Earlier in the match, he had already provided two assists, setting up Benzema and Vinícius.
Now, after stealing the ball from Messi and driving straight through Barcelona's half, Theodore had finally broken through Barça's goal himself.
"Theodore Bjorn again!" Rob Palmer shouted. "He wins it from Messi, carries it forward himself, and finishes like a player who knows this stage belongs to him!"
"That is an incredible individual goal," Terry Gibson said. "Every Barcelona player becomes part of the scenery there. Messi loses it, Theodore explodes forward, and once he reaches shooting range, there is only one outcome."
"Real Madrid lead Barcelona 3–1," Rob continued. "And if they keep this result until full-time, they will be crowned La Liga champions with eight rounds still to play."
The Bernabéu erupted.
More than eighty thousand Madrid supporters rose to their feet, screaming Theodore's name as though the stadium itself had come alive.
Hala Madrid echoed around the ground, rolling from one stand to another until the entire Bernabéu seemed to shake.
On the pitch, Real Madrid's players immediately surrounded Theodore, slapping his back and grabbing his shoulders as they celebrated the goal.
Barcelona's players, by contrast, lowered their heads.
Especially Messi.
He was half-kneeling on the grass, confusion filling his eyes.
Online, Madrid fans had already started celebrating as if the title had been won.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
Theodore can actually do everything. Assist, defend, steal it from Messi, score. This is complete football.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: He took the ball from Messi and turned it into a goal. That's not just a highlight, that's a statement.
📱 @LaLigaCentral ✔
Real Madrid 3–1 Barcelona. If it stays like this, Madrid win La Liga eight rounds early. This is becoming a coronation.
| ↳ 📱 @MadridModeOn
| Reply: Victory belongs to Madrid. The title belongs to Madrid. Simple.
📱 @BarcaUniversal ✔
Messi is being locked down by Theodore, and every mistake is being punished. This is painful to watch.
| ↳ 📱 @CulerHeart
| Reply: We look completely helpless. Madrid are miles ahead right now!
After the restart, the match had already entered the final stage of the first half.
Koeman kept calling from the touchline, urging his players to attack more aggressively, but under the pressure of Madrid's midfield, Barcelona had no space to pass through the center.
On top of that, Theodore was constantly near Messi, never allowing him to fully show his ability.
"Beep!"
When the whistle blew for half-time, the score was fixed at 3–1.
At home, Real Madrid temporarily led Barcelona by two goals thanks to Theodore's two assists and one goal.
The fifteen-minute break would be Koeman's last chance to save the match.
The moment he returned to the away dressing room, Koeman made his adjustment.
Ousmane Dembélé was taken off.
Antoine Griezmann, the former Atlético Madrid star, came on.
"We absolutely cannot lose this match," Koeman said, his voice heavy. "Even a draw is better than defeat."
He looked around the dressing room.
"The gap between us and Madrid is twenty-two points. If they win tonight, that gap becomes twenty-five. Madrid will win La Liga eight rounds early."
His expression turned colder.
"That would be a massive humiliation for Barcelona."
No one spoke.
"We have to defend our honor."
Koeman fell silent for a few seconds before continuing.
"The reason Madrid have been unbeatable this season is simple. Theodore."
His gaze sharpened.
"If we want to beat Madrid, we have to limit him. If necessary, use fouls. Stop him. Break his rhythm. Do not let him carry this match however he wants."
Koeman's voice was cold.
Clearly, he had been forced into a corner. This was no longer just about tactics. It was about survival.
Back in China, Dongqiudi and several major sports platforms were already pushing the story of Real Madrid's possible title coronation.
📰 Dongqiudi: Half-Time at the Bernabéu! Real Madrid Lead Barcelona 3–1 — Only Forty-Five Minutes from the La Liga Title!
📰 Titan Sports: Countdown to Madrid's Coronation! Zidane's Men Have One Hand on the Trophy!
📰 Football Weekly China: Theodore Takes Over El Clásico! Two Assists and a Coast-to-Coast Goal Put Madrid on the Brink of Glory!
📰 Sina Sports: Barça Humiliated Again? Real Madrid Closing In on Title Celebration Eight Rounds Early!
📰 Madrid Sports: From Anfield Destruction to Clásico Coronation — Theodore Bjorn Is Dragging Madrid Toward History!
...
The brief fifteen minutes quickly came to an end.
The second half between Real Madrid and Barcelona officially began.
"Koeman has made the first change," Rob Palmer announced. "Ousmane Dembélé, who struggled to influence the first half, has been withdrawn. Antoine Griezmann is on."
"That tells you Koeman still wants to gamble," Terry Gibson said. "Barcelona cannot just sit there and accept this. Losing is bad enough, but watching Madrid win the league against them at the Bernabéu would be a nightmare."
"They have forty-five minutes to stop a coronation," Rob added. "And based on the first half, that is easier said than done."
Just as Terry suggested, Barcelona began the second half by pressing higher in numbers.
Their attacking approach also became much simpler.
They no longer tried to fight Madrid head-on through the middle.
Instead, they shifted more of their attack to the wings, trying to stretch Madrid's back line and avoid the pressure of Casemiro, Modrić, and Kroos.
Busquets lifted his head and sent a long pass directly toward Dest on the right flank.
In this match, Dest's starting position was technically full-back, but after the restart, Koeman pushed him much higher, turning him into a wing-back.
The moment Dest received the ball on the right, he crossed immediately.
Inside the box, Griezmann, who had only just come on, tried to dart across his marker and attack the delivery.
But Nacho stayed tight.
Under his pressure, Griezmann could not generate enough power on the header.
Courtois collected it easily.
Without wasting a second, the Belgian goalkeeper threw the ball out toward Theodore in the middle.
Theodore had already become the absolute superstar of this Real Madrid side.
As long as he received the ball, the entire Bernabéu would erupt with deafening cheers.
This time was no different.
More than eighty thousand Madrid fans roared his name at the same moment.
"Listen to that noise," Rob said. "Theodore receives the ball in midfield, and the whole stadium rises."
"He has become the face of this team," Terry replied. "That is not easy at Real Madrid. This is a club that has seen Cristiano Ronaldo, Zidane, Raúl, Ronaldo Nazário, and so many others. But right now, Theodore is the man everyone looks to."
In midfield, after Theodore stopped the ball, every Barcelona player instantly became nervous.
The first player to rush toward him was Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong remembered Koeman's instructions clearly.
This time, the young Dutch midfielder was ready to use a heavy foul to stop Theodore's momentum.
Just as Theodore pushed the ball forward, Frenkie launched into a sliding tackle.
No.
It was more than a sliding tackle, it was a flying challenge!
His target was not the ball at all.
It was Theodore's ankle.
But Frenkie had underestimated Theodore's reaction speed.
In an instant, Theodore jumped lightly off both feet, avoiding the flying tackle completely.
Frenkie slid underneath him and missed everything.
Theodore landed, pushed the ball forward, and broke away from the challenge in one smooth movement.
"That is a wild challenge from Frenkie de Jong!" Rob exclaimed. "And Theodore skips over it!"
"That could have been very nasty," Terry said. "He is nowhere near the ball. Theodore sees it early, gets off the ground, and avoids what might have been a dangerous one."
"Barcelona are starting to get desperate," Rob added. "And Theodore has just made that desperation look foolish."
The Bernabéu whistled furiously at the challenge before turning instantly back into cheers as Theodore surged forward.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
Frenkie just tried to chop Theodore down and missed completely. Embarrassing.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: Koeman clearly told them to foul him. Theodore just jumped over the plan.
📱 @BarcaUniversal ✔
That tackle was reckless. We're losing our heads now.
| ↳ 📱 @CulerPain
| Reply: When the tactic becomes "kick Theodore," you know the match is gone.
📱 @LaLigaWatch ✔
Theodore avoiding a flying tackle in midfield and immediately driving forward is the most Theodore thing possible.
| ↳ 📱 @UCLMadridista
| Reply: You can't stop him, you can't foul him, you can't catch him. Good luck.