Aside from Athletic Bilbao's midfield line, their two front-line players, Iñaki Williams and Sancet, also moved toward Theodore Bjorn, trying to steal the ball from his feet before he could turn Madrid's possession into a real attack.
Theodore did not give them that chance.
He suddenly accelerated, and his burst of speed made him look like a gust of wind cutting through the pressure.
In an instant, he flashed past the two Athletic forwards, and in less than three seconds, he had already carried the ball from Madrid's back line into Athletic Bilbao's central area all by himself.
Inside the broadcast studio, when Rob Palmer saw Theodore begin to raise the tempo, his voice immediately lifted.
"Theodore is driving forward now," Rob said. "When the rest of Madrid look hesitant because of the injury to Vinícius, their number ten is the one taking responsibility."
"That is exactly what leaders do," Terry Gibson added. "Athletic are trying to press him from the front, but Theodore's acceleration takes two players out of the move before they can even make proper contact."
On social media, fans watching the match were already split into two sides.
Some wanted Theodore to solve the problem himself, while others were worried that taking risks in such a physical match could lead to another injury before the Champions League final.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
This is why Madrid always trust Theodore in the biggest moments. When the match gets uncomfortable, he takes the ball and changes the rhythm himself.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: I want the winner, but I'm also nervous after what happened to Vinícius. Athletic are tackling hard tonight.
📱 @UCLMadridista ✔
The league is already won, but the winning streak matters. Theodore clearly doesn't want to let it end here.
| ↳ 📱 @FinalReadyMadrid
| Reply: Just don't get injured. The Champions League final is the real target now.
While the online debate continued, Theodore had already reached the top of Athletic Bilbao's penalty area.
Dani García and Vencedor tried to form a central barrier in front of him, but Theodore used his individual ability to break through the gap between them, shifting the ball at high speed and forcing both midfielders to turn a step too late.
"Theodore is at the edge of the box," Rob called. "He has a shooting chance here."
"He shapes to hit it—no, it's a fake," Terry said. "He's drawn the center-back in and gone past him."
Theodore's fake shot successfully deceived Athletic Bilbao's center-back, allowing him to enter the penalty area.
The tens of thousands of Athletic fans inside San Mamés instantly grew tense.
They knew exactly what Theodore could do once he stepped into shooting range, while the Madrid supporters in the away section were desperately hoping he could complete the late rescue.
On the goal line, Unai Simón hesitated for a second before finally deciding to rush out.
But the instant the Athletic goalkeeper left his line, Theodore had already completed his shooting motion.
He struck the ball with power and precision, sending it flashing past Unai Simón and straight toward the net.
The ball flew in.
2–1!
In the 89th minute, Theodore had scored the winner against Athletic Bilbao.
"Theodore scores!" Rob Palmer shouted. "Real Madrid are back in front at San Mamés, and it is their number ten who has dragged them out of trouble again."
"That is a brilliant individual goal," Terry Gibson said. "He starts deep, carries the ball through pressure, beats the midfield line, sells the fake shot, and finishes before Unai Simón can close him down. Madrid were nervous after Vinícius went off, but Theodore has taken control of the match himself."
In an instant, the livestream comments exploded.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
THEODORE! 89th minute winner. The streak is alive!
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: He carried that from the back line himself. When Madrid needed someone brave enough to attack, Theodore stepped up.
📱 @LaLigaCentral ✔
Athletic Bilbao defended with everything, but Theodore's individual quality has broken them late.
| ↳ 📱 @UCLMadridista
| Reply: Every time Madrid look stuck, Theodore finds a way.
After scoring, Theodore was also extremely emotional.
He pulled off his shirt, sprinted for dozens of meters, and slid across the grass at San Mamés on his knees while the Madrid supporters in the away section roared his name.
On Madrid's bench, Zidane finally relaxed.
After taking a deep breath, he slowly returned to the bench, sat down, and crossed his legs, though the tension in his face did not disappear completely.
Athletic Bilbao kicked off again.
For the first eighty-eight minutes, their players had performed extremely well.
They had pressed with intensity, disrupted Madrid's rhythm, injured Vinícius through a heavy challenge, and forced the league champions into a nervous final stage.
Unfortunately for them, once Theodore started going all out, all their previous effort was close to being wiped away.
Naturally, Athletic's players could not accept that.
After the restart, the home side did not give up and immediately launched another attack.
Midfielder Dani García sent a lofted long pass forward, successfully looking for Sancet's run.
The only pity was that Sancet's stamina had already dropped, so he failed to reach the ball at the first opportunity.
Theodore reacted faster than everyone else and took control of the loose ball.
As Madrid's attacking engine, once Theodore gained possession, his first choice was naturally to move forward.
He burst forward at top speed, using his lightning pace to break through several Athletic Bilbao players in only a few seconds.
At first, Athletic's players wanted to stop him with a foul, but Theodore's speed made that almost impossible.
By the time one of them tried to step across or grab him, he had already slipped past.
In the final moments of a match, most ordinary players would have already reached the limit of their stamina.
For Theodore, however, he still looked as if he had plenty left in reserve, and his running power in the final minutes was almost unfair to the tired defenders chasing him.
Theodore carried the ball all the way into Athletic Bilbao's half before reaching his favorite shooting position at the top of the penalty arc.
He made a slight feint, shifted the defender's balance, and immediately lifted his foot to shoot.
The strike combined speed, power, and absolute core strength, sending the ball straight toward the bottom corner.
Unai Simón had no answer.
The ball flew into the net.
3–1.
Real Madrid had struggled at San Mamés, but they still defeated Athletic Bilbao away from home.
"Theodore again!" Rob shouted. "Two late goals from Madrid's number ten, and that has sealed it."
"That is the difference between a great player and a decisive player," Terry said. "Madrid looked uncomfortable after Vinícius' injury, but Theodore refused to let the match drift away. He scores the winner, then adds another on the counter, and suddenly a difficult night becomes another Madrid victory."
...
After the match, when it came time to choose the Man of the Match, Theodore unsurprisingly received the honor.
Without his late brace, Madrid might very well have been held to a draw by Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés.
In the post-match interview, Zidane heavily praised Theodore's performance.
"Theodore is a miracle," Zidane said. "His performance was wonderful. He can always step forward at the moment the team needs him most."
Then he also spoke about the difficulty of the match.
"Athletic Bilbao showed a strong desire to win in the final stages. Their physicality was very intense, and that made it difficult for our players to adapt, especially after Vinícius' injury. But fortunately, Theodore saved the team with his individual ability in the final moments."
For Real Madrid, the victory preserved their winning streak, but Vinícius' injury cast a shadow over the result.
With the Champions League final against Manchester City approaching, Zidane knew that every important player mattered, and losing a winger like Vinícius at this stage of the season would inevitably affect the team's plans.
Still, Madrid had survived San Mamés.
The league's final sprint continued, the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona was waiting, and the Champions League final was getting closer with every passing day.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator