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Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Creating New History!

In the ESPN Sur broadcast booth, Santiago was nearly hyperventilating, his voice cracking as he leaned into the microphone. "That heel-flick wasn't just an equalizer, it was a seismic event! Peter Ofori-Quaye, move aside! The record that stood for sixteen years has just been shattered by the Beast of Argentina!"

Inés Valdes was rapidly scrolling through her digital database, her hands shaking slightly. "It's official, Santiago. At 17 years and 96 days old, Lorenzo is now the youngest goal-scorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League! He has surpassed Ofori-Quaye's record from 1997 by nearly a hundred days. We are witnessing the birth of a legend on the grandest stage of them all!"

The feed was flooded with social media reactions from Buenos Aires to Barcelona. The Argentinian public, already sensing they had lost a generational jewel were in a state of bittersweet mourning and pride.

[Youngest ever?! He's playing against Zlatan and Thiago Silva like he's a veteran of three World Cups!]

[That heel-flick was pure instinct. Sirigu did everything right, but you can't defend against a ghost.]

[Look at Messi's smile. He knows he's found the partner he's been waiting for since Eto'o left. The LMN era is going to be a bloodbath.]

By the pitch, Laurent Blanc's expression was no longer one of professional curiosity; it was one of mounting tactical dread.

"The double pivot is being bypassed," Blanc hissed to his assistant, Claude Makélélé. "I wanted Matuidi and Verratti to lock him in a cage, but he's moving too deep. He's pulling our center-backs into the midfield and then exploding into the space behind."

Makélélé looked stunned. "Is this really a seventeen-year-old? He has the physical profile of a Premier League powerhouse but the tactical brain of Xavi. Thiago Silva is a monster, but he looks frustrated. He can't get a clean tackle on the boy."

Blanc let out a heavy sigh. "Platini warned me. He wanted to naturalize him for France for a reason. He isn't just a striker; he's a dimensional shift."

On the field, Zlatan Ibrahimović stood at the center circle, his eyes fixed on the replay playing across the massive stadium screens.

"I can score two hundred goals like that in a sleep," Zlatan muttered to Cavani, though his jaw was set tight. "But the movement was... acceptable for a child."

Cavani shrugged, his face drenched in sweat. "We need to be more vigilant, Zlatan. If we concede another away goal, the return leg at the Camp Nou will be a funeral. We are the 'Iron Tower,' we shouldn't be leaning."

The atmosphere at the Parc des Princes remained electric, but a new layer of tension had settled over the home fans. In the front row of the stands, Cecilia, the daughter of the Mayor of Madrid, was standing on her seat, a Barcelona team flag draped over her shoulders.

"LORENZO! SILENCE THEM AGAIN!" she screamed, her voice lost in the sea of navy blue.

Her mother, Blanca, pulled her back down by the hem of her jacket. "Cecilia, for heaven's sake! We are in the middle of the Parisian ultras! If your father saw you acting like an hooligan, he'd have a heart attack."

"I don't care, Mom!" Cecilia laughed, her eyes bright with infatuation. "He's 17! I'm 16! It's destiny! Did you see that finish? He didn't even look at the goal. He just... knew."

A nearby reporter from Le Parisien aimed his camera at the girl. "That's Garrido' daughter," he whispered to his photographer. "The Mayor of Madrid's child is here in a Barça jersey declaring her love for the kid who destroyed her father's team last week. This is the front page tomorrow."

The match restarted with a violent intensity. Paris Saint-Germain, stung by the equalizer, abandoned their patient build-up and resorted to the "High-intensity verticality" tactics that had earned them the early lead.

In the 42nd minute, Adrien Rabiot unleashed another arching long ball toward Ibrahimović. Zlatan rose like a king, his 1.95m frame pinning Gerard Piqué. He won the header, flicking it toward Cavani, but Sergio Busquets anticipated the trajectory. The "Professor" intercepted the ball with a telescopic leg and immediately recycled it to Dani Alves.

Alves didn't hesitate. He ignited his engines, driving down the right flank in a high-speed duel with his national teammate, Maxwell.

"Alves vs. Maxwell! A Brazilian civil war on the wing!" Santiago roared.

Alves used a sudden change of pace to gain a yard of space and whipped a diagonal 45-degree cross into the box. The delivery was slightly compromised; Maxwell's jersey-pulling had forced Alves to strike the ball with more height than he intended.

The ball arced high into the Parisian night, floating toward the center of the penalty area. It was too high for a standard header and too close to the goal for a settling touch.

Salvatore Sirigu made an instant, aggressive decision. He rushed off his line, leaping high into the air. With a primal roar, he punched the ball with a single, massive fist, intending to clear the danger once and for all.

The ball was punched with immense force, flying toward the edge of the eighteen-yard box.

"Clear it! Get it out!" Blanc screamed from the touchline.

But Lorenzo was already moving.

Triggering the "Son of the Wind" template, Lorenzo performed a short-distance burst that left Thiago Silva clutching at shadows. He reached the edge of the area just as the ball began its descent. He didn't settle it. He didn't turn to face the goal.

He looked back over his shoulder, calculating the height and the trajectory of the punch.

[System Note: "Suárez Divine Goal" Template - ACTIVATION.]

[System Note: "Batistuta" Strength - ENGAGED.]

In one fluid, impossible motion, Lorenzo leaped into the air. His back was to the goal, his body nearly parallel to the grass. He twisted mid-air, his right leg swinging upward like a scythe.

It was a "Overhead Kick" from twenty-two yards out.

THWACK!

The sound of his boot meeting the leather was like a gunshot echoing through the stadium. The ball didn't just fly; it screamed through the air, tracing a high, predatory arc that bypassed the retreating Sirigu.

The 46,000 fans in the Parc des Princes fell into an absolute, tomb-like silence.

The ball grazed the underside of the crossbar, the same spot Cavani had hit earlier but this time, it was no fluke. It slammed into the roof of the net with enough force to make the goalposts vibrate.

1-2.

For three seconds, there was no sound. Then, the small Barcelona section erupted in a roar that felt like it would tear the roof off the stadium.

"THE OVERHEAD KICK!!"Santiago was screaming, his voice cracking. "FROM TWENTY-TWO YARDS! IN THE BACKYARD OF THE GOD! LORENZO HAS JUST TURNED THE PARC DES PRINCES INTO HIS PRIVATE THEATER!"

Inés Valdes was speechless, her hands over her mouth. "I have never seen a seventeen-year-old attempt that, let alone execute it in the Champions League. Zlatan is standing in the midfield, frozen. He's just witnessed a miracle."

Lorenzo landed on the turf and stood up slowly. He didn't run. He didn't slide. He simply stood there, his chin tilted up in the "Cantona" pose, staring at the Paris ultras. He had just scored his second goal of the night, and in doing so, he had effectively silenced the "Money Era" of Paris.

On the sidelines, Martino lost control of his body he fell to his knees in a mix of shock and jubilation. Pautasso had to drag him up by the arm. "Boss, stay up! We've still got forty-five minutes!"

"I don't care about forty-five minutes!" Martino shouted back. "I just saw the future of football!"

[Status: Leading (2-1). Brace Completed.]

[System Note: Champions League Record Broken: Youngest Goal-Scorer.]

[Target: Secure the victory and open the PSG Star Chest.]

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