The second opportunity arrived in the 28th minute, this time through Mateo's ability to manipulate defensive positioning through movement alone.
His run toward the right flank drew two Nürnberg defenders out of their central positions, creating a gap that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang exploited with a perfectly timed diagonal run.
This was the beautiful struggle: Mateo created the perfect platform, but the execution still relied on his teammates.
Mateo's through ball was inch-perfect, a masterpiece of timing that bypassed three defenders. But Aubameyang's first touch was slightly heavy, allowing the goalkeeper to narrow the angle and make the save.
The frustration was momentary, a silent grimace from Mateo, but it was quickly replaced by analytical focus. The reliance was heavy, and the struggle for his teammates to match his precision was constant.
