God Of football

Chapter 101: A Run Of Games [Real Betis] 2

In the locker room at halftime, Valencia’s manager, Rubén Baraja, exuded intensity and focus.

Aware of the high stakes, he rallied his players with a passionate speech, urging them to maintain composure and seize control of the midfield battle against Real Betis.

Baraja highlighted the need to exploit Betis’ defensive gaps with quick transitions and effective wing play.

His tactical adjustments emphasized sharper pressing and disciplined defending to neutralize Betis’ counterattacks.

Encouraging belief in their ability, he ended by reminding the team of Valencia fan’s roaring support outside.

The players felt reinvigorated by the speech of Ruben Baraja. ”Wow, I’ve never seen him like this before,” Moreno thought as he looked at Baraja.

Izan followed the rest of the substitutes out after the talk with Ruben Baraja. He was itching to play but he kept his cool and walked to the bench.

Ruben Baraja watches Izan walk away out of the corner of his eye. ”I’d like to play you kid, but I have orders to follow too” Baraja thought as he stared at Izan.

Following the match vs Atlético Madrid, A few but a good number of clubs inquired about Izan’s availability during the winter transfer window.

The club had a hard time warding off interest from interested parties. When Izan first broke onto the scene during pre-season, the club wanted to sell him after he gained a decent amount of market value to bolster the squad.

So they had made Ruben Baraja play him frequently. Izan had, however, exceeded their expectations. An ordinary transfer fee wasn’t going to suffice.

If the club were to sell during the winter break, they wouldn’t be able to get much so they had changed plans.

Ruben Baraja was now told to reduce Izan’s game time while giving him enough to help him stay relevant. Ruben Baraja had refused at first, but the club threatened his job.

”Can’t we just enjoy football without the planning and plotting like the old times?” Baraja thought as he walked out of the locker room.

Moreno stared on as Baraja’s face went through 3 different emotions in about 30 seconds. He followed Baraja out leaving the latter to his thoughts.

.....

The second half of the match between Valencia and Real Betis was a thrilling spectacle, blending moments of skill, strategy, and fervent fan reactions.

As the players emerged from the tunnel, the air at Mestalla was electric, with Valencia fans chanting in unison, urging their team to secure a win.

The home fans couldn’t allow themselves to be outdone on their turf, so they also began theirs.

The players soon got into positions before the shrill sound of the referee’s whistle sounded throughout the pitch.

The opening moments of the half saw Valencia on the front foot, their midfield trio dominating possession.

Javi Guerra orchestrated play with precision, threading passes to Hugo Duro and Diego López, who relentlessly tested Betis’ defensive line.

The fans buzzed with excitement as José Gayà surged down the left flank, delivering dangerous crosses into the box.

In the 50th minute, Valencia capitalized on a corner. Gayà’s pinpoint delivery found Hugo Duro, who leapt high to head the ball into the net.

The stadium erupted as fans cheered, ”¡Vamos Valencia! Hugo, te has redimido!” (”Let’s go Valencia! Hugo, you’ve redeemed yourself!”). The early goal gave Valencia a commanding lead and left Betis scrambling to respond.

Ruben Baraja pumped his fists in the air after the goal from Hugo Duro before hugging Moreno and a few other staff members.

After the restart, Betis sought to regain their footing through quick counterattacks. Abde Ezzalzouli was their standout player, using his pace and dribbling to unsettle Valencia’s defence.

In one particularly tense moment, he weaved through two defenders, but his shot was parried away by Valencia’s goalkeeper.

A Betis fan in the stand nearby shouted, ”¡Eso es, Abde! Más como eso!” (”That’s it, Abde! More like that!”).

As the match progressed, the intensity heightened. Fouls became frequent as players fought for every inch of the pitch.

In the 63rd minute, Cenk received a yellow card for a reckless tackle. The away fans roared in disapproval at the referee, with one supporter exclaiming, ”¡Árbitro vendido!” (”The referee is biased!”).

Meanwhile, Betis fans saw the physicality as an opportunity, chanting, ”¡Presión, presión!” (”Pressure, pressure!”).

The game’s pace showed no signs of slowing, with Valencia creating chance after chance. Diego López came close to adding a second goal, his curling shot narrowly missing the top corner.

”¡Qué lástima!” (”What a shame!”), a Valencia supporter lamented, while another optimistically added, ”La próxima va dentro” (”The next one will go in”).

Betis responded by making substitutions, bringing on fresh legs to reinvigorate their attack. Aitor Ruibal added a new dimension to their offence, linking up well with Sergi Altimira.

In the 75th minute, Isco nearly pulled one back with a thunderous strike, but Mark blocked the shot at the last moment.

”¡Así se defiende!” (”That’s how you defend!”), a Valencia fan shouted while Betis supporters groaned in frustration.

The final 15 minutes of the half were marked by relentless effort from both sides. Valencia adopted a more defensive stance, aiming to preserve their lead, while Betis pushed forward in search of a breakthrough.

Tempers flared on the pitch, with players exchanging words after a late challenge. The referee struggled to maintain control, issuing several yellow cards.

The visiting crowd played a crucial role, their chants growing louder with every Valencia clearance.

”¡Este es nuestro partido!” (”This is our match!”) echoed around the stadium. Betis fans, undeterred, responded with their chants of ”¡Nunca nos rendimos!” (”We never give up!”), creating a charged atmosphere that fueled the players’ determination.

In the 85th minute, Valencia nearly sealed the win with a counterattack. Fran Pérez broke free on the right and squared the ball to Hugo Duro, whose shot rattled the crossbar. Gasps and groans filled the stadium, with one fan shouting, ”¡Qué mala suerte!” (”What bad luck!”).

After this, the fans saw Izan warming up on the touchline. This scene made their shouts increase. The already deafening noise inside the stadium had gone up a notch again.

The fans waited for the substitution but it never came. Izan, after the warmup, went to the bench and wore his jacket again.

”Isn’t he coming on? What is going on” the fans thought as Izan sat still in his seat.

As the clock ticked down, Betis launched one final assault. A corner in the 90th minute created chaos in Valencia’s box, but Mark’s towering header cleared the danger.

The referee signalled for six minutes of added time, prompting nervous murmurs among the Valencia faithful. ”¡Aguanten, por favor!” (”Hold on, please!”), A fan pleaded, clutching their scarf, but it was for nought.

The prayers of the home fans were answered as Isco wormed his way through the Valencia defence with a magical run before putting the ball in the top right corner.

The Estadio Benito Villamarín exploded into life as the home crowd celebrated their goal. The visitors went silent after the home team drew level.

Izan sighed before looking at the clock. 97:04 was displayed on the LED display. Izan shook his head and walked towards the tunnel as the referee blew his whistle to end the game.

A cameraman nearby spotted Izan’s dejected face as he walked towards the tunnel. He took a picture of the latter’s back as he walked into the tunnel.

Despite Valencia’s efforts, Betis’ attack proved tough. The final whistle was met with jubilant celebrations from the home crowd who had managed to salvage a point in the dying minutes.

The second half was a testament to the passion and unpredictability of football, with both teams leaving everything on the pitch.

The spirited performances from both sides ensured a match to remember. Izan got to the locker room first and packed his bags.

He didn’t want to watch the dejected faces of his teammates not whatever story the coach had come up with for not letting him play.

After packing, Izan slung his bag over his shoulders. He met Moreno at the entrance, with the latter looking to say something, but Izan shook his head before leaving.

Moreno frowned slightly as he looked at Izan’s receding. He sighed before entering the locker room.

Izan walked for a while before finding the team bus. He entered and found his frequent seat by the windows.

Izan felt his phone bus after he sat down. Taking it out, he found the message from his sister and smiled at it.

”Those f---ers are out of their mind for not playing you. You could have won us that match”.

Izan looked at his keyboard for a while before sending Hori a message.

”Language, please”, it read before Izan put on his Earbuds, tapping his feet to the rhythmic sound that flowed from it.

He closed his eyes and sat in his seat quietly as he waited for the rest of the team to board the bus

A/n: Bonus chapter number 1. Courtesy of Harith_TM. Thank him in your sleep.