Football singularity-Chapter 545 Super-Sub

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[UEFA Champions League, Round of 16 – 2nd leg | Aggregate: Liverpool 2–2 Leverkusen (Aggregate: 4–5)| 21:00]

[46]

Drury: "Liverpool straight onto the front foot—Henderson exchanges passes with Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the tempo is already a notch higher than anything we saw before the break."

Henderson slides it wide to Alexander-Arnold, whose first–time cross arced toward the penalty spot. Firmino mistimed his run but still tried to recover by shaping for an improvised bicycle kick, but Tapsoba read the cross perfectly, rising early and powering a clearing header into the night air.

Tyldesley: "Excellent from Tapsoba again. The partnership of the 20-year-old Burkinabè and Jonathan Tah has bent at times, Peter, but it still hasn’t broken."

The pressure continued to mount as the German side absorbed the pressure from the home side. Almost like a constricting boa, their more compact midfield positioning made it impossible for the opposing midfield trio to get to work. This forced the Reds to build up play from the back, utilising their wingers and full-backs more.

[51]

Drury: "Liverpool has camped inside the Leverkusen half these last five minutes, but still, the German wall holds firm."

Henderson swept a diagonal pass back to Robertson on the left. The full-back took it on the chest, and his first touch was immaculate as he brought the ball under control. Without hesitation, he drove forward, his pace carrying him towards Bender as Mane cut inwards. Robertson tried to use the winger’s run as a diversion by sneaking past on the outside, but Bender remained unfazed.

He lunged forward, his boot cleanly connecting with the ball, stopping it dead in its tracks and sending Roberston tripping to the ground. "That’s textbook from Lars Bender—timed to the millisecond," Tyldesley commented as the ball trickled up the line.

Bender took a second to jump up from the ground and pounced on the loose ball before it could go out of bounds. Without rushing, he calmly dribbled up the line as his head turned rapidly, scanning for passing options. Before Wijnaldum could get close, he picked out the retreating Volland at the centre line.

The German footballer didn’t bother taking a touch to control the ball under Van Dijk’s pressure and laid it off to the approaching Havertz. The German midfielder wanted to look forward to creating something but ended up being forced to turn away from a Henderson slide tackle. Keeping the ball glued to his feet, he played a quick one-two with Baumgartlinger to escape from a Liverpool encirclement.

Things didn’t get easier, though, as he quickly realised that any passing option forward was firmly locked down. The home side’s defensive pressure seemed to intensify, closing in much faster than in the first half. Reacting quickly, he pirouetted away from Oxlade-Chamberlain’s lunge and recycled possession back to Palacios.

Despite receiving a bout of applause from his team’s fans for his calmness under pressure, there wasn’t a hint of a smile on his face. He could feel how dangerous their opponents’ defence had gotten, and it was only a matter of time before they succeeded. The Argentine pivot tried to calm things down but soon found himself in a physical duel with Henderson.

Turning away from the Liverpool defender, the figure of Firmino suddenly appeared from his blindside after having dropped back. He stealthily poked the ball free before the defensive midfielder could react. He got his response a moment later, though, as he had barely travelled a couple of steps when Palacios came charging back with a hard tackle.

The crunch of Palacios’s tackle echoed to the Main Stand as the Brazilian was sent crashing to the ground. Referee Danny Makkelie’s whistle pierced the drizzle, and he jogged straight over, right arm aloft. "Free-kick no buts or if about it. Palacios entered the referee’s books and now walks a tightrope."

[57]

The wall, assembled twenty-eight metres from the goal, stood tall as Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho stood behind the ball just 10 yards in front of them. They both discussed what to do, ignoring the stares they received from the four players on the wall. They seemed to come to an understanding moments later and got into position, each taking their run-up.

"Two specialists over the ball here. Alexander-Arnold with his wicked delivery, Fabinho with that thunderous left foot. Hrádecký is adjusting his wall, trying to cover all angles." Peter commented as the finish keeper can be seen gesturing frantically to his defenders, fine-tuning their positioning.

Baumgartlinger and Palacios anchored the wall while Demirbay and Volland covered the sides. Diaby solely stood near the halfway line, ready to pounce on the counter. Hrádecký bounced on his toes, eyes darting between the two Liverpool players and the chaotic players battling for position at the side.

"You can feel the nervousness in their ranks," Tyldesley commented as the Referee finally blew his whistle.

Alexander-Arnold began his run first, his approach drawing the wall’s attention. But at the last second, he stepped two steps in front of the ball, and Fabinho came a second later, unleashing a venomous strike with his left foot. The ball flew like a cannonball, dipping and swerving as it approached the wall.

"FABINHO!" Drury’s voice exploded as the ball cleared the wall by inches.

Hrádecký, initially wrong-footed by the deception, scrambled across his goal line. The ball was heading for the top corner, but the keeper’s reflexes were superhuman despite the wet surface. He somehow managed to generate enough momentum to take off and throw himself through the air, fingertips just grazing the ball just enough to deflect it over the crossbar.

"WHAT A SAVE!" Tyldesley’s voice cracked with disbelief. "Hrádecký has somehow kept that out! That was destined for the top corner!"

The Finnish goalkeeper lay sprawled on the turf, rainwater glistening on his kit as he slowly picked himself up. His teammates rushed over, patting him on the back, knowing the keeper had just saved them again. The away fans erupted in appreciation, their voices cutting through the stunned silence that had momentarily gripped the home crowd.

[60]

From the resulting corner, pandemonium erupted in the Leverkusen box. Alexander-Arnold’s delivery was whipped in with pace and precision, finding the towering figure of van Dijk at the back post. The Dutch defender rose like a salmon, battling with Tah in the air. Both their heads connected with the ball almost simultaneously, sending it flying into the air.

"Van Dijk! Blocked by Tah!" Drury shouted as the ball came back down, only to be punched clear by Hardeckey a moment later.

The ball spilt out to the edge of the box where Mane pounced, darting forward with a burst of pace. He looked up, searching for an opening as Volland and Bender closed in. Mane cut inside, shifting the ball onto his right foot, curling a shot that glanced off the boot of Bender and spun agonizingly wide of the far post.

"That was a moment of magic just denied by the smallest of margins. Liverpool are pushing every sinew now—there’s a real sense of urgency." Tyldesley commented as the players once again regrouped for a corner.

[67]

Leverkusen regrouped quickly, following the second corner, choosing to play out of the back calmly. Peter Bosz, on the sidelines, started prompting his bench into movement as he watched the game develop. He could see how the home side has been neutralising Kai and the defensive pivot with the intensity of their pressing.

Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem since Diaby and Demirbay could get to work on the flanks, absorbing some of the pressure. However, they were simply not getting the chance to do that, and when they did, their markers neutralised them almost immediately. It wasn’t Bosz who made the first substitution, but Klopp who brought on Wijnaldum, signalling for the Belgian midfielder to warm up along the sideline.

The home crowd immediately sensed a shift coming; Origi’s Origi’s reputation as a super-sub who could change games on a whim was well-known. Klopp made his move in the 69th minute as he signalled for the striker to come over. James Milner was also called over, and he began giving the two instructions on what he wanted them to do.

Moments later, after a failed long-range attempt by Demirbay after failing to connect with any nearby teammates, the change was permitted. The fourth official held up the board: 14 Henderson OFF, 7 Milner ON; 9 Firmino OFF, 27 Origi ON. The captain, Henderson, trudged off, frustration etched on his face, while Firmino gave a brief nod to his teammates before settling on the bench.

"Klopp is going all in now, Clive. Milner’s work-rate and Origi’s knack for important goals in Europe could be just what Liverpool need." Drury commented as Milner immediately slotted into midfield alongside Wijnaldum and Fabinho, adding grit and steel to the midfield line. Liverpool shifted their shape subtly, with Mané and Salah tucking in tighter to further squeeze their opponents.

[73]

The tempo surged as Liverpool launched into a series of probing attacks. Alexander-Arnold found space on the right, whipping in low crosses. Sadly, Tah remained alert, getting ahead of Origis’ path to boot the ball up the field.

Milner’s tireless runs made life hard for the tired double pivot of the Leverkusen squad. He showed no signs of fear, jumping into one tackle after another, to the point he spent more time on the ground rather than playing football. Klopp, on the sidelines, could be seen animatedly cheering at every tackle he won.

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To be Continued...