The rain tapped steadily against the roof of the tunnel as the players waited for kickoff. Nico Elvedi stood slightly apart from the rest of the team, adjusting his gloves, his eyes fixed on the pitch like a chess player surveying the board.

“You always this quiet before matches?” a teammate asked, nudging him lightly.

Elvedi gave a small shrug. “Just thinking ahead. The game’s already started in my head.”

Once on the field, he took his place at the heart of the backline, calm as ever. The opposition pressed high, aggressive and fast—but Elvedi didn’t panic. He intercepted passes with surgical timing and shifted the ball forward with clean, deliberate touches.

Late in the half, a dangerous counterattack broke through the midfield. The striker bore down on him.

Nico didn’t flinch. He timed his challenge perfectly—one step, one clean sweep of the ball, and danger defused.

His goalkeeper clapped and called out, “That’s textbook, Elvedi!”

Nico simply nodded and turned to reorganize the line. No fuss. No drama.

Just precision.