Chapter 25: Storm in Lisbon
September 13, 2017 – Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon
Champions League Matchday 1: Sporting CP vs. FC Barcelona
The Lisbon sky cracked with thunder as the teams emerged from the tunnel.
Rain fell in sheets.
The crowd was deafening.
And across the pitch, Sporting CP's green and white stripes swayed like an army of shadows.
This was Europe.
And for Kylian Mbappé, it was his first step onto the continent's biggest stage.
Tunnel – Final Moments Before Kickoff
Noah approached Messi and Mbappé side by side.
"Tonight, they won't chase you," he told Messi. "They'll try to shadow you. Make the space vanish."
He turned to Mbappé.
"Which means you must appear where Messi disappears."
Mbappé's eyes narrowed.
"Understood."
Starting XI vs. Sporting CP
GK: Ter Stegen
DEF: Alba – Umtiti – Piqué – Semedo
MID: Busquets
CMs: Rakitic – Puig
FOR: Iniesta – Messi – Mbappé
Pedri on the bench. Suárez rested.
System: 4-1-2-3 Transition Shell
Kickoff – Minute 1 to 20
Sporting opened fast.
They weren't reckless—but aggressive.
They doubled Messi in midfield.
Pressed Puig with intent.
Forced Ter Stegen to go long twice.
Minute 7 — Messi received wide, immediately collapsed on. No space. No line.
Noah watched from the sideline, arms folded.
"Good," he whispered.
Minute 11 – Mbappé Counterstrike
Busquets intercepted high. One-touch to Puig.
Puig floated a long diagonal ball toward the right wing.
Mbappé exploded into the space behind Sporting's left back.
One touch. Cut inside.
He sprinted into the box—a blur through the storm—then curled it low into the far corner.
GOAL – Mbappé.
1–0 Barcelona.
The stadium stunned.
Not by the goal.
By how sudden it was.
"Mbappé: Wide Entry Burst successful.
Messi Gravity: 2-man drag = wide lane creation confirmed."
Minute 22 – Sporting Responds
They came back angry.
Quick combinations through midfield.
Corner won.
Cross into the box—
Shot!
Blocked by Umtiti.
Rebound—blasted wide.
Noah didn't move.
But the system flashed red for the first time:
"Zone 14 congestion: overload +15%. Puig under strain. Suggest support shift."
Minute 28 – Tactical Reset
Messi dropped deeper, now operating in central midfield with Puig pushed slightly left.
Iniesta tucked inside. Semedo pushed higher.
The system breathed again.
Minute 34 — Messi controlled in the half-space, slid a reverse pass to Iniesta.
Iniesta took a single touch, then dinked it over the top.
Mbappé ran onto it.
Volley.
Saved.
But now Sporting staggered.
Minute 42 – Messi Reminds Europe
Puig played a triangle with Busquets.
Ball rolled back to Messi 25 meters out.
He looked up.
No pressure.
One second.
He pulled the trigger.
Left foot. Curl. Net.
GOAL – Messi.
2–0 Barcelona.
In the pouring rain, under the roaring jeers, Messi walked away calmly—like it was always going to happen.
Halftime – Locker Room Calm
The team entered drenched and breathing hard.
Noah didn't raise his voice.
"This isn't survival. This is dominance."
To Messi:
"Shift again. Let them chase ghosts."
To Puig:
"You're reading the traps. Just trust your pace. You're faster here"—he pointed to his temple—"than they are with their legs."
To Mbappé:
"Next time, don't shoot. Drag one more and lay it off."
Mbappé nodded, already burning.
Second Half – Minute 46 to 65
Sporting adjusted. They switched to a deeper block. Invited pressure.
Barcelona rotated calmly.
Busquets slowed the tempo.
Iniesta recycled wide.
Messi hovered like a shadow, pulling defenders into irrelevance.
Minute 57 — Puig dribbled through midfield, passed to Messi.
One-touch layoff to Mbappé.
Mbappé cut inside, feinted a shot, then squared it to Iniesta—
GOAL – Iniesta.
3–0 Barcelona.
Noah finally smiled.
"Transition Shell Operating at 93%.
All three lanes triggered.
Wide-center sync achieved."
Minute 69 – Substitutions
Out: Iniesta, Rakitic
In: Denis Suárez, Pedri
The young Canary Islander stepped onto the European stage for the first time.
He didn't look nervous.
His first play? A press-and-collect from the wing.
Second? A short pass through traffic to Puig.
The system marked it:
"Pedri: Confidence Threshold Crossed. Stage Set for Rotation Role."
Minute 83 – Sporting Pull One Back
Long free kick into the box.
Header. Flicked on. Scramble.
Goal – Sporting CP.
3–1.
Ter Stegen clapped his hands and refocused the line.
Noah didn't flinch.
He turned to his assistant.
"They're not celebrating the goal. They're celebrating that they're not dead."
Full-Time – Barcelona Wins 3–1 in Lisbon
Whistle.
Rain still falling.
But now, so were whispers across Europe.
"Barcelona's back."
"Messi doesn't age."
"Mbappé might be the fastest player in Europe."
"What system is this?"
Post-Match – Press Reactions
One reporter asked Noah:
"Mbappé looked like a weapon designed in a lab. Was that the plan?"
Noah replied, "No. We just released the leash."
Another: "Messi now has 8 goals in 4 matches. What more can you ask of him?"
Noah smirked.
"Only that he keeps reminding people it's his continent."
Meanwhile – Madrid and Paris React
At Valdebebas, Zidane watched the match tape with a flat expression.
"They're starting to believe."
The analyst asked, "Messi or the system?"
Zidane whispered, "Both."
At PSG, Neymar muted the post-match highlights after seeing Mbappé score and assist.
The silence in his apartment said more than any headline.
Final Scene – Tactical System Summary
Champions League Matchday 1: Sporting CP 1 – 3 Barcelona
Goals: Mbappé, Messi, Iniesta
Assists: Messi, Mbappé, Puig
Pedri Minutes: 21
Tactical Execution: 92%
Mbappé European Threat Score: Top 3 percentile (speed burst rating)
Messi Control Index: 9.6
Next UCL Fixture: Olympiacos (Home)
System alert:
"Storm survived.
Statement made.
Continent now tracking Barcelona."