THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-539

Juventus' form didn't diminish over the next two weeks or so. First and foremost, they beat Fiorentina away from home with a score of 0:3 in the Coppa Italia semi-finals. They then returned their focus to the Italian Serie A and won against Sassuolo by a score of 2:0 at home before defeating US Palermo by a score of 1:3 away from home.

With those wins, Juventus accumulated 77 out of the maximum 81 points they could have possibly amassed from their twenty-seven Italian Serie A games at that point of the season. Their worst results all season were the two draws against Atlanta and AS Roma, meaning that their unbeaten run in both the Serie A and other competitions was still intact.

Moreover, after dropping points only twice in the Serie A, Juventus was already ahead of the second-placed AS Roma by 27 points, meaning they were only three victories away from winning the title. They could potentially become the champions as early as Saturday, April 11th, 2015, if they could win their next three Serie A games against Genoa, Empoli, and Parma. They were flying as a team, and no opponent could stop them from achieving glory that season. But first things first, they had to focus on their Champions League return leg against Bayer 04 Leverkusen before thinking about anything else.

Zachary, on his part, had remained impressive throughout all the games Juventus had played. He was always the crucial man on the pitch, with a fierce ability to determine the game's result.

Zachary had scored a hat trick during the Coppa Italia Serie A game against Fiorentina. But that was not the end of his brilliance. He had also continued his goal-scoring form in the Serie A and put one goal past Sassuolo and two past US Palermo.

His sharpness in front of the goal was really incredible, and he had already taken his seasonal tally in all competitions to 45. He had already scored 28 goals in twenty-seven Serie A matches, 10 in seven Champions League matches, 5 in the three Coppa Italia games, and 2 in the Supercoppa Italiana. His overall total was already above forty, meaning he was already close to attaining all the contract bonuses he could possibly earn from Juventus.

Everything was proceeding smoothly for Zachary, as he was having a great season. And as such, his confidence had already soared to the skies when the time to face off against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the second leg of the Champions League Round-of-Sixteen arrived.

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015

Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy.

Time: 8:30 PM

Only fifteen minutes were left before the scheduled kick-off time for the Champions League Round-of-Sixteen second-leg battle between Juventus and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. As always, Coach Allegri stood in the middle of the home team's dressing room, giving a last-minute pep talk to his players. He was trying to ensure that the main points of the game plan hit home before the players could move out of the dressing room and head to the pitch for the game.

"I know that we defeated Bayer 04 Leverkusen during the first leg by three goals to one," he said, sweeping his gaze around. "But that does not mean we should relax and play lackluster football. Our goal is still the same as it has always been during all the games we have played this season. We must play impressive football, create opportunities, score goals, and win the game. We must not allow the opponents to shame us, especially when we're playing at our home ground. We must not only defeat them but thrash them hard simply because..." The coach didn't complete the sentence but glanced around.

Taking the cue, the players replied, "Because we're Juventus."

"We must destroy them and qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals simply because..."

"We're Juventus," the players replied in even louder voices.

"Let's talk about the main points of our game plan." Coach Max Allegri smiled. "As I said before, we'll play with a 4-3-1-2 formation. Evra, Chiellini, Bonucci, and Lichtsteiner are our four defenders. In addition to sweeping balls and clearing dangerous situations away from our goal, they will also be involved in our slow build-ups as we try to stretch the opponent's defensive shape. Our three defensive midfielders will be Vidal, Marchisio, and Andrea Pirlo. I don't need to highlight the role of the three again. Vidal! Marchisio! Andrea Pirlo! You only have to play intelligent football that will conquer the midfield throughout the entire duration of the game."

"Our attacking midfielder is Zachary," the coach continued. "Zachary! As usual, you will act as our attacking pivot. When you're on the ball, try to find the spaces and gaps within Bayer Leverkusen's defense before passing to our strikers. Set them up with well-timed through passes so they can score. But if you also get an opportunity, you can go for glory. You can drive forward or shoot from beyond the box to test the keeper. Are we clear, Zachary?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied in somewhat strained Italian.

"Don't forget to float into the wings and initiate one-on-ones with the opposing wing-backs," the coach reminded. "Whenever there's an opportunity, cut in from the flanks and send the ball forward. I'm sure that with your pace, you'll be able to torture their defenders and create goal-scoring opportunities for us. Clear?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied. "Everything is clear."

"Good." Coach Max Allegri smiled and nodded. He was especially pleased with Zachary finally mastering some Italian. His job was much more uncomplicated, as he could finally give the boy instructions without relying on his assistants to translate.

While maintaining his smile, Coach Allegri inclined his head to gaze at his two strikers for the day. "Morata! Tevez! You're our two forwards today. Morata! Your role is to stay on the front, waiting for a chance to score. I don't want to see you falling back unless we're in a situation where we have to defend against a corner kick or a dangerous set piece. Understood?"

"Understood!" Álvaro Morata replied.

Coach Allegri nodded and turned to the other striker. "Tevez! You, on the other hand, will have to often fall back into midfield to help out Zachary. You two can work together to tear apart their defense with fast one-twos when an opportunity avails itself. Additionally, you will have to fall back and help with defensive duties whenever we're not in possession. So, you must be ready to give your all and run tirelessly during this match. I don't want to see you relaxing and walking on the field of play. Tevez! Is that clear?"

"Everything is clear, coach," Carlos Tevez replied.

"Good," the coach said and swept his gaze around. "Games like this are tricky. Sure, we're already winning by an aggregate of 3:1, and between Bayer Leverkusen and us, we're the favorites to qualify for the quarter-finals. But guys! As you all know, game circumstances can change if we're to relax. We only need to lose focus for a minute or two, and the opponents will score a goal, and then the pressure will be on us. They can then add a second and even a third, and we'll easily lose our rightful place in the quarters. That's how football can change if we lose concentration during a game."

"So, guys," the coach continued. "Don't let your guard down when you step onto the pitch. Don't just play with a lax mindset of assuming that we've already won the game simply because we have a two-goal advantage from the first leg. That would be a mistake on our part as the opponents would take advantage of that and destroy us. What we need to do instead is play at our best. We must overwhelm the opponents with our tactical prowess and aim for a quick goal early in the first half. As long as we accomplish all that, everything else will be straightforward. We can sit back and play on the counterattack as the game progresses. Then, Bayer Leverkusen will be at our mercy. Understood?"

"Yes, coach," the players replied.

"Then, I'm glad," the coach said with a smile. He then said a few more encouraging words to his players before sending them out of the dressing room. He'd finally done his part as a coach to prepare for the game, and all that was left was to see if his players could execute his game plan properly.

The cheers around the stadium hit a thunderous crescendo when the players of both teams walked onto the pitch. The bright floodlights illuminated their glowing jerseys as they went through the pre-match routines, including lining up as the band played the Champions League anthem, then the customary handshake, and finally, the coin toss. The players completed everything quickly, and by 8:43 PM, they were already taking their starting positions on the field of play.

Like the rest, Zachary stretched and warmed up slightly before taking his position just outside the center circle. His frequent scoring of goals had already allowed his confidence to soar over the past few months. He was in tip-top shape and ready to put out his best once again.

Although he was at the moment the top scorer of the Champions League with his ten goals, he still couldn't relax. There were still monstrous players, like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring goals in the Champions League like there wasn't a tomorrow. So, as a person who didn't wish to lose out, he had to play at his best during every game. He had to continue bagging goals match in, match out, without giving all those players a chance to catch up with him. He had to go all out and do everything possible to win that year's Champions League Golden Boot.