Chapter 35 : Barcelona(2) (bonus for power stones)
From the opening whistle, Barcelona immediately asserted their superiority, suffocating Espanyol with relentless tiki-taka. The ball moved like it was on a string, weaving through the Blaugrana shirts with one-touch precision. Espanyol were chasing shadows, struggling to get a foothold as Barça's midfield trio—Sergio Busquets, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta—dictated the tempo.
The warning signs came in the 3rd minute, when Luis Suárez received a through ball from Lionel Messi inside the box. The Uruguayan took a touch and unleashed a low-driven shot toward the far post, but Kiko Casilla reacted quickly, diving low to parry it away.
Ian Darke: "Barcelona already knocking on the door! Suárez denied early, but that was an ominous sign for Espanyol. They can't afford to switch off for even a second!"
Minutes later, in the 7th minute, Dani Alves swung in a deep cross from the right flank, finding Neymar unmarked at the far post. The Brazilian met it with a first-time volley, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Guillem Balagué: "That's a golden chance wasted! Neymar knows he should've done better—Espanyol are living dangerously right now!"
Barcelona kept turning up the heat, and in the 14th minute, Messi produced a moment of magic. Picking up the ball just outside the box, he glided past two defenders before curling a signature left-footed effort toward the top corner. The Camp Nou crowd rose in anticipation, only to let out a gasp as the ball clipped the post and bounced wide.
Ian Darke: "Oh, so close! Messi had Casilla beaten, but the post comes to Espanyol's rescue!"
The biggest let-off came in the 22nd minute. A slick combination between Xavi, Iniesta, and Suárez carved open Espanyol's defense. Suárez found himself one-on-one with Casilla, but instead of shooting, he squared it to Neymar for an easy tap-in—only for the Brazilian to mistime his shot, scuffing the ball wide of an open net.
Guillem Balagué: "Would you believe that? Neymar will not want to see that one again. That should've been Barcelona's opener!"
Despite Barcelona's dominance and wave after wave of attacks, Espanyol somehow held on. Nico and his teammates had barely touched the ball, but as long as the score remained 0-0, there was still hope.
Ian Darke: "Barcelona are toying with Espanyol here, but football can be a cruel game. If you don't take your chances, you might just get punished!"
________________
The moment had been coming. Espanyol had resisted wave after wave of Barcelona's attacks, but in the 27th minute, the inevitable happened—a goal crafted in pure tiki-taka elegance.
It all started deep in Barcelona's half. Sergio Busquets, calm as ever, received the ball under pressure and played a quick one-touch pass to Xavi, who was already scanning the field before the ball even reached his feet. With a graceful turn, Xavi evaded his marker and sent the ball forward to Iniesta, who instantly flicked it wide to Jordi Alba on the left flank.
Ian Darke: "Look at the speed of this passing—Barcelona are moving the ball like liquid gold!"
Alba wasted no time. Spotting Neymar cutting inside from the left, he fired a low, driven pass into the Brazilian's feet. With his back to goal, Neymar took a delicate first touch before flicking the ball between two defenders, finding Messi in a pocket of space just outside the box.
Espanyol's defense scrambled, but Messi had already seen the whole picture. Instead of shooting, he played an inch-perfect first-time through ball to Luis Suárez, who had made a darting diagonal run into the penalty area.
Guillem Balagué: "Messi's vision is something else—Suárez is in behind!"
Suárez, one-on-one with Kiko Casilla, had no hesitation. With the goalkeeper rushing out, he dinked a cheeky chip over him, sending the ball looping into the net.
GOAL FOR BARCELONA!
The Camp Nou erupted, the crowd roaring in approval of the exquisite move. Suárez sprinted toward the corner flag, sliding on his knees in celebration as his teammates swarmed him.
Ian Darke: "Oh, that is just gorgeous! That is tiki-taka at its finest! A masterclass in movement, passing, and ruthless finishing!"
Guillem Balagué: "From back to front in just a few passes—that is Barcelona football. And Espanyol? They could only watch it happen."
Barcelona 1-0 Espanyol.
____________
Espanyol had been trying to settle back into the game after conceding, but Barcelona's relentless pressing wouldn't allow them a moment's peace. Every pass, every touch, was under scrutiny from the Blaugrana swarm.
Then, in the 37th minute, disaster struck for Espanyol.
It started with a rushed back-pass from Víctor Sánchez to his goalkeeper Kiko Casilla. The pass lacked pace, and the moment it left his foot, alarm bells rang.
Ian Darke: "Oh no! That's a short back-pass! Suárez is onto it!"
Like a predator sensing blood, Luis Suárez immediately sprinted forward, closing the gap at lightning speed. Casilla hesitated, unsure whether to come out or stay on his line—that hesitation was fatal.
Suárez reached the ball first, poking it past the onrushing Casilla, who lunged in desperation but got nothing but air. The Uruguayan didn't even need to look up—he knew where Messi was. With a quick flick, he rolled the ball across the box to Messi, who had a completely open goal.
Guillem Balagué: "That's criminal from Espanyol! You cannot afford to make mistakes like that against Barcelona!"
Messi, as cool as ever, took one touch to steady himself before casually passing the ball into the net. No power needed—just precision.
GOAL FOR BARCELONA!
The Camp Nou exploded once more, fans leaping to their feet as Messi jogged toward Suárez, giving him a knowing nod and a small smile—the job had been too easy.
Ian Darke: "That is a gift! You simply cannot hand Barcelona goals like that! And Messi? He's not going to miss from there in a hundred years!"
Guillem Balagué: "Espanyol have been working so hard to stay in this match, but one moment of sloppiness, one moment of panic, and they've been punished. Ruthless from Barcelona."
Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol.
_____________
As the Barcelona players celebrated, the camera panned to Nico Cruyff. He stood near the center circle, hands on his hips, his emerald-green eyes fixed on the roaring Camp Nou crowd.
The Barcelona fans were on their feet, cheering, chanting, waving their scarves in the air. This was their fortress, their home, and they were savoring every moment of their dominance.
But Nico? He wasn't just watching.
He was studying.
A storm brewed in his expression—not frustration, not despair… but resolve.
This wasn't over.
He rolled his shoulders, exhaled sharply, and turned back toward the ball.
Ian Darke: "Look at that look from Nico Cruyff. He knows his team is in trouble, but something tells me he's not done yet."
Àxel Torres: "That's the face of a player who still believes. The question is—can he turn this around?"
Barcelona had the lead, but Nico still had his fire.
_______________
Barcelona were relentless, suffocating Espanyol with their tiki-taka symphony. And in the 39th minute, they nearly had their third.
A brilliant through ball from Xavi split the Espanyol defense, finding Luis Suárez in stride. He took a touch, steadied himself, and fired—
Just wide.
The Camp Nou gasped as the ball whistled past the far post. Suárez threw his hands up in frustration. It felt like a goal was coming.
But before Barcelona could reset—Espanyol struck back like lightning.
The ball was quickly played to Nico Cruyff, who stood near the halfway line, already scanning. His first touch sent the ball forward, his second took him past Busquets.
Then came Iniesta—a legend, a magician—but Nico glided past him like water slipping through fingers.
One more challenge.
Dani Alves lunged, trying to stop the 14-year-old prodigy, but Nico shifted his weight and left him behind with a delicate feint.
Now, he was 29 meters from goal.
Barcelona had given him too much space. The crowd braced.
Was he about to shoot?
Just as he pulled his leg back—a Barcelona defender lunged in.
But Nico was ready. With a calmness beyond his years, he cut in beautifully, leaving his marker stranded.
The shot was still on. He could go for glory.
But instead—he saw something better.
With the vision of a maestro, Nico threaded a pass through the entire Barcelona defense, slicing through them like a knife through silk.
The ball rolled perfectly into the path of Cristhian Stuani, one-on-one with the keeper.
Bang.
Stuani made no mistake, slotting it past Bravo and into the net.
Espanyol had pulled one back—2-1!
The Espanyol players erupted in celebration, fists pumping, roaring into the night.
But Nico?
He didn't celebrate.
While his teammates ran toward the corner flag, he jogged into the net, picked up the ball, and turned back toward the center circle.
With steely eyes, he motioned to his teammates—Come back. Focus. This isn't over.
Ian Darke: "Oh, that is sensational from Nico Cruyff! What a run, what a pass—and look at him! No celebration, just determination. He wants more."
Àxel Torres: "That's the mentality of a leader, of a champion. Espanyol are back in this, and Nico Cruyff is leading the charge!"
Camp Nou, once roaring with Barcelona dominance, now had an undercurrent of tension.
Espanyol were still alive. And Nico wasn't done yet.
____________
Barcelona were wounded, and a wounded giant is the most dangerous.
After conceding, Luis Enrique's men pushed forward relentlessly, looking to restore their two-goal cushion before halftime.
Messi drifted inside, combining with Xavi and Iniesta, trying to unlock Espanyol's defense. Neymar danced past Javi López, sending in a dangerous cross, but Álvaro González rose high to clear it. The ball fell to Busquets, who calmly recycled possession, keeping Barcelona's spell of control alive.
Tiki-taka in full flow.
Barcelona passed, probed, and pulled Espanyol from side to side, waiting for the right moment.
Luis Suárez finally found a pocket of space.
A delicate flick from Xavi sent him through, but just as he prepared to pull the trigger—
Héctor Moreno slid in with a last-ditch block!
The ball ricocheted off Moreno's foot, rolling toward the Espanyol backline.
Instead of panicking, Espanyol stayed calm.
A slow, methodical build-up began.
Moreno played a short pass to Víctor Sánchez, who took a touch before rolling it to José Cañas.
Cañas turned, looked up, and saw Nico Cruyff making his move between the lines.
He played a precise pass into the final third.
And that's when Nico took over.
Receiving the ball near the edge of the box, Nico shifted his weight to the right, sending Jérémy Mathieu lunging in that direction.
But it was a feint.
With a swift cut inside, Nico left Mathieu behind.
Now came Gerard Piqué, Barcelona's defensive pillar.
He stretched out a long leg to stop him—but Nico danced past him with a silky elastico!
One-on-one with Marc-André ter Stegen.
Time seemed to slow.
Nico glanced up, reading the keeper's positioning.
Ter Stegen rushed out, trying to close the angle—
But Nico was too calm, too composed.
With a simple, effortless strike, he slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
GOAL! 2-2!
The Espanyol bench erupted, players leaping off their seats in celebration.
But at Camp Nou, the air had shifted.
The Barcelona fans, who were singing just moments ago, fell into a stunned silence.
Ian Darke: "NICO CRUYFF! OH, THIS BOY IS SOMETHING ELSE! A GOAL OF PURE CLASS—AND AT JUST 14 YEARS OLD, HE'S SILENCED CAMP NOU!"
Àxel Torres: "Are you kidding me? That was world-class! He sent Mathieu and Piqué for a stroll, and then the finish—ice-cold past Ter Stegen. This isn't just a good prospect, this is a generational talent!"
Nico didn't celebrate.
As the Espanyol players surrounded him, he simply turned and jogged back toward the center circle.
His emerald-green eyes locked onto the Barcelona fans.
He had played at La Masia.
He had heard those same voices chanting his name before.
But now, they were silent.
Because he wasn't playing for them anymore.
And he wasn't done yet.
_____________
As the referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the first half, the Camp Nou was buzzing with a mix of confusion and frustration.
The Barcelona players walked off, some shaking their heads, others exchanging hurried words. They had dominated the opening stages, but somehow, Espanyol had dragged themselves back into the fight.
Espanyol's players walked off in a different mood—determined, focused. Nico led them into the tunnel, gripping the ball under his arm. His face gave nothing away.
_______________
In the stands,
A man leaned toward his wife, running a hand through his hair in disbelief.
"This isn't how it was supposed to go." He sighed. "We were destroying them. Two goals up. It should've been over."
His wife, calmer, watched the players disappear into the tunnel.
"That boy, Nico… He's special." She shook her head. "He's playing against his parent team. Maybe that's why he won't go down easy."
Not far from them, an old man sat with his grandson, arms crossed.
"When I was your age, Barça had the best academy in the world," the old man muttered, shaking his head. "And now? La Masia's Crown Jewel is playing for Espanyol and ripping us apart."
His grandson, eyes still glued to the pitch, asked hesitantly, "But we'll still win… right, Grandpa?"
The old man sighed, watching the replay of Nico's goal on the big screen.
"I don't know, kid. I really don't know."
A few seats away, a group of younger fans debated heatedly.
"It's just a fluke," one of them insisted. "They can't keep up with us for another 45 minutes."
His friend scoffed, "Did you even watch the second goal? That wasn't luck. That was Piqué and Mathieu getting embarrassed by a 14-year-old. He plays like he was born for this."
Another shook his head. "I hate to admit it, but he looks like one of us out there. Like he should be in a Barcelona shirt, not Espanyol's."
______________
The cameras panned toward the tunnel.
Just before stepping inside, Nico turned his head slightly, scanning the stands.
His sharp emerald-green eyes took in the sight of thousands of Barcelona fans, many still chanting, others murmuring in disbelief.
But Nico didn't smile. He didn't react.
He simply disappeared into the tunnel.
As if he had unfinished business.
_________________
Author's note : Vote if you like what you're reading . Do comment about things you dont like , so i can fix it in the upcoming chapters