Dominating Football with Perfect Ball Control

Chapter 142: 142. Lewandowski’s Rivalry

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What Kahn could see, Jürgen Klopp could certainly see even more clearly.

As soon as he returned to the locker room, Klopp didn’t even have time to comfort his dejected players.

He quickly pulled out a whiteboard and started drawing and writing on it.

”Robert, next you’ll run like this, try to weave between the two, be more flexible with your positioning...”

”Marco! Don’t be limited to the wing, switch positions more, cut inside more, and try to find opportunities from the half-space.”

”And Henrikh, same for you, we’ll go through the gaps between their center-backs and full-backs more often. Their full-backs are substitute players, and their defensive coordination with the center-backs isn’t good enough yet; if you observe carefully, there will be many loopholes. We can exploit them more often.”

Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all nodded in agreement.

Klopp then pulled out a projector and quickly used his laptop to play the first half’s match footage. He broke down the tactical content from earlier, focusing on the players’ details and habitual movements.

”...Understood, right? You can do this, two of you can cooperate and attack this one point. He’s very slow to turn; if the wall pass is good, it’s easy to break through. Try to seize the opportunity, otherwise the opponent will realize and make a substitution.”

...

In the home team’s locker room, Lance didn’t feel the joy of leading.

According to his ”Wild Instinct,” he always felt that the second half wouldn’t be so easy to play. The defense would definitely have problems.

But what could Lance do? He was just a forward. Lance’s defensive task was only to restrict the opponent’s center-back from passing and to restrict the opponent’s defensive midfielder from passing.

Lance couldn’t possibly cover the opponent’s attacking combination. If Lance were to return to the penalty area to defend, it would truly waste his attacking opportunities.

Therefore, to counter Borussia Dortmund’s offense, Lance could only try to find more opportunities and score more goals in the attacking third. The defense had to trust their own defenders.

Even if he felt that this defensive line wasn’t quite at the Bundesliga’s top level... What could be done? You chose Bayer Leverkusen yourself, idol!

...

The second half began, and Borussia Dortmund’s relentless high press continued to make Bayer Leverkusen very uncomfortable.

At the same time, they also strengthened their blockade of the central midfield, reducing Lance’s risk of getting possession. If Bayer Leverkusen cleared the ball with a long kick, Neven Suboti? and Mats Hummels, two tall center-backs over 190 cm, would push up to contest headers and could generally secure the landing spot.

For a time, Borussia Dortmund achieved an 82% possession rate in the first 10 minutes of the second half! Bayer Leverkusen had 0 successful passes into the attacking half!

One might have thought Borussia Dortmund’s opponent was the Chinese National Football Team.

”What now?”

”You’re asking me?”

”You’re also a coach, who else should I ask?”

On the sidelines, Sascha Lewandowski and Sami Hyypi? bickered as usual. Both were coaches, but they had no solutions at the moment.

Some small tactical designs had mostly been outwitted by the old fox, Jürgen Klopp. Sascha and Hyypi? didn’t consider themselves world-class coaches; their actual talent was limited.

They could only rely on the individual strength of their players.

”It just depends on whether Lance can pull off a miracle, even if it’s just one attacking chance, try to steal a goal. With a two-goal lead, we can just solidify our defense.”

Lance shared the same thought as the two coaches. That’s right, Borussia Dortmund’s high press seemed watertight and impenetrable, but humans are not machines; there are always moments of error.

As long as an opportunity could be seized, the weakness of the high press would be infinitely magnified! Their vast open spaces in the back were almost like the Nalati Grasslands in summer!

The only thing to pay attention to was whether Borussia Dortmund’s frontline would score first, or if Lance would seize their mistake first. Although Lance didn’t directly face Borussia Dortmund’s frontline, a race against time had already begun!

...

”Bayer Leverkusen’s defense is under immense pressure! Robert Lewandowski!!!”

”A high-quality shot, saved again by Bernd Leno!”

CCTV commentator Duan Xuan couldn’t help but feel nervous for Bernd Leno. Leno’s form had been excellent during this period; with the defense under siege, Leno became the only reliable person in front of the goal.

Later, Bernd Leno transferred to Arsenal, won the FA Cup with Arsenal, and then went to Fulham. This goalkeeper might not be as famous as some world-class goalkeepers, and his own form could be a bit erratic.

When in good form, he could be Arsenal’s savior, making crucial saves. When not in good form, elementary mistakes were endless.

He was a big-hearted player, known as a ”penalty killer,” having saved many crucial penalties at critical moments. For some reason, the first time Lance saw Leno, a flood of future information quickly appeared in his mind.

Today, perhaps, was Leno’s test.

In the 63rd minute of the second half, Marco Reus dribbled into the penalty area and was tripped by Emir Spahi?. Borussia Dortmund was awarded a penalty!

”Bayer Leverkusen is in danger now; Robert Lewandowski himself is taking this penalty. This season so far, Lewandowski has taken 12 penalties and scored all 12, a 100% conversion rate!”

Seeing the statistics, Duan Xuan secretly gasped. This isn’t good!

The already precarious defense was now facing an even worse situation. If Borussia Dortmund equalized, it would hit Bayer Leverkusen’s morale and also intensify the opponent’s attack.

Bayer Leverkusen would likely find it very difficult to withstand. Bernd Leno stood in front of the ball.

Compared to the fans, his mentality was remarkably calm, as if he wasn’t on the field, and the team wasn’t in a crucial title race, but rather relaxed as if on a training ground. Robert Lewandowski placed the ball, and Leno deliberately pointed to the top corner of the goal, signaling Lewandowski to shoot there.

Robert Lewandowski, a Polish international, the Bundesliga’s strongest center-forward, and the world’s number one center-forward. He didn’t meet the goalkeeper’s gaze, his eyes fixed only on the ball.

But this annoying goalkeeper still disturbed Lewandowski’s emotions. How could the proud Lewandowski tolerate this?

Fine, I’ll kick it exactly there!

Beep—

The referee blew his whistle, Robert Lewandowski took his run-up, and swung his leg!

In a flash, although Lance’s Rage Value only reached 75%, his ”Wild Instinct” still came into play! An opportunity?

Regardless of whether his teammate could save the penalty, Lance immediately made a counter-run forward! Everyone’s attention was on the penalty, and for the moment, no one noticed Lance’s position.

”Robert Lewandowski, shot!!”

Duan Xuan almost suffocated! Lewandowski indeed kicked it to the top right corner, but to be safe, he aimed too much for the angle, and the shot’s power was slightly lacking!

Bernd Leno reacted very quickly and made a crucial save!

”Leno!! He saved it!!”

Bayer Leverkusen fans finally breathed a sigh of relief; Borussia Dortmund players didn’t think too much for the moment, they just rushed into the penalty area to try and contest the rebound. Captain Simon Rolfes arrived in time and immediately turned to make a powerful clearance.

He just wanted to kick it as far away as possible, but as the clearance flew towards the attacking third, a black figure sprinted at high speed beneath the ball, and only then did the Borussia Dortmund players feel a chill down their spines!

”Oh my God!”

”It’s over!! Get back on defense!!”

”Damn it!!” Jürgen Klopp was furious!

He stood up anxiously, staring at the field! The clearance ball flew precisely into Lance’s path!

Neven Suboti? and goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller simultaneously rushed to the landing spot, about to sandwich Lance!

[Assisting Character: Nagi Seishiro] Activated!

Sorry, I still have a key skill! [Perfect Ball Control]!

Facing the falling ball, Lance, under the shocked gaze of the entire world, jumped in the air and chipped the ball with his toe over Suboti?! A touch and a dribble!

The moment he landed, facing goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller, he lightly pushed the ball with the outside of his foot through his legs, elegantly turning around the goalkeeper like a bullfighter, in an instant, he bypassed two players! Facing an open goal!

The Chinese-German teenager’s artistic way of dribbling left Duan Xuan speechless!

”Oh oh oh oh!! This goal! Lance! Lance!! It’s an open goal!!”

”Tap-in into an open goal!! It’s in, it’s in!”

”Wow!! Borussia Dortmund’s penalty miss turned into a counter-attack for Bayer Leverkusen!”

”Lance once again miraculously seized the opportunity, dribbled past two players, and scored his second goal!”

Bayer Leverkusen 2-0! The victory is secured!

The Bundesliga title is beckoning them!