Bang!
Thomas Müller's shot carried serious power.
But the angle was too central.
Courtois held it firmly against his chest.
"Müller hits it well, but Courtois is right behind it!" Rob Palmer called. "A powerful effort, but not placed well enough to trouble the Belgian."
"That's still a warning for Madrid," Terry Gibson noted. "Bayern are starting to find spaces around the edge of the box. If Müller catches that half a yard wider, Courtois has a much harder save to make."
"The score remains 2–1," Rob continued. "Real Madrid still lead away from home, but Bayern are beginning to build pressure."
For Real Madrid, this was the moment to calm down.
If they allowed Bayern to create another chance that clean, the next one might not end safely in Courtois' hands.
On Madrid's bench, Zidane had also sensed the danger.
He quickly instructed his midfielders to strengthen the defensive shape and close down the spaces around the penalty arc.
The match continued.
Aside from Benzema, the rest of Real Madrid's players retreated into their own half.
Madrid's plan was still defense first.
In the 20th minute, Bayern's attack arrived again.
On the wing, Sané once more received a pass from his midfield teammate.
After stopping the ball with his left foot, the Bayern winger pushed it forward in the next instant, the two movements connecting so quickly that Marcelo had no chance to interfere immediately.
The next second, Sané chose to cut inside.
That was not the smartest decision.
Madrid had plenty of bodies waiting in the middle. Aside from Casemiro, there were also Theodore and Toni Kroos. And among those three, Theodore and Casemiro both possessed world-class defensive ability.
Once Sané fell into Madrid's midfield trap, he would not be able to fully use his dribbling ability.
Sure enough, the ball was stolen by Theodore.
On the touchline, Flick was furious when he saw Sané lose possession, but the moment he realized the ball had landed at Theodore's feet again, his expression changed from anger to worry.
"Cover him!"
"What are you waiting for? Don't let Theodore carry it!"
Flick understood very clearly that if Theodore was allowed to drive forward from this position, Bayern's defense would be in fatal danger.
Sané, who had lost the ball, understood that too. He immediately sprinted back at full speed, trying to win the ball back from Theodore's feet.
Unfortunately, he simply could not catch him.
Although Sané's dribbling speed was one of the fastest in Bayern's squad, there was still a clear gap between him and Theodore. Even after giving everything, he could not close the distance.
The heavy defensive responsibility could only fall on Bayern's two holding midfielders, Kimmich and Goretzka.
More than twenty minutes had already passed in the match, and by now, both players had gained a clear understanding of Theodore's individual breakthrough ability.
So when they rushed in front of him, their first thought was simple.
Foul him if necessary.
Stop the dribble before it starts.
But Theodore did not give them the chance.
Bang!
Before Kimmich and Goretzka could close the trap, he moved the ball sideways to Ødegaard on the left flank.
Since the start of the match, Ødegaard had not had many chances to perform.
For most of the game, he had put more of his energy into the defensive side, helping Madrid keep their shape against Bayern's pressure.
This time, he finally had the chance to show his attacking quality.
On the left flank, just after Ødegaard received Theodore's pass, a Bayern defender had already arrived.
Pavard.
The French full-back was tall, strong, and had excellent recovery speed.
Ødegaard did not try to force the dribble recklessly. Instead, he chose the safer option.
Cross.
After glancing at the situation inside the box, Ødegaard swung his left foot and sent the ball into the penalty area.
At that moment, there was only one Real Madrid player attacking the box.
Benzema.
He and Süle competed for the ball at the same time, but in terms of pure strength, Benzema was no match for Bayern's powerful center-back. Süle won the duel and cleared the ball out over the byline.
Corner for Real Madrid.
"Madrid have a corner," Rob announced. "And normally, this is where Bayern would be looking for Theodore inside the box."
"Exactly," Terry said. "With his heading ability, he's usually the first player you look for. But look at where he's standing."
The camera quickly found Theodore.
He was not inside Bayern's penalty area.
Instead, he was standing near the top of the box.
That immediately confused the Bayern defenders.
It also confused the fans watching online.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
Wait, why is Theodore outside the box? He's literally our biggest aerial threat.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: Either Zidane is cooking something, or this is the weirdest corner setup ever.
📱 @UCLMadridista ✔
Theodore not attacking the header on a corner feels illegal.
| ↳ 📱 @FootballThreads
| Reply: Bayern are probably confused too. That might be the point.
📱 @BayernZone ✔
Why is Theodore standing at the edge of the box? Someone mark him just in case, please.
| ↳ 📱 @MiaSanMiaTalk
| Reply: Famous last words.
Very soon, Toni Kroos stepped up to take the corner.
But this time, the pass did not go into the six-yard box.
It did not go toward Ramos, not toward Benzema.
It went straight toward the top of the penalty area!
Straight toward Theodore.
The ball dropped quickly in front of him.
There was not a single Bayern player close enough to interfere.
At that moment, Theodore had already lifted his right foot.
He drove his boot fiercely through the lower half of the ball.
Bang!
A first-time strike.
The ball tore through the air, flying past the bodies in front of him and ripping toward goal with terrifying speed.
Neuer reacted late and Bayern's defenders did not react at all.
The shot pierced through Neuer's hands and flew into the net!
For a second, the entire Allianz Arena fell silent.
Then the Madrid players exploded.
3–1!
Real Madrid had extended their lead again.
"Theodore! What a hit! What an extraordinary goal!" Rob shouted. "A corner routine straight from the training ground, and Theodore has just lashed it past Neuer!"
"That is absolutely stunning," Terry said. "Everyone expects Theodore to attack the header, so Bayern focus on the bodies inside the box. But Madrid pull him to the edge, Kroos finds him perfectly, and the strike is sensational."
"No control, no hesitation, just pure technique," Rob continued. "That is a tactical corner executed to perfection."
"Neuer sees it late, but even then, I'm not sure he saves it," Terry added. "The power is frightening, and the contact is clean as anything you'll see all season."
The goal was so sudden, so clean, and so perfectly executed that even Bayern's defenders looked frozen in place.
Boateng turned toward Süle.
Süle stared at Neuer.
Neuer stood in front of his goal, helpless and furious, knowing that no one had reacted quickly enough to shut Theodore down.
Inside the away section, the Madrid supporters went wild.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
TACTICAL CORNER. THEODORE VOLLEY. 3–1 AT THE ALLIANZ. THIS TEAM IS INSANE.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: Kroos to Theodore from the corner, first-time rocket. Bayern didn't even know what hit them.
📱 @UCLMadridista ✔
Everyone expected a header. Theodore scored from the edge of the box instead. That's why he's impossible to defend.
| ↳ 📱 @FootballThreads
| Reply: If he goes inside, he scores headers. If he stays outside, he scores volleys. Good luck, defenders.
📱 @BayernZone ✔
How do you leave Theodore unmarked at the top of the box? HOW?
| ↳ 📱 @MiaSanMiaTalk
| Reply: We were worried about his heading and forgot he can shoot like a missile. Disaster.
📱 @GermanFootballLive ✔
Theodore Bjorn has scored twice and assisted once at the Allianz. Bayern are being punished every time Madrid get a chance.
On the touchline, Zidane finally allowed himself a small smile.
That routine had clearly been prepared in training.
Bayern had expected Theodore to attack the box.
They had arranged their strongest defenders inside, ready to fight him in the air.
But Madrid had used that expectation against them.
Everything had been planned and Everything had worked.
On Bayern's bench, Flick stood motionless for several seconds.
His team had fought back to 2–1 and seemed to be building momentum, but Madrid had struck again with one perfectly designed set piece.
Now Bayern were two goals behind again.
And this time, the psychological blow was even heavier.
Because it was not just a goal.
It was a message.
Real Madrid did not only have Theodore's individual brilliance.
They had a tactical plan built around him too!
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