Inside the locker room, the tension was almost tangible.
Sweat dripped from every player.Breaths came fast and shallow.
The first half had been a war — and the second promised even more.
Coach Dietrich stood before them, calm but firm.
"Good first half," he began."But it's not enough. Ajax will come even harder now."
He gestured toward the tactical board:
"Stay compact. Force them wide. Don't give them the center.Mateo, Lukas — you're our release valves. Calm under pressure.Find the simple pass. Break their rhythm."
He looked around the room, meeting every pair of eyes.
"You want to beat Ajax?Then survive their storm — and strike when they're open."
Across the hall, in the Ajax locker room, things were moving quickly too.
Their coach barked rapid orders.
Fresh substitutes warmed up aggressively:
A taller forward.
A trickier winger.
Ajax wasn't going to wait patiently anymore.
They were throwing everything forward.
As the second half kicked off, the stadium's roar returned louder than ever.
Ajax immediately pressed higher, pushing their fullbacks almost into Bayern's half.
The message was clear:
Attack or die.
Bayern endured the opening storm.
Tackles flew.Players screamed for the ball.The referee blew his whistle again and again — fouls piling up, tension rising.
Mateo fought for every inch.
Twice he was fouled brutally, Ajax trying to rattle him.
But he got up each time, brushing dirt from his jersey, jaw clenched.
He was not going to fold.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Ajax nearly broke through.
Jasper Vink sent a curling cross that Lars Bakker almost volleyed into the net.
The Bayern goalkeeper made a miraculous save, tipping it over the bar with his fingertips.
The crowd gasped —and Bayern players regrouped.
Mateo tightened his boots during a brief stop.
Sweat poured down his forehead, but his mind was clear.
"Stay sharp.One chance will come.Take it."
And then —the moment arrived.
Bayern intercepted a risky Ajax pass.
Mateo, already anticipating the mistake, sprinted forward.
The ball was fed into his path.
Three Ajax defenders converged — too late.
Mateo dribbled past the first with a sharp feint.
Slipped between the second and third with pure acceleration.
Ahead of him, only the Ajax keeper remained.
He could shoot —but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lukas Müller sprinting into space.
Selflessly, Mateo slid a perfect assist sideways.
Lukas tapped it into an empty net.
2–0 for Bayern.
The stadium erupted.
The Bayern bench exploded in celebration.
Mateo pumped his fists in the air, chest heaving, adrenaline flooding every cell in his body.
[System Notification:]
Bonus Contribution Registered!
Performance Evaluation Rising...Hidden Quest Unlocked: "International Breakout Potential" (Pending Evaluation after Match).
On the sidelines, Coach Dietrich smiled tightly, hiding his pride.
"Well done, González," he muttered under his breath.
Back in Germany, Helena and Klara screamed with joy from their homes —one in her living room, the other on her bed.
"You did it, Mateo!" Klara shouted at her tablet, grinning wide.
The match wasn't over.
But the tide had shifted.