Football singularity

Chapter 778 The Biggest Stage (2)

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[2021-05-29| Estádio do Dragão, Porto| 22:15 CET]

He played it wide to Mahrez, who took one touch to control the ball before cutting it back to the arriving Gündogan at the top of the box near the arc. Shaping to shoot, Gündogan drew Tapsoba out of position, then slipped the ball back to De Bruyne, who had timed his run, arriving near the penalty spot. The Belgian was twelve yards out, his left foot cocked back, with the goal open before him—Lars Bender slid across from the right from seemingly nowhere.

The timing was surgical, his boot connecting with the ball a fraction before De Bruyne could pull the trigger. The tackle was brutally clean—sweeping the ball away from the City captain, who slipped to the ground. The ball rolled out toward the left, where Demirbay was already moving.

"WHAT A TACKLE!" Tyldesley roared. "Lars Bender with a goal-saving intervention!"

The crowd erupted—14,500 voices suddenly sounding like fifty thousand. In the VIP box, Emma shot to her feet first, hands clasped together. "YES! That’s how you defend!"

Demirbay collected the loose ball on the left touchline, his first touch taking him away from Bernardo Silva’s immediate press. He looked up, scanning the field in one fluid motion, trying to find that one figure. He found him slicing through the City defence, which had pushed high during the attack, leaving acres of space behind.

The seventeen-year-old who had been tracking back to help defend had switched to attack the moment Bender made the tackle. He started his run from the inside-left channel, before cutting inward diagonally toward the centre, the moment Demirbay got on the end of the ball, his body language screaming for the ball. The German midfielder wasn’t going to disappoint, taking one more touch to create separation from Silva, then struck it.

The ball left Demirbay’s boot with Power and pace, taking flight immediately, the pass diagonally arcing over City’s midfield line. "DEMIRBAY GOES LONG!" Drury’s voice climbed as the ball sailed through the Porto night sky, gathering all eyes.

Down below, Rakim, who had been ahead of Stones, who was frantically backtracking, and Walker, hot on his heels, suddenly accelerated. His studs dug into the turf, his toes squeezing out all the energy his legs could muster as he exploded forward. His change of acceleration took him past Stones in a matter of three strides, sprinting to the ball’s landing spot.

Dias was the nearest defender to Rakim and tried to block his path by standing between Rakim and the ball’s expected landing spot. The winger used his strong body to wedge himself in front of Dias, absorbing the contact long enough for the ball to drop just ahead. He trapped the ball to his right, then vaulted forward in a single motion over Walker’s sliding tackle from the side.

Rakim’s first touch out of the vault was heavy, sending the ball long into the box, adrenaline and momentum combining to send it farther than intended. Ederson hesitated between staying and charging out, but upon seeing this chance, he committed to exploding off his line. The Brazilian goalkeeper was one of the fastest in the world off his line, his long legs covering ground in huge strides, rushing forward like a man possessed.

He closed in on the ball that was now in the box rolling towards him as the angle narrowed with every step. He saw Rakim clearly, his legs pumping hard, eating up the ground in massive strides as he bore down on the ball and realised the forward would get there before him. In that split moment, he made a decision and spread his arms wide as he dove forward, similar to a butterfly swimmer.

"RAKIM REX!" Drury’s voice climbed several octaves. "HE’S THROUGH! HE’S THROUGH!"

His entire focus was on the ball and on reacting quickly enough to all evasive manoeuvres the winger would attempt. So when he saw the winger’s right foot stab at the ball from the left, looking to exploit in that direction, he pivoted his feet, stabbing the ground as he lunged that way. However, the expected actions did not follow, and the winger’s upper body, which had been leaning that way, suddenly straightened.

His right foot, which had just jabbed the ball, wrapped around it, pushing the ball between Ederson’s open legs as he dove. "Audacios Elastico and he is through." Without mercy, Rakim sprinted past the keeper, coolly collecting the ball before slotting it into the empty net.

"GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!" Tyldesley roared into his microphone, but his voice was easily overshadowed by the German contingent, who screamed their throats raw in the stands.

Rakim sprinted to the corner flag, animatedly waving his fist before going into his Griddy celebration. He stopped with his arms spread wide at the corner flag before being enveloped by a mass of red and nearby subs.

"RAKIM REX HAS DONE IT!" Drury’s voice was electric. "Fifteen minutes into the Champions League final, and the seventeen-year-old wonderkid has given Leverkusen the lead with a piece of absolute brilliance!"

Demirbay arrived first, grabbing his face with both hands. "YOU BEAUTY!" he screamed, though his words were drowned out by the roar. Schick shook him wildly, the joy spreading among the players who visibly relaxed after going ahead.

[18’]

City restarted with De Bruyn kicking off, playing it back to Gündogan, who switched it wide to Walker. The full-back drove forward, City’s shape pushing higher, trying to respond immediately. However, the Leverkusen side remained composed, dropping back into their half and taking a 4-4-1-1 shape, with both wingers dropping level with the holding midfielders.

City probed left, then right, but every pass was met with a red shirt impeding their path. Walker played it inside to Bernardo Silva, who turned sharply, looking for De Bruyne’s run. But Lars Bender was there, stepping across to intercept before the pass could be completed.

"Leverkusen have settled into their defensive shape beautifully," Drury observed. "Bosz’s men are happy to settle into their shape and wait for their opportunity to counter."

In the 22nd, Sterling received the ball on the left, cutting inside past Frimpong with a quick stepover. He drove toward the box, shaping to shoot, but Tapsoba stepped up to close the space. Sterling checked back, playing it square to Foden, who had drifted inside from the left channel.

Foden took one touch, then struck it first-time from twenty yards. The shot was clean, rising toward the top right corner, but sailed just over the bar by a foot. The City fans in the stadium raised their voices, sensing the momentum shift. On the touchline, Guardiola gestured frantically, urging his team to step it up, demanding more urgency.

"Foden!" Tyldesley called out. "Close! Manchester City is starting to find their rhythm now."

[26’]

City won a corner after Tapsoba deflected out Zinchenko’s cross. Mahrez stood over the ball on the right side, the Portuguese night air still and heavy. City players flooded the box with Dias, Stones, and Gündogan pushing forward.

Mahrez delivered an in-swinger toward the near post. Dias attacked it, rising above Tah, his header powerful and aimed low toward the bottom-left corner. Hradecky was already moving, diving full stretch, his left hand getting just enough on it to push it wide of the post.

"LUKAS HRADECKY!" Drury roared. "What a save! Dias thought he had it!"

The Finnish goalkeeper landed hard on his shoulder, immediately bouncing back to his feet, clapping his hands to rally his defence. "Stay focused!" he shouted in German. "We need to stay switched on!"

Another corner flew in moments later, this time from the left. Mahrez switched sides, and the delivery was flatter, driven with pace toward the penalty spot. Bodies rose again, and Stones got a head to it, but his contact was poor, the ball looping harmlessly over the bar.

The match quickly settled into a pattern of City dominating possession, as Leverkusen remained compact and organised, looking to hit on the break. Bernardo Silva worked the ball on the right, exchanging passes with Walker, trying to create an angle. He finally clipped a cross into the box, aimed toward De Bruyne, who had peeled off Lars Bender’s marking.

The Belgian attacked it with his head, but Tah was there, outjumping him to clear it powerfully upfield. The ball sailed outside the box, where Bender booted it long in one motion toward the halfway line. The Czech striker controlled it on his chest, at the halfway line with Stones tight on his back. Schick tried to turn, but Stones was too strong, muscling him off the ball and playing it back to Dias.

"Good defending from Stones," Tyldesley noted. "City are starting to assert themselves now."

[38’]

The Leverkusen side that seemed content just to sit back and defend suddenly sprang to life as Bosz walked to the touch line. Sliva just outside the centre circle had been leisurely scanning the area ahead when the Germans suddenly surged forward. Amiri quickly closed him down, pushing him right into Bender’s path, who nimbly pocked the ball loose.

The nearby Zinchenko picked up the ball but quickly found himself surrounded by Shick Diaby and Bender. He tried to hold up possession, but Bender poked the ball loose again, and Diaby immediately picked up the loose ball. The Frenchman Diaby immediately picked up the loose ball, his first touch taking him away from Zinchenko’s desperate lunge.

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TO BE CONTINUED...