The match was tense—Napoli was clinging to a one-goal lead, the opposition pressing high. Lobotka stood in his usual pocket of space, watching everything unfold two steps ahead.

As the ball zipped toward him, a teammate shouted, "Back! Play it safe!"

Stanislav trapped the ball gently and turned toward the press with a calm shake of his head. "Safe doesn’t win us the game," he murmured, almost to himself.

Then, with a sharp pivot and a no-look pass that cut through two defenders, he sent the ball flying toward the winger making a diagonal run. The crowd gasped, and a few seconds later, the net rippled.

Jogging back into position, he glanced at the teammate and gave a faint smirk. "Trust the rhythm," he said simply. "It always tells you where to go."