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[2021-04-28 | Parc des Princes, Paris | 21:50 CET]

[UEFA Champions League Semi-Final - 1st Leg | Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen]

[65’]

Wendell’s cross flew into the box with pace, curling toward the penalty spot. Schick had already begun his run, timing it perfectly, but Marquinhos rose higher, bringing his head on it first, clearing it with authority. The ball sailed out to the edge of the box, where Diaby was arriving.

The French winger controlled it on his chest, letting it drop to his feet as Paredes closed in. Diaby touched it to his left, creating a yard of space, then struck it on the half-volley with his right foot from twenty yards. The ball skimmed along the ground, bouncing twice, and flew to the bottom-right corner. Navas shuffeled across, lunging to get his hand in the way, but drew it back in the end, letting it harmlessly hit the outside netting.

"Diaby tries his luck!" Drury called out. "But it never really troubled Navas! PSG’s defensive shape is holding firm!

"Pochettino’s tactical adjustment is working," Tyldesley observed. "They’ve plugged the gaps in midfield. Leverkusen are being forced to fight for every inch of PSG space, while the home team are comfortably dealing with crosses."

[69’]

In the 69th, Verratti threaded a weighted pass between Tapsoba and Frimpong, splitting the defence. Mbappé latched onto it at the halfway line, his pace instantly taking him clear. Tapsoba gave chase, but the French winger had a yard of separation and was widening the gap with every stride.

Mbappé drove into the final third, drawing Tah across to cover. He cut inside onto his right foot at the edge of the box, shaping to shoot. Tah, who had been moving across on a collision course, committed, sliding in with force. Mbappé managed to see it late but was quick enough to react, pulling the ball back with a quick V-turn, creating space.

He struck it with his right foot from eighteen yards, aiming for the bottom left corner. Hradecky, who had gotten closer, read it, diving to his left, getting both hands behind it, and pushing it away for a corner.

"MBAPPÉ!" Drury exclaimed. "Hradecky denies him again!"

"That’s seven saves now," Tyldesley added. "World-class goalkeeping. PSG should be three or four up by now."

Using the intermission, Bosz made his move, signalling from the touchline. Bailey came on for Diaby, and Lars Bender replaced Baumgartlinger. The formation shifted slightly to a more attacking 3-4-3 with Tah, Tapsoba, and Bender forming a back three. Frimpong and Wendell pushed higher as wing-backs.

[76’]

Hradecky’s throw was quick, finding Frimpong on the right. The Dutch wing-back took one touch, exchanging a quick one-two with Tah to skip past Mbappé. He drove forward at speed, quickly crossing the halfway line in seconds before a blue shirt came to shut him down. He played it inside to Demirbay, before Paredes could shut him down, and the holding midfielder turned away sharply from Danilo’s challenge.

The German midfielder spotted Bailey making a run down the right, cutting inside toward the penalty spot, escaping the marking of Bernat. Demirbay threaded a pass forward beyond the reach of Verratti. Bailey latched onto it, his first touch taking him away from the box, widening the shooting angle. Marquinhos moved across to cover, but Bailey had already shaped to shoot, picking out a corner of the goal to aim at.

He struck it with his right foot from twelve yards, aiming for the near post. Navas reacted instantly, diving to his right, getting a strong hand to it, pushing it wide. "LEON BAILEY!" Drury screamed. "NAVAS DENIES HIM! This is unbelievable!"

The corner was delivered by Rakim, swinging it in with pace toward the near post. Schick attacked it, rising above Kimpembe, but his header was directed straight at Marquinhos, who cleared it with his head. The ball fell to Amiri at the edge of the box, who struck it on the half volley with his right foot.

Danilo threw himself in front of the shot, and the ball cannoned off his chest, deflecting high into the air, looping back toward the penalty spot. Bodies scrambled toward the ball. Schick and Marquinhos both jumped into the air, but neither got clean contact. The ball bounced loose in the six-yard box, and Navas dove forward at the feet of the converging players, smothering the ball against his chest before Schick could pounce.

The Costa Rican keeper stayed down, clutching it protectively as bodies tumbled around him. "Navas again!" Drury exclaimed. "He’s thrown his body on the line! Literally!"

[82’]

PSG tried to slow the game down, keeping possession in their own half as Navas rolled it out to Kimpembe, who played it across to Marquinhos. The Brazilian defender took two touches, then played it back to Navas, who controlled it with his feet before playing it out to Florenzi on the right. The Italian right-back took one touch, then played it forward to Paredes in midfield. The Argentine shielded it from Amiri’s press, turning away, then played it square to Danilo.

Leverkusen pressed high, trying to win it back quickly, with Schick charging at Danilo, forcing him to play it back to Marquinhos. Bailey closed down from the right, cutting off the passing lane to Bernat. Marquinhos looked up, spotted Verratti in space, and played it forward. The Italian midfielder controlled it on the half-turn, but Demirbay was there immediately, shoulder-to-shoulder, fighting for position.

Verratti tried to shield it, but Demirbay’s tackle was clean, winning the ball smoothly. The German midfielder immediately drove forward, spotting Bailey making a run down the right. He played it wide, weighted perfectly into Bailey’s path, and the Jamaican winger controlled it with a burst of acceleration, forcing Bernat to backpedal desperately.

Bailey drove to the edge of the box, then cut inside onto his left foot. Kimpembe stepped up to close him down, but Bailey had already slipped a pass into the box behind Schick and Marquinhos. Rakim had cut in from the left, escaping Florenzi’s influence completely unguarded just ahead of the far post.

Navas scrambled across his line, throwing his body on the line, but Rakim struck it first time with his right, sweeping it to the bottom right corner of the goal. Navas tried to lift his foot, trying to deflect it away, but he couldn’t reach it. The ball skiffed off the inside of the post, nestling it in the back of the net to the jubilant sounds of five thousand travelling fans.

"GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!" Drury’s voice exploded across the broadcast. "RAKIM REX! THE TEENAGER HAS DONE IT! LEVERKUSEN ARE LEVEL!"

Rakim sprinted toward the corner flag, arms spread wide, joining the small pocket of fans in celebration. Bailey reached him first, jumping on his back, screaming in his ear, quickly followed by the rest of their teammates. "What a moment!" Tyldesley roared.

[Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen — Rakim Rex 82’]

On the PSG bench, Pochettino stood frozen, hands on his head, staring at the pitch in disbelief. Navas remained on the ground for a moment, fists pounding the turf in frustration, before his teammates helped him up.

[84’]

PSG kicked off, and the urgency as Mbappé tapped it back to Neymar, who played it quickly to Verratti in midfield. The Italian midfielder drove forward, his head up, looking for options. He played it wide to Di María on the right, who took one touch before accelerating down the flank. Wendell tracked back quickly, staying tight, refusing to give him space.

Di María tried a quick stepover, then a chop, but the Brazilian fullback stayed composed, shepherding him wide. Frustrated, Di María played it back to Florenzi, who had overlapped. The Italian right-back struck it first-time, whipping in a cross toward the penalty spot where Mbappé attacked it, getting ahead of Bender, but his header was too high, sailing over the bar.

"PSG pushing for a winner!" Drury called out. "They can feel the momentum slipping away!"

"This is exactly what Pochettino feared," Tyldesley said. "One goal against, and suddenly the pressure is back on them."

[87’]

Leverkusen won the ball back when Bender intercepted a pass from Paredes, immediately playing it forward to Amiri. The playmaker turned sharply, spotting Rakim making a run down the left, dragging Florenzi with him. Amiri threaded a pass into the channel, into his run, and he immediately cut inside onto his right foot.

Florenzi tracked back desperately, but Rakim had already shaped to shoot from twenty yards. Danilo threw himself in front of it, blocking the shot. The ball deflected up, flying high into the box, right into Navas’s arms, who caught it comfortably.

"Bailey!" Drury exclaimed. "Navas keeps PSG in this!"

[89’]

Verratti drove forward, his head up, scanning for Mbappé, finding the Frenchman with a wide pass. Mbappé took one touch, holding back, then accelerated, his pace giving him half a yard on Frimpong. He drove to the edge of the box, then cut inside onto his right foot. Tapsoba slid across to cover, but Mbappé had already struck it from sixteen yards, sending it rising toward the top left corner.

Hradecky launched himself across his goal, getting fingertips to it, tipping it over the bar. "MBAPPÉ!" Tyldesley roared. "HRADECKY DENIES HIM! What goalkeeping we’ve witnessed tonight!"

[90+1’]

One minute of added time was granted, but neither team managed to threaten the goal much in the final minutes, ending in needless possession play. Verratti attempted a long-range pop in the final minute after dancing past Demirbay’s tackle, launching a right-footed strike from thirty yards out. His shot flew through the air, dipping late, but the trajectory was always rising too high. Hradecky watched it sail over the bar, never troubling him. The ball disappeared into the stands behind the goal.

*(FWEEET! FWEEET! FWEEEEEET!)*

[FT: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen]

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TO BE CONTINUED...