Matchday.
April 28.
By seven o'clock in the evening, the stands of the Allianz Arena were already packed.
The stadium could hold seventy-five thousand fans, and tonight, the attendance was practically at full capacity. Long before kickoff, more than seventy thousand Bayern Munich supporters were already singing the club anthem.
Forever No. 1.
For Bayern, that title could not have been more fitting.
Since the 2012–13 season, they had ruled the Bundesliga for eight straight years.
Barring any surprise, they would likely lift the Bundesliga trophy again this season as well.
Their dominance was not limited to Germany either.
In the Champions League, Bayern's record was just as impressive.
Up to this season, they had already won six European Cups, making them the German club with the most Champions League titles.
Tonight, the defending champions were waiting at home.
And Real Madrid had come to challenge them.
Inside the players' tunnel, the Bayern Munich and Real Madrid players were already in position.
As usual, Theodore Bjorn stood at the very back of Real Madrid's line.
And on Theodore's right stood Bayern Munich's star striker.
Robert Lewandowski.
The last time Theodore and Lewandowski had stood this close to each other was at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Back then, Theodore had beaten Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award, and from that moment on, the relationship between him and Lewandowski had quietly worsened.
Now, neither of them made eye contact.
Naturally, they did not exchange a single word either.
Their gazes were firm, their expressions calm, and both men were waiting for this great battle to begin.
"Welcome to the official Champions League global broadcast! I'm Rob Palmer, joined by Terry Gibson, bringing you live from the Allianz Arena for the first leg of this huge semifinal between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid."
"This has the feeling of a final before the final," Rob announced. "The defending champions of Europe against the newly crowned champions of Spain. Bayern against Madrid. Lewandowski against Theodore. You really cannot ask for much more."
"The team sheets are in," Terry added. "And Hansi Flick has gone strong. No surprises, no hiding, just Bayern's best available side."
"For Bayern Munich, it's the 4-2-3-1."
"Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer."
"Defence: Benjamin Pavard, Niklas Süle, Jérôme Boateng, David Alaba."
"Holding midfield: Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka."
"Attacking midfield: Leroy Sané, Thomas Müller, Kingsley Coman."
"Forward: Robert Lewandowski."
"As for Real Madrid, Zidane has made a more cautious choice tonight," Rob continued. "Madrid line up in what looks like a 4-5-1, and if we're not mistaken, this is the first time they've used this shape all season."
"Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois."
"Defence: Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphaël Varane, Dani Carvajal."
"Midfield: Martin Ødegaard, Theodore Bjorn, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić."
"Forward: Karim Benzema."
"That midfield tells you everything about Zidane's plan," Terry noted. "He wants bodies in central areas, he wants control, and he wants to survive Bayern's early pressure. But with Theodore in there, Madrid can turn defense into attack in a second."
The starting players of both teams walked onto the pitch behind the refereeing team.
The referee for this match was Anthony Taylor.
On X, the pre-match tension was already boiling over.
📱 @BayernZone ✔
Allianz Arena packed. Lewandowski starting. Full-strength Bayern. Time to end Madrid's perfect season!
| ↳ 📱 @MadridModeOn
| Reply: You said the same thing before Theodore walked into Anfield.
📱 @UCLMadridista ✔
Zidane using 4-5-1 for the first time this season. He respects Bayern, but don't mistake that for fear.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: With Theodore in midfield, 4-5-1 can become 4-3-3, 4-2-4, or pure chaos whenever he wants.
📱 @GermanFootballLive ✔
Lewandowski and Theodore didn't even look at each other in the tunnel. The Ballon d'Or tension is real.
| ↳ 📱 @NeutralUCLFan
| Reply: This is box office. Best striker in Europe against the most complete player alive.
...
On the pitch, after the Bayern and Real Madrid players shook hands, both teams took their positions.
The Allianz Arena roared.
Then Anthony Taylor blew his whistle.
"Beep—"
The match officially began!
Real Madrid kicked off first.
Benzema rolled the ball back to Casemiro in midfield, and the Brazilian destroyer quickly moved it on to Theodore.
The moment the ball reached Theodore's feet, enormous boos erupted from the stands of the Allianz Arena.
Because Theodore had beaten Lewandowski to the Ballon d'Or, Bayern fans did not have a good impression of him at all.
So every time Theodore touched the ball tonight, the Allianz crowd would certainly try to bury him under boos, hoping to disturb his rhythm and shake his performance.
Unfortunately, Theodore had long since grown used to that kind of treatment.
The louder the boos became, the calmer he looked.
In fact, the noise only seemed to sharpen him.
Just like now.
The Bayern fans' boos had barely faded when Theodore began his personal show.
He first stopped the ball with his left foot.
When Bayern's midfielder stepped forward to press, Theodore suddenly pushed the ball ahead at high speed.
In an instant, his explosiveness was fully unleashed.
Goretzka was the first to be beaten.
The Bayern midfielder was tall, strong, and physically imposing, but his turning speed and acceleration were not on Theodore's level.
Once Theodore got moving, Goretzka had no real way to stop him.
All he could do was watch Theodore flash past him.
On the touchline, Flick's expression immediately tightened.
"Cover him!"
"Don't let Madrid's number ten carry it through!"
"Press him!"
Flick knew exactly how terrifying Theodore's individual ability was.
Although Theodore had only just carried the ball near the center circle, once he accelerated, he could threaten Bayern's penalty area within seconds.
Flick did not dare take that risk lightly.
A few seconds later, Kimmich and Müller appeared on Theodore's left and right, trying to close him down together.
But neither of them could stop him.
With one smooth La Croqueta, Theodore slipped between them calmly, gliding through the challenge as if the pressure did not exist.
Bayern's back line was suddenly exposed.
"Theodore is already away from Goretzka," Rob Palmer called. "Now Kimmich and Müller step across—he's gone through them too!"
"That is frightening," Terry Gibson said. "Once he starts accelerating, Bayern's midfield don't even get the chance to put a proper challenge in. Goretzka, Kimmich, Müller — they all get close, but none of them actually stop him."
"And now the Allianz Arena has gone quiet," Rob added. "They know the danger."
Theodore crossed into Bayern's half with unstoppable momentum.
More than seventy thousand Bayern fans, who had been singing and roaring only moments earlier, suddenly fell into tense silence.
They knew very well what could happen from here.
Theodore was already close enough to threaten goal from distance.
Boateng, the experienced Bayern center-back, made the decision to step out.
His sprint was fast.
He successfully appeared in front of Theodore before Theodore could shoot.
But Theodore had already made his move.
With a light touch of his right foot, he nudged the ball straight through Boateng's legs.
Nutmeg.
By the time Boateng reacted, Theodore had already appeared behind him.
The Allianz Arena held its breath.
Bang!
From the edge of the penalty area, Theodore unleashed a long-range strike!
The ball spun violently, flying toward Bayern's goal like a cannon blast.
On the goal line, Neuer's concentration was already sharp enough.
But this time, even the German goalkeeping god had no answer.
The shot was simply too fast as Neuer moved, but he was late to stop it.
All he could do was watch helplessly as the ball tore past him and flew into the net.
1–0!
Real Madrid had scored almost immediately.
Theodore had silenced the Allianz Arena!
"Theodore Bjorn! What a sensational start!" Rob shouted. "He has cut through Bayern Munich almost on his own!"
"That is a solo goal of the highest level," Terry said. "He beats Goretzka with acceleration, slips between Kimmich and Müller, nutmegs Boateng, and then smashes it past Neuer from the edge of the box. Bayern knew he was dangerous, but knowing it and stopping it are two very different things."
"The boos came for him," Rob added. "The goal came from him. Real Madrid lead at the Allianz."
For a few seconds, the Allianz Arena was stunned into silence.
Then the Madrid players rushed toward Theodore.
Bayern's players stood frozen in disbelief.
Lewandowski, who had been waiting up front for Bayern's first attacking chance, slowly turned his head and looked toward his own goal.
The match had barely begun!
And Theodore had already thrown down the first challenge.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
THEODORE JUST SOLOED BAYERN AT THE ALLIANZ. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: Goretzka, Kimmich, Müller, Boateng, Neuer. He went through the whole spine of Bayern.
📱 @BayernZone ✔
That cannot happen. Not at home. Not in a semifinal. What the hell was that defending?
| ↳ 📱 @MiaSanMiaTalk
| Reply: We booed him and he scored within minutes. Fantastic.
📱 @UCLMadridista ✔
Ballon d'Or winner behavior. Theodore heard the Allianz booing and decided to introduce himself properly.
| ↳ 📱 @NeutralUCLFan
| Reply: That goal is going into every Champions League montage forever.
📱 @GermanFootballLive ✔
Bayern's midfield tried to collapse on Theodore. He still broke through and beat Neuer from distance. The Allianz has been silenced.