Matić's red card completely shattered the last remaining psychological defenses of Benfica's players on the pitch.
The Benfica players' condition was no longer that of "competing" in a match—it had become a public, slow-burning torment.
Their bodies were still on the field, but their spirits had already accepted the brutal outcome.
They had lost.
They had lost.
The red card didn't ignite their fighting spirit; instead, it became the straw that broke the camel's back, sending them prematurely into the grave named defeat.
But this was far from over.
The match still had time remaining, and what they needed to think about now was no longer how to mount a comeback and win, but rather how to withstand Bastia's attacks while playing with one man down.
To at least lose by fewer goals, so they wouldn't be nailed to the Europa League final's pillar of shame.
Bang!
Bastia kicked off, and with the numerical advantage, Bastia's offensive rhythm became increasingly comfortable.
Constant stretching and passing.
They continuously moved Benfica's players around, while Julien also kept changing his position—off-ball movement was one of his strengths.
Time kept flowing.
Bastia wasn't particularly rushed. When Benfica pressed, they passed backward, and Benfica was hesitant, not daring to push up aggressively.
Just when everyone thought Bastia would keep passing the ball around to waste time...
The 71st minute arrived.
Julien received the ball with his back to goal on the right side of the penalty area. Benfica's fullback Melgarejo and midfielder Rodrigo immediately closed in on him. They were now running purely on their last breath.
Julien didn't try to overpower them physically—that wasn't his strength. He flicked the ball to the right with his right toe, seemingly preparing to turn and burst down the right side.
Rodrigo immediately extended his leg to block—
In a flash, Julien used the inside of his foot to sharply pull the ball back, twisting his body and surging past on the right side of his turn. Then, facing Melgarejo, he executed a delicate elastico, instantly slipping through the gap between the two defenders just as they were closing in!
Center-back Luisão had no choice but to rush over desperately, diving to block the shooting angle!
Just when everyone thought Julien would force a shot, he instead delivered a ground pass with the outside of his left foot.
The ball precisely curved around Luisão's outstretched leg, rolling toward the penalty spot!
Lukaku was following up in the center, but he didn't touch the ball. Instead, under Gary's tight marking, he deliberately let the ball run through. This seemingly clumsy dummy instantly deceived all the defending players!
The ball rolled toward the empty space at the far post of the six-yard box—
De Bruyne appeared like a ghost, sprinting up from deep. Without any adjustment, he executed a diving ground finish!
The ball hit the back of the net!
The score was rewritten to 4-0!
The flowing attack, combined with this goal that perfectly showcased the understanding and lethality of Bastia's front three, instantly sent the Bastia fans into raptures once again.
In fact, they had never stopped celebrating.
They were already celebrating their championship!
The club's first European trophy!
At this moment, the Amsterdam Arena had fallen into two extreme, tearing emotional vortexes.
The Bastia stand had completely fallen into blissful chaos.
The fans weren't just celebrating in the stands—they were madly stomping and jumping on the seats and stands, causing the entire section to shake like an earthquake.
The Benfica stand, meanwhile, had instantly plunged into a deathly frozen abyss.
The sea of deep red seemed to freeze in an instant. Some people collapsed into their seats, eyes vacant, the only sound being sporadic, suppressed sobbing.
The commentator couldn't help but sigh. "Benfica's century-long European championship dream will need another attempt."
Then his tone shifted. "4-0, I can say the match result is already decided. The champion has been born. Bastia has created one of the greatest underdog miracles in football history! They've also tied the record for the largest margin of victory in a Europa League final since the competition's rebrand!
This is a night that defies description! Look at this scene! Bastia's fans are celebrating wildly, while Benfica's fans are utterly heartbroken! This is football's most extreme emotion!
From Julien's hat-trick to De Bruyne's killer blow, every Bastia attack has been like a precise scalpel, completely dissecting Benfica's defense. They deserve this epic victory!
Congratulations to Bastia! Congratulations to Hadzibegic! And especially congratulations to Julien De Rocca—this young super striker, who with a hat-trick and an assist, has personally carved his name into the hall of legends of European football!
Benfica's story is heartbreaking. Tonight, all the glory, all the praise, all the history belongs to Bastia!
Belongs to this incredible team!"
On the pitch,
The Bastia players were now relaxed. They never imagined the final would be this easy.
For them, the toughest opponents had actually been Chelsea and Tottenham.
The teammates embraced each other.
De Bruyne patted Julien on the shoulder. "Good pass." Then he also praised Lukaku: "That dummy in the center was excellent. You can practice that more. At key moments, it can completely change the game situation."
Lukaku, while adjusting his dreadlocks, smiled honestly and nodded, taking De Bruyne's words to heart.
Julien also waved to the stands with a smile, even raising both hands repeatedly, gesturing for their noise to get even louder, the celebration even more intense.
With this score and this timing, Bastia could celebrate without restraint!
"Bastia are champions!"
"We are champions!"
"Julien!"
The fans didn't disappoint Julien. Even though they'd been shouting all match and their voices were hoarse, they were still roaring with all their might.
This was groundbreaking for the club in its hundred-year history!
They were European champions!
On the sidelines, Hadzibegic had become silent, overwhelmed by intense emotion. He looked at the players on the field, at the scoreboard, at the cheering Bastia fans, his heart was filled with wonder.
"They actually did it."
His gaze was fixed on Julien—that young man who had tirelessly tracked back to the halfway line to complete the tackle, then delivered a defense-splitting pass to finish the attack. That young man who had shattered all of Benfica's hopes with a hat-trick. That young man whose entire being was written with the word "talent."
Hadzibegic remembered his surprise when Julien returned from prison and dribbled past several players to score in his first internal practice match. He also remembered how, after Julien had only played a few matches, Hadzibegic had said to him, "For the championship."
At that time, their dream had been the French Cup, but who knew that one season later, they would become European champions!
Europa League champions were also European champions!
A surge of burning heat finally rushed to his eyes, but he quickly tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and forced the tears back.
He turned away from the field and walked toward the bench, picked up a bottle of water, opened it, and calmly took a sip.
As if all this had been part of the plan all along.
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