"The great Ronaldo! He's scored the opener for Real Madrid — and we're only in the ninth minute!"
Martin Taylor's voice rose above the roar of the Bernabéu as thousands of Madridistas celebrated like it were a festival.
Kai stood near the halfway line, watching Ronaldo and the Real Madrid players celebrating in the corner. He let out a quiet sigh.
Arsenal's weakness had been found — and exploited perfectly.
Once Kai pushed higher up the pitch, the cracks in their defensive shape began to show.
There was nothing they could've done about that goal.
"Come on! Shake it off — we'll get it back!" Vermaelen shouted, clapping his hands, his voice echoing across the pitch.
Kai joined in, urging his teammates on. The goal was done; no point sulking. What mattered now was how they responded.
He jogged over to Podolski. "Don't just stick to their defensive line," he said. "Drop off and make yourself available."
Podolski blinked, then nodded as the idea clicked.
If he dropped deeper, one of the Madrid defenders would have to follow — which could free up space for Cazorla. And if they didn't follow, he'd still provide a link option in midfield.
It wasn't quite a false nine role, but it carried the same idea — movement to create chaos.
Podolski placed the ball at the center circle. The referee's whistle blew, and Arsenal kicked off again.
Kai immediately dropped deep, passing the ball back to Koscielny before lifting his head to scan the pitch.
After a brief pause, he drifted toward the right flank.
Seeing that, Ramsey adjusted, crossing into the left side to balance the shape.
Vermaelen sent a firm pass toward Kai. Bale was already charging in.
Kai stepped forward to meet the ball, cushioning it before flicking it past Bale with the outside of his boot — sending it down one side while he spun around the other.
Bale hesitated to chase — at this stage, he wasn't one to counter-press aggressively — and that gave Kai space to surge forward.
He carried the ball into the center circle unchallenged. When Modrić finally closed in, Kai slipped the ball right to Walcott and immediately moved behind him for the return.
Walcott wanted to find Cazorla, but Coentrão had already locked him down. No opening. He recycled it back to Kai.
Kai switched play to Rosický on the right — still no way through — and received it again.
This time, he slowed things down, holding the ball and studying Madrid's shape.
"Arsenal are using the full width of the pitch here," said Martin Taylor. "They're trying to stretch Real Madrid, and Kai's the pivot for everything — every switch, every transition goes through him."
Alan Smith added, "Yeah, he's seeing a lot more of the ball tonight. Normally, he's the one linking plays, but now he's running the whole show. With Cazorla pushed higher up, Kai's basically the spark of this side."
Martin nodded. "And it's not just creativity — he's distributing everything as well. Arsenal have only got two real central midfielders out there: Ramsey doing the dirty work and Kai controlling the tempo."
Alan continued, "Wenger's using him as the central core. It's bold — Kai's never carried this much responsibility before."
Their tones matched the tension in the air.
Even Arsenal fans watching from home were on edge. They knew Kai was good — brilliant, even — but this was different. This was Real Madrid, at the Bernabéu.
Still, Kai looked composed. Calm.
While supporters fidgeted in their seats, he remained focused. Opportunities didn't come from panic — they came from patience.
Pat Rice used to tell him: There's no game without mistakes.
You just had to wait for them. Or better yet, create them.
And Cazorla was Arsenal's best weapon for that.
Kai kept orchestrating, eyes darting across the pitch.
Then he saw it — Podolski peeling away from the defensive line, signaling for the ball.
Kai's eyes lit up. He whipped the pass forward, then sprinted left, swapping positions with Walcott.
Now he was hovering just behind Cazorla.
Podolski wrestled with Ramos for a second before poking the ball sideways — right into Kai's path.
Kai anticipated it perfectly, threading a sharp through ball between Ramos and Coentrão.
The pass wasn't fast or powerful — just perfectly weighted.
Cazorla slipped around Coentrão and latched onto it.
"A lovely through ball! Cazorla's in here!" Martin Taylor shouted.
Cazorla met the ball and dragged it across with his left, using his body to shield Coentrão.
The defender's balance faltered — a small misstep, but enough.
Ramos had been drawn out by Podolski and couldn't recover in time. Cazorla suddenly had space.
Casillas rushed across the goal, trying to narrow the angle.
Cazorla didn't hesitate. He stabbed at the ball with the tip of his boot — a sharp, instinctive finish.
The shot flew low and fast — almost invisible — and zipped right between Casillas' legs.
The net rippled.
For a moment, the entire Bernabéu fell silent.
Then the Arsenal away section erupted.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAL!!!"
Martin Taylor's voice cut through the noise: "Arsenal hit straight back! Santi Cazorla — composed, clinical, and Arsenal are level at the Bernabéu!"
The red-and-white corner of the stadium was in absolute delirium, their chants echoing back at the stunned Madrid fans.
Arsenal had fallen early — but they'd just punched back.
" What a strike! Absolutely brilliant! That's a fantastic bit of passing and movement from Arsenal!"
Martin Taylor's voice rose over the roar of the crowd.
"From Podolski's hold-up play, you could see it coming," Alan Smith added with a grin. "That Arsenal goal was written all over it!"
The equalizer sent Arsenal fans into raptures.
After Real Madrid had drawn first blood, Arsenal hit back with a goal built on pure teamwork and precision.
From the moment the move began, every pass, every run, every bit of movement off the ball clicked perfectly into place. There wasn't a single misstep—each player did exactly what was needed.
This is what defines this Arsenal side now.
They aren't just relying on one star player; their strength lies in their unity, their understanding, their collective rhythm.
In contrast, Real Madrid's players looked unsettled. They'd believed they had Arsenal under control—but the fight and resilience coming from the Gunners were far greater than they had expected.
As the camera panned across the pitch, the scoreboard showed 3–2 on aggregate—Arsenal still ahead.
And as the clock ticked toward the 40th minute of the first half, the Bernabéu felt the tension rising once again.
...
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