Football singularity-Chapter 688 Wasp (2)
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[19/01/2021 | BayArena, Leverkusen | 18:35 CET]
[Bundesliga Matchweek 17 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund]
Rakim curled the corner toward the penalty spot, causing bodies to collide in the six-yard box trying to get on the end of it. Tapsoba rose above everyone else, his header powerful and directed toward the far corner. It curled goalward with no one being able to impede its path, but glanced off the post harmlessly, flying out for a goal kick.
"So close to the opener from Edmond Tapsoba!" Robson shouted. "Leverkusen are peppering the Dortmund goal!"
[35’]
Dortmund’s response came swiftly in the 24th when Hummels intercepted a loose pass from Aránguiz in Leverkusen’s half. He immediately launched a vertical ball toward Haaland. The Norwegian had dropped deeper, occupying the space between Leverkusen’s midfield and defence, with Tah tracking him closely.
Haaland’s first touch was immaculate despite the pressure—controlling the ball on his chest, letting it drop to his feet while simultaneously shielding it from Tah. He turned sharply, using his body to create separation, then played a quick pass to Sancho, who had drifted inside from the right.
Sancho took it in stride, his close control on point as he danced past Wendell with a double stepover. He cut inside sharply onto his left foot, drawing Tapsoba across, then slipped a pass through the narrowest gap back to Haaland, who had continued his run into the box.
The Norwegian barged into the box with Tah on his side as he tried to set up a shot with Hradecky charging out. He shaped to shoot with his right foot, keeping the defender at bay as Hradecky committed, diving at the ball. He swung his foot, trying to force a shot, but the Finnish keeper managed to smother it before it could get dangerous.
"Lukas Hradecky to the rescue," Rae exclaimed, mirroring the sighs of disappointment of the Away fans. "They almost had the lead."
[43]
The match had become a war of attrition, neither side willing to concede even a yard of space. In the 43rd minute, Leverkusen won a throw-in deep in Dortmund’s half. Frimpong quickly threw it to Diaby, who had dropped to receive. The French winger turned away from Guerreiro’s press with a sharp cutback, then played it inside to Wirtz.
The German teenager was immediately surrounded by Can and Witsel converging from either side. But his first touch was a deft flick that took him between both midfielders, using their momentum against them. Suddenly, he was facing forward with space ahead, Dortmund’s defensive shape momentarily compromised.
Before one of the defenders could step up to stop him, he chipped the ball forward that split Hummels and Akanji. They turned to chase it, only to see Rakim sprinting in from the left flank, right foot outstretched to trap the descending ball.
Meunier had tracked back desperately, but he was a step behind as the winger tapped the ball down with poise. Bürki rushed out, trying to narrow the angle, making himself big just as he shaped to shoot with his right. He struck it with the side of his foot, sending it curling over the keeper’s outstretched foot.
A moment later, the net rippled, and the BayArena exploded. "RAKIM REX continues his scoring spree!" Rae’s voice cracked with emotion. "LEVERKUSEN TAKE THE LEAD!"
He sprinted towards the corner flag, arms outstretched, before going into his griddy celebration. Wirtz reached him first, jumping on his back, followed immediately by Diaby and Alario. The home crowd roared, their voices echoing through the stadium.
[Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Borussia Dortmund — Rakim Rex 38’]
[45+1]
Dortmund responded with urgency, pushing more bodies forward in search of an equaliser before the break. They won a corner in the 44th minute after Tapsoba’s outstretched leg deflected behind Sancho’s shot. Reus took it, swinging the ball in with a vicious curve and pace toward the near post.
Bodies collided in the six-yard box—yellow shirts and red shirts battling for position. Haaland attacked it, rising above Tah with explosive power. His header was directed downward from six yards—Hradecky somehow got there, palming it away. He pushed it onto the post, and the rebound fell kindly for Tah, who booted it out of the box.
"HOW IS IT STILL ONE-NIL?!" Robson screamed. "Erling Haaland has been denied once again!"
(FWEEET, FWEEET!)
[HT: Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Borussia Dortmund]
~~~
[19:21 | Second Half]
*(FWEEET!)
Leverkusen kicked off, immediately working the ball backwards, starting off slowly—Hradecky to Tapsoba to Lars Bender, who launched it long toward Alario. Dortmund pressed high, but the Argentine striker held it up well, laying it off to Wirtz.
"Second half underway," Rae’s voice filtered through the broadcast. "Dortmund need to find a way through Leverkusen’s defence, and they need to do it quickly before that Leverkusen offence gets going."
[48’]
Dortmund didn’t let them start slowly, pushing higher and pressing more aggressively, forcing Leverkusen deeper. In the 50th minute, Sancho received on the right, cutting inside past Wendell’s challenge. His shot from twenty yards was struck cleanly, rising toward the far left corner.
Hradecky just about managed to get there, tipping it over the bar with his fingertips. "Another save from Hradecky!" Robson exclaimed. "The Finnish goalkeeper is having an exceptional match!"
The corner swung in dangerously, finding Hummels at the near post. The German defender’s header was powerful, but Tapsoba matched him in the air, heading clear. The ball fell to Witsel at the edge of the box, who struck it first-time on the volley. The shot cannoned off his boot but flew just wide of the post, Witsel dropping to his knees in frustration.
[54’]
Leverkusen weathered the storm, then struck on the counter. Lars Bender won the ball in midfield with a perfectly timed tackle on Reus, immediately playing it forward to Diaby. The French winger took off down the right flank, his pace frightening.
Guerreiro gave chase desperately, but Diaby was already clear. He cut inside at the edge of the box, drawing both Akanji and Hummels toward him, then played a clever reverse pass into Alario’s run. The Striker took it on the turn creating just enough speration from Hummels as he faced teh goal.
He swung his foot to strike, but a pair of feet belonging to Can slid by, deflecting the shot just enough to send it spinning wide. "Emre Can to the rescue!" Rae shouted. "That was destined for the net!"
[61’]
Terzić made his move. The board went up: Jude Bellingham and Giovanni Reyna on for Axel Witsel and Julian Brandt.
Bellingham immediately got to work, the seventeen-year-old English midfielder bringing intensity that had been missing in the Dortmund midfield. He pressed aggressively, winning duels and, most importantly, cutting off the supply of balls into Wirtz. In the 64th minute, he intercepted a loose pass from Aránguiz, immediately driving forward.
He played a quick one-two with Reus, then launched a diagonal ball toward Haaland’s run. The Norwegian had drifted wide into the left flank, allowing Reyna to cut to the middle. He didn’t look to lay it off this time and used his body to turn past Frimpong as he cut in from the edge of the box.
Tah moved to intercept him, but twenty yards from goal, he unleashed a shot with his left foot. The ball flew across the goal toward the top right corner, dipping and swerving from the power behind the strike. Hradecky launched himself, fully extended, but he couldn’t get to it and could only watch it hit the side netting, rattling the goal.
"Erling Haaland!" Rae roared. "Thoes who ask shall recive and he has cetently been asking teh right quest and is rewared with a goal for his troubles!"
"Well, there are only so many miracles the keeper can pull off before you start asking what the defence is doing," Robson noted that Bosz seemed to be asking that exact question to his players, who looked shocked as the visitors celebrated. "64th minute and were levelled here in the Bay arena."
[Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Borussia Dortmund —Erling Haaland 64’]
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To Be Continued...
