Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
The great battle is imminent!
The fated showdown between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid has been building for a long time.
Ever since Barcelona slipped up last time and Atlético Madrid took advantage to catch up, the intense atmosphere surrounding the La Liga title race had escalated.
The decades-long rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona had even eased somewhat, thanks to Atlético Madrid.
Now, whether for Real Madrid or Barcelona, the primary enemy was Atlético Madrid!
It's somewhat like a three-way war where the alliances keep shifting. Real Madrid's friendliness toward Barcelona only exists because of Atlético Madrid.
With more than a week until the match, fans of Barcelona and Atlético Madrid had already launched a multi-day war online.
"Lance only relies on luck. Can his real skill compare to Messi's?"
"What championships has that guy even won?"
"Atlético Madrid could contend for the title even before Lance arrived."
"Who cares about Messi? Doesn't he know how he won the Ballon d'Or last year?"
"He's ten goals ahead of Messi in the top scorer rankings. What more needs to be said?"
"Barcelona is already panicking. Some people are still questioning Lance."
"I actually hope they keep looking down on Lance and keep losing to him."
"Lance vs. Messi: Lance's win rate is 100%, Messi's is 0%!"
When fans on both sides finished arguing, they always came back to the same points. Messi's fans brought up the Ballon d'Or and championship honors, while Lance's fans brought up the two players' head-to-head record. Neither side conceded.
Piti Hurtado, a well-known commentator for Marca, posted on Twitter:
"There has been great controversy between Messi and Lance, but once this match is over, everything will be settled. If Messi can defeat Lance and ultimately win the title, he will be the undisputed number one in the world. If Lance can continue his dominance over Messi and defeat him directly to win the La Liga championship, Messi may have to yield his position to this young man."
Although the statement wasn't strictly rigorous, Hurtado's sentiment earned approval from many netizens. If Lance had come to La Liga and truly beaten Messi twice, perhaps the era really was about to change.
Matchday 35 of La Liga was not just the title fight between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona — it was also a battle for honor between Lance and Messi!
"Hey, remember we still have a match today! Don't just look ahead to next week!"
Simeone felt a bit helpless. Media across Europe were hyping up the Lance vs. Messi showdown, and the Atlético Madrid players were already mentally locked onto that fixture, causing the La Liga Matchday 34 game against Málaga to be overlooked.
Málaga were ranked 8th in La Liga and had a chance to qualify for the Europa League. They were not weak!
"Guys! Be serious! If we mess up this match, how are we supposed to fight Barcelona for the title next week?"
Right.
Reminded by Simeone, the Atlético Madrid players snapped back to focus. Today's match was equally crucial.
Lance was different. Whenever he stepped onto the field, he gave his absolute best. He had finally gotten lucky and acquired the System, and he had finally realized his dream of playing football. How could he not cherish every opportunity?
Led by Lance, Atlético Madrid's starting lineup was fully deployed. Seeing Lance, Griezmann, Torres, Koke, Godín, and the others approaching with great momentum, the Málaga players were already rattled.
Beep!
The match begins!
Málaga won the coin toss and kicked off first, but they hadn't advanced far before Atlético Madrid defensive midfielder Gabi intercepted the ball and immediately played a through pass to Lance!
Lance received the ball with his back to the goal about 30 meters out. The Málaga center-back and defensive midfielder rushed forward to close him down, unwilling to give him an inch.
But they still underestimated Lance's ball control.
The Nagi Seishiro template had been with him the longest, and after later acquiring the Bachira Meguru template, he had spent most of his time using Bachira's dribbling ability. Nagi Seishiro's full-level Perfect Ball Control had, through constant use, become pure muscle memory.
If muscle memory had a scoring system, Lance believed his Perfect Ball Control was worth at least 95 points. That was practically the same as equipping the System itself.
"Lance — Bravooooo!!"
"Lance, Lance, Lance, Lance!"
The hallmark of Spanish commentary is that after a player pulls off something brilliant, the commentator repeats the name non-stop, rattling it out like a machine gun.
Lance, with his back to the goal, pretended to trap the ball with the inside of his foot, the most basic move, keeping it at his feet. Seeing this, the Málaga defensive midfielder rushed in, trying to grab Lance's shoulder and squeeze into position to defend from the front.
But Lance looked like a nervous rookie, and the ball bounced off his instep and rolled behind him. It looked like a trapping error!
The Málaga defender hesitated in surprise — but Lance suddenly spun around and deftly flicked the rebounding ball up with his left heel! He burst out of the double-team like the wind, while the ball sailed over the heads of several players and dropped steadily back toward his feet. The trajectory of the ball and his run overlapped perfectly, as if measured with precise instruments.
Pulling off a flashy Rainbow Flick in training is one thing, but doing it effortlessly on the stage of a top league match was simply a feast for the eyes. It instantly ignited the passion of the entire Wanda Metropolitano!
"Lance — Lance, Lance, Lance!"
The Spanish commentator's mouth never stopped. By the time he finished chanting, Lance had already advanced into the attacking third. He played a diagonal pass to Griezmann just outside the box, Griezmann played a first-time horizontal pass back, and they executed a perfect one-two around the last defender.
Lance was ruthless inside the box. Even without a Template equipped, 80% of the power of the Tiger Shot was enough to blast open the goal!
"Lance — Gooooooooal!!"
"Saint Lance! A magnificent solo performance, like a matador! He opens the scoring just 13 minutes into the first half! Atlético Madrid leads Málaga 1-0!"
Movistar+, a paid sports channel in Madrid, had seen its subscriber numbers dwindle in recent years due to the stagnation of the Spanish economy. Channel management had been worried about how to promote the season, but Lance's arrival had unexpectedly driven a flood of new paid subscribers tuning in each week just to watch him play.
The reason was simple: watching Lance play football was pure enjoyment. Technical dribbling and evasion, combined with powerful, violent shooting. Countless Spanish fans in front of their televisions had long been won over, raising their beers and cheering loudly.
...After going up 1-0, Atlético Madrid played much more steadily and the players' heads settled down. With the invincible Lance on the field, they weren't going to lose.
However, Málaga adjusted quickly. They learned from the experiences of previous opponents and employed a more aggressive man-marking plus cover defense to restrict Lance's movement off the ball.
As long as Lance couldn't receive the ball, Atlético Madrid's offense was severely diminished. Manchester City had used this strategy to near perfection before, and it had genuinely troubled Atlético Madrid. If Lance hadn't blasted three world-class shots past Joe Hart, Manchester City might have actually won. In a way, Manchester City had "open-sourced" the blueprint for stopping Atlético Madrid.
For the remaining 80 minutes, Málaga made it very difficult for Lance to receive the ball. Atlético Madrid's attack had to run through Griezmann, Torres, Saúl, and the others, even requiring Koke to push forward into build-up play and take long shots. Their attacking power was significantly reduced.
On top of that, Lance was fouled relentlessly, with continuous tackles earning Málaga five yellow cards.
In the end, the score stayed 1-0 until the final whistle. It left Atlético Madrid fans on tenterhooks.
"I didn't expect it to be this close. Málaga are so tenacious."
"Honestly, rather than marking Lance directly, you're better off cutting off the players who pass to him."
"Lance is only a threat when he has the ball. Málaga figured that out."
"What if Barcelona learn this strategy?"
"Barcelona tried to block Lance this way before. Next week is going to be very tough."
As defensive tactics across the league evolved, strategies tailored specifically to Lance's characteristics began to spread. Manchester City, Málaga, and more teams joined the growing research into "Anti-Atlético Madrid Armor."
After the match, Madrid TV, Catalonia TV, Movistar+... numerous sports channels invited La Liga legends to break down the game. Málaga had genuinely managed to prevent Lance from receiving the ball.
Even though they lost, Málaga's official Weibo posted a provocative message:
"@BarcelonaOfficial — watch closely. I'm only teaching this once."
Word had it that Barcelona had been urgently rehearsing new tactics during the week, blocking all media access and announcing a full week of closed training. Barcelona, whose win rate against Lance stood at 0%, faintly saw a glimmer of hope.
La Masia Training Ground.
Three days before the match, Messi was training hard alongside his teammates. After finishing a scrimmage, Messi, Iniesta, Neymar, Suárez, and the others came to the sidelines breathing heavily, reaching for electrolyte water.
"Today's defense was really good. Messi, what do you think?"
"I think this kind of defense is genuinely strong. Maybe it really can restrict that guy..."
Even Messi was quietly astonished. Barcelona's already solid defensive shape had become even more airtight. It was difficult even for him to receive the ball and break through, let alone Lance, whose off-the-ball movement was average. It would likely be very hard for Lance to get a pass.
"We can win the title this season! We have to win the Treble!"
"The Treble! The Treble!"
The Barcelona players responded enthusiastically. With the end of the season approaching, all three titles were within reach. As long as Lance was kept quiet, the championship was theirs for the taking. Young players like Rakitić, Munir, and Rafinha were already dreaming of glory.
Little Atlético Madrid — we'll take them down!
"Lance, don't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with your game. Play normally and it'll be enough to beat Barcelona."
"I'm fine, Coach. But you seem more nervous than I am."
Simeone gave an awkward smile.
Watching how perfectly Málaga had executed their defensive plan, Simeone, who hadn't been nervous before, found his anxiety growing. If they were defeated by Barcelona, the Copa del Rey and Champions League chances could unravel too.
Luis Enrique couldn't afford to lose this battle, and neither could Simeone. At this critical moment, he could only rely on Lance.
Not because Lance's current level could simply crush Barcelona, but because the more crucial the battle, the stronger Lance's ability to perform in the big moments became.
Hopefully, three days from now against Barcelona, Lance could unleash his 'Cosmo'.