Three days… that's all Barcelona had to recover from the war in Riyadh.
Three days since Sam's wondergoal split Atlético's fortress, three days since fireworks painted the Saudi night sky, three days before they were thrust back into competition, this time in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 against Cartagena.
In a way, FC Barcelona didn't get the worst of it.
The worst of it would have been going to extra time against Atletico Madrid. That would have been Atletico Madrid dragging them into the deep, and in the abyss was where Diego Simeone's men thrived.
The plan was working, right until Sam singlehandedly tore the script apart.
But despite Sam's brilliance and winning goal, playing Atletico Madrid, in a final to boot was a grueling affair. All the FC Barcelona players felt the hangover after the game, including Sam though his system-given physical conditioning elixirs helped him heal fast unlike the others.
