April 11, 2023 - Champions League Quarter-Final, First LegBayern Munich vs Barcelona - Allianz Arena
Seventy-five thousand fans in Munich. The Allianz Arena glowing red. Bayern fans confident—they'd destroyed Barcelona twice in recent years.
But this Barcelona was different. Stronger. More complete. Battle-hardened.
And they had Ethan Loki—a man on a mission.
The Match - Tactical Battle
Koeman set up with a 4-3-3. High pressing. Aggressive. Take the game to Bayern.
Bayern, under Thomas Tuchel now, matched the intensity. Both teams pressing. Both teams attacking.
The first half was end-to-end. Chances at both ends. Incredible quality.
In the twenty-eighth minute, Bayern scored first. Müller, inevitably. A moment of chaos in Barcelona's defense.
1-0 Bayern.
But Barcelona responded immediately.
In the thirty-fourth minute, Ethan equalized.
A brilliant team move. Twenty-three passes. Pedri to Gavi. Gavi to Ethan. One touch to control. One touch to finish.
1-1.
Crucial away goal.
The first half ended 1-1. Everything to play for.
Second Half - Ethan's Masterclass
The second half belonged to Barcelona's captain.
In the fifty-sixth minute, he put Barcelona ahead.
Receiving the ball thirty meters from goal, he drove forward. Beat Kimmich with a step-over. Beat Upamecano with pace. Shot from the edge of the box.
Top corner. Unstoppable.
1-2 Barcelona.
The Allianz Arena fell silent. Barcelona were winning in Munich.
In the seventy-third minute, Ethan completed his hat-trick.
A counter-attack. Lewandowski—playing against his former club—played a perfect through ball. Ethan was through on goal.
One-on-one with Neuer. The best goalkeeper in the world.
But Ethan was the best striker in the world. He chipped it. Cool as ice.
1-3 Barcelona.
Hat-trick at the Allianz Arena. Hat-trick against Bayern Munich. Statement performance.
Bayern pulled one back in the eighty-seventh minute. Choupo-Moting.
2-3 Barcelona.
But it was too late.
Final score: Bayern Munich 2-3 Barcelona.
Stunning away win. Revenge partially secured.
Post-Match
The Barcelona players celebrated wildly. They'd beaten Bayern Munich in Munich.
Ethan, holding the match ball (hat-trick tradition), addressed the media.
"Two years ago, they beat us 8-2. Last year, 7-2 aggregate. Tonight, we showed we're back. We're not the same Barcelona they humiliated. We're stronger. We're ready."
"Three goals at the Allianz Arena. One of the best individual performances in Champions League history?"
Ethan smiled. "I don't think about history while I'm playing. I just think about winning. About making my teammates better. About bringing the Champions League back to Barcelona."
"Are you the best player in the world right now?"
"The Ballon d'Or says I am. But I have to prove it every match. Tonight was a good night. But the job isn't finished. We need to finish this at Camp Nou."
April 19 - Quarter-Final, Second LegBarcelona vs Bayern Munich - Camp Nou
Bayern needed to win by two goals to progress. Difficult, but not impossible.
Camp Nou was bouncing. Ninety-nine thousand fans ready to witness revenge being completed.
Bayern came to attack. All-out assault from the first whistle. They had nothing to lose.
In the thirty-first minute, they scored. Gnabry. 1-0 Bayern. 3-4 aggregate.
Bayern needed one more goal. The tie was alive.
But in the forty-third minute, Ethan killed their hopes.
A counter-attack. He received the ball at halfway. Beat three Bayern defenders with a combination of pace, skill, and vision. Finished past Neuer.
1-1 on the night. 4-3 aggregate to Barcelona.
His fourth goal of the tie. Unstoppable form.
Bayern needed three goals now in the second half. Effectively impossible.
The second half was academic. Bayern tried. Barcelona controlled.
Final score: Barcelona 1-1 Bayern Munich (4-3 aggregate).
REVENGE COMPLETE. SEMI-FINALS SECURED.
Post-Match Celebration
The Camp Nou erupted. Barcelona had finally exorcized the Bayern demons.
Ethan, as captain, lifted the quarter-final trophy (symbolic gesture—no actual trophy, but the significance was huge).
"This is for every Barcelona fan who suffered through those humiliations," Ethan told the crowd in Spanish. "We're back. And we're going to win this trophy!"
The crowd chanted his name. "LOKI! LOKI! LOKI!"
End of Chapter 42