For the next five minutes, both sides went all out.
Real Madrid refused to lose at home. They wouldn't allow it.
Arsenal, on the other hand, had no intention of backing down. They were ready to trade blows and turn the match into a full-scale attacking duel.
Every player on the pitch was giving everything.
This Real Madrid side had been ruthless all season, crushing nearly every opponent on their way to the semi-finals, but now, they had run into a team that wouldn't break.
Arsenal were fighters.
Just when you thought you'd put them away, they'd come right back and shake you to your core.
Despite the flurry of chances, neither side managed to score in that spell.
Real Madrid had the better chances, firing more shots on target, but Szczęsny was superb—diving, blocking, and keeping Arsenal's goal safe under relentless pressure.
Tactically, not much had changed, but the small adjustments mattered.
Wenger focused on Kai and Walcott, urging them to make more diagonal runs and swap positions to unsettle Madrid's backline.
Walcott's influence in positional play had been limited so far, but his bursts on the counter were still lethal.
Cazorla, though, was the standout in the first half—scoring the equalizer and repeatedly tormenting defenders down the left with his dribbling.
He'd become the key to unlocking Real Madrid's defense, though his success rate had dropped since the goal. Madrid had clearly taken note and tightened their marking.
Wenger wanted to tweak things further, but his options were thin. At the moment, Arsenal's most threatening attackers were Suarez and Cazorla— one was absent, and the latter wasn't even a natural forward. This was the squad they had, and they had to make it work.
By contrast, Real Madrid had more variety up front. Their first-half buildup play was sharp, but the finishing wasn't quite there.
So, during the interval, Carlo Ancelotti decided to push harder.
"Ángel," he called out, looking at Di María, "make more forward runs in the second half."
Di María glanced up, momentarily surprised. It wasn't the instruction that surprised him—it was that the coach had called him by his first name. In European football, that was a sign of warmth, of trust. And for someone negotiating a contract renewal, that meant a lot.
"I understand, sir," Di María said, visibly lifted.
Ancelotti nodded, then turned to Cristiano Ronaldo. "You handle the finishing."
Cristiano nodded confidently. He'd been tightly marked by Kai in the previous leg and again in the first half, but he believed if he could just shake free once, he'd score.
When the whistle blew to start the second half, both teams came out unchanged.
Arsenal kicked off and immediately launched a surprise attack—but Real Madrid were ready this time, cutting it out quickly.
Modrić picked up the ball and fired a long pass toward Benzema.
Benzema controlled it, swung it wide, and crossed.
Cristiano Ronaldo leaped for the header—
—but Kai was there too.
Thump!
Cristiano made contact first, but Kai's head brushed the ball, deflecting it just enough to send it over the bar and out for a goal kick.
Real Madrid earned a free kick soon after. Modrić stepped up again, aiming straight for Cristiano.
Kai and Mertesacker doubled up on him, anticipating the danger, and that decision proved spot on—Cristiano couldn't get a clean header off, the ball cleared by the two defenders working in tandem.
But the clearance only fell to another Madrid player, and the pressure continued.
For the next ten minutes, fans and commentators alike watched in disbelief as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kai went at it again and again— jumping, colliding, battling for every aerial ball like two relentless machines.
Sometimes Kai got there first, heading it clear or forcing a goal kick. Other times, Cristiano connected—but never cleanly enough, as Szczęsny swept up the scraps.
In just over ten minutes, the two had already contested more than ten headers.
Both were drenched in sweat, gasping for breath—yet neither would yield.
Cristiano gritted his teeth, thinking, How on earth does he jump like that?
Kai, equally drained, thought the same: How can this guy's hang time be real?
The duel between them was fierce—intense enough to lift the entire atmosphere inside the Bernabéu.
Martin Taylor's voice rose over the roar of the crowd:
"Ronaldo won't believe it—his trademark leap is being nullified by Kai every single time!"
Alan Smith chuckled lightly. "I wouldn't say nullified, Martin, but it's definitely an even contest! You've got two freak athletes here—twenty minutes into the half, both have burned through twice the energy of anyone else on the pitch. Yet look at them—they're still flying!"
Moments later, Modrić sent another ball wide to Benzema, who whipped in yet another cross.
Mertesacker, panting heavily, watched the ball's arc with weary eyes. He wanted to jump—but his legs just wouldn't respond.
He shouted hoarsely, "Cover the back!"
Koscielny started to move—but before he could, Kai had already charged in.
Thump!
Leaping above everyone, including Ronaldo, Kai met the ball cleanly, heading it out for a throw-in.
The crowd gasped collectively—and both players landed, hands on their knees, their lungs burning.
The battle was far from over.
Kai was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, mouth wide open as he tried to drag air into his lungs.
Sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes. He wiped at them quickly, trying to clear his vision before the next set piece.
Across the box, Cristiano Ronaldo looked slightly fresher. It made sense — defending was always more draining than attacking. Still, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of respect. Kai was still holding on, still leaping for every duel, still fighting like a man possessed. The guy clearly lived for this kind of grind.
Another corner for Real Madrid. Their tenth of the match.
So far, Kai had won five headers, Cristiano four, and Mertesacker one. But now, both Arsenal defenders were running on fumes.
Kai walked up beside Mertesacker, clapped him on the shoulder, and said between gasps, "One more jump."
Mertesacker nodded, breathing hard.
Together, they took their positions in front of Cristiano again.
Kai's eyes flicked toward the edge of the box — and then he saw him. Ramos. Creeping in quietly, looking for a late run.
Kai's expression darkened.
"Watch Ramos!" he barked.
Immediately, Arsenal players closed in on the Spaniard, cutting off his run.
Ramos shot him a grin, but Kai glared back. He wasn't letting him pull that same trick again — not tonight.
Cristiano started swaying, feinting one way and then the other, trying to shake free. Kai tracked him closely, irritated. If he could, he'd have tied the man's boots together.
Modrić stepped up to take the corner. But instead of the usual in-swinging cross, he played it short to Di María.
Sagna reacted fast, sprinting out to close down the angle. Di María quickly knocked it back to Modrić, who now stood at the edge of the box.
The Croatian steadied himself — clearly shaping for a cross or a long-range effort.
Kai turned his head, scanning for Cristiano — but suddenly, he was gone.
"Damn it!" Kai cursed, whipping his head around.
Cristiano had already darted into the center. Kai pushed off and sprinted after him — but it was too late.
Modrić whipped the ball in.
Cristiano soared into the air — effortless, unchallenged — and met the cross cleanly with a flick of his head.
The ball arced downward, bouncing sharply toward the near post.
Szczęsny lunged, trying to claw it away, but the dip and bounce made it impossible to read.
Kai was already tearing back, launching himself full-length in a desperate attempt to clear.
He stretched his leg out, toes pointed, and just barely grazed the ball — but not enough.
Swish!
Thump!
The ball hit the net — and Kai crashed into it right after, tangled and breathless.
The Bernabéu erupted.
In the 79th minute, Real Madrid retook the lead, 2–1.
Martin Taylor's voice rose above the roar:
"Cristiano Ronaldo! You simply cannot give him that much space! What a leap, what a finish — Real Madrid are back in front!"
Alan Smith added, "And you have to feel for Kai — he's been brilliant all night, contesting everything. But even he couldn't stop that one. That's just world-class from Ronaldo."
The camera caught Kai lying in the net for a moment, fists clenched, jaw tight — before he slowly got up, ready to fight again.
...
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