Chapter 171: The Lion's Roar, the Cheetah's Snarl
Twenty minutes flew by in Mallorca's match against Bayern.
In that time, Mallorca and Bayern engaged in an intense back-and-forth battle, showing no fear and refusing to be outplayed. The stats reflected this balance—Mallorca had taken five shots, two on target, while Bayern had six shots, also with two on target. In terms of threat creation, neither side held a clear advantage.
This was a shock to the commentators. Mallorca had undoubtedly been performing well this season, but their success was typical of a solid mid-table team—not the kind of results that would make a powerhouse like Bayern take notice. Mallorca's home form had been strong, but their away record was less impressive. Their draw at Highbury against Arsenal had largely been due to a defensive approach and a relaxed mentality. Yet here, against Bayern, they were attacking head-on, going toe-to-toe with a European giant for over twenty minutes without faltering.
If Bayern had been playing poorly, that would be one thing. But the commentators—seasoned experts—could see that Bayern was at least performing at their usual level. For Mallorca to still match them spoke volumes about how far they had come.
Bayern was starting to get anxious.
Playing at home and failing to dominate Mallorca was an embarrassing situation. So, after twenty minutes, Bayern intensified their attacks.
Salihamidžić, through relentless movement, finally shook off Kaladze. Effenberg played a well-timed pass, and the Bosnian midfielder took a touch to his right before unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box.
Franco reacted quickly, diving to save the shot, but the ball deflected off his arm and back into the box. Van Buyten, using his long legs, lunged in and cleared the ball just before Elber could reach it, sending it out for a corner.
It was a smart decision—Van Buyten knew he wasn't as fast as Elber. Trying to control the ball first would have been risky; Elber could have stolen it, putting Mallorca in serious danger. A good center-back isn't just about bravery; he must also make smart choices. Sometimes, conceding a corner is better than giving the opposition an open chance in the box.
Sagnol stepped up to take the corner. As Bayern's primary set-piece taker, he delivered a precise ball into the crowded penalty area. Despite lacking height—both central defenders, Kuffour and Kovač, stood only around 1.85 meters—Bayern's aerial ability remained formidable.
Salihamidžić, again, won the first header among the towering defenders, flicking it toward goal!
Franco reacted immediately, shifting his feet and diving to parry the ball away. But in doing so, his arm crashed into the post. Seeing this, Georg scrambled to clear the ball out for a throw-in.
On the sidelines, José stood up, waving his arm. The team doctor rushed onto the pitch as the referee stopped play.
José watched anxiously—Roa wasn't eligible for the Champions League, meaning if Franco got injured, they'd have to rely on Miki, who had barely played. That was a risky prospect against an attacking force like Bayern.
"How's it looking? Leo, how's your arm?"
The team doctor had to shout over the stadium noise to be heard.
Franco removed his glove and rubbed his left arm. The pain had been sharp at first, but now it was subsiding.
Still unsure, the doctor lifted Franco's sleeve, checked the impact area, and squeezed it lightly. Only a bruise—no fractures.
He sprayed Franco's arm with a cooling spray, pulled the sleeve back down, and signaled "OK" to the bench.
José finally relaxed. At least for now, he wouldn't have to send in an untested goalkeeper.
After a brief stoppage, play resumed.
Bayern restarted with a throw-in down the left. Sergio received the ball and, under pressure from Georg, passed it back to the advancing Lizarazu. Knowing Mallorca had the aerial advantage in the box, Lizarazu opted against a traditional cross, instead delivering a pass to the edge of the area.
Salihamidžić, again in the right place, latched onto it and struck a powerful shot!
The ball sailed just over the bar, grazing the crossbar on its way out.
Three threatening shots in quick succession had Bayern's fans roaring his name.
"He's getting cocky," José muttered, standing up from the bench. Then, in a sharp voice, he called out, "Kaha! Your man is getting too comfortable!"
Kaladze's face flushed. He nodded firmly.
That Bosnian wouldn't have it so easy anymore.
Salihamidžić had been difficult to mark because his movement was unpredictable. He drifted inside frequently, especially when Effenberg dropped deep and pulled Motta with him. With Van Buyten and Nadal reluctant to step up too far, Salihamidžić found plenty of shooting opportunities.
But after José's words, Kaladze knew exactly what to do.
Turning to Capdevila, he instructed, "Left side is yours." It meant he would no longer support Capdevila against Sagnol's overlaps—he had a more pressing opponent to handle.
Capdevila nodded. It was time for him to step up.
Franco took the goal kick, launching it long. Luka challenged Kuffour in the air but lost out, and the Ghanaian nodded it down to Hargreaves.
Ronaldinho immediately pressed, but Hargreaves passed to Sergio, who held the ball until Lizarazu overlapped before laying it off to him.
Bayern's wide play was formidable.
Despite his age, Lizarazu remained a top-level full-back, both for Bayern and France. His attacking ability was comparable to Roberto Carlos, using pace and dribbling to either cut inside or deliver a cross.
He burst past Rufete, then, as Georg approached, suddenly cut inside!
Georg followed closely, forcing Lizarazu to release the ball early. He found Pizarro, who had dropped deep to receive.
Pizarro controlled it with one touch and, before Van Buyten could close him down, laid it off—again to Salihamidžić, lining up another long-range shot!
This was a classic Bundesliga move—strikers pulling defenders out, midfielders arriving late for a powerful shot.
Salihamidžić struck it sweetly, believing this one would hit the target!
But before the ball could fly far, a boot with gleaming studs cut across its path!
Kaladze had anticipated it perfectly, rushing in from the side to block the shot.
The ball deflected wide, but as Salihamidžić moved to follow up, Motta stepped in, taking possession.
Salihamidžić pressed hard, but Motta didn't engage in a struggle—he passed out wide to Rufete, then sprinted forward.
Time for Mallorca to counter!
Rufete played a quick return pass, setting Motta loose in midfield. With Ronaldinho ahead and Rufete on the right, Mallorca's attacking shape formed—a triangle of options.
As Hargreaves stepped up and Sagnol adjusted to cover Ronaldinho, Motta acted decisively. Instead of passing to Eto'o, he sent the ball straight to Ronaldinho before Bayern's defense could reset!
It was a perfectly timed pass, exploiting the brief gap left by Sagnol's movement.
Ronaldinho, receiving it, danced into action.
He had two passing options—Eto'o and Luka up front.
Using his left foot, he took a soft touch to control the ball. Then, with a flick of his ankle, he nudged it right, dodging Sagnol's interception attempt.
One more step forward, and Sagnol was now running parallel, unable to stop him.
Ronaldinho sped ahead.
Bayern's defenders scrambled.
As Kuffour started to step up, Ronaldinho made his move—lifting a delicate chip into the box.
The ball dropped perfectly to Luka!
Without even looking at goal, Luka swiveled and curled a shot toward the far corner!
Kahn roared, diving to make a spectacular save, swatting the ball away with one hand!
But as the ball rebounded…
A flash of movement—Eto'o pounced like a cheetah, striking a thunderous volley before Kovač could react!