God Of football

Chapter 220: Trailing

The opening 45 minutes of Valencia vs. Barcelona at the Mestalla was nothing short of mesmerizing, a whirlwind of passion, drama, and footballing brilliance that had the packed stadium hanging on every moment.

In the stands, the energy was palpable. Among the sea of Valencia supporters were Izan’s family: his younger sister, Hori, and their mother, Komi.

Both were dressed in Valencia colors, proudly wearing Izan’s jersey number, though he wasn’t starting the game.

Komi sat with calm confidence, clapping rhythmically as the fans around her chanted, but her eyes betrayed her nervous anticipation.

Hori, on the other hand, was all energy. She leaned over the railing, waving a small Valencia flag and shouting at the top of her lungs.

”Izan will come on and turn this game around! Just wait!” she declared to no one in particular, drawing amused glances from the fans nearby.

Komi chuckled, patting her daughter’s shoulder. ”Let’s support the whole team first, Hori. The coach knows when to use Izan.”

Nearby fans joined in, laughing and agreeing. ”She’s right, though,” one man said. ”When Izan gets on, Barcelona will feel it! ”

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The match began with Barcelona immediately asserting their control. Their midfield trio of Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gündoğan, and Pedri showcased their mastery of the ball, effortlessly dictating the tempo.

Valencia, aware of Barcelona’s tendency to dominate possession, sat deep, looking to hit on the counter.

Within the opening minutes, Lamine Yamal showcased his flair, skipping past José Gayà on the right flank and delivering a dangerous low cross into the box.

Cenk Ozkacar cleared it, but the Mestalla held its breath—this Barcelona side was looking sharp.

Juan Hernan: ”Barcelona is coming out with real intent, Jorge. Look at Yamal—just 16 years old and already playing with this kind of confidence.”

Jorge Savina: ”Absolutely, Juan. But Valencia looks ready to absorb and counter. Baraja knows they’ll need patience tonight.”

After Cenk’s clearance, Barcelona took the throw-in but the ball was intercepted by Javi Guerra who had been lurking around the Barcelona players.

With a sharp turn, Javi Guerra sent the ball to his left, giving Diego Lopez the chance to run at it but before he could make use of it, he was bodied away by Jules Kounde.

The Valencia players raised their hands in appeal but the referee waved play on. The Valencia crowd flared up and cheered on the players after seeing their team go head-to-head with Barcelona but a few minutes later, they were silenced.

In the 14th minute, Barcelona found their breakthrough. A clumsy challenge by Hugo Guillamón on Gavi just outside the box handed Barcelona a free kick in a dangerous position.

Frenkie de Jong stepped up, curling a teasing ball into the six-yard area. The Valencian players took positions near the Barcelona boys.

But Lewandowski, with his impeccable sense of positioning, rose above everyone else and nodded it into the back of the net.

”Goooaaaaaaaaaaallll. Barcelona draws first blood, courtesy of Robert Lewandowski. Is this the start of something good?”

The Barcelona fans in the corner of the stadium erupted in cheers, while the rest of the Mestalla groaned in frustration.

On the touchline, Baraja threw up his hands in exasperation, shouting at his defenders to tighten their marking.

In the stands, Hori crossed her arms with a pout. ”That was too easy! How did they let Lewandowski get free like that?”

Komi, ever calm, replied, ”They’ll regroup. It’s only one goal. We’ve seen them come back before.”

Around them, the crowd began chanting louder, determined to lift their team back into the game.

Spurred on by their fans, Valencia responded with purpose after the restart. Fran Pérez and Hugo Duro began linking up well in attack, testing Barcelona’s defense with quick combinations.

In the 25th minute, a clever through ball from Pepelu found Duro in space. The striker’s low shot forced Ter Stegen into a sharp save, and the crowd roared their approval, sensing a shift in momentum.

Barcelona also responded in earnest but it didn’t amount to anything after Marmadashbilli smothered the shot from Lamine Yamal.

Valencia on the other hand didn’t have to wait long for their reward. In the 30th minute, José Gayà surged forward down the left wing, leaving Joao Cancelo trailing after Mark’s splendid pass.

Outpacing a few players, Gaya found space and burst forward his leg poised to cross. His whipped cross into the box caused chaos among Barcelona’s defenders but the ball fell kindly to Hugo Duro, who smashed it into the roof of the net from close range.

Juan Hernan: ”GOOOOAL! Hugo Duro! Valencia is back in it!”

Jorge Savina: ”Brilliant play from Gayà to create the chance. And Duro—look at the composure on that finish! Mestalla is absolutely rocking now!”

The fans exploded into cheers, a wall of sound that reverberated throughout the stadium.

In the crowd, Hori jumped up and down, waving her flag furiously. ”I told you, Mama! I told you they’d score!”

Komi smiled, clapping along with the fans. ”Let’s see if they can keep this momentum going.”

On the Valencia bench, Izan and the substitutes were on their feet, clapping and cheering. The equalizer set the tone for the rest of the half, with both teams trading attacks.

Lamine Yamal came close to restoring Barcelona’s lead in the 36th minute, weaving past two defenders before firing a shot that forced a stunning save from Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Moments later, Fran Pérez nearly put Valencia ahead with a long-range effort that sailed just over the bar.

On the touchline, Baraja and Xavi were both animated, barking instructions and reacting passionately to every decision.

When the referee waved off what Baraja thought was a clear foul on Pepelu, the Valencia coach erupted, throwing his arms in the air and shouting at the fourth official.

Juan Hernan: ”Baraja is absolutely furious there! He thought that was a foul in the buildup.”

Jorge Savina: ”And you can’t blame him, Juan. It looked like Pepelu was clearly brought down. These moments can change games.”

Xavi, meanwhile, was just as vocal on the Barcelona bench.

After Gavi was shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Thierry Correia, Xavi stormed to the edge of his technical area, shouting at the referee, ”That’s not a yellow! He got the ball!”

The intensity on the sidelines mirrored the battle on the pitch, with both coaches living every moment of the game.

As the first half drew to a close, it seemed destined to end level. But in the 45th minute, disaster struck for Valencia.

Barcelona earned a corner after a deflected shot from Gavi. Ilkay Gündoğan delivered a perfect inswinger into the crowded box.

Under pressure from Lewandowski, Mark misjudged his header, and the ball ricocheted into the back of his own net.

The Mestalla fell silent, the stunned crowd unable to believe what had just happened. The Barcelona players celebrated, while Mark stood motionless, hands on his head.

Juan Hernan: ”Oh no! An own goal from Mark! That’s heartbreaking for Valencia!”

Jorge Savina: ”You have to feel for Valencia born and bred defender there. He was under so much pressure from Lewandowski, but that’s a huge blow for Valencia just before the break.”

On the Valencia bench, the players were visibly disappointed. Izan shook his head, muttering, ”Unlucky. Mark had no chance with that pressure.”

Baraja looked furious, pacing back and forth before turning to his assistant coach, Moreno for a quick discussion. ”We can’t let this shake us,” he said firmly.

In the stands, Hori looked red with anger. ”Why does this always happen to us?” she asked, gripping her scarf tightly.

[Ummmm because I write it that way. What the hell did she think? Hahahaha.]

Komi leaned over and whispered, ”It’s not over yet, Hori. There’s still a whole second half to play.”

After the restart, the referee added two minutes of stoppage time to the clock. Seeing this, Baraja urged his players to try and make use of the time and they almost did after Fran Perez’s solo run ended in a pass into the Barcelona box.

The fans watched as Javi Guerra appeared to meet the ball but his first-time shot was nudged out of the way by a spectacular save by Ter Stegen.

”The shot was saved but at least we have a corner” was what the fans were thinking but that was until the referee’s whistle sounded for the halftime break.

The Valencia players approached the referee confused about his decision to end the half when they had got a corner but the referee argued the time was well over what he had added.

The referee’s whistle brought an end to a dramatic first half. Barcelona led 2-1, but the game was far from decided.

As the players made their way to the tunnel, the Valencia fans began chanting once more, rallying behind their team for the second half.

”A very exciting first half here with the score 2-1 in favor of Barcelona. Valencia haven’t fallen behind but they need to be steady to avoid having to climb a hill should they concede another goal. Anyways this is it at halftime and see you after the break