Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 246: 246. A strong comeback!

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”Goooooooooal——”

”Bayer Leverkusen scores with a long-range shot!! It’s 1-1!”

”The scorer is——”

”Number 39——”

”Laaaaance——”

”Lance!! You live up to your name!!”

”My heavens! Lance, how on earth do you kick it like that?”

”Why are you blokes making such a fuss? He scored three world-class goals like this against Atlético Madrid before, didn’t he?”

”That’s right, Lance has been quietly putting in extra training for over a year. To achieve today’s results, it’s a quantitative change leading to a qualitative change... Now you know the importance of training, don’t you?”

At half-time, the Bayer Leverkusen changing room was filled with cheer.

In the first half, they had almost given up hope.

Bayern Munich had dominated the entire pitch, pinning them in their own half.

The few attacks they managed were all defended by Bayern and saved by Neuer.

It was like being cornered and pummelled by Tyson in a boxing ring, with their occasional inspired jabs easily parried by Tyson, unable to find any breakthrough.

At the most critical moment, Lance stepped forward, and his stunning long-range shot greatly boosted morale throughout the stadium!

Anyone who witnessed that volleyed long-range shot couldn’t help but be dumbfounded!

The visual impact was comparable to Roberto Carlos’s free-kick from back in the day!

The most emotional were the veterans of Bayer Leverkusen: Captain Rolfes, Vice-Captain Lars Bender, and the two coaches.

They still remembered when Lance first joined the team last season, his physical confrontation was lacking, and his long-range shooting was even worse.

Now, setting aside his physical confrontation for a moment, his long-range shooting has truly been honed!

Whether it was his crucial hat-trick to save the team against Atlético Madrid, or today’s world-class goal... no wonder Hyypi? seized the opportunity to use Lance’s example to admonish the players present.

Daily training is tedious and boring, but you really can’t be lazy.

First there was Pato, then Hazard, Martial, Sancho, Pogba... How many geniuses, because of laziness and lack of enthusiasm in training, ultimately squandered their exceptional talent, going from a world-stunning debut to later fading into obscurity, their professional careers already on a downward slope before even reaching their peak.

Manchester United has the most to say about this.

No matter how many coaches they changed, how many players came and went over the years, as long as that lax team culture persists, this club has no hope of revival...

”Don’t blame yourself, Manuel, you’ve been great. Hey! Blokes, listen to me!! Hey!!! Listen!!”

”We still have a chance!! It’s just a draw!!”

”Let’s push harder in the second half, run more!!”

”Mario, Robert, Thomas!!”

”You three start from the front, run! Run! And still run!!!”

”We need to leverage our high-pressing advantage!!!”

”Wear them down with our will!!!”

”We are Bayern Munich!! We are the Star of the South in the Bundesliga!! The Southern King!!!”

The away team’s changing room.

The six-time champion coach Guardiola’s bloodshot eyes glowed with a fanatical light.

He habitually mixed English, Spanish, and German, trying to boost the team’s morale with an incredibly fast pace of speech.

Although the Bayern Munich players were very confused, it had been strangely difficult to defeat Bayer Leverkusen these past two years.

But they still retained a trace of Bayern’s iron-blooded spirit, even though their bodies were very tired and the high press had almost broken them, they still had to withstand the immense pressure and try to fight Bayer Leverkusen to the death!

”Ten minutes into the second half, Bayern Munich still controls the game.”

”Lahm... Alonso, Thiago, Müller, Thiago... Lewandowski...”

”Pass back to Alonso... Good, spread it wide to G?tze!”

”Mario G?tze!!! Beats Maguire!!!”

”Antonio Rüdiger!! A crucial interception in the box!”

”Bayern Munich’s throw-in... Bayer Leverkusen’s defence is also very resolute!!”

”Thanks to Lance’s spectacular world-class goal, Bayer Leverkusen’s morale has increased significantly, and their defence has also become much tougher.”

During Van Dijk’s injury absence, Bayer Leverkusen’s defence was indeed a bit unstable.

Both Maguire and Antonio Rüdiger had their own issues.

Lance’s goal gave them a shot in the arm, and Antonio Rüdiger and Maguire gained more and more confidence, working with their teammates to form an impenetrable wall.

Bayern’s front line tried their best, but still couldn’t get past this hurdle.

The two sides were temporarily in a stalemate.

”This period is crucial.”

Kahn, as a former world-class player, pointed out the variables on the pitch with keen insight.

”Bayern Munich’s physical fitness has declined quite severely, whilst Bayer Leverkusen is also barely holding on.”

”This period is more about a battle of wills. Whoever withstands the pressure first and creates an opportunity will likely win this match.”

”Exactly, it may seem like a 1-1 draw right now, but we’re at a tipping point for the next goal. Will Bayern’s siege pay off, or will Bayer Leverkusen find a chance to counter-attack?”

No sooner had Scholl finished speaking, as if to confirm Kahn’s words, Bayern Munich took a throw-in, Thiago stepped up to receive, chesting the ball to G?tze on the left, hoping G?tze could use his dribbling to create some threat and draw defenders.

On the right, Thomas Müller and Lewandowski were already in position according to tactical requirements.

If the ball were transferred there, Bayer Leverkusen’s goal would be in danger.

But Mario G?tze’s position unfortunately went awry!

Time returns to the 2014 World Cup final.

Compared to the final in the original timeline, there were some differences, yet it was eerily similar.

Germany and Netherlands were tied 0-0 after 90 minutes, going into extra time.

In extra time, Lao Han Robben, just like in the 2010 World Cup, had another deadly one-on-one opportunity!

In 2010, Robben’s one-on-one shot from outside the box was saved by Casillas.

In 2014, from outside the box, Robben had a chance to redeem himself, but his one-on-one shot was saved by Neuer!

Then, in the 116th minute of the match, Mario G?tze showed brilliant movement behind the defence in the box, receiving a superb pass from Toni Kroos, and scored with a volleyed shot from a tight angle!

G?tze, just like in the original timeline, was still a hero to all of Germany!

As expected, upon returning to the club, G?tze seemed to have used up all his luck for a lifetime, his form fluctuating and gradually declining.

Had Robben and Ribéry not both been injured, G?tze would hardly have got many opportunities...

At this moment, the entire team was relying on G?tze to make an impact, and G?tze was very important in Guardiola’s tactics.

But G?tze’s speciality, close-range dribbling, failed him; he couldn’t even get past Kimmich!

Joshua Kimmich was incredibly focused, seeing through G?tze’s feint at a glance, and with a gentle poke of his foot, he nudged the ball away!

When G?tze tried to win the ball back, Kimmich even performed a ”Marseille turn” to get past G?tze, dribbling forward and feinting past the double-team of Lewandowski and Thiago, then calmly passed diagonally to Lance, who had dropped back to receive!

”Kimmich!!! A perfect play!!!”

Who would have thought that a full-back scouted from a second-division German team could achieve such a level!

Even Bayern Chairman Rummenigge in the stands was stunned!

”Look into it, buy this kid.”

Kimmich finished his performance and handed the baton to Lance.

”Go! Lance!! Let them see your intensity!!”

Received!

Lance caught sight of the open space in Bayern’s backline out of the corner of his eye, and without hesitation, activated his assist mode!

[Bachira Meguru] Assist!

Activate!

”Lance... receives the ball and turns!! Woooahhh!!! What a back-to-goal nutmeg dribble!!!”

”It’s here!! Lance’s dazzling footwork, he’s practically an elf on the green!”

Compared to the violent world-class goal in the first half, fans were more familiar with Lance’s graceful figure!

He nutmegged Alonso and turned, then dribbled with a change of direction, performing a step-over and a Rabona to change direction again, shaking off Lahm’s defence!

He dribbled straight through!

”Jér?me Boateng, Badstuber closing in... OHHHHHHH——”

”Lance!! He’s past them!!!”

With a ”roulette” move, alternating touches with both feet, he became like a flash of lightning, streaking through the two centre-backs!

”What the hell?! Shit!!!”

Neuer rushing out of his goal was already too late!

Lance had beaten two defenders and was already taking a shot from outside the box!

Tiger!

A powerful blast, comparable to Saitama-sensei’s incredibly potent ”Normal Punch,” punching through Bayern Munich!

”Gooooooooal——”

”Lance!! A brace!”

”Bayern Munich is about to fall before Lance again!!!”

”The Bayern nemesis, leading a powerful comeback!!!”