March 1, 2020 - El ClásicoReal Madrid vs Barcelona - Santiago Bernabéu
The biggest club match in world football.
Eighty thousand fans at the Bernabéu. The tension electric. Real Madrid vs Barcelona. Ramos vs Piqué. Benzema vs Suárez's replacement.
This was Ethan's first Clásico. The match that defined careers.
Pre-Match
In the changing room, coach Ernesto Valverde addressed the team.
"El Clásico isn't just a match. It's history. It's pride. It's legacy." He looked at Ethan and Griezmann, the new signings. "This is where reputations are built. Where legends are born."
Piqué stood up. "Loki. I played against you in the Champions League final. I know what you can do. But this is different. This is personal. These fans will hate you. Their players will target you. Show them why Barcelona paid €160 million."
Ethan nodded. He was ready.
The Match
Real Madrid started aggressively. Benzema, Hazard, Vinicius attacking with pace and power. Ramos and Varane defending with steel and intelligence.
Barcelona absorbed pressure, staying compact, waiting for opportunities.
In the twenty-seventh minute, Ethan created the opener.
Receiving the ball on the left, he beat two defenders with a Lavinho move—step-over, roulette, acceleration—and crossed perfectly to Messi at the back post.
1-0 Barcelona.
The Bernabéu fell silent. Ethan had silenced them in his first Clásico.
Real Madrid equalized in the forty-third minute. Benzema, inevitably. 1-1 at halftime.
The second half was chaos. Both teams attacking. Both creating chances. The match opened up.
In the sixty-eighth minute, Ethan scored.
A counter-attack. Busquets won the ball in midfield. Played to Messi. Messi drove forward, drawing three defenders, and slipped a pass to Ethan.
One-on-one with Courtois. The same goalkeeper he'd faced at Monaco. The same goalkeeper he'd beaten multiple times.
He finished with clinical precision. 2-1.
The Barcelona section of the Bernabéu erupted. Ethan ran to them, jumping into the away fans' celebration.
Real Madrid pushed desperately for an equalizer. But Barcelona's defense held firm. Piqué was immense. Ter Stegen made crucial saves.
Final whistle.
Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid
Ethan had scored and assisted in his first Clásico. At the Bernabéu. Silencing eighty thousand hostile fans.
After the match, Messi hugged him. "Welcome to Barcelona. That's how you announce yourself."
End of Chapter 27