Chapter 66: A race that never blinks
OG football fans around the world knew one thing, and that was the fact that the first International break was the eye of the storm.
When the season starts, it’s just league games at the start as the clubs, its players, and their fans ease into the new season. Then, after 2 to 3 games to settle in, they welcome the UEFA Champions league, before the first International break.
After the first international break though, everything explodes.
Towards November, December, and the new year, that is when football truly starts across the big 5 European leagues in the world.
That is when the fixtures come thick and fast, not just league games anymore, and not just UEFA Champions League games either, but cup games that truly tests the squad depth of every big club in Europe.
And now, that time approached.
After the 4-4 thunderclap at the Bernabéu, Spain didn’t sleep. Pundits, fans, and even rivals across Europe asked the same question, which of the 2 Spanish giant was going to blink first?
At the moment, Barcelona and Real Madrid remained unbeaten after the draw at the Santiago Bernabeu. Both were storming through La Liga and Europe.
And now, after the international break, the race resumed.
[Spanish La Liga – Matchday 11:]
Barcelona vs Elche (Spotify Camp Nou)
The Spotify Camp Nou swelled with 90,000 in full voice, still buzzing from their King’s Ballon d’Or triumph. Sam walked out of the tunnel last, his golden boots flashing as he was greeted by a banner that stretched across the stands:
["SAM MOSES – EL REY DEL MUNDO."]
The starting XI for Barcelona’s league return was released an hour before the time. Hansi Flick stuck to his 4-2-3-1 formation with Joan Garcia in goal, while ahead of him was the defensive quadruple of Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, and Balde.
Pedri and Marc Casado started as the midfield pivot, as Frankie de Jong was rested for the game. While further ahead was the dynamic front 4 of Gavi in central attacking midfield, Yamal in right wing, Raphinha in left wing, and Sam leading the line as the striker.
Elche, humble and pragmatic, arrived in a 5-4-1 formation, hoping to defend and frustrate the table toppers.
FWEEE!
From the whistle, Barça pinned them back as they switched it up immediately, ramping the pressure on the visitors.
On the right, Yamal danced, tormenting the Elche defenders.
On the left, Balde overlapped endlessly, giving Raphinha space to wreak havoc with his penetrating runs while Pedri pulled strings like a puppeteer in the middle of the park.
It was a composed FC Barcelona performance yet Elche’s keeper, Edgar Badía seemed possessed, seizing multiple headers from Sam and a Raphinha curler within the first two dozen minutes of the game.
It took until the 28th minute for the breakthrough and it was a moment of individual brilliance from Lamine Yamal that cut Elche open.
Yamal slalomed past two men before slipping a reverse pass into the box that Sam buried low into the corner, simple and efficient.
1-0 Barca.
The Spotify Camp Nou shook.
But Elche didn’t fold. On their first counter of the game, they stunned the Spotify Camp Nou as Tete Morente slipped between Cubarsí and Balde, squaring for Boyé to tap home and make it 1-1.
Silence at the Spotify Camp Nou.
Hansi Flick slammed his hand against the dugout in frustration. After that equalizer against the run of play, pressure mounted, and the question hung again, would Barça stumble?
The first half came to an end level.
But the answer eventually came after halftime as Sam finally roared to life, taking command of the game.
In the 54th minute, he split Elche’s block with a disguised trivela pass that found Gavi darting into the box. One touch, one smash... GOAL!
2-1.
That goal eased nerves around the stadium, but Barca were not yet satisfied.
In the 68th minute, Raphinha made his own mark on the game, cutting inside to hammer a thunderbolt from 20 yards.
3–1.
The final word came from Sam again.
Yamal fed him in transition as with a deft elastico, he slashed through Elche’s captain before blasting into the roof of the net to make it 4-1.
From there on, Barca was in cruise control till the final whistle.
[FULL-TIME: Barcelona 4-1 Elche]
With his 2 goals and 1 assist, Sam won another man of the match award. With assistance from the electric Yamal, and a ruthless Raphinha, Barca remained unbeaten.
...
On the other side of Spain...
Osasuna vs Real Madrid (El Sadar, Pamplona)
If Barcelona’s night was emphatic, Madrid’s was a trial by fire.
El Sadar roared like a cauldron as they gave Madrid a noisy welcome. Pamplona lived for nights like these, to unsettle giants, to make Madrid suffer.
Alonso knew it and he warned his men. "This will not be pretty. To win, we have to dig in and get the result that we came for".
"Stay focused!" He clapped.
Madrid started in their usual 4-3-3 with Courtois in goal, Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, and Mendy in defense, while Valverde, Bellingham, and Arda Guler completed the midfield trio.
Rodrygo, Mbappe, and Vinicius marauded in attack.
FWEEE!
From kickoff, Osasuna pressed high and bit into tackles, contesting every aerial ball as they rode the energy of the home fans.
It worked as in the 18th minute of the game, they struck first after sustained pressure against the Madrid defense.
Chimy Ávila bullied Huijsen off a long ball and lashed a drive past Courtois.
GOAL! 1-0.
BOOM!
The stadium erupted in unrestrained joy.
Madrid staggered after that goal, and for ten minutes, Osasuna swarmed.
Mbappé barely touched the ball for large swathes of the game. Vinícius grew frustrated, waving his arms at his teammates. Bellingham tried to calm the storm, but the pressure was relentless.
But if Madrid were famous for one thing, it was their grit, the ability to grind out difficult results even when they were playing like shit.
And then came the equalizer, almost out of nothing, typical Madrid style.
In the 32nd minute, Arda Güler slipped into space and lofted a delicate ball into the box. Mbappé was at the right place at the right time as he darted across the front post to flick it home.
1-1. Silence, except for the travelling Madridistas who erupted in joy.
The second half was trench warfare.
Valverde thundered into duels, Courtois saved bravely at full stretch, while Osasuna’s keeper blocked two Vinícius strikes.
It felt destined for a draw, but Alonso trusted in chaos.
And in the 82nd minute of the game, Madrid countered from a corner. Vinícius surged, squaring to Bellingham who rolled it calmly across the face of goal for Rodrygo to tap in.
GOAL! 1-2.
The stadium became as silent as a church except the roar of Madridistas in the away stands. Vinicius cupped his ear to the home fans, riling them up.
Osasuna poured forward after that stunner.
They were desperate to get an equalizer. In stoppage time, Ávila’s header rattled the post. Gasps and groans of frustration followed it, and the referee amplified the home fans’ agony as he finally blew his whistle.
[FULL-TIME: Osasuna 1-2 Real Madrid]
Madrid survived; they too stayed unbeaten.
...
Spain woke up the next morning with the table unchanged, Barcelona and Real Madrid remained at the top. Both had 29 points after 11 games, both were unbeaten.
Pundits screamed. "This is a title race for the ages! It’s going to the wire, this one".
"Barcelona flow like art, while Madrid survive like warriors."
"Samuel Moses vs Kylian Mbappé, who blinks first?"
Sam’s two goals and assist were replayed endlessly. Mbappé’s flick, Bellingham’s assist, and Rodrygo’s winner were all dissected with equal ferocity.
The rivalry was hotter than ever. The world leaned forward.
The question still stood, louder now than before...
...Which of the two giants would stumble first?