THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

The referee blew the whistle for half-time after two more minutes of gameplay. Without further ado, the players of both teams hurried to their respective dressing rooms for the fifteen-minute break.

"Man!" Patrice Evra patted Zachary's back as they entered the dressing room. "The way you controlled that ball from Bonucci was godly. Kudos to you for creating our equalizer."

"Don't forget about my contribution," Carlos Tévez hurriedly chimed in from behind Zachary. "Zachary would have found it hard to beat the Atlético Madrid defense alone if I hadn't helped."

Patrice smiled and stepped back to put an arm around Tévez. "Of course, I can't forget your contribution, Carlos. But I'm just saying Zachary might still have scored even if he was against four Atlético Madrid defenders alone. So, please don't get so full of yourself for making an assist." He added jokingly.

"Damn it, Patrice! That's mean," Tévez said, pushing away Evra. "Do you really have to state the obvious?"

The rest of the Juventus players laughed at that while settling down on the seats in the dressing room. They soon started gulping down some water while waiting for their coach's half-time address.

Coach Allegri was in a good mood when he stepped into the dressing room at half-time. His spirits were flying high since his players had scored an equalizer right before the end of the first half. As a result, he could be more flexible with his tactics for the second half since he only had to focus on remaining stable, performance-wise, and winning the game.

Coach Allegri took a deep breath and swept his gaze across the players in the dressing room. "Lads!" He said. "Can I have your attention?"

On hearing his voice, all the players stopped whatever they were doing. Then, they immediately turned their attention to their coach, ready to listen to his half-time address.

"Our performance during the first half was sub-par," Coach Allegri began. "First of all, our pass completion rate, especially while going forward, was below standard. Secondly, our reaction as a team after losing the ball had no sense of urgency. Thirdly, we only managed to have one shot on target even after dominating possession for the entire first half. What the hell were you guys doing on the pitch?"

Coach Allegri shook his head. "You're clearly a better team than Atlético Madrid on paper. But why are you playing a shitty type of football? What is stopping you all, especially our midfielders, from creating chances and providing good service to our strikers?"

Giorgio Chiellini raised his hand on hearing the question.

"Yes, Chiellini." Coach Allegri pointed at him. "What's lacking?"

"I think we lack team spirit," Chiellini replied. "We lack that competitive edge as a team to stake everything against Atlético Madrid and win the game. That's why we're playing shitty football."

"That's fuckin' right! Thank you, Chiellini," Coach Allegri said, clapping his hands for emphasis. "I don't know what has happened to you guys on the pitch. But I can see it in the way you handle the ball. I can see it in your reactions and runs off the ball. You lack the spirit to compete as professionals out there. It's as if you're playing a fuckin' training match without any drive and competitive edge. You guys tell me! How the hell are we supposed to take on bigger clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid later on in the competition when you're playing like this? How are we supposed to have a chance at winning the Champions League if we lack the drive to become the winners of our group?"

Coach Allegri sighed, sweeping his gaze across his players again. "This can't go on," he said, his tone softening. "We must go out there and play our hearts out during the second half. We must show Atlético Madrid that we mean business. We must show them that we're here to fuckin' compete and win the game. If we wish to have any hope of ever winning the Champions League, we must build our momentum starting here and now. We must defeat Atlético Madrid. Are you guys with me?"

"Yes, coach," the players roared back in unison.

"Good." Coach Allegri nodded and smiled. "Lastly, I'll talk a bit about the tactics. During the first half, Atlético Madrid's tactics isolated our strikers, and we couldn't link up play with them. That's why we had limited goal-scoring opportunities and almost no shot on target. We can't continue playing that way during the second half. We must involve our strikers, especially if we wish to win the game."

"So, here is our plan for the second half," Coach Allegri continued, "I want you to float in as many balls as possible towards Tévez and Zachary. I want to see crosses and defense-splitting passes flying toward Atlético Madrid's box and making their way to our strikers. I especially want Zachary involved in the game right from the first minute of the second half."

"Andrea!" The coach glanced towards Pirlo. "When you get the ball in midfield, your first option before anything else should be to look for Zachary. The same applies to you, Patrice, Claudio, Tévez, and Stephan. Float in as many crosses and lofted passes — to ensure that Zachary has good service. I can guarantee that he will fuckin' win the game for us if you follow those simple instructions. That is why I put him on the striking line today. Are we clear?"

"Yes, coach," the players replied without voicing any objections.

"Okay, then." Coach Allegri nodded, glancing at his watch. "It's almost time. Coach Trombetta! Try to translate my words to the none Italian-speaking lads as quickly as possible. We must be ready to head back to the pitch within five minutes."

"Okay, boss," Maurizio Trombetta, the assistant coach in charge of the first team, answered.

Zachary marched onto the pitch along with the rest of his teammates after the fifteen-minute half-time break. His yearning to perform was almost shooting through the stadium roof and into the night skies of Madrid. He desired to play his heart out and help his team overcome the tricky Atlético Madrid side.

"Zachary!" Andrea Pirlo suddenly called out to him as they were halfway into the pitch. "I hope you understood Coach Allegri's instructions for the second half. He wants us to supply you with as many balls as possible. Your only role is to connect with our passes and to test the Atlético Madrid keeper. So, you must remain sharp on the striking line."

"Don't worry. I'm aware of my role on the pitch." Zachary smiled while nodding. Coach Trombetta had translated Coach Allegri's tactics for him. So, he was aware that he would be the talisman during the second half, with the sole role of scoring goals. For the first time as a Juventus player, he would play as a true-blue center-forward.

"It's good that you understand," Pirlo said, patting his back. "Remember to remain alert. My passes will make their way to you when the opposing defense least expects them. Try to connect with them and, at the minimum, please ensure that you test Atlético Madrid's keeper. Okay?"

"Okay." Zachary concurred.

"Then, good." Pirlo smiled. "Let's take our positions and win this game. We'll celebrate in the hotel lobby after the match."

Zachary laughed in response and high-fived Pirlo before running to his position. He was ready to commence the second phase of the Champions League group stage battle between Atlético Madrid and Juventus.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle, and the game restarted with Atlético Madrid's kick-off. Mario Mandzukic, Atlético Madrid's center-forward, reacted immediately and kicked the ball into his own half to kick-start the second half.

Koke, Atlético Madrid's right midfielder, connected well with the pass from Mandzukic. Then, without losing a second, he flicked it to his left to find Saúl Ñíguez, his counterpart in midfield.

Saúl Ñíguez, on his part, was a bit slow on the ball. He took a few more unnecessary touches, thus allowing the Juventus attacking players to close him down. And with no other options, he could only blast the ball toward the other side of the pitch to avoid losing possession in a dangerous area.

"Whoosh!"

The ball blasted by Ñíguez soared high into the night skies before descending towards Juventus' box under the influence of gravity. And without any surprises, it dropped into the outstretched and waiting hands of Gianluigi Buffon, the Juventus goalkeeper.

"I need urgency on the ball!" Coach Allegri shouted in Italian from the sidelines. "Pass the ball forward. We must pressurize them and score as soon as possible."

After hearing Coach Allegri's shout, Buffon reacted with all the haste he could muster. He threw the ball towards Leonardo Bonucci, the defender waiting at the edge of the box.

Bonucci, on his part, controlled the ball well before flicking it to his left to find Giorgio Chiellini, his counterpart in defense. The latter received it and kicked it toward the left wing, hoping to find Patrice Evra.

From there on, the Juventus players started playing with more urgency on the ball. They formed triangles and interchanged lightning-fast passes with a clear intent to break through Atlético Madrid's defensive shape. And when angles opened up, they would float in crosses or lofted passes toward the opposing box, hoping to find Zachary or Carlos Tevez. They were more purposeful in their playing style, and it wasn't long before they created their first clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Naturally, Andrea Pirlo was the player to kick-start the magic during the 56th minute. The Italian Maestro happened to receive the ball in a strategic position before the box after a period of Juventus dominance.

His ball handling was brilliant and effective. He escaped from his marker with a single deft touch and opened up a shooting angle. Then, before any other opponents could close him down, he unleashed a curling and tricky ball toward the inside of the far post.