Football singularity-Chapter 719 Erling Haaland
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[2021-04-05, 19:45 | BayArena, Leverkusen | Champions League Quarter-Final 1st leg | Leverkusen 1 v 1 Dortmund]
[51’]
The corner was delivered by Wirtz, curling toward the penalty spot. Bodies rose in a mass of limbs—Tah got a glancing header, but Hummels was there to clear it with a powerful header of his own. The ball fell to Bellingham on the edge of the box, and the English teenager immediately launched a counter.
He drove forward at speed, his long strides eating up the ground. He exchanged a quick one-two with Reus, skipping past Aránguiz’s challenge, before drilling a pass wide to Sancho on the right. The winger surged forward, crossing into the opposing half as Leverkusen players surged back to defend.
Wendell shuffled across to stand him as the winger crossed into the final third. He attempted to feint a cut inwards, but the defender did not budge, staying composed as he side-stepped. Seeing his feint not working, he tried to use his speed to get by, nudging the ball down the flank.
However, before he could explode, after it, Wendeel slid low, his left foot expertly poking the ball out of the pitch, killing the attack. "Superd defending from Wendell," Drury noted that Bosz could be seen animatedly clapping before giving more instructions. "So far, the home side has exerted its influence on the match expertly in this second half."
[55’]
The deadlock broke in the 55th minute in the most unexpected fashion when a hospital pass from Amiri to Wirtz was picked by Bellingham. The attacking midfielder had expected the slow ball and was late to react as the English youngster surged ahead of him to steal it. Before he could respond, Jude sent the ball up the left flank, finding Brandt, who used a nimble Lacroqueta to slip into the gap between Tapsoba and Frimpong.
He looked up once, then squared the ball across the box. Haaland attacked it like a predator, fought past Tah and struck it first-time with his right foot. The ball was struck with so much violence that Hradecky barely managed to raise a hand before the ball pierced the back of the net.
"GOOOOOAL!" Drury’s voice exploded. "ERLING HAALAND! His second of the night! Dortmund take the lead! The Norwegian machine cannot be stopped!"
Haaland sprinted to the corner, his arms and legs comically flailing upward before performing his signature meditation celebration—sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, utterly calm. His teammates mobbed him, a second later sharing in his joy.
"Two goals in a Champions League knockout match at twenty years old," Beglin said. "Peter, this young man is destined for greatness. The question isn’t if he’ll win the Ballon d’Or, but when and how many times."
[Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1-2 Borussia Dortmund — Erling Haaland 54’]
[64’]
Bosz was on his feet, gesturing frantically at his players at the edge of his technical area. He clapped his hands sharply, barking instructions as he tried to get his players to focus.
Leverkusen pushed desperately forward, trying to find a response, launching attacks on the flanks. Rakim collected the ball on the left touchline and turned to take on Meunier. He dropped a shoulder, feinted inside, then exploded down the line with a burst of acceleration.
The Belgian fullback tracked back, expertly trying to guide him wide, but Rakim had already cut inside onto his right foot. He drove toward the edge of the box, drawing both Can and Akanji toward him, then slipped a pass to Wirtz in the pocket. The German teenager controlled it under the pressure of Bellingham.
He turned away from him and threaded a pass into the box, looking for Schick. The striker burst into the box, closely followed by Hummels, as he latched onto the ball. He didn’t wait to move the ball onto his stronger right and fired directly with his left, trying to slip the ball past Hitz.
The Swiss keeper rushed out, spreading himself wide, and stuck out a leg, deflecting the ball away. "MARWIN HITZ!" Drury roared. "Another crucial save! Dortmund’s goalkeeper is keeping them in front!"
[68’]
In the 68th, the Leverkusen squad had scored a free kick just outside the 18-yard box following a rough tackle by Can on Wirtz. The German teen had gotten active through the middle, bringing the ball up a full 15 yards. However, before he could fire a shot or slip in an assist, he found himself becoming intimate with the ground.
The referee did not need long to deliberate before his whistle blew, and a yellow card was raised to the Dortmund man. Luckily, he wasn’t injured, and moments later, he, along with Rakim, stood behind the wall as the referee pushed the four-man wall back. The angle was quite central, ideal for either of them, as it added more variables for the keeper.
*FWEEET*
"Both are talented set-piece takers, but who will it be this time?" Drury voiced as Wirtz approached the ball from the left for a right-footed curler. "And it’s Florian Wirtz."
Wirtz bent the ball over the ball, sending it curling toward the bottom left corner. Hitzs whoa had stood in the middle of the goal jumped into action with cat-like agility. He stretched out fully, reaching for the descending, but it bounced just before reaching the goal.
(Bang) The ball hit the post with a loud clang, rebounding into the box where a mix of players swarmed in. Schick reacted first, throwing himself at the loose ball with a desperate lunge. His outstretched boot connected, sending it goalward from six yards out. Bodies scrambled—Hummels threw himself across, trying to block, but the ball was already past him.
Hitz, still recovering from his initial save, could only watch as the ball flew toward the net. Akanji appeared at the line, clearing it with a frantic kick as he crashed into the goal. The ball sailed high into the air, landing near the left edge of the box.
Rakim was there, completely unguarded, controlling it on his chest. He let it drop, then struck it violently on the volley with his right foot before anyone could close him down. The ball rocketd of the top of his boot, flying through the air in a slight parabola.
No one could react until the loud clang of the ball hitting the skimming of the top of the bar and flying out resounded throughout the BayArena. "OH, MY DAYS!," Drury roared at the top of his lungs. "Dortmund saved by the woodwork twice and Akanji on the line."
[70’]
When the clock struck 70, both managers made their move, both bringing on two players. Amiri and Frimpong left the stage for Demirbay and Lars Bender as Bosz looked to fill the holes and revitalise his team. Edin Terzić took off Hummels, who seemed winded from a collision with Schick in the earlier attack, bringing on attacking midfielder Giovanni Reyna.
The young American pushed Can back into the central defensive role, joining Reus and Jude in midfield. Łukasz Piszczek replaced right back Thomas Meunier, who appeared winded from having to deal with Rakim for 70 minutes. Both sides’ substitutions brought a short lull as the teams adjusted to the new game plan.
BvB was first to adjust, though, following a tight tacky form Jude who managed to clearly dispossess Wirtz of the ball in his own final third. The Birmingham prodigy immediately looked and found Sancho with a beam that split the midfield in two. The winger deftly received the ball at the edge of the final third and exchanged a one-two with Giovanni to skip by Wendell.
Catching the ball at the side of the box, he tried to fake out Tah with a feint and shoulder drop, but the Defender kept his composure. Knowing he couldn’t waste time, he nudged the ball towards the byline and exploded after it with a quick set of side steps. He sent a first-time rebona cross into the box just before the ball could cross out for a goalkick.
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To Be Continued...
