After Theodore Bjorn returned to Madrid, he immediately threw himself back into training.
On December 7, Real Madrid would face Atlético Madrid in the derby.
At the moment, Real Madrid sat top of La Liga with a dominant twelve-match winning streak.
Their city rivals, Atlético Madrid, were second in the table with ten wins, one draw, and one defeat.
There were five points between the two teams.
For Atlético Madrid, if they wanted to win La Liga this season, this was a match they absolutely had to take.
The day before the match, Atlético head coach Diego Simeone spoke in his pre-match interview, focusing heavily on how they would contain Theodore.
"Over this period, the coaching staff have been watching Theodore's match footage nonstop. He is an extremely complete player, almost without any weaknesses."
"And he has just won the Ballon d'Or, so he will definitely play with even more confidence. But I also believe in every Atlético player. Tomorrow night, they will deliver a heavy blow to Real Madrid."
"Every Atlético player understands the meaning of this match. I believe tomorrow's derby will be extremely brutal."
Simeone's words carried a hint of provocation.
But Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was not afraid. Facing the reporters, he said with complete confidence.
"Real Madrid are looking forward to the match against Atlético. We are ready. Tomorrow night, Real Madrid will beat Atlético at the Bernabéu. It's that simple."
...
The next day, matchday arrived.
The weather was excellent, with clear skies stretching overhead.
At around five in the afternoon, the area around the Bernabéu was already packed with fans wearing Real Madrid shirts.
Everyone was looking forward to the start of this great battle.
Many Madrid fans had gathered in groups, singing the club anthem, Hala Madrid, together.
Of course, aside from Real Madrid fans, there were also large numbers of Atlético Madrid supporters.
As city rivals, the relationship between Atlético and Real Madrid was incredibly hostile.
Whenever fans from the two teams met, conflict was almost inevitable.
Because of that, large numbers of security personnel were stationed around the stadium, doing their best to prevent clashes between supporters.
At seven in the evening, fans had already begun entering the stadium. Perhaps because this was a derby, the attendance at the Bernabéu tonight was massive.
It was a full house.
Inside the executive box, Marianne Bjorn and Xia Dongguo were eagerly waiting for the match to begin.
Before kick-off, Real Madrid had specifically arranged a Ballon d'Or presentation ceremony for Theodore.
Amid the deafening cheers of every Madrid fan in the stadium, Theodore walked onto the Bernabéu pitch holding the golden trophy.
At that moment, the entire Bernabéu was shouting Theodore's name with almost hysterical force.
It was truly shocking.
Inside the box, Xia Dongguo quickly took out his camera to capture the moment.
"Our Theo has really made something of himself. So many people are waving flags and shouting for him… This is wonderful!"
When Marianne saw more than eighty thousand fans chanting her son's name simultaneously, she was deeply moved.
After the Ballon d'Or ceremony ended, the Madrid derby was ready to explode.
Inside the broadcast booth, Rob Palmer and Terry Gibson were already prepared.
"The starting players from both teams have already stepped onto the pitch," Palmer announced.
"Let's use this time to introduce the starting lineups."
"For Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtois starts in goal!"
"The back four are Dani Carvajal, Raphaël Varane, Sergio Ramos, and Ferland Mendy!"
"The three midfielders: Luka Modrić, Theodore Bjorn, and Toni Kroos!"
"The front three: Martin Ødegaard, Karim Benzema, and Vinícius Jr.!"
"As for Atlético Madrid, Diego Simeone has set them up in a 3-5-2 formation," Gibson continued.
"The goalkeeper is Jan Oblak."
"The three center-backs are Mario Hermoso, Felipe, and Stefan Savić!"
"The five midfielders: Yannick Carrasco, Héctor Herrera, Koke, Marcos Llorente, and Kieran Trippier!"
"The two forwards: João Félix and Luis Suárez!"
After the lineups were introduced, the players from the two sides shook hands.
At the same time, the melody of Hala Madrid echoed over the Bernabéu.
"In the last twelve meetings between Real Madrid and Atlético, Madrid have recorded four wins, five draws, and three defeats," Palmer noted. "In recent seasons, Real Madrid have been a difficult opponent for Atlético. The last time Atlético beat Real Madrid in the league was back in 2016."
"From the starting lineup, we can see that Simeone wants to fight Real Madrid head-on in midfield," Gibson analyzed.
"It will be difficult for them to overturn Madrid tonight. Although Atlético brought in Luis Suárez this season, he is already in his thirties. His pace and impact are far from his peak, and he doesn't press much defensively. Atlético need to solve their attacking problems first."
Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz blew the whistle to start the match.
"The Madrid derby in Round 13 of the 2020–2021 La Liga season has officially begun!" Palmer called out.
"Atlético Madrid kick off first!"
"Suárez passes the ball to Koke in midfield!"
"Koke goes long immediately!"
"The ball reaches Trippier on the right!"
"Cross…"
"Suárez with the header!"
"Atlético have scored!"
"Only thirty seconds after kick-off! Atlético Madrid have broken through Real Madrid's goal!"
Palmer's voice was filled with disbelief.
Of course, the most frustrated person was Zidane.
In recent matches, Real Madrid seemed to have developed a habit of conceding first. Some fans had even joked that Madrid only started playing after falling behind.
And sure enough, tonight, they had conceded instantly.
In the Bernabéu stands, more than eighty thousand Real Madrid fans did not panic. They continued singing the club anthem, completely unfazed by the early setback.
They firmly believed that before long, Theodore would equalize.
Sure enough.
After the restart, Real Madrid's attack immediately threatened Atlético Madrid's goal.
When Benzema passed the ball to Theodore, Theodore suddenly delivered a sharp through ball.
Two seconds later, the ball appeared at Ødegaard's feet on the right side of Atlético's penalty area.
Ødegaard glanced at the goalkeeper's positioning. He raised his foot and shaped to unleash a fierce shot.
Seeing this, Atlético's defenders immediately stretched out their legs to block him.
The player marking Ødegaard was Carrasco. He was naturally a winger, but tonight Simeone had deployed him as a wing-back. On top of that, midfielder Héctor Herrera also stepped across to pressure Ødegaard.
Two players blocked him at the same time. Atlético Madrid lived up to their reputation; their defensive intensity was incredible.
But Ødegaard did not shoot directly. The movement had only been a feint. His real intention was to pass.
Bang!
Ødegaard squared it across the edge of the box.
The ball arrived perfectly at Theodore Bjorn's feet.
On the touchline, Simeone saw the danger and frantically shouted for his midfielders to close down the space. Koke and Marcos Llorente rushed toward Theodore at maximum speed.
But what no one expected was this: Theodore chose to strike the ball first time.
He did not take a touch.
By the time Atlético's midfielders closed in, Theodore had already completed his shooting motion.
Bang!
The ball flew like a cruise missile, smashing accurately toward the top-left corner of the goal.
The absolute dead corner!
Although Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak possessed elite shot-stopping ability, Theodore's long-range effort was flawless in both power and placement.
Oblak's desperate dive only became the backdrop to Theodore's masterpiece.
1–1!
"A world-class strike!" Palmer roared. "Theodore Bjorn has breached Atlético Madrid's goal with a stunning first-time shot!"
"The score is now one-one!"
"That shot had so much power! Oblak had absolutely no chance!"
In the stands of the Bernabéu, Real Madrid fans waved their scarves, shouting Theodore's name at the top of their lungs.
Inside the executive box, Xia Dongguo was so excited that he jumped to his feet, cheering wildly.
Marianne quickly pulled him back, gesturing for him to calm down in the VIP area.
"That was the theoretical dead corner!" Gibson marveled. "Although Oblak reacted quickly enough, the ball still flew past his hands. Theodore's technique alone proves why he was just handed the Ballon d'Or!"
...
On the global live comment feeds, fans reacted instantly.
"That was insane! Theodore's shot was like a cannon!"
"Every time I watch Theodore play, he makes scoring look so easy."
"This is the strength of the new Ballon d'Or winner!"
"A first-time volley without even taking a touch! His long-range shooting is elite."
The most depressed person in the stadium was undoubtedly Diego Simeone.
The Argentine coach stood near the touchline with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his expression sour.
Before the match, Simeone had explicitly instructed his players to prevent Theodore from receiving the ball near the edge of the penalty area.
But Theodore had still managed to find the space and execute the finish.
It left Simeone feeling helpless.
After the restart, the Real Madrid players pressed high. The forwards repeatedly harried Atlético players trying to build out from the back.
Atlético were not a team built for possession football under pressure; they preferred using long balls and counterattacks.
Being forced to deal with Real Madrid's high press made them uncomfortable.
Eventually, Atlético's back line had to launch a long clearance forward. The ball dropped toward Luis Suárez.
Suárez won the aerial duel against Varane, bringing the ball down on the left side of the penalty area.
The Uruguayan striker did not hesitate and immediately unleashed a powerful right-footed shot.
But at the crucial moment, Theodore appeared in front of Suárez.
He successfully blocked the long-range effort with an outstretched leg.
"A crucial covering block!" Palmer noted. "Theodore breaks up the attack!"
Waves of cheers erupted across the Bernabéu.
A sizable portion of Madrid fans shouted Theodore's name in appreciation.
The loose ball landed within Koke's area of control. The Atlético captain sharply noticed Carrasco standing in space on the left.
Koke decisively played a square pass, and the ball arrived at Carrasco's feet.
What followed was Carrasco's personal showcase. The Belgian winger's threat down the flank was razor-sharp.
Playing as a right-footed player on the left side allowed him to utilize his dribbling and cutting-inside ability.
The Real Madrid player defending Carrasco was Dani Carvajal.
After several sharp stops and changes of direction, Carrasco suddenly knocked the ball forward, using the shift in rhythm to shake off Carvajal.
Carvajal was full of fighting spirit. After Carrasco beat him, he did not stop running.
He chased back with everything he had.
Under pressure, Carrasco could only manage to scoop a pass into the box toward João Félix.
"Carrasco crosses it in!" Palmer called out. "Towards the far post... Félix is there!"
"The Portuguese forward volleys!"
"GOAL!"
"Atlético Madrid have retaken the lead!"
2–1!
João Félix, who had been almost invisible until that moment, suddenly delivered a fatal blow to Real Madrid.
His volley inside the box caught Courtois completely off guard, and the ball flew into the net.
After scoring, Félix performed a dominant knee-slide celebration in front of the silenced Bernabéu.
Simeone, who had been gloomy for so long, excitedly pumped his fists on the touchline.
Now, it was Real Madrid's turn to feel anxious.
On the live comment feeds, fans exploded at Madrid's defenders.
"Why wasn't Ferland Mendy marking anyone at the back post?!"
"They let Félix get a free volley way too easily."
"Conceding two goals to Atlético at home is humiliating."
"Is Madrid's winning streak going to end tonight?"
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