Once Theodore was waved back onto the pitch, his demeanor had changed.
The calm, calculating playmaker was gone.
His eyes were locked coldly on Davit Khocholava.
Theodore was waiting. He was waiting for the exact right moment to exact his revenge.
In the 70th minute, that opportunity materialized.
Real Madrid launched a rapid counter. Modrić distributed the ball out wide to Vinícius Jr., who immediately engaged his marker.
The full-back tasked with containing Vinícius was Viktor Korniienko.
It was a brutal mismatch.
The Ukrainian defender simply lacked the raw pace to live with the Brazilian flyer.
Vinícius knew it.
He received the ball, came to a dead stop, and then exploded down the line.
He flashed past Korniienko like a shadow, leaving the defender scrambling in his wake.
However, as Vinícius broke into the final third, Maycon and Marcos Antônio immediately shifted across to provide cover, shutting down his driving lane into the box.
Realizing a solo dribble was no longer viable, Vinícius looked up and whipped a lofted cross toward the penalty area.
Instead of targeting Benzema in the center, Vinícius aimed the delivery slightly deeper, toward the top of the penalty arc.
Theodore was making a late, surging run into that exact zone.
Inside the box, Khocholava recognized the danger and charged out with an explosive sprint, intent on winning the aerial duel.
It was exactly what Theodore had anticipated.
As the ball dropped, Theodore and Khocholava launched themselves into the air simultaneously.
While suspended midair, Theodore subtly rotated his torso, pulling his arm back, and then violently swung his elbow in a tight, precise arc.
Crack.
The elbow connected flush across Khocholava's jaw.
The Shakhtar center-back crumpled instantly, crashing heavily to the turf in a heap.
The referee, having a clear view of the aerial collision, blew his whistle sharply and produced a yellow card for Theodore.
Theodore accepted the booking without a single word of complaint, his face a mask of cold satisfaction.
He had sent his message.
Khocholava, to his credit, proved his toughness. After receiving treatment for a bleeding lip, he returned to the match.
But the psychological damage was done.
For the remainder of the evening, the imposing center-back ensured he was nowhere near the eighteen-year-old Norwegian.
He didn't dare attempt another challenge.
With the physical intimidation tactics neutralized, the match fell into a relatively dull, grinding rhythm.
Both sides struggled to carve out clear-cut chances.
The clock ticked past the 75th minute.
Sensing the finish line, Real Madrid suddenly raised the tempo, aiming for the kill.
In the 78th minute, Theodore received the ball deep in the midfield.
He took one touch out of his feet and launched a devastating, 40-yard diagonal pass out to Vinícius on the right flank.
The delivery was so immaculate it dropped directly onto the Brazilian's right boot in stride.
Vinícius chopped the ball inside onto his left foot, creating a yard of space, and unleashed a fierce, curling strike.
The ball carved a beautiful, bending arc through the air before dipping violently into the far corner.
4–2.
Vinícius secured the two-goal cushion, and Theodore added another assist to his tally.
In the final ten minutes, Real Madrid turned the Bernabéu into a slaughterhouse.
With Shakhtar physically and mentally exhausted, Madrid attacked in waves.
Both Rodrygo and Benzema found the back of the net before the final whistle blew.
The match ended 6–2.
Real Madrid had absolutely dismantled Shakhtar Donetsk, securing their first three points of the Champions League group stage in emphatic style.
...
In the tunnel after the match, Ma Fanshu stood waiting with her microphone.
As the players filed past, several prominent journalists attempted to flag Theodore down for a quote.
He ignored them all, walking with purpose until he reached the CCTV Sports reporter.
"Theodore," Ma Fanshu smiled brightly. "Congratulations on the massive win. This was your Champions League group-stage debut. How does it feel?"
Theodore shrugged, his tone casual. "Honestly? I don't feel anything particularly special. Shakhtar are a decent side, they dominate their domestic league, but they didn't put us under any genuine, sustained pressure tonight."
He looked into the camera. "We controlled the vast majority of the match. The 6-2 scoreline is a fairly accurate reflection of the gulf in class between the two teams."
"Well, thank you for your time, Theodore," Ma Fanshu said, wrapping up the interview. "We look forward to seeing you score even more goals in this competition."
As Theodore walked away, Ma Fanshu couldn't hide a genuine, radiant smile.
He had bypassed the entire European press corps simply to speak to her.
The gesture was incredibly validating.
....
With three points secured, Real Madrid climbed to the summit of Group B.
Their next European assignment would take them to Germany in a week's time to face Borussia Mönchengladbach.
But before that, domestic duties called. Real Madrid were scheduled to host Cádiz in the sixth round of La Liga.
Cádiz were a newly promoted outfit, having spent the previous campaign battling in the Segunda División.
Their transition to the top flight had been predictably difficult; they sat 14th in the table with just one win from their first five matches.
Given the intense, congested fixture list, Zidane opted for heavy rotation.
Theodore, Modrić, and Benzema were all completely rested, left out of the matchday squad entirely to preserve their legs for the trip to Germany.
Their absence didn't matter.
The rotated Madrid side comfortably dispatched the newly promoted minnows 4–1 at the Bernabéu, extending their La Liga winning streak to six matches.
Following a brief, two-day recovery period in Madrid, the squad boarded a flight to Germany.
...
October 24th. Borussia-Park.
Real Madrid were set to clash with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The German side was currently flying high, sitting third in the Bundesliga and playing an attractive, high-intensity brand of football.
However, in terms of sheer squad quality and European pedigree, Real Madrid were overwhelmingly the favorites.
On matchday, the atmosphere outside Borussia-Park was electric.
The arrival of the Spanish giants always guaranteed a spectacle, drawing massive crowds.
The stadium, boasting a capacity of roughly 54,000, typically operated at a respectable 70% capacity for domestic matches.
Tonight, the attendance was a staggering 95%. The Mönchengladbach faithful understood the magnitude of the occasion.
At 8:00 PM local time, the official team sheets were submitted.
"Welcome, football fans around the world, to the second matchday of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage! Tonight, Borussia Mönchengladbach play host to the mighty Galácticos, Real Madrid!" Rob Palmer's voice echoed over the international broadcast.
"The starting players from both teams have now entered the pitch, hand in hand with the mascots."
"For Borussia Mönchengladbach, head coach Marco Rose has set his team up in a dynamic 4-2-3-1 formation."
Goalkeeper: Yann Sommer.
Back Four: Stefan Lainer, Matthias Ginter, Nico Elvedi, and Ramy Bensebaini.
Double Pivot: Christoph Kramer and Florian Neuhaus.
Attacking Midfield: Jonas Hofmann, Lars Stindl, and Marcus Thuram.
Lone Striker: Alassane Pléa.
"In the opening round of the Champions League group stage, Borussia Mönchengladbach fought to a gritty draw away to Inter Milan. At the moment, they are level with Inter on one point and temporarily sit second in the group."
"As for Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane's starting lineup has also been confirmed." "It is still his trusted 4-3-3."
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois.
Back Four: Ferland Mendy, Raphaël Varane, Éder Militão, and Marcelo.
Midfield Three: Theodore Bjorn, Luka Modrić, and Toni Kroos.
Front Three: Vinícius Jr., Karim Benzema, and Martin Ødegaard.
"Theodore's position tonight is the deeper role in midfield," Terry Gibson chimed in. "It seems Zidane wants him to focus on bringing out his defensive qualities in this match to shield the backline."
"It is also worth mentioning that after this game, Real Madrid will return to La Liga for the monumental El Clásico. Because of that, Zidane is highly expected to withdraw his key players early during the second half to keep them fresh," Palmer noted.
Inside a buzzing Borussia-Park, after the players from both sides exchanged pre-match handshakes, the battle officially began.
Peep!
Only three minutes had passed when Real Madrid, despite playing in a hostile away environment, launched the first vicious attack toward Borussia Mönchengladbach's goal.
From midfield, Modrić sent a trademark, long outside-of-the-boot pass forward, instantly tearing open the Mönchengladbach penalty area. It was clean and breathtakingly precise.
The ball arrived right into the stride of Ødegaard.
But just as the Norwegian was about to swing his leg and shoot, Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer rushed directly out at him like a madman. In the end, Ødegaard's close-range shot was smothered by Sommer's spreading body.
Just two minutes later, Borussia Mönchengladbach created massive danger at the other end, and this counterattack began with Kramer.
Although Kramer's role in the team was mainly defensive, his ability to play long diagonal passes was also quite respectable.
Bang!
The raking ball successfully found Marcus Thuram isolated out wide.
Thuram could play effectively both as a center-forward and as a winger.
He stood an imposing 192 cm tall, and beyond his sheer size, he also possessed explosive speed.
At that moment, after receiving the ball, Marcus Thuram showed absolutely no fear at all when Marcelo stepped up to challenge him.
Instead, he actively used his massive frame to physically collide with the Brazilian legend.
Marcelo was now thirty-four years old, and his overall physical condition was no longer at its absolute peak.
Naturally, he could not compare with the raw power of the younger Thuram.
In a flash, Marcus Thuram successfully shook off Marcelo. After violently cutting inside, he decisively pulled the trigger.
Bang!
In the end, the fierce shot skimmed agonizingly past the right post and went behind for a goal kick.
Less than five minutes into the match, both teams had already created massive shooting opportunities.
And both attempts had been extremely dangerous. In an instant, the atmosphere in the stands at Borussia-Park reached full, deafening intensity.
Mönchengladbach's passionate fans began chanting Marcus Thuram's name one after another. On the touchline, head coach Marco Rose also applauded his winger's aggressive performance just now.
In the eighth minute, Borussia Mönchengladbach's attack came surging back again.
This time, it started directly from the backline. Center-back Ginter launched a booming long pass straight toward Marcus Thuram in the front line.
It was the exact same pattern as before.
Marcus Thuram took the initiative and fiercely challenged Marcelo in the air.
Relying purely on his superior physical quality, the Mönchengladbach winger successfully won the first ball.
Only this time, Real Madrid's players had learned a harsh lesson from the previous sequence.
The exact moment Marcus Thuram got away from Marcelo and turned toward goal, a white figure suddenly rushed directly into his path.
That player was none other than Theodore Bjorn, wearing the iconic No. 10 shirt.
"A heavy-weight duel between two No. 10s!" Rob Palmer shouted through the mic. "Theodore Bjorn versus Marcus Thuram!"
"Tonight, Zidane has deliberately placed Theodore in a much deeper area of the pitch," Terry Gibson added. "The main purpose is clearly to allow Theodore to show his defensive strengths and protect that left flank!"
"Let's see… can Theodore stop Marcus Thuram's terrifying charge?" Palmer asked.
Near the top of the penalty arc, Theodore did not waste time dancing with Marcus Thuram. He went straight down into a vicious, perfectly-timed sliding tackle right in front of him.
In an instant, utilizing his Gattuso-like timing, Theodore knocked the ball cleanly away from Thuram's feet. The Mönchengladbach winger had absolutely no way to deal with the sudden impact and lost possession.
"What a crunching tackle by Theodore!" Palmer roared.
"As expected, no matter where Theodore appears on the pitch, he proves he is still the best player out there!" Gibson praised.
"And now, a massive counterattacking opportunity for Real Madrid!"
In the packed stands at Borussia-Park, a sudden trace of tension appeared on the faces of the more than 50,000 Mönchengladbach fans.
They knew very well exactly how strong Theodore was.
Once Theodore completed a tackle in this kind of deep position, the lightning-fast transition would immediately become a brutal test for Mönchengladbach's defense.
@EuroScout: "Thuram thought he had a free run at Marcelo again. Bjorn just humbled him. Is there a better CDM in the world right now?"
@Madridista_X: "Theodore is literally playing everywhere. Winning the ball like Casemiro, passing like Kroos. Monster!"
Sure enough, after winning the ball, Theodore did not hesitate at all.
He immediately looked up and sent a raking, cross-field long pass out to the right flank.
Martin Ødegaard received it flawlessly in stride.
The Norwegian playmaker then fully displayed his attacking talent.
Under heavy pressure from full-back Ramy Bensebaini, Ødegaard chose to stop sharply on a dime and cut inside onto his left foot.
His repeated, mesmerizing stop-start changes of direction completely caused Bensebaini to lose his balance and stumble.
Then, Ødegaard dropped his shoulder and shaped up to shoot.
When Mönchengladbach holding midfielder Christoph Kramer saw the shooting motion, he hurriedly threw his entire body forward in a desperate attempt to block the effort.
But! Ødegaard did not actually shoot.
The violent body movement just now had only been a clever feint.
Bang!
"A square pass! Ødegaard has completely sold them and chosen to square it!" Palmer shouted.
"The ball has reached Modrić!"
"This is a fantastic shooting opportunity for the Croatian!"
Arriving at the top of the penalty area with absolutely no defender closing him down, Modrić pulled his right leg back and struck a fierce, low-driven shot.
Two seconds later, the ball flew beautifully into the back of the net.
Although Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer had reacted extremely quickly and dived at full stretch, Modrić's shot was simply too fast and perfectly placed.
Sommer could only watch helplessly as the ball flew past him and into the goal.
1–0!
Real Madrid had drawn first blood in Germany.
After finding the net, Modrić didn't sprint to the corner flag.
He immediately turned and pointed a finger of gratitude toward Ødegaard.
If not for Ødegaard's incredibly unselfish and crucial square pass, he would never have had that shooting chance.
Ødegaard, meanwhile, turned back toward his own half and gave Theodore a massive thumbs-up.
After all, the origin of this lethal Real Madrid counterattack had still been Theodore's ruthless ball-winning tackle.