THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-607

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*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and signaled for Zachary to take the free kick. On cue, a stillness seemed to descend upon the stadium as everyone watching waited with bated breath for the result that could be a turning point for Juventus in the game.

Zachary could feel the force of the full tension in the air. The anxiety was a result of the expectations placed upon his shoulders. But he forced everything else out of his mind and focused only on the free-kick.

He relied on his SS-graded spatial awareness and risk assessment to assess the defensive wall set-up and the positioning of the keeper in a few seconds.

His Dead-Ball specialist juju soon came into play. He made an angled run towards the ball before swinging his foot at it. His connection was just right, and he skillfully unleashed a curling shot over the defensive wall, hoping to find the top right corner.

By then, Marc-André Ter Stegen, the Barcelona keeper, had long taken action. He dived like a Ninja and threw himself towards the fast-approaching ball. At the same time, he stretched out a hand and struggled with his all to finally graze the ball with his fingertips.

That touch was the difference between heaven and hell. It sent the ball off its intended trajectory only by a slight margin. But that minor deviation was enough to cause an entirely different result from the free-kick.

BAM!

The thunderous free-kick ball smashed off the corner of the crossbar before bouncing back into the box.

What followed was a scuffle as the players of both teams went after the rebound like cats that had just caught the scent of catnip.

álvaro Morata, the nearby Juventus striker, was the first to attempt to get to the ball as soon as possible. But the much more spirited Javier Mascherano beat him to it and cleared it out of play for the corner kick with a daredevil diving header.

‘Shit!"

Zachary watched it all happen and felt like his world had turned darker. The cheers around the stadium felt especially grating to his ears. He could imagine that most Barcelona fans were busy celebrating that he had failed to convert the free kick while those of Juventus had their hopes shattered.

‘Wait, why does this situation bring some familiar memories? There's still a chance!'

Zachary's expression turned earnest when he noticed the Barcelona players crowding around their keeper to celebrate the save. He made eye contact with Carlos Tevez before racing to the corner flag like the wind.

He swiftly picked the ball from the ball boy and placed it on the corner spot with all the haste he could muster. Just then, he noticed that Carlos Tevez, the striker who had gotten his sign, was already sprinting towards the corner flag like a lightning bolt.

Zachary quickly took the corner kick short and sent the ball to the approaching Tevez without waiting for the referee's whistle. He played a simple pass to the Argentine, who, in turn, exchanged a couple of one-twos with him as they swiftly approached the box.

By then, the Barcelona players had started reacting to the situation. They were trying to shape up and defend against the quick corner kick. There were even a few, like Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakiti?, who were swiftly racing forward to check Zachary and Tevez's efforts.

But all their actions eventually fell short as Zachary didn't let them do as they intended. He received yet another return pass from Tevez before dipping his shoulder and stepping past Sergio Busquets with a swift change of pace.

The dribble allowed him to escape one opponent and cut further toward the central areas and toward the left corner of the box. But he didn't have any shooting angles available as Ivan Rakiti? was already closing him down while covering the space he could exploit to take a shot at the goal.

It was at that moment that Zachary's SS-graded attributes came into play. His high body control and risk assessment qualities bloomed in great splendor, and he raised his leg as if he were about to unleash a missile of a shot at the goal.

The approaching Ivan Rakiti? responded as expected. His body reacted instinctively, and he turned his face away while pushing his leg forward to block the would-be shot.

Zachary's expression loosened, and he abruptly halted the down-swinging motion of his leg on seeing the opponent's reaction. Then, before Ivan Rakiti? could recover, he immaculately moved the ball to the side and opened a shooting angle. He availed some space for himself before pulling the trigger and unleashing a curling shot around the many players in the box.

Whoosh!

The ball seemed to defy the very core laws of physics. It bent all the way beyond the line of the goalpost before dipping and curling back toward its intended target. It soared in such an awkward trajectory before bouncing a few inches inside the far post and nestling in the back of the net..

"GOAL!"

Zachary pumped his fist to celebrate his 17th goal in the Champions League that season.

He had equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of the most goals scored in a single Champions League season. But he didn't waste time celebrating since his team still trailed 3:1 against Barcelona.

He just rushed forward and picked the ball from the back of the net. Then, just as swiftly, he sprinted all the way across the pitch before placing the ball back atop the center spot.

Zachary was using his actions to express his intentions. He wanted his teammates to follow his example and play with urgency. He wished for them to quickly build momentum and try to complete a comeback against Barcelona.

Of course, his teammates didn't let him down. They quickly followed his cue and took their positions. Their eyes were brimming with fighting spirit, meaning they hadn't given up on the game. They could at least still give Barcelona hell until the very last minute of the game.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The game restarted after a few minutes with Barcelona's kick-off.

The Juventus players rushed forward and tried to win possession back. They used high-pressing tactics to pressure the Barcelona defenders and midfielders and force them to commit mistakes. They did everything possible to win the ball and create another chance before halftime.

Nonetheless, their efforts didn't amount to much due to clever game management strategies employed by Barcelona.

The Catalans didn't lose their calm after conceding. They instead skillfully held on to the ball with their Tiki-Taka style for the remaining minutes of the half without committing any blunders.

In that manner, the seconds slowly turned into minutes until the referee eventually blew the halftime whistle. He ended the first half and sent the teams into the tunnel with Barcelona still leading by three goals to one.

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