The final twenty-seven minutes were a tense, nervy affair. Both teams pushed for a winner, but both defenses held firm. Bayern threw everything at Dortmund, their attacking play becoming increasingly desperate as the clock ticked down. But Dortmund, marshaled by Hummels and inspired by the collective determination to hold on, refused to break.
When the final whistle blew, the scoreline read 1-1. It was not the victory that Dortmund had hoped for, but it was a result that maintained their lead at the top of the table and demonstrated their ability to compete with the very best. For Mateo, the match had been a different kind of test, a challenge of his tactical discipline and his willingness to sacrifice personal glory for the good of the team. And he had passed that test with flying colors.
