Halftime[ Golden ticket Chapter]

Izan wiped the sweat from his brow as he glanced toward the scoreboard. One-nil. 

They had the lead, but the game felt anything but safe. The disallowed goal had left a bitter taste, but there was no time to dwell.

Bilbao were growing into the game, and Valencia couldn't afford to drop their intensity.

From the touchline, Baraja cupped his hands around his mouth. "Keep moving! Be sharp!" His voice barely cut through the roar of the crowd, but Izan understood the message.

Bilbao were beginning to probe more dangerously. Their full-backs pushed higher, their midfielders zipped passes between the lines. 

Every clearance Valencia made was met with another wave of pressure. They had to do something fast or they would lose the lead they had worked so hard for.

Then came the moment.

Javi Guerra, always a step ahead in midfield, won a loose ball near the halfway line. Before Dani García could react, Guerra had already played the pass.