The victory over Arsenal sent a clear message to the rest of Europe: Borussia Dortmund was a force to be reckoned with. They were not just a team that had lost their star striker; they were a team that had evolved, that had adapted, that had found a new way to win. And at the heart of that evolution was Mateo Alvarez.
His performance against Arsenal had been a masterclass in midfield play. He had been the creative spark, the tactical lynchpin, the difference-maker. He had shown that he could not only dominate in the Bundesliga, but that he could also shine on the biggest stage of all, against the best players in the world.
The media, both in Germany and across Europe, was running out of superlatives. They called him "the silent assassin," "the midfield maestro," "the boy king of Dortmund." They compared him to the greats of the game – to Zidane, to Iniesta, to Messi. The hype was reaching fever pitch.
