Lukas placed the ball carefully, almost ceremonially, on the trimmed green surface. This time, unlike the earlier set piece in the first half, there was no Skhiri beside him. No disguise. No trick. Just him, the ball, the arc of possibility, and a goalkeeper who could suddenly feel every heartbeat in his neck.
Agirrezabala meticulously arranged the wall, repositioned Nico Williams to lie flat behind it, and took three small steps left, then two right, then left again. He looked unsure of everything except the fact that he would probably need a miracle.
The referee walked backward, blew the whistle, and the stadium held its breath.
