God Of football

Chapter 201: Derby[2]

The whistle blew to signal the start, and the Mestalla erupted in a wall of noise that seemed to shake the very foundations of the stadium.

The derby had begun, and Valencia, with their young star at the heart of the action, was ready to fight for the region’s pride.

The first half of the Derbi de la Comunitat was a frenetic, edge-of-your-seat spectacle, and from the opening moments, it was clear this was a game that would not be decided easily.

Mestalla, packed to the rafters with Valencia supporters, was a cauldron of noise, the white-and-black-clad fans creating an electric atmosphere.

Every cheer, every chant, was a wave of energy that flowed through the team. Among the players, the most visible was Izan.

"The young star has quickly established himself as Valencia’s most important player this season as unarguably the best player in the league and tonight, in the derby, he was proving just why.

And here comes Izan, looking dangerous as always! He’s taken the ball in midfield and is already making a run at Villarreal’s defense. You can feel the tension rising here at Mestalla—he’s got the pace to burn."

As Izan picked up the ball just inside the halfway line, the crowd’s roar escalated, a wave of anticipation building around him.

He had already made a name for himself as a player who could turn a game with a single burst of speed, and tonight, in front of his home fans, he was showing just how lethal he could be.

"Izan—he’s gone past Bailey! What a turn! He’s left him for dead!"

In a moment that seemed to freeze time, Izan shifted the ball past Eric Bailey with a deft flick, accelerating into space.

The Villarreal defender, caught flat-footed, could do little but watch as the young player’s blistering pace surged forward.

The crowd gasped and then erupted into cheers, the atmosphere inside Mestalla crackling with excitement as Izan moved toward the penalty box.

"Raúl Albiol’s closing in—will he catch him?"

But Izan was already a step ahead. With the ball under his control, he feinted to the inside, drawing Albiol into a tackle, only to skip effortlessly to the outside.

It was a move so smooth, so effortless, that the veteran Villarreal defender was left trailing in his wake.

"This is incredible! Izan, weaving through Villarreal’s defense like it’s training ground stuff—he’s made it to the edge of the box. He’s got a chance here!"

As Izan closed in on the goal, the roar of Mestalla reached deafening levels. The tension was palpable, every fan willing him on.

It was as if the entire stadium was holding its breath, waiting to see whether the 16-year-old could convert his dazzling run into a moment of magic.

But instead of taking the shot himself, Izan looked up and, with a perfect pass, laid the ball off to Hugo Duro, who was perfectly positioned at the near post.

"And Izan plays it to Duro—Duro, he’s got it—GOOOOAL! Valencia lead! What a brilliant move from the teenager, and Duro with the tap-in!"

The stadium erupted in joyous celebration. The fans screamed, clapped, and jumped in unison, the collective relief and exhilaration at the opening goal sending waves of euphoria through the stands.

Izan’s role in the goal was undeniable—his dribbling, vision, and composure had been central to the move, and Duro’s finish was a mere formality.

The forward held his arms out, acknowledging the assist from Izan, and the two players shared a brief, but powerful moment of connection.

"That was a masterclass in dribbling and decision-making from Izan. He took on two defenders, showed incredible skill, and then made the perfect pass.

It’s a sign of maturity beyond his years, and it’s put Valencia in front in this crucial derby."

However, Villarreal was not to be outdone. Just 20 minutes later, they showed their quality. A flowing move through the midfield saw Gerard Moreno receive the ball in the box, and with clinical precision, he slotted it past Giorgi Marmadashvili to equalize.

The Villarreal fans in the away section celebrated their team’s equalizer, and the tension in Mestalla rose once more.

"And Villarreal respond—what a finish from Gerard Moreno! There was no stopping that one. 1-1. This game is far from over."

The rest of the half was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams creating chances. Valencia thought they had regained the lead just before halftime.

A stunning move from the midfield saw Izan once again threading the needle, putting Duro through on goal.

Duro made no mistake, striking the ball past the Villarreal keeper, but the linesman’s flag was quickly raised.

"And it’s offside! Duro thought he had scored, but the flag is up! What a heartbreaker for Valencia, but the decision was tight."

The disappointment in Mestalla was palpable. Duro’s disallowed goal was a cruel twist in a half filled with promise for Valencia.

But the players didn’t dwell on it for long, knowing they had 45 more minutes to settle the score.

As the players made their way down the tunnel for halftime, the crowd gave them a resounding round of applause for the first-half show which was better than the lifeless performance they showed against Mallorca.

It had been a thrilling first half, and while Valencia would be frustrated not to have had the lead, they could hold their heads high knowing they had the talent to outplay their rivals.

For Izan, it was another reminder of his growing influence on the pitch. The derby was far from decided, but with him at the heart of the attack, anything was possible.

...…

The second half of the Derbi de la Comunitat began with an electric intensity, the players eager to break the deadlock and claim the three points.

Valencia came out with renewed vigor, eager to assert themselves after the narrow disallowed goal in the first half.

Mestalla was alive, the home crowd’s chants rising to a crescendo as they willed their team forward.

As the game ticked into the 56th minute, the breakthrough many had been waiting for arrived. Izan was once again at the heart of it all.

Picking up the ball near the center circle, he immediately accelerated, his trademark pace eating up the ground as he charged toward the Villarreal defense.

His vision was sharp, and with a perfectly timed pass, he sent Hugo Duro through on goal, clear of the Villarreal backline.

Duro didn’t hesitate—he controlled the ball expertly and slotted it past Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo, sending the crowd into raptures.

However, the roar of excitement from Mestalla was short-lived. As soon as Duro found the back of the net, the referee blew his whistle.

The assistant referee had his flag raised, signaling for a foul in the build-up.

"Valencia, they’ve taken the lead—Duro with the finish, but hold on a second… the referee has blown his whistle!"

The replay was shown on the big screen, and it quickly became clear that a foul had occurred just moments before the goal.

Izan, as he received the ball from a teammate, had been on the receiving end of a soft challenge from Villarreal’s Étienne Capoue.

The contact, although slight, had been enough for the referee to call a foul, ruling out the goal and sparking groans of frustration from the Valencia supporters.

"It’s a foul in the build-up! The goal is disallowed! Izan was fouled just before the assist, and that’s why the goal doesn’t stand. The fans are not happy with that decision, and you can feel the tension mounting here."

The disallowed goal left the Mestalla faithful in a mixture of disbelief and frustration. For a moment, the stadium fell into a heavy silence, the excitement quickly dissipating.

Valencia’s players, visibly frustrated but undeterred, gathered themselves and looked to refocus on the task at hand.

Villarreal, on the other hand, looked to settle into the rhythm of the game, buoyed by the decision.

As time wore on, the game became more and more frantic.

Valencia continued to press forward, with Izan again leading the charge, his pace and ball control a constant threat to Villarreal’s defense.

But the more the minutes ticked by, the more the crowd grew anxious, desperate for a breakthrough.

Every misplaced pass, every errant clearance from Villarreal, only added to the tension that hung in the air.

The crowd, which had once been electric, now murmured and shifted uneasily in their seats.

The minutes were slipping away, and with each passing second, the pressure mounted on Valencia.

Every time the ball was passed to Izan, the stadium held its collective breath, hoping for a spark of magic.

But Villarreal’s defense remained compact and resolute, making it harder for Valencia to create clear chances.

Then, in the 87th minute, the moment the fans had been waiting for arrived.

"And now—wait for it—Valencia have a free kick! This could be the moment to steal all three points!"

Izan, making one of his signature runs down the left side, was fouled just outside the Villarreal penalty box.

The crowd’s frustration seemed to dissipate in that instant, replaced by a renewed sense of hope.

This was it—Valencia had a chance to make up for the disallowed goal and finally claim the lead.

The referee marked the spot, and a hush fell over the stadium. All eyes turned to Gaya, Valencia’s free-kick taker, who stood over the ball.

But there was an air of anticipation, a feeling that perhaps Izan, with his pinpoint delivery and creativity, could take this opportunity.

Gaya, knowing how crucial this moment was, nodded toward Izan, giving him the green light to take the shot.