A perfect arc

Barcelona didn't seem fazed at all after the unexpected goal against them.

They were still up by two goals, and with less than twenty minutes left on the clock, they pretty much had this one in the bag.

Neymar restarted the game at the center circle, passing the ball to Iniesta, who firmly controlled it under his feet while scanning the field to gauge the positioning of both teams.

As the formidable trio of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar (MSN) approached the opponent's box, they suddenly picked up the pace, leaving Rohan, the opposing midfielder, in the dust.

Kroos quickly stepped in to cover, using his body to block Iniesta's path.

Seeing trouble brewing, Ronaldo and Benzema quickly dropped back to stand between Iniesta and the MSN, cutting off the connection to the front line.

Messi, noticing the shift, decided to drop back to midfield to collect the ball—a typical Barcelona strategy.

They planned to exploit Messi's exceptional dribbling and the intuitive play between the MSN with quick, precise passes to tear through the defense.

As Messi got into position, Iniesta was ready to pass, completely unaware that Rohan, whom he had just outplayed, was making a comeback.

"Watch your back!"

Messi's timely warning came just a bit too late.

Before Iniesta could make the pass, Rohan's toe poked the ball away.

Kroos, quick on his feet, controlled the ball and passed it down the right flank to Bale, who was already making his run.

Bale took the ball in stride and passed it forward to himself, leaving Alba to only watch his brutal silhouette grow smaller in the distance.

In crucial moments like these, you have to rely on Mascherano.

As Barcelona's main defender, his experience was invaluable.

Already on a yellow card, the smartest play was to cut off Bale's angle for a cross, directing him towards Pique instead.

Together, they could easily disrupt Real Madrid's counterattack.

Though letting a left-footed player cut inside was risky, it was better than facing a penalty.

It's all on you now, Pique.

Mascherano reassured himself internally.

As expected, Bale opted for the cut inside.

However, Pique's attempt to stop him resulted in a trip, turning his yellow into a red as he was sent off.

The referee awarded Real Madrid a free kick just outside the box, slightly to the left.

"He's diving, ref, he's diving! I didn't even touch him."

Pique protested vehemently, spreading his arms wide in disbelief at the yellow card, claiming it was absurd.

The referee, tired of the complaints, blew his whistle sharply and pointed sternly towards the sideline.

"Get out!!!"

Realizing the referee was serious, Pique could only trudge off the field, passing the Real Madrid players with a taunt, "See how you lose, a bunch of losers."

"And that Indian guy, don't think scoring one lucky goal puts you in my league. I've seen right through you."

"Hmph, just wait until Real Madrid kicks you out."

Man, this guy's got issues.

Rohan was speechless, unable to recall when he might have offended Pique to warrant such relentless hostility.

To an outsider, it might seem like he had done something horrific to Pique.

"Don't mind him, he just likes to mess with people's heads," Pepe said, pulling Rohan aside and waving goodbye to Pique.

With Pique off the field, the referee signaled for the game to continue.

As before, once Barcelona set up their wall, Ronaldo stood over the ball, taking deep breaths to steady himself.

Seeing Rohan approach, he smiled and asked, "Why don't you take this one?"

He was curious to see what this Indian player was really made of.

"Sure."

Rohan wasn't about to turn down the chance to take the free kick he had been eyeing.

In the HOTSTAR live studio, Bineesh laughed, "Looks like Real Madrid got a taste of success from that last free kick. They're letting Rohan take this one."

Shaiju, sipping tea leisurely, added, "Ronaldo giving up a free kick isn't something you see often. Even if it doesn't go in, it's a story to brag about back home."

As a well-known sports broadcaster in India, Shaiju was well-connected.

After Rohan scored that beautiful free kick earlier, he had asked a friend to find out more about Rohan's recent situation in Europe.

Learning that Pérez was planning to terminate Rohan's contract after the game and that Rohan had been in touch with several clubs back home, Shaiju didn't think much of him anymore.

In the live chat during the broadcast:

"LOL, I've already taken off my shoes, just waiting for Rohan to score."

"I've got my stinky socks ready too."

Back on the field, Rohan had more time to adjust himself compared to his last free kick.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, repeating this three times before making his move.

Standing just about 3 feet from the ball, Rohan took a short run-up and kicked the ball towards the Barcelona goal.

The advantage of a short run-up is that it makes it harder for the goalkeeper to predict the trajectory of the ball. However, the downside is that the shorter run-up can reduce the speed of the ball.

Unlike fast, unpredictable knuckleballs, this type of free kick focuses on the trajectory and angle of the ball, demanding high precision from the kicker.

Messi often uses this type of free kick to breach the opponent's defenses, and now, it was Rohan piercing Barcelona's goal.

This time, Ter Stegen correctly anticipated the direction of the ball and reacted instantly.

But Rohan aimed for the theoretically perfect spot - the top left corner.

Even though Ter Stegen did everything he could, he could only watch as the ball flew past his fingertips and into the net.

"Whistle!!!"

As the referee blew the whistle and pointed to the center circle, the crowd erupted in applause like a tsunami.

That free kick was spectacular.

Both the trajectory and the angle were flawless, creating a perfect arc.

Words like beautiful, stunning, and mesmerizing seemed inadequate to describe the feeling.

The big screen replayed the goal over and over, as if to let the global audience savor the exquisite beauty of the moment.

"Oh my God, what did I just see? A second free kick goal?"

"It's unbelievable, this Indian guy just scored against Barcelona with free kicks back-to-back, it's like he's possessed by a god, no, he is the god at this moment."

"He must stay at Real Madrid, a talent like this belongs only at Real Madrid."

Real Madrid fans showered him with praise, quickly forgetting their initial mockery when Rohan first took the field.

Some more passionate Real Madrid fans couldn't contain their excitement and roared at the Barcelona supporters, venting the frustration that had built up throughout the game.

Barcelona fans wanted to argue back but seemed reluctant to discredit Rohan, instead shifting the focus to the score.

"Silly Madridistas, wake up, you're still one goal behind."

"There's less than ten minutes left, you can't turn this around."

"And don't get too cocky, Real Madrid only has a short-term contract with that Indian genius. After the game, we'll suggest to our club to bring him back to Barcelona."

This statement hit Real Madrid fans like a punch to the gut.

They might accept a temporary defeat, but the thought of their admired player being snatched away by Barcelona was unbearable.

Just imagining Rohan wearing a Barcelona jersey and scoring against Real Madrid with a free kick in the future fueled their rage.

What was already a fiery rivalry intensified as both sides came together, and soon, verbal jabs turned into a physical altercation.