Football singularity-Chapter 701 Game Plan
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~~~
[16/02/2021 | CBS Sports Studio, London | Halftime]
Kate cleared her throat, suppressing a smile as she redirected the conversation. "Right, yes. The match. Jamie, you predicted City would win two-one. Are you changing that prediction?"
Carragher shook his head firmly. "No. City will score in the second half—they have to. They’re creating chances, they’re dominating the ball. De Bruyne will eventually find space, and when he does, someone will finish. But—" he paused, glancing at his notes, "—Leverkusen have done something very smart. Look at how Baumgartlinger and Aránguiz are positioning themselves."
The screen transitioned to tactical footage, showing the two defensive midfielders shadowing De Bruyne’s movements throughout the first half. Whenever the Belgian dropped deep to collect the ball, one of them was there immediately. When he drifted wide, the other shifted across to cover.
"They’re not just pressing him," Carragher continued. "They’re denying him time and space. Every touch he’s had, he’s been under pressure. That’s why City look less fluid than usual. Take away De Bruyne’s influence, and suddenly their attack becomes two-dimensional."
"It’s not just the two holding midfielders but also Tah behind watching this," Thierry interrupted, getting up to walk to the large screen. " A player like De Bruyne is hard to shut down for 90 minutes, evidenced by the multiple chances he’s had."
"However, notice how Tah superbly dictates his line to step whenever De Bruyne turns forward with the ball." The paused play resumed as a synchronised army of Leverkusen’s back for all simultaneously stepped forward, setting the offside trap. "Before the pass even comes, Sterling and Mahrez are offside, killing the attack at its most crucial. Plays like this hurt attakers mentally, and they will start second-guessing themselves if that continues to happen."
Kate nodded, impressed by the analysis breakdown. "That’s excellent analysis, Thierry. So it’s not just individual defending—it’s a coordinated team effort."
"But here’s the problem," Richards interjected, leaning forward. "Can Leverkusen sustain this for another forty-five minutes? That offside trap requires perfect timing, perfect communication and nerves of steel. One mistake, one player half a step slow, and the attackers are through on goal. City only needs one moment."
"Which is why," Carragher added, "I still think City score and make things interesting. The pressure will tell eventually. Legs get tired, and concentration drops."
Kate turned to the camera. "Fascinating tactical battle. Tune back with us after the second half, which promises to be another exciting 45 minutes of football."
~~~
[Leverkusen Dressing Room | Puskás Aréna]
The dressing room hummed with excited energy as Players sprawled on benches, some with ice packs on their knees, others gulping down water. The forty-five minutes had been intense, but they had performed as planned and were rewarded with a goal. Leading in a Champions League clash against a side as good as City filled them with excitement and a healthy dose of nerves.
Bosz stood at the front, clipboard in hand, waiting for the room to settle down. When the last conversation died down, he began. "Excellent first half. Outstanding. You’ve done exactly what we asked—stayed compact, pressed when needed, and took our chance when it came."
He paused, making eye contact with several players. "But this is where it gets harder. City will come out harder, desperate for a goal, as Guardiola makes changes and throws more attackers forward. They’ll take risks because they have to, and our job is to stay disciplined."
Turning to the tactical board, he pointed to the defensive shape they’d maintained. "The offside trap has worked brilliantly. Tah, your timing has been perfect. But in the second half, City will try to break it. They’ll send runners earlier and vary their movements. So we will switch to man marking at the flanks and the striker."
Tah and the rest of the back line nodded, their expression focused. "Understood, boss."
"Charles, Julian," Bosz addressed the two defensive midfielders. "You’ve been exceptional, but I need more from both of you going forward. De Bruyne has barely had a second on the ball when we defend, but when we attack, one of you needs to hustle up the field to provide an option. Demirbay and Amiri are ready to come on, so I need you two to hustle until you can’t any more."
Baumgartlinger and Aránguiz exchanged a quick glance, both nodding despite their legs feeling slightly heavy. It seems easy to neutralise one man, but De Bruyne’s area of coverage is quite vast, especially off the ball, as he tries to create chances through his movements.
"Rakim, Moussa," Bosz continued, looking at his wingers. "When we win the ball, don’t hesitate. City’s fullbacks will push even higher in the second half. That means more space in-behind. One good counter could kill this tie."
"Forty-five minutes, lads," Bosz said, his voice rising slightly. "Forty-five minutes between us and the Champions League quarterfinals. I believe in every single one of you. Now go out there and finish what we started."
Lars Bender, despite not starting, stood from his seat on the bench. "Together!" he shouted.
"TOGETHER!" the room responded in unison, the sound echoing off the walls.
~~~
[21:50 | Second Half | Puskás Aréna | Manchester City (1) 0-1 (2) Bayer Leverkusen]]
*(FWEEET!)*
[45’]
Leverkusen kicked the second half off calmly, passing the ball back as they absorbed City’s initial press. From Schick to Florian, who sent it wide to Rakim, he set it back to Tah. The German defender sent it wide to Wendell under Gabriel’s pressure, and the Brazilian feinted a pass down the line, halting Mahrez before turning inwards.
The ball was sent inwards to Aránguiz, who flicked back to the flank under Gündoğan’s pressure. Rakim received the ball with Walker at his back, and he didn’t try any fancy manoeuvres and merely tapped the ball inwards to Wirtz. The young German turned forward as both Rakim and Diaby exploded forward, and the city line scrambled back.
They knew just how dangerous the youngster was when it came to initiating attacks. Rodri was immediately all over him, trying to halt him, but Wirtz barely crossed the halfway line before turning back, sending a pass out wide to the free Frimpong. "We talk about how good CTY is at keeping possession, but this Leverkusen side is just as good in that regard, beautiful game management," Druy commented as the German side continued moving the ball in their midfield, slowly moving up the field.
[49’]
They had worked the ball into the final third, losing it only twice, but were quick to win it back. Aránguiz was the one with the ball, scanning the field for an option as De Bruyne and Gündoğan closed in on his position. He spotted the incoming pressure, his head swivelling to find an outlet.
He feinted left toward Wirtz, drawing De Bruyne’s weight that direction, then clipped a pass over the top toward Diaby on the right wing. The ball flew slightly off towards the area in front of the corner flag, but the winger was fast enough to get to it. João Cancelo tracked back calmly, side-stepping all the way, showing the Frenchman outside.
He performed a few step-overs, trying to rattle the fullback, but the man remained cold. Seeing Wirtz coming in from the edge of the box, he flicked the ball to his left, Finlay getting a reaction before he deftly flicked the ball to the byline with his left, exploding after it. The full back backtracked desperately, but Diaby had the angle and swung his foot to send in a cross.
.
.
.
. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
To Be Continued...
