Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 46: 46. Guardiola is shocked

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”Goal!!! Son Heung-min!”

”A perfect link-up between two Asian players! Bayer Leverkusen delivers a brilliant counter-attack in adversity!”

”This was Bayer Leverkusen’s only shot in the first half, successfully creating a goal! They’ve equalized!”

”1-1! Both teams are back on even terms!”

Duan Xuan raised his arms and cheered, he was incredibly excited!

It was his first time commentating on a match with a Chinese player, and he was witnessing such a thrilling attack.

Who would have thought before the match that the 16-year-old Lance would once again be the key player!

Even against last season’s quintuple winners, the Bundesliga hegemon Bayern Munich, he remained calm and fearless!

”Truly beautiful! Lance’s pass was so well-judged, directly piercing Bayern Munich’s defense.”

Xu Yang was also full of praise.

From a personal skill perspective, finding an opportunity to score in front of the goal was indeed brilliant.

However, having such a clear tactical mind, never holding onto the ball when it’s time to pass, this is the rarest quality for becoming a world-class player!

Son Heung-min was overjoyed after scoring, sprinting 50 meters back to find Lance.

If, when Lance first joined the team, Son Heung-min still held a slight disdain, believing that Chinese players couldn’t play football.

Then now, he was utterly convinced and full of admiration for Lance!

The performance of this 16-year-old player in the recent matches was something Son Heung-min couldn’t achieve.

”Nice! Dae-bak!! Lance!”

”What does that mean?”

Son Heung-min excitedly blurted out Korean, and Lance didn’t understand.

”Awesome!! I’m saying you’re awesome!”

Son Heung-min’s Chinese pronunciation was quite clear and precise, indicating he had spent a lot of time learning Chinese from Lance.

”That was great, you guys!!”

”Awesome!”

Scoring against Bayern Munich’s goal suddenly relieved the pressure on the entire Bayer Leverkusen team.

Bayern Munich’s earlier possession and pressing were like a dark cloud, suffocating them.

The combined goal by Lance and Son Heung-min was the holy light that dispelled the dark cloud.

With a 1-1 score away from home, Bayer Leverkusen had essentially completed their task.

Now, they just needed to hold onto the draw, sit back, and play counter-attacking football.

The team that should be anxious was the home team, Bayern Munich.

”Beautiful!”

Sascha and Hyypi? high-fived joyfully, and both coaches breathed a sigh of relief.

They had felt like the sky was falling when they conceded a goal just 23 seconds into the game.

Now, it seemed they had underestimated their players a little, especially Lance.

”The decision to start Lance seems to have been correct.”

”I told you, he has great potential!”

Hyypi? had always been a supporter of Lance.

”Exactly!”

Sascha couldn’t help but sigh, they had really found a treasure.

...

”Let’s look at the slow-motion replay of that moment.”

Duan Xuan was also wondering how Lance managed to beat two Bayern Munich defensive midfielders by himself.

Lance’s handling of the ball was definitely the key moment, otherwise, Bayer Leverkusen wouldn’t have penetrated Bayern Munich’s defense so easily.

If it had been delayed by even one second, they would certainly have been dispossessed by Bayern Munich’s intense pressing.

The Bundesliga director also understood well, not immediately cutting to Son Heung-min’s shot, but instead cutting to Lance’s initial touch.

He was supposed to receive the ball with his back to goal, but before receiving it, he suddenly turned confidently!

This was clearly an unconventional move, how do you receive the ball without looking at it?

The moment the football was punched out by the goalkeeper and landed outside the penalty area, Lance actually backheeled the ball upwards, and it flew over the heads of two players.

Bastian Schweinsteiger’s attention was drawn by Lance’s turn, and he didn’t notice the ball in time!

This move, combining a block and a pass, a stop and a dribble, was simply elegant!

Holy cow!

A work of art!

Duan Xuan was stunned!

After beating Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xabi Alonso rushed over with a look of horror, intending to commit a foul.

Even pulling Lance down for a tactical foul would be acceptable.

But then the football dropped in front of Lance from above his head, and before it landed, he flicked it with his left foot to the right, feigning a move that made Xabi Alonso shift to block.

At the crucial moment, Lance deftly nudged the ball with his right foot, completing a nutmeg!

His feigned shoulder drop to the right was just a trick; he quickly changed direction to the left, instantly faking out Xabi Alonso!

By the time Xabi Alonso realized he had been tricked and turned back, Lance had already dribbled away by a body length.

Philipp Lahm couldn’t help but rush over, just about to intercept Lance, but Lance delivered a sublime through pass, piercing through behind Philipp Lahm!

Son Heung-min also trusted Lance enough; he had already accelerated his run and, without being offside, surged past Philipp Lahm to receive the ball and burst forward.

David Alaba, coming from the other side, was already too late, Son Heung-min’s physique and speed were very strong, he took one diagonal dribble, used his body to block David Alaba’s position, and dribbled solo to the edge of the penalty area.

Manuel Neuer rushed out to intercept but failed, and Son Heung-min decisively curled the ball into the far corner.

It found the net cleanly!

”Two Asian players create a world-class combination! Both displayed their respective strengths.”

Duan Xuan watched, full of admiration.

Two Asian players on a European field working together to beat these arrogant white players.

Son Heung-min is better at utilizing his physical attributes and explosive power to create impact; his shooting is quite stable, and the edge of the penalty area is his comfort zone.

Lance, on the other hand, is more adept at close-range ball control and escaping, skilled in intricate play.

His every move is unconstrained and imaginative, catching opponents off guard and leaving them bewildered.

Duan Xuan seemed to see Ronaldinho’s shadow in Lance.

The director’s close-up shot showed Pep Guardiola on the sideline, Pep Guardiola was stunned by the goal, his eyes wide as he scratched his bald head.

This is possible?

His defensive tactics had no flaws, and the players executed them without problems.

It was purely Lance’s individual ability that broke the Bayern Munich players’ expectations.

”Remember, collect more footage of this kid later.”

”Understood.”

Pep Guardiola had already taken Lance seriously enough before the match, yet he still succeeded.

However, Bayern Munich’s home advantage still existed.

Bayer Leverkusen was temporarily unable to launch attacks, and the game was still controlled by Bayern Munich.

Pep Guardiola wasn’t worried about losing today; the strength gap between the two teams was too large, not something that could be compensated by one or two players’ standout performances.

Indeed, Bayern Munich continued to control the midfield without rushing.

No matter how hard Bayer Leverkusen’s central defenders and midfielders tried, it was difficult to make effective tackles, they could only be constantly pulled apart by Bayern Munich’s passing and possession.

”Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xabi Alonso, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Müller drops back... then to Mario Mand?uki?, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Mario G?tze... back to Toni Kroos...”

Fluid.

Although Bayern Munich’s attack didn’t pose much threat, their passing around the penalty area was flawless, smooth and seamless.

They passed it back and forth, and Bayer Leverkusen truly had no way to stop them.

Even if they occasionally disrupted a pass, Bayern Munich’s immediate counter-pressing could still regain possession.

Even Lance returned to the vicinity of the penalty area to participate in defense.

”As long as we hold out until halftime, we might really win today!”

Lance was confident that if they maintained a 1-1 score at halftime, they could find an opportunity to steal another goal in the second half.

But Bayern Munich was the ’Southern King,’ and your grandpa is still your grandpa.

Just before the end of the first half, in the 42nd minute, Toni Kroos suddenly accelerated!

He had been constantly making horizontal and back passes, Toni Kroos spotted an opportunity and suddenly delivered a chipped pass!

”Mario Mand?uki?!!”

The tall center-forward Mario Mand?uki? suddenly jumped in the penalty area, displaying his aerial prowess!

”Damn it!!”

Lance’s heart tightened, was no one marking him?!

As expected, Mario Mand?uki?’s powerful header once again breached Bayer Leverkusen’s goal.

2-1!

Bayern Munich led again!

And that wasn’t all!

While Bayer Leverkusen’s players were distracted, Toni Kroos once again displayed his potential as a world-class midfielder!

”Toni Kroos!! Through ball to the flank!!!”

”Thomas Müller!! Narrow-angle shot!!”

”Wow!! Bayern Munich scored two goals just before halftime! 3-1!”

”Now Bayer Leverkusen is in trouble!”

Bayer Leverkusen’s joy was short-lived, as Bayern Munich ended the first half with a 3-1 lead.

Lance looked around; his teammates were all somewhat dejected.

Only he himself clenched his fists, a burning anger simmering in his chest!

”Rage Value: 95%!”

In that case, let me have the stage!

Allianz Arena is my backdrop!