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Chapter 416 - 416. The Final's Most Perfect Arc

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"Ohhhhhh!! It's in!!! What a world-class strike!!"

"In the 85th minute, Lance unleashes a 40-meter cannon to pull another goal back for Atlético Madrid! 4-2!!"

"God Lance scores a brace!!"

Jian Jun was practically crying.

Beside him, Commentator He Wei spoke with tears already burning in his eyes.

"Earlier, I quoted Romain Rolland: 'There is only one heroism in the world. To see the world as it is and still love it.'"

"But at this moment, I want to change that quote."

"There is only one true heroism in this world."

"And his name is Lance!"

What was a hero?

A hero was someone who knew there was a tiger waiting on the mountain...

And still chose to climb it.

Even while playing ten against eleven.

Even while trailing by a massive scoreline.

Lance still reached out from the depths of hell itself through those two spectacular goals and raised his middle finger toward fate.

I refuse to accept this ending!

4-2!!

The dying Atlético Madrid had suddenly sat upright from its deathbed!

The dawn of hope slowly began to shine again!

The Meazza erupted with one of the loudest roars in football history.

At this moment, not only Atlético Madrid supporters and neutral fans, but even many Real Madrid fans couldn't help applauding and cheering.

Lance's figure had become unimaginably towering.

Martin Tyler described the moment perfectly on Sky Sports:

"Even if Lance fails to win the Champions League tonight, he can still challenge for this year's Ballon d'Or purely based on this superhero-level performance in the final!"

"No one. And I mean absolutely no one. Can overshadow his brilliance tonight!"

So what if Cristiano Ronaldo had scored a hat-trick?

One goal came from the penalty spot, while the other two relied heavily on the incredible support from his teammates and Real Madrid's dominant midfield.

But Lance?

Playing with a weakened squad.

Playing a man down.

He had personally carved a path upward from the bottom of the cliff with his bare hands!

...

Lance didn't celebrate at all.

The moment the ball crossed the line, he sprinted directly toward the net.

Fortunately, Fernando Torres had the exact same idea and reached the goal first to grab the ball.

The entire Atlético Madrid team merely exchanged quick high-fives before immediately racing back toward midfield for the restart.

The entire Real Madrid squad was stunned.

They had expected Atlético Madrid to waste precious seconds celebrating wildly.

Instead, the team looked terrifyingly calm.

And an opponent that calm was the most frightening kind imaginable.

Real Madrid had completely lost their composure.

When Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema were substituted off, Real Madrid had already mentally surrendered.

4-1 felt safe.

But 4-2?

That scoreline suddenly became dangerously delicate.

"The match resumes, and Real Madrid still doesn't dare attack recklessly. They're afraid of history repeating itself!"

"God Lance is shining brilliantly tonight! Look at Atlético Madrid's pressing!"

As the match neared its conclusion, everyone's stamina should have already been exhausted.

But Lance had completely ignited the entire team.

Every Atlético Madrid player began pressing like their lives depended on it, making Real Madrid's midfield unbearably uncomfortable.

Even Luka Modrić struggled to cope, let alone the freshly substituted Lucas Vázquez.

Saúl Ñíguez launched himself into a desperate tackle, successfully winning possession before immediately passing to Antoine Griezmann.

Griezmann flicked the ball backward with his heel toward the advancing Lance.

Without stopping the ball, Lance instantly pulled and turned with his right foot, spinning past Casemiro while simultaneously launching a pinpoint long pass!

[Crescent Blade]!

The ball curved beautifully toward Griezmann.

Griezmann controlled it, cut inside, and fired a high-quality shot that terrified the entire Real Madrid defense!

"Just inches wide! Griezmann's shot quality was excellent! What a shame!"

As the ball sailed narrowly past the crossbar, goalkeeper Keylor Navas nearly burst into tears.

Regardless of whether Real Madrid won the title tonight, his starting position no longer looked secure.

Rumors already claimed Real Madrid was aggressively pursuing Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Lance's Belgium teammate.

As the "Belgian twin stars" rose to prominence across both the Premier League and La Liga, Belgian players had become some of the hottest commodities in Europe.

Courtois.

Eden Hazard.

Even Romelu Lukaku.

Every top club wanted them.

Back to the match.

Atlético Madrid's relentless pressing genuinely created enormous problems for Real Madrid.

So much so that Real Madrid simply abandoned midfield control entirely and retreated into a deep defensive shell around the thirty-meter area.

The roles had completely reversed.

Atlético Madrid, despite having only ten men, became the attacking side, continuously bombarding Real Madrid's half.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid left only Cristiano Ronaldo up front searching for counterattack opportunities.

Their possession even dropped below 50%!

"It may look ugly, but Real Madrid is actually using a very scientific strategy to conserve stamina while waiting for counterattack chances."

"Atlético Madrid has fewer players, making it difficult for them to create clear opportunities. At the same time, their defense is exposed, allowing Real Madrid to exploit space quickly."

Even the official Real Madrid television commentary continued trying to justify the tactics from a strategic perspective.

But they forgot one thing.

Lance existed.

As the match entered stoppage time, Real Madrid stood only five minutes away from victory.

Lance once again combined with Griezmann near the edge of the penalty area.

Just as he prepared to pull and turn away from Casemiro's sliding tackle...

Lucas Vázquez flew in recklessly from the side!

His challenge crashed directly into Lance's leg!

The replay even showed Lance's knee bending unnaturally!

Beep!!!

Referee Mark Clattenburg immediately blew his whistle.

Commentators around the world instantly exploded.

"That's a foul!!"

"Vázquez's tackle was absolutely vicious!"

Yet Jian Jun couldn't celebrate at all.

Because Lance might now be forced off injured, using Atlético Madrid's final substitution.

If Lance stayed on the field, perhaps there was still hope at 4-2.

But if Lance disappeared...

Then Real Madrid would definitely become champions.

That was the deterrence level of a nuclear weapon.

"Although it may sound unethical, Vázquez's foul was brilliant."

"Real Madrid has secured the title!"

"We are the champions!!"

Some Real Madrid supporters had already begun popping champagne on Twitter.

It was over.

"Lance's knee is finished. If he can still continue playing, I'll eat—"

Before the comment even finished...

Lance stood back up.

Straight as ever.

As if absolutely nothing had happened.

"Oh my God... is he actually a god?"

"How can he still stand after that?!"

"I said it already. He was sent by heaven."

"No... maybe he is heaven."

Aside from divine intervention, nobody could explain the scene unfolding before them.

Lance had actually stood back up.

Lucas Vázquez received a yellow card, while Lance calmly carried the ball toward the free-kick spot.

Roughly twenty-five meters from goal.

"Jesus Christ..."

Not only Vázquez.

Even Cristiano Ronaldo, Modrić, and the other Real Madrid players looked completely shaken.

They had already touched the championship trophy with one hand.

Yet they still couldn't stop Lance?

For the first time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo genuinely felt despair.

A terrifying thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Could it be..."

"Lance is personally taking this free kick. You can see the determination in his eyes."

He Wei's heartbeat nearly stopped.

Ordinary players simply couldn't withstand this level of pressure.

Most would blast the shot wildly off target.

As the first minute of stoppage time ticked away, He Wei suddenly felt an indescribable premonition.

"He starts his run-up!!"

Under the gaze of the entire world, Lance used the muscle memory inherited from [David Beckham] to unleash a free kick filled with breathtaking artistry!

At that exact moment, even David Beckham himself stood frozen in the stands, his pupils trembling violently.

"No way... it's identical..."

Whoooooosh!!

The ball curved through the air with perfect spin and precision, barely evading Navas's fingertips before screaming into the net!

"IT'S IN!!!"

"GOAL!!!"

"A HAT-TRICK FOR LANCE!!!"

"Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick once helped Real Madrid build a massive lead..."

"But in the second half, Lance answered with an even more spectacular hat-trick of his own!!!"

"4-3!!!"

"THE GAP IS DOWN TO A SINGLE GOAL!!!"

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