At this critical moment, the Real Betis defensive shield collapsed inward.
Guido Rodríguez and William Carvalho, recognizing the danger, abandoned their central zones and charged directly at Theodore Bjorn.
The two defensive midfielders formed a formidable, physical wall directly in Theodore's path.
But just as they arrived to execute the double-team, Theodore didn't try to dribble. He simply clipped the ball.
Bang!
With a perfectly weighted, lofted ball over the top, the pass bypassed the midfield trap entirely.
It sailed over the heads of center-backs Aïssa Mandi and Marc Bartra, dropping with surgical precision into the path of Karim Benzema.
However, the usually flawless French striker misjudged the bounce. Benzema's first touch was uncharacteristically heavy, pushing the ball too far ahead.
Betis goalkeeper Joel Robles, sensing the error, charged off his line and frantically cleared the danger into the stands.
Real Madrid's first orchestrated attack fizzled out.
But there was no panic in the Madrid ranks.
Having dismantled Getafe with an eight-goal barrage in their previous match, their attacking confidence was at an absolute zenith.
They knew breaking down the Betis defense was merely a matter of time.
Five minutes later, they struck again.
This time, the play was initiated by Toni Kroos.
After receiving a sharp, line-breaking pass from Theodore in central midfield, the German sniper spotted a sudden, darting run from Rodrygo on the right flank.
Without breaking stride, Kroos launched one of his trademark, laser-guided diagonal long balls.
The pass dropped flawlessly over the shoulder of the Betis full-back, landing perfectly in stride for Rodrygo.
The Brazilian teenager set himself, but in his eagerness, he leaned back too far.
His subsequent volley sailed high over the crossbar, landing deep in the stands of the Benito Villamarín.
"Real Madrid have squandered two golden opportunities in quick succession!" Rob Palmer noted on commentary.
"And as we all know, Rob," Terry Gibson added ominously, "football is an unforgiving game. If you fail to punish your opponents, they will inevitably punish you!"
Just as Gibson uttered the warning, the punishment arrived.
Three minutes later, Casemiro received the ball under intense, coordinated pressure from Joaquín and Nabil Fekir.
The Brazilian enforcer, usually a rock, panicked under the double-team and played a sloppy, blind pass.
The ball was instantly intercepted by Joaquín.
The Real Betis captain was thirty-eight years old. While he no longer possessed the explosive pace of his youth, his footballing IQ and vision remained absolutely world-class.
The moment Joaquín secured possession, he didn't look for a simple lay-off.
He instantly launched a devastating, sweeping pass straight into the Real Madrid penalty area.
The entire Madrid defense shifted collectively toward Antonio Sanabria, expecting the cross to target the central striker.
Instead, Joaquín had whipped the ball toward the far post!
Sergio Canales was waiting.
As Real Betis's creative hub and number 10, Canales possessed exquisite technique.
Receiving Joaquín's cross unmarked at the back post, Canales killed the ball dead with a velvety touch from his right boot.
The touch simultaneously created a yard of space away from the recovering Dani Carvajal.
Having manufactured the angle, Canales didn't hesitate.
Bang!
He unleashed a fierce, low-driven strike.
The ball tore past Thibaut Courtois before the Belgian could even set his feet, slamming into the bottom corner of the net.
"IT'S IN!" Rob Palmer roared. "Real Betis strike first on home soil!"
"1-0! Sergio Canales punishes his former club!"
However, after securing the opening goal, Canales didn't celebrate.
He simply bowed his head and jogged slowly back to the center circle, his expression entirely neutral.
"A touch of class from Sergio Canales," Terry Gibson observed. "He spent two seasons at the Bernabéu. Even though his time there was plagued by injuries and limited starts, he refuses to celebrate against them. A true professional."
The sudden deficit sent shockwaves through the fanbase watching the live stream.
"What is happening?! The defense is asleep at the wheel!"
"I warned everyone! Betis is a serious team. We can't just coast through this match."
"If Benzema and Rodrygo had just finished their dinner, this wouldn't be an issue!"
"Relax. We have 75 minutes left. Plenty of time for Theo to activate!"
...
Canales's goal acted like a bucket of ice water over the Real Madrid squad.
The sleeping giant was finally awake.
Following the restart, Real Madrid launched an immediate, ferocious assault on the Betis goal.
Toni Kroos collected a pass from Benzema in midfield. Instead of dictating the play himself, Kroos instantly shifted the ball sideways to Theodore.
The German maestro was officially handing the keys to the offense to the teenager.
It proved to be the correct decision.
Bang!
Theodore didn't even look up.
The moment the ball touched his boot, he whipped a devastating, line-breaking long pass that completely obliterated the Betis midfield structure.
The ball arced beautifully, dropping with pinpoint accuracy right onto the penalty spot.
Benzema had timed his run perfectly. He launched himself into the air, connecting with a powerful, downward header.
The ball looked destined for the bottom corner, but Joel Robles produced a moment of absolute magic.
The Betis goalkeeper threw his body horizontally, extending a strong right hand to punch the ball around the post at the very last microsecond!
"What a save from Robles!" Rob Palmer gasped.
Corner kick to Real Madrid.
Toni Kroos jogged over to the flag.
Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini clearly understood the terrifying aerial threat Theodore posed.
As the players jostled for position in the box, Pellegrini screamed tactical adjustments from the touchline.
When the dust settled, Theodore found himself triple-teamed.
Center-backs Aïssa Mandi and Marc Bartra sandwiched him, while striker Antonio Sanabria stood directly in front of him to block his run.
Pellegrini was taking absolutely no chances.
Despite the suffocating attention, Theodore remained entirely unfazed.
Kroos whipped a perfectly placed, inswinging delivery toward the penalty spot.
Theodore exploded upward.
His maxed-out jumping and heading attributes turned the crowded box into a mismatch. He simply out-leaped all three Betis players, hanging in the air with terrifying power.
Thwack!
He met the ball with a sickening crunch, rocketing a header downward.
The sheer velocity rendered Robles a mere spectator.
"HE RISES ABOVE THEM ALL!" Rob Palmer bellowed. "Theodore Bjorn equalizes for Real Madrid!"
"Pellegrini put three men on him, and it didn't matter one bit!"
"1-1!"
On the touchline, Zinedine Zidane finally exhaled, pumping his fists in relief.
The gamble of relying on Theodore's aerial dominance had paid off.
...
The equalizer injected a massive surge of adrenaline into the Real Madrid ranks.
Minutes later, Theodore and Toni Kroos executed a brutal, coordinated counter-press, successfully stripping Nabil Fekir of the ball in the center circle.
Theodore scooped up the loose ball. This time, he didn't look for a pass.
He dropped his shoulder and drove straight at the heart of the Betis defense.
When Theodore carried the ball at full speed, his physical impact was devastating.
Having already established himself as a physical powerhouse in the bruising Premier League, he looked like an armored tank navigating the more technical landscape of La Liga.
Guido Rodríguez and William Carvalho desperately converged on him, attempting to physically bump him off his stride.
It was utterly useless. Theodore absorbed their challenges without breaking his stride, leaving the two defensive midfielders stumbling in his wake.
Within seconds, Theodore arrived at the edge of the Real Betis penalty area. The goal was officially within his lethal striking range.
Bang!
Without breaking stride or engaging in unnecessary footwork with the retreating defenders, Theodore simply pulled his right leg back and unleashed a ferocious drive.
Aïssa Mandi lunged desperately to block the shot, but he was a fraction of a second too late.
The ball tore past Mandi and rocketed into the absolute top corner of the net like a tracer bullet.
2-1!
Real Madrid had seized the lead.
"HE IS UNSTOPPABLE!" Rob Palmer roared. "Thirty minutes on the clock, and Theodore Bjorn has turned this game on its head!"
"He just bullied the entire Betis midfield and buried it! Robles didn't even twitch!"
The Real Madrid players swarmed him, ecstatic.
"Theo! What a strike!" Ramos yelled, grabbing him in a headlock.
"That was pure violence!" Marcelo laughed. "Cristiano would be proud of that one!"
As the celebrations died down, Martin Ødegaard jogged over, a pleading look in his eyes.
"Theo, mate, you've got your two goals. It's time to feed me now!" Ødegaard begged.
Theodore chuckled, pushing his friend away playfully. "Fine, fine. Make the run and I'll find you. But if you miss, it's on you!"
The rapid turnaround sent Manuel Pellegrini into a frenzy on the touchline.
He furiously waved his players forward, demanding an immediate response.
His team obliged.
In the 35th minute, William Carvalho slid a pass out to Canales on the left wing.
Dani Carvajal engaged him immediately.
Canales didn't try to beat the full-back for pace. Instead, he rolled the ball inside to Fekir and instantly darted into the Madrid penalty area.
Fekir, operating with brilliant vision, played a perfectly weighted, first-time through ball, threading the needle between Carvajal and Varane.
Canales received the return pass in stride and didn't take a touch to settle it. He lashed a vicious, left-footed strike toward the near post.
Smack!
The ball slammed violently against the upright and bounced clear. Courtois was completely beaten.
Real Madrid survived the scare and immediately launched a counter-attack.
Courtois scooped up the loose ball and launched a booming drop-kick deep into the Betis half.
Theodore positioned himself perfectly, outmuscling William Carvalho to win the initial header.
Carvalho, having spent the last forty minutes being physically dominated by the teenager, realized Theodore was turning toward goal with open space ahead of him.
Panicking, Carvalho resorted to the dark arts.
He lunged in from behind, cynically hacking Theodore to the turf with a sweeping kick to the calves.
Peep!
The referee sprinted over, immediately producing a yellow card for the Portuguese midfielder.
It was a blatant professional foul, with absolutely no intent to play the ball.
Real Madrid were awarded a free kick.
However, the foul had occurred roughly thirty-five meters from the Betis goal. It was entirely too far out for a direct shot, even for Theodore.
As the referee marked the spot, Carvalho remained engaged in a heated, pointless argument with the official regarding the booking.
His focus was completely off the game.
Theodore noticed immediately.
He didn't wait for the referee's whistle to restart play. He placed the ball down and executed a lightning-fast, chipped free-kick.
Bang!
The ball sailed over the disorganized Betis defensive line, dropping with terrifying accuracy right into the penalty area.
Martin Ødegaard had read his friend's intent perfectly.
While the Betis defenders were busy complaining to the referee, the Norwegian playmaker had sprinted into the box completely unmarked.
Ødegaard brought the ball down gracefully with his chest and instantly lashed a powerful left-footed volley toward the bottom corner.
Joel Robles, caught entirely off guard, couldn't even dive.
"3-1!" Rob Palmer shouted in disbelief. "Real Madrid extend their lead with a moment of absolute genius!"
"While Betis were busy arguing, Theodore Bjorn took a quick free-kick, and Ødegaard finishes the job!"
"This is bordering on a rout before halftime!"
Pellegrini exploded on the touchline.
Conceding a world-class strike was one thing.
Conceding from a quick free-kick because his players were busy complaining was unforgivable.
"Focus!" the Chilean manager screamed, his face purple with rage. "This is a professional match! Stop whining and play the game! If you don't want to defend, get off my pitch!"
The Betis fans in the stands echoed their manager's fury, loudly booing Carvalho for his lack of concentration.
Following the restart, the Betis players, desperate to make amends, launched a frantic, disorganized assault on the Madrid goal.
Within the span of ten minutes, Joaquín, Fekir, Canales, and Sanabria all managed to register shots.
But the desperation bled into their technique. Every single attempt was rushed, wild, and failed to test Courtois.
The score remained 3-1 as the fourth official raised his board, indicating three minutes of stoppage time.
The Betis players looked exhausted and demoralized. They were clearly waiting for the halftime whistle to regroup.
But Theodore Bjorn was not interested in winding down the clock.
In the 47th minute, Betis were lazily circulating the ball in their own half.
Aïssa Mandi played a casual, sideways pass to William Carvalho.
The moment the ball left Mandi's boot, he realized his horrific mistake.
Theodore had anticipated the pass perfectly. He burst out of the midfield line like a predator, sprinting directly at Carvalho.
Seeing the teenager bearing down on him, Carvalho panicked and attempted to use his body to shield the ball.
It was a fatal miscalculation.
Theodore hit Carvalho like a freight train.
The sheer impact of the shoulder charge sent the Portuguese midfielder crashing heavily to the turf.
The referee, correctly identifying a fair, shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, waved play on.
It was a catastrophic turnover.
Theodore didn't pause.
He pushed the ball forward with a heavy touch and engaged his explosive, Gareth Bale-esque acceleration.
He blew past the recovering Mandi as if the defender didn't exist.
Taking massive strides, Theodore breached the penalty area.
Only one man stood between him and a first-half hat-trick.
Marc Bartra!
---------
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