Chapter 20: The Calm Before the Storm
August 20, 2017 – Camp Nou, Matchday 1 of La Liga: FC Barcelona vs. Real Betis
The banners were flying again.
Fans filled every seat of Camp Nou with cautious hope.
They hadn't forgotten last season's collapse.
But they hadn't seen this version of Barcelona before.
Noah Marlowe stood at the edge of the technical area, suit sharp, expression calm. His arms were folded, but the AI Tactical System tablet vibrated in his palm.
"La Liga 17–18 begins now."
Phase: Season Stabilization
Target: 3 points, 70% system execution
Focus: Messi–Busquets axis, Mbappé minutes < 20
This wasn't about fireworks.
It was about foundation.
Pre-Match Talk – Locker Room
The squad was quiet, focused.
"Every game is a test," Noah said. "But tonight, it's a message."
He paced slowly in front of them.
"We've shown flashes in preseason. But none of it matters until it happens here."
He pointed to Messi.
"Tonight, you pull them apart."
To Busquets:
"You keep the fire from spreading."
To Mbappé, seated calmly:
"Minute 70. Be ready. Break the match."
Then to everyone:
"We don't win this league tonight. But we decide how we want to win it. With intelligence. With fire. With identity."
Starting XI vs. Real Betis
GK: Ter Stegen
DEF: Piqué – Umtiti – Sergi Roberto
MID: Busquets – Rakitic
AM: Iniesta – Messi
FOR: Alba – Suárez – Deulofeu
Mbappé, Puig, and Semedo on the bench.
Kickoff – Minute 1 to 30
Barcelona began sharply, rotating in Blueprint Alpha—Controlled Chaos.
Messi drifted between midfield and attack, dragging Betis' fullbacks in unpredictable lines.
Iniesta fed early diagonals to Suárez.
Rakitic pushed forward into secondary runs.
Minute 11 — Messi picked up the ball from Busquets and dribbled past two defenders before slicing a pass through to Suárez.
Shot. Saved.
Minute 17 — a Messi free kick from 22 meters dipped over the wall.
GOAL.
1–0.
The crowd erupted.
Not just because of the goal.
Because it felt inevitable.
Messi jogged back, not celebrating wildly.
Just nodding toward the bench.
"System flow: 86% optimal."
"Messi Zone 14 control: Dominant."
Minute 31 to 45 – Total Control
Barcelona began suffocating Betis' midfield.
Rakitic rotated with Busquets to delay counterattacks.
Iniesta sprayed passes like a conductor.
Minute 38 — Messi picked up a recycled ball and chipped over the top to Alba.
Cutback.
Suárez tapped it in.
2–0.
Halftime.
Smooth. No panic. No chaos.
Just Barcelona.
Halftime – Tactical Check-In
Noah reviewed the live metrics with his assistant.
Possession: 63%
Messi touches: 46
Betis shots: 1
Suárez off-ball runs: 7
Recommendation: Rotate wide lanes second half, Mbappé sub on minute 70.
The game wasn't over.
But the message was clear.
Second Half – Minute 46 to 70
Barcelona maintained rhythm.
Messi slowed the tempo.
Betis pressed higher.
Minute 63 — long ball over the top.
Messi took it down flawlessly, cut back, beat one defender, and curled a shot—
Off the post.
The crowd gasped.
He didn't score.
But he had command.
Minute 68 — Noah tapped the sub signal.
"Mbappé. Go."
Minute 70 – Mbappé On for Deulofeu
The young Frenchman entered, high on adrenaline, low on fear.
His first touch?
A sprinting overlap down the right, burning past the Betis fullback.
Messi saw him.
Lifted the ball over the backline.
Mbappé met it in stride, shot low—
Saved again.
But now the stadium buzzed.
Minute 78 – The Spark
Messi dropped deeper, shrugged off two defenders, and slid a diagonal through three Betis shirts.
Mbappé latched onto it, curled inside, then squared it back to Suárez—
GOAL.
3–0.
Mbappé didn't celebrate wildly.
He looked to Messi and smiled.
"I see it now," he whispered.
Final Whistle – 3–0 Victory
Noah stayed at the edge of the pitch, arms crossed.
He didn't clap.
But inside, the calculations ran clear:
Win secured.
Messi central performance: 9.2 rating
Mbappé impact: confirmed
Team chemistry: solid
Tactical noise: low
Total vertical passes: 79 (15% increase from last season opener)
This was not a perfect performance.
But it was the first step toward domination.
Press Conference – Post-Match
"Coach Marlowe," a journalist asked, "Messi seemed freer than ever. Did you change the plan?"
Noah smiled faintly.
"No. I stopped limiting the plan."
Another asked, "Will Mbappé start soon?"
"He'll start when we need a match broken early. For now, he breaks it late—and perfectly."
Elsewhere – Madrid Monitoring
In Valdebebas, Zidane watched the tape with narrowed eyes.
"They're sharper now," he muttered.
One assistant added, "Messi's moving like he's 25 again."
Zidane didn't answer.
He simply drew a red circle around the December Clásico on the schedule.
"We have time. But so do they."
Final Scene – Tactical System Summary
Match: Barcelona 3 – 0 Real Betis
Messi Involvement Rate: 87%
Mbappé Minutes Played: 21
Tactical Execution: 91%
Squad Health: Optimal
Next Fixture: Alavés (away)
Rotation Plan: Activate Puig for 20 minutes
The system closed with a quiet pulse:
"Phase I stabilized.
Identity secure.
Storm builds."