Sure enough, Ødegaard shifted the ball smoothly with his left foot, then quickly knocked it forward.
With one simple, explosive move, he completely beat Valencia's full-back.
The next second, Ødegaard successfully broke into Valencia's penalty area.
The pressure instantly fell heavily on the two center-backs, Gabriel Paulista and Hugo Guillamón.
In truth, the two defenders reacted quickly enough.
The moment they saw Ødegaard breach the box, they immediately stepped forward in unison, attempting to block the shooting lane and stop his advance.
But Ødegaard surprised them both by suddenly pulling the trigger early.
A fierce, driven left-footed strike.
The ball flashed between the gap between the two defenders like lightning before nestling precisely in the bottom corner of the Valencia net.
Goalkeeper Jaume Doménech was completely helpless.
He didn't even dive.
Just like that, the score changed again.
4–1!
Real Madrid had officially killed off the suspense of the match with twenty minutes still to play.
Not long after Ødegaard's goal, Zinedine Zidane began pragmatically withdrawing his key players to protect them.
Theodore Bjorn was replaced by Casemiro, while Luka Modrić made way for Toni Kroos.
Zidane had already started preparing his squad physically for the upcoming match against Villarreal.
After Theodore and Modrić left the pitch, Real Madrid's absolute control over the midfield immediately dropped by several levels.
Although Casemiro and Toni Kroos were undoubtedly among the top midfielders in world football, the absence of Theodore's overwhelming physical and technical presence left a clear gap.
Of course, even though Madrid's midfield dominance had slightly weakened, a broken Valencia side still could not find any real opportunities.
The final dozen or so minutes became pure garbage time, with Madrid simply maintaining possession.
After ninety minutes, Real Madrid comfortably defeated Valencia 4–1 away from home, relying heavily on Theodore Bjorn's scintillating hat-trick and assist.
With that result, Real Madrid had now claimed nine straight wins in La Liga.
Nine matches.
Nine victories.
Twenty-seven points.
They remained firmly at the summit of the league table!
However, for the Real Madrid squad, there was little time to enjoy the victory.
...
Just three days later, they would face Villarreal in the marquee fixture of La Liga Round 10.
The Yellow Submarine were an established force in Spanish football, and they were by no means easy opponents.
On top of that, Real Madrid were playing consecutive away matches, which filled this clash with uncertainty due to travel fatigue.
This season, Villarreal had already strung together four straight matches without a defeat in La Liga.
Compared to Madrid's nine-match winning streak, that might seem modest, but compared to the rest of the league, their form was excellent.
Moreover, Villarreal boasted plenty of capable, dangerous players in their squad.
Talents like Carlos Bacca, Samuel Chukwueze, Vicente Iborra, and Dani Parejo made them a formidable unit.
Most importantly, Villarreal's head coach was the tactically astute Unai Emery.
Emery had famously led Sevilla to three consecutive Europa League titles.
He was, without question, a master of setting up teams to frustrate superior opposition.
Although his recent spell managing Arsenal in the Premier League had not gone smoothly and ended in dismissal, after returning to his comfort zone in La Liga, Emery seemed to have found his rhythm once again.
This season, under Emery's meticulous leadership, Villarreal were temporarily sitting fourth in La Liga, trailing only Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona.
There was no denying that Villarreal were highly competitive.
After spending just two days recovering in Madrid, the Real Madrid players immediately boarded the team bus and headed to Vila-real.
That afternoon, Zidane brought Theodore with him to face the media.
At the pre-match press conference, Zidane first expressed his respect for Villarreal before clearly stating his own target.
"Tomorrow night, our objective is to win this match at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Real Madrid intend to claim our tenth straight victory."
Since the start of the new season, the Galácticos had won every single match across all competitions, which had greatly boosted Zidane's confidence.
Although Villarreal were also in good form, Zidane was full of belief.
After all, Zidane had Theodore Bjorn!
At the press conference, Theodore also expressed his relentless hunger for victory.
"The team has already won nine straight matches in La Liga. Just as Coach Zidane said, we will work hard for the tenth. Villarreal are a difficult opponent with a great manager, but we are ready."
Villarreal head coach Unai Emery was also full of confidence during his interview.
"Real Madrid have been in flawless form since the new season began. So far, they haven't lost or even drawn a single match. But I have full confidence in Villarreal's players. They are fully capable of handing Madrid their first defeat at our home ground!"
Emery continued, "Last season, when I was managing Arsenal, I faced Theodore's Aston Villa several times. I know this player's ability very well. He is someone who can change the result of a match entirely by himself. We have prepared specific tactical plans and will do everything we can to put pressure on Theodore tomorrow."
Judging from Emery's comments, Villarreal were prepared to pay special, aggressive attention to the teenager.
Of course, for Theodore, no matter what restrictive tactics Emery devised, he was not intimidated. He knew his raw attributes were capable of breaking any tactical system.
Villarreal really had no tactical way to limit Theodore's influence.
But injuries could.
...
The next day, matchday.
During the morning tactical walk-through session, Zidane arranged high-intensity work to finalize the pressing triggers.
Given the congested schedule, this was a risky decision.
After the morning session ended, Real Madrid suffered an unexpected wave of muscular injuries.
Among those affected was Theodore.
Fortunately, Theodore's issue was not serious.
It was only a minor calf cramp, and the medical staff cleared him; he would not miss the evening match.
But the injuries to the other players were far more severe.
Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, and Casemiro all pulled up with muscular strains.
The medical staff confirmed all three of them would need at least a week to recover.
Among them, Ramos and Benzema were absolute, irreplaceable starters in Real Madrid's lineup.
Without Benzema available, Madrid's only remaining natural option at center-forward was Mariano Díaz.
Mariano was a striker Real Madrid had signed from Lyon in 2018 for €21.5 million.
Originally, Madrid had hoped he could take over the iconic No. 7 shirt after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.
But the striker had struggled badly to adapt.
He had already been at Real Madrid for three seasons, making only twenty-one appearances and scoring a miserable four goals.
Zidane did not trust Mariano at all.
So, when he learned Benzema was injured, Zidane decisively chose to deploy Theodore as the team's emergency center-forward.
...
On November 21, 2020, at eight o'clock in the evening, the La Liga Round 10 showdown was about to begin.
Inside the players' tunnel, the starting players from both teams were lined up, the tension palpable.
Inside the broadcast booth, Rob Palmer and Terry Gibson introduced the starting lineups.
"The headline clash of La Liga Round 10, Villarreal versus Real Madrid, is about to begin!" Palmer announced.
"At present, Real Madrid have won all nine of their league matches and sit top of the table. Their opponent tonight is fourth!"
"The Estadio de la Cerámica is not a large stadium. It only holds around twenty-four thousand fans, but the atmosphere is extremely intense. The seats are very close to the pitch, creating a real cauldron."
"Let us introduce both starting lineups," Palmer continued. "For Villarreal, Unai Emery has set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation."
Goalkeeper: Sergio Asenjo.
Defenders: Mario Gaspar, Raúl Albiol, Pau Torres, and Alfonso Pedraza.
Midfielders: Manu Trigueros, Vicente Iborra, and Dani Parejo.
Forwards: Gerard Moreno, Carlos Bacca, and Moi Gómez.
"Villarreal also boast dangerous attacking talent on the bench, such as the Japanese wonderkid Takefusa Kubo and Samuel Chukwueze."
"As for Real Madrid, Zidane has once again gone with a 4-2-3-1 today, but… there is a massive shock in the lineup!" Palmer exclaimed. "Theodore Bjorn is starting as the center-forward tonight!"
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois.
Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Raphaël Varane, Nacho, and Ferland Mendy.
Midfielders: Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos.
Attacking Midfielders: Martin Ødegaard, Eden Hazard, and Vinícius Jr.
Forward: Theodore Bjorn.
"According to the latest news, Karim Benzema picked up an injury in the morning session," Gibson explained.
"Let us look forward to seeing how Theodore performs leading the line as a true No. 9!"
Peep!
The referee blew the whistle, and Theodore kicked off.
He tapped the ball back to Ødegaard, and the next second, his international teammate quickly returned it to him.
From his body language, Theodore looked ready to challenge Villarreal's entire defensive unit immediately.
The instant Theodore received the return pass, Villarreal's defensive block was already set.
The first player to step up and confront him was the midfield enforcer, Vicente Iborra.
The Spanish hard man stood 190 centimeters tall and was immensely strong, but he lacked agility.
When Theodore saw Iborra stepping up, he didn't hesitate.
He quickly pushed the ball forward with his left foot and accelerated.
Theodore flashed past the veteran midfielder like lightning.
Iborra had no time to react or foul him. He could only watch helplessly as Theodore charged straight into the Villarreal half.
"Theodore has beaten Iborra instantly!" Palmer shouted. "In the very first minute of the match, he is already driving at the heart of the Villarreal defense!"
In the blink of an eye, Theodore relied on his unstoppable explosiveness to drive straight to the edge of the final third.
At the same time, Villarreal's second line of defense converged.
Manu Trigueros and Dani Parejo appeared in front of him, attempting to close the space.
Seeing the double-team form, Theodore shifted the ball with his right foot, attacking the outside shoulder of the two midfielders.
Trigueros and Parejo immediately shifted their weight to the right to track him, but Theodore suddenly dragged the ball sharply back with the sole of his boot.
He chopped it back toward the left.
Immediately afterward, he knocked it forward with his left foot.
A devastating change of direction. He successfully broke through the gap between the two Villarreal players.
The next second, Theodore drove straight into the penalty area.
At that moment, the twenty-four thousand Villarreal fans inside the Estadio de la Cerámica gasped in collective terror.
Inside the box, Villarreal's two center-backs, Raúl Albiol and Pau Torres, didn't dare hesitate.
They sprinted toward Theodore, attempting a desperate block.
But Theodore had already opened his body to shoot.
Bang!
A thunderous right-footed strike!
The ball flew toward the Villarreal goal like a tracer bullet.
On the touchline, Zidane was already raising his arms to celebrate.
Clang!
Theodore's shot smashed violently against the crossbar!
The ball bounced high into the air and went behind for a goal kick.
Before this match began, Theodore had suffered a minor calf cramp.
Although the medical staff had cleared him, the moment Theodore struck the ball with maximum power, he suddenly felt a sharp, pulling sensation in his calf muscle.
That micro-second of discomfort directly affected the trajectory of his effort. Perhaps his explosive 40-yard sprint from kickoff had aggravated the tight muscle.
But regardless, the shot had been denied by the woodwork.
"Off the crossbar!" Palmer yelled. "Villarreal survive an absolute scare inside the first minute!"
"Wait, look at Theodore," Gibson pointed out. "After shooting, he is rubbing his calf. Could he be injured?"
Inside the broadcast booth, the commentators instantly became concerned.
On the global live comment feeds, Real Madrid fans began praying.
"Please don't be injured! Theodore is our entire attack right now!"
"Benzema and Ramos are already out. If Theodore gets hurt, we are finished tonight!"
"Madrid's schedule has been way too packed recently. He needs rest!"
"Zidane should sub him off if he's feeling a pull. Don't risk a tear!"
On the touchline, Zidane's eyes were filled with intense tension.
He knew very well that if Theodore could not continue, Madrid would have no recognized striker on the pitch, forcing a drastic change in tactics.
Fortunately, Theodore looked toward the bench and gave a firm thumbs-up, signaling that he was fine to continue.
A collective sigh of relief echoed through the Madrid camp.
...
The match continued.
After Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo restarted play with a goal kick, he launched the ball deep into the Madrid half.
The ball dropped toward Carlos Bacca.
The Colombian striker, now thirty-three years old, was a seasoned forward.
He had spent four seasons with the Yellow Submarine.
However, over the past two seasons, Bacca's consistency and physical edge had begun to wane.