"Real Madrid are about to rise again! Theodore Bjorn will lead Real Madrid to every trophy this season! He has that kind of ability!"
"That's right! Real Madrid will enter a new era! The post-Ronaldo Real Madrid is gone. This is Theodore's era now!"
"I can't wait to watch El Clásico! Theodore beating Messi—just thinking about it makes me excited!"
"The best signing in Real Madrid's history! Theodore's performance in his first match was like watching a god!"
"Theodore has Gareth Bale's speed, Cristiano Ronaldo's shooting, and Beckham's free-kick technique! He really is a monster!"
It was crystal clear that Real Madrid fans were ecstatic with Theodore's debut performance.
Many Madridistas genuinely believed that Theodore was about to forge a brand-new dynasty of his own.
However, Barcelona fans vehemently disagreed.
"Madrid fans, don't get too arrogant! It was only one match, this eighteen-year-old kid is nowhere near worthy of being compared to Messi!"
"Real Madrid want to beat Barcelona? Keep dreaming, hahaha!"
"Theodore Bjorn? His transfer value is completely inflated! Let him win a Ballon d'Or first before comparing himself to the GOAT!"
"Messi scored five goals against Getafe! Theodore only scored two against Sociedad!"
"Right now, Messi is the top scorer! Real Madrid fans, stop bragging!"
…
Theodore paid absolutely no attention to the online wars. Right now, his singular focus was on the pitch.
One week later, Real Madrid finally prepared for their first home match of the campaign.
In the second round of La Liga, Los Blancos welcomed Getafe to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Getafe had just endured a grueling away fixture against Barcelona in their previous game, where they were mercilessly crushed thanks to a five-goal masterclass from Lionel Messi.
Poor Getafe had barely survived Messi, and now they had to step into the Bernabéu to face Real Madrid.
...
September 8th.
Eight o'clock at night.
Under the dazzling floodlights of the Bernabéu, the battle was about to commence.
Zinedine Zidane made zero changes to his starting eleven, trusting the exact same lineup that had dismantled Real Sociedad.
Shortly after the referee's whistle, Real Madrid, fueled by their home crowd, firmly seized control of the tempo.
In the 6th minute, they drew first blood.
Receiving the ball out wide on the left flank, Theodore suddenly dropped his shoulder and violently cut inside!
This entirely caught the Getafe defense off guard. In his previous matches, Theodore rarely utilized this specific angle to break through.
Carving out a sliver of space, Theodore didn't hesitate. He pulled his leg back and unleashed a ferocious strike.
A second later, the ball ripped into the absolute dead corner of the net. Getafe's goalkeeper remained frozen on his line, standing like a statue.
It was as if a spell had rooted him to the spot, he didn't even attempt a dive.
Just like that, Real Madrid took a 1–0 lead!
Only ten minutes later, they struck again.
This time, the danger originated from Vinícius Jr. on the wing.
The Brazilian used his blistering pace to completely torch Getafe's full-back before whipping a rapid cross into the box.
Vinícius had intended to find Karim Benzema, but he misjudged the power.
The cross was too high and too deep, sailing completely over the French striker's head toward the far post.
Just as the fans groaned, assuming the attack had fizzled out, Theodore materialized at the back post.
Timing his run to perfection, he outjumped Getafe's recovering full-back and powered a downward header into the net.
2–0!
In the 23rd minute, Theodore secured his hat-trick.
Luka Modrić stepped up to deliver a corner kick, curling a pinpoint cross into the mixer.
The ball dropped accurately toward Theodore's zone.
Although Getafe's two imposing center-backs, Sofian Chakla and Erick Cabaco, sandwiched Theodore in an attempt to physically disrupt him, it was entirely futile.
The moment Theodore launched himself into the air, the two defenders were left grounded.
With devastating power, Theodore headed the ball past the helpless keeper.
3–0.
Getafe goalkeeper David Soria was visibly crumbling, his mental resolve shattered.
But the nightmare was only just beginning.
In the 40th minute, Theodore collected the ball near the center circle and suddenly unleashed an audacious long-range missile.
The ball tore through the air like a tracer bullet, bypassing a sea of defenders before burying itself into the top corner.
Once again, David Soria could only watch the net bulge.
4-0.
Then, deep into first-half stoppage time, Theodore's relentless dribbling forced a desperate foul from a Getafe defender roughly twenty-eight meters from goal.
Stepping up as Real Madrid's undisputed set-piece specialist, Theodore struck the free-kick with breathtaking precision, piercing Soria's defenses for a fifth time.
5–0!
Before the halftime whistle had even blown, Theodore Bjorn had netted five goals!
While Messi had indeed scored five against Getafe the previous week, the Argentine legend required eighty minutes to complete his haul.
Theodore had matched it in forty-five!
The debate over whose performance was more dominant was instantly settled.
Emerging for the second half, Theodore shifted gears, stepping into a playmaking role.
In the 48th, 54th, and 78th minutes, he carved open the Getafe defense, laying the ball on a silver platter for Karim Benzema three separate times.
The veteran French striker clinically converted all three chances.
The referee mercifully blew the final whistle.
8–0.
Real Madrid had absolutely annihilated Getafe on home soil, securing their second consecutive victory.
Aided by their massive goal difference, Real Madrid leapfrogged Barcelona to claim the top spot in La Liga.
Following the thrashing, La Liga entered a two-week international break.
Theodore didn't take a vacation.
He spent nearly every single day grinding at the Valdebebas training complex.
Despite showcasing a terrifying scoring output in his first two matches, his hunger to improve remained insatiable.
During this break, the UEFA Champions League group-stage draw was officially conducted.
Real Madrid were drawn into Group B.
Their opponents: Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Mönchengladbach, Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk, and the Italian giants, Inter Milan!
…
Far away in China, Theodore's name dominated the trending charts on a daily basis.
He had become the pinnacle of internet traffic.
Recognizing his frighteningly high popularity, the director of the Sports Channel made a swift executive decision: Ma Fanshu was officially appointed as Real Madrid's dedicated, follow-the-team reporter.
When Ma Fanshu received the assignment, she was so ecstatic she barely slept for days!
...
Time moved.
Before long, La Liga resumed, and Real Madrid prepared for Matchday 3.
Their opponent: Real Betis.
It was bound to be a gruelling test. Real Betis had enjoyed a stellar start to their campaign, winning both of their opening fixtures, albeit grinding out narrow one-goal victories.
The day before the clash, the standard pre-match press conference was held.
This time, Zidane brought Theodore Bjorn to face the media.
Given Theodore's status as a global traffic magnet, the Spanish press corps was bursting with questions.
"Theodore, do you believe Real Madrid has the strength to overcome Real Betis away from home?"
"Theodore, you are currently leading the scoring charts. How confident are you in breaking Messi's Pichichi record?"
Theodore answered with his usual calm, patient demeanor.
"I have said this many times: I believe in the absolute quality of Real Madrid. This squad has the ability to win any match we play."
He brushed off the individual accolades. "As for the Golden Boot… I don't want to talk too much about that right now."
He had made his ambitions perfectly clear: his only goal was team silverware.
Zidane echoed his star player's determination.
"Real Madrid are traveling to the Benito Villamarín for one reason only: to take all three points back to the capital," Zidane stated. "Betis are in excellent form, and tomorrow night will undoubtedly be difficult. But I believe we will be the team smiling at the final whistle."
Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini was equally defiant in his own press conference.
"We all know Real Madrid are one of the greatest clubs on the planet. Beating them is always a monumental task," the Chilean manager acknowledged. "However, I believe my players are ready. We will stifle their attack, and we will place intense pressure on their number 10."
Pellegrini narrowed his eyes. "I have always admired Theodore Bjorn. In fact, I was scouting him back when he was in the Championship. I have total confidence that we can limit his impact tomorrow."
…
While leaving the press room, Theodore spotted a familiar face.
Ma Fanshu.
He immediately walked over to greet her. "You made it to Spain?"
Ma Fanshu nodded brightly. "I did! The network officially assigned me as the Real Madrid reporter! We'll be seeing a lot of each other this season."
"That's great news," Theodore smiled. "If you ever run into any trouble settling into Madrid, just let me know."
"Deal! No problem at all," she agreed happily.
Then, a mischievous glint entered her eyes. "So… does that mean I can come bother you even if I don't have any problems?"
"Uh…" Theodore stammered, caught slightly off guard.
Seeing his awkward expression, Ma Fanshu burst into laughter.
"I'm just joking! Go on, get to training. Good luck tomorrow night!"
"Thanks," Theodore chuckled, heading toward the team bus.
...
The next day. 7:30 PM.
The Benito Villamarín Stadium was a cauldron of noise.
35,000 passionate Betis supporters had packed the stands, eager to witness the €320 million man in the flesh, and desperate to cheer their side to a historic upset.
On the international broadcast feed, La Liga TV's lead commentator, Rob Palmer, took the microphone alongside his co-commentator, Terry Gibson.
"Welcome, viewers from around the globe, to this highly anticipated La Liga Matchday 3 clash!" Rob Palmer announced smoothly.
"Real Madrid travel south to Andalusia to face a high-flying Real Betis!"
"Right now, Real Madrid sit top of the table, while Manuel Pellegrini's Betis are right behind them in fourth," Palmer continued.
"Let's take a look at the lineups."
"For the hosts, Pellegrini sets up in a 4-2-3-1."
"Joel Robles starts in goal."
"Emerson Aparecido, Aïssa Mandi, Marc Bartra, and Álex Moreno form the back four."
"Guido Rodríguez and William Carvalho anchor the midfield."
"The legendary Joaquín, Nabil Fekir, and Sergio Canales operate behind the lone striker, Antonio Sanabria!"
"For the visitors," Palmer noted, "Zinedine Zidane has shifted to a 4-4-2 tonight."
"Thibaut Courtois in goal."
"Ferland Mendy, Sergio Ramos, Raphaël Varane, and Dani Carvajal in defense."
"A midfield diamond featuring Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Martin Ødegaard, and Theodore Bjorn."
"Karim Benzema and Rodrygo lead the line!"
"The players have emerged from the tunnel, and the atmosphere in Seville is absolutely crackling!" Palmer added.
Following the pre-match handshakes, the referee blew his whistle.
Real Betis, spurred on by the ferocious home crowd, initiated the first attack.
Sanabria rolled the ball back to the 38-year-old veteran, Joaquín, who quickly shifted it centrally to William Carvalho.
After a patient sequence of passes, the ball found its way to Guido Rodríguez.
Operating as the defensive linchpin, the Argentine spotted an opening and suddenly launched a raking, diagonal long pass.
Bang!
The ball bypassed the midfield entirely, dropping perfectly toward the edge of the Real Madrid penalty area.
Sanabria used his body well, holding off Sergio Ramos with his back to goal to bring the ball down. However, Ramos was tight, offering the striker absolutely no room to turn.
Out of options, Sanabria laid the ball back to the arriving Nabil Fekir.
Fekir didn't take a touch. The Frenchman pulled his leg back, preparing to unleash a thunderous first-time strike toward Courtois' goal.
But just as Fekir's boot met the leather, Theodore Bjorn threw his body into the line of fire, executing a fearless, crunching block!
The ball ricocheted off Theodore, and the teenager instantly sprang to his feet, retaining possession.
"Brilliant block by Bjorn!" Terry Gibson noted on commentary. "And now Madrid can break!"
Up front, Benzema and Rodrygo immediately spun and sprinted toward the Betis goal.
However, rather than launching a direct long ball, Theodore opted for control.
He initiated a rapid one-two sequence with Martin Ødegaard in the center circle, slicing through the first wave of the Betis press.
Carrying the ball forward with terrifying composure, Theodore swiftly arrived at the edge of the Real Betis penalty area.
At the same time, the Real Betis defenders frantically scrambled into position.
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