Football singularity-Chapter 707 Rot-Weiss Essen (DFB)
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[2021-03-03 | Stadion Essen, Essen | DFB-Pokal Quarter-Final]
[Rot-Weiss Essen vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen | Attendance: 0]
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Formation - Bayer Leverkusen (4-2-3-1): 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
GK: Lukas Hradecky
RB: Lars Bender
CB: Aleksandar Dragović
CB: Jonathan Tah
LB: Daley Sinkgraven
CDM: Julian Baumgartlinger
CDM: Exequiel Palacios
RW: Karim Bellarabi
CAM: Florian Wirtz
LW: Demarai Gray
ST: Lucas Alario
Substitutes: Lennart Grill, Tin Jedvaj, Sven Bender, Nadiem Amiri, Kerem Demirbay, Rakim Rex, Leon Bailey, Patrik Schick
Manager: Peter Bosz
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The floodlights illuminated the modest Stadion Essen, casting long shadows across the empty stands. The stadium, usually home to passionate fourth-division football, had never hosted a fixture quite like this. The groundskeepers had prepared the pitch meticulously, knowing the eyes of Germany would be watching.
As predicted, Bosz had rotated heavily, leaving only Hradecky, Tah, and Wirtz remaining from the Freiburg victory, surrounded by second and third-string players. Desperate to prove their worth, they had prepared actively for the match, unwilling to be the reason their cup journey ended.
The referee checked his watch one final time, then raised his arm as he blew the whistle at his lips. (FWEEET!)
[3’]
Leverkusen started brightly, immediately asserting control of possession. Palacios collected the ball from Hradecky, who had received the ball turning away from Essen’s pressing forward. He played it square to Baumgartlinger, who knocked it wide to Lars Bender.
The veteran right-back drove forward unopposed, Essen dropping into a compact 5-4-1 shape. He looked for a pass inside but found all lanes blocked, so he recycled it back to Dragović. The Serbian centre-back played it across to Tah, who stepped forward a few yards before sending a diagonal to Sinkgraven on the left.
"Leverkusen forced to take it slow as Essen plays defensively," the commentator noted. "But Essen is well-organised. Everyone behind the ball, even the lone striker."
It wasn’t until the 8th minute when Wirtz dropped deep to collect the ball from Baumgartlinger that some excitement entered the cup match. Just outside the centre circle, he drew two Essen midfielders toward him, trying to pressure him. The teenager stayed composed, spinning away from the first challenge with a Cruyff turn, then accelerating past the second with a La Croqueta.
He drove forward into the final third, challenging the Essen defensive line, which held firm, refusing to be pulled out of shape. He looked up, spotting Karim Bellarabi cutting in from the right flank, and tried to thread a pass into the box. But the Essen centre-back read it perfectly, stepping across to intercept, killing the attack.
"Good defending from Essen," the commentator observed. "They’re staying compact, forcing Leverkusen wide to circumvent."
[12]
Around the 12th, they had worked hard to get the ball down the right flank, finding Bellarabi on the touchline. One on one with Essen’s left wing-back, he dropped his shoulder, shaped to go outside, then cut inside onto his favoured left foot. He needed but a moment to look up before whipping in a cross toward the penalty spot. Alario attacked it, rising between two defenders, but his header was weak—straight at the goalkeeper, who caught it comfortably without fuss.
"First real chance for Leverkusen," the commentator said. "Alario will want better contact than that."
[17]
In the 17th, Essen created their first real chance after one of their midfielders won the ball back with a crunching tackle. He jumped up, getting to the ball before Wirtz, shielding it as he used his strength to create some space for himself. They hoisted a long ball over Leverkusen’s backline, aiming for their striker who had peeled off Tah’s shoulder.
The forward chased it, using his strength to hold off Dragović, who had caught up, but under the pressure, his first touch was heavy. The ball bounced awkwardly, and by the time he’d brought it under control, Hradecky had rushed out to the edge of his box. The Finnish keeper slid out, clearing the danger with his feet, sending both attacker and teammate tumbling.
"Nervy moment for Leverkusen!" the commentator exclaimed as Tah picked up the loose ball. "Essen almost had a real chance."
[24]
Leverkusen continued probing, working the ball patiently from side to side. Gray received it on the left, taking on Essen’s right wing-back with a series of stepovers. He managed to skip past him and drove toward the byline with speed.
His cross was whipped in with pace, curling toward the near post. Alario made his run, but Essen’s goalkeeper came off his line decisively, punching it clear before the Argentine could reach it. Florian Wirtz picked up the rebound at the edge of the box with a deft touch, bringing the ball down.
He didn’t need to consider long before angling his body and rifling a shot at goal. Lady luck seemed to favour the Essen side, though, as one of their midfielders slid in trying to block the shot. He barely managed to get a toe to it, but that was enough to send the ball rattling off the side of the left post and out for a corner.
The resulting corner was taken quickly as both Tah and Dragović marched into the box to challenge for aerial dominance. Wirtz was the man to take the spot kick, and he didn’t disappoint, floating in a teasing cross just off the six-yard line. Bodies jumped into the air, colliding midair, but the winner was Julian Baumgartlinger, who rose above his marker.
The Austrian smashed his head downward, sending the ball goalward toward the left side of the goal. The defender guarding the back post jumped forward awkwardly, blocking the ball with his stomach and sending it into the throng of players. Chaos was the only word to describe what happened next as they stretched out their legs trying to reach the ball.
Like a pinball, the ball was rebounded inside the box, sending the nerves of the home fans glued to their screens spiking. Luckily, defensive midfielder Marco Kehl-Gómez got on the end of it and booted it wide. The home side did not breathe a sigh of relief; instead, like a horde of wild horses, a flood of red and white surged out of the box.
Leverkusen had only left two players back to guard against counters, Lars Bender and Daley Sinkgraven. However, it was veteran centre forward Simon Engelmann who reached the ball first just outside the centre circle, deftliy bringing it with his chest. Bender tried to pressure him, but the forward merely flicked the ball to the nearby right wing right into Rott-Weiss right winger Isaiah Young.
The young American winger did not need instruction on what to do as he took a long touch and accelerated further. Daley moved across to cover the middle as Bender gave a chance, but the wingers sent a diagonal ball forward, finding the surging Adetula cutting in from the left. Hradecky surged out of his box, trying to apply pressure, working together with Ebender to take the winger wide.
It worked for a few moments, but the winger cut the ball back with a daring heel pass, finding striker Engelmann. The forward did not need an invitation from anyone and shamed the ball into the back of the empty net before the recovering Leverkusen player could interfere. "GOOOAAALL ESSEN!" The commentator exclaimed as the striker surged to the corner flag with a huge grin.
[Rot-Weiss Essen 1 vs 0 Bayer 04 - Simon Engelmann 27’]
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To be Continued...
