The second half kicked off.
Under Ancelotti's instructions, Real Madrid had clearly changed their approach.
Although Leoia still pushed their defensive line very high up the pitch, Real Madrid was no longer simply looking to exploit one-on-one situations.
Leon had saved every single one-on-one in the first half without letting a single one through.
Whatever the reason, Ancelotti could not possibly fail to make some adjustment.
"Bang!"
"Clang!"
Benzema, brought on for the second half, received Ronaldo's pass inside the penalty area and swung at it immediately.
The ball struck the post and went out for a goal kick.
"Phew!"
"That was close!"
Leon's expression grew serious.
When shots were not one-on-ones, his current ability level was stretched somewhat thin.
Especially when facing a world-class striker like Benzema.
Having survived the first half through an extreme tactical setup, the second half was going to be a far more uncomfortable ride.
For the opening fifteen minutes of the second half, Real Madrid began hammering away relentlessly at Leoia's penalty area.
But because Ronaldo's mental state had taken a significant hit, a number of shots from point-blank range were blasted wildly off target by him.
In the 73rd minute, after a first half and more of wayward shooting, Ronaldo finally chose to pass.
Benzema took down Ronaldo's delivery inside the penalty area with ease, then spun away from the defender behind him with a casual turn that left Xio completely in the dust.
The moment Leon saw captain Xio completely undone by Benzema, he immediately knew he was facing the biggest test of the match.
Benzema had a reputation for taking criticism, but his ability to seize on chances was exceptional.
Having turned past Xio, Benzema went straight for a placed finish, rolling the ball towards the left side of the goal with a shot of the highest quality.
'I will save this.'
'I will.'
Leon unleashed a surge of tremendous energy in that instant.
What had all that relentless training been for?
Was it not precisely for moments like this, to keep out the opposing striker's shot and protect the goal?
This time, with no supernatural system boost to call on, Leon relied entirely on his own current ability and hurled himself explosively towards the left side of the goal.
'Got it!'
In the instant he hit the ground, Leon felt his fingertips graze the ball.
"Thud!"
Unable to stop himself after landing, Leon crashed straight into the post.
He felt a sharp burst of pain in his head.
But there was no time to worry about that.
After Leon got a touch on the ball, it did not go out for a goal kick but instead rolled slowly across the turf and came to a stop.
Leon scrambled to his feet almost immediately, lunged forward again, and pressed the ball down beneath his body.
Only at that moment did every fan from the East watching let out a long breath.
Benzema's high-quality placed finish had been kept out by Leon once again.
"Leon is unreal!"
"Leon is unreal!"
"I have no other words. Leon is absolutely unreal."
Fans from the East added their voices to the chorus of amazement one after another.
Leon's performance was in a completely different league from any other player from the East.
And the astonishment among the fans from the East was not over yet.
The moment Leon had the ball fully under control, he sprang straight back to his feet.
He snatched up the ball and sprinted to the edge of the penalty area.
Hachim Mastour, already perfectly in tune with what was coming, read Leon's movement the instant he saw it.
He set off at the same moment, running towards the centre circle.
"Go!"
At the edge of the penalty area, Leon launched the ball in his hands hard towards the centre circle.
A throw to launch a counter-attack.
Leon had produced this skill once again.
Real Madrid had clearly not anticipated how quickly Leon would get back to his feet.
Benzema and Ronaldo were still exchanging thoughts on why the shot had not gone in.
It had not even occurred to them that Leoia had already launched a counter-attack with Leon pulling the strings.
Catching the opposition off guard, Hachim Mastour received Leon's throw cleanly near the centre circle, then without breaking stride played a half-volleyed lofted ball that bounced off Real Madrid's defensive line.
"Go!"
Hachim Mastour also shouted across to striker Yure Baso.
Real Madrid had pushed the entire team very high up the pitch moments earlier, and the space behind them was enormous.
Yure Baso used his pace to chase down Hachim Mastour's lofted pass, leaving Real Madrid's entire back line trailing behind him.
"One-on-one!"
"How many one-on-ones have there been in this match?"
"But this one belongs to Leoia!"
"Let's see how Navas handles it."
"Navas has been Real Madrid's undisputed first-choice goalkeeper this season, valued at ten million euros."
"Oh!"
"It's in! It's in!"
"Yure Baso with a thunderous strike, giving Navas absolutely no time to react!"
"It seems not every goalkeeper is Leon after all!"
"By that measure, Leon has to be worth at least twenty million euros right now!"
Jackson's voice grew more and more animated.
Even now, he was doing his best to keep his commentary style in check.
But when something gripping happened, he simply could not stop the excitement from coming through.
Many fans from the East loved this style of commentary.
Equally, many did not.
"Yes!"
After watching Yure Baso thunder the ball home, Leon punched the air hard with his fist.
This match could be won.
A teammate had scored, so there was absolutely no way he was going to let the goal be breached.
Even if it would be difficult.
But he could absolutely do it.
Leon's exceptional mental fortitude played a decisive role in that moment, steadying him and making him even more composed.
Yure Baso and Hachim Mastour sprinted the length of the pitch and arrived in front of Leon, and the three of them celebrated together.
This was already the second goal the three of them had combined to produce.
"We can win this!"
"That's right! We can win this!"
The three of them shouted it out together at the top of their voices.
At that moment, Ronaldo and Benzema looked at each other in disbelief.
And Navas looked as though his entire worldview had been shattered.
Leon had comfortably saved five one-on-ones in a row, yet he himself had conceded to just one?
And Leon was only a goalkeeper in the Segunda División B.
He himself was the first-choice goalkeeper of La Liga giants Real Madrid.
The two of them were not even remotely in the same bracket, whether by market value or by reputation.
Navas felt as though his face had been slapped raw.
He could find no way to save face at all.
Yure Baso's goal had not only sent his own market value soaring, it had sent Leon's soaring too.
Without comparison there is no humiliation.
Leon saving those one-on-ones had previously struck people as impressive, but no more than that.
More than a few had put it down to good fortune on Leon's part.
But now it was plain for all to see that this was genuine ability.
"I give up."
"I used to mock Leon after watching his videos. I take it all back."
"Same here! From this moment on, I am a Leon fan. I'm going to follow him all the way through the top five leagues!"
"The Segunda División B is not one of the top five leagues!"
"Want to bet? I'm putting money on Leon joining a top-five league club next season!"
Su Jing, who had also been watching the broadcast, smiled at that moment.
Without even noticing, she found her face was wet with tears.
'He has finally earned the recognition of the fans.'
Su Jing felt a weight lift from her shoulders at last.
'Getting a little emotional, are we?'
She smiled and shook her head.
Looking back at Leon on the screen, she thought his silhouette looked remarkably resolute.
This match, he really could win it.
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