Football singularity-Chapter 703 OH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
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[22:24 | Second Half | Puskás Aréna | Manchester City (1) 0-2 (3) Bayer Leverkusen]
[83]
(Fweeet)
De Bruyne took a short run-up following the referee’s whistle and whipped the delivery with wicked pace toward the corridor between the penalty spot and the six-yard box. Dias and Stones surged forward, Sterling darting across the near post, attacking the ball as Tah, Tapsoba, and Frimpong guarded them tightly.
The ball curled downward as players surged forward, but Sterling couldn’t reach it no matter how high he jumped. Demirbay narrowly missed the ball amid the hustle and bustle, and the ball bounced along the six-yard line. A boot stretched out, meeting the ball, smacking the ball into the back of the net before Hadecky could react.
"Gabriel Jesus!" Drury wildly exclaimed as the ball pierced the back of the net, leaving the German side shellshocked. "City finally scores as Leverkusen fail to finish off the match."
"When you knock hard enough, eventually you will be answered," Tyldesley noted as the city side fished the ball from the goal, eager to restart the match. "Though one must question, is it too little too late?"
[84’]
Bosz made his final change, bringing on Sven Bender for Florian Wirtz. The veteran centre-back came on to add defensive solidity, dropping into a 5-4-1 shape. The Dutch manager didn’t want to risk a late comeback and gave instructions to hold the line in the final minutes.
The next few minutes were hectic as Manchester tried to press their advantage, but Leverkusen remained solid after repeated testing. 89th Sterling got the clearest chance after dancing past Frimpong on the wing, sending in a pacy curler. "Sterling has a go, (Clang) oh, the post." Drury lamented as Sven poinced on the rebound, booting it long for Bailey to chase.
The Jamaican didn’t disappoint, chesting the ball down just beyond the halfway line under João Cancelo’s pressure. The fresh winger had no qualms dancing past his marker, forcing a run up the flank. He made it all the way to the side of the box before being forced to cut the ball back under the full-back’s pressure.
Aránguiz picked it up, exchanging a one-two with Schick to lose Rodri. "Charles Aránguiz fires!" Tyldesley exclaimed as the Chilean had a pop of his own, catapulting the ball goalward. "Ederson is equal to it."
The Brazilian had jumped full stretch, straining to the max to slam the ball beyond the goal. "Oh, so close to putting things to bed." Drury commented." As the official time elapsed, the Germans took their time setting up for the corner.
The fourth official raised his board, signalling two added minutes as Lukas Hradecky jogged up to take the set piece. The City side complained about time wasting, but there was little the referee could do about it. Finally, in what felt like aeons, the finish keeper was set in all seriousness, only to pass the ball to the incoming Rakim upon getting the go signal.
[90+1’]
He did not linger and hightailed it back to his goal as the young wunderkind turned past Rordi. Instead of holding up play at the corner flag, he chose to enter the box where the city side could ill afford to be reckless. Walker rushed over to cover, but Rakim had already shifted the ball to his right foot, shaping to shoot.
The defender committed, lunging across to place a leg in his way, but Rakim was quick to drag the ball back, shifting it onto his left. "Rakim Rex!" Drury’s voice rose. "Still going!" The seventeen-year-old took two more touches into the box, drawing Stones across. Schick made a run toward the near post, dragging Dias with him.
Bailey hovered at the edge of the box, unmarked. He looked up, feinted the pass to Bailey, then dinked the ball with the outside of his boot toward the penalty spot. The ball floated over Stones’s outstretched leg, curving perfectly into Schick’s path as the Czech striker peeled away from Dias.
Schick met it with his right foot, side-footing it past Ederson from eight yards. The Brazilian keeper got a hand to it, but the power was too much. The ball nestled into the bottom corner.
"GOOOOOAL! PATRICK SCHICK!" Tyldesley roared. "That surely is the dagger! Leverkusen are going through!"
Schick raced away, arms spread wide, screaming toward the night sky. Rakim sprinted after him, leaping onto his back as the rest of the team mobbed them near the corner flag. Even Hradecky, who’d barely made it back into position, pumped his fists from his goal.
[Manchester City (1) 1-3 (4) Bayer Leverkusen — Patrick Schick 90+1’]
[90+2’]
City kicked off the wind visibly leaving their bodies as the hope of a comeback evaporated with Patrick Shicks strike. De Bruyne symbolically dribbled it up the pack, and as always, his bodyguard Baumgartlinger was there to intercept him. The referee gave a moment as City passed the ball forward, but the moment they passed it too far back, he blew his whistle.
(FWEEET! FWEEET! FWEEEEEET!)
[FT: Manchester City (1) 1-3 (4) Bayer Leverkusen]
"IT’S OVER!" Drury bellowed. "Bayer Leverkusen have knocked out Manchester City! What an incredible performance from Peter Bosz’s side!"
"The fairy tale continues all on the back of this seventeen-year-old Rakim Rex with a goal and an assist," Tyldesley added, his voice filled with admiration. "On the biggest stage, against one of Europe’s best, he showcased why he should be in the conversation of next up."
The players shook hands professionally with their opponents, not celebrating too wildly, and a few shirt exchanges occurred. Rakim found Walker, and they exchanged shirts once again as they did in the first leg. "Looks like we finally have a winner." He told the English international with a bright smile.
"I’ll shut you down in our next meeting." He replied, self-assured despite the bitter loss. "All the best for the rest of the season. You should really come to the City through the prem, which is where all the action is."
"Hahah, we’ll see. I’ll think about it after I lift the Champions League." He replied with barely dodging the massive bicep trying to put him into a headlock. "Ew, I don’t want anymore of your sweat on me. I got enough of that during the game."
~~~
[Leverkusen Dressing Room | Puskás Aréna]
The dressing room was absolute pandemonium. Music blared from someone’s phone hooked up to top-of-the-line speakers. Players danced, shouted, and sprayed water bottles at each other like champagne. Hradecky sat in his locker, still in full kit, grinning ear to ear as he talked to Lars on the bench next to him.
"QUARTER-FINALS!" someone screamed.
"WE BEAT CITY!" another voice roared back.
.
.
.
"A moment, lads, Bosz exclaimed, barely rising above the mix of voices. "First off, I want to say a job well done to everyone here, not just in this game but also the ones leading up to it."
A round of applause followed with the occasional whistle. "Second, I want you to savour the moment and store it away. We have bigger goals to chase this year."
"YEAAAHHH CHAMPIONS LEAAAAGUE OH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE...OH, dear, I dream of a Champions LEAGUE." Before anyone knew it, they were all singing, and there was nothing the manager could do about it. Despite singing, the players had calmed down and were packing up, ready for their cooldown procedures.
"Sigh, do we know how the other game ended?" he asked his assistant manager, Fredrick Bauer, and the latter nodded.
"It will be Dortmund."
.
.
.
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TO Be Continued...
