From now on, you won't be getting the ball anymore

In the center of the pitch.

Rohan kicks off, passing the ball back to Gómez.

He then moves closer to the Sevilla penalty area.

Without hesitation, Gómez passes to Alcácer on the right flank.

Alcácer, understanding the plan, pushes forward with the ball, aiming to create a free kick opportunity for Rohan.

Just like in their Champions League match, where he played one of his most exhilarating games.

He didn't care about anything else;his only focus was to drive forward.

He even taunted the opponents more than once: "Come on, try and tackle me."

But Sevilla was well-prepared this time, no matter how much Alcácer taunted or feinted, the defenders simply wouldn't bite.

Seeing that Sevilla wasn't falling for it, Alcácer had no choice but to switch tactics and loft the ball into the penalty area.

However, the Sevilla defenders were tight on him, not even giving Alcácer a chance to shoot.

Seeing this, Rohan quickly ran over, shouting, "Hey, Alcácer, pass it back!"

Recognizing Rohan, Alcácer passed the ball back without a second thought.

Rohan received the ball and immediately spotted Rodrigo making a run into the box.

Without adjusting, he lofted the ball into the penalty area.

Rodrigo, running towards the box, slowed down the moment Rohan passed the ball.

He was trying to predict where the ball would land.

For a soccer player, predicting the ball's landing spot is fundamental.

Some can predict it the moment the ball is kicked, while others need to watch its flight for a while.

That's the difference in natural talent.

Top forwards like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez belong to the former category.

Rodrigo, in comparison, fell short.

That's why he hesitated when Rohan kicked the ball.

And it was this slight hesitation that made him miss a great chance to equalize.

The ball landed perfectly just a meter ahead of him, only for a Sevilla defender to clear it with a powerful kick.

"Shit."

Rodrigo slapped his thigh in frustration, cursing his hesitation.

If he had kept up his initial pace, he might have scored.

Rohan ran up, patted him on the back, and said with a smile, "Next time just go for it, no hesitations."

"Trust me, you'll catch it perfectly."

Rodrigo paused, then remembered that Rohan's pass had been right in his sprinting path.

Was it possible that from the beginning Rohan had calculated the exact spot and timing of the ball?

Damn... Rodrigo took a deep breath, impressed by Rohan's skill.

Watching Rohan run off, he felt relieved.

Good thing they're on the same team.

After Sevilla cleared the ball out of bounds, the referee awarded it to Valencia.

Gómez threw the ball to Parejo, who, seeing the area crowded with defenders, wisely passed it back to João Cancelo.

It was the same old back and forth, only this time it was Valencia's turn.

Meanwhile, Sevilla's coach Unai Emery called Banega over, glancing at Rohan while giving instructions.

Banega nodded continuously, then ran up to Rohan, ready to mark him tightly.

"Indian, from now on, you won't be getting the ball anymore."

Clearly, Rohan's recent pass had put Unai Emery on high alert.

Nuno was inwardly frustrated but powerless.

He knew Rohan had a killer pass in him, which is why he had started him in the first place—to make a difference at crucial moments.

And just as Nuno had predicted, Rohan's first touch of the game had already posed a significant threat to the opponent's goal.

Unfortunately, the forwards squandered the chance to equalize.

Rohan was aware of the opposition's tactics and couldn't help but feel a bit bitter.

He hated to admit it, but in terms of strength and physicality, he was completely outmatched.

Breaking free from the defense and keeping the ball was no easy task.

His only chance was to use his teammates as a shield to receive the ball.

But such opportunities were rare, and even if he got the ball, he had to pass it quickly, or it would likely be intercepted.

Rohan didn't mind, though;he wasn't one to hog the ball anyway.

Parejo advanced with the ball, scanning for his teammates' positions.

He noticed a big gap on the right but hesitated and instead passed to Mina on the left, who was in a slightly worse position.

He knew well that Alcácer wouldn't have much luck on the right.

Mina's strategy was simple and direct: either drive to the baseline for a cross or break through to draw a foul for a free kick.

Compared to Alcácer, Mina was quicker off the mark.

And the Sevilla player he was up against was clearly weaker defensively than those on the other side, giving Mina enough room to maneuver.

But like before, the defenders didn't commit, focusing instead on blocking passing lanes.

"These haraami..."

Mina cursed under his breath.

Thanks to training with Rohan, many Valencia players had picked up some Hindi swear words.

In his frustration, he blurted it out.

The defender looked confused, not understanding but guessing from Mina's expression that it wasn't anything pleasant.

He shot back, "You damn bastard, go to hell."

But despite the insults, he didn't make any rash defensive moves.

Mina glanced at his teammate, gritted his teeth, and charged toward the baseline.

He was quick, managing to get half a step past the defender.

He reached the baseline and feigned a cross with his left foot. As the Sevilla player lifted his foot to block and lost his balance, Mina pulled the ball back and drove it into the penalty area.

He hadn't run two steps before another defender confronted him.

Mina quickly kicked the ball towards the penalty spot.

He didn't trust himself to break through a crowd—Messi might have, but not him.

By then, Rodrigo had burst into the box, adjusted slightly, and was about to shoot.

But a defender just managed to touch the ball with the tip of his boot.

The ball's trajectory changed, and Rodrigo's shot fizzed wide.

Sevilla's Nzonzi picked up the ball and passed it straight to Banega.

Facing Rohan, Banega didn't try to break through but instead passed it to Vitolo on the right.

Vitolo sprinted, catching the ball without slowing down, and quickly reached the baseline.

Seeing the defender closing in, Vitolo decisively crossed the ball into the box.

João Pereira stretched out his leg trying to intercept, but it was too late.

Gameiro rushed into the box, leaped high at the ball's landing spot, and headed it powerfully past Mustafi.

The ball hit the back of the net.

The referee's whistle blew, pointing to the center circle.