The Santiago Bernabéu hummed with nervous energy under the Champions League floodlights. The air smelled of fresh paint from the stadium renovations and the faint metallic tang of impending rain. Ninety thousand fans held their collective breath as the teams lined up for the second leg—Real Madrid leading 1-0 on aggregate, but everyone knew PSG would come out swinging.
The System's golden text burned in Ibukun's vision:
***UCL KNOCKOUT - 2ND LEG PARAMETERS***
**Mission:** Neutralize Mbappé (Max. 2 successful dribbles allowed)
**Secondary Objective:** Score decisive goal (Any time)
**Reward:** €300,000 + 8 SP + "Ice Veins" trait (Zero penalty nerves)
**Failure Penalty:** -25% defensive awareness (Next 3 matches)
Across the center circle, Mbappé cracked his neck, his eyes locked onto Ibukun with predatory focus.
*"No more surprises."*
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### **The Early Onslaught**
PSG came out like a hurricane.
From kickoff, they pressed high and hard—Neymar dropping deep to orchestrate, Messi floating between lines, and Mbappé making relentless diagonal runs behind the defense.
- **7th minute:** First real danger. Mbappé burned past Carvajal on the left, his cutback finding Messi at the penalty spot. The Argentine's shot ricocheted off the post.
- **19th minute:** A clever one-two between Neymar and Mbappé sliced Madrid's defense open. Only a last-ditch tackle from Militao prevented the goal.
The System's alerts flashed urgently:
***DEFENSIVE RE-CALIBRATION NEEDED***
**Suggested Adjustment:** Drop 5 yards deeper to counter Mbappé's pace
Ancelotti's voice roared from the touchline: *"Compact! Stay compact!"*
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### **The Turning Point**
35th minute. Against the run of play, the breakthrough came.
Vinicius intercepted a lazy pass from Verratti and immediately launched Ibukun with a 50-yard through ball.
The sprint duel with Mbappé was inevitable.
For 40 yards, they ran shoulder-to-shoulder, the Frenchman's initial burst creating half a step. But then—the Divine Stamina kicked in.
Ibukun's legs kept pumping while Mbappé's stride shortened just slightly.
Enough.
One touch to control. Two to cut inside Marquinhos. The shot—a vicious near-post strike—left Donnarumma rooted.
**1-0 (2-0 agg).**
The Bernabéu erupted.
Mbappé lay sprawled on the turf, chest heaving, as Ibukun jogged back without celebration.
***MISSION UPDATE***
**Decisive Goal Scored (Objective Complete)**
**Mbappé Dribbles Allowed:** 1/2
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### **The Reckoning**
Second half. Desperation set in for PSG.
- **58th minute:** Neymar's reckless tackle on Camavinga earned him a straight red.
- **67th minute:** Messi's free kick rattled the crossbar—PSG's last real chance.
- **89th minute:** Rodrygo put the tie to bed with a clinical counter.
**2-0 (3-0 agg).**
The final whistle sparked pandemonium.
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### **The Aftermath**
Valentina waited in the mixed zone, her phone buzzing non-stop. *"Perez wants to discuss your contract. Again."*
The System's final report was a masterpiece:
***POST-MATCH ANALYSIS***
**Mbappé Neutralized:** 1 successful dribble (Mission Complete)
**Distance Covered:** 13.1km (Topped UCL season records)
**Rewards Claimed:** €300,000 + 8 SP + "Ice Veins"
Jay-Jay's hologram materialized in the shower steam, his grin wider than ever.
*"Now they'll *really* come for you."*
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