Football singularity-Chapter 674 Qualified
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[09/12/2020 | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid | 21:52 Local Time]
[Real Madrid 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen]
[68]
The ball spun loose to Valverde at the edge of the box. The Uruguayan picked up his head as the ball rolled towards him and struck it first-time, his shot rising toward the top corner with venom. Hradecky launched himself desperately, his body horizontal, left arm fully extended—but Valverde’s strike was too powerful, and too precise.
Like a guided missile, it sneaked into the top left corner, flying past the keeper’s outstretched fingertips and smashing into the back of the net with unstoppable force. "GOAL! FEDERICO VALVERDE!" Rae roared. "What a strike! Real Madrid are level!"
The Bernabéu erupted despite the limited crowd, the noise suddenly deafening. Valverde sprinted toward the corner flag, sliding on his knees as white shirts mobbed him. Ramos was there first, grabbing the Uruguayan’s head and screaming in celebration.
"That’s the quality Madrid possesses," Robson said, his voice carrying admiration. "One moment of brilliance, and suddenly we have a completely different match. Hradecky had no chance with that strike."
[Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Real Madrid — Valverde 68’]
[71’]
The momentum had shifted violently; Madrid surged forward, their passing sharper, and their movement more aggressive. Leverkusen, rattled by the goal, struggled to maintain their defensive shape. Kroos received from Mendy, turned, and played a diagonal ball toward Rodrygo on the right.
The Brazilian winger took it in stride, driving at Wendell with pace. His stepover created a yard of space, and he whipped in a dangerous cross toward the penalty spot. Benzema attacked it, rising above Sven Bender; Tapsoba appeared above both of them. He collided with both of them but cleared the ball with authority.
"Tapsoba asserting his authority!" Rae exclaimed. "Still Leverkusen hanging on by their fingernails!"
[74’]
Bosz felt the pressure and made his changes. The board went up: Kerem Demirbay and Nadiem Amiri on for Florian Wirtz and Charles Aránguiz. The tactical shift moved more bodies into midfield, trying to regain control of the centre. "Bosz is trying to stem the tide," Robson observed. "But Madrid smells blood. This could go either way."
"Boooo" Just then, the Madrid fans started booing loudly, confusing everyone present. But the reason was quickly cleared up as the Inter versus Donetsk score appeared on the Jumbotron.
[Inter 2:1 Donetsk]
"This just in from Milan, Inter officially lead 2:1 after a thunderous strike from Ivan Perisic," Robson announced with excitement. "Goal difference puts them in second place if the game ends with the current score, booking their ticket to the knockout stages."
"Which means," Rae added urgently, "if this match stays level, Real Madrid will be eliminated from the Champions League on goal difference. They MUST win now or hope for a Donetsk comeback."
[76’]
Kroos collected the ball deep, his eyes scanning the pitch like a general surveying a battlefield. He pinged a diagonal ball toward Vinicius, who had drifted inside. The Brazilian controlled it on his chest, spun away from Weiser, and drove toward the box.
"Vinicius with space!" Rae shouted. The winger cut inside onto his right foot, but Sven Bender read it perfectly, sliding across to block the shot. The ball ricocheted to Rodrygo on the edge of the area. He struck it first time—Hradecky dove full stretch, palming it over the bar.
"What a save! Hradecky is keeping Leverkusen alive!" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
The corner came in dangerously, Ramos rising highest, but Tapsoba matched him in the air, heading clear. The ball fell to Kroos twenty-five yards out. He didn’t hesitate—a dipping volley that had the crowd rising—but it sailed just over the crossbar.
"So close! Madrid is throwing everything at them now!"
[79’]
Zidane made his final change, bringing on Marco Asensio for Casemiro, shifting to all-out attack now, abandoning any pretence of defensive balance. Five attackers against a Leverkusen side that had dropped into a compact 5-4-1, every player behind the ball except Schick, who prowled alone up front.
Benzema dropped deep to collect, linking up with Kroos. The German metronome switched play to Carvajal, who had pushed up to become practically a winger. His cross was dangerous, curling toward the back post where Ramos had made another run. Lars Bender threw himself at it, heading clear for a corner.
"The Bender brothers are everywhere!" Robson exclaimed. "Leverkusen defending with their lives here!"
The corner was cleared only to the edge of the box. Modric controlled it, played a quick one-two with Asensio, creating some space. His shot was goal-bound until Demirbay threw his body in the way, the ball cannoning off his thigh and out for another corner.
"Heroic defending! But how much longer can they hold out?"
[82’]
The pressure was relentless. Madrid had camped in Leverkusen’s half, wave after wave of white shirts surging forward. Vinicius received the ball wide left, cut inside past Weiser’s challenge, and fired low. Hradecky got down well to save. The rebound fell to Benzema—his shot blocked by Tapsoba. It came back to Rodrygo—blocked again by Sven Bender.
"It’s like the Alamo! Leverkusen bodies everywhere!"
Even Rakim had dropped back into his own penalty area, tracking Carvajal’s runs, harrying Kroos when he had the ball. On one counter, Schick won a header and flicked it toward Rakim, who had space to run. He took three touches forward before Ramos cynically pulled him back, taking a yellow card to stop the break.
"Smart foul from Ramos," Robson noted. "Can’t let Leverkusen get out."
The free kick came to nothing, and Madrid immediately surged forward again. Kroos to Modric to Benzema, who laid it off for Asensio. His curling effort from twenty yards forced Hradecky into another save, tipping it around the post.
[85’]
The corner was cleared as far as Kroos at the edge of the final third, who recycled possession. But the Bernabéu erupted in celebration, sparking confusion among the players. The big screen flashed a second later, clearing up the confusion:
[Inter 2:2 Donetsk | Manor Solomon 84’]
"GOAL IN MILAN!" Rae shouted over the crowd noise. "Shakhtar Donetsk have pulled one back! Manor Solomon with what could be a crucial goal in the destiny of group B!"
"This changes everything!" Robson added. "If Donetsk can find another, and this stays level, Madrid are still through! But they can’t rely on that—they need to win this themselves!"
The moment of hesitation didn’t last long as Modric threaded a ball through to Vinicius, who had drifted centrally. He took a touch and shot, but Scen was there to deflect it with his body. The rebound fell to Benzema, whose snapshot was blocked by Tapsoba’s outstretched leg.
The ball looped up, and in the scramble, Hradecky jumped up to punch it clear. "Hradecky empties the plate! Madrid are battering the door, but it won’t open!"
[87’]
Leverkusen tried to push out, to relieve the pressure, but Madrid won the ball back immediately. Rakim chased back to help Wendell with Rodrygo’s pace, the two of them forcing the Brazilian wide. His cross was overhit, sailing out for a goal kick. Hradecky took his time, letting precious seconds tick away. The referee warned him, but the damage was done.
The fourth official’s board went up: Four minutes of added time. "Four minutes for Leverkusen to hold on and make history," Robson said gravely.
[90+3’]
[Inter 2:3 Donetsk | Marlos 90+2’]
"NO! SHAKHTAR DONETSK HAVE DONE IT!" Robson’s voice cracked with disbelief. "Marlos has scored! Donetsk lead 3-2 in Milan!"
"Real Madrid are going through!" Rae added, his voice rising. "As it stands, Real Madrid will advance second from the Champions League group stage!"
While Madrid fans held their breath for a second, Leverkusen exploded forward, launching a quick counter. Amiri carried the ball forward at pace, dribbling past over-committed Madrid midfielders. The wingers also exploded, and he picked out Rakim on the left flank, who latched onto it.
Vázquez tried to stop him, but with a quick stop-and-go and a change of direction, he was past him. "Rakim is gaining speed, and this could turn dangerous." Reaching the side of the box, Varane pressed him, trying to guide him away from the goal, but he reacted quickly. Ronaldo chopped the ball across the top of the box, and the ball glided past our stretched boot of Kross.
Demirbay got on the end of the pass at the edge of the box, stopping it as he angled to shoot. Instead of forcing the shot, he slipped a clever reverse pass into the right side of the box, where Patrick Schick had made a run in unnoticed, dragging Varane with him. The Czech striker took one touch to set himself, opened his body, and guided the ball low toward the far post.
For a split second, time froze at the Bernabeu as Courtois stretched, fingertips grazing air—but the ball kissed the inside of the post and rolled over the line. "GOOOOOAL!" Derek Rae screamed, his voice breaking. "PATRICK SCHICK! IN STOPPAGE TIME! LEVERKUSEN HAVE DONE IT!"
The sparsely populated Bernabéu felt even more empty now as it fell into stunned silence. Frantic celebrations broke out among the Leverkusen players below as they chased their striker. "What a way to finish the match, the German lions clinch a win at the Bernabeu in the final seconds."
[Real Madrid 1–2 Bayer Leverkusen — Patrick Schick 90+4’]
The referee blew his whistle a second later, signalling the end of the match. "Bayer Leverkusen have held on! They’ve topped Group B! And Real Madrid... Real Madrid still goes through, but it will be anticlimactic considering it depended on luck. No one can say they expected this, but that is the beauty of the sport."
[FULL TIME: Real Madrid 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen]
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To Be Continued...
