicing into the box before being clipped by Gila.
FWEEEE!
The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation. Penalty!
Mbappe stepped up, eyes locked on Mandas, and buried it low into the corner to make it 1-3.
After that goal, Lazio’s energy finally began to fade. Their earlier pressing was gone, replaced by desperate lunges and tired legs.
Madrid smelled blood. And like sharks, they went on the hunt.
Valverde, relishing the open spaces, surged forward in the 65th minute, unleashing a thunderbolt from 25 yards that rattled the crossbar. Rodrygo pounced on the rebound, nodding it in from close range.
1-4.
The home crowd’s defiance began to crumble, the Curva Nord growing quieter with each passing minute.
Still, Madrid weren’t done.
Endrick, brought on for Mbappe in the 75th minute of the game, nearly added a fifth goal with a darting header that flashed just wide.
The final act belonged to Vinicius. In the 88th minute, he received a long diagonal from Trent, juggled it twice on the run, and chipped Mandas from a tight angle, scoring a goal of pure arrogance and brilliance.
1-5.
Vinicius did the suiii celebration.
Sometime later, the referee finally blew the whistle to end Lazio’s misery.
[FULL-TIME: Lazio 1-5 Real Madrid]
Though Vinicius was a threat all came, orchestrating most of the offensive work, Kylian Mbappe won the man of the match award with his 2 goals, 1 assist, and his overall impact in attack.
Madrid’s players celebrated with calculated restraint, knowing they were in enemy ground. No over the top gestures, just handshakes, embraces, and a collective jog toward the traveling supporters.
Xabi Alonso shook hands with the opposition coach, then turned to the press cameras with a faint, knowing smile.
His Madrid had sent a message.
Back in Lisbon, Sam watched the highlights on the team bus heading to the airport. Raphinha leaned over, smirking.
"They’re coming for us," he said.
Sam’s eyes didn’t leave the screen. Mbappe’s grin after his second goal was still frozen there.
"Good," Sam replied, a glint in his gaze. "I like it when they try".