Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 111: 111. Playing against Barcelona? You have no chance!

Check out advanced Chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari

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”Bayer Leverkusen Dominates Eintracht Braunschweig 4-0! Starlet Tears Through Defense Thrice for the Win!”

”Is Lance Still Evolving? A Detailed Analysis of His Tactical Role”

”Only 2 Points Behind and Relentlessly Chasing! Can Bayer Leverkusen Truly Contend for the Title Against Bayern Munich This Season?”

After Lance’s hat-trick led the team to a big victory in Bundesliga Round 25, his numerous long-range runs and continuous dribbling breakthroughs caused another sensation across German football, and even European football!

Previously, everyone thought Lance was just a striker good at creating opportunities. Now, he seems to be heading straight for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo territory! He already has the feel of a future world-class superstar!

Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo were this extraordinary at 16!

According to a Bild column review:

”For so many years, the debate about the world’s third-best player has never ceased: Wayne Rooney, Sergio Agüero, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovi?... No player has ever been able to stand alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now, we seem to be witnessing a player at the pinnacle of the world football pyramid growing rapidly.”

”In just half a season, he has transformed from an initial pseudo-No. 9 striker with difficulty breaking through, into a comprehensive forward who can now dribble, pass, and threaten with shots! We cannot yet predict what kind of star Lance will grow into, but we know that if he continues to evolve like this, he might rival Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo within the next two years! The third pole of world football is forming!”

Logically, this Bild commentary should have been met with ridicule from fans. Who are you to compare yourself to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Robert Lewandowski, Mario G?tze, Arjen Robben, Neymar, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie... These world-class players wouldn’t dare make such comparisons, and you haven’t even played a full season, yet you can compare yourself to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

However, to everyone’s surprise, the comments section on Twitter for this lengthy Bild article was filled with praise!

”After watching yesterday’s match, Lance indeed has great potential!”

”His matches are fantastic, a fan from the Premier League here, already a fan of Lance!”

”If he doesn’t hit a rookie wall next season, even maintaining his current performance, he has a chance to stand alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo!”

”He is indeed a promising star for tomorrow, hope he doesn’t decline quickly like Alexandre Pato...”

Lance’s original playing style was already brilliant, with exquisite ball control and wonderfully executed dribbles and shots. Now that he has learned long-distance dribbling breakthroughs, watching him play is even more of a pleasure.

Yesterday’s match felt like watching Lionel Messi’s initial rise to prominence in his first season, dribbling past 5 players to score, honoring Diego Maradona. Lance can also dribble past 5 players to score, and he performed similar exaggerated displays multiple times in one match!

The only thing worth questioning is that recent opponents have been from the mid-to-lower ranks of the Bundesliga, posing little challenge to Lance. We can only wait to see what kind of performance Lance can deliver against truly strong teams!

Soon, they will face their strongest opponent of the season—FC Barcelona, who stand in their way in the Champions League quarterfinals!

According to media and fan predictions, Bayer Leverkusen will most likely fall here. The ”Spanish Super” trio: FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, and Real Madrid—these three teams are simply too extraordinary. In the Bundesliga, only Bayern Munich can challenge them. Bayer Leverkusen? Highly unlikely!

Even a week before the Champions League quarterfinal matches began, some Bayern Munich fans on Twitter stated:

”Given that FC Barcelona might be Bayern Munich’s opponent in the Champions League final, we hope Bayer Leverkusen can expose Barcelona’s weaknesses, and Borussia Dortmund can expose Real Madrid’s weaknesses. That way, when Bayern Munich defends the Champions League title, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund will have contributed to it.”

According to comments on Twitter, Bayern Munich fans generally held this view. The Champions League draw not only determined the respective opponents but also divided the teams into upper and lower brackets.

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Upper Bracket: Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid vs. Bayern Munich

Lower Bracket: FC Barcelona vs. Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund

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It just so happens to be the ”Spanish Super” trio vs. the Bundesliga top three. The theme of the 2013-2014 Champions League also became the regional confrontation between La Liga and the Bundesliga!

Bayern Munich is confident of advancing from the upper bracket, while in the lower bracket, both Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are a bit lacking in strength. Bayern Munich fans naturally took on the responsibility for the Bundesliga themselves.

Theoretically, there’s nothing wrong with this statement, except that it offended both Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen fans at once.

”Why should we help you expose weaknesses? Don’t we have a chance to advance?”

”These Bayern Munich guys are too arrogant!”

”You guys get past Atlético Madrid first!”

Unfortunately, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, both teams are indeed a bit weaker in overall strength. The fans’ voices were also somewhat insignificant, not stirring up much of a storm for the time being.

...

With 4 days remaining until the Champions League quarterfinal against FC Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen welcomed their Bundesliga Round 26 match over the weekend: Bayer Leverkusen vs. FC Augsburg.

Considering the tough Champions League match in 4 days, the coaching staff temporarily opted for a rotated lineup. As a result, Bayer Leverkusen and FC Augsburg were tied 1-1 at halftime...

The starting central defenders, ?mer Toprak and Emir Spahi?, both have significant shortcomings. Not to mention the backup duo of Philipp Wollscheid and Tin Jedvaj, they’re simply sieve-like! Everything that could leak, did leak!

If not for the diligent efforts of backup midfielder Emre Can, Bayer Leverkusen might have lost to FC Augsburg today. This is the awkward position of smaller teams. They can occasionally put together a fairly competitive lineup, but their bench depth is too weak, and the backup lineup simply cannot support the team’s normal rotation.

Seeing the team about to drop points and fall further behind Bayern Munich in the standings, Sascha Lewandowski quickly brought on Lance, Julian Brandt, and Son Heung-min! Bringing on 3 attacking players at once to save the team. And also using the last 20 minutes to help the three warm up, to be in better condition for the Champions League battle in 4 days!

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Equipped Template: Nagi Seishiro (Fusion Value 100%)— Skill: Perfect Ball Control— Skill: Hardcore Shot— Skill: Mirror Learning

Rage Value: 0%

Assisting Character: Bachira Meguru - S (Fusion Value 3%)— Skill: Beast Dribbling— Skill: Locked (Unlocks at Fusion Value 25%)

Assistance Status: On

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Considering FC Augsburg’s away 1-1 draw, they intended to set up a defensive wall, hoping to secure a point with a draw. The area 30 meters from their goal was too congested with players, so Bachira Meguru’s dribbling breakthroughs had no space and were difficult to utilize effectively.

It was Nagi Seishiro’s small-range dribbling and shooting in the penalty area that posed a greater threat. Lance is not the type of person who mindlessly uses a new character to death. Since the equipment slot can be changed each match, Lance flexibly uses it according to the opposing tactics and the situation on the field.

Indeed, once Lance came on, he frequently threatened the opponent’s defense multiple times through Nagi Seishiro’s Perfect Ball Control. And in the 87th minute of the match, Lance seized the opportunity!

”Son Heung-min... is surrounded, FC Augsburg’s defense is very resolute, Son Heung-min also has no space to dribble.”

”Attempting a cross to the top of the box!”

”Oh!! Lance—a beautiful ball control!! The Lance we know!”

”Good, clear a shooting angle!”

With his back to the goal, Lance cleverly flicked the ball up with his right foot using Perfect Ball Control, successfully turning to face the goal while bypassing the opposing defender, and unleashed a volley!

Bang—

The football became a blur and blasted into the net!

”A last-minute winner!! Lance’s 33rd Bundesliga goal!! His consecutive scoring streak is still accumulating!”

”2 to 1! Bayer Leverkusen successfully secured the victory!”

”With Lance in this form, FC Barcelona is in danger!!”