Football singularity-Chapter 681 Rumble
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[19/12/2020 | BayArena, Leverkusen | 19:07 CET]
[Bundesliga Matchweek 13 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs FC Bayern Munich]
[37'] 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
The ball took a spicy curve as it kissed the inside of the left post and rolled in. The BayArena erupted as he sprinted to the corner flag, sliding on his knees, toward the corner flag as teammates swarmed. "GOAL!" Rae roared. "FLORIAN WIRTZ PUTS LEVERKUSEN AHEAD!"
[Bayer Leverkusen 1–0 FC Bayern Munich — Florian Wirtz 37']
[40']
Bayern responded exactly as champions do—by accelerating the tempo rather than panicking. Kimmich dropped between Boateng and Alaba, effectively forming a back three, pushing Davies and Pavard higher. The shape tilted forward as Goretzka began making late surging runs.
Müller drifted wider, dragging markers with him, creating pockets of space for his teammates to exploit. Coman received the ball on the left, isolated against Lars Bender. One feint, two touches, and he was gone. The cross was low and vicious, skidding across the six-yard box, enticing someone to get on the end of it.
Lewandowski attacked it, but Sven Bender got there first, stretching to divert it behind. Kimmich jogged over, wiping his hands on his shorts. The delivery was flat and whipped toward the near post as heads jumped into the air like sea lions jumping for fish. Lewandowski got on the end of it, beating Tapsoba, as he guided it goalward.
Hrádecký reacted, but this time he was beaten—the ball glanced off the bar and bounced out for a goal kick. "Oh, so close, but they remain goalless," Rae exclaimed, voicing the disappointment of the German giants.
[43']
Leverkusen tried to slow the game, Aránguiz and Baumgartlinger circulating possession, forcing Bayern to chase. Rakim dropped deep to receive and was immediately met by Pavard and Kimmich. A tug on his arm, a shoulder into his back, sent him off balance, yet He still managed to roll away and slip the ball to Wendell.
It didn't take long for Bayern to win possession after a sloppy pass met for Diaby on the opposing flank. Davies won it back easily and exploded forward, his pace cutting across the pitch in seconds. He exchanged a quick one-two with Müller, then cut the ball back to the edge of the box.
Goretzka let it run, tricking Julian, who had been chasing him, leaving Lewandowski in behind to pounce on it. The striker took one touch to set, another to shift the ball beyond Bender, and struck through traffic with his right foot. The ball skidded low, clipping the inside of the post and nestling into the net.
"GOAL BAYERN!" Rae called. "AND WHO ELSE? BUT ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI!"
[Bayer Leverkusen 1–1 FC Bayern Munich — Robert Lewandowski 44']
[45']
Leverkusen kicked off again, but the moment had shifted in favour of the visitors. Rakim tried one last burst down the left, slipping past Pavard with a sudden change of pace, but Alaba slid across brilliantly, timing his challenge to perfection. That was the last challenge of the half as Felix Brych checked his watch.
(FWEEET! FWEEET!)
[HT: Bayer Leverkusen 1–1 FC Bayern Munich]
~~~
[45]
Leverkusen kicked off, immediately working the ball backwards all the way back to their keeper, letting the visitors press higher. Aránguiz received from Hradecky, played it square to Baumgartlinger, who launched it long toward Alario. The Argentine held it up well despite Boateng's pressure, laying it off to Wirtz.
"Second half underway at the BayArena," Rae's voice filtered through the broadcast. "Both teams are looking for the breakthrough that could define their season as four points separate top and second place."
The flick wide to Diaby was cut off by Davies, who knocked it inwards to Kimmich, who used a quick roulette to escape Aránguiz. He played a quick one-two with Müller before launching a diagonal ball toward Gnabry. The winger controlled it beautifully, turning Wendell inside-out with a sharp cutback.
His cross was dangerous, whipped toward the penalty spot where Lewandowski had made his run. But Tapsoba read it perfectly, getting his head there first, clearing for a corner. "Excellent defending from Edmond Tapsoba," Robson noted.
[52]
The corner came in, curling toward the near post. Bodies collided in the box as Goretzka wrestled with Baumgartlinger, and Lewandowski held off Sven Bender. Boateng attacked it at the back post, his header powerful but rising, sailing over the bar.
Leverkusen countered moments later from the goal kick as Hradecky launched it long, over Bayern's high line. Julian jumped over Kimich, knocking it over the defensive line for Diaby, who had timed his run perfectly, staying onside by inches. Davies immediately gave chase, his legs pumping as he quickly caught up, but Diaby had the angle.
Twenty yards from goal, Diaby cut inside sharply onto his left foot. Alaba slid across desperately, trying to block. The shot was struck cleanly, rising toward the top left corner—Neuer saw it all the way and got there. The German captain launched himself upward and to his right, fingertips meeting the ball at full stretch, pushing it over the bar.
"MANUEL NEUER!" Rae roared. "He does what he does best, guarding his goal with sheer skill!"
"World-class goalkeeping," Robson added, his voice carrying admiration. "That's why he's considered one of the best ever to do it."
[58']
The match had devolved into end-to-end chaos; every failed attack was met with a fierce counter-attack. Defenders put everything on the line to stop these attacks, whether through heroic defending or exceptional goalkeeping. The crowd of ten thousand voices rose in a chorus, singing their team's songs to spur them on, hoping they would score soon.
Rakim picked up the ball deep in his own half, turning with the ball's momentum, facing Pavard, who was immediately upon him. A thought passed through his head, and he acted upon it, nudging the ball forward through the open legs. Slipping around the side, he struggled to move forward as an arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him back.
He came to a stop after two steps, ignoring the ball as he turned toward Pavard, who was hanging off him. Looking at the man barely an inch shorter than him, Rakim brought his hands to his chest, pushing him off him. The Frenchman fell backwards, slipping and crashing onto his backside as the referee's whistle sounded.
"Oh, oh, looks like Rakim's finally had enough of the physicality," Ray commented as players swarmed their location where the two were exchanging heated words. "It was bound to kick off, considering how the two of them had been clashing with each other."
Gnabry, being the nearest player, moved to intervene, stepping in front of Rakim, who was standing over his downed teammate. He lightly pushed the younger player back, exchanging some words, but he found himself picked up from behind and moved out of the way by Baumgartlinger. His hands gripped Gnabry's shoulders firmly, pushing him aside with authority as he stared him down.
"Easy," the Austrian said in German, his voice calm but firm. "Sort out your own man."
As more players swarmed their location, Rakim moved to the side, where one of the physios jogged over to check on him. "Looks like he scratched you good, you lost some skin." The man said with a light grimace as he checked over the area where a faint handprint was.
(FWEEET FWEEET,) The referee's whistle resounded as he regained control of the mess of players, giving a couple of warnings. The cascading boos from the stands did not make his job easy either, but the players were professional, acting relatively peacefully, other than loud exchanges of words.
Felix Brych, after finally regaining control, called the two culprits to the side. He stood between Rakim and Pavard, his expression stern as he pulled out his yellow card. "Enough," he said in German, holding the card up to Pavard first. "Next foul like that, and you're off."
The French defender accepted it without protest, knowing he'd been caught. The referee turned to Rakim next, showing him the yellow as well. "Control yourself. I don't care who started it."
Rakim nodded curtly, walking back to the side where the physio applied treatment to his neck, as the crowd jeered at the decision. A spray that he assumed was for disinfection or promoting healing was sprayed before a square-shaped plaster was applied to keep the open cuts clean.
"Both players booked," Rae noted. "Brych is trying to regain control before this gets out of hand."
The free-kick was taken quickly by Aránguiz, playing it short to Wirtz, who immediately launched it long toward Diaby. The Frenchman chased it down, but Alaba got there first, heading clear.
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Benjamin Pavard Yellow '62
Rakim Rex Yellow '62
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To Be Continued...
